Month: January 2021

Genesis 38;1-30; Psalms 15:1-16:11; Matthew 21:33-22:14

God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac. Genesis 17:19
Take now…thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest…and offer him. Genesis 22:2

Abraham and Isaac typified God the Father and the Son of His love. Isaac means “laughter”, an unforeseen joy for this aged couple. With no substitute, God offered His only Son, upon the altar. Knowing the joy set before Him required enduring the cross and despising the shame—Christ willingly accepted. Having defeated death, the Father anointed Him with the oil of gladness that we might experience that unforeseen joy—the oil of joy for mourning.  Is our joy evident? —D. J. Reed

Sow thou sorrow and thou shalt reap it,
Sow thou joy and thou shalt keep it. —Richard Gilder

Genesis 37:1-36; Psalms 11:1-14:7; Matthew 21:1-32

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go… and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. Acts 9:11
Cornelius, thy prayer is heard. Acts 10:31 

Yes, our prayers are heard. Ananias was sent in response to Saul’s prayer. Peter came to Cornelius as a result of his prayer. Know this, not only does God answer your prayers, but you may be the answer to someone else’s prayer. —D. Pickup

Give as ‘twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
Unto your mission be true.
Make me a blessing to someone today.   —Ira B. Wilson

Genesis 36:1-43; Psalms 9:1-10:18; Matthew 20:17-34

That you may know the certainty. Luke 1:4 NKJV
How shall I know this? Luke 1:18 NKJV

Luke begins his gospel account by stating his purpose—that readers may know for sure the things written here are true. Only a few verses later, Zacharias asks, “How shall I know this?”. Good question. He explains why he is doubting, “I am an old man…” (Luke 1:18 NKJV). The angel answers this way, “I am Gabriel, who
stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1:19 NKJV). When we look at what we are, as Zacharias did, we will be filled with doubt. But when we look up to the presence of God, to the I AM who stands there for us, we will find the calm assurance that the impossible is possible when promised by the Lord. —M. MacMullen

That I may know Him who gave Himself for me,
This is the deepest desire of my heart. —Author Unknown

Genesis 35:1-29; Psalms 7:1-8:9; Matthew 19:16-20:16

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

Certainly we can never have the infinite wisdom and knowledge of the Son of God. But Scripture is telling us here to have His servant mindset. If God’s Son, the Creator of the universe could humble Himself, we surely can as well. Men did not humiliate Him. He humbled Himself. He did so and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (v. 8). Today, may we heed this injunction, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). —Ken Gross

May the mind of Christ my Saviour, live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling all I do and say. —Kate Wilkinson

Genesis 33:18-34:31; Psalms 4:1-6:10; Matthew 19:1-15

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places. Isaiah 45:3
For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28

Sometimes the intensity of our circumstances leave us feeling like we’re groping around in thick darkness without any visible way out. At such times we will discover that there are treasures to be found in dark places that hold a value beyond measure. One priceless treasure is the secret of His presence which can dispel and illuminate any darkness you may presently be facing. So do not fear dark places child of God, His presence will lighten your darkness and give you strength to go on. —E. V.

When I sit in darkness,
The Lord shall be a light unto me. —Micah 7:8

Genesis 32:1-33:17; Psalms 1:1-3:8; Matthew 18:15-35

It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27

An old cemetery on the Shetland Islands had many headstones in a state of disrepair and many faded inscriptions. One caught my eye because the name inscribed on the headstone had badly faded and the only visible letters from their name was “The…” and “End…”. Some people think that death marks the end of all
life but the Bible describes two outcomes from death—either eternal damnation or eternal life. Which of these two possible outcomes applies to us depends on whether we have admitted to our sinful nature and accepted the fact that Christ died for our sins.  —Brian Powlesland

Come every soul by sin oppressed, there’s mercy with the Lord!
And He will surely give you rest, by trusting in His Word. —J. Stockton

Genesis 31:1-55; Job 42:1-17; Matthew 17:14-18:14

And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17 NKJV

God’s salvation through Christ is inclusive; it is offered to anyone who will believe it. It is also exclusive, for trusting in any other message brings eternal judgment (Gal. 1:6-9). God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV), but a seeking sinner must trust Christ alone for his or her salvation. The Lord Jesus extends an invitation to all who realize their miserable spiritual condition and desire to find rest by being reconciled to God: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). —W. A. H.

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within. —E. H. Bickersteth, Jr

Genesis 30:1-43; Job 40:1-41:34; Matthew 16:13-17:13

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

We live in an age of harsh judgement. Protests are held to demand that statues of prominent historical figures be removed from public places because of a flaw somewhere in their lives. The good they did that earned a statue is overshadowed by their wrongdoings. The truth is, no one is perfect. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Except for One. Thank God that we have Someone worthy of our adoration and praise. Let us remember Him and His perfect sacrifice today. —Danielle Robins

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity. —M. Bridges

Genesis 29:1-35; Job 38:1-39:30; Matthew 15:29-16:12

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. Matthew 5:17 NKJV

We sometimes may think that the God of the Old Testament is different from that of the New. Jesus reminds us, “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father” (John 14:7). Many miss this. Why? Because they miss the heart of God in the Old Testament. Rather than crush them, God clothed Adam and Eve and promised a Rescuer. He provided escape in the flood. Despite their constant rebellion, God continued to pursue Israel at every turn. God is and always has been a God of love, grace and mercy in the same manner as He has always been a God of justice. —J. D. Fraser

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean, in its fullness over me. —Mark Ladd

Genesis 28:1-22; Job 36:1-37:24; Matthew 15:1-28

In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Job 1:22

In one of his commentaries, the late Warren Wiersbe said “of itself, suffering doesn’t make people better. Sometimes it makes them bitter. But when suffering is mixed with faith and God’s grace then it becomes a wonderful tool for building character.” Many of the Lord’s people have proved this sentiment.  —Brian Russell

Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.  —Adelaide A. Pollard