Category: Uncategorised

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 6:24 to 7:20; Jer. 41 to 42:6; Heb. 10:19-39

 

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.  Psalm 73:17

Until! Asaph was puzzled about the ease and prosperity of the wicked. It nearly caused him to stumble as he tried to reason it out. He was looking for answers, but not in the right place. It wasn’t until he went into the sanctuary of God that he understood. We, too, exhaust our resources until we come up with more questions than answers. Why do we wait until then? Prayer should be our first response, not a last resort. Don’t wait until. —Rex Trogdon

Oh what peace we often forfeit, 
Oh what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry, 
Everything to God in prayer.
—Joseph Scriven

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 6:1-23; Jeremiah 39-40; Hebrews 10:1-18

 

Every good gift and perfect gift is from above…  James 1:17

A young man’s testimony told of using his first drugs at age 11.  Drugs became a habit and led him to become a dealer. Before long, the law charged him with several felonies and he was incarcerated. Alone in his cell, he reflected on his failed marriage and loss of contact with his children. When a weekly Bible class was offered, he attended. The message of God’s love and forgiveness gripped him and he embraced Christ as his Saviour. He joyfully spoke of God’s many gifts to him.  Now he serves the Lord in the New Life program at a rescue mission. Psalm 100:4 exhorts us to “be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” May we daily do so. —E. Dyck

Since Jesus came into my heart, floods of joy o’er my soul,
Like the sea billows roll, since Jesus came into my heart.
—R. McDaniel

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 5; Jeremiah 38; Hebrews 9:15-28

 

…as thy days, so shall thy strength be.  Deuteronomy 33:25

“Too many birthdays” is an explanation often used by elderly friends to account for their diminishing vigour. When encroaching years bring their problems, let us remember to look back thankfully, and to look forward trustingly. Memories of past blessings, and assurances of future glories will supply strength for today. —George Hall

Fear no evil, fear no evil,
Only all My counsel take,
For I’ll never, never leave thee,
I will never thee forsake!
—Author Unknown

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 4; Jeremiah 37; Hebrews 9:1-14

 

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.  Romans 4:25

What a sight! What a location! Our small group sat around a table on which there rested a loaf of bread and a goblet of wine. To our right was Calvary’s hill on which three crosses once stood. On the middle cross our Saviour had hung, delivering us from our offences. To our left there was an open, empty tomb. Pilate sealed it, but three days later our Saviour delivered Himself for our justification. As we ate the bread and drank the wine, we collectively declared the Lord’s death, until He comes. Just as He kept His promise to deliver us from our offences so He will keep His promise to return for us. —Arnot P. McIntee

Lord Jesus, my Saviour, I’ll still sing of Thee,
Yes, sing of thy precious blood poured out for me.
—Frank Bottome

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 3; Jeremiah 36; Hebrews 8

 

The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.  Psalm 89:11

With present day technology astronomers have revealed to man a little of the awesome vastness of God’s universe. The stars and galaxies are beyond our comprehension and are so much greater than our little world. Yet, the Lord God, Creator of all, declares that His delights are with the sons of men. —E. MacLelland

It is a thing most wonderful, 
Almost too wonderful to be;
That God’s own Son should come from heav’n;
And die to save a child like me.
—W. W. How

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 2; Jeremiah 35; Hebrews 7

 

…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

A young friend was leading in a race. As he became tired from running such a long distance, he momentarily closed his eyes, and consequently ran into a post! The result was that he lost the race. How is your running going today? Have you grown tired and lost your focus, or maybe you’ve never started running. Why not begin and press toward the goal today? It will be worth it when we hear Him say, “Well done.” —Janet Fleming

Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve, and press with vigour on;
A heavenly race demands thy zeal, and an immortal crown.
—P. Doddridge

 

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 1; Jeremiah 34; Hebrews 5:11 to 6:20

 

And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel,  removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.  Exodus 14:19-20

In like manner, the Lord is a light to those who trust in Him, and yet also foolishness and confusion to those who reject Him. He not only lights our path, He delivers those who fear Him. —G. W. T.

Jesus is the name that charms us; 
He for conflict fits and arms us;
Nothing moves and nothing harms us; 
While we trust in Him.
—Thomas Kelly

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 22; Jeremiah 33; Hebrews 4:14 to 5:10

 

Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of  understanding?  Job 28:20
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God… James 1:5

Modern man is well described as those who are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). The simple reason for this is that he is looking for wisdom and understanding in the wrong place. Someone has well said, “We have education without truth.” Job wanted the true source of both wisdom and understanding. Do you? —William Gustafson

The Bible stands ev’ry test we give it, for its Author is divine;
By grace alone I expect to live it, and to prove it and make it mine.
—Haldor Lillenas

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 21; Jeremiah 32:26-44; Hebrews 4:1-13

 

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said…Who touched Me?  Mark 5:30-31

Often we see our Lord reaching out to touch others, yet here a needy woman touched Him. Our story assures us though that reaching towards Him in faith is always a blessed choice. The sinner reaches forth and grasps the lifeline of salvation. The believer must reach out and appropriate all the promises of God. Once saved if we wish to do something for the glory of God, we cannot do it in our own strength, but must reach out to the promise of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  —Vernon Markle

Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near—Thy Saviour’s gracious promise hear,
His faithful Word declares to thee, that as thy days thy strength shall be.
—John Fawcett

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 20; Jeremiah 32:1-25; Hebrews 3

 

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof… 1 John 2:17

The world in this passage is not God’s beautiful creation, but the system of fallen humanity. It is the world the devil showed the Lord Jesus and said, “for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Luke 4:6). The Lord refused that world and its glory, and so should we. This is the world that John says, “passeth away, and the lust thereof”. For the believer, to love this world is like taking a journey towards a mirage, which never existed. The excitement of this world’s attraction is soon to pass away, but how great the contrast! “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17). —Milton Haack

Take the world, but give me Jesus, all its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever, through eternal years the same.
—Fanny J. Crosby