Evening, December 1
Go To Morning Reading
“O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men.”
Psalm 107:8
If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and
God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies —common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when
deprived of them we are ready to perish. Let us bless God for the
eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to
walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us
praise him that we are not cast out among the hopeless, or confined
amongst the guilty; let us thank him for liberty, for friends, for
family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for
everything which we receive from his bounteous hand, for we deserve
little, and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest
and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love . God’s redeeming acts towards his chosen are forever the favourite themes
of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold
our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power
of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were
naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ—our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves,
but children of the living God, and can antedate the period when we
shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any
such thing. Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves
about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and
shall we not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer? Child
of God, canst thou be silent? Awake, awake, ye inheritors of glory,
and lead your captivity captive, as ye cry with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy
name.” Let the new month begin with new songs.