April 1

Morning

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is more delightful than wine. — Song 1:2 BSB

For several days, we’ve been reflecting on the sufferings of our Savior, and for a little while longer, we shall linger there. As we begin this new month, let us seek the same desire for our Lord that burned in the heart of His chosen bride.

See how she leaps straight to Him—there’s no preamble, no need to mention His name. She is already consumed by thoughts of Him, the only "Him" that matters to her in the world.

How bold her love is! It was an act of great humility when the weeping woman anointed His feet with perfume, and it was a loving devotion that allowed Mary to sit at His feet and learn from Him. But here, love—strong and passionate love—reaches for something greater, for deeper fellowship. Esther trembled before King Ahasuerus, but here the bride, in the joyful liberty of perfect love, knows no fear. If we have received the same spirit of love, we can ask for the same intimacy.

The "kisses" here represent the various expressions of affection by which believers experience the love of Jesus.

We tasted the kiss of reconciliation at our conversion, and it was as sweet as honey dripping from the comb.

The kiss of acceptance still lingers on our foreheads, as we know that He has graciously accepted us and our works.

We long for the kiss of daily communion, seeking it again and again, until it is replaced by the kiss of reception that will take our souls from this world, and the kiss of consummation that will fill us with the joy of heaven!

Faith is our journey, but felt fellowship is our rest. Faith is the road, but communion with Jesus is the well from which we drink. O lover of our souls, do not be distant from us; let the lips of Your blessing meet the lips of our longing; let Your fullness touch our need, and the kiss will be complete.

Evening

Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain. — Hos 10:12 BSB

April is said to be named from the Latin word aperio, meaning "to open," because this is the time when buds and blossoms begin to open, and we arrive at the doorway of the blooming season.

Reader, if you are still unsaved, may your heart open in harmony with the awakening of nature to receive the Lord. Every blooming flower around you is a reminder that it’s time to seek the Lord. Don’t be out of tune with creation—let your heart bloom with holy desires.

Do you tell me that the energy of youth is flowing through your veins? Then I urge you—give your strength to the Lord. It was my greatest joy to be called to Him in my early youth, and I thank the Lord for it every day. Salvation is precious, no matter when it comes, but oh, how much more valuable it is when it comes early. Young men and women, since you may not live to see your prime, now is the time to seek the Lord! And you who feel the first signs of aging—hurry! That lingering cough, that faint flush—these are warnings you must not ignore. For you, it is indeed time to seek the Lord.

Have you noticed a bit of gray among your once-luxurious hair? The years are speeding by, and death is drawing closer with every tick of the clock—let the return of spring remind you to set your spiritual house in order. Dear reader, if you are older now, let me urge you not to delay any longer. There is still a day of grace for you—be thankful for that—but it’s a limited time, and it grows shorter with every moment!

Here in the quiet of this evening, as another month begins, I speak to you as best I can with words on this page, and from the depths of my soul, as God’s servant, I plead with you: "It is time to seek the Lord!" Don’t neglect this opportunity—it may be your final call from destruction, the last invitation from the lips of grace.