Category: Uncategorised

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 19:1-20:8/; Ezekiel 18:1-19:14; John 6:41-7:11

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight. Proverbs 8:30
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17

These verses show that whether in the pre-incarnate days of the Lord Jesus, or during the days of His flesh on earth, the Son was ever and always the delight of the Father. Indeed, the fellowship between the Father and the Son was not in the least diminished when He stepped into humanity. In preincarnate days, He was “daily his delight” whilst in the days of His flesh the Father says concerning the Son: “in whom I am well pleased”. —W. H. Burnett

All His joy, His rest His pleasure, all His deep delight in Thee,
Lord Thy heart alone can measure, all the Father found in Thee. —Wesley

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 17:1-18:17; Ezekiel 17:1-24; John 6:22-40

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Unless we realize our poverty of spirit and mourn over it, we can never come to God’s place of comfort. We know that all have sinned and come short of God’s glory (or standards). Without Christ, there is no hope or comfort. But those who recognise their need and mourn over it, can find comfort and hope in Jesus Christ. He has paid the price of our sin so we can find eternal comfort in Him. —G. Frear

Those who mourn their sinful state,
Will see God’s face through heaven’s gate,
Those who praise Him for new birth,
Will recognise His matchless worth. —G. F.

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 16:1-43; Ezekiel 16:35-63; John 6:1-21

Save me, O God for the waters are come in unto my soul. Psalm 69:1

I’ve prayed this prayer, desperately, dozens of times. The NKJV says it this way, “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.” Many times my circumstances have all but overwhelmed me. But God has always saved me, often at the last minute. When the bills were overdue and the bank account was low, I cried out and the Lord saved me. When my life was in danger and fear gripped my soul, the Lord delivered me. When I lay sick on my bed wondering if my life would ever be the same, the Lord raised me up. Pray to Him today. —Shane Johnson

Though I perish I will pray, I will pray, I will pray;
Thou of life the Living Way, O, save me at the cross. —Fanny Crosby

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 15:1-29; Ezekiel 16:1-34; John 5:24-47

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15

I had noticed pretty little beetles in my vegetable garden. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that these insects are the juvenile form of a beetle that does much damage to my garden produce. Be careful what habits you cultivate in your life. Will they waste your time, stop you concentrating on more important issues or eventually lead you into sin? Get rid of them while you can. —Janet Fleming

Just a tiny little thought, my heart contained within;
But sadly as I let it grow, I found it now was sin.
So guard the words you listen to, the things you read or see,
Or they will come to have control, of you, eventually. —Janet Fleming

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 13:1-14:17; Ezekiel 14:1-15:8; John 5:1-23

And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. Exodus 16:33

We know that this command was carried out by Aaron and the pot was eventually placed in the Ark of the Covenant. However there was no sign of it when the Ark was seen in Temple days. There may be a number of reasons for this, but from their future behaviour the children of Israel seemed to have forgotten about this miraculous provision for their wilderness journey. Let us—especially those living in the privileged west—never forget the daily temporal acts of kindness shown by our heavenly Father. —Brian Russell

God our maker doth provide, for our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple come, raise the song of harvest home. —Alford

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 12:1-40; Ezekiel 13:1-23; John 4:31-54

And the children of Israel arose…and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first. Judges 20:18

Israel made plans to attack Benjamin. They asked, “Who should go first.” Not endorsing their plan, God only answered the question put to Him. It took 40,000 deaths for them to realize that though it was right to cleanse the land, they had lost sight of more critical matters: their love and awe for Jehovah and mourning and brokenness towards their erring brethren. In dealing with the sins of others, we must first be right with the Lord and then possess selfless grief to act properly. —W. A. H.

With one consent we meekly bow beneath Thy chastening hand,
And pouring forth confession meet, mourn with our mourning land. —J. H. G.

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 10:1-11:47; Ezekiel 12:1-28; John 4:1-30

We spend our years as a tale that is told. Psalm 90:9

While searching for something in the attic, I came across a leather bound booklet which when opened revealed several pages of some 470 signatures on parchment paper. The book was a presentation keepsake given to my grandfather on the occasion of his retirement from service in the Bank of England in London in 1961. In striking calligraphy the following words were inscribed under his name, “As a bird is known by his note, so is a man by his conversation.” The challenge for the believer is to remember that the world looks at us and reads a story—is it a mystery, fictional, or inspiring and edifying? —Brian Powlesland

Help me remember when others I see,
They are reading “The Gospel According to Me”. —Author Unknown

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 8:1-9:44; Ezekiel 11:1-25; John 3:22-36

David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless? 1 Samuel 26:9

David knew it was wrong to kill Saul. To do so placed one under condemnation. At Calvary, both Jews and Romans delivered up Christ, God’s anointed. Yet Christ forgave them (Luke 23:34) and God used their complicity to judge His holy Son for our sins. He is the sinner’s substitute. Even for the sinners who delivered Him up. For the lying witnesses. For the Romans who knowingly condemned an innocent man. For us. Trusting Christ, complicit sinners like us are free. —George Ferrier

Dying for me, dying for me, there on the cross He was dying for me;
Now in His death my redemption I see, all because Jesus was dying for me. —Gladys W. Roberts

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 7:1-40; Ezekiel 10:1-22; John 2:23-3:21

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

The two greatest influences in the believer’s life are the Holy Spirit of God and the Word of God. The Word enters our lives by reading or listening to it. Then it penetrates our hearts and affects our thinking and our choices. The Holy Spirit of God enters our life the moment we trust the Saviour and starts prompting us and applying the truth of God. When yielding our lives we are transformed and good works follow. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph. 2:10). —Sid Halsband

Open Thy Word of Truth, that I may see
Thy message written clear and plain for me. —M. Lathbury & A. Groves

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 6:1-81; Ezekiel 8:1-9:11; John 2:1-22

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

The life of Joshua was a life of service. In the first part of his life, he served Pharaoh making bricks in Egypt as a slave. For the next 40 years he served as an assistant to Moses in the wilderness wanderings. In the last part of his life, he served the people of God in the promised land. However, his Master, while on earth, in the shadow of earthly leaders, was God. May we serve Him faithfully as well. —Sam Thorpe Jr.

O Master, let me walk with Thee,
In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear,
The strain of toil, the fret of care. —W. Gladden