Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

March 1– Morning

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

“Wake up, north wind; and, South wind, come and blow; blow upon my garden so that its many spices may grow.” 

—Song of Solomon 4:16

 

Anything is better than the dead calm of indifference. Our souls may wisely desire the north wind of trouble if it is able to produce the sweetness of Christian maturity. As long as we know that God is in the wind, we will gladly endure even the wintriest blast that comes our way. But we also want to receive the warm south wind of comfort. We want to know the smiles of divine love, the joy of our husband’s presence. These are often very effective in arousing us from a sluggish life.

Whether it is the harsh North wind or the comforting wind from the South, the woman wants both of them to come to her so that she may be able to be productive and please her husband with the spices of her garden. She cannot endure to be unprofitable, nor can we who love our Lord Jesus. How wonderful it is that Jesus can take delight in our poor, feeble graces. It seems far too good to be true. But we are willing to face anything, if only we can make him glad.

It is tragic, indeed, when our Christian graces go unexercised. They are like sweet perfumes unharvested from the flowers in our garden. But God, the great Gardener, knows how to direct any forces necessary to produce the one desired result in our lives. He makes both affliction and comfort bring out the grateful aromas of faith, love, patience, hope, resignation, joy, and the other fair flowers of the garden.  O, that we may know by sweet experience what this means. [M&E]