Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

March 20– Morning

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

“My Beloved.” 

—Song of Solomon 2:8

 

This was a golden name that the ancient Church in her most joyous moments ascribed to her Lord Jesus Christ. The Church loves to call Jesus her “Beloved.” She rejoices to declare openly, “I belong to my Beloved (Jesus), and he belongs to me.”

Even in the long winter when idolatry had taken its toll on God’s people, the prophets looked past the present discipline of the Lord and reminded the people that they will again sing a song to their dearly loved God. Even though Israel had never seen his face; though the Son of God had not yet taken on human flesh to live among us; even though we had not yet seen his glory, he was still the comfort of Israel, the One who is dearly loved by those who live purely before the Most High.

And now we, in the summer days of the Church, are also compelled to speak of Christ as the best lover of our soul and to feel that he is more beautiful than all others. His love for the church is so true that the Apostle Paul defies the whole universe to separate her from the love of Christ. He declares that neither persecution, distress, affliction, disaster, or the sword have been able to do it; in fact, he boasts that, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

If only we knew more of you and your precious love, O Lord. The only possession I truly have is your love, and I ask you for nothing more. [M&E]