Category: Uncategorised

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 2; Jeremiah 10; Ephesians 4:1-16

 

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.    Philippians 3:10

 

This section of the Scriptures is a list of truths that the apostle Paul wanted to “apprehend.” That is to “grasp the meaning of,” or “understand fully.” It was his goal and prize. The greatest output of divine power ever seen was the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Paul longed for and had this as his goal—a manifestation of that same “resurrection power” in his own life. In our Christian experience, what are our goals?     —Vernon Markle

 

Then wake, glad heart! Awake! Awake and seek Thy risen Lord;
Joy in His resurrection take, and comfort in His Word. —J. S. Monsell

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Kings 1; Jeremiah 9; Ephesians 3

 

This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4b

 

Hudson Taylor, the pioneer missionary to China, chose as the motto of his life the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 11:22, “Have faith in God.” Commenting on the subject of faith, he said: “Reckon not only your own faith, but also on God’s faithfulness to you. All my life I’ve been fickle: sometimes I could trust and sometimes I couldn’t; but when unable to have faith, it was a great encouragement to realize that God would still be faithful to me.”    —W. Ross Rainey

 

Put thou thy trust in God,
In duty’s path go on;
Walk in His strength with faith and hope,
So shall thy work be done. —P. Gerhardt

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 24; Jeremiah 8; Ephesians 2:11-22

 

And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.     Acts 14:15
I (John) fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not … worship God.    Revelation 19:10

 

The people of Lystra attempted to worship Paul and Barnabas because of a miracle they did. John was overwhelmed with wonder at an angel and fell down to worship. Wonder working men, mighty angels—it matters not. Only God is worthy of worship. Let us give Him what is His due today.    —K. C. Ung

I see Thee bowed beneath Thy load of woe;
For Thee, my Saviour, all my tears will flow. —J. Bridaine

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 23; Jeremiah 7; Ephesians 1:15 to 2:10

 

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.     John 5:39-40

 

How do we read the Scriptures? Do we approach the Bible with a preconceived bias? Have we made up our mind on subjects before we really let the light of God’s word shine upon them? The Jews searched the Scriptures but with hearts that were not willing to see its truth. They had already made up their minds and failed to see the One of whom the Scriptures speak. Let us approach our Bibles like it was the very first time. Let us allow its revelation to illuminate and teach us afresh.    —Sid Halsband

 

My Bible, precious treasure! Worth more than gems or gold;
Be it my choicest treasure, thy covers to unfold. —H. E. Brown

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 22; Jeremiah 6; Ephesians 1:1-14

 

The father to the children shall make known thy truth.    Isaiah 38:19
Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.    Ephesians 6:4

 

Parenting includes numerous challenges, particularly the spiritual training of our children. The home is the place where the spiritual foundation should be laid—then reinforced by the teaching of the local church fellowship. “Teach them diligently unto thy children” (Deut. 6:7). “Precept upon precept; line upon line … here a little, and there a little” (Isa. 28:10).    —William Gustafson

 

Cling to the Bible, though all else be taken;
Lose not its precepts, so precious and pure;
Souls that are sleeping its tidings awaken;
Life from the dead in its promises sure. —M. J. Smith

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 21; Jeremiah 5; Galatians 6

 

And He stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren.    Matthew 12:49

 

Did this statement from the Lord mean that He had in any way lessened His affections for His dear mother and half-siblings? Of course not. It rather elevated His love and concern for His disciples. To insist that we are considered as precious to Him as His own earthly family, indicates our nearness to Him. The same one of whom they could say, “See how He loved him,” loves us, and will seek our good and blessing today, no matter how bleak our circumstances appear.
—Brian Russell

 

Near so very near to God, nearer we could not be,
For in the person of His Son, we are as near as He. —C. Paget

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 20; Jeremiah 4:3-31; Galatians 5:10-26

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.    Psalm 23:1

 

Perhaps the most precious word in the opening verse of this psalm is the little pronoun “my.” What a comfort and joy to know that He is not just “a” shepherd, and not only “the” shepherd, but “my” shepherd. The good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11), the great Shepherd raised from the dead (Heb. 13:20), the chief Shepherd who will one day come for His people (1 Pet. 5:4), is mine, my Shepherd. I therefore lack nothing.    —Jim Flanigan

 

Dear Saviour, Thou art mine,
How sweet the thought to me!
Let me repeat Thy name,
And lift my heart to Thee
—A. Hudson

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Sam. 19:9-43; Jeremiah 3:6 to 4:2; Gal. 4:21 to 5:9

 

And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed …  because the ark of God was taken.    1 Samuel 4:21

 

The ark was captured and God’s glory had departed from Israel. This was the result of the elders making a decision without consulting the Lord (4:3). It was a decision that pleased the people (4:5) and brought great fear upon their enemies (4:7-8). But it was a decision that was contrary to the Word of God—a decision which caused God’s glory to depart from Israel. We need to uphold our elders in prayer so that they walk humbly before God and carefully check the Scriptures before they make any decisions. How sad if God would need to write the word “Ichabod” over a local fellowship!    —David Croudace

 

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted, ‘mid the raging storms of time,
Its pages burn with the truth eternal and they glow with a light sublime.
—Haldor Lillenas

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Sam. 18 to 19:8; Jeremiah 2 to 3:5; Gal. 4:1-20

 

Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the LORD.    Psalm 132:3-5

 

David was committed to making the Lord’s concerns his top priority. He was so absorbed with his desire to build a temple that he was determined to neither sleep or slumber until he found “a place for the Lord.” Devotion to Christ is not a casual matter—it is all encompassing and desires to put His work above our own. We will never regret making time for Him in our busy schedules, even if it means a little less time for us. He will give us strength for the day.
—Mark Kolchin

 

Press on! Press on! Ye sons of light, untiring in your holy fight,
Still treading each temptation down, and battling for a brighter crown.          —W. Gaskell

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Samuel 16-17; Jeremiah 1; Galatians 3:15-29

 

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.    Colossians 1:14

 

“How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure,” says a hymn. The value of the Lord’s redemption payment cannot be fully appreciated until one considers two things: the infinite worth of Christ’s blood and the depth of human sin. As another song puts it: “Oh how vile my low estate, since my ransom was so great.” Gratitude grips the hearts of the redeemed as they realize that they are liberated from Satan’s tyranny, sin’s bondage, and the grave’s terror. “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20).    —Keith Keyser

 

From sin, the world, and Satan, we’re ransomed by Thy blood,
And here would walk as strangers, alive with Thee to God. —J.G. Deck