Category: Uncategorised

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

He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Genesis 2:2 NKJV
[Jesus] said, It is finished…and gave up the ghost. John 19:30
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. Philippians 1:6 NKJV

Construction on the National Monument of Scotland began in 1826. A soldiers’ memorial, it was modeled after the Greek Parthenon. However, within three years, a lack of funds and motivation prevented the work from continuing. Almost 200 years later, it sits unfinished. Dear friend, the Lord always finishes what He starts! This is true in  creation and the cross and one day it will be true of us. He will not abandon the work He has begun! —Lynn Shatford

The work which His goodness began,
The arm of His strength will complete! —A. Toplady

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

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed…because she judged him faithful who had promised. Hebrews 11:11

Sarah had three main challenges to her faith. There was her barrenness, her age, and her unbelief (Gen. 18:12). Despite these obstacles God enabled her to get pregnant. What changed her attitude? It seems that her focus came off of herself and was directed to the strength of God Almighty— “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14). This should strengthen our faith no matter what we are facing. Look to the omnipotence of our great God and have faith in His character. —K. W.

Fear not, I am with thee, Oh be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid.  —Unknown

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

Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. Jonah 1:16

What a response to God’s goodness! These sailors had just thrown Jonah into the sea and the storm had miraculously ceased. They realized the greatness of God, reverenced Him, made offerings to Him, and promised to serve Him. Even Jonah’s disobedience caused them to think about God and reach out to Him in faith. God can use anything and everything, even our failures to bring praise to His name. This is never an excuse to disobey Him or go outside His will, but God works in utterly amazing ways, defying human reason, to bring honour to His name. —Paul Young

How good is the God we adore! Our faithful, unchangeable friend:
His love is as great as His power, and knows neither measure nor end.  —Joseph Hart

Judges 9:1-10:5; Isaiah 30:1-33; 1 Corinthians 9:1-23

You must be born again. John 3:7 NKJV

There are a series of imperatives in John chapters 3 and 4. It is imperative for sinners to be born again, while in verse 14 there is the imperative of the Saviour, “Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Next, John the Baptist says, “He must increase, but I must decrease”(John 3:30). Then Jesus says of the Father, “Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). There is a wonderful progression applicable to us, the “must” of the sinner, followed by the “must” of the Saviour. Then the “must” of the Sovereign followed by the response of a servant. Finally, there is the “must” of saints regarding worship to Him. May God help us to make application of them to our lives.—Gary McBride

Crowned with the victor’s crown, Jesus on high we see;
He won that place of high renown on Calvary’s cruel tree. —J. Wheeler

Judges 8:1-35; Isaiah 29:1-24; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Lest I should be exalted above measure…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh. 2 Corinthians 12:7

Pride is a danger to us all, even to someone like the apostle Paul. It prevents sinners from admitting their guilt and need of a Saviour. It also hinders saints from honouring Christ and giving Him the first place in everything. We cannot be full of ourselves and full of Christ at the same time. After a unique foretaste of heaven itself, Paul had to endure a persistent and painful physical condition to hold him back from any self-exaltation. In his case, it worked; he regarded himself as the chief of sinners and “less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8). —Clark Logan

Boasting excluded, pride I abase;
I’m only a sinner, saved by grace! —James M. Gray

Judges 7:1-25; Isaiah 28:1-29; 1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Psalm 90:1

The reason we read the Old Testament is that the God of the Old Testament, who inspired its words, is unchangeable and is our God today (Heb. 13:8). Enjoy the promises, and learn from the experiences of the Old Testament saints. Some of God’s most helpful directions to me have been from the Old Testament, especially the Psalms. —Brian Russell

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.  —Isaac Watts

Judges 6:1-40; Isaiah 27:1-13; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20

When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself…He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. John 16:13-14

Our Lord Jesus here explains what the Holy Spirit would do when He came. But perhaps even more intriguingly, He tells us what He would not do. The Spirit would not speak of Himself. His central focus would be to glorify Christ. When I fully appropriate what that means and have a passion to be Spirit-led, I dare not glorify myself with my words, but, magnify my Saviour. May we do so today as we worship Him. —Ken Gross

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word,
Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.   —Fanny Crosby

Judges 5:1-31; Isaiah 26:1-21; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1 NKJV

The world in which we live and breathe was created by Almighty God! He owns it and all who dwell in it. “Every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps. 50:10). God not only created and owns the world we live in, but He loves His creation. This love includes His great love for all the people of the world, for you and me! But we are separated from Him by our sin. Yet God loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay for our sins and open the way for us to be forgiven and restored to fellowship with Him. Have you received Him as Saviour? —Ray Jones

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.  —C. Alexander

Judges 4:1-24; Isaiah 25:1-12; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 NKJV
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body. Colossians 3:15 NKJV

When we talk about the peace of God in the Bible, we need to determine what aspect of His peace is being emphasized. There is peace with God and there is the peace of God. Before any of us can have the peace of God we must have peace with God. Peace with God is the knowledge that my sins are forgiven and that I have become a child of God. The peace of God is not the absence of troubles in my life but rather the assurance that God is with me,
strengthening me in my troubles. —Sid Halsband

Almighty, present God, each moment fill my view.
My peace is not a circumstance, but always, only You. —Ken Bible

Judges 3:5-31; Isaiah 24:1-23; 1 Corinthians 3:1-23

In Him we live and move and have our being…For we are also His offspring. Acts 17:28 NKJV

Who are your people, your kin? Who do you walk through this life with, sharing your joys and sorrows, your stories, and your dinner table? Amazingly, we are God’s “offspring,” His “kin.” And He wants to walk through life with us, bringing us into personal intimacy with Himself, sharing His stories and secrets, revealing the hidden treasures of His heart. Are you enjoying your Father’s abundant provision and bountiful heart? There’s no place like home! —Eunice Free

I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God,
I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint-heirs with Jesus, as we travel this sod,
For I’m part of the family, the family of God. —B. & G. Gaither