December 3

Morning

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; in you there is no flaw. — Song 4:7 BSB

Having declared His Church completely beautiful, our Lord affirms this with a precious negative, saying, “There is no spot in you!” It’s as if the Bridegroom anticipated that critics might suggest He was only highlighting her attractive features while ignoring any imperfections. But He leaves no room for such thoughts, summing it all up by declaring her entirely and perfectly lovely, without a single blemish.

A spot is a minor thing and can be easily removed, yet even from this smallest imperfection, the believer is freed in the sight of the Lord. If He had said there were no scars, deformities, or hideous flaws, we would have already been amazed. But when He testifies that there is not even the slightest spot, all other forms of imperfection are covered, and our wonder is all the greater.

Even if He had promised to remove every blemish in heaven, we would have reason for endless joy. But when He speaks of this as already accomplished, how can we not overflow with satisfaction and delight? O my soul, here is richness and abundance for you; feast and be satisfied with the royal delicacies!

Christ Jesus has no quarrel with His bride. Though she often strays and grieves Him, He doesn’t let her failures diminish His love. Even when He corrects her, it’s always with the utmost tenderness and for her good—calling her “My love” even in those moments. He does not keep a record of our foolishness. He harbors no grudges, but loves and forgives as freely after the offense as He did before! How fortunate for us that this is the case, for if Jesus kept track of wrongs as we do, how could He remain in fellowship with us? Our loving Husband knows our foolish hearts too well to hold our faults against us.

Evening

Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. — Ps 24:8 BSB

How glorious our God must appear in the eyes of His people, having worked such wonders for them, in them, and through them.

For them, the Lord Jesus triumphed at Calvary, defeating every enemy and shattering the weapons of the foe through His perfect obedience and sacrifice. By His resurrection and ascension, He utterly crushed the hopes of hell, leading captivity captive and putting our enemies to open shame. Through His cross, He has broken every arrow of guilt Satan could use against us, for who can accuse the chosen ones of God? The sharp swords of hell’s malice and the relentless attacks of the serpent’s offspring are powerless, for even the weakest among us claim victory, and the feeblest warriors are crowned!

The saved have every reason to adore their Lord for His victories within them. The arrows of their former hatred toward Him have been broken, and the weapons of their rebellion destroyed. What incredible victories grace has achieved in our sinful hearts! How glorious Jesus is when our wills are surrendered, and sin loses its grip! As for the remnants of our sin, they too will face certain defeat, and every temptation, doubt, and fear will be utterly vanquished. In the peaceful sanctuary of our hearts, the name of Jesus shines above all—He has won our love!

And with this confidence, we look forward to the victories that will come through us. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We will defeat the powers of darkness in the world through our faith, zeal, and holiness. We will win souls to Jesus, overthrow false systems, and transform nations, for God is with us, and none can stand against us.

This evening, let every Christian warrior sing the song of victory and prepare for tomorrow’s battle. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world!