Month: March 2019

Exodus 29:1-37; Psalms 76:1-77:20; Acts 17:1-15

There is nothing better for a man, than that he shouldest eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24

The Bible teaches us that we can and should control our attitude toward the circumstances of our life. Often times we find them overwhelming and it is not easy to cope. However, we know that God has designed them for our good and for His glory. Let us be glad and rejoice. —D. Pickup

This is the day that the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made. —From Psalm 118

Exodus 28:15-43; Psalms 74:1-75:10; Acts 16:16-40

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Psalm 22:1

Here we stand on holy ground. The Lord Jesus was completing the work that the Father had given Him to do on the Cross. The Creator, dies for the creature. The Son dies for sinners. The King dies to regain the Kingdom. The Holy dies for the unholy. The Immortal dies for the mortal. The Light of the world is shrouded in darkness, that we might be saved from the “blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). But at what a cost to Himself. The eternal Son of God, the Son of His Love, forsaken by His God. —W. H. Burnett

‘Tis mystery all, the immortal dies, who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries, to sound the depths of love divine. —C. Wesley

Exodus 27:20-28:14; Psalm 73:1-28; Acts 15:36-16:15

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.”…God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Luke 3:8, NKJV

Richard Dawkins states that his earliest doubts about “religion” came because he felt that any “faith” he had was the product of his upbringing in the UK. He questioned how God could be just when a person’s opportunity for “faith” was purely a result of their birthplace. What he failed to realize is that Christianity is not a cultural experience at all. It is a worldwide call to each man, woman and child to put their faith in Christ. In a coming day representatives from every tongue, tribe and nation will praise Him. —Jeff Frey

God of every tribe and nation, Lord of continents and seas,
Come, renew Your whole creation, come to heal this world’s disease. —Author Unknown

Exodus 26:31-27:19; Psalm 72:1-20; Acts 15:22-35

And it was night. John 13:30

This darkness was literal. And yet it was symbolic too. The Egyptians knew the fearfulness, distress and pain of passing through this night, as the Lord smote all their firstborn (Ex. 12:42). Likewise, when Judas left the presence of the Lord before Passover to betray Him, it was literally and metaphorically night for him (John 13:1, 30)! For some of us right now perhaps it is “night”, as we find ourselves passing through a bitter experience. However, there is all the difference when we have the Lord with us. —K. C. Ung

There have been times in my life when I felt all alone,
My burden was heavy, night was dark and, oh so long.
But in the deepest despair, I called His name and He was there.
Yes, He always gives a song in the darkest night. —Author Unknown

Exodus 26:1-30; Psalms 70:1-71:24; Acts 15:1-21

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Ephesians 1:12

So much of the Christian life is trying to figure out what God wants us to do. Which school to attend? Which career to pursue? Which person to marry? But God wants us to focus, first, on who He wants us to be. Look at the numerous “Be” verses in the Bible. Be patient (James 5:7). Be holy (1 Peter 1:16). Be humble (1 Peter 5:8). Be kind (Eph. 4:32). Be thankful (Col. 3:15). Be diligent (2 Peter 3:14). In other words, Be Christ-like so that we will “be to the praise of his glory”! When we are willing to be who God wants us to be, we will do what He wants us to do. —Brian Cretney

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. —Frances R. Havergal

Exodus 25:1-40; Psalm 69:1-36; Acts 14:1-28

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Daniel 6:10, NKJV

Believers like Daniel are needed as never before. May we, like Daniel, who “distinguished himself” (v. 3, nkjv), and against whom “no charge” was found, “because he was faithful” (v. 4, nkjv), determine to live for the Lord, no matter what the cost. Be assured, it will cost! Daniel’s strength was his faithfulness. He prayed, “as was his custom”, with expectation that God would answer his prayer. And God did answer. The lions’ mouths were shut! —Jim Comte

Take time to pray in the morning, take time to pray at noon,
Take time to pray in the evening, and keep your heart in tune. —Anon.

Exodus 24:1-18; Psalm 68:1-35; Acts 13:26-52

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. Exodus 1:17

Pharaoh had issued a cruel decree that the midwives should kill all Israelite male babies. Yet the midwives feared God more than the king and refused to commit murder. They knew the sanctity of human life and so preserved the lives of all the newborn babies. It was an act of immense courage and required much wisdom to explain it to the king but ultimately they knew that they were answerable to God. The result was that they were greatly rewarded with families of their own. May we conduct ourselves with one aim and object to be pleasing to God. —Paul Young

Trust and obey! For there’s no other way,
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. —John H. Sammis

Exodus 23:10-33; Psalms 66:1-67:7; Acts 13:1-25

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. John 7:6

Even though His unbelieving brothers wanted Him to go to Jerusalem where the Jews wanted to kill Him, the Lord declared that His hour had not yet come. Instead, He reminded them that their time was always ready. For those still in their sins, the time is always ready to come to the Saviour, since now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). For the backslider, the time is always ready to return to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, (1 Peter 2:25). For the diligent servant of the Lord, the time is always ready to faithfully serve Him until He calls us Home, (2 Tim. 4:6). Are you ready? —Mark Kolchin

Ready to go, ready to stay, ready my place to fill,
Ready for service, lowly or great, ready to do His will. —A. C. Palmer

Exodus 22:1-23:9; Psalms 64:1-65:13; Acts 12:1-25

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5, 8

We are called to humility and given the greatest example of the One who was so high yet came so low. The God of the universe came down to earth, took on a body, and humbled Himself to die on the cross of shame—for us. We were never so high and will never come so low. Surely, we can be humble-minded, not highminded, in light of His great love! —Rex Trogdon

When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Lord of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. —Isaac Watts

Exodus 21:1-36; Psalms 62:1-63:11; Acts 11:19-30

When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:3

Flooding extensively damaged our house. Although we hired a professional to do the repair work, I still felt nervous every time it rained. I shared my concerns with a very knowledgeable local developer, hoping that he could tell me if the issue had been properly resolved. To my surprise, he wasn’t interested in how the problem had been fixed. “Who did the work?” he wanted to know. When I named the man, the expert just smiled: “If he fixed it, it will be done right”. What a comfort to know our eternal security rests in the One who has done the work—the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! —Lynn Shatford

Thy work alone, my Saviour, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.—H. Bonar