Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

August 22– Morning

 by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“If you find the one I love, tell him that I am lovesick for him.”.” 

—Song of Solomon 5:8

This is the language of the believer panting after present fellowship with Jesus; he is lovesick for his Lord. Gracious souls are never perfectly at ease unless they are in a state of nearness to Christ, for when they are away from him they lose their peace. The nearer to him, the nearer to the perfect calm of heaven and the fuller the heart is, not only of peace, but of life, energy, and joy, for these all depend on constant communion with Jesus.

What the sun is to the day, the moon to the night, the dew to the flower, bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, a cup of cool water to the traveler, so is Jesus Christ to us; and, therefore, if we are not consciously one with him, it is no wonder that our spirit cries out, “If you find the one I love, tell him that I am lovesick for him.”

Those who long after Jesus are blessed. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness”, and he is the Righteous One. That hunger is blessed because it comes from God. If I can’t drink and feed on Jesus, it is the next best thing to hunger and thirst after Him. And If Christ causes us to long after him like this, then he will certainly satisfy those longings. When he comes to us— and he will— how sweet it will be! [M&E]