September 27

Morning

Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is the shield that protects you, the sword in which you boast. Your enemies will cower before you, and you shall trample their high places. — Deut 33:29 BSB

Anyone who claims that Christianity makes people miserable is entirely unfamiliar with it. It would indeed be strange if our faith caused sorrow, given the position it elevates us to! It makes us children of God! Do you think that God would give all the happiness to His enemies while reserving all the sorrow for His own family? Should His foes be filled with mirth and joy, while His children live in misery and despair? Should the sinner, who has no share in Christ, consider himself rich in happiness, while we, the heirs of heaven, walk as though we were destitute? No! We will rejoice in the Lord always, and find glory in our inheritance, for we have not received a spirit of fear but the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry out, "Abba, Father!"

Yes, the rod of discipline may rest upon us for a time, but it produces in us the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, with the help of the divine Comforter, we, the people saved by the Lord, will rejoice in the God of our salvation. We are the bride of Christ, and would our Bridegroom allow us to live in constant sorrow? Our hearts are bound to Him; we are members of His body. Though we may suffer for a while, as He once did, we are already blessed with heavenly blessings in Him. We have the assurance of our inheritance through the comforts of the Spirit, which are neither few nor small. As heirs of eternal joy, we experience glimpses of our future portion even now. The light of joy begins to shine, heralding the eternal sunrise that awaits us. Our true riches lie beyond the sea, and our eternal city stands firm across the river. Rays of glory from that eternal world cheer our hearts and spur us onward. Truly, it is said of us, "Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?"

Evening

My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him. — Song 5:4 BSB

Knocking at the door wasn’t enough, for my heart was too heavy with sleep, too cold and ungrateful to rise and open to Him. But the touch of His effectual grace stirred my soul. How patient my Beloved is, to linger when I had shut Him out and slept in the bed of sloth! How great His patience, to knock repeatedly, even calling to me, urging me to let Him in! How could I have refused Him? Oh, my wretched heart—blush and be ashamed! Yet, His greatest kindness was this: He did not wait for me to open the door. Instead, He became His own porter and unlatched the door Himself. Blessed be His hand, which condescended to open what I would not.

Now I see that only the Lord’s own power can save such a sinful heart as mine. Ordinances fail, and even the gospel has no effect on me until His hand is stretched out in grace. But I also see that when all else fails, His hand succeeds. He can open where no one else can. Blessed be His name! I feel His presence now, and my affections are stirred for Him. How can they not be, when I think of all He has suffered for me, and my shameful response to Him? I have let my affections stray, set up rivals to Him in my heart, and grieved Him deeply.

Oh, sweetest and dearest of all Beloveds, I have treated You as an unfaithful spouse treats her husband. What cruel sins I have committed, what a cruel heart I have! What can I do? Tears alone are not enough to express my repentance, for my whole soul burns with indignation against myself. Wretch that I am, to treat my Lord, my all in all, as though He were a stranger. Jesus, You forgive freely, but this is not enough. Prevent me from being unfaithful again! Kiss away my tears, cleanse my heart, and bind me to You with cords of love so strong that I will never wander again!