Month: February 2023

Exodus 19:1-25; Psalms 58:1-59:17; Acts 10:24-48

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? Genesis 3:9

What a question! In many contexts it can challenge me. First of all, am I in Christ? Do I know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour? Conversely, if I am a child of God, do I live in the beauty of being “His own”? Where is my life in relation to the Lord God? Does He need to ask me where I am, or am I living in Him and meeting Him daily in prayer and meditation? —K.J.W.

O guard my soul, Lord Jesus,
Abiding still with Thee;
And if I wander; teach me
Soon back to Thee to flee. —J.N. Darby

Exodus 18:1-27; Psalms 56:1-57:11; Acts 10:1-23

And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. Numbers 10:34

Moses invited Hobab, his brother-in-law, to go with them as they journeyed through the wilderness. After all, he was a Midianite and thus he knew the ways of life in the desert. Moses stated, “Thou mayest be to us instead of eyes” (Num. 10:31). Moses had taken his eyes off the Lord, whose eyes were ever upon him for good. The cloud by day was hovering above him and was ever ready to lead them on. The world is never a good substitute for the divine guidance that comes from God. —Sam Thorpe

When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. —J. H. Sammis

Exodus 17:1-16; Psalm 55:1-23; Acts 9:32-43

But think on me when it shall be well with thee…..Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.  Genesis 40:14, 23

Sadly Joseph remained in prison for two full years due to the forgetfulness of the butler. It is well with us today because of what our Saviour has accomplished. We stand upon redemption ground and we are on the victory side. May we always remember the One who made it all possible, the One who first remembered us.  —John M. Clegg

When to the Cross I turn my eyes,
And rest on Calvary;
O Lamb of God, my Sacrifice,
I must remember Thee.
—James Montgomery

Exodus 16:1-36; Psalm 52:1-54:7; Acts 9:1-31

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 NKJV

We often think of this verse in terms of helping those who are in conflict with each other. But it applies to sharing the Gospel too. Those without Christ are in conflict with God and through the Gospel we seek to bring peace to their hearts. Peace that passes all understanding can only come when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. That sweet peace comes when we believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to pay the debt that we owe to God. Only Jesus, God born in the flesh, could do that perfect work at the cross. He took our sins upon Himself and paid our debt in full.
—Vickie Gaynier

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

Exodus 15:1-27; Psalm 51:1-19; Acts 8:5-40

The angel of the Lord appeared unto him (Moses), in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. Exodus 3:2

God’s call on our lives often comes in unexpected ways, catching us unawares. God called Moses out of a burning bush. Samuel was called in his sleep, and Saul with a blinding light and a voice from heaven. Their lives were divinely redirected to fulfill God’s purposes. You may have your life all planned out, but God is calling you in a totally different direction. Will you step out in faith and respond to that call, trusting Him for the outcome? —E.V.

Jesus calls us: by Thy mercies,
Saviour may we hear Thy call;
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all. —Cecil F. Alexander

Exodus 14:5-31; Psalms 49:1-50:23; Acts 7:30-8:4

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another…Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Romans 12:10, 13

Our lives can be transformed when we invest in the lives of others. God wants us to see our time, money, and possessions as gifts from Him to be used unselfishly in ways that are pleasing to Him. If we do so, we will make a difference that lasts.  —Bronwyn Hagey

I have only one life on this earth
And as vapour, ‘tis passing away,
I must labour for treasure of worth,
E’er toil ends at the close of the day.  —Author Unknown

Exodus 13:1-14:4; Psalms 47:1-48:14; Acts 7:1-29

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.  Psalm 103:2

Beloved singer and song writer Dottie Rambo penned these challenging words in one of her hymns, “Roll back the curtains of memories now and then, show me where you’ve brought me from and where I could have been. Remember I am human and humans forget, so remind me, remind me dear Lord”. David, in this psalm, reminds us not to forget the benefits or blessings we have received from God. As the hymn says, “Count your blessings, see what God has done”. —Bob Cretney

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. —J. Oatman

Exodus 12:21-51; Psalm 45:1-46:11; Acts 6:15

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life… Psalm 23:6
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord… Psalm 27:4

David acknowledges, that without doubt, day by day, the Lord’s goodness and mercy follow him—goodness to supply every need, mercy to forgive every sin. In light of this, it was his heart’s desire to daily seek God’s presence and to behold His delightfulness (as ‘beauty’ can be translated). What blessings are ours to enjoy! Himself before us and His care behind us! —Pete Smith

‘Tis what I know of Thee, my Lord and God,
That fills my soul with peace, my lips with song.  —H. Bonar

Exodus 11:1-12:20; Psalm 44; Acts 5:12-42

And they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them. Zechariah 10:6

The theme of Zechariah is restoration, and this passage sums up what that means. Israel had wandered far from God, in many ways, and for many years. Yet they could never sink to any depth where God’s mercy could not reach them. Perhaps some sin or worldly distraction has caught your heart’s affection. As the seasons of sinful pleasure at last bear their tainted fruit in your conscience, He awaits your return with open arms. —Rick Morse

Though I forget Him and wander away;
Still He doth love me wherever I stray.
Back to His dear loving arms would I flee;
When I remember that Jesus loves me. —Philip P. Bliss

Exodus 10:1-29; Psalms 42:1-43:5; Acts 4:32-5:11

Behold the Man! John 19:5; Zechariah 6:12 NKJV

This phrase in John gives us history. In Zechariah it is prophecy. In John, Pilate, the representative of human government, presented the Lord Jesus to the crowd. In Zechariah, it is God the Father presenting the coming King to the world. In the first instance, soldiers scourged the Lord, spit upon Him, and clothed Him with a purple robe and
a crown of thorns. They mocked Him by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (John 19:3). In the second scene, the Lord appears clothed in glory and majesty, a crown is given, and He sits and rules on a throne. What a contrast! —Gary McBride

Look ye saints the sight is glorious:
See the Man of sorrows now;
From the fight returned victorious,
Every knee to Him shall bow. —T. Kelly