Author: Gospel Folio Press

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 20; Jeremiah 32:1-25; Hebrews 3

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord.  Isaiah 63:7
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God.  Psalm 36:7
Hear me, O Lord: for Thy lovingkindness is good.  Psalm 69:16

One modern rendering of “lovingkindness” is “steadfast love”. Unswerving, immoveable, unchanging, such is God’s precious love towards us. David describes God’s lovingkindness as excellent—costly and precious. When he prays, he pleads that God would answer him according to the constant wellspring of that steadfast love. When the soul appreciates the worth of His love—it wants for nothing else.  —Pete Smith

The love of God is greater far,
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell. —F. M. Lehman

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 19; Jeremiah 31; Hebrews 2

Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.  1 Peter 1:16
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  1 Peter 2:3
Unto you therefore who believe he is precious.  1 Peter 2:7a

God is holy. And because He is holy, sin must be judged. As sinners, each one of us stood in jeopardy of that judgement. But God is gracious. And Christ has died in our place and paid the price of our sins in full. Having accepted His grace by faith, we grow in our spiritual life and find that He is precious, in fact more so day by day. He is holy! He is gracious! He is precious! —Sam Thorpe

Teach me Thy love, O gracious Son of God!
The love that passeth knowledge teach Thou me.
Like living water let that love flow in,
In heavenly freshness coming straight from Thee.
—Horatius Bonar

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 18; Jeremiah 30; Hebrews 1

To present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.  Colossians 1:22

The idea of blamelessness in the Old Testament means being purged to a point of clarity or pure transparency. God desired His people to be blameless (Deut. 18:13) and He loved to use people who were blameless to show Himself strong (2 Chron. 16:8-9). In the New Testament, God is still looking for blameless people. Graciously He enables us to be blameless before Him because of Jesus’ death (Col. 1:22). But He does more than that. He keeps us blameless (1 Thess. 5:23) and one day He will present us blameless to God our Saviour (Jude 1:24)! May God help us to live blameless lives before Him. —L. Devries

I stand amazed in the presence, of Jesus the Nazarene.
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean.
—Charles H. Gabriel

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 17; Jeremiah 29; Philemon

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  1 Timothy 4:13

Paul called Timothy his true son in the faith. We would do well to heed his fatherly advice and give attention to these three things he mentions. Reading. The only way we can know the mind of God is to read His Word. Read it daily. Read it often. Exhortation. The ministry of encouraging fellow believers in their walk with the Lord is greatly needed today. Is there someone you can encourage in the Lord? Doctrine. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it. Have you made yourself conversant with the foundations of your faith? Give attendance to these things! —Rex Trogdon

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble, It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble; I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
for the Bible stands. —Haldor Lillenas

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 15:33-16:34; Jeremiah 27-28; Col. 4:2-18

And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.   Zechariah 1:13

Zechariah was prophesying in difficult days. His message was going to be hard to deliver. But he could not see a way out of this circumstance, so at the threshold of his prophecy he was given words of grace and comfort. Does it look exceeding dark ahead? Remember the Lord loves you and His love will direct you into clearer waters. The angel of the Lord goes on to say to Zechariah “The Lord shall yet comfort Zion” (v. 17). There was light at the end of the tunnel!  —Brian Russell

When morning breaks and shadows flee, how sweet Thy mercies new;
More cheering than the rising sun; more sparkling than the dew.
—B. Fell

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 15:1-32; Jeremiah 26; Colossians 3:5 to 4:1

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  James 4:9

The modern world seems obsessed with pleasure, laughter, and “positive thinking”. Sadly, this shortsighted, now-centered thinking also infects the professing church. A shallow version of Christianity is popular today—short on substance and long on entertainment. What is truly needed is heartfelt sorrow over sin and repentance from spiritual apathy. A joy that is rooted in this world is baseless. True joy must be rooted in the Lord and His Word. If you are backsliding, turn back to the Lord by walking in the Spirit through prayer and the Word of God (Gal. 5:16). Humble yourself and He will exalt you. —K. R. Keyser

Make ye straight what long was crooked, make the rougher places plain,
Let your hearts be true and humble, as befits His holy reign. —J. O.

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 13:33 to 14:31; Jer. 24-25; Col. 2:8 to 3:4

I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Thess. 5:23

Christ loved the church. He gave His life to purchase it. He wants it to be holy, without blemish, spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:25, 27). Paul’s goal in preaching and teaching was to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Col. 1:28). This perfection will be realized in a coming day, but that doesn’t excuse me from aspiring to a life of daily holiness now. We are to be salt and light in this world. What does the world see in me? Does my saltiness make them thirst for the things of God? Does my light show them the way? —Milton Haack

Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Saviour, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free. —J. E. Orr

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 13:1-32; Jeremiah 23; Colossians 1:21 to 2:7

Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling…according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. 2 Timothy 1:9

Most gifts we receive from others are given to us during our lifetime. But the greatest gift ever offered to us was given to us in Christ before the world began. That glorious fact speaks to us of the greatness of the gift and the love and commitment of the Giver. There is nothing we could do to earn or deserve it because the gift was given before we were even born. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. —Ken Gross

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul; thank you Lord, for making me whole; Thank you, Lord, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free.
—S. & B. Sykes

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 12; Jeremiah 21-22; Colossians 1:1-20

All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.  Isaiah 64:6
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Psalm 51:7b

After falling into a nearby sewage pond, a small boy came to his home expecting to be welcomed inside, but was instead sent by his mother to wash the filth away. The Bible tells us that nothing that defiles will ever enter into heaven (Rev. 21:27). We are defiled by sin and thus have no claim on heaven. But God still wants us there and the Lord Jesus has shed His blood to make us utterly clean and fit to enter. Have you come to Jesus and accepted His cleansing from sin? —Janet Fleming

Jesus came down from heaven to die,
To die for a sinner like me,
As His blood flowed down at Calvary’s cross
In His death, my forgiveness, I see. —J. F.