Month: January 2013

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 25; Job 31; Matt. 13:24-43

 

And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.            Philippians 4:7 (NKJV)

“You have a malignant cancerous tumor” the doctor said. How can this be? I prayed for the test to show nothing was wrong. But God needed me to be closer to Him. He wanted my focus to be on Him, not the hundred other things I thought I had to do. Praise God the tests were right.    —D. Douglas

 

So near, so very near to God,
I cannot nearer be;
For in the person of His Son,
I am as near as He.
—Catesby Paget

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 24; Job 29-30; Matt. 13:1-23

 

And [God] said, I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.     Genesis 18:32
And Abraham got up early in the morning … and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah.    Genesis 19:27-28

 

Abraham implored the Lord to spare Sodom for his nephew Lot’s sake. God told Abraham He would spare the city if He found ten righteous people there. What must Abraham have thought when he beheld the smoke of that destroyed city? He could not have known the great effort and care God took to deliver Lot from judgement. It is not recorded that Abraham ever saw Lot again; yet he continued to trust God. May we likewise walk in faith.    —D. Pickup

 

Have faith in God; He’s on the throne.
Have faith in God; He watches o’er His own.
He cannot fail! He must prevail! —B. B. McKinney

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 23; Job 27-28; Matt. 12:22-50

 

Awake, O north wind; and come thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.    Song of Solomon 4:16

 

A Christian writer states that, “There simply are those spans of time in our walk with the Lord that ‘winter weather’ descends upon the soul.” He says what is needed is a “gentle thaw,” the warming influence of God’s gracious spirit. Being quiet in His presence we hear Him tell us to draw near to Him and He will draw near to us. (Jam. 4:8) He does not want us shackled by our struggles, so He sends southern breezes of compassion that lead to greening meadows where we can again enjoy the sonshine in our souls.    —E. Dyck

Blessed quietness, holy quietness; what assurance to the soul!
On the stormy sea, He speaks peace to me; how the billows cease to roll!
—Manie Payne Ferguson

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 22; Job 25-26; Matt. 12:1-21

 

Unto you therefore which believe He is precious:…    1 Peter 2:7

 

Twice in this chapter Christ is said to be precious to God but now He is likewise precious to those who believe. The question arises, “How can He who is precious to God become precious to me, a poor mortal and a sinner?” Three more precious things provide the answer.  Precious blood makes it possible (1 Pet. 1:19). Precious promises make it available (2 Pet. 1:4). Precious faith makes it effectual and personal (2 Pet. 1:1).    —Jim Flanigan

 

Precious to me;
Precious is He;
Jesus shall ever be,
Precious to me.
—G. C. Tullar

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 20-21; Job 23-24; Matt. 11:2-30

Prepare to meet thy God.    Amos 4:12
Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.    Matthew 24:44

 

I talked to a friend some years ago. He said to me, “I have prepared for many things in this life. I have made provision for my wife if I should die, but I have not prepared to meet God.” Not long after that conversation, he died. How tragic. Life is short. Are you ready to meet God if you should die today? Are you ready if Jesus returns tonight? Prepare to meet your God.    —J. Fleming

 

We are walking on life’s pathway, trav’ling to eternity,
Where our loved ones went before us, to their final destiny.
I must choose the road that I will travel, if one day in glory I’ll be,
Then on that day when this life’s over, heaven will be home for me.
—J. Fleming

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 19; Job 22; Matt. 10:24 to 11:1

Tell your children [of the work of the Lord] and let your children
tell their children, and their children another generation.    Joel 1:3

 

Joel reminded the people that the Lord commanded them to tell their children and their grandchildren what God was doing. Timothy’s mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois (2 Tim. 1:5) are examples that nothing is more important in a mother’s life than the early training of her children. All children need to hear about God’s love while they are still young. “For of such is the kingdom of heaven.”    —Bob Cretney

 

Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
—Fanny J. Crosby

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 18; Job 21; Matt. 10:1-23

 

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.    Isaiah 53:5

 

The translators rightly provided the word “was” in this verse. He was wounded, but now in glory those wounds are but scars. No longer does He bear our transgressions, for “It is finished.” He was bruised for our iniquities, but no longer does He suffer. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, but praise God, it is forever gone! Now glory is upon Him, in Him, around Him. Now He is exalted, worshiped and praised. We are healed from the dread disease of sin. Gladly we worship the Lamb.     —Carl Knott

 

Gazing on the Lord in glory, while our hearts in worship bow,
There we read the wondrous story, of the cross, its shame and woe.
—C. Thompson

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 17; Job 20; Matt. 9:18-38

 

And the Lord God said, Behold the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden.    Genesis 3:22-23

 

God and fallen man conversed in Eden with the Tree of Life nearby. God knew that, if man in his sin should eat of that tree, he would be confirmed in his wickedness perpetually and without escape. So, God in His mercy, sent man forth from the Garden and imposed upon him a death sentence that would put bounds upon his capacity for evil. Then God set about providing a ransom for fallen man through His Son; giving to man an opportunity to escape eternal perdition. —Doug Kazen

We’ll join the song, for we can tell, how sovereign grace dissolved the spell,
That kept us bound in chains; and from that dear and happy day.—J. Kent

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 15-16; Job 18-19; Matt. 8:28 to 9:17

He taught them as one having authority,…    Matthew 7:29

 

The scribes drew their authority from the approval of others. Christ spoke with the authority of the Son of God. God’s Word, if spoken faithfully today will give the preacher divine authority. Every preacher should have that ring of authority if he is faithful to the Word. All believers who witness should speak with authority as they speak of the Saviour and His salvation. Be bold when you preach and witness.
—Donald Norbie

 

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted, mid the raging storms of time.
Its pages burn with the truth eternal and they glow with a light sublime.
—Haldor Lillenas

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 13-14; Job 16-17; Matt. 8:1-27

 

There remainest the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.          1 Samuel 16:11

 

It is very noticeable how many people were working when God called them to full time service. David and Moses were looking after sheep. Elisha was ploughing with oxen. Daniel was an administrator and advisor to the King of Babylon. Peter and Andrew were fishing, and James and John were mending nets. You can rarely be useful for the Lord until you prove yourself in the secular world. In fact, there is no better place to witness than in the workplace and college—albeit these are some of the most difficult environments.    —Brian Russell

 

Let all your fears be forsaken; throw yourself into the fray;
Look, they are bound for perdition, show them the blood bought way.
—Paul Rader