Monday, December 9, 2024

Ezra 5:1-17; Daniel 6:1-28; Revelation 2:1-17

Please, show me Your glory. Exodus 33:18 NKJV

In making this request, Moses wanted to know more of God’s person. The Lord revealed Himself in visual glory that was veiled, but He made a further verbal revelation of His name. He declared something of His character and conduct toward humanity. He is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:6). He forgives sinners but executes justice on the guilty. We will have to wait until heaven to see the full visible expression of glory but in the interval, we can see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth, as revealed in the Word of God. —Gary McBride

What grace, O Lord, and beauty shone around Thy steps below!
What patient love was seen in all Thy life and death of woe!  —E. Denny

Lord’s Day, December 8, 2024

Ezra 3:1-4:24; Daniel 5:1-31; Revelation 1:1-20

And he…began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Matthew 26:37-38

Matthew tells us our blessed Saviour fell on His face in Gethsemane.  Luke says He was in agony and His sweat became like great drops of blood. Although others prostrated themselves before the Lord, the weight of His burden was unlike any other. No scales could weigh the heaviness of His holy heart that night. The compression of His soul
as He anticipated infinite suffering could only be appreciated by His Father as they communed together in the Garden. —Peter Ramsay

Gethsemane can I forget? Or there Thy conflict see,
Thine agony and blood-like sweat, and not remember Thee?  —James Montgomery

Saturday, December 7, 2024

Ezra 1:1-2:70; Daniel 4:1-37; 3 John 1:1-14

I have called by name Bezalel…of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom…and in all manner or workmanship, to design artistic works. Exodus 31:2-4 NKJV

Bezalel was chosen by God to make all the complex parts of the tabernacle. He was of the tribe of Judah. With Spirit wisdom Bezalel took the raw materials given to him and crafted things of beauty. There is another master Craftsman from the tribe of Judah. He takes the raw material of our lives and crafts something beautiful out of them, something that will glorify God. Sometimes we may wonder what He is doing. But trust and rest in Him. He is accomplishing His work in you, even today. —Annette Baal

Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim! —Fanny J. Crosby

Friday, December 6, 2024

2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Daniel 3:1-30; 2 John 1:1-13

And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord. Ex. 16:7
In the morning you shall be filled with bread. Ex. 16:12 NKJV

The glory of the Lord is an overwhelming subject and manifested in so many different ways. Here it is associated with God’s provision to His people in the wilderness with bread. It is a beautiful picture of the Son of God who said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). If you have taken that step and come to Him, you will never go unsatisfied again. Also, through Him you are going to see and share in His glories for all
eternity. What a prospect! —Jim Paul

The brightness of God’s glory, and the image of God’s being,
The heir of richest majesty, the arm of regal might;
Creator of the universe, all-knowing and all-seeing;
Is Christ who brings forgiveness and the lifting of our night. —M. Perry

Thursday, December 5, 2024

2 Chronicles 35:1-27; Daniel 2:24-49; 1 John 5:1-21

I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou has given me, for they are thine. John 17:9
Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost. John 17:12

How wonderful that our Lord Jesus Christ considers every believer a special gift from the Father. How unique and precious we all are to Him. This certainly lifts our spirits to greater heights and helps us rise out of any feelings of depression and worthlessness. John 3:16 tells us what He has done for us. 1 John 3:16 tells us what we now need to do for one another. Let’s look at all believers as special gifts straight from the heart of God to the Lord Jesus Christ.
—Eleanor Isaacson

Once more to tell it, would I embrace;
I’m only a sinner saved by grace! —James M. Gray

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

2 Chronicles 34:1-33; Daniel 2:1-23; 1 John 4:21

And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. John 11:15

Consider our Emmanuel’s emotions. The Man of Sorrows (Isa. 53:3) wept with Mary and Martha over their sorrow at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), and over Jerusalem because of the city’s impending judgment (Luke 19:41). We read of His “strong crying and tears” in Gethsemane (Heb. 5:7). But in our text He was glad. Also, He “rejoiced in spirit” and said, “even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Luke 10:21) We see pictured the glad Saviour’s
rejoicing in His parable of the Shepherd (Luke 15:3-7). —L. Cain

But all thro’ the mountains,
Thunder-riv’n, and up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,
“Rejoice! I have found my sheep!” —E. Clephane

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Daniel 1:1-21; 1 John 3L1-24

With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men. Ephesians 6:7

We speak of the “missionary call” as a prerequisite to overseas service. But what of the faithful Christian working at his secular job? Every believer in every job, regardless how laborious, and difficult, has a divine calling. Whether a clerk at the store, the mother of a young family or a school teacher. We are all called to be faithful in fulfilling our duties. Perhaps our vocation does not attract much notice from the world but remember God notices! Being
called and being faithful in performing secular work is as important as faithfulness in overseas missionary work. —Sid Halsband

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in Thine.  —Fanny J Crosby

Monday, December 2, 2024

2 Chronicles 32:1-33; Ezekiel 48:1-35; 1 John 2:12-29

What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? Genesis 24:65

Abraham’s servant was returning from Mesopotamia with Rebecca, the future bride of Isaac. The long weary days of travel in the wilderness were about to end, and Rebecca sees her bridegroom coming to meet her, and to escort her to his home. So it will be with ourselves as the Bride of Christ. Soon the weary days of wilderness travel will end, and our beloved will meet us in the air, and escort us to our heavenly home. —Willie H. Burnett

O the blessed joy of meeting, all the desert past,
O the wondrous words of greeting, He shall speak at last!
He and I together ent’ring those fair courts above;
He and I together sharing, all the Father’s love. —Gerhardt Tersteegen

Lord’s Day, December 1, 2024

2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Ezekiel 47:1-23; 1 John 1:1-2:11

He said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30
I declare unto you the gospel…Christ died for our sins…he was buried…he rose again. 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4

When our Lord said “It is finished”, He spoke of His completed sacrifice for our sin. But the Father wasn’t finished. His plans were not complete. He had two disciples lovingly bury His Son. After three days God prompted others to come to the tomb to witness the tomb and empty grave clothes. He later arranged for above 500 brethren to see Him at once. And He has given Him a name which is above every name (Phil. 2:9). Worship Him today! —Ken Gross

Who died and lives again, who liveth evermore;
Who loved and washed us in His blood,
Who made us kings and priests to God. —Horatius Bonar

Saturday, November 30, 2024

2 Chronicles 30:1-27; Ezekiel 46:1-24; John 21:1-25

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

John 3:16 is probably the best-known verse in the Bible. Someone has called it “the Bible in brief” because the whole message of the Bible is contained in its twenty-five words. The first half of John 3:16 is all about God. The last is all about us. It’s the greatest verse, about the greatest Giver, of the greatest love, who gave the greatest Gift ever given, to meet our greatest need! Share it with someone today. —Rex Trogdon

Oh, believe it! Oh, believe it!
Christ has died upon the tree,
That from sin you might be free;
Jesus died for you and me, Oh believe it! —John Ferguson