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2 Samuel 19:9-43; Jeremiah 3:6-4:2; Galatians 4:21-5:9

His soul an offering for sin. Isaiah 53:10
The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6
We have turned every one to his own way. Isaiah 53:6

Our failings before a Holy God are complex and immense. There is our sin, a word which means falling short and missing the mark. We have continuously “come short of the glory of God”. Secondly there is our iniquity. We have gone beyond God’s limits in our depravity and lawlessness. Thirdly, as unique individuals, we have personally rejected God’s path and “gone our own way”. Thank the Lord, Jehovah’s perfect servant has fully dealt with every aspect of our failure. When He cried “It is finished”, our redemption was complete and God Almighty was satisfied. —Doug Lewis

Upon His faultless Lamb, God, was pleased my faults to lay,
That He for me should suffer, my debt of sin to pay. —George J. Webb

2 Samuel 18:1-19:8; Jeremiah 2:1-3:5; Galatians 4:1-20

Ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13
At the time when kings go forth to battle…David tarried…by this deed [against Bathsheba] thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. 2 Samuel 11:1; 12:14

Our liberty in Christ is to bring Him glory not shame. God rewarded David and Daniel’s youthful faithfulness with influential positions. Sadly, David’s faithfulness waned, and sin ensued, providing the enemy great occasion against God. Contrastingly, Daniel, remained faithful, and gave no such occasion (Dan. 6:4)! Steadfast, faithful, loving service is paramount in our lives to bring glory to Him. May we run and finish well! —David J. Reed

Looking off unto Jesus, I go not astray;
My eyes are on Him and He shows me the way. —J.N. Darby & A. Warner

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

Where is the lamb? Genesis 22:7
Behold the Lamb. John 1:29

Isaac is the first to mention the word “lamb” in Scripture. In response to his question, his father Abraham was able to tell him that God will provide Himself a lamb, the lamb is then prophesied. The first mention in the New Testament of the “lamb” is by John the Baptist on the banks of the river Jordan. There the lamb is identified. Finally the last mention of “lamb” in Scripture is by the Apostle John where he sees the Lamb upon a throne glorified. May our
Lamb be magnified in our midst today! —John M. Clegg

Lamb of God,Thou now art seated,
High beside Thy Father’s throne;
All Thy gracious work completed,
All Thy mighty vict’ry won. —James G Deck

2 Samuel 15:1-37; Zephaniah 3:1-20; Galatians 3:1-14

The city of our God. Psalm 48:1
The city of the great King. Psalm 48:2
The city of the Lord of hosts. Psalm 48:8

This threefold description of Jerusalem appears in the third of a triplet of Psalms that look forward to the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus. In that day Jerusalem will no longer be “trodden down of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) but will be the administrative centre of the world. As “the city of our God” it will be graced with His presence and, and as “the city of the great King”, it will be governed by His principles. Although no longer under threat of assault, as “the city of the Lord of hosts” it will nevertheless be guarded by His power. —Phil Coulson

Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God.
He whose word cannot be broken formed you for His own abode. —J. Newton

2 Samuel 14:1-33; Zephaniah 2:1-15; Galatians 2:1-21

Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. John 19:11

The coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II had three objects on its lid. A crown set with over 3,000 precious stones indicative of royal status, a jewel bedecked sceptre representing the power and governance of a monarch and a golden orb—a reminder that all power is derived from God. The Queen was always conscious of her accountability to
God. How unlike Pontius Pilate, who was rebuked concerning his presumptious attitude, as the Lord cautioned him that his power was given to him from above. Christians in positions of power, should act knowing that power is God-given. —Brian Powlesland

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.  —Francis Ridley Havergal

2 Samuel 13:1-39; Zephaniah 1:1-18; Galatians 1:1-24

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.  Psalm 147:3

Kintsukuroi is the Japanese art form of pottery repair. When a vase or cup breaks, rather than discard the object, the artist glues the parts back together using a special lacquer that is mixed with gold. After the painstaking, time-consuming job is completed, the restored work is more beautiful and often more valuable than the original. Dear
friend, does it feel as though you have broken pieces in your life? Give them to the Lord and allow Him to work. You will be amazed at how He brings beauty from the broken. —Lynn Shatford

I can take, even your greatest mistake,
Every scar, every tear, every break,
And I can turn it into something,
More beautiful than you have ever seen. —Matthew West

2 Samuel 12:1-31; Habakkuk 3:1-19; Romans 16:1-27

And all the people saw him walking and praising God…and they were filled with wonder…at that which had happened unto him. Acts 3:9-10

After being miraculously healed from a lifetime of being lame, this man immediately responded by walking, leaping, and praising God! This amazing transformation was witnessed by all who saw him, causing them to marvel at the miracle which had occurred in his life. We too have received a marvelous transformation from death to life in Christ Jesus. Does it show? May our lives overflow with praise and thanksgiving, so all may see and marvel at God’s work in our lives. —E. V.

Praise the Saviour, ye who know Him!
Who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him, all we are and have. —Thomas Kelly

2 Samuel 10:1-11:27; Habakkuk 2:1-20; Romans 15:14-33

[The spies said], all the people that we saw in [Canaan] are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants. Numbers 13:32-33
Joshua…spake unto…the children of Israel…If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey…The Lord is with us: fear them not. Numbers 14:6-9 

When faced with “giants”, the Israelites trembled. Short memories of God’s provisions, miracles and blessings left them panicked. Where was their memory of the Red Sea, water from the rock and manna from heaven? For us, what about our wonderful salvation and all the many blessings our Lord has showered upon us through the years? Trust your “giants” to Him. —Ken Gross

Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There, by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. —F. Crosby

2 Samuel 8:1-9:13; Habakkuk 1:1-17; Romans 14:19-15:13

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children. Psalm 78:6

This psalm shows the importance of teaching our children of what God has done in the past and to assure them that He will continue to be faithful in the future, no matter how dark the days may look. It may sometimes seem that God is not at work. But suddenly He reveals Himself and rises up in power. He will see us through. —Gwenyth Frear

We will tell our children now,
Of all that God has done and how,
He led our fathers all the way;
We’ll teach them of these things each day,
So that in turn they’ll teach their own,
The truths that in their hearts we’ve sown. —G.F.

2 Samuel 7:1-29; Nahum 2:1-3:19; Romans 14:1-18

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? Psalm 116:12
There they made him a supper. John 12:2

The supper that the family at Bethany provided for the Lord was a loving response to the amazing blessing He had bestowed upon them in raising Lazarus from the dead. They could never render to Him anything of equal value to what He had done for them, but they did what they could, out of genuine appreciation. As those who benefit eternally from His great work for us at Calvary, may we have an increasing desire to render to Him from our hearts, a
loving response in worship and service. —Philip A. Kaye

I gave My life for thee, that thou might ransomed be;
I gave My life for thee; what hast thou given for Me?  —Frances R. Havergal