June 19

Morning

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. — Acts 2:4 BSB

How rich the blessings of this day would be if each of us were filled with the Holy Spirit. The effects of this sacred filling are beyond measure. Life, comfort, light, purity, power, peace—these and many more precious gifts are inseparable from the Spirit’s gracious presence.

As sacred oil, He anoints the head of the believer, setting him apart for the priesthood of saints and granting him grace to carry out his duties faithfully.

As the only truly purifying water, He cleanses us from the power of sin and sanctifies us in holiness, working within us to desire and act according to the Lord’s good pleasure.

As holy light, He first revealed to us our lost state, and now He reveals the Lord Jesus to us and in us, guiding us along the path of righteousness. Enlightened by His pure celestial ray, we are no longer darkness but light in the Lord.

As purifying fire, He burns away our impurities and sets our consecrated hearts ablaze. He is the sacrificial flame that enables us to offer our entire souls as a living sacrifice to God.

As heavenly dew, He removes our barrenness and brings fruitfulness to our lives. Oh, that He would descend upon us like morning dew today! What a sweet beginning to the day that would be.

As the heavenly Dove, with wings of peaceful love, He broods over the souls of believers. As the Comforter, He dispels the cares and doubts that disturb the peace of His beloved. He descends upon His chosen people and bears witness to their sonship, working in them a childlike spirit that cries out, "Abba, Father!"

As the wind, He brings life to men, blowing wherever He wills and breathing life into the spiritual creation, sustaining and animating it.

Would to God that we might feel His presence this day and every day.

Evening

My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies. Before the day breaks and shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether. — Song 2:16-17 BSB

Surely, if there is a joyful verse in the Bible, it is this: "My Beloved is mine, and I am His." So peaceful, so full of assurance, overflowing with happiness and contentment, it is reminiscent of the beauty of the twenty-third Psalm. Yet, while the scene is fair and lovely, there is still a cloud casting its shadow. Listen: "Until the day breaks, and the shadows flee away." And then there’s mention of "the mountains of Bether" or "the mountains of division," and to a heart in love, anything that speaks of division is full of bitterness.

Beloved, perhaps this is your current state. You don’t doubt your salvation. You know Christ is yours, but you aren’t enjoying the full experience of fellowship with Him. You understand your vital union with Him, so you have no shadow of doubt that you belong to Him and He to you. Yet still, His left hand is not under your head, nor does His right hand embrace you. A shadow of sadness falls over your heart—perhaps due to affliction, perhaps because your Lord seems distant. So even while you proclaim, "I am His," you find yourself on your knees, praying, "Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, turn, my Beloved."

"Where is He?" you ask. And the answer comes: "He feeds among the lilies." To find Christ, we must seek communion with His people and join the saints in the ordinances. Oh, how we long for an evening glimpse of Him! Oh, to sup with Him tonight!