Category: Uncategorised

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 19; Jeremiah 31; Hebrews 2

 

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here…While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.  Matthew 17:4-5

Peter stood in the brilliance of the glory of God in Christ. He spoke of the awe of the moment and expressed a desire to build three tabernacles for the men he saw standing there. God the Father dispelled all other focus save His beloved Son. We must be careful not to interpret every Bible passage as being about us and what we must do. Instead of focusing on ourselves, let us read God’s Word listening carefully to what the Scriptures say of Him. —Jared Fraser

More about Jesus let me learn, more of His holy will discern: 
Spirit of God, my teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.
—E. Hewitt

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 18; Jeremiah 30; Hebrews 1

 

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.  Psalm 119:89

It’s encouraging to read in God’s Word of past promises kept by our Lord. We are thankful for them and also for the many promises that we may claim today so that we may live fruitful, holy and joyful lives. However we can equally thank God for His promises that we have yet to realize. Our eternal God is not bound by time and from His vantage point all His promises are already completed. He has said it and it is done. —George Ferrier

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
—R. Kelso Carter

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 17; Jeremiah 29; Philemon

 

Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.  Psalm 12:1

Help Lord! These may be the most important words of the whole psalm. David places his complete focus on the Lord, before he gets on with his prayer. Notice the two objects of his intercession: the state of the godly generation and the state of the ungodly generation. In the former case, he sees the shrinking testimony of the godly generation. And in the latter instance, he is consumed with just how evil and perverse the godless generation is. David’s prayer is really our prayer, namely, a call for a new generation of godly men and women to rise up in the midst of a perverse and crooked world. —N. C. Funston

O God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come,
Be Thou our Guide, while life shall last, and our eternal home.
—Isaac Watts

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 15:33-16:34; Jeremiah 27-28; Col. 4:2-18

 

…why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.  Psalm 22:1-2

Most Christians have felt the sorrow of what we mistakenly feel to be unanswered prayer. Bound by short-term thinking and false expectations, we can begin to harbour doubt and despair. Our Lord Jesus was tempted in all points like as we (yet without sin), and this part of our experience is no exception. How reassuring it is to know that there is a great High Priest that we can go to with our deepest and most personal hurts. —Rick Morse

Be still my soul, the waves and winds still know; 
His voice who ruled them, while He dwelt below.
—Katharina von Schlegel

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 15:1-32; Jeremiah 26; Colossians 3:5 to 4:1

 

Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.  John 4:16
…they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13

Jesus offered this woman living water, but she could only think of earthly water. To foster a desire for the water which He offered, Jesus reminded her of her “broken cisterns”. “Go, call thy husband.” It exposed the brokenness of her life but thankfully Jesus specializes in brokenness. She recognized in Him a Saviour and left her waterpot behind. He had become her fountain of living waters. What is your broken cistern? Let the Lord Jesus replace it with “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). —Tom Steere

Open wide the living fountain, whence the healing waters flow;
Be Thyself our cloudy pillar all the dreary desert through.
—W. Williams

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 13:33 to 14:31; Jer. 24-25; Col. 2:8 to 3:4

 

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  1 John 3:2

Who of us can fully appreciate the truths that John reveals to us here. To think that one day we shall be like Him is beyond our comprehension. William Alexander tells of an incident when translating these verses. When the native scribe came to the words, “We shall be like Him,” he laid down his pen and exclaimed, “No, it’s too much; let us write, ‘We shall kiss His feet.’” But will it be too much? Is it too much that “sons” shall one day be like Him? “I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Ps. 17:15b). —Jim Comte

And is it so—I shall be like Thy Son? 
Is this the grace which He for me has won?
—John Nelson Darby

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 13:1-32; Jeremiah 23; Colossians 1:21 to 2:7

 

I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.  Ecclesiastes 10:7

Oh the upside down values of this world! Those who have nothing in the “Bank of Heaven” walk as if they are royalty, while the one who is rich toward God is lowly esteemed. One shamelessly glorifies sin to the world’s applause, while the other, bowed in humility, labours on unnoticed. One day, the Lord will overturn this world’s corrupted values (Ezek. 21:27). But until then, we testify to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6), actually turning it right side up. Keep these things in mind as we make our way toward heaven. —Mark Kolchin

Precious, more precious, wealth that can never be told!
Oh, the unsearchable riches of Christ! Precious, more precious than gold.
—Fanny Crosby

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 12; Jeremiah 21-22; Colossians 1:1-20

 

Then released he Barabbas unto them and…delivered him to be crucified.  Matthew 27:26

I have often wondered if Barabbas went to Calvary following his release. Did he perhaps look into the face of the crucified Jesus and quietly say, “Because You are dying there, I live”? Admittedly, we do not know what his thoughts were. Every child of God, however, can say, on the authority of Holy Scripture, “He died for me.” —George Hall

No other hope, no other plea;
He took my place and died for me;
O precious Lamb of Calvary!
He took my place and died for me.
—Eliza E. Hewitt

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 11; Jeremiah 19-20; Philippians 4:2-23

 

This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. Isaiah 43:21

Israel is not like any other nation. God formed this nation “for myself”. It is the only nation on the face of the earth formed for God’s purposes and pleasure. Even though they have strayed and suffered over the centuries, God has not finished with Israel, for He states, “They shall shew forth my praise.” He promises, “I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory” (Isa. 46:13). These promises are not to other nations or the Church. Israel has a future with God! There is nothing men can do about it, because God has promised it. Believers should pray for her salvation, blessing and peace. —Carl Knott

Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God my Father, 
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
—Thomas Chisholm

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 10; Jeremiah 18; Philippians 3 to 4:1

 

Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.  John 7:30
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering… 2 Timothy 4:2

Repeatedly the Jews tried to take the Lord Jesus but no-one could lay hands on Him because His hour had not yet come. We too are under God’s protection! We may be criticized, opposed, rejected, called intolerant and even hated because we faithfully proclaim what God says in His unchanging Word! But they have no power to do anything to us beyond what the Lord Himself permits. Whatever the reaction, we must continue declaring the whole Word of God. —David Croudace

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply.
—John Keith