Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

 March 11– Evening

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

“[God’s people] will be called, ‘Sought out.’”

—Isaiah 62:12

The surpassing grace of God is very clearly seen in the fact that we were not only sought by him but sought out. It’s one thing to seek for something— like an item that fell on the floor—, but it is something else to “seek out” something. “Seeking out” is a perplexing process; the search is persevering. For instance, we were mingled with the mud; worse than that, we were like a precious piece of gold that fell into the sewer. To find it one must gather out the contents and carefully inspect a mass of abominable filth until the treasure is found. Or, to use a different illustration, we were lost in a maze. We wandered here and there. When mercy came after us with the gospel, it did not find us at the first coming; it had to search for us and seek us out. We were like lost sheep who had wandered into a strange, foreign country; it did not seem possible that even the Good Shepherd could track our devious roving.

Glory be to unconquerable grace, we were sought out! No gloom could hide us; no filthiness could conceal us; we were found and brought home. Glory be to infinite love. God the Holy Spirit restored us!

The lives of some of God’s people, if they could be written, would fill us with holy astonishment. Strange and marvelous are the ways which God used in their case to find his own. Blessed be his name; he never relinquishes the search until the chosen are sought out successfully. They are not a people sought today and cast away tomorrow. Almightiness combines with wisdom to make no failures. God’s people will be called “Sought out!” That we should be sought out is grace beyond degree! We can find no reason for it but God’s own sovereign love, and we can only lift up our heart in wonder and praise the Lord that tonight we wear the name “Sought out.” [M&E]