Sendingnuus uit Madagaskar – The Week 4 May 2025

You would think that starting off a new week with a morning devotional from Charles Spurgeon, is simply the best thing.

“And all the children of Israel murmured.” – Numbers 14:2 –

This devotion was not for me as I am not the murmuring kind…that was my last thought before Mr. Spurgeon started admonishing me in his best King James English. It was intense; both keeping up with the doths, thous and thees, but at the same time thinking that Spurgeon had it in for those murmurers, grumblers, complainers, whiners etc.

It was to be my first day back at school after my accident and I still struggled to walk. The first sign of trouble was that the road going to school from the market was closed due to repair works. To prove that they were serious about the road being closed, they placed ‘guards’ to keep vehicles from entering. Yet, some passed through and I was not one of them. I was told that there was an alternative route, but none of the tuc-tucs wanted to take me, because that route was too long and too bad. So I had to walk and you guessed it…the murmuring started. I found myself almost at the foot path going down to school when there was another barrier, probably for those rebels who managed to slip through the first one. An old woman, carrying a big bundle on her back and leaning heavily on her walking stick came from the other direction and we made eye contact. I was wondering who would make it to the barrier first as only one person could manage through at a time. Game on! She beat me to it and we smiled at each other. My first thought was that she probably had to walk in that manner every day while I knew that my foot would get better and walking would once again become something enjoyable. A lesson in humility.

Once I arrived at school and I complained about not being allowed through the barrier, Euphrasie told me that the people paid bribes in order to do that. No surprise, I should have known that! Of course, the whole exercise had to be repeated in the afternoon after school.

So just for your spiritual benefit, I am going to post the rest of Mr Spurgeon’s wise words.

May you have a murmur free week!

There are murmurers amongst Christians now, as there were in the camp of Israel of old. There are those who, when the rod falls, cry out against the afflictive dispensation. They ask, “Why am I thus afflicted? What have I done to be chastened in this manner?” A word with thee, O murmurer! Why shouldst thou murmur against the dispensations of thy heavenly Father? Can he treat thee more hardly than thou deservest? Consider what a rebel thou wast once, but he has pardoned thee! Surely, if he in his wisdom sees fit now to chasten thee, thou shouldst not complain. After all, art thou smitten as hardly as thy sins deserve? Consider the corruption which is in thy breast, and then wilt thou wonder that there needs so much of the rod to fetch it out? Weigh thyself, and discern how much dross is mingled with thy gold; and dost thou think the fire too hot to purge away so much dross as thou hast? Does not that proud rebellious spirit of thine prove that thy heart is not thoroughly sanctified? Are not those murmuring words contrary to the holy submissive nature of God’s children? Is not the correction needed? But if thou wilt murmur against the chastening, take heed, for it will go hard with murmurers. God always chastises his children twice, if they do not bear the first stroke patiently. But know one thing-“He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” All his corrections are sent in love, to purify thee, and to draw thee nearer to himself. Surely it must help thee to bear the chastening with resignation if thou art able to recognize thy Father’s hand. For “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.” “Murmur not as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer.” -Charles H. Spurgeon-

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