Category: Uncategorised

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 17:32 to 18:5; Isaiah 58; Romans 4:1-22

 

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.
Colossians 1:19
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.            Colossians 2:9

What powerful statements these are of the absolute superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ! He does not belong to any category, for in His essential being, He is altogether unique. In Him there are neither deficiencies nor defects. Let us fix our minds on His fulness, not on this world’s emptiness.    —George Hall

 

Fairest of all the earth beside,
Chiefest of all unto Thy Bride:
Fulness divine in Thee I see,
Wonderful Man of Calvary! —M. P. Ferguson

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 17:1-31; Isaiah 56:9 to 57:21; Romans 3

 

And (Pilate) said … I have found no cause of death in him … And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.     Luke 23:22-23

 

Many voices may be calling to you. Satan speaking through your friends, perhaps even your family, while the Holy Spirit tells you that Christ died for you and wants to save you. Will you let the wrong voices prevail and so go to a Christless eternity? Today you move with the crowd but tomorrow you will stand alone, before the One who could have been your Saviour. If you reject Him He must become your Judge. Whose voice will prevail?    —David Croudace

“Almost” cannot avail; “Almost” is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail, “Almost” – but lost! —Philip P. Bliss

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 16; Isaiah 55 to 56:8; Romans 2

 

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.    Psalm 141:5

 

Scripture uses metaphors to confirm the necessity of godly exhortation in our lives: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6). “Iron sharpens iron” (Prov. 27:17). Hebrews instructs us to continue exhorting one another daily (Heb. 3:13). For this reason believers are to be in subjection to each other in the fear of God (Eph. 5:21). None of us are perfect, so the feedback we receive from others may be amiss, but there is usually something to be learned from it. Take advantage of what is profitable, and just forget the rest.    —W. A. H.

 

The call is Thine: be Thou the Way, and give us men, to guide;
Let wisdom broaden with the day, let human faith abide. —L. Benson

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 15; Isaiah 54; Romans 1:18-32

 

He telleth the number of the stars: He calleth them all by their names.    Psalm 147:4

 

Chapters of genealogies with all their names are recorded forever in God’s Word. Few of us enjoy reading them yet they are individually important to God. Countless millions, all called by name, will be a part of the coming Kingdom—written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. All this has come to pass only because God, in human form came down to earth to link you and I with Him, forever. Will you be a part of this heavenly scene?    —Vern Markle

 

I would make sure of heaven, I would enter the fold.
In the book of Thy kingdom with its pages so fair,
Tell me, Jesus, my Saviour, is my name written there? —F. M. Davis

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 14; Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12; Romans 1:1-17

 

Father forgive them.    Luke 23:34

 

They say, “forgive and forget.” How can we ever forget the forgiveness we received from the Man of Calvary? We were rescued from the slippery, murky pit of sin and transported into the celestial choir (Rev. 5:12). We will never forget such forgiving love! It will be the theme in glory. And our theme today.    —Milton Haack

Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.
—J. Hussey

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 13; Isaiah 52:1-12; 2 Cor. 12:14 to 13:14

 

Give ear, O my people, to my law … which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.    Psalm 78:1,3

 

A former radio minister told how his father usually had a fitting Scripture verse to undergird his commands to his children and also in relation to the various circumstances of life. It helped to form a firm foundation for his son who benefited from the father’s example and teaching. Are you and I able to verify our decisions and actions by the Word of God? There is a need to familiarize ourselves with scriptural truths and along with the discipline of memorization we’ll be ready to speak a “word in season” for another’s encouragement or exhortation.        —E. Dyck

 

Faith of our fathers! We will love both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach Thee, too, as love knows how, by kindly words and virtuous life.
—Frederick W. Faber

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 11-12; Isaiah 51:9-23; 2 Cor. 12:1-13

 

I will come again, and receive you unto Myself.    John 14:3
There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?    2 Peter 3:4
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.    Revelation 22:20

 

Men today still scoff and question His Word, but they do so at their own peril! The believer, however, simply longs for Him to come! If he doesn’t then his heart’s affections are truly misplaced. Maranatha! Maybe today!    —Pete Smith

 

Jesus is coming! The promise is true;
Who are the chosen, the faithful, the few,
Waiting and watching, prepared for review?
Jesus is coming again! —D. W. Whittle

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 9:15 to 10:27; Isaiah 50 to 51:8; 2 Cor. 11

 

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hand.    Isaiah 49:16

 

When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he carried the names of the tribes of Israel inscribed upon precious stones on his shoulders, and on his breast. But our Great High Priest does not bear our names upon precious stones that he wears, but by the wounds that He bears. He bears them upon the palms of His hands, and for all of eternity, fresh anthems of praise will fill the vault of heaven as we look upon Him, as John saw Him, “as a Lamb that had been slain” (Rev. 5:6).    —W. H. Burnett

 

On His hands our names are graven;
On His shoulders we are borne;
Of our God beloved in Jesus,
We can love Him in return. —R. C. Chapman

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 8 to 9:14; Isaiah 49; 2 Cor. 10

 

The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
2 Timothy 4:13

A personal note to Timothy from the aged apostle gives us insight into his life and instruction for our own. He requested his cloak and the books, but especially the parchments. Imprisoned, with only the basic necessities, Paul requested what was truly important. While we wonder what books Paul may have wanted, it is certain that the parchments would be the Scriptures and probably a quality one rather than a papyrus copy. Still today in our digital world, there is no substitute for books and especially a good Bible.    —Rex Trogdon

 

I have a wonderful treasure, the gift of God without measure;
We will travel together, my Bible and I.
—Horatio R. Palmer/Ernest O. Seller

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 6-7; Isaiah 48; 2 Corinthians 9

 

They … walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.    Jeremiah 7:24

 

The business world says there is no such thing as standing still—either we are making progress and moving forward or we are falling behind. Paul reminded Timothy that as we meditate on and give ourselves wholly to the truths of Scripture our profiting (progress) will appear to all (1 Tim. 4:15). As our text suggests, when we “do our own thing” as is currently popular, we are actually going backwards.
—William Gustafson

 

Marching on, marching on,
For Christ count everything but loss!
And to crown Him King, we’ll toil and sing,
’Neath the banner of the cross! —D. Whittle