Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

May 9– Evening

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

“Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field … and let us see if the vines flourish.”.” 

—Song of Solomon 7:11,12

She does not say, “I will go,” but “let us go.” Work is a blessed thing when Jesus is at our side! It is the business of God’s people to be trimmers of God’s vines. Like our first parents, we are placed into the Lord’s Garden to be useful, so let’s go into the field and work!

Notice that the church, when she is in her right mind, desires to use her hours of service as opportunities to enjoy communion with Christ. Some think they cannot serve Christ actively, and, at the same time, have fellowship with him; they are mistaken. To be sure, it is very easy to fritter away our inward life by being engaged in outward activities. But it is also possible to be keepers of the vineyard while tending to the vineyard of your own heart.

There are some professing Christians who do no work at all in God’s vineyard. But they grow more lifeless in spiritual things than those who are most busy. Mary was not praised for sitting still and doing nothing but for her sitting at Jesus’ feet. Even so, Christians are not to be praised for neglecting Christian service to do nothing.

Don’t think that activity in itself is evil; it is a great blessing and a means of grace to us. Paul considered it a gracious gift to be allowed to preach, and every form of Christian service can be a personal blessing to those engaged in it. Those who have most fellowship with Christ are not recluses or hermits who have much time to spare but untiring workers who labor strenuously for Jesus. They know that in their toil they are at his side; they are workers together with God.

Let’s remember, then, that we are called to serve and to serve in close communion with him. [M&E]