Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

July 31– Evening

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

“The singers [in the temple] were employed in that work both day and night.”

—1 Chronicles 9:33

It was a good order that required the sacred singing in God’s temple to never cease, for the singers in the Lord’s temple praise God whose mercy never ceases. Just as God’s mercy does not stop ruling by day or by night, so neither should music hush its holy ministry.

O, my heart, there is a lesson sweetly taught to you in the ceaseless song of Zion’s temple—you are a constant debtor to God’s grace, so see to it that your gratitude and love for Him never fails. God’s praise is constant in heaven, which will be your final dwelling-place, so learn now to practice the eternal hallelujah. Around the earth as the sun scatters its light, its beams awaken grateful believers to tune their morning song, so that by the priesthood of all God’s saints perpetual praise rises to Him at all hours of the day. They wrap our globe in a mantle of thanksgiving and surround it with a golden belt of song.

The Lord always deserves to be praised for what he is in Himself, for His works of creation and providence, for His goodness towards His creatures, and especially for the transcendent act of redemption, and all the marvelous blessing flowing from it. It is always beneficial to praise the Lord; it cheers the day and brightens the night; it lightens toil and softens sorrow. Over earthly gladness it sheds a holy radiance, yet careful not to blind us with its glare.

Don’t you have something to sing about at this moment? Can we not weave a song out of our present joys, or our past deliverances, or our future hopes? Earth yields her summer fruits: the hay is housed, and the golden grain is ready for harvest. The summer days are long, and the nights are shorter, so that we may have more hours sing His praise. By the love of Jesus, let us be stirred up to close the day with a psalm of sanctified gladness.” [M&E]