Morning, January 26 Go To Evening Reading
“Your heavenly Father.”
—Matthew 6:26
God’s people are doubly his children, they are his offspring by creation, and they are his sons by adoption in Christ. Hence they are privileged to call him “Our Father which art in heaven.” Father! Oh, what precious word is that. Here is authority: “If I am a Father, where is mine honor?” If ye be sons, where is your obedience? Here is affection mingled with authority; an authority which does not provoke rebellion; an observation demanded which is most cheerfully rendered—which would not be withheld even if it might. The obedience which God’s children yield to him must be loving. Do not go about the service of God as slaves to their taskmaster’s toil, but run in the way of his commands because it is your Father’s way. Yield your bodies as instruments of righteousness because righteousness is your Father’s will, and his will should be the will of his child. Father!—Here is a kingly attribute so sweetly veiled in love that the King’s crown is forgotten in the King’s face, and his scepter becomes, not a rod of iron, but a silver scepter of mercy—the baton indeed seems to be forgotten in the tender hand of him who wields it. Father!—Here is honor and love. How great is a Father’s devotion to his children! That which friendship cannot do, and mere benevolence will not attempt, a father’s heart and hand must do for his sons. They are his offspring; he must bless them; they are his children; he must show himself strong in their defense. If an earthly father watches over his children with unceasing love and care, how much more does our heavenly Father? Abba, Father! He who can say this hath uttered better music than cherubim or seraphim can reach. There is heaven in the depth of that word—Father! I can ask; all my necessities can demand; all my wishes can desire. I have all in all to all eternity when I can say, “Father.”
Go To Morning Reading Evening, January 26
“All they that heard it wondered at those things.”
—Luke 2:18
We must not cease to wonder at the great marvels of our God. It would be tough to draw a line between holy wonder and authentic worship, for when the soul is overwhelmed with the majesty of God’s glory. However, it may not express itself in song or even utter its voice with bowed head in humble prayer, yet it silently adores. Our incarnate God is to be worshipped as “the Wonderful.” That God should consider his fallen creature, man, and instead of sweeping him away with the besom of destruction, should himself undertake to be man’s Redeemer and to pay his ransom price, is, indeed marvelous! But redemption is most glorious to each believer as he views it about himself. It is a miracle of grace indeed that Jesus should forsake the thrones and royalties above, to suffer ignominiously below for you. Let your soul lose itself in wonder, for wonder is in this way an efficient emotion. Holy awe will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this. Feeling the presence of the mighty God in the gift of his dear Son, you will put off your shoes from off your feet because the place whereon you stand is holy ground. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done such marvelous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything when he has once been surprised at the manager and the cross? What is there excellent left after one has seen the Saviour? Dear reader, it may be that from the quietness and solitariness of your life, you are scarcely able to imitate the shepherds of Bethlehem, who told what they had seen and heard. Still, you can, at least, fill up the circle of the worshippers before the throne by wondering what God has done.
Spurgeon, C. H. Morning and Evening: Daily Readings. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896. Print.
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