December 21

Morning

Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire? — 2 Sam 23:5 BSB

This covenant is divine in its origin: "HE has established an everlasting covenant with me." Oh, what a word—HE! Pause and reflect, my soul. God, the eternal Father, has made a covenant with you. Yes, the same God who spoke the universe into existence with a word, who reigns in majesty and power, has stooped down and taken your hand to make a covenant with you. Isn't this a staggering act of divine condescension, one that should captivate and fill our hearts with awe forever, if we could only grasp its full meaning?

If an earthly king made a covenant with me, that would be an honor. But here we have the Prince of all kings, El-Shaddai, the Lord Almighty, Jehovah of all ages, the everlasting Elohim—HE has established an everlasting covenant with me!

But notice the personal aspect of it: "He has established an everlasting covenant with ME." This is the sweetness of it for each believer. It is one thing to hear that God has made peace for the world, but what matters most to me is whether He has made peace for me. It is of little comfort to know He made a covenant unless I know He has made a covenant with me.

Blessed is the assurance that He has made an everlasting covenant with me! If God the Holy Spirit assures me of this, then His salvation is mine, His heart is mine, and He Himself is mine—He is my God!

This covenant is everlasting in its duration. An everlasting covenant had no beginning, and it will have no end. How comforting it is, amidst all the uncertainties of life, to know that “the foundation of the Lord stands sure,” and to rest in His promise, “I will not break My covenant, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” Like David in his final days, I can sing of this covenant, even if my earthly house is not all that I desire it to be.

Evening

I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. — Ezek 16:10 BSB

Behold the matchless generosity with which the Lord provides for His people's garments. Their attire is a divine masterpiece, woven with unparalleled skill, where every attribute of God is displayed, and every facet of His beauty shines forth.

There is no artistry like the artistry displayed in our salvation, and no workmanship as intricate as the righteousness of the saints. The doctrine of justification has captivated the greatest minds throughout church history, and it will continue to be a subject of awe and wonder for all eternity. God has indeed “skillfully wrought it.”

Alongside this beauty, there is practicality and durability, symbolized by the strong leather in which they are shod. The exact nature of the animal used for the leather is unknown, but its skin covered the tabernacle, providing a material that was both fine and incredibly strong. The righteousness that comes from God through faith endures forever. Whoever walks in this divine preparation will travel safely through the wilderness of life, able to tread even upon the lion and the serpent.

The purity and dignity of their holy garments are emphasized by the fine linen they wear. When the Lord sanctifies His people, they are clothed as priests in pure white, surpassing even the brightness of snow. They are beautiful in the sight of men and angels, and before the Lord, they are without spot.

At the same time, their royal robes are rich and delicate as silk. No expense is spared, no beauty is withheld, and no refinement is denied.

What, then, should be our response to such lavish grace? Surely it should stir in us a deep sense of gratitude and joy. Come, my heart, let us not withhold our evening hallelujah!