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

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. Job 9:33
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:5-6

The salvation of men necessitated that the mediator should himself possess the nature and attributes of God and likewise participate in the nature of man, apart from sin. Only by being possessed both of deity and humanity could He comprehend the claims of God and the needs of man. This requirement is fully met in the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh. —Curtis Thigpen

I hear the words of love, I gaze upon the blood.
I see the mighty sacrifice, and I have peace with God. —Horatius Bonar

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

Make me as one of thy hired servants. Luke 15:19
Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved. Philemon 16

There is an interesting contrast between the prodigal son of the father’s house and the runaway slave of Philemon’s house. The prodigal left as a son and returned in shame begging the position of a slave. Onesimus was a slave who left in shame and was received home as a brother beloved. Both found grace. Christ makes all the difference. —Sam Thorpe, Jr.

Come home! Thy Saviour calls thee;
Come home! No more in darkness roam;
Come home! Thy Father loves thee;
Come home! O wayward child, come home! —Julia H. Johnston

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

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26, NKJV

We live on a beautiful harbour. Kowhai and clematis flower grow amongst bush and ferns where birds join their songs. It causes us to rejoice in the Creator. But to some today, animals, birds, fish and vegetation are considered of greater importance than humans. It is mankind that has been made in the image of God. Not only that but He gave His Son to die for our sins at Calvary. —Janet Fleming

God loves me and cares for me;
He showed it fully at Calvary,
And as His creation I’m set apart,
For God, the Creator lives in my heart. —Janet Fleming

2 Samuel 20:1-26; Jeremiah 4:3-31; Galatians 5:10-26

The Lord said, Simon…Satan hath desired to have you, that he
may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith
fail not. Luke 22:31-32

The Lord told Peter that trying times were ahead. But that was
not the heart of His message. In fact the power of the message
was not that our Lord would pray for him but that He had already
prayed for him. He could have prayed that the temptation
would not happen, but instead prayed that Peter’s faith would not
fail. This should be a model for our prayer life. Not that we avoid
temptation but that our faith would not fail. —Ken Gross

Faith is the victory. Faith is the victory.
Oh, glorious victory that overcomes the world.
—John Yates

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

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go…and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. Acts 9:4 Cornelius, thy prayer is heard. Acts 10:31

Yes, our prayers are heard. Ananias was sent in response to Saul’s prayer. Peter came to Cornelius as a result of his prayer. Know that not only does God answer your prayers, but you may be the answer to someone else’s prayer. —D. Pickup

Give as ‘twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
Unto your mission be true.
Make me a blessing to someone today. —Ira B. Wilson

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

Fret not thyself. Psalm 37:1

Three times in this psalm we are commanded to “fret not”. Fretting is being “constantly or visibly worried”, and is synonymous with pining, brooding, and being distressed. Another aspect of fretting is to “gradually wear away by rubbing or gnawing”. Some have suggested that to fret is to question the providence of God, to infer that He is incapable of fixing things, to distrust Him. As the writer tells us, fretting “only causes harm” (v. 8, NKJV). The solution? Trust in the Lord; delight yourself in Him; commit your way to Him; be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him. The result? “He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Ps. 37:4). —M. MacMullen

They who seek the throne of grace, find that throne in every place,
If we live a life of prayer, God is present everywhere. —Oliver Holden

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

Lot…beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered… Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan. Genesis 13:10-11

Abraham, because of strife between his men and Lot’s, decided that they should separate. He gave Lot the choice of land and Lot chose the area that was most fertile, rather than giving his uncle, who had done so much for him, the best area. In verses 14 to 15, the Lord tells Abraham to look every direction and that all the land that he saw, God would give to him. God overruled Lot’s selfish choice and blessed Abraham for taking second place. Sadly when Lot’s selfish desires reached their full measure, it cost him the loss of family, home and reputation. Leave the choice with the Lord. —Mary Robins

Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.—Havergal

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

But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

All of Christ’s work testifies to victory. Shouting “finished” (John 19:30) from the cross He paid the price for our sins. Rising from the dead He won the victory over death. Ascending to the Father through the air, He demonstrated His victory over the prince of the power of the air. Someday Christ will return to gather us in the air, revealing His glorified Bride, the fruit of His victory. Later He’ll return with His saints, defeating the world’s armies, and setting up His kingdom on earth. Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ. —George Ferrier

O lead me to the Man that died, who all God’s nature glorified;
Descending to the depths of woe; and for us vanquished every foe! —Alfred Mace

Joshua 11:1-12:24; Isaiah 8:5-9:7; Luke 24:13-35

Ye see me no more. John 16:10

No more! Those words filled the disciples’ heart with sorrow as the Lord announced His departure (v. 6). But consider what He was leaving to accomplish. He paid the full price for our redemption so “there is no more offering for sin” (Heb. 10:18). His victory was seen when He rose to “dieth no more” (Rom. 6:9). The sinner who is cleansed can claim God’s promise: “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:17). Then, when this life is over, the child of God goes to the Land of no more curse (Rev. 22:3). And there, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death” (21:4). What a blessing to know more of God’s grand purposes this side of the cross! —Brian Cretney

No blood, no altar now, the sacrifice is o’er!
No flame, no smoke ascends on high, the lamb is slain no more.—Bonar

Joshua 11:1-12:24; Isaiah 8:5-9:7; Luke 24:13-35

Ye see me no more. John 16:10

No more! Those words filled the disciples’ heart with sorrow as
the Lord announced His departure (v. 6). But consider what He
was leaving to accomplish. He paid the full price for our redemption
so “there is no more offering for sin” (Heb. 10:18). His victory
was seen when He rose to “dieth no more” (Rom. 6:9). The sinner
who is cleansed can claim God’s promise: “Their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:17). Then, when this life is over,
the child of God goes to the Land of no more curse (Rev. 22:3).
And there, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death” (21:4). What a blessing to know more of
God’s grand purposes this side of the cross! —Brian Cretney

No blood, no altar now, the sacrifice is o’er!
No flame, no smoke ascends on high, the lamb is slain no more.—Bonar