Category: Uncategorised

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 28; Proverbs 24; Luke 2:1-21

If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1 John 2:1
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, (advocate) that he may abide with you for ever; John 14:16

1 John 2:1 reminds us that if we sin, Christ is our advocate, standing at the right hand of God making intercession for us (Rom. 8:34). The prints of the nails in His hands and feet are an eternal reminder of His work on the cross for us. However God also has His advocate or comforter (the same word in the Greek) here on earth. He is the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts and reminds us of what is right and wrong. Let me listen to His every whisper and with a tender heart, simply obey. —David Croudace

Master speak! And make me ready. When Thy voice is clearly heard,
With obedience glad and steady, still to follow every word. —F. R. Havergal

 

DAILY?READINGS: Num. 26:52 to 27:23; Prov. 23:12-35; Luke 1:57-80

And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.  Deuteronomy 33:12

Born into a large and remarkable family, he was the baby brother to eleven fractious and strong willed men. His father undoubtedly loved him but his birth would always be associated with the loss of his adored Rachel. His only natural brother was soon betrayed and gone. Perhaps worst of all, never once did he experience his mother’s kiss or caress. But he was beloved of God. God loves the lacking. He will keep them by Him, protect them and bear them on His shoulders through all of life’s distresses and trials. —S. McEachern

So dear, so very dear to God, more dear I cannot be;
The love where with He loves the Son: such is His love to me!
—Horatius Bonar

 

DAILY?READINGS: Num. 25 to 26:51; Prov. 22:17 to 23:11; Luke 1:26-56

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10

If God were to close His hand on your breath today, where would your soul be? If you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, it will be well! “Absent from the body and present with the Lord.” If not, it will be separation from God for all eternity! Put your trust in Him today! —E. MacLelland

Eternity! But Jesus died—Yes Jesus died on Calvary;
Behold Him thorn-crowned, crucified,
The spotless One made sin for thee.
O sinner haste! For refuge flee—He saves, and for eternity.
—Author Unknown

 

DAILY?READINGS: Num. 23:27-24:25; Prov. 21:12-22:16; Luke 1:1-25

And I am come down to deliver them…and to bring them up… unto a land flowing with milk and honey. Exodus 3:8

Honey is believed to be the only food that never spoils. Milk, on the other hand, needs to be consumed promptly to be enjoyed. What a lovely picture of all that the Lord offers to us! Through His coming down to deliver us, He has provided us with life that lasts forever, as well as mercies that are new every morning. Let us enjoy both the sweetness of knowing we have eternal life, as well as the nourishment of the Lord’s provision for our daily needs. —L. Shatford

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
—Thomas Chisholm

 

DAILY?READINGS: Num. 22:39-23:26; Prov. 20 to 21:11; James 4:13-5:20

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105
Then spake Jesus…I am the light of the world. John 8:12

This well known verse (Ps. 119:105) points to the importance of God’s Word in our life. It is a lamp and a light to us. But the Lord Jesus is also referred to as the light. Thus He too is a lamp to our feet—He shows us where we stand and helps us daily in the choices we make. The Lord is also a light to our path. He reveals to us the road that lies ahead for each believer. Oh what certainty we have in the One who guides us today and assures us of a glorious future. —Bob Cretney

Saviour, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare. —D. Thrupp

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 22:1-38; Proverbs 19; James 3 to 4:12

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Zibiah. And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days, in which Jehoiada, the priest, instructed him. 2 Kings 12:1-2

The little phrase “and his mother’s name was,” appears 23 times in the Old Testament. The significance seems to be the influence each mother had on her son. With the help of the priest of the Lord, Zibiah’s son was properly instructed and he was enabled to carry out his responsibilities with God’s approval. A godly mother is a treasure and one for whom Mother’s Day should be celebrated!     —David McCulloch

Come, follow Me, the Saviour spake, all in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake, obey My call and guiding.
Oh, bear the cross, whate’er betide, take My example for your guide.
—Johann Scheffler

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 21; Proverbs 18; James 2

Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Psalm 103:13

The word “pity” in this verse could also be rendered “shows compassion” (ESV). God is merciful towards His children. He knows what we experience and empathizes. Moreover, His compassion reaches out to strengthen the saints in their weakness and infirmity. He also comforts the grieving and ministers to the persecuted. God is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4) and lavishes His wealth of consolation on His children as they suffer in this world. If you are enduring some pain today, believer, you need not do so alone. Ask the Lord to remind you of His mercy and to show you His solace in your hardships. His fatherly love reaches out to you in your extremity. —K. R. Keyser

Thou gavest all that love could give, the goodly pearl to gain;
Thou gav’st Thy life that we might live and Thou Thy bride obtain. —J. P.

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 20; Proverbs 17; James 1

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

If one has limited resources it is wise to use them carefully. Moses writes after years of experience and exhorts us to consider the brevity of life and to use our time wisely. Youth considers life endless but wakes up in middle age to realize it is half gone. What are wise ways to spend our days? Reading God’s Word and praying daily are vital to our spiritual health. Meeting regularly with the Lord’s assembly is essential for spiritual growth and the development of our spiritual gifts. Certainly witnessing and leading sinners to the Lord are a wise way to use your time. Our years pass so swiftly. Use them wisely. —Donald L. Norbie

How I praise Thee, precious Saviour, that Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me that I might Thy channel be.
—Mary E. Maxwell

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 19; Proverbs 16; 2 Peter 3

And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. Job 1:7
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

The Devil is a master at half truth. When asked by the Lord where he had been, his reply was only partially true. The unspoken part was that he had been promoting his nefarious schemes, which he always attempts to keep hidden. His aim is to devour and we are urged to be sober and vigilant, to immerse ourselves in the study of God’s Word so that we are not duped by his devices. —Mark Kolchin

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.
—Martin Luther

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 18; Proverbs 15; 2 Peter 2

Abraham said, Son, remember. Luke 16:25

Visiting Brussels I was struck by a poster of a directional road sign bearing the word “Remember” in large letters. If one did not remember in time, the road would take you to the wrong destination. It reminded me of the pitiful existence of the beggar compared to the luxury of the rich man in the above passage, and of what Abraham said to the rich man when he found himself in eternity and doomed—“Son, remember”. Many in a lost eternity will remember invitations to accept God’s way of salvation but left it too late and thus found themselves at a horrible destination. —Brian Powlesland

Memory like an adder stingeth, all the wasted past upbringeth;
Could I but that viper strangle, half my miseries would be o’er,
But around my heart it coileth, every frantic effort foileth,
Will it quit me nevermore? Echo answers, nevermore. —Horatius Bonar