Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

May 20– Evening

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

“I drew you with cords of kindness and bands of love.” 

—Hosea 11:4

Our heavenly Father often draws us with the cords of love, and yet how stubborn we are to run toward him! How slowly do we respond to his gentle impulses! We do not leave our worldly cares with God, but, like Martha, we burden ourselves with much serving. Our meagre faith makes our souls skinny. We do not open our mouths wide even though God has promised to fill them.

God is drawing us to trust him even this evening. Can you hear him say, “Come, my child, and trust me. The temple veil is torn in half. Enter my presence, and approach boldly the throne of my grace. I am worthy of your fullest confidence, so cast your cares upon me. Shake out the dust of anxiety from your clothing, and put on your beautiful garments of joy.”

Sadly, though we are called with tones of love, we refuse to come to him. We have been sitting on the doorstep of his house, and he calls us inside to have dinner with him, but we decline the honor. How many secret rooms are not yet opened to us? Jesus invites us to enter them, but we hold back. Shame on our cold hearts! We are but poor lovers of our sweet Lord Jesus, not fit to be his servants, much less to be his brides. And yet he has exalted us to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, married to him by a glorious marriage-covenant.

This is love! It is a love that will not be denied. If we do not answer the gentle drawings of his love, he will send affliction to drive us into closer intimacy with himself. He will have us come nearer! What foolish children we are to refuse his tender bands of love and so bring upon our backs the scourge of other cords which Jesus also knows how to use! [M&E]