December 1

Morning

You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made the summer and winter. — Ps 74:17 BSB

My soul, begin this wintry month with your God. The cold snow and biting winds remind you that He keeps His covenant with day and night, which assures you that He will also keep the glorious covenant He made with you through Christ Jesus. The same God who is faithful in the cycles of this flawed, sin-stained world will not fail in His promises to His beloved Son.

Winter in the soul can be far from pleasant. If you are experiencing it now, it may feel deeply painful. But take comfort in this—the Lord brings it. He sends the harsh winds of adversity to cut down the buds of false hope. He spreads the frost like ashes over the once-green meadows of our joy. He casts His ice in chunks, freezing the streams of our delight. And yet, it is all His doing; He is the Winter King, reigning in the land of frost, so we cannot complain.

Losses, burdens, hardships, sickness, poverty, and countless other troubles—all come from the Lord with wise purpose. Just as frost kills harmful pests and curbs raging illnesses, winter in the soul breaks up the hard ground and purifies the soil. Oh, that we could always see such good results from our winters of affliction! How much more we value the fire now! How delightful is its warm glow! Let us value our Lord in the same way, for He is the constant source of warmth and comfort in times of trouble. Let us draw near to Him, finding joy and peace in faith. Let us wrap ourselves in the warmth of His promises and go forth to work that suits the season. For it is wrong to be like the sluggard who refuses to plow because of the cold; he will beg when summer comes and have nothing.

Evening

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men. — Ps 107:8 BSB

If we complained less and praised more, we would be happier, and God would receive more glory.

Let us make it a habit to thank God for the everyday blessings—those common mercies we often take for granted, yet are so precious that, without them, we would quickly perish. Let us praise God for the eyes that see the sun, for the health and strength to move about, for the food we eat, and the clothes we wear. Let us thank Him that we are not hopeless or imprisoned with the guilty. Let us be grateful for freedom, for friends, and for the comforts of family. In fact, let us praise Him for every good thing that comes from His generous hand, for we deserve little, yet He gives us so much.

But, dear friends, the sweetest and loudest praise we offer should be for God’s redeeming love. His work of redemption for His people is always the favorite theme of their praise. If we truly understand what it means to be redeemed, how can we hold back our songs of thanksgiving? We have been rescued from the grip of our sinful nature, lifted from the depths of sin in which we were trapped. We have been led to the cross of Christ, where the chains of guilt have been shattered. We are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and we can look forward to the day when we will stand before His throne, spotless and pure. Even now, by faith, we wave the palm branch and clothe ourselves in the fine linen that will be our eternal garment. How can we not continually give thanks to our Redeemer? Child of God, can you stay silent? Awake, awake, you heirs of glory, and celebrate your victory as you join David in saying, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Let this new month begin with new songs!