Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Let January open with joy in the Lord

“We will be glad and rejoice in thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4)

We are ordained to be the minstrels of the skies, let us rehearse our everlasting anthem before we sing it in the halls of the New Jerusalem. We will be glad and rejoice: two words with one sense, double joy, blessedness upon blessedness. Need there be any limit to our rejoicing in the Lord even now? Do not men of grace find their Lord to be camphire and spikenard, calamus and cinnamon even now, and what better fragrance have they in heaven itself? We will be glad and rejoice in Thee. That last word is the meat in the dish, the kernel of the nut, the soul of the text. What heavens are laid up in Jesus! What rivers of infinite bliss have their source, aye, and every drop of their fulness in him! Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, thou art the present portion of thy people, favour us this year with such a sense of thy preciousness, that from its first to its last day we may be glad and rejoice in thee. Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus.

— Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Cited from Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896)

Every song of praise we sing is preparation for eternal glory. Let us purpose to sing of God’s glory form the first day to the last throughout the year. Happy New Year!!!

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) is considered the Prince of Preachers. His sermons were deep, powerful, and uplifting. He pastored at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London for nearly four decades. He was a gospel centered preacher. Through suffering from bouts of depression, Spurgeon grew close to God, and the preachers own experiences in the melting point to encourage others. Spurgeon’s printed sermons continue to be circulated and countless believers have benefitted from his insights on theology and Christian living.