Category: Uncategorised

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 15:1-32; Jeremiah 26; Colossians 3:5 to 4:1

Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold,
and one shepherd. John 10:16

The fl ock of the Lord comprises both Jew and Gentile—the church
He would build. It is important to note here that both the present
and future tenses are used. In His grace they are already His, and
He knows their names. As He speaks He looks along the centuries
of time until He gathers the last one in. None who come to Him will
He turn away. What marvelous grace! —Drew Craig

Chosen not for good in me,
Wakened up from wrath to fl ee,
Hidden in the Saviour’s side,
By the Spirit sanctifi ed. —Murray McCheyne

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kgs. 13:33 to 14:31; Jer. 24-25; Col. 2:8 to 3:4

My fl esh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart,
and my portion for ever. Psalms 73:26

At a resting rate of about 80 beats per minute, our heart beats 42
million times a year. And a reasonable estimate for the number of
heartbeats in a lifetime—three billion. How wondrously God has
made us! Of course this verse is talking about the heart in a metaphoric
sense. The problems of life overwhelm us like a fl ood and
at that moment when our heart fails us, our blessed God takes up
our cause and gives us the grace we need. He will be the strength of
your heart today. —Les Rainey

A heart resigned, submissive, meek, my great Redeemer’s throne,
Where only Christ is heard to speak, where Jesus reigns alone. —C. Wesley

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kgs. 13:1-32; Jer. 23; Col. 1:21 to 2:7

Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. Ps. 37:27

What a solemn command is this! It sounds simple, yet it presents a
lifetime of challenge. The Lord Jesus desires pure, sweet fellowship
with us and we should too, but so oft en it is broken by the sin that we
commit. However, the surrounding chapter shows us that through
our Lord, we are given strength to fulfi ll this command. May we lay
hold on His strength, obey this admonition and be blessed by the
joy and peace it brings as we walk with Him. —J. D. Fraser

Give me a new, a perfect heart,
From doubt, and fear, and sorrow free;
The mind which was in Christ impart,
And let my spirit cling to Thee. —C. Wesley

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 12; Jeremiah 21-22; Colossians 1:1-20

Likewise also the cup aft er supper, saying, This cup is the new
testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Luke 22:20

When the Lord initiated His supper, He simply requested that the
disciples eat and drink in remembrance of Him. How sad, therefore,
that sometimes in the gatherings of the Lord’s people, we concentrate
on our blessings, rather than the “blessed One” Himself. Remember
though too, that His Saviourhood is a wonderful att ribute
of our Lord, so it is fi tt ing to remind ourselves—as the Lord did—
that His precious blood was shed for us. May our worship please
and honour Him today. —Brian Russell

To Christ the Lord let every tongue, its noblest tribute bring;
Himself the subject of our song, what joy it is to sing. —S. Stennet

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 11; Jeremiah 19-20; Philippians 4:2-23

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. John 10:28

The man who is trying to be a Christian is trying to hold on to
something. The man who is a Christian knows that He is being
held by Someone else! It is not a matt er of what he is doing, but
rather it is a matt er of what has been done for him and to him. God
has given him salvation, He has imparted to him a divine nature,
and his entire concept of life has changed. Life here is now spent
in occupation with Christ, and his outlook for the future is heaven.
—Robert E. Surgenor

Our souls are in God’s mighty hand, we’re precious in His sight;
And you and I shall surely stand with Him in glory bright.
—Charles Wesley

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 10; Jeremiah 18; Philippians 3 to 4:1

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen,
and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the
LORD helped us. 1 Samuel 7:12

J. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, had a
plaque displayed in each of his residences that read, “Ebenezer Jehovah
Jireh.” Together, these Hebrew words in essence say, “The
Lord has helped to this point, and He will see to it from now on.”
When faced with life’s trials and diffi culties, what an encouragement
this statement is to our faith! Appropriate it for whatever challenge
you are facing today. —W. Ross Rainey

The Lord hath helped me hitherto By His surpassing favor;
His mercies every morn were new, His kindness did not waver.—A. J.

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 9; Jeremiah 17; Philippians 2:12-30

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching
Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they
feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. Matt . 27:54

A number of miracles took place at Calvary. The sun darkened, rocks
split, the veil in the Temple rent, and more. These miracles aff ected
the centurion. Did it take a miracle for you to respond? Maybe not
as dramatic as this, but your salvation was a miracle nonetheless.
The Saviour who died for you contines to do wondrous things in
our life. What does He have in store today? —Rex Trogdon

It took a miracle to put the stars in place,
It took a miracle to hang the world in space;
But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole,
It took a miracle of love and grace! —John W. Peterson

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 8:31-66; Jer. 16; Philippians 1:21 to 2:11

I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my
lips should assuage your grief. Job 16:5

Words fi tly spoken are of such great value to struggling saints. With
a few well chosen words, we are able to bring comfort to those who
are disheartened or disillusioned. This gift of encouragement seems
to be sorely lacking today. Is it because we live in such a selfi sh
age and are oft en only concerned with ourselves? Let’s strive to be
like the Lord Jesus who was characterized as being gracious in His
speech. Who can you cheer up today? —W. H. Gustafson

Open my mouth, and let me bear, gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere;
Open my heart, and let me prepare, love with Thy children thus to share.
—Charles Scott

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 8:1-30; Jeremiah 15; Philippians 1:1-20

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and
yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. Luke 12:27

The sign read, “Consider the Lilies”. It was advertising an art exhibition
in a nearby town. It reminded me of the same words, spoken
by our Lord. “Consider the lilies.” They don’t toil or spin and yet
all the wealth of Solomon could not purchase raiment that excelled
their beauty. No wonder the Lord used them as examples to encourage
us to have faith in His sustaining care. —Brian Powlesland

The God of heaven has decked this earth with lilies wondrous fair,
Placed here, as gems of beauteous worth, the objects of his care.
Their great Creator knows their needs: no toil or care they know.
In providence He clothes and feeds the lilies, as they grow.—Anon.

DAILY READINGS: 1 Kings 7; Jeremiah 14; Ephesians 6:10-24

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man
with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed
in knowledge aft er the image of Him that created him. Col. 3:9-10

In the world today clothes are symbolic of status or lifestyle, yet the
Lord encouraged the disciples to have litt le regard for what they
wore on the outside (Mt. 6:25). Of far greater importance is our inward
spiritual condition. We are called to put off the old man and
his deeds and to put on the new man. What are you wearing today?
—Duncan Maxwell

Be strong in God and in His power; Put on His armor everyday.
Thus you can take your stand each hour;
The devil’s schemes won’t lead you astray.—Susan H. Peterson