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DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 24; Isaiah 19-20; 2 Thessalonians 3

 

 

Lord, teach us to pray Luke 11:1

 

The disciples heard the Lord preach, but they didn’t say, “Lord teach us to preach.” It was His prayer life that touched them. Our constant prayer should be, “Lord make me more like Christ.” If we mean that prayer, it will have a transforming effect on our lives. It will give us a standard to aspire to and will affect our behaviour, our conduct, and our thought life. It will change our feelings, our desires and our speech. We will increase in love, faith and purity. If our prayers were what they should be, we would be more like Christ. —Milton Haack

 

Tis the blessèd hour of prayer, when our hearts lowly bend,
And we gather to Jesus, our Saviour and Friend;
If we come to Him in faith, His protection to share,
What a balm for the weary, O how sweet to be there! —Fanny J. Crosby

 

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 23; Isaiah 17-18; 2 Thessalonians 2

 

 

And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to unto him, (the paralytic) Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. Luke 5:20

 

Concerned friends brought this man to the feet of Jesus, letting him down through the roof, confident that the Lord could work a miracle. Then we have a remarkable statement. It says that when the Lord saw their faith—the faith of his friends—he said to the man “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” The Lord moved in healing and forgiveness because of the earnest concern of his friends. May the Lord give us that measure of faith, as in our earnest prayers, we bring others to the feet of Jesus, that we might see them gloriously saved. May the Lord give us that confidence of faith in the Gospel. —W. H. Burnett

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save. —Fanny J. Crosby

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 22; Isaiah 15-16; 2 Thessalonians 1

 

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! Psalm 139:17

 

As David considered the omnipresence, the omniscience, and omnipotence of God he sided with Him concerning wickedness. David could not be complacent concerning those opposing God’s righteousness. God’s name was being blasphemed and David was grieved by it (Ps. 139:41); God’s enemies had become David’s enemies. The only way that believers can develop a deepening hatred of sin is to know the character of God and how offended He is by sin. Then we too will pray like David, “Search me, O God… and see if there be any wicked way in me” (Psalm 139:23, 24). —Warren A. Henderson

Thy thoughts, O God how manifold, more precious unto me than gold!
I muse on their infinity, awaking I am still with Thee.—Psalter

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 20-21; Isaiah 14; 1 Thessalonians 5

 

 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1

 

God is a God of unions. Our union with the Lord Jesus is tied to Calvary, where the foundation was laid for an innumerable company to “cleave unto the Lord” (Acts 11:23). When we see His face, our union with Him will be as it was before sin entered into this world—perfect, because it is based upon that perfect Man, even upon the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor. 1:20). Till then, let us strive to live in unity with our brethren in Christ. —Tom Steere

 

Thus may we abide in union with each other and the Lord,
And possess, in sweet communion, joys which earth can ne’er afford.—John Newton

 

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 18-19; Isaiah 13; 1 Thessalonians 4

And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? 1 Chronicles 29:5b

Then the people rejoiced, for they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy. 1 Chronicles 29:9

 

God’s army is made up of volunteers. There is no mandatory draft. He wants us to use our gifts and talents for His glory and promises to reward us for every effort put forth. What a privilege to joyfully serve the best of Masters because we want to do so. —William Gustafson

After all He’s done for me,
How can I do less, than give Him my best,
And live for Him completely?
After all He’s done for me. —B. Daasvand

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 16-17; Isaiah 11-12; 1 Thess. 2:13 to 3:13

 

 

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

 

Wages or a gift. These are two opposite concepts. Wages are something I deserve. A gift is something I don’t deserve. Wages are something I have earned. A gift is something I freely receive at some one else’s expense. A Christian is someone who knows he deserves God’s judgement but instead escapes it by receiving God’s gift. Have you received the gift or are you still working for your wages? —Sid Halsband

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me! —T. O. Chisholm

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 14-15; Isaiah 10:5-34; 1 Thess. 1 to 2:12

 

O fear the Lord, ye His saints… Psalm 34:9

O love the Lord, all ye His saints… Psalm 31:23

Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. Psalm 30:4

 

As we gather today to the name and person of the lovely Man of Calvary, may we be occupied in this three-fold way. With due
reverence and acknowledgement of His holiness, may our souls be in awe of our God. May His glory, power and grace bow our hearts in worship. May our affections be stirred, as we ponder afresh the great debt of love we owe Him, and may our lips overflow in adoration, as we praise Him for who He is and for what He has done for us! —Pete Smith

 

Sing with all the saints in glory, sing the resurrection song!
Death and sorrow, earth’s dark story, to the former days belong.—W. Irons

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 13; Isaiah 9:8 to 10:4; Luke 24:36-53

 

For He spake, and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast. Psalm 33:9

And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. Mark 4:39

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Luke 22:32

 

God’s Son spoke and created the universe. He stilled the storm with one command. But when he desired for Peter to withstand the attacks of Satan, He prayed. The wonder of prayer is that it is available to every child of God. Our loving Saviour would remind us, “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). As He did, so should we. —Ken Gross

 

O how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day;
So in sorrow or in gladness, don’t forget to pray. —M. A. Kidder

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 11-12; Isaiah 8:5 to 9:7; Luke 24:13-35

 

 

For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:10

 

The word “doorkeeper” is really “to sit at the threshhold” which was the lowest place. The splendid tents of the world: fame, fortune, and fun, are all temporary, and can never satisfy a redeemed soul. We could very appropriately put it this way, “God’s worst is better than the devil’s best.” A thousand days of the world’s pleasure cannot compare to one day in God’s presence. —Robert E. Surgenor

It was the sight of Thy dear cross,
First weaned my soul from earthly things,
And taught me to esteem as dross,
The mirth of fools and pomp of kings. —F. Whitfield

 

DAILY?READINGS: Joshua 10; Isaiah 7 to 8:4; Luke 23:47 to 24:12

 

 

My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

When toward the close of his life W. E. Sangster (1900-1960), the noted Methodist preacher of London, England, learned that he had an incurable muscular disease, he made four resolutions: “I will never complain. I will keep the home bright. I will count my blessings. I will try to turn it to gain.” Expressing gratitude for little things, he wrote, “I have more time—and use it—for prayer.” Thirty months later he went to be with Christ. Sangster’s godly example should speak to all of us, especially when we may be experiencing deep trials or disappointments. —W. Ross Rainey

 

How many blessings I enjoy, that other people don’t,
To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot, and I won’t!—Fanny Crosby