Author: Gospel Folio Press

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 39; Psalm 17; Matt. 22:15-46

And he [Zacchaeus] made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. Luke 19:6

Zacchaeus was of short stature and had climbed a tree to see Jesus. Yet before he could experience the joy of the Saviour’s blessing he had to “come down”. When he was up the tree he was looking down on Jesus, but once he came down he was looking up. It can be easy to think so highly of ourselves that we lose a sense of humble perspective. We must remember that the Lord does not need us but we need Him, therefore we should come humbly into His presence recognizing who He is. To be truly blessed we need to “come down” and look up at the Saviour. —Paul Young

I looked to Jesus on the cross; for me I saw Him dying;
God’s Word believed—that all my sins were there upon Him lying.
—Author Unknown

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 38; Psalms 15-16; Matt. 21:33 to 22:14

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. Matthew 27:45

Three hours of darkness. How amazing that the sun went down at noon (Amos 8:9). Man had done their worst to the Lord Jesus; now it was God dealing with Him. It was in the darkness that He was made sin for us. It was during those hours that the sword awoke and smote the Shepherd. It was then that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He was smitten of God and afflicted. O the depth of the mercy and compassion of our God that He would so deal with His own beloved Son. Let us worship Him in spirit and in truth. —Harold G. Smith

King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be.
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, lead me to Calvary. —Kirkpatrick

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 37; Psalms 11-14; Matt. 21:1-32

Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea. Exodus 15:4

Talk about poetic justice. Pharaoh had commanded that every son born to the Israelites should be cast into the river to drown (Ex. 1:22). So God spared a Hebrew baby by Pharaoh’s own daughter who named him, Moses, “one who draws out”, because she drew him out of the water (Ex. 2:10). He became the deliverer that God used to draw out His people from bondage. He was standing there that day when God judged Pharaoh by casting his host into the sea. One day we’ll see more than poetic justice. God will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ. —Rex Trogdon

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.
—William Cowper

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 36; Psalms 9-10; Matt. 20:17-34

But let patience have her perfect work… James 1:4

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Jas. 5:7

The book of James begins and ends with the theme of patience. Faith waits for that which it cannot see; it exhibits the patience of hope. And while faith waits, it works. Faith works with a humble heart, a helping hand, a tempered tongue and a persistent prayer. “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (Jas. 5:8).
—D. Pickup

I wonder, have I cared enough for others,
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wand’rer to the Saviour,
The seed of precious life I might have sown.
—Edwin Young

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 35; Psalms 7-8; Matt. 19:16 to 20:16

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Revelation 5:9

We may feel out of harmony with the world, and well we should. Because if we’ve been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God, our plane of harmony is now with a heavenly choir which ascribes all honour and praise to the Redeemer. The path down here may be rough, but remember your heavenly calling and the celestial harmony we soon shall join. —Mark Fenn

Hark! Ten thousand voices crying “Lamb of God” with one accord;
Thousand, thousand saints replying, wake at once the echoing chord.
—John Nelson Darby

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 33:18 to 34:31; Psalms 4-6; Matt. 19:1-15

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

There are many proclaiming all kinds of religions and creeds. But none can compare to the preaching of Christ crucified. We join with the apostle when he declared that he gloried in nothing else than the cross. It reveals the sinful nature of the human heart and demonstrates the love and grace of God in procuring eternal salvation for those who believe. Are you among those who have put their faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross? —Drew Craig

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling,
Naked come to Thee for dress; helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me Saviour or I die.
—A. M. Toplady

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 32 to 33:17; Psalms 1-3; Matt. 18:15-35

…they have not set God before them. Psalm 54:3

As we look on amazed at the deterioration of society on every side, it is good to remember what is at the root of things. A man without God is God-less. This certainly clarifies why people do what they do today. They have neither a Christian worldview nor a Christian conscience. David laments the intentions of similar godless men trying to harm him. “They have not set God before them”. Our society is becoming more godless every day. As we suffer undeserved harassment from the same types David faced, may we respond with the same insight as he did.
—N. C. Funston

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand. —Edward Mote