Choice Gleanings

Ruth 1:1-26; Isaiah 41:1-29; 2 Corinthians 1:1-24

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Mark 15:33

The Lord’s Supper should be a solemn time for us. We come to gaze on Christ and appreciate His finished work for us. We read here that at Calvary there was darkness over the whole land for three hours. In the midst of those weighty hours the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. What a price! And what a privilege, to have this opportunity to remember each week what He paid. —Virginia Strout

Gazing on the Lord in glory,
While our hearts in worship bow,
There we read the wondrous story
Of the cross, its shame and woe. —C. Thompson

Judges 21:1-25; Isaiah 40:1-31; 1 Corinthians 16:1-24

There is none righteous, no, not one … for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:10, 23-24 NKJV

Romans 3:10-23 is like reading a spiritual wellness report. First, the bad news. Our throat, tongue, lips, mouth, feet, and eyes are so bad that we might seek a second opinion. Isaiah agrees that from the sole of our foot even to the head there is no soundness in it (Isa. 1:6). Now, the good news! We can be made well. God offers His righteousness freely by His grace in Christ Jesus. —Rex Trogdon

Yea, justified! O blessed thought!
And sanctified! Salvation wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And glorified, I too, shall be! —James M. Gray

Judges 20:1-48; Isaiah 38:1-39:8; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

… count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3 NKJV

Everyone knows the phrase “Be careful what you wish for”.  James has a similar idea here. Be careful what you pray for. We have all prayed for patience, but don’t want the accompanying trials that will form it in us. We need trials in our life because through them, God is working on us. He places hardships in our lives to help us grow and be more like Him. Count it all joy! He loves us so much that He longs to make us better men and women for Him. How amazing is our God! —Caleb Riordan

Happy they who trust in Jesus, sweet our portion is and sure;
When despair or doubt would seize us, by His grace we shall endure. —T. K

Judges 19:1-30; Isaiah 37:8-38; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34

And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, who was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. Luke 19:2

Often when we think of Zacchaeus we consider his riches. But we need also to consider his resolve. “He sought to see Jesus who he was” (Luke 19:3). He was not deterred by his stature nor by the impact his belief in Christ would have on his substance (Mark 10:23). Upon meeting Christ, he who had received the Lord joyfully resembled His master (2 Cor. 8:9) in his offer to give half his wealth to the poor. He obeyed the Scriptures in his willingness to make  restitution for any wrongs committed (Ex. 22:1). Regeneration produces dramatic results in the life of the believer. —Lloyd Cain

Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me;
The changes that are sure to come, I do not fear to see. —A. L. Waring

Judges 17:1-18:31; Isaiah 36:1-37:7; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow … Isa. 1:18

Though every snowflake is comprised of the same hydrogen and oxygen atoms, no two look the same. Similarly, while every believer has had their sins removed and are positionally clean in God’s sight, we are all unique. We each have had different experiences as to how the Spirit revealed our sin to us and our need of a Saviour. That is what makes testimonies so compelling. Everyone has a unique one. Always be ready to tell of how Christ saved you. —George T. Ferrier

The Saviour of all people has brought His peace to you;
Now go and tell the story, for others need it too. —Kate Hankey

Judges 16:1-31; Isaiah 35:1-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place. Leviticus 16:2

What a privilege! Once a year, Aaron entered the most holy place with sacrifices, holy garments, and a washed body. Incense covered the mercy seat. He sprinkled blood on and before the mercy seat so he wouldn’t die. Over his lifetime he had that privilege perhaps 39 times. We now have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19). Now, if we wish, we can enter the holiest in spirit 39 times a day. Do we? What a privilege! —David W. Oliver

Boldly our heart and voice we raise,
His name, His blood, our plea;
Assured our prayers and songs of praise,
Ascend by Him to Thee. —James Deck

Judges 14:1-15:20; Isaiah 34:1-17; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son. Luke 1:13

Elderly Zacharias and Elisabeth may have forgotten those old prayers, but God had not. God remembered, which, interestingly, is the meaning of Zacharias. The Lord was on His own timetable and a son was coming, proving again that nothing is impossible with Him. The Lord answers our prayers when it looks impossible, when it seems like the window of opportunity has forever closed. Keep praying for your child. Keep praying for your friend. Keep
praying for your local church. Never give up. —David Petterson

That power is prayer, which soars on high, through Jesus, to the throne,
And moves the hand which moves the world, to bring salvation down. —J. Wallace

Judges 13:1-25; Isaiah 33:1-24; 1 Corinthians 11:2-34

I find in him no fault at all. John 18:38
I find no fault in him. John 19:4, 6

The threefold repetition of Pontius Pilate’s “Not guilty!” verdict would have been enough to liberate any prisoner, but not our Lord Jesus Christ. He had been sent for this very hour, and at this pivotal moment in history, He would lay down His life to provide His thrice holy Father the just basis on which to redeem sinners. This was indeed the day of all days! —Rick Morse

O Jesus, Lord, how can it be,
That Thou shouldst give Thy life for me,
To bear the cross and agony,
In that dread hour on Calvary? —William Darwood

Judges 11:29-12:15; Isaiah 32:1-20; 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1

For I am the Lord, I change not. Malachi 3:6
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heb. 13:8

In our fast-changing world, there is little stability, confidence, or hope. Thank God, we have “Jesus Christ, the Same!” J. N. Darby felt that “the Same” is a divine title and should be capitalized. Truly He is the immutable one, who can never differ from Himself. He is our solid rock. Samuel Rutherford wrote: “Your rock is Christ, and it is not the rock which ebbs and flows, but the sea.” No matter your circumstance, rest in the One whose love and goodness towards
us never changes. —Jim Comte

I change – He changes not; the Christ can never die;
His love, not mine, the resting place; His truth, not mine, the tie. —Horatius

Judges 10:6-11:28; Isaiah 31:1-9; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:13

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:8

A person living for God reveals Christ through their new Spirit led life. Their integrity and faithfulness to God will be lights in the darkness. This is all by the grace of God. Grace brings joy, liberty, and the glory of living in God’s presence. Grace enables us to preach salvation. Through God’s grace we can meet the needs of others and see God’s blessings abound when grateful hearts take what God’s grace offers. All the grace necessary to do what He wills is ours in Him. Praise the Lord! —Gaius C. Goff

Grace taught my soul to pray,
And made my eyes o’erflow.
‘Twas grace which kept me to this day,
And will not let me go. —Philip Doddridge