Author: Gospel Folio Press

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 23-24; Ezekiel 41; John 18:1-27

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God…Beloved now are we the
children of God. 1 John 3:1, 2a

The perfect tense verb rendered “hath bestowed” means God’s
love will always continue in the believer’s life. Why? Because all who
have trusted Christ as Saviour are the children of God forever. John
continues, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” We possess it
already. Security in Christ liberates believers from fear-based
bondage to love-motivated service for God. “There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 Jn. 4:18). —Warren Henderson

Behold, what love, what boundless love, the Father hath bestowed,
On sinners lost, that we should be now called the sons of God. —R. Boswell

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 21-22; Ezekiel 40; John 17

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted,
and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto
Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD. Micah 6:5
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten
thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Micah 6:7

Micah’s burden was sins, both personal and national. How could
he ever atone for them? Would many offerings, both animal and
human, be enough? Praise God that we have no such problem, for
our Saviour has answered fully on our behalf. The debt is paid!
—G. Hall

What mighty sum paid all my debt, when charged with guilt I stood,
And hath my soul at freedom set? ‘Tis Jesus’ precious blood! —Anon.

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 20; Ezekiel 39; John 16:16-33

Hezekiah…broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had
made. 2 Kings 18:4

It is always good to look back on times of blessing and deliverance.
There is, however, a danger of remaining there and living on past
blessings. The children of Israel had even come to worship the brazen
serpent, the provision, rather than the provider. God wants us to
move on and experience His enabling and deliverance today and in
the future, as we endeavour to serve Him. Remember, His mercies are
new every morning. —Brian Russell

New mercies, each returning day,
Hover around us while we pray;
New perils past, new sins forgiven,
New thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven. —John Keble

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 18-19; Ezekiel 38; John 15:17 to 16:15

And the government shall be upon His shoulder…And of the
increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. Is. 9:6,7

Isaiah anticipates Christ’s kingdom and reveals two characteristics
of His millenial reign—its strength and its duration. We live in days
of weak and changing governments, but all this will change when the
Lord establishes his Kingdom. It will be characterized by strength,
“And he shall rule them with a rod of iron” (Rev. 2:27). Not only so,
but, “His government and peace shall endure forever”. We, as the
Lord’s people, enjoy the beneficence of his reign in our hearts in the
present, and we look forward to that day when the entire cosmos will
bow the knee to Him. —W. H. Burnett

Grant us Thy peace, bid dangers cease, and Thou, Thy mercy sending,
Christ, give us rest, where, with the blest, Thy reign is never ending.—Anon.

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 16-17; Ezekiel 37; John 15:1-16

The glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there
came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the
altar the burnt offering and the fat: [which] when all the people
saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9:23-24

What a moment for Israel! We too have seen the glory of the Lord
in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6), and witnessed fire from the
Lord consume Him as our sacrifice. As we remember His death, do
we declare with joy His praises? Or have we lost the wonder of it?
—R. Mattice

I’ve been to the altar and witnessed the Lamb,
Burnt wholly to ashes for me;
And watched its sweet savour ascending on high,
Accepted, O Father, by Thee. —Amelia M. Hull

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 14-15; Ezekiel 36:16-38; John 14:15-31

And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And
when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed
Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him,
when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
2 Samuel 20:12

People stop and stare when lives are ended abruptly. It’s a solemn
reminder of human frailty, the brevity of life, surety of death, and
length of eternity. Death is not if, but when. Not how, but where.
When it finds you, will you be ready for eternity? —Rex Trogdon

Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf,
Like the binding of a sheaf, be in time.
Fleeting days are telling fast, that the die will soon be cast,
And the fatal line be passed, be in time. —Anon.

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chron. 12-13; Ezekiel 35-36:15; John 13:31-14:14

And thou Bethlehem…out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall
rule My people Israel. Matthew 2:6
Out of Egypt have I called My son. Matthew 2:15b
And He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be
fulfilled…He shall be called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:23

Where was Jesus from? He was born in Bethlehem, the city of
David from which the promised Ruler of the Jews would come. He
was called out of Egypt and thus would have an inheritance among
the Gentiles as well. He also was a Nazarene, for He would be the
branch, (netser) of God. Nathaniel asked, “Can any good thing come
out of Nazareth?”(John 1:46) Yes! God Himself! —Tom Steere

Jesus shall reign where, e’r the sun, does his successive journeys run;
His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore til moons shall wax and wane no more

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 10-11; Ezekiel 34; John 13:1-30

And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a
prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? And I am this day
weak, though anointed king. 2 Samuel 3:38-39a

Eulogies at funeral services can sometimes be long, painful and
hypocritical! In the case of Abner this was not so. David was short
and to the point in his praise of Abner and described him as “a prince
and a great man”. The loss of Abner made David weak even though
he was anointed king. The passing of believers always weakens the
church but God is sufficient for these things and raises up others to
stand in the breach to His glory. —Roy Hill

Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain,
And prove to all around you that death itself is gain. —George Duffield

DAILY READINGS: 2 Chronicles 8-9; Ezekiel 33; John 12:20-50

Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His
stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. Job 36:18

When a fire swept through their apartment, two young women
died. The Fire Inspector quickly determined there were working
smoke detectors in the apartment, but they had been deactivated
when the girls were planning a party for smokers. Sadly, many people
today have decided to deactivate the call of God when He lovingly
warns them of coming danger. Listen to His voice. Judgment is
coming, and it is time to accept the Lord Jesus as your personal
Saviour. Do so today. — Arnot McIntee

Why do you wait, dear brother? The harvest is passing away;
Your Saviour is longing to bless you, there’s danger and death in delay.
—George F. Root