Author: Gospel Folio Press

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 30:1-43; Job 40:1-41:34; Matt. 16:13-17:13

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Psalm 8:1

God is the creator of all things and He has built a wonderful order into the vast complexity of His creation. Above all else, God reigns supreme and mankind was meant to love and obey Him. But man disobeyed, and sin and death followed. But God has brought us back to Himself through the sacrifice of His own Son. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). What a wonderful promise! Have you believed? —G. Frear

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent You are!
How perfect Your order, how great is Your fame,
As creation sings to Your excellent Name! —G. F.

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 29:1-35; Job 38:1-39:30; Matt. 15:29-16:12

When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Isaiah 1:15, NKJV

The Scriptures give several reasons why prayers can be hindered:

• Rejecting or not yielding to God’s Word (Prov. 28:9; 1 John 3:22).
• Husbands not properly caring for their wives (1 Peter 3:7).
• Fostering selfish motives (Jas. 4:3).
• Having an unforgiving heart (Mark 11:25).
• Doubting God’s faithfulness (Jas. 1:6-7; Mark 11:24).
• Praying for what is contrary to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).

May we take these warnings to heart. —W. A. H.

When we pray for the Spirit’s help, we will simply fall down at the Lord’s feet in our weakness. There we will find the victory and power that comes from His love. —Andrew Murray

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 28:1-22; Job 36:1-37:24; Matt. 15:1-28

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John 15:14

Hard times often reveal the truth as to who our friends are. Are we grateful for the friends who have stayed with us through the highs and the lows, the thick and the thin, the smiles and the tears? Friends such as these should never be taken for granted as they are very rare. The Lord Jesus Christ is such a friend. We can take all our cares and problems to Him, and He will stand by us through all our trials and tribulations. —Ken Gunnell

Sweet the moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the Cross we spend:
Life, and health, and peace possessing,
From the sinners’ dying Friend. —Walter Shirley

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 27:1-46; Job 34:1-35:16; Matt. 14:13-36

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. Luke 24:30-31

They recognized Him in the breaking of the bread. One day, we too will see those nail prints. I once heard a friend pray, “Thank you Lord for the privilege of coming together to remember You. Let us not forget today that many don’t have this privilege.” May we remember with gratitude today what Christ has done for us. —Janet Fleming

As bread is broken week by week,
Each emblem has a word to speak.
There’s one less feast, till I am home,
For this is only till He come. —Janet Fleming

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 26:1-35; Job 32:1-33:33; Matt. 13:44-14:12

A new commandment I give unto ye, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34

Why is this a new commandment? Hasn’t God always commanded us to love? In the Old Testament we were commanded to love our neighbour as we love ourself. This is a high standard. But the new commandment is even higher. We are now to love one another by the example of Christ. We should love each other sacrificially and selflessly. The new standard of love is the standard of Christ Himself. Do we love in such a way? —Shane Johnson

Beloved let us love: for love is light, And he who loveth not, dwelleth in night.
Beloved let us love, for only thus, Shall we behold, that God who loveth us. —H. Bonar

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 25:1-34; Job 31:1-40; Matt. 13:24-43

All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. Exodus 15:15, NKJV
Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? Numbers 21:5, NKJV

Both of these verses are statements made by the children of Israel. One was in a song after the miracle at the Red Sea. The other much later, when they were complaining about God’s provision of manna. They remind us of what it means to leave our first love. Rather than rejoice in all our God has done for us, we find reasons to question His great love and bountiful provisions. May we like David cry out in true confession, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Ps. 51:12). Only then can we praise God as we should. —Ken Gross

Praise the Saviour ye who know Him, who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him, all we are and have. —Thomas Kelly

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 24:1-67; Job 29:1-30:31; Matt. 13:1-23

The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him…the Lord will strengthen him. Psalm 41:1-3

This three-fold promise speaks powerfully into the circumstances of God’s people today. We have an unchanging God who is well able to meet the most trying need we might have. He is able to deliver us. He is able to preserve us and He is able to strengthen us. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Call on Him in your need today and find the blessing of His strength. —W. H. G.

Put thou thy trust in God, In duty’s path go on,
Walk in His strength, with faith and hope,
So shall thy work be done. —Paul Gerhardt

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 23:1-20; Job 27:1-28:28; Matt. 12:22-50

And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. John 6:17
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. Matthew 14:25

Having fed the multitude, the Lord sent His disciples across the sea while He went up on the mountain to pray. But as they journeyed, a sudden storm arose, hindering their progress. Four conditions characterized their plight: the wind, the waves, the distance and the darkness. As we serve the Lord, we too may experience sudden adversity that thwarts our progress and our efforts for Him. We may not see Him at first, but we will in time as He comes to us with words of comfort and a call to rise above our circumstances. —Mark Kolchin

Labour on, labour on, keep the bright reward in view,
For the Master has said our strength, He will renew. —Blackall

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 22:1-24; Job 25:1-26:14; Matt. 12:1-21

The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body. James 3:6, NKJV
The beginning of strife is like the releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. Proverbs 17:14, NKJV

Harry Ironside said, “A little grit in a motor will soon ruin the most costly engine.” Little things that we say can quickly destroy a relationship, a family and an assembly. The fable is told of the Dutch boy who, when he saw a leak in the dike quickly plugged it with his finger, thus preventing a dangerous flood. May grace be given to “plug” our resentments and uncharitable words! The burst dam of our tongue can cause irreparable damage! —Jim Comte

Too swiftly spoken; words that cut and bind,
Let grace season your speech; be gentle and kind. —Author Unknown

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 20:1-21:34; Job 23:1-24:25; Matt. 11:2-30

But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16, NASB

It is God’s will that His children should live holy lives, thereby reflecting the character of their heavenly Father. If we would be obedient children we must learn, by God’s help, to say, “No” to everything unworthy of a holy God. Equally important is the readiness to say, “Yes” to divine instruction. These negative and positive principles should govern all our conduct. —George Hall

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on:
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct, His likeness shall see. —W. D. Longstaff