Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

August 23– Evening

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

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.”

—Ephesians 3:17

It is desirable beyond measure that we, as believers, should have the person of Jesus constantly before us to inflame our love towards him and to increase our knowledge of him. I would to God that my readers were all entered as diligent scholars in Jesus’ college, students of Corpus Christi (the body of Christ), resolved to attain a degree in the learning of the cross.

But to have Jesus ever near, the heart must be full of him, welling up with his love, even to overflowing. That is why the apostle prays “that Christ may dwell in your hearts.” See how near he wants Jesus to be! You cannot get any closer to something than to have it in your heart. It is not enough for Christ to be a casual visitor; No! He must live there and stay into the evening and even overnight. Oh, that Jesus may become the Lord and Tenant of your inmost being, never to leave.

Notice the words– that he wants to dwell in your heart— the best room in an individual’s house. He must not only be in your thoughts but in your affections as well; not merely in the mind’s meditations but in the heart’s emotions. We should yearn to love Christ with the most sustained character– not with a love that flames up and then dies out into the darkness of a few embers but a constant flame fed by sacred fuel, like the fire upon the altar which never went out.

This cannot be accomplished except by faith. Faith must be strong, or love will not be fervent; the root of the flower must be healthy, or we cannot expect the bloom to be sweet. Jesus cannot be in your heart’s love unless you have a firm hold of him by your heart’s faith; so, pray that you may always trust Christ in order that you may always love him. If love is cold, be sure that faith is drooping. [M&E]