Month: February 2014

 

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 9; Psalm 40-41; Acts 4:1-31

And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their souls. Psalms 106:15

When bringing our requests to God, we are exhorted to pray boldly, fervently and persistently. God’s Word also teaches us to pray in His will, by faith and with pure motives. When we pray with a heart of ingratitude, lust, or presumption, God often graciously declines our pleading. Yet there may be times God responds to our persistent begging by granting our petition, emaciating our soul so that we will turn back to Him. Instead let’s learn to listen for God’s answers, trust His wisdom and like both Moses (Deut. 3:26) and Paul (2 Cor. 12:9) learn to accept His refusals.    —George Ferrier

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see;
Christ only, always, living in me. —Adelaide A. Pollard

 

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 8; Psalms 38-39; Acts 3

Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye; bind them upon thine fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Proverbs 7:2-3

Solomon gave this admonition to his son. Moses gave the people of Israel similar instructions. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and might. Make Him the first in your life! Teach these things, talk about them constantly. Keep your hands from doing wrong and your eyes on the things that honour God. Giving in to temptation only ends in sorrow, regrets and a sad loss of fellowship with God.    —G. Frear

Upward still to purer heights!
Onward yet to scenes more blest,
Calmer regions, clearer lights,
Till we reach the promised rest. —W. H. How

 

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 6:14 to 7:25; Psalm 37; Acts 2:22-47

Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. Ezra 9:13

What honesty! How different from Cain, the profane man who complained, “My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Gen. 4:13). Unlike Cain, every enlightened, repentant sinner knows that God has not punished him as he deserves, no matter what he has suffered (Ps. 103:10). There at Calvary the Lord Jesus was punished exactly and fully for what our sins deserve. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, and divine punishment fell completely on Him, instead of on us. How we love the Lord Jesus for taking all the punishment our sins deserve and crying out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Who cannot find their tongue to say “thank you Lord” for all that!    —Carl Knott

Thank you Lord for giving to me,
Thy great salvation so rich and free. —S. & B. Sykes

 

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 5 to 6:13; Psalms 35-36; Acts 2:1-21

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.    1 Kings 21:25

Dear sisters in the Lord, make very sure you do not stir your husbands, or others, to do evil, by complaining and criticizing or urging aggressiveness towards others. But instead let us show them “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Pet. 3:4). We have a great responsibility to show the love and holiness of God in our daily lives. —M. Robins

Fill all my vision, Saviour divine,
Till with Thy glory my spirit shall shine.
Fill all my vision, that all may see,
Thy holy image reflected in me.
—Avis B. Christiansen

 

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 4; Psalm 34; Acts 1

In the last day, that great day of the feast. John 7:37

Today, Chinese communities in many countries celebrate the last day, the fifteenth day, of their New Year. In my country, Chinese ladies go to the beaches or river banks and throw mandarin oranges into the water with the wish that they will find good husbands this year. Today the secular world also celebrates Valentine’s Day with couples highlighting love to one another. On the last day of the eight-day Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, the Lord proclaimed, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:37). He was proclaiming His offer of love and eternal life to all who would believe in Him. On this day of love, will you respond to His love? —K. C. Ung

God is love! His Word proclaims it, day by day the truth we prove;
Heav’n and earth with joy are telling, ever telling, “God is love!”
—Fanny J. Crosby

 

DAILY?READINGS: Ex. 2:23 to 3:22; Psalms 32-33; Matt. 28

Search me, O God, and know my heart…And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps. 139:23-24

On a November morning when looking out of my kitchen window, I noticed the Osage Orange tree across the road was leafless. Yet clinging to its topmost branches was a cluster of hedge apples. As in nature, so too, we must at times be stripped of the entanglements of life. Maybe it is excess busyness or a hindering habit. Perhaps discipline or an exhortation is needed to reveal a blind spot we are unaware of. Our lives rise to a higher level of holiness the more we walk in the Spirit. Fruitfulness pleasing to the Lord will follow. —E. Dyck

We are thine, do Thou befriend us, be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock; from sin defend us; seek us when we go astray.
—D. Thrupp

 

DAILY?READINGS: Ex. 1 to 2:22; Psalm 31; Matt. 27:45-66

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.    Isaiah 55:6

I was asked to visit a lady who was dying. I explained the way of salvation to her. She looked at me and said, “I know all that. I heard it when I was young. I have six months to live and I will go to hell.” She died a few months later and to my knowledge never trusted Christ.  How tragic when she could have come to Him as a young woman and lived her life for Him. If you are considering trusting Christ, don’t put it off. Accept His offer of salvation today. —Janet Fleming

Too late, the words came back to me, For I had reached eternity,
I knew at last the wealth I’d lost, Yes, Christ and heaven, what a cost!
My friend, why won’t you come and say, “Dear Lord, please cleanse my heart today,”
Then you will hear at heaven’s gate, “Come enter in” and not “too late!”
—J. F.

 

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 50; Psalm 30; Matt. 27:27-44

But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him.  2 Chronicles 10:8

Advice and counsel are readily available today on any subject which comes to mind. The issue is this: whose advice or counsel will we listen to? Is the one giving the counsel an authority in their field? Do they speak from experience? All too often the young tend to listen to their peers who have no expertise or experience on which to draw. How blessed is the young believer who seeks counsel from older saints who have knowledge of the Word, the ways of God, and can speak from life-long experience of walking with Him. —Wm. H. Gustafson

Remember thy Creator, in the days of thy youth,
Jesus calls thee in life’s morning, through His own Word of Truth.
—A. G.

 

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 49; Psalms 28-29; Matt. 27:1-26

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

The majestic eagle mates for life. It is known for its swiftness, scent, and keen sight. But here the emphasis is on the exceeding strength of his wings. That strength can be dispensed to all those that wait upon the Lord. How? By the power of God’s Word, through His Spirit, and prayer. —E. MacLelland

Though thy way be long and dreary;
Eagle strength He’ll still renew;
Garments fresh and foot unweary,
Tell how God hath brought thee through.
—J. N. Darby

 

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 47:28 to 48:22; Psalms 26-27; Matt. 26:57-75

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.     Hebrews 10:6
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.    Matthew 3:17

In 2 Chronicles 35 we read that at one Passover alone, over 36,000 animals were slain. Yet these offerings did not completely satisfy God. They were unwilling sacrifices, shadows of the one sacrifice that would please God and settle the sin question forever. There has only ever been one willing and worthy sacrifice, God’s beloved Son. He “became obedient unto death even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8).  —Ken Gross

All thy sins were laid upon Him;
Jesus bore them on the tree;
God, who knew them, laid them on Him,
And believing, thou art free. —J. Denham Smith