Category: Uncategorised

Deuteronomy 9:1-10:11; Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:14; Luke 9:1-17

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Several different Hebrew words are translated “wait” in our English Bible. Here, the Hebrew word is “qavah”, meaning, “to bind together (by twisting)”, much as a vine binds and twists itself around a tree. The key lesson for us is to bind the Word of God and its promises around our life so as to strengthen and fortify us against trials and temptations. If and when we practice this, Isaiah tells us that blessings will result. —W. Ross Rainey

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou are the Potter; I am the clay.
Mould me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. —Adelaide A. Pollard

Deuteronomy 7:12-8:20; Ecclesiastes 9:11-10:20; Luke 8:40-56

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastes 12:1

Youth is full of vitality! We are driven by an abundance of energy. Nothing seems impossible. But as time passes the vim and vigour of youth fades. Our steps slow, our memory lapses and ambition no longer fuels us. Blessed are those who embraced Christ at their first opportunity, saturating themselves in His Word and prayer. Those words will His fellowship sustain when vitality and youth are gone. Don’t wait until “older age”, when mind and body may no longer comprehend God’s saving grace. Make your decision to follow Christ today! —Deborah Manera

Salvation is God’s way of making us real people. —Augustine

Deuteronomy 6:1-7:11; Ecclesiastes 8:1-9:10; Luke 8:22-39

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God. Psalm 42:5, 11

David found himself deeply distressed and depressed. Three times over he asks himself, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?”. He follows this by giving the remedy, “hope thou in God”. There are times, when we also may feel depressed and discouraged and the only answer is, as David found, to “hope in God”. It is only the realisation that the perfect will of God is being worked out in our lives that will calm the storm within, and give us peace. —W. H. Burnett

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, It is well, with my soul. —H. G. Spafford

Deuteronomy 5:1-33; Ecclesiastes 7:1-29; Luke 8:1-21

But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 2:30

Habakkuk lived during a time of rampant wickedness, failing morals and injustice: much like our day. As he looked out over all of this he did not understand what God was doing or why He was doing it. But he was willing to trust. It is as if Habakkuk puts his finger to his lips and whispers, “Be quiet”—“Let all the earth keep silence before him”. We may be perplexed today as to what God is doing globally and also in our own lives. But He is still on the throne and quietly whispers to our hearts, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). —Jim Comte

“Be still, my soul! Thy God does undertake,
Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake. —Katharina von Schlegel

Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Ecclesiastes 5:1-6:12; Luke 7:30-50

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:18

How tragic to hear stories of abandoned babies in orphanages who have stopped crying, giving up hope that any will come to comfort them. Promising His return, Christ assured His disciples that He would not leave them orphans. Fulfilling His word, Christ came to them after His resurrection and again at Pentecost through the Holy Spirit, another Comforter. Someday Christ will return for us and escort us to heaven with great joy. He will never abandon us. He will surely come. Even so come Lord Jesus. —George Ferrier

Oh, joy! oh, delight! Should we go without dying,
No sickness, no sadness, no dread and no crying;
Caught up through the clouds, with our Lord into glory,
When Jesus receives, “His own.” —H. L. Turner

Deuteronomy 3:1-29; Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:16; Luke 7:1-29

Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding…oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. 1 Timothy 20-21

Believers should value scholarship in understanding the Bible. But don’t forget faith, for it is the persuasion that God is worth seeking and His Word is worth understanding. So use every resource to understand the original Bible languages. Delve into the technicals of Bible study. But wed your scholarship to faith. Scholarship alone won’t open the Word. There are too many amazing, startling, unexpected, shocking things there. Without faith the scholar’s learning is his weakness, routinely using learning to explain away the astounding message. —J. A. Bjorlie

Word of the ever living God, will of His glorious Son;
Without Thee how could earth be trod or heaven itself be won?—Barton

Deuteronomy 2:1-37; Ecclesiastes 2:12-3:15; Luke 6:20-49

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. 1 Samuel 14:6

Saul had failed Jonathan. His son could easily have adopted a negative attitude and blamed his father. Instead he did what he could, knowing God could still use him. Sometimes the older saints fail. I exhort the younger people not to despair or criticise but do what you can for the Lord in the local assembly. Like Jonathan you may well be surprised what God can do with the few and at the same time activate and encourage the older ones. —Brian Russell

Cast care aside, lean on thy Guide,
His boundless mercy will provide. —John S. B. Monsell

Deuteronomy 1:1-46; Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:11; Luke 6:1-19

Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Deuteronomy 8:5

In the rearing of His children, our loving God knows that some forms of training are less enjoyable for us than others. In His faithfulness, He does not hesitate to do everything necessary to bring us to full stature and maturity, on our journey to being conformed to the image of His Son. Our thoughts may deceive us into thinking we are being ill-treated. Yet when we consider His love for us in our hearts, we can trust that He is doing all that is best for us. —Rick Morse

I know that His power my safeguard shall be;
For “Why are ye troubled?” He saith unto me. —Anna B. Warner

Numbers 35:9-36:13; Proverbs 31:1-31; Luke 5:17-39

The Son of man came…to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28

“I owe my life to a ransom paid, not by the government, but by donations from many caring people”. So said a young woman released after 460 days of captivity. It was gifts from friends that made possible her release. The ransom price for our sins was the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter wrote, in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “Ye were not redeemed with…silver and gold…But with the precious blood of Christ”. His blood was sacrificially shed to pay for your sins. Have you thanked Him for paying the penalty price for your sins? —Arnot P. McIntee

Precious blood that hath redeemed us, all the price is paid!
Perfect pardon now is offered, peace is made. —Frances R. Havergal

Numbers 34:1-35:8; Proverbs 30:1-33; Luke 5:1-16

What do you want Me to do for you? Mark 10:36, 52, NKJV

The Lord Jesus asked this question in two different settings. The first was to two of His disciples who answered, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory” (Mark 10:37, NKJV). The second was to two blind men who cried, “Son of David, have mercy on us” (Matt. 9:27, NKJV). They answered, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened” (Matt. 20:33, NKJV). The disciples could see but were blind to their pride. The blind men could not see, but recognized the Lord, and He opened their eyes. What would you answer? —Rex Trogdon

Open my eyes, that I may see,
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key,
That shall unclasp, and set me free. —Clara H. Scott