Author: Gospel Folio Press

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 12; Habakkuk 3; Romans 16

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  James 3:8

Today I drove alongside a river. It was calm and still, meandering on towards the harbour. And yet, in a different season that same river can become a torrent, bursting its banks, causing destruction, dragging trees and animals with it. How like our tongue. We can speak words that soothe and bring comfort and then destroy someone with our next breath. It ought not to be so but it is a sad reality. May the Lord help us to think before we speak.  —Janet Fleming

Words they are powerful, words can cause pain,
Words can bring comfort to someone today;
So may I show kindness to those that I meet
With words that I write and words that I say. —J. F.

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 10-11; Habakkuk 2; Romans 15:14-33

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lies waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Haggai 1:2-5

Too busy for God but not too busy for themselves. Not particularly immoral or evil. Distracted and dismissive. Worldly. But even worse—half-hearted. Immediate and shallow. And so their own treasures abounded. But their spiritual wealth abated. These words were written 2,500 years ago. Consider your ways.  —S. McEachern

Sweet Saviour, bless us ere we go; Thy Word into our minds instill,
And make our lukewarm hearts to glow, with lowly love and fervent will.
—Frederick W. Faber

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 8-9; Habakkuk 1; Romans 14:19 to 15:13

He that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous.   1 John 3:7

God requires the utter righteousness of any who come before Him (Matt. 5:20). Righteousness is the complete perfection of the character of God. How then can we sinners ever hope to attain to such heights? It is possible! Two Old Testament characters show us the way. Abel (1 John 3:11-12) and Abraham (Gen. 15:6) were declared righteous because they believed the promise of God. So too, we can become righteous through faith in God’s promise of salvation in Christ. Having acted in faith, God has imputed His righteousness to us. “This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless” (2 Sam. 22:33, ESV).  —J. D. Fraser

No righteousness of mine, can stand before the throne,
But Christ’s own perfect works are now my very own! —N. Barham

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 7; Nahum 2-3; Romans 14:1-18

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  1 Timothy 2:4

Here we have a glimpse of the expansiveness of the heart of God—that all men should be saved. There is no one on the face of the earth, however distant from God, who is beyond the pale of the great salvation that God offers. Sir Robert Anderson wrote “There is no deception in it. If forgiveness is preached to all, it is because all may share it…it is impossible that election can ever limit the value of the death of Christ, or the power of that name to save and bless.” May we continue, in accord with the mind of God, to preach the “whosoever” Gospel, and to have the expectation that any hearing it can be saved. —W. H. Burnett

Sinners Jesus will receive, sound this word of grace to all,
Who the heavenly pathway leaves, all who linger, all who fall.
—Erdmann Neumeister

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 6; Nahum 1; Romans 13

He that cometh from above is above all.  John 3:31a

In the heavenly realm from which our Lord Jesus came, He ever was, and ever will be “above all”. As “the only begotten Son…of the Father” (John 1:18), His supremacy is unsurpassable. In His incarnation, He voluntarily humbled Himself and experienced suffering and death. Today, having perfectly accomplished all He came to do, He is enthroned “far above all” (Eph. 1:21). —George Hall

To Him whom men despise and slight,
To Him be glory given;
The crown is His, and His by right,
The highest place in Heaven.
—Thomas Kelly

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 4-5; Micah 7; Romans 12

And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.  Exodus 3:14

God, the “I AM”, is both self-existent and self-sufficient. He needs nothing to be everything that He intrinsically is. He is complete in Himself. Knowing this, it is a wonder that He who does not need us, instead wants us! He desires us to be with Him for eternity to such an extent that He spared not His Son from the unparalleled suffering of the cross. The One who had everything, gave His best for earth’s worst. Through His grace, we are complete in Him (Col. 2:10) and possess every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3). —K. R. Keyser

Of all the gifts thy love bestows, thou Giver of all good,
Not heaven itself a richer knows, than the Redeemer’s blood. —W. Cowper

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 3; Micah 6; Romans 11:13-36

Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.  Hebrews 13:13

Our Saviour was crucified outside the city wall of Jerusalem—outside the camp. We, born again believers, redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, should seek our place there too. Set apart from the world’s religion, politics, entertainments and allurements. —E. MacLelland

Can I take part with those who nailed Him to the tree?
And where His name is never praised,
Is there the place for me?
Nay, world, I turn away, though thou seem fair and good,
That friendly outstretched hand of thine,
Is stained with Jesus’ blood. —M. Mauro

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 2; Micah 4:9 to 5:15; Romans 11:1-12

For such are false apostles.  2 Corinthians 11:13a

Paul had been a faithful teacher to the flock at Corinth, yet somehow they had begun to follow false teachers. Times have not changed. False apostles abound today, just as they did in Paul’s day. We can be protected against them by making every effort to know the truth of God’s Word. Lies become obvious then. A greater commitment to studying, understanding, and applying the Scriptures is a necessity. We also need to realize that deception is not only found in the world but in the church. Not everything that names the name of Christ is of Christ. Vigilance is necessary with every trend and “truth”. Even within the church.   —Norman Craig Funston

Our foes are strong, but greater far is He,
Whose arm is our strength and shield;
We’ll conquer by His grace, and we will never yield. —Fanny J. Crosby

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 1; Micah 3 to 4:8; Romans 9:30 to 10:21

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  John 14:6

It was 10:15 pm, June 15, 2012, when Nik Wallenda stepped onto a steel wire, 5 cm in diameter, stretching 540 meters from the American to the Canadian shore of the Niagara River. His walk would be viewed by millions on TV. At its lowest point the wire was 67 m above the river. He spent 40 minutes crossing that wet wire—assaulted by heavy mist and wind. As we journey to the eternal shore, the Lord Jesus, if asked, will make possible our safe arrival.  Today He says to you, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Assure yourself of a safe arrival, by accepting Him as your Saviour. —Arnot P. McIntee

Only a step to Jesus, believe, and thou shalt live:
Lovingly now He is waiting and ready to forgive. —Fanny J. Crosby