Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

 January 1– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, Revised and Edited by W. C. Neff

“We will be glad and rejoice in You.” 

—Song of Solomon 1:4

As we open the gates of a New Year, we will not play mournful sounds on the trombone, but rather, sweet strains on the harp of joy and gladness on the high-sounding cymbals. “O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation.” We, the called and faithful and chosen, will drive away our griefs and set up our banners of confidence in the name of God. Let others lament over their troubles. We have the sweetening tree of life to cast into the bitter waters of Marah, and with joy we will magnify the Lord.

Eternal Spirit, our Effective Comforter, we who are the temples in which you live will never cease from adoring and blessing the name of Jesus. We have resolved that Jesus must have the crown of our heart’s delight. We will not dishonor our Bridegroom by mourning in his presence. We are ordained to be the minstrels of the skies, so let us rehearse our everlasting anthem before we sing it in the halls of the New Jerusalem. Is there any limit to our rejoicing in the Lord even now? Do not men of grace find their Lord to be fragrant like camphire and spikenard, calamus and cinnamon– even now in this life! What better fragrance could they find in heaven itself?

The essence of our rejoicing is Jesus Himself! He is the meat in the dish, the kernel of the nut, the soul of the text. What heavens are laid up in Jesus! What rivers of infinite bliss have their source– indeed, their every drop of fullness– in him! Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, You are the present portion of Your people, favor us this year with such a sense of Your preciousness that from its first to its last day we may be glad and rejoice in You!

Let January open with joy in the Lord and December close with gladness in Jesus.” [M&E]