February 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Verse

"He will rest in his love" (Zeph. 3:17 KJV).

Devotional

The marginal reading of the passage is exceedingly beautiful and expressive: "He will be silent because of his love."

God's wrath is silent, because love has hushed it. God's justice is silent, because love has satisfied it. Sin is silent, because love has condemned it. Satan is silent, because love has vanquished him. God's love has silenced every voice but its own.

When an accusation was brought against a poor sinner in the presence of Jesus, and he was called upon to judge in the case, it is recorded that he "bent down, and with his finger wrote on the ground" (John 8:6), as though he did not hear them. He was silent because of his love!

And do you have no accusers? Ah, yes! many and just. Conscience accuses, and Satan accuses, and sin accuses, and the world accuses. But Jesus does not accuse. He is silent because of his love. They condemn loudly, fiercely, even justly. But he never condemns. "And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground" (John 8:8). Still not a word of condemnation came from his lips.

He is the one who has been wronged, he has been sinned against, his own holy law has been broken. And the witnesses, many and malignant, are there to testify in truth against you the sinner. But Jesus is silent—silent in his love.

One there is, above all others,
well deserves the name of Friend;
his is love beyond a brother's,
costly, free, and knows no end:
they who once his kindness prove
find it everlasting love.

Which of all our friends, to save us,
could or would have shed his blood?
But our Jesus died to have us
reconciled in him to God.
This was boundless love indeed;
Jesus is a Friend in need.

When he lived on earth abased,
"Friend of sinners" was his name,
Now above all glory raised,
he rejoices in the same;
still he calls them brethren, friends,
and to all their wants attends.

Could we bear from one another
what he daily bears from us?
Yet this glorious Friend and Brother
loves us though we treat him thus:
though for good we render ill,
he accounts us brethren still.

O for grace our hearts to soften!
teach us, Lord, at length to love,
We, alas! forget too often
what a Friend we have above.
But when home our souls are brought,
we will love thee as we ought.

(John Newton, 1779)

Be sure to read the Preface by Octavius Winslow and A Note from the Editor by Larry E. Wilson.

Larry Wilson is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In addition to having served as the General Secretary of the Committee on Christian Education of the OPC (2000–2004) and having written a number of articles and booklets (such as God's Words for Worship and Why Does the OPC Baptize Infants) for New Horizons and elsewhere, he has pastored OPC churches in Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio. We are grateful to him for his editing of Morning Thoughts, the OPC Daily Devotional for 2025.