Morning By Morning #61

Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad.

Song of Songs 4:16

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Anything is better than the dead, quiet calm of indifference. Our souls may in fact wisely desire the cold “north wind” of trouble to blow, if that alone is what it will take to sanctify or to bring forth the “fragrance” of God’s gracious gifts in our lives. As long as we don’t have to say, “The LORD was not in the wind” (1 Kings 19:11), we should not run from even the most wintry “north wind” that ever blew on God’s “garden” of grace.

In the above verse don’t we see the bride humbly submitting herself to the rebuke of her beloved Husband, even encouraging Him to send forth His grace in some form, and placing no requirements on Him as to how to accomplish it? Didn’t she, just as we do, become so utterly weary of the deathly unholy calm in her life that she longed for anything new that would stir her to action?

Yet she also desires the warm “south wind” of comfort as well—the smiles of divine love, and the joy of her Redeemer’s presence, for these are often powerfully effective in arousing our stagnant and sluggish souls to life. Actually she desires either one or both so she somehow will be able to delight her beloved Husband with the “fragrance” of the spices in her “garden.” The bride cannot tolerate being unproductive and neither can we.

And what an encouraging thought that Jesus—our beloved Husband—can find comfort in our lowly feeble gifts! Can this be, for it seems far too good to be true? May we then be willing to endure trials or even death itself if through these hardships we are assisted in bringing gladness to Immanuel’s heart. Oh, that we would be willing for our hearts to be broken into tiny bits if only through that bruising our sweet Lord Jesus could be glorified!

Gifts unused are like fragrant perfume still sleeping deeply within our flowers’ petals. But then the wisdom of the heavenly Gardener enters our lives to overrule any of our contrary desires only to produce His one desired result. Through both difficult trials and loving comfort He evokes from us, and from other fair flowers of His garden, grateful aromas of faith, love, patience, hope, obedience, and joy.

May each of us truly know through sweet experience what this means.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Many professing Christians run from troubles or try to “name and claim” them away. But what a beautiful thought that the Lord uses troubles in our lives, and even the comforts He sends us, to awaken our various unused gifts. May we never be satisfied with “the dead, quiet calm of indifference,” as Spurgeon puts it today.

Another beautiful thought this morning is this: “Jesus—our beloved Husband—can find comfort in our lowly feeble gifts!” Thus, not only does Jesus receive glory from the use of our gifts but He also receives comfort from them. Have you ever considered serving the Lord, not just out of obedience, or even because it brings Him glory—but simply because it is comforting and refreshing to Him?

With Jesus all things are personal. He focuses His loving eyes on me, and asks, “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7).