Milo

December 1

HOW TEDIOUS AND TASTELESS THE HOURS
John Newton, 1725–1807
Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire beside You. (Psalm 73:25)
The gospel of Jesus Christ revolves around the two Advents of the Savior: The first when He came as the humble baby in Bethlehem’s manger (Philippians 2:6–8); the second when He returns as King of kings with power and great glory to establish His eternal kingdom (Luke 21:27). Christ’s first coming assures us that we now have a God who identified Himself with us in every aspect of life from birth to death. The anticipation of His second coming assures us that we will live and reign with Him forever. Such a hope keeps this life from becoming “tedious and tasteless”—regardless of the seasons or situations.
The ultimate source of inner joy is God Himself, not our circumstances. Without an intimate sense of His daily presence, however, our lives can easily become wintry and frigid.
“BUT WHEN I AM HAPPY WITH HIM, DECEMBER’S AS PLEASANT AS MAY.”
“How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours” is another of the fine hymns by John Newton. It first appeared in his 1779 collection titled The Olney Hymns. The hymn was originally titled “Fellowship with Christ”—based on Psalm 73:25. These words still speak vividly to us of the importance of maintaining a close personal relationship with our Lord:
How tedious and tasteless the hours when Jesus no longer I see! Sweet prospects, sweet birds, and sweet flowers have all lost their sweetness to me. The mid-summer sun shines but dim; the fields strive in vain to look gay; but when I am happy with Him, December’s as pleasant as May.
Content with beholding His face, my all to His pleasure resigned, no changes of season or place would make any change in my mind: While blest with a sense of His love, a palace a toy would appear; and prisons would palaces prove, if Jesus would dwell with me there.
Dear Lord, if indeed I am Thine, if Thou art my sun and my song, say, why do I languish and pine, and why are my winters so long? Oh, drive these dark clouds from my sky; Thy soul-cheering presence restore; or take me unto Thee on high, where winter and clouds are no more.

    For Today: Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 9:2; 70:4; Romans 14:17, 18

God has made you a steward of this day, regardless of the weather or circumstances. May it count for Him. Consciously practice His presence. Reflect on this musical truth—

December

• The First Advent • Christ’s Name • His Birth • His Second Advent • Eternal Reign

1.
How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours
2.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
3.
Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus
4.
Blessed Be the Name
5.
That Beautiful Name
6.
His Name Is Wonderful
7.
Join All the Glorious Names
8.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
9.
Joy to the World!
10.
What Child Is This?
11.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
12.
Away in a Manger
13.
Angels, From the Realms of Glory
14.
Angels We Have Heard On High
15.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
16.
The First Noel
17.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
18.
There’s a Song in the Air!
19.
While By Our Sheep
20.
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
21.
We Three Kings of Orient Are
22.
Good Christian Men, Rejoice
23.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
24.
Silent Night! Holy Night!
25.
Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
26.
Go Tell It on the Mountain
27.
Lo! He Comes, With Clouds Descending
28.
Christ Returneth!
29.
There’ll Be No Dark Valley
30.
Jesus Shall Reign
31.
The Lord Is King!

November 30

TO GOD BE THE GLORY
Fanny J. Crosby, 1820–1915
So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:6)
The aim and final reason for all music should be nothing else but the glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit.
—J. S. Bach
To give glory to God should be the greatest desire of every Christian. Not only should this be the supreme goal for our individual lives, but it should also be true whenever we gather in our local churches. “In the presence of the congregation I will sing Your praises” (Hebrews 2:12). We must always be alert in recognizing God’s leading in our midst and in acknowledging His hand of blessing upon our corporate endeavors—the “great things He hath taught us and the great things He hath done.” Without this sensitive awareness and gratitude, churches, like individuals, can easily lose the focus of their mission and develop a false sense of self-worth and sufficiency.
This fine gospel hymn first appeared in a Sunday school collection, Brightest and Best, compiled by William Doane and Robert Lowry in 1875. In 1952 the Billy Graham Crusade Team went to England, where they first made extensive use of the hymn in their meetings. It was an immediate success. Upon their return to the United States, they found the same enthusiastic response by American audiences. It has been a favorite hymn ever since.
“To God Be the Glory” differs from most of the hymns written by Fanny Crosby in that it is a more objective praise of God rather than the typical subjective testimony or Christian experience type of song. It is a fine blend of the characteristics of both the hymn and the gospel song.
To God be the glory—great things He hath done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin and opened the Lifegate that all may go in.
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood! To ev’ry believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son; but purer and higher and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.
Chorus: Praise the lord, Praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory—great things He hath done.

    For Today: Psalm 29:2; Romans 11:36; Galatians 1:4, 5; Ephesians 3:21

Reflect seriously on whether God’s glory is really the desire of your life. Also, give Him a testimony of praise for His blessings upon your local church.

November 29

JESUS CALLS US
Mrs. Cecil F. Alexander, 1818–1895
Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. (John 12:26)
God’s call for discipleship comes to every believer, not just a special few. Whether or not we hear God’s call depends on our spiritual sensitivity.
The last Sunday in November is known as St. Andrew’s Day. It has traditionally been an important day in the liturgical worship of the Anglican church. It commemorates the calling of Andrew by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4:18–20 and Mark 1:16–l8. “At once they [Simon and his brother Andrew] left their nets and followed Him.” Andrew has become the patron saint of Scotland, and the oblique cross on which tradition says he was crucified is part of the Union Jack of the British flag.
This is another of the quality hymn texts written by Cecil Frances Alexander, recognized as one of England’s finest women hymn writers. It is one of the few of Mrs. Alexander’s hymns not specifically written for children; nearly all of her more than 400 poems and hymn texts were intended for reaching and teaching children with the gospel.
Following her marriage in 1850 to the distinguished churchman, Dr. William Alexander, who later became archbishop for all of Ireland, Mrs. Alexander devoted her literary talents to helping her husband with his ministry, including writing appropriate poems that he could use with his sermons. One fall day, two years after their marriage, Dr. Alexander asked his wife if she could write a poem for a sermon he was planning to preach the following Sunday for his St. Andrew’s Day sermon. The pastor closed his sermon that day with the new poem written by his wife. These words have since been widely used in all churches to challenge God’s people to hear Christ’s call as Andrew did and then to follow, serve, and love Him “best of all.”
Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; day by day His sweet voice soundeth, saying, “Christian, follow Me.”
Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store, from each idol that would keep us, saying, “Christian, love Me more.”
In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease, still He calls, in cares and pleasures, “Christian, love Me more than these.”
Jesus calls us: by Thy mercies, Savior, may we hear Thy call, give our hearts to Thy obedience, serve and love Thee best of all.

    For Today: Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 4:18–20; Mark 1:16–18; Luke 9:23

May we respond as Andrew did and become one of Christ’s faithful followers and a “fisher of men.” Carry this musical message as you go—

November 28

LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND
John Milton, 1608–1674
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love [mercy] endures forever. (Psalm 136:1)
A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.
—Cicero
A gladsome, joyous mind is the product of a grateful, praising heart. Gratefulness is the opposite of selfishness. The selfish person is boastful of his accomplishments. The grateful Christian, however, realizes that all achievements and blessings come only from God’s bountiful hand. This realization results in a life of praise.
Far too often our prayer life consists only of a series of personal requests. God wants our requests, but He also desires to hear our praise for His eternal kindness and love in response to our daily needs.
This hymn text of praise was written by John Milton in 1621 when he was only 15 years of age. It was based on verses 1, 2, 7, and 23 of Psalm 136, a psalm that refrains each of its 26 verses with the reminder that God’s love/mercy/kindness endure forever. This hymn is one of 19 poetic versions of various psalms written by Milton. Today, however, John Milton is best remembered as the brilliant, blind English poet who wrote the classic masterpieces, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. He is also credited with having much influence on the later hymn writings of Isaac Watts (“the father of English hymnody”) and Charles Wesley (author of 6,500 hymn texts).
Let us with a gladsome mind praise the Lord, for He is kind:
For His mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure.
Let us blaze His name abroad; for of gods He is the God:
For His mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure.
He with all-commanding might filled the new-made world with light:
For His mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure.
All things living He doth feed; His full hand supplies their need:
For His mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure.
Let us then with gladsome mind praise the Lord, for He is kind:
For His mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure.

    For Today: Psalm 63:1–5; 103:2; 136; 145:9; James 1:17

It is always inspiring to read about the work of God in the life of a Bible character or some great leader in history. But it is even more profitable for us to recount the mercies of God in our own past life and to offer Him praise for His eternal love. Why not do so with this little hymn?