Month: July 2023

1 Samuel 3:1-21; Isaiah 46:1-13; 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:16

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Psalm 61:3-4

What a contrast this psalm is to some previous ones that were full of lament! It is so positive in its outlook, full of confidence in God’s help and protection. What great blessings we have in God when we are following Him as we should. Even though trials and persecutions may surround us, yet there are always things we can praise God for.
Let us make sure that we cultivate a positive attitude and don’t concentrate on negative things. —G. Frear

O my God, please hear my cry,
Lead me to the Rock so high;
You are my shelter and my tower,
I’ll trust beneath Your wings of power. —G. F.

1 Samuel 2:1-36; Isaiah 44:24-45:25; 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:10

So the sun stood still….there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man. Joshua 10:13-14 

Joshua, whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” asked God to stop the sun in its travels. God did, and Joshua was victorious in battle. “The Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man” (Josh. 10:14). The Son of God cried at Calvary, but the heavens were brass. The darkness and suffering continued, for there was no day like it, in which the battle of the ages was fought and history’s greatest victory won. —Arnot P. McIntee

The holy One did hide His face;
O Christ, ’twas hid from Thee!
But now that face of radiant grace,
Shines forth in light on me. —Annie Ross Cousin

1 Samuel 1:1-28; Isaiah 44:6-23; 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10

My punishment is greater than I can bear. Genesis 4:13
Unto…the church of Ephesus…thou canst not bear them which are evil. Revelation 2:1-2

Generations have confirmed that mankind has no solution for sin’s consequences or escaping from its presence. But God does! “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24) is the answer. If you have not put your trust in Him, why do you prolong this necessity? Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Pet. 5:7). If you have, then praise Him for He alone shall bear the glory (Zech. 6:13). —David J. Reed

Why do you let the troubles of tomorrow,
Bring sorrow to your heart and burdens too?
For if the Father’s eye is on the sparrow,
Then surely He will care for you.—Arthur E. Smith

Ruth 3:1-4:22; Isaiah 43:1-44:5; 2 Corinthians 3:1-4:6

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. John 20:14

Mary Magdalene was exceedingly distraught over the disappearance of the Lord’s body. Turning from the angels, she saw Jesus standing in front of her, but in her unsettled state of mind she had no idea that it was Him. He was right there with her, but she was too preoccupied to notice. Often we too, are so wrapped up in our distresses and  difficulties that we fail to notice that our Lord is right there with us. May we be conscious to look to the Lord and be aware of His presence today. —K. J. W.

Ev’ry day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour:
All my cares He gladly bears and cheers me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r. —Carolina Sandell

Ruth 2:1-23; Isaiah 42:1-25; 2 Corinthians 2:1-17

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. Nehemiah 6:15

The Spirit of God is precise in telling us how long it took to finish the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem—52 days. Sometimes in the Scriptures numbers are rounded up or approximated but not here. The exact number of days is recorded because each one was for the glory of God as the work proceeded. Every day counted! May today not be wasted, but one that counts for the glory of God in all our lives. —Philip A. Kaye

Blessed Lord, I bow the knee,
And pray this day be lived for Thee.
Help me all the hours to use,
In the way that Thou would’st choose.  —Philip Kaye

Ruth 1:1-22; Isaiah 41:1-29; 2 Corinthians 1:1-24

And the Lord said unto me: Amos, what seest thou? And I said, a plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more. Amos 7:8

A plumbline is a fixed standard, to ensure that anything being built is vertical. Whether a post or a wall, the plumbline is the measure of perfection. Society has rejected fixed standards, which is why everything has become so confused and arbitrary. This promise to Israel points to a coming day, when He who is God’s Standard will rule, and the abuses and anxieties of anarchy will be put away. When Christ is in the midst of our assemblies and in our lives, we are delivered from the doubts of our own imperfect standards. —Rick Morse

O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly. —William O. Cushing

Judges 21:1-25; Isaiah 40:1-31; 1 Corinthians 16:1-24

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees. Hebrews 12:12

A discouraged servant wrote to the great Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte, to ask his counsel. Should he leave the ministry? Whyte replied: “Never think of giving up preaching! The angels around the throne envy you your great work!”. Whyte’s words exhort us to serve with all our heart, however God has gifted us. God has blessed His people with the gift of service. The greatest reward for serving is fellowshipping with Christ in His work. Let us cherish the joy of serving the greatest of Masters. —George Ferrier

There is joy in serving Jesus,
Joy that triumphs over pain,
Fills my soul with heaven’s music,
Till I join the glad refrain.—Oswald J Smith

Judges 20:1-48; Isaiah 38:1-39:8; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11 NKJV

Much emphasis is placed today on the need to detoxify our bodies from impurities. By purging our systems of harmful agents, our bodies can function to their optimal capacity. Spiritually speaking, our lives also need daily cleansing from worldly influences which have the potential to stunt our spiritual growth. May God help us to cleanse our hearts and minds with the purifying agent of His Word, enabling us to bear much fruit for His honour and glory. —E.V.

Purify my heart, cleanse me from within and make me holy;
Purify my heart, cleanse me from my sin, deep within.  —Mark Helprin

Judges 19:1-30; Isaiah 37:8-38; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places. Psalm 16:6

The “lines” referred to the portion of the promised land allotted to each family by Joshua. But here, prophetically, the Lord describes His lot as “pleasant”. The Hebrew word means “an object of delight”. This Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, whose visage was marred more that any Man; who sweat as it were great drops of blood; who took the sins of the whole world upon Himself on Calvary’s cross. This Man, God the Son, called His lot pleasant; an
object of delight! Who is this object of delight? His church, us personally—you and me! He bore it all, for you and for me.—Ray Jones

I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing, the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, Lord Jesus, ’tis now. —Wm. R. Featherstone

Judges 17:1-18:31; Isaiah 36:1-37:7; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

The King also himself passed over the brook Kidron. 2 Sam. 15:23
Jesus…went forth…over the brook Kidron. John 18:1

It was in rejection that King David crossed the brook that day. His son Absalom rose up against him. Nearly one thousand years later, David’s greater Son, the King of Kings crossed the brook in rejection. How much greater was His rejection. When David crossed the brook he went into a wilderness. When our Lord crossed the brook it led to Jerusalem and the cross. We are thankful that we know it was not the end of the story. —John M. Clegg

O Lord, when we the path retrace,
Which Thou on earth hast trod;
To man Thy wondrous love and grace,
Thy faithfulness to God. —James G. Deck