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Judges 2:6-3:4; Isaiah 22:15-23:18; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season…ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. 1 Peter 1:6

Sickness is a trial, but the power of God enables us to be true to our faith and shine even in the midst of physical pain. Such trials refine us as the Lord reveals our limitations and impurities to us. Trials may not seem “good,” particularly those that are health related, but God in love supplies His grace and strength, and reveals our faith to be
genuine and valuable. When dross is removed, praise, honour, and glory for our Lord is the result. May they shine out of your trial today. —Gaius C. Goff

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear. —Annie Johnson Flint

Judges 1:1-2:5; Isaiah 21:1-22:14; 1 Corinthians 1:1-31

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 NKJV

God’s people frequently go to sleep prayerfully trusting that morning will bring divine intervention. Sometimes things do change, but awaking to the disappointment of no change often obscures a greater blessing—His Presence! David didn’t rest upon changes of circumstance but upon God’s nightly sustainment (Ps. 3:5). He was confident that either he would awake in the presence of God or awake to God’s Presence with him. God may intervene, but no matter what happens, we can rejoice that He remains to guard us regardless of the foe or the woe. Never abandoned and never forsaken; upon this, we can rest and rejoice. —David J. Reed

No, never alone, no, never alone;
Jesus is with me, Jesus my own. —A. B. Bowser

Joshua 24:1-33; Isaiah 19:1-20:6; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Job 13:15

Job stood in absolute awe of the Lord, yet he showed boldness in approaching God in his affliction. Likewise, we are told to come boldly before God’s throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). But that boldness does not come from anything we have done, but rather from who we are in Christ. Christ’s blood paid our deserving death, and God’s righteousness is the new garment we wear as we approach Him. Because of Him, believers may come confidently to the throne of grace not as paupers but as children of God, loved and accepted in the Beloved. Therein lies our boldness—Him. —Tim Hansford

At all times, in every case,
Lead us to Thy throne of grace;
Let our needs be what they may,
Teach us how and what to pray. —W. Gadsby

Joshua 23:1-16; Isaiah 17:1-18:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

The Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said… “Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 NKJV

This simple command from our Lord has been a great blessing to many believers! At the start of our week, it takes us back to Calvary. It gives us a renewed appreciation for the sacrifice made on our behalf. It centres us on Him! It brings before us the wonderful hope of being with Him forever. Our participation is only temporary, but as we wait for His return, may we remember Him today. —Jim Paul

Sweet feast of love divine: ’tis grace that makes us free,
To feed upon this bread and wine, in memory, Lord, of Thee. —E. Denny

Joshua 22:1-34; Isaiah 15:1-16:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Love your enemies, do good to them who hate you. Luke 6:27
When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Romans 5:10

What a summation of the counter cultural ethic of the gospel! “Love your enemies.” The testimonies of two very different men come to my mind—one a Jew, one a Muslim—each burning with hatred because of injustices they had suffered. They had no time for Jesus, but were brought up short by these very words. Who was this Man who could say such a thing? Why should I love those who have done me such wrong? I want to kill them. Yet these words burned in their hearts and ultimately they bowed to the One who, in His death exemplified them. —Kevin Shantz

Enlarge my soul with love like Thine, my moral powers by grace refine,
So shall I feel another’s woe, and cheerful feed a hungry foe. —Anon.

Joshua 20:1-21:45; Isaiah 14:1-32; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28

Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. John 9:38
The woman then left her waterpot…and saith to the men…is not this the Christ? John 4:28-29
There came also Nicodemus…and wound it (the body of Jesus) in linen clothes with the spices. John 19:39-40

These encounters give us three important perspectives on our life in Christ. The healed blind man, after he believed, worshipped the Lord. The Samaritan woman, after she had trusted in the Messiah, witnessed for the Lord. Finally, Nicodemus defended the Lord’s right to be heard (John 7:50-51), and prepared His body for burial. His walk for the Lord was consistent. Worshipping, witnessing, and walking. What excellent aspirations for us! —Bob Cretney

Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in endless praise. —F. Havergal

Joshua 18:1-19:51; Isaiah 13:1-22; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. John 7:30

Here we learn that events in the life of the Lord Jesus were not controlled by men or the current of circumstance but in strict accordance with the plan that the Father had prepared for Him. Indeed, however, enemies would like to have taken Him sooner than they did, but they were prevented from doing so because the Father was in control not
only with regard to the Son but also His enemies. How wonderful to know, that in a similar way, the Father has His sovereign plan for our lives, and nothing in this world can change it. —Willie H. Burnett

All the way my Saviour leads me,
what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
who through life has been my guide? —Fanny J. Crosby

Joshua 16:1-17:18; Isaiah 11:1-12:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:13

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you. Galatians 3:5 NKJV
And the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:19 NKJV

When the road feels long and dreary and we despair that we will never reach the end, we can rely fully on God’s Spirit to take us to our desired haven (Ps. 107:30). God supplied the Spirit through Jesus Christ because He loves us and has promised to never leave us. We can draw upon His strength when we are weak, His peace when we are in turmoil, and His mercy when we are at the end of our resources. How blessed we are to have the Holy Spirit abiding
in our hearts. —Annette Baal

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when our labours increase,
To added afflictions, He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. —Annie Johnson Flint

Joshua 14:1-15:63; Isaiah 10:5-34; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12

The people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work. Exodus 36:6-7

In 1935, Italy’s leader appealed to their married women to exchange their gold wedding rings for steel rings. Some  3,000 tons of gold were melted and deposited in Italian banks to be used for the nation. Moses appealed to the children of Israel to give willingly of their substance so that the tabernacle could be fabricated in the wilderness. Such was the level of giving, that donations had to be halted. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7 NKJV). Do we give cheerfully? Have we given our time, our talents, and our treasures to Him? —Brian Powlesland

Lord of all being, I give you my all;
If e’er I disown You I stumble and fall;
But, sworn in glad service Your Word to obey,
I walk in Your freedom to the end of the way. —Jack C. Winslow

Joshua 13:1-33; Isaiah 9:8-10:4; Luke 24:36-53

He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.  Psalm 147:4 NKJV

On our farm, I have around 25 cows, each of which has a name.  Sometimes I need to think about what a cow’s name is, or I may check her tag number to confirm her identity. With God, it is very different. There are billions of stars and yet God knows each by name. What confidence this should give us. If He gave His Son to die for us, He will never forget one of us. He says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). —Janet Fleming

Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky,
And You know them by name; You are amazing, God
All powerful, untameable; awestruck, we fall to our knees
As we humbly proclaim, You are amazing, God! —C. Tomlin