July 9

Morning

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds— — Ps 103:2 BSB

It is a delightful and beneficial practice to reflect on how God worked in the lives of the saints of old, noticing His goodness in delivering them, His mercy in pardoning them, and His faithfulness in keeping His covenant with them.

But wouldn’t it be even more meaningful and rewarding for us to observe God’s hand in our own lives? Shouldn’t we see our own history as just as full of God’s presence—just as much a testament to His goodness and truth, and as much proof of His faithfulness—as the lives of the saints who have gone before us? We dishonor our Lord when we assume He only performed great acts and revealed His power for people in ancient times, while neglecting to see how He still works mightily for His people today.

Let’s review our own lives. Surely we can find moments where God’s kindness has shone brightly, where His works have refreshed our souls and brought glory to His name. Have you not experienced deliverance? Haven’t you passed through deep waters, supported by His divine presence? Have you walked through fires without being burned? Have you received spiritual revelations of Christ in your heart? Have you not received special blessings? The God who gave Solomon the desires of his heart—has He never heard and answered your prayers? The God of abundant goodness, of whom David sang, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things,” has He never filled you with His rich blessings? Have you never been led to rest in green pastures or beside still waters?

Surely God’s goodness has been as abundant to us as it was to the saints of old. Let us, then, weave His mercies into a song. Let us gather the pure gold of thankfulness and the jewels of praise to create another crown for Jesus. May our souls sing with as much joy and sweetness as David’s harp while we praise the Lord, whose mercy endures forever!

Evening

And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. — Gen 1:4 BSB

A believer has two principles at work within him. In his natural state, he was governed by just one—darkness. But now that light has entered, the two principles are in conflict. Consider the apostle Paul’s words in Romans 7: “I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law, but I see another law at work in my members, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” How did this internal struggle come about?

“The Lord divided the light from the darkness.” Darkness by itself is quiet and undisturbed, but when the Lord sends in the light, a conflict arises because light and darkness are opposed to each other. This battle will continue until the believer is fully transformed into light in the Lord. If there is division within the believer, there will certainly be division outside as well. As soon as God gives someone light, they begin to separate themselves from the darkness around them. They leave behind the mere outward religion of rituals because only the gospel of Christ satisfies them now. They also withdraw from worldly company and shallow amusements.

The believer seeks the company of other Christians, for “we know we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” Light gathers to light, and darkness gathers to darkness. What God has separated, let us never try to unite. Just as Christ went outside the camp, bearing His reproach, let us separate ourselves from ungodliness and be a peculiar people. Christ was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. As He was, so we are to be—nonconformists to the world, rejecting sin and standing out by our likeness to our Master.