Comfort of the Scriptures

These simple meditations, one for each day of the year, have been prepared over four years with the ever-increasing conviction that God’s redeemed people constantly need the “comfort of the Scriptures” in their daily lives. We have sought therefore to let our comments be few, and rather to bring together portions of God’s Word relating to the subject at hand. A short original poem follows each reading.

It is our prayer that our gracious God will use these meditations to exalt His Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and to bring comfort and encouragement to His own.

J. B. M.

Greenville, SC

February, 1989

January 1

“This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Ex. 12:2).

“Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.” “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” But, “the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed,” for “as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” He says to His own, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness,” “for I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” “Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler. ... He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” So “I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only,” “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

The days lie out before me,

And I know not what they hold,

But I know Him who promised,

Never to forsake my soul.

James 4:13-14; Prov. 27:1; Deut. 31:8; 33:25; Isa. 41:10,13; Psa. 91:3-4; Psa. 71:16; Eph. 5:16.

January 2

“He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of His eye” (Zech. 2:8).

Anyone, be he saved or unsaved, who lifts his hand against one of God’s redeemed children, is inviting God to deal with him, “for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of His eye.” The Lord said of Israel that “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness ... He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye,” and His Word concerning all His people is, “Touch not Mine anointed.” We read how Saul of Tarsus, “yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord ... as he journeyed ... there shined round about him a light from heaven: and ... a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” In persecuting the Lord’s people, Paul had persecuted the Lord Himself. “We have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” “Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” We can confidently pray, “Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.”

God guards His own from day to day,

For they are dear to His heart;

”Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,”

He saith to those who would hurt.

Deut. 32:10; Psa. 105:15; Acts 9:1,3-5; Heb. 4:15; 1 Sam. 26:9; Psa. 17:8.

January 3

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

If we would have freedom in our lives from sin’s dominion, it is necessary that we “continue in [the] Word.” Thus “ye shall know the truth,” and “Thy Word is truth.” To “continue” is to “abide,” to “remain,” to “stay,” to “dwell.” To “continue in My Word” is to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,” for “the entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” So “continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of ... the holy Scriptures.” For “the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. ... More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” Christian reader, how much does the Word of God mean to you? We manifest our love for the Lord by our love for His Word. Can we truthfully say to Him that “Thy testimonies also are my delight, and my counselors”?

“Thy Word is a lamp unto” me,

To “lead me in Thy truth,”

”Rejoicing the heart” day by day,

And that I love Him is proof.

John 17:17; Col. 3:16; Psa. 119:130; 2 Tim. 3:14-15; Psa. 19:8,10-11; 119:24.

January 4

“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1).

How often, when there has been a potentially explosive situation in the home, between friends, or in the church, it has been subdued by a tender, “soft answer,” and how often have painful, “grievous words,” better left unspoken, been used to “stir up anger,” to the hurt of all concerned. “A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health,” and “by long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.” Such a “soft tongue,” or if need be, a silent tongue, is a testimony to our Lord, “who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” Let us not be of those “who have said, With our tongues will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?” Let us always remember that, given room, “the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. ... And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.” How it behooves the Christian to “let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye might know how ye ought to answer every man.”

A soft and tender answer

Can calm the wrath of man,

But grievous words, and painful

Can anger start and fan.

Prov. 15:18; 12:18; 25:15; 1 Peter 2:23; Psa. 12:4; James 3:5-6; Col. 4:6.

January 5

“Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him” (Prov. 26:12).

Pitiful and to be pitied is that person who thinks that he or she is always right, and that they must have the last word in every argument or situation. Sad to say, such people are to be found among God’s redeemed children. Such an attitude is in plain violation of God’s Word, which says “to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” The Word also tells us to “let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” There is never a valid reason for a child of God to be “wise in his own conceit.” Let us never imagine that we have perfect knowledge about anything, nor will we until we see the Lord. “Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Now, in this present life, “if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.” So, “if thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.”

Our knowledge is limited;

So much we do not know;

Why should we think we are wise,

Above what others know?

Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2:3-4; 1 Cor. 13:12; 8:2; Prov. 30:32.

January 6

“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches” (Prov. 13:7).

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” How easy it is for the Christian to become engrossed with material things, forgetting that “we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out,” for “thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall these things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.”

The riches of the world perish;

That given to God remains,

Waiting for us up in heaven,

The land of eternal gains.

Luke 12:15; 1 Tim. 6:7; Luke 12:20-21; Matt. 6:19-21; 1 Tim. 6:17-18.

January 7

“What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil. 3:7).

When Paul wrote the above statement, he had just enumerated the things in which he had once trusted and gloried. These included his ancestry, his religion, his education, his zeal and his imagined righteousness. But when, some thirty years before he made the above statement, he had met the Lord Jesus Christ and had come to know Him, all these things were “counted loss for Christ.” There have been and are today many who can give similar testimony: All changed when we met Him. All things in which we trusted and gloried were “counted loss for Christ.” But has this attitude continued in our lives? Have we continued through the days and years and varied circumstances of life to count all “loss for Christ”? It had continued so with Paul, and he says further that “yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him.” Our love for the Lord ought to deepen as the days go by. May He not have to say to us that “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love,” and may we not have to pray, “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation.”

“All things but loss” for Thee, dear Lord,

Whether wealth, or fame, or name;

”I have heard Him, and observed Him,”

Who is evermore the same.

Phil. 3:8-9; Rev. 2:4; Psa. 51:12.

January 8

“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee” (Prov. 20:22).

It is the natural inclination, our hearts being warped by sin as they are, to want to get even with those who mistreat or ignore us. But God’s Word tells us to “say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.” Instead, God tells us who know Him to “see that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men,” and to “bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,” “not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” “For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.” So let us not take our case out of His hands, “because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example. ... Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.”

We cannot fight our own battles;

We have not wisdom or strength,

But putting all in His dear hands

Will make all things right at length.

Prov. 24:29; 1 Thess. 5:15; Luke 6:28; 1 Peter 3:9; Heb. 10:30; 1 Peter 2:21,23; Rom. 12:20.

January 9

“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:6).

“O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” God has graciously told us that “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” “Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart ... that I may discern between good and bad.” And the Lord has promised to do this for His own, for “if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” For “there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” “What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.”

Our wisdom is not sufficient

To trust in our time of need;

The Lord’s perfect understanding

Can show us wisdom indeed.

Jer. 10:23; Prov. 28:26; James 1:5-6; 1 Kings 3:9; Prov. 2:3-6; Job 32:8; Psa. 25:12.

January 10

“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” (2 Chron. 15:7).

“God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” All that we do for the Lord’s honor or glory, no matter how little or insignificant it may seem to men, will be rewarded by Him. And while we know that the greatest reward will be at the judgment seat of Christ, when He comes for us, yet even now our Lord has promised that “if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.” So “let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith,” not forgetting the Lord’s words that “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” So “let not your hands be slack,” for “he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.” “Ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.”

The work seems hard and burdensome;

We have no strength for the way,

But we know that all done for Him

Awaits His smile in that day.

Heb. 6:10; John 12:26; Gal. 6:9-10; 2 Cor. 12:9; Zeph. 3:16; Psa. 126:6; Isa. 40:29; 2 Thess. 3:13.

January 11

“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations” (Rom. 14:1).

It is sad and regretful that some fundamental Christians have set up standards of separation that are neither Scriptural nor fair. We come dangerously near being like the Pharisee who “prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are,” or the Jews of Isaiah’s day, who said, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” To be sure, we ought to separate ourselves from all known evil, and the Word of God so instructs us. “Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” But the same chapter tells us to “follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” There are certain things about which even spiritual Christians do not agree, things that are not explicitly covered in Scripture. “One believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak [in faith] eateth herbs. ... One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” This is the principle to apply to doubtful things: “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Let us not “make a man an offender for a word,” but “receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

Your brother may not see like you,

To know what is evil and good;

Encourage him to grow stronger;

Pray for him as you know you should.

Luke 18:11; Isa. 65:5; 2 Tim. 2:19,22; Rom. 14:2,5; Isa. 29:21; Rom. 15:7.

January 12

“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).

“The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.” “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.” Our Lord said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” “Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” “And who is sufficient for these things?” “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.”

We are appointed to suffer,

In a world that knows not our Lord;

Still yet “all things are for your sakes,”

We read in His own holy Word.

Psa. 37:12; Matt. 5:11; John 16:33; Phil. 1:29; 2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5; 1 Peter 2:15; 2 Tim. 3:12; Rom. 8:18; 1 Peter 4:14.

January 13

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night” (Psa. 1:1-2).

The believer who separates himself from all known evil, who heeds God’s admonition to “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God,” and who can truthfully say to the Lord that “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts,” that person will be a fruitful Christian, “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” For when we delight in and obey the Word of God, we are abiding in Christ, who said, “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love,” and, “He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing.” Our Lord further said, “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.”

Would you be fruitful for the Lord,

And show Him forth each day?

So that men might see and want Him,

Who alone is the way?

Rom. 12:2; Jer. 15:16; Psa. 1:3; John 15:10,5,8.

January 14

“Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45).

“As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” It is absolutely impossible for us to understand God’s Word by our human wisdom or ingenuity. It must be revealed and unfolded to us by the Holy Spirit, who indwells every true child of God, for He has “hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” For “where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” “But ye,” writes John “unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,” “ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. ... The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you ... and ... teacheth you of all things.” Our Lord promised that, upon His return to the Father, He would send the Spirit and that “when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth ... and ... He shall glorify Me,” for our Lord said that “the Scriptures ... testify of Me.”

The Word of God is not revealed

To those who are wise in this age;

The truth comes to the humble heart,

Who seeks Christ on the sacred page.

1 Cor. 2:9-10; Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 1:20; 1 John 5:13; 2:20,27; John 16:13-14; 5:39.

January 15

“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psa. 23:3).

God’s Word to His redeemed ones, those “whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” is that “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” For “the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” So “lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” “Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” “The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.” “Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.” “If any man will do His will, he shall know.” “Neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee.”

If we will do the will of God,

He then will make it known;

It is His joy to guide His saints;

His love is with His own.

Psa. 32:1,8; Isa. 58:11; Prov. 3:5-6; Psa. 25:4-5; 119:105; James 1:22; Psa. 73:24; 25:9; 27:11; John 7:17; 2 Chron. 20:12.

January 16

“He answered nothing. ... And He answered him to never a word” (Matt. 27:12,14).

These words, spoken about our blessed Lord when He was falsely accused on trial before Pilate, ought to speak volumes to us who have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ.” Isaiah had written in prophecy of Him that “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth,” “leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.” So often we speak when we should be silent, to our own hurt and to the dishonor of our Lord, for “in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” “A fool’s voice is known by multitude of words,” “and should a man full of talk be justified?” “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” For “he that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”

Silent when falsely accused,

Leaving our defense to Him,

He “is my Rock … my Fortress,

My Deliverer” from men.

1 Peter 1:19; Isa. 53:7; 1 Peter 2:21; Prov. 10:19; Eccl. 5:3; Job 11:2; James 3:2; Prov. 17:27; 1 Peter 3:10.

January 17

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11).

How comforting to the Christian is the knowledge that our God is sovereign and “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will,” “saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.” For “there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord,” “for the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” He says that “there is none that can deliver out of My hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” “Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.” With Jehoshaphat we can say, “Art not Thou God in heaven, and rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee?” “The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.” And “this God is our God forever and ever.”

God’s ways are always perfect,

And His Word, it shall stand;

He guards His own in trouble,

When Satan doth withstand.

Isa. 46:10; Prov. 21:30; Isa. 14:27; 43:13; Rom. 8:31; Psa. 118:6; Isa. 8:10; 2 Chron. 20:6; Psa. 33:11; 48:14.

January 18

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Prov. 29:25).

“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” How easy it is to let “the fear of man” influence our life and actions. “Do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” We are called as believers to “speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words ... nor of men sought we glory.” “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man,” and “when the Lord shall stretch out His hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.” “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” “Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm. ... Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

Man’s strength cannot prevail for us;

The Lord alone can aid;

His help is for the trusting heart,

Whose cry to Him is made.

Isa. 2:22; Gal. 1:10; 1 Thess. 2:4-6; Psa. 118:8; 108:12; Isa. 31:3; Psa. 146:3-5; Jer. 17:5,7.

January 19

“Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance” (Psa. 32:7).

How gracious is the Lord to hide and cover and protect His own from dangers seen and unseen. “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.” “A Man [the God-Man, our Lord Jesus Christ] shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Thus He hides us and protects us, and though “we are troubled on every side, yet [we are] not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.” “Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” “I flee unto Thee to hide me.”

He hides His own from troubles,

From dangers we do not know,

From the onslaughts of Satan,

All because He loves us so.

Psa. 145:8-9; Isa. 32:2; 2 Cor. 4:8-9; Psa. 27:5; 31:19-20; 143:9.

January 20

“With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love” (Eph. 4:2).

To be “forbearing” means to be “putting up with,” and here we who know the Lord are told to be “putting up with one another,” and that “with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering.” One who is orderly and systematized in his work and with his time must be “putting up with” one who is careless and unorganized. The neat one must be “forbearing” to the untidy one, the quiet one to the talkative one. “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God,” and we are not to try to fit everyone else into our own mold. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves,” and to “bear ... one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We are to suffer one another, endure one another, bear with one another, “forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

We can see the faults of others,

But our own we do not see;

Let us then take heed to ourselves,

That we long-suffering be.

Rom. 14:12; 15:1; Gal. 6:2; Col. 3:13; Eph. 4:31-32.

January 21

“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (Psa. 9:9).

For His own who are oppressed, who are crushed and afflicted under the weight of trials and burdens and failure, “the Lord ... will be a refuge,” a defense, a strong tower into which we may flee for protection and succor. “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.” “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.” With David, “when he fled from Saul in the cave,” we can pray, “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast,” “for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of trouble.” “The Lord is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge,” and “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.” “O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction.” “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.”

The Lord’s a refuge for His saints,

A tower to which we flee;

Kept safe by His love and power,

”More than conquerors” are we.

Psa. 62:78; 46:1-2; 57:1; 59:16; 94:22; 91:2; Jer. 16:19; Prov. 14:26.

January 22

“Little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).

“He is faithful that promised” that “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” To be living in the constant expectation of His return, to remember that it is a daily possibility, will serve to mold the Christian’s character and service, to the end “He may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” After He comes for us and we stand before the judgment seat of Christ for our rewards, there will be “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” back to this earth. Now, therefore, “the grace of God” is “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

Soon we shall go to meet the Lord;

Perhaps He shall come today,

To call us home to His glory,

Who’ve trusted Him as the way.

Heb. 10:23; John 14:3; 1 Thess. 3:13; Titus 2:11-13; 2 Peter 3:14.

January 23

“A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends” (Prov. 16:28).

A “whisperer” is one who in stealthy and secretive ways spreads unkind rumors about the character or the actions of another. Today we call it “gossip,” but God’s Word calls a “gossip” a “talebearer.” Such a person goes about as a scandal-monger and “separateth chief friends” and, like certain widows spoken of by Paul, become “tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.” God warns His children to flee from such conduct, from “debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults,” for “the words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” So “thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people,” for “a talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” The Lord says that He hates “a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” “Let none of you suffer ... as a busybody in other men’s matters.” “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.”

Words that are uttered in secret

About those we want to harm,

When viewed in the light of God’s Word,

Are cause for shame and alarm.

1 Tim. 5:13; 2 Cor. 12:20; Prov. 18:8; Lev. 19:16; Prov. 11:13; 6:19; 20:19; 1 Peter 4:15; Prov. 26:20.

January 24

“They have not called upon God” (Psa. 53:4).

Although the above words are spoken of “the workers of iniquity,” think of the blessings which the redeemed children of God have missed because “they have not called upon God.” The Lord tells us that “the prayer of the upright is His delight.” “It is good for me to draw near to God” in prayer, and our Lord said “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Prayer is not only God’s appointed means for us to obtain our needs; it also brings us into deep fellowship with the Lord. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having a High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water,” that is, cleansed by the work of Christ, for “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” What are you missing in your life, dear reader, because you “have not called upon God”? “Ye have not, because ye ask not.” He says to “call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”

He asks us to come unto Him,

With all the needs of our lives,

To praise, and ask, and worship,

For all the grace that He gives.

Psa. 53:4; Prov. 15:8; Psa. 73:28; Luke 18:1; Heb. 10:19-22; Psa. 66:18; James 4:2; Psa. 50:15.

January 25

“My cup runneth over” (Psa. 23:5).

“The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” How full is the Lord’s cup of blessing to His own! “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” “For all things are yours; whether ... the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s,” “and of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” “according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue,” “according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.” “My cup runneth over.”

Blessed by His grace beyond compare,

For the sake of Christ our Lord,

Who ever lives for us above,

And blesses us through His Word.

Psa. 16:5-6; Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 3:21,23; John 1:16; 2 Cor. 9:8; Eph. 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3; Eph. 1:19-20.

January 26

“Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward” (Psa. 19:11).

It is well that God’s children heed the warnings which the Word of God puts before us, for His Word not only encourages, it also reproves and convicts the heart of the believer in Christ. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Therefore we are to both practice and proclaim the Word. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.” “Concerning the works of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.” “Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.” So “I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways,” for “Thy testimonies also are my delight, and my counselors,” and “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word.” “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments.”

Thy Word gives warning on my path

Of dangers I do not know,

Of Satan’s traps, and worldly lusts

That would snare me as I go.

2 Tim. 3:16-17; 4:2; Psa. 17:4; Prov. 13:13; Psa. 119:15,24,101,59-60.

January 27

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).

This is really a picture of our becoming more like the Lord, as “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord,” for the Lord has just said of Himself “that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary.” Our life as a Christian is likened to a race, and we are to “run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Our life is also a walk, and we are told that “we also should walk in newness of life,” and “walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” but rather “walk in love,” and “walk circumspectly.” If we would thus “run, and not be weary,” and “walk, and not faint” in our Christian experience, we must first “mount up with wings as eagles” into the Lord’s presence, and thus in fellowship with Him “renew [our] strength.”

“They shall mount up with wings” to Him,

And thus “shall renew their” power;

”They shall run, and not be weary”;

”They shall walk” with Him each hour.

2 Cor. 3:18; Isa. 40:28; Heb. 12:1-2; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 4:17; 5:2,15.

January 28

“I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts” (Psa. 119:63).

“Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” “As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” It is the height of folly to suppose that because one belongs to a certain group or denomination, he is more accepted before God than one who belongs to some other group. Every true believer in Christ has been saved by the grace of God alone, and we are alike “accepted in the Beloved: in whom we have redemption through His blood.” Therefore we are to “minister ... one to another,” “to love one another,” to “bear ... one another’s burdens,” and to “follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

We love all those who love the Lord,

Though different they may be,

For they are His, redeemed by blood,

And loved as well as we.

Gal. 3:26-28; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 John 4:11; Gal. 6:2; Rom. 14:19; Phil. 2:4.

January 29

“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:20).

How good it is to know that “the Lord ... forsaketh not His saints,” no, never, “for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” We are likely to mistakenly think when all goes well, when there are health and friends and material prosperity, that then the Lord is with us, and that when these things are lacking, He is not with us. Such is not the case, for He has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” We do not judge His presence with us by our feelings, but by His faithful Word, and that Word is that “the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Sad to say, there are those times when “we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.” Let us praise Him for His abiding presence with His own, for “faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it,” regardless of our circumstances or our feelings. “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

He never forsakes His own,

Though clouds may hide His face;

”My presence shall go with thee,”

Is His promise of grace.

Psa. 37:28; Heb. 13:5-6; Deut. 31:8; 2 Tim. 2:13; 1 Thess. 5:24; Josh. 1:9.

January 30

“I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word” (Psa. 119:14-16).

When we go to the Word of God to obtain spiritual help and food for our souls, let us not forget the three S’s: Search, Study and Seek. “Search the Scriptures,” said our Lord Jesus, “for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” Elsewhere we read, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth,” and, “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it hath commanded, and His Spirit it hath gathered them.” “Canst thou by searching find out God?” No, except by searching the Scriptures, for our Lord said that “they are they which testify of Me.” So, as we investigate the Scriptures, we find our blessed Lord revealed therein, and as we study, as we diligently and earnestly seek to “show thyself approved unto God,” we shall learn to be “rightly dividing the word of truth.” And as we “seek ... out of the book of the Lord,” we shall find that “blessed are they that ... seek Him with the whole heart.”

He unfolds His treasures to us,

When we seek Him in His Word,

Giving joy and help and blessing,

More than heart has ever heard.

John 5:39; 2 Tim. 2:15; Isa. 34:16; Job 11:7; Psa. 119:2.

January 31

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer” (Psa. 4:1).

It is when we are “in distress,” in tight places, and narrow, and receive such circumstances rightly, and as from the Lord’s hand, that we are enlarged spiritually. For while “no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” “I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.” So when distress and trouble come, let us ask the Lord for a right attitude toward it, and for spiritual enlargement, that it might increase our Christ-likeness. Then we can say with the psalmist, “He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.” “I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; Thou hast known my soul in adversities; and hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: Thou hast set my feet in a large room.” “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.” “I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.”

In my distress I sought Him;

He gave me grace to endure,

Using the things that hurt me,

To make my life more pure.

Heb. 12:11; Eccl. 3:10; Psa. 18:19; 31:7-8; 18:36; 118:5.

February 1

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3).

The statement above is both searching and comforting, depending upon our relationship to the Lord and our yieldedness to Him and His will. “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings,” and “the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He pondereth all his goings.” Job, in the midst of terrible suffering, and misunderstood by his friends, comforted himself by asking, “Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?” Indeed He does this, “neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do,” for “the Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men,” and “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect [full] toward Him,” and He says also that “Mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from My face, neither is their iniquity hid from Mine eyes.” “Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways.” “Thou God seest me.”

“The Lord looked down from heaven,

Upon the children of men,”

To help all those who trust Him,

And also to deal with sin.

Job 34:21; Prov. 5:21; Job 31:4; Heb. 4:13; Psa. 33:13; 2 Chron. 16:9; Jer. 16:17; 32:19; Gen. 16:13.

February 2

“A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness” (Prov. 12:23).

Those who are truly wise, with “the wisdom that is from above [which] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy,” those who have such wisdom do not need to advertise the fact. “A prudent man concealeth knowledge”; he is “swift to hear, slow to speak.” “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.” This wisdom and knowledge which is commended by God is not earthly wisdom, “for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and “let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” True “wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.” Such “wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath” it; he does not need to call attention to it. For “he that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit,” “that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.”

“If any of you lack wisdom,

Let him ask of God” above;

He “giveth to all men” freely,

Both wisdom and grace, with love.

James 3:17; 1:19; Prov. 1:5; 1 Cor. 3:18-19; Prov. 14:33; 17:27; Titus 2:10.

February 3

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

“Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.” God wants His redeemed children to have the right kind of thoughts, and He has told us to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is already positionally true of God’s own, for “we have the mind of Christ,” but God desires us in daily experience to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” for it is written of man that “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” So, “commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Can we truthfully say to the Lord, “I hate vain thoughts: but Thy law do I love”? “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.” “The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.” “In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.”

From my thoughts come my actions;

Shape them, Lord, by Thy Word,

That Christ my Lord and Savior

May in me be seen and heard.

Matt. 15:18-19; Phil. 2:5; 1 Cor. 2:16; Prov. 23:7; 16:3; Psa. 119:113; 94:11; Prov. 12:5; Psa. 94:19.

February 4

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11).

“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.” “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” These warnings to God’s people have to do with our rewards, not with our salvation. Concerning our salvation, our Lord said that “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” But when the Lord Jesus comes for His own, perhaps today, we believers “must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad,” and our Lord has said that “whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ ... he shall not lose his reward.” “So run, that ye may obtain,” when “every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

The Lord says, “I come quickly,”

”And My reward is with Me,”

”To give every man” his wages,

”According as” it shall be.

Col. 2:18; 2 John 8; John 10:28-29; 2 Cor. 5:10; Mark 9:41; 1 Cor. 9:24; Rom. 14:12.

February 5

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psa. 121:1).

The last phrase of the above verse poses a question: “From whence cometh my help?” This question is immediately answered: “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.” How often God’s children have proven this, that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And how very often we need His help. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” “For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.” “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us,” and “because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.” “Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.” “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.” “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

The Lord is near when we need Him,

To answer our faintest cry,

Delighting to help and succor

Those who on Him rely.

Psa. 121:2-3; 46:1; Heb. 4:16; Psa. 72:12; 1 Sam. 7:12; Psa. 63:7; 94:17-18; 60:11; 124:8.

February 6

“I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psa. 16:8).

God’s Word tells us that God is always faithful, and our Lord’s promise to His own is “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Therefore there are certain things which we who know Him are to do always, at all times, regularly. “He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Moreover, we are to “rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice,” even when “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,” and “always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” We are to be “giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” and to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” And “let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man,” and “be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

Always faithful is the Lord

To all who trust His grace;

May we always seek His will,

Until we see His face.

Matt. 28:20; Luke 18:1; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:4; 2 Cor. 6:10; 4:10; Eph. 5:20; 1 Peter 3:15; Col. 4:6; 1 Cor. 15:58.

February 7

“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad” (Psa. 126:3).

“God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved),” and “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” But, knowing Him as Savior, “we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,” “that great Shepherd of the sheep,” who “is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” “O Lord, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep.” “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” “Great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend,” “which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.” “Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men.”

A gracious God and a Savior

Is our Lord to all His own,

Providing and guiding daily,

Until we are safely home.

Eph. 2:4-5; Heb. 2:3; 4:14; 13:20; Isa. 28:29; Psa. 92:5; 139:17; Rom. 11:33; Job 37:5; 5:9; 9:10; Psa. 31:19.

February 8

“Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!” (Psa. 113:5-6).

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men,” and “though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off.” “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones,” for “surely He scorneth the scorners: but He giveth grace unto the lowly.” It is written of Manasseh that “when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him: and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication.” “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit,” for “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” He says that “to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.”

“The Lord our God … dwelleth on high”;

His throne is in the glory;

”His eyes behold the things … in … earth”;

He regards man’s sad story.

Psa. 11:4; 138:6; Isa. 57:15; Prov. 3:34; 2 Chron. 33:12-13; Psa. 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 66:2.

February 9

“Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back” (Isa. 38:17).

To the Christian who realizes something of the awfulness of sin before a holy God, and how we were spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins,” there is nothing for which we thank God more than for the knowledge that “Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.” When man forgives man, he excuses the penalty; when God forgives, He executes the penalty. This He did, when “Christ ... suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” The believer’s sins, with the condemnation that went with them, are gone forever. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us,” and He says that “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea,” “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Dear believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, rejoice in sins forgiven forever, and in Him who said that “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions ... and will not remember thy sins.”

“Blessed … he … whose sin is covered,”

And by “the precious blood of Christ,”

Who put away sin forever,

Payment is not demanded twice.

Eph. 2:1; 1 Peter 3:18; Psa. 103:12; Heb. 8:12; Mic. 7:19; Jer. 31:34; Isa. 43:25.

February 10

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12).

Let no saved person imagine that he can disobey the Word of God and not be held accountable. Let no Christian husband think that he can fail to be “giving honor to the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,” or let no Christian wives who do not “submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord,” imagine that God will not hold them accountable. Let no Christian child who does not “obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right,” or fathers who do not follow God’s instructions to “provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” think that the matter is of little importance. If you are employed by someone, you are to “be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh,” and if you are the employer, you are to “give unto your servants that which is just and equal.” Equally serious is neglect of and disobedience to other parts of God’s Word, for either here on earth now or in the Lord’s presence at His coming “every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body ... whether it be good or bad.” Let us pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart ... and lead me in the way everlasting.”

To know and do the will of God

Ever be our aim each day,

In spite of all the griefs and trials

That beset us on our way.

1 Peter 3:7; Eph. 5:22; 6:1,4-5; Col. 4:1; Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10; Psa. 139:23-24.

February 11

“Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (Rev. 5:2).

This question, yet to be asked by angelic voice in heaven, after the Lord Jesus has come for all His own, is answered in the verse that follows: “No man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.” And as John “wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon ... one of the elders saith ... Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book. ... And I beheld ... a Lamb as it had been slain. ... And He came and took the book.” Then it was that they who were about the throne “sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” We who know Him await “the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords ... to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”

“King of kings, and Lord of lords,”

Yet He shed His blood for me,

Undone sinner that I was,

Yet saved for eternity.

Rev. 5:3-7,9,12; 1 Tim. 6:14-16.

February 12

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6).

God does not want His blood-bought people to be the victims of anxious care. He wants us to have the right kind of care about people and situations, but He does not want such care to become worry or anxiety. Such anxiety robs us of our peace, and that’s why He tells us that “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” When all is truthfully committed to Him, our hearts will be filled with peace instead of worry, no matter the circumstances or the burdens. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Then be “casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you,” for “the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.” Moreover, amid circumstances that would cause worry, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”

Things that would cause us to worry,

Committed to Him will bring

”Peace … which passeth understanding,”

And joy to make the heart sing.

Phil. 4:6-7; Psa. 55:22; 37:5; 1 Peter 5:7; Psa. 147:11; Isa. 26:3.

February 13

“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

What a comfort and encouragement this verse has been to God’s people through the years. And while most people think of it in connection with material things (and Paul was speaking of such in the context), the verse applies to “all your need” of every kind. We may need material supply, and “the Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” We may need comfort or encouragement, and we find Him to be “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” We may need help to endure continuing trial or weakness, and we learn that “He giveth more grace” and that “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” We may need guidance, and His promise is that “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” There are times when we need chastening, “for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” Whatever the need in our lives, “my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” and “they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

From all “His riches in glory,”

He promises our supply;

For the sake of Christ our Savior

”No good thing” will He deny.

Psa. 23:1; 2 Cor. 1:3; James 4:6; 2 Cor. 9:8; Psa. 32:8; Heb. 12:6; Psa. 34:10.

February 14

“I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jer. 29:11).

The Lord’s thoughts toward His own are for their welfare and blessing and for their spiritual growth. He desires His best (though we may not see it so) for His redeemed ones, and He plans and works accordingly. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” “Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered,” and “the Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.” “O Lord, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep.” He remembers us now, day by day, and will “give you an expected end.” “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”

The Lord plans always for His own

With thoughts of love and grace,

Daily blessing and providing,

Until we see His face.

Isa. 55:8-9; Psa. 40:5; Isa. 14:24; Psa. 92:5; 73:24.

February 15

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19).

God wants His children to have boldness before Him, both now in this life and in the presence of the Lord at His coming, for elsewhere He tells us that “herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.” The word “boldness” means freedom of speech or outspokenness and therefore carries with it the thought of assurance. The same word is often translated as “confidence.” “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God,” “and this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him,” “according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.” We have “boldness to enter into the holiest,” with “confidence toward God.” “And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

Then “come boldly unto the throne”

For “help in time of need”;

There we shall find mercy and grace

Given to all who plead.

1 John 4:17; 3:21; 5:14-15; Eph. 3:11-12; 1 John 2:28.

February 16

“I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only” (Psa. 71:16).

The Lord alone knows the multitude of hearts who have through the years found sustaining strength and help in this verse: Hearts crushed by disappointment, bowed down by grief, perplexed and despondent, and without any earthly source of help, they have found that they could “go in the strength of the Lord God,” “and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength,” and He has told His own: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” and “I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” Therefore, suffering saint, “go in the strength of the Lord God.” “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.”

Has your strength, dear saint, reached its end?

Do you feel you cannot go on?

”Go in the strength of the Lord God,”

And He’ll fill your heart with His song.

Deut. 33:25; Isa. 40:29; 41:10; 2 Cor. 12:9; Jer. 31:25; Isa. 12:2.

February 17

“This is the true grace of God wherein ye stand” (1 Peter 5:12).

Dear reader, how do you stand with God? Are you seeking to stand before Him in your own merit? Are you relying on church membership, baptism, confirmation, lodge membership, or your good reputation? None of these can give us a place before God. It must be, and can only be, “the true grace of God wherein ye stand” before Him. We can only stand before God in the merits of Another, His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We read in God’s Word of a coming time when “the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come: and who shall be able to stand?” “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” Be sure that you stand before God in Christ, “accepted in the Beloved,” entering “by faith into this grace wherein we stand.”

I have no merit of my own

To bring before a holy God;

I must be cleansed by Jesus’ blood,

As God has told me in His Word.

Rev. 6:15-17; Psa. 1:5; Eph. 1:6; Rom. 5:2.

February 18

“He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by His understanding. When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth: He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures” (Jer. 51:15-16).

And through “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,” who “washed us from our sins in His own blood,” “this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death.” Whatever the situation or whatever the need that may face us, let us remember that “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God,” “for with God nothing shall be impossible.” “Is the Lord’s hand waxed short?” Or “is anything too hard for the Lord?” “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” He says to His own, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?” “Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee.”

He doeth the impossible

For those who trust His name;

He hears them when they call to Him;

He’ll not put them to shame.

2 Cor. 8:9; Rev. 1:5; Psa. 48:14; Luke 18:27; 1:37; Num. 11:23; Gen. 18:14; Mark 10:27; Jer. 32:27; Psa. 33:20-22.

February 19

“Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God” (Psa. 50:23).

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High.” “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely” for us who have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation,” and “who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” “Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.” “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful,” “giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” “Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and with Thy honor all the day.” “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Ought not we who have been favored

By God’s grace so rich and free,

With His overflowing mercy,

Ought we not to thankful be?

Psa. 92:1; 147:1; 1 Peter 1:19; Psa. 68:19; 1 Tim. 6:17; Psa. 33:1; Col. 3:15; Eph. 5:20; Heb. 13:15; Psa. 71:8; 34:1.

February 20

“Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).

The word “conversation” above is a word that means “commonwealth” or “citizenship.” For the saved sinner, “our citizenship is in heaven.” Our Lord said to His own, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” He said to His Father, on the night before the cross, that “they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,” and “I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” We who know Christ in the forgiveness of sins “are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Like Abraham, who “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” we “are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,” “for our citizenship is in heaven.”

We are no longer at home on earth;

Our citizenship is above,

For He has put all our sins away;

We shall dwell in that land of love.

John 15:19; 17:16,14; 1 John 2:17; Eph. 2:19; Heb. 11:10; 12:22.

February 21

“He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Never let Satan cause you to doubt this, dear believer. “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.” “The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him,” for “He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.” “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.” “The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His,” and His Word to His own is, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” “For He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men,” “for He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” Never forget: “He careth for you”!

The Lord is full of compassion;

His mercies are new each day;

”He careth for” all His people,

And cheers them along the way.

Psa. 9:9-10; Lam. 3:25; Psa. 9:12; 147:3-5; 2 Tim. 2:19; Isa. 43:2; Lam. 3:33; Psa. 103:14.

February 22

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Col. 4:6).

God desires for His children that all our words and actions be “with grace.” It was written prophetically of our Lord Jesus Christ that “grace is poured into Thy lips,” and when He was here on earth, men “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” All of us who know Him can say with Jacob that “God hath dealt graciously with me,” and this grace ought to be reflected in our speech. “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty,” and “speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.” “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.” “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”

“Let your speech be always with grace,”

As God has shown grace to you,

Showing forth daily His praises,

Like Him in all that you do.

Psa. 45:2; Luke 4:22; Gen. 33:11; James 2:12; Titus 2:1; Eph. 4:29; 1 Peter 3:15; James 1:19; Psa. 39:1; 141:3.

February 23

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5).

“Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” “Them which are without,” outside of God’s family because they are out of Christ, seek to find flaws in the lives and testimonies of those who name the name of Christ, so the believer is to be “providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” “Provide things honest in the sight of all men,” “that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life.” “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

My life ought to show before men
What the grace of God can do
For those who know the Lord Jesus
And give Him their lives to renew.

1 Tim. 3:7; 2 Cor. 8:21; Rom. 12:17; Phil. 2:15-16; 1 Peter 2:11-12,15.

February 24

“They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Tim. 6:9).

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” One of the marks of “the last days” with their “perilous times” is that “men shall be ... covetous,” which means lovers of silver. God warns His children against such covetousness and love of gain. “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” “Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” “Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments?” For “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” “But thou, O man of God, flee these things.”

The things of earth don’t satisfy;

They only call for more,

And he who only has such things

Is of all men most poor.

1 Tim. 6:10; Eccl. 5:10; 2 Tim. 3:1-2; Psa. 62:10; Prov. 23:4-5; 2 Kings 5:26; 1 John 2:17; 1 Tim. 6:11.

February 25

“Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty” (Isa. 33:17).

Our Lord came to earth nearly 2000 years ago, “God ... manifest in the flesh,” and offered Himself to His people Israel as their King. But “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” To them, then, “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” But the day is fast coming, after the true church has been taken home to glory and then after the tribulation period, “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” has run its course, that the believing remnant of Israel “shall see the King in His beauty” as He returns to earth in power and glory. But we who know Him now and have been “redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ,” “shall see the King in His beauty.” “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” Blessed prospect indeed, that “they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” “For how great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty,” “which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.”

He’s “King of kings, and Lord of lords”;

We’ll “meet the Lord in the air”;

Into the Father’s house we’ll go

”With the Lord” forever there.

1 Tim. 3:16; John 1:11; Isa. 53:2; Jer. 30:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4; Zech. 9:17; 1 Tim. 6:15.

February 26

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1).

“First of all” could mean first in time, in order, in place, or in importance. Here it evidently means “first of all” in importance. Our Lord Jesus Christ said “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” He also said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord.” “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” In the Christian’s life, if there is little prayer, there is little blessing. It is “first of all” in importance that we “watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” So “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” “Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.” Let us then be “praying in the Holy Ghost.”

Much blessing we miss in our lives,

Just because we fail to pray,

Blessings we could bring to others,

Helping to lighten their way.

Luke 18:1; Matt. 7:7-8; Lam. 2:19; Psa. 55:17; Matt. 26:41; Col. 4:2; Psa. 62:8; Jude 20.

February 27

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thess. 2:13).

When we recognize that the Bible is the very Word of God, when we can truthfully say to the Lord that “my heart standeth in awe of Thy word. I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil,” then we shall find God’s Word doing a work in our hearts, for it “effectually worketh ... in you that believe.” We will know its cleansing power, for, as our Lord said to His own, “Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” We shall experience its guiding power, for “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” We shall know also the “comfort of the Scriptures.” So “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,” thus finding that your actions are affected, so that your desire will be that “whatsoever ye do in word or deed,” you will “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” Then earnestly “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

That I might not sin against Thee,”

That I might show forth His praises,

And that more like Him I may be.

Psa. 119:161-162; John 15:3; Psa. 119:105; Rom. 15:4; Col. 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:2.

February 28

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments” (Psa. 119:176).

Before we were saved by God’s grace, it is written of us that “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” But now, thank God, it is said of us who know the Savior that “ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls,” that One who says that “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” But though we are forever safe in His fold, we still have the capacity to go “astray like a lost sheep” and to act like an unsaved person acts, for we still have within us that fleshly nature common to all men, in which “dwelleth no good thing.” Therefore we are exhorted to “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” But, thank God, when we who know Him go “astray like a lost sheep,” “our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,” calls us back to His fellowship, when “we confess our sins” to Him.

I’m safe forever in His fold;

No power can snatch me away;

Yet He keeps watch over my soul,

To restore me when I stray.

Isa. 53:6; 1 Peter 2:25; John 10:27-28; Rom. 7:18; 13:14; Heb. 13:20; 1 John 1:9.

February 29

“That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily ... we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know” (1 Thess. 3:3-4).

Let not the Christian who walks with the Lord in this Christ-rejecting world think that he shall escape its scorn and reproach, “for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” and “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ,” “for which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps,” “that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead,” and “who comforteth us in all our tribulation.”

How short is earth’s little while,

To suffer reproach for Him

Who, though troubles beset us,

Sustaineth us to the end.

Phil. 1:29; Acts 14:22; 2 Cor. 1:5; 4:16; 1 Peter 2:19-21; 2 Cor. 1:9,4.

March 1

“According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).

“Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue,” or, who “hath called us by His glory and virtue,” our Lord Jesus Christ, we have “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men,” and the Father has “given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life,” and “he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life,” “for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power,” and “in Him” we have all that we need to “live godly in Christ Jesus” and to “show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” and who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

All that we need to live for Him

He has so freely supplied

That we might in this present world

Stand firm with Him at our side.

John 1:4; 17:2; 1 John 5:12; Col. 2:9-10; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Cor. 9:8; Eph. 1:3; 3:20.

March 2

“How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (2 Cor. 8:2).

It is often true “that in a great trial of affliction” the Christian finds his joy in the Lord reaching the highest level. Like Paul who testified “that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead,” and “as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing,” we find our joy in Him greater because of His mercy and faithfulness to us in the hour of trial. With the psalmist we can say that “I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. ... I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. ... I was brought low, and He helped me.” It was when the psalmist was “mourning because of the oppression of the enemy” that he spoke of “God my exceeding joy.” When your circumstances give you no ground for joy, then remember that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

When all about us is dimness,

And the clouds overshadow the sun,

Remember that God in His mercy

Will give needed help to His own.

2 Cor. 1:8-9; 6:9-10; Psa. 116:1,4-6; 43:2,4; Neh. 8:10.

March 3

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

The God-breathed Scriptures, having come to us as “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” are “profitable” to the Christian “for doctrine,” that is, for teaching. If we would walk in the world by the teachings of God’s Word, then we must know what these teachings are. This necessitates that we “search the Scriptures” like the Bereans who “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily.” Then we shall say with the psalmist, “How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” But God’s Word will also bring “reproof” or conviction to our hearts, causing us pain as “we ... judge ourselves, [that] we should not be judged.” And the Word rightfully received brings “correction.” With the psalmist we say, “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.” It also brings “instruction in righteousness,” for “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” and “the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”

More precious than gold is God’s Word;

It gives me strength for my way,

Teaching, convicting, correcting,

And guiding my steps each day.

2 Peter 1:21; John 5:39; Acts 17:11; Psa. 119:103; 1 Cor. 11:31; Psa. 119:59,105; 19:7.

March 4

“The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things” (Prov. 15:28).

The Christian who wants to please and honor the Lord must ponder his words, for “in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin.” “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” So “foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes,” remembering that “a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.” Therefore “let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man,” and “if thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” “Should a man full of talk be justified?” “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” We should be sure that our speech “is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers,” and is “neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.” So let us “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”

Our speech tells others what we are,

And what is within our heart,

So let it “be always with grace,”

That it may blessing impart.

Prov. 10:19; Eccl. 5:2; 2 Tim. 2:23; Eccl. 5:3; Col. 4:6; Prov. 30:32; Job 11:2; Prov. 17:27; Eph. 4:29; 5:4; 1 Peter 3:15.

March 5

“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psa. 19:14).

“Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart,” “for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.” “The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth.” It is not a light thing to truthfully ask the Lord to “let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight,” but it is a most needful thing, and a thing that will bring great blessing. Elsewhere the Lord tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” “Thou hast proved mine heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress,” “for there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether.” “I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways.”

I want my life to honor Him,

Who gave Himself for me,

”The meditation of my heart”

To pure and faithful be.

Psa. 26:2; 7:9; 11:4-5; Jer. 17:9-10; Psa. 17:3; 139:4; 119:15.

March 6

“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth” (Jer. 44:16-17).

These were the words spoken to the prophet Jeremiah by the Jewish remnant left in the land of Israel after the king of Babylon had destroyed Jerusalem. They had come to him and said, “Pray for us unto the Lord thy God ... that the Lord may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.” Jeremiah faithfully gave them the words of the Lord, and their response was that “we will not hearken unto thee. But we will do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth.” What a dangerous thing it is for the believer to hear and know God’s Word and not obey it. The Lord said to Ezekiel about the people of his day that “they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” The Lord desires that we, by the power of His Word, “be renewed in the spirit of your mind,” “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

God’s Word is to be obeyed

And not lightly esteemed;

It gives light, joy and gladness

Beyond our fondest dreams.

Jer. 42:2-3; Ezek. 33:31; Eph. 4:23; Rom. 12:2.

March 7

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Peter wrote his first epistle to those “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,” and thus to all of us who “obey ... the gospel of God” and are “washed ... from our sins in His own blood.” And he says of us that we “are built up ... a holy priesthood.” Every Christian as a believer-priest has the right to go directly into the presence of God. We need no earthly mediator, no human priest, “for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” We who know Him “are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” And when we are with Him in the glory we shall sing “a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood ... and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

I have the right to go to Him,

Unworthy though I be,

For God has bid me come to Him,

Through Him who died for me.

1 Peter 1:2; 4:17; Rev. 1:5; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 5:9-10.

March 8

“Ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing” (2 Thess. 3:13).

How easy it is for the true Christian to become “weary in well doing.” When Paul wrote the above words to the Thessalonians, there were those among them who were “working not at all, but are busybodies,” to whom he said that “them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” These were taking advantage of the kindness and generosity of other believers, to whom he says that they are to “be not weary in well doing.” Even though, as we seek to obey and honor the Lord, people take advantage of us, still he says, “Be not weary in well doing.” Though we may see little apparent results from our Christian witness, “be not weary in well doing.” Though our efforts to honor our Lord are not appreciated, “be not weary in well doing.” “For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.” He will “cause the weary to rest” in Himself. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Weary and worn, and discouraged,

We ask, “Is it all worthwhile?”

But all the pangs of the journey

Will fade when we see His smile.

2 Thess. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:3; 2 Chron. 15:7; Isa. 28:12; Gal. 6:9.

March 9

“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Prov. 27:2).

“Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” “It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.” Let us who know the Lord not be like Simon the sorcerer, “giving out that himself was some great one,” but rather remember the words of our Savior, that “whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Not only are we not to praise ourselves, but when we receive any praise from others we are not to “be puffed up for one against another. ... For ... what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” “They measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” “For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.”

By God’s grace “am what I am,”

”For … in me … is … no good thing,”

But He in wonderful mercy

All good through our Lord did bring.

Prov. 20:6; 25:27; Acts 8:9; Matt. 20:26-28; 1 Cor. 4:6-7,5; 2 Cor. 10:12,18.

March 10

“The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).

Though we cannot always tell about the salvation of others, “the Lord knoweth them that are His.” He has said that “I am the good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine,” and “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” “But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.” It is written of some that “they profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” “Who is on the Lord’s side?” “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth: and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” God wants us to be “as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.” “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

“I … know My sheep,” the Shepherd says,

And I “am known of Mine”;

They “hear My voice … and … follow Me”;

They show Me to mankind.

John 10:14,27; 1 Cor. 8:3; Titus 1:16; Ex. 32:26; 2 Tim. 2:19-21; 1 Peter 1:14; Psa. 1:6.

March 11

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name” (Mal. 3:16).

These words were written at the Old Testament end-time, when men were saying “it is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.” How very much like the age-end days in which we live. But “they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard ... them ... that thought upon His name.” He has promised us that “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them,” and He has told us to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” He will help us to “know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.” “Let us therefore follow after the things ... wherewith one may edify another.” The Lord is listening, and “consider how great things He hath done for you.” “If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

The Lord sees those who think on Him,

And remembers them above;

”My thoughts within me” give comfort,

As I think upon His love.

Mal. 3:14-15; Matt. 18:20; Heb. 10:24; Isa. 50:4; Rom. 14:19; 1 Sam. 12:24; Phil. 4:8.

March 12

“Whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily” (Col. 1:29).

In all our service and witness for the Lord, let us remember that if it is to count for Him, it must be “according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.” It cannot and must not be by human strength or wisdom. Nevertheless, our whole heart must be in it, for “I also labor, striving according to His working,” “for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” He does His work in our hearts and directs and empowers our service by His Word. Thus Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that “for this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” “If a man therefore purge himself ... he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work,” “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”

If we would be pleasing to Him

In all our works and our ways,

We must draw grace from Him each hour;

His strength will be as our days.

Phil. 2:13; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 9:14; 2 Tim. 2:21; Rom. 12:11.

March 13

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” (1 Cor. 13:4).

Genuine love (charity) is both long-suffering and kind. It “is kind” in the times when it “suffereth long,” for genuine love in the Christian’s heart is “the love of God ... shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”; it is “love in the Spirit.” God’s love, though tested and tried and trampled on by men, still is both long-suffering and kind, “for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil,” “He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.” “Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.” “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,” “and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you,” “with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.” We are called upon to manifest our Lord to others “by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned.” “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.”

We ought long-suffering to be,

And kind while we are at it;

It takes God’s grace to make us so;

He alone can make us fit.

Rom. 5:5; Col. 1:8; Luke 6:35; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Eph. 5:1-2; 4:32,2; 2 Cor. 6:6; Rom. 12:10.

March 14

“Comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thess. 5:11).

Every true Christian has the potential, and also the responsibility, to “comfort” and to “edify” other Christians, both by word and life. We are told to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works,” and to “exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others,” “submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers,” “for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another,” “that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.” “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; ... be pitiful, be courteous.” “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.”

How can I help my dear brother,

Who is bowed beneath his load?

I can speak a word of comfort,

Instead of a word to goad.

Heb. 10:24; 3:13; Phil. 2:3-4; Eph. 5:21; 4:29; Gal. 5:13; 1 Cor. 4:6; 1 Peter 3:8; Rom. 15:5.

March 15

“The Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17).

Where is “the Spirit of the Lord” in this present day? For “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” He is in us who have believed on Christ as Savior, all of us. “What! Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” This is in fulfillment of our Lord’s promise that “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth,” and “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” And the Spirit in us gives us “liberty,” even freedom from sin’s dominion, from the yoke of the law, and from self-centeredness. “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Our Lord Jesus said that “if ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak.”

Liberty to serve the Lord,

Liberty to live for Him,

Made free by His redemption

From the dominion of sin.

1 Cor. 6:19; John 14:16-17; Rom. 8:9; 6:18; Gal. 5:1; John 8:31-32; 1 Cor. 8:9.

March 16

“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

When God looks upon His redeemed people, He does not look for success or wealth or fame or popularity with men. Rather, He looks for Christ-likeness in our lives, that Christ-likeness of life and character which comes to us as we look upon Christ as He is revealed in the Word of God, “with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord.” God’s ultimate purpose for the saved is that we may be “conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren,” and “we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is,” “and as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” So in our lives now, God desires to impart “the meekness and gentleness of Christ,” who is “meek and lowly in heart.” “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” enabling us to “show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Called to reflect the Lord Jesus,

And called to show forth His praise,

Called to behold Him in His Word,

And walk with Him all our days.

Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:49; 2 Cor. 10:1; Matt. 11:29; 2 Cor. 4:6; 1 Peter 2:9.

March 17

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).

God wants His children to be different from those who do not know Him, “that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” and “our Lord Jesus Christ ... gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” God has told His children to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord,” “as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance,” and “be not ye therefore like unto them,” “but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” For “our Savior Jesus Christ ... gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

God wants our lives to be different

From those who know Him not,

”Transformed by … renewing of … mind”

That His name we may not blot.

Eph. 4:17; Gal. 1:3-4; Eph. 5:11; Rom. 6:1-2; 1 Cor. 3:16; Isa. 52:11; 1 Peter 1:14; Matt. 6:8; 1 Peter 1:15; Titus 2:13-14.

March 18

“We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Our love for the Lord seems so small and feeble compared to His love for us. To His own He says that “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee,” and “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He “who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved),” and now, being redeemed, we have “the love of God ... shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” But little as our love may seem compared to His, we do “love Him, because He first loved us,” and we say with David, “I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.” “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again,” and “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Our Lord said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.”

“We love Him because … He loved us,”

And gave His live to prove so;

”The love of Christ constraineth us”

To take the place that is low.

Jer. 31:3; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4-5; Rom. 5:5; Psa. 18:1; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 Cor. 2:9; John 14:15; Eph. 6:24.

March 19

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).

God desires for His children that we “walk worthy of the Lord” in our daily deportment, being “fruitful ... and increasing in the knowledge of God.” A yielded “walk” with the Lord will cause us to be “fruitful” and to hunger for an “increasing ... knowledge of God.” “Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.” “We also should walk in newness of life,” “worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory,” “being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” Such a Christian will “be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Our Lord said that “herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.” A disciple is a learner, and the fruitful Christian will be “increasing in the knowledge of God.” “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” and “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”

A walk that shows that we know Him,

And fruit borne for His glory,

An “increasing … knowledge of God,”

Tell forth the blessed story.

Eph. 4:1-2; Rom. 6:4; 1 Thess. 2:12; Phil. 1:11; Psa. 1:3; John 15:8; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:2.

March 20

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” “Christ is ... entered into ... heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” “We look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (1 Cor. 15:3; Heb. 9:24; Phil. 3:20-21).

From start to finish, our “salvation is of the Lord.” He died for us on the cross, he lives for us in heaven, and He is coming to receive us unto Himself. “Christ died for our sins.” “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,” for “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Yes, “Christ ... died, yea rather ... is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” He has “entered into ... heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” And we have His sure promise that “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon Thy people.”

His blood has washed away my sins,

And now He liveth for me,

And He shall come to take me home,

Forever with Him to be.

Jonah 2:9; 1 Peter 3:18; Isa. 53:6; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; John 14:3; Psa. 3:8.

March 21

“He faileth not” (Zeph. 3:5).

“Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds,” “all Thy commandments are faithful,” and “God is true” and worthy of all our confidence and trust. “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” “There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” But suppose that we who know Him do not take His “way to escape,” and we yield to the temptation? Even “if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.” And “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This “God, that cannot lie, promised.” “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.” “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

He is faithful and true to His Word,

Our God in heaven above;

His ways are tempered with kindness;

His dealings are all in love.

Psa. 36:5; 119:86; 2 Cor. 1:18; Num. 23:19; 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Tim. 2:13; 1 John 1:9; Titus 1:2; 2 Thess. 3:3; Isa. 40:8; Lam. 3:22-23.

March 22

“We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).

There are certain things that are essential, if we are to be saved. There are things which are absolutely necessary; they cannot be dispensed with. First, there must be a Savior “without sin.” This we have in God’s beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, “who did no sin,” “who knew no sin,” “and in Him is no sin.” Even so, His holiness and sinlessness cannot in itself save us, for “without shedding of blood is no remission.” It was necessary that He give that sinless life for us, that we might be “redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” Then, though He died for all, forgiveness must be personally received, and here we have another essential, namely, faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Be sure, dear reader, that you have personally received “the gift of God [which] is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” who said that “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

He shed His blood for your sins,

That you might forgiven be,

That you might know and praise Him

Throughout all eternity.

1 Peter 2:22; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 3:5; Heb. 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Heb. 11:6; Rom. 6:23; John 14:6.

March 23

“If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rom. 8:10).

We Christians have the same kind of unredeemed bodies as unsaved people have. To be sure, “your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.” Nevertheless, we still have mortal death-doomed bodies, subject to injury and disease and aging. “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body,” and “if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” So “we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body,” and “in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.”

We live now in tents of clay,

Mortal and very frail,

But we live in hope each day,

Here below in this vale.

1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:22-23,11; 1 Cor. 15:53; Phil. 3:20-21; Job 19:26-27.

March 24

“The Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken” (Prov. 3:26).

How much the Christian needs the upholding and overruling grace of God, to “keep thy foot from being taken.” The world, the flesh, and the devil constantly seek to ensnare us and cause our feet to go astray out of God’s paths. He tells us to “ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil,” for He assures us who seek to walk with Him, “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straightened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.” “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” “He will keep the feet of His saints,” and “thou shalt walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.” “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” “Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.” “For Thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”

He alone can direct my steps

In the way they ought to go,

To keep from the snares of Satan,

All because He loves me so.

Prov. 4:26-27; 4:11-12; Psa. 91:11-12; 1 Sam. 2:9; Prov. 3:23; Psa. 119:105; 37:31; 18:36; 56:13.

March 25

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

To “abide in” Christ is to “stay” or “remain” or “continue” in fellowship with Him. It is to be “casting all your care upon Him,” to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding,” and to “confess our sins,” knowing that “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we thus “abide in” Him, “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Thus abiding, we will not “ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” We will, rather, ask in His name, seeking His will and His glory, and His promise is that “whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”

He hears the prayers of all His own,

And bends His ear to their cries,

He knows their burdens and their cares,

And He heareth all their sighs.

1 Peter 5:7; Prov. 3:5; 1 John 1:9; John 15:7; James 4:3; John 14:13-14; 1 John 3:22; 5:14-15.

March 26

“Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

“Face to face.” What will it mean when we see Him, “whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” That One who has so graciously sustained us through life’s pilgrimage, who, looking down from heaven, invites us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” That One who “hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” That One who has stood by us in times of grief and trial and pain, telling us to “fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” That One “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” That One who “calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” We shall see Him “face to face,” and as He did with Moses, He shall speak with us “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.”

When we see Him in the glory,

When our faith has been changed to sight,

Hearts will be gladdened forever,

In the realms of eternal light.

1 Peter 1:8; Heb. 4:16; Psa. 103:10; Isa. 41:10; 1 Peter 2:24; John 10:3; Ex. 33:11.

March 27

“Do not My words do good to him that walketh uprightly?” (Mic. 2:7).

“The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” “Is not My word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Who can measure the worth of the Word of God in the life of the Christian? “Concerning the works of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.” “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word.” God tells His own to “take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” “I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word.”

The Word of God gives joy and peace

To those whose ways it directs,

Cleansing and comfort and new strength,

Help beyond what we expect.

Heb. 4:12; Jer. 23:29; Psa. 17:4; 119:101; Eph. 6:17; Psa. 19:9-11; 119:14-16.

March 28

“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5).

The word “moderation” carries the thought of reasonableness, considerateness, gentleness and forbearance, which we who know the Lord are to exercise because “the Lord is at hand.” We are “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,” “and every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” We are therefore to be “gentle, showing all meekness unto all men,” “with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.” “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children,” “for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” “Now I ... beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” to “let us consider one another,” and “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep,” and “be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” “Let your moderation be known unto all men,” for “we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Gentle and meek and forbearing,

God would have His people be,

Looking “on the things of others,”

Living for eternity.

Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:3; Titus 3:2; Eph. 4:2; 5:1; Matt. 5:45; 2 Cor. 10:1; Heb. 10:24; Rom. 12:15; 2 Tim. 2:24-25; Phil. 3:20.

March 29

“Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Col. 3:15).

God desires for His children that “the peace of God rule in your hearts.” The word “rule” means to “act as umpire” or “arbitrate,” that is, to make the decisions: to direct and control our lives. Most of us know that any decisions made when our hearts were not filled with God’s peace have been wrong and hurtful decisions. We continually need in our hearts “the peace of God.” “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” For “the Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” “Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us.” “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom. ... Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” “Now the peace of God be with you all. Amen.”

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on Thee”;

In all the ins and outs of life,

Peace shall his portion be.

Phil. 4:6-7; Psa. 29:11; Rom. 8:6; Isa. 26:12; Prov. 3:13,17; Isa. 26:3; Rom. 15:33.

March 30

“He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper” (Psa. 72:12).

The world and nominal Christendom has a saying that God helps those who help themselves. But there are many times when we cannot help ourselves, when “the journey is too great for thee.” But in such times, “He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness,” and how blessed and encouraging it is to know that “He shall deliver ... him that hath no helper.” So, when “trouble is near [and] there is none to help,” and when we cry to Him to “give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man,” we can be sure that though “I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me,” and “He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper,” for “He forgetteth not the cry of the humble,” and “the poor committeth himself to Thee; Thou art the helper of the fatherless.” “He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.” “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.”

Weary, sad and discouraged,

With no help to be found in man,

We cry to Him who loves us,

And “upholdeth … with His hand.”

1 Kings 19:7; Deut. 2:7; Psa. 22:11; 60:11; 40:17; 9:12; 10:14; 72:4; 147:11.

March 31

“Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men” (Psa. 12:1).

What is the believer to do in a day of lawlessness and apostasy such as we face today, when “judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off,” when “truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter”? It is a day when “evil men and seducers ... wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived,” and when “he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.” Our Lord warned that “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Can we believers live for the glory of Christ in such days? Yes, His grace is sufficient, and more than sufficient. Recall that before the flood, when “the wickedness of man was great in the earth,” when “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” in that dark day, “Noah walked with God,” and Enoch “had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Let us, as they did, take grace from God, “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Walk with God, when all around

Darkness and evil prevail?

Yes, strong in grace, looking to Him,

The Christ, who will never fail.

Isa. 59:14; 2 Tim. 3:13; Isa. 59:15; Matt. 24:12; Gen. 6:5,9; Heb. 11:5; Rom. 12:2.

April 1

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2).

Why does God have to remind us over and over to be faithful in prayer? It would seem that we who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ would count it one of our greatest privileges to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Yet we must be reminded of “continuing instant in prayer,” and to “pray without ceasing.” Not only in times of crisis and great need, but “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,” and “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Let us constantly remember that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Therefore, “I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.” “In the day when I cried Thou answeredst me.”

Bowing before Him in love,

Trusting His wisdom divine,

Relying upon Him in trouble,

His own perfect peace is mine.

Heb. 4:16; Rom. 12:12; 1 Thess. 5:17; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; James 5:16; Matt. 7:7-8; Psa. 57:2; 138:3.

April 2

“Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright” (Psa. 33:1).

It is indeed fitting for the believer to give praise to his Redeemer. Not only is He due praise for saving us, but for all that we are and have. “What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” He “giveth us richly all things to enjoy,” so “blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” No wonder that God’s Word tells us to be “giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name,” for the Lord says that “whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.” “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” “Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and with Thy honor all the day.”

Should I give praise to Him

Who gave Himself for me?

Should I remember mercies

Poured out so full and free?

1 Cor. 4:7; 1 Tim. 6:17; Psa. 68:19; Eph. 5:20; Heb. 13:15; Psa. 50:23; Col. 3:17; Psa. 71:8.

April 3

“Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:17).

The closer the Christian walks in fellowship with the Lord, the more conscious he is of his own sinfulness and sins. What great joy it brings, then, to have God’s Word that “I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” And, blessed be God, this perfect forgiveness is secured by the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Not by effort, not by imagined righteousness, not by ordinances, not by church membership, but “according to the riches of His grace” we have “forgiveness of sins.” “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” And though we, as Christians, need to deal constantly with the matter of sin in our lives, yet sin in the condemning sense is gone forever for the believer in Christ. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin,” because Christ “His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree,” as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

My sins gone and forgiven,

Though oft in my mind they appear;

Yes, blotted out and gone forever

By the blood of God’s Son most dear.

Isa. 43:25; Eph. 1:7; 1 John 2:12; Rom. 4:8; 1 Peter 2:24; John 1:29.

April 4

“So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:7).

The imminency of the Lord’s coming, the fact that He may come at any moment, is seen in the fact that the Scriptures exhort us to be constantly looking and waiting for Him. We are told to be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” We are not told to be looking for Antichrist, for the revived Roman Empire, for spectacular signs, or even for worldwide evangelization, but for the Lord Himself. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Other events will occur in due time, but our expectation is the fulfillment of His promise that “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” He says, “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” What encouragement for us as we “wait for His Son from heaven.”

The Lord is coming to take us home,

Redeemed and made clean by His own blood,

To be forever with Him there,

As He promised in His holy Word.

Titus 2:13; Phil. 3:20; John 14:3; 2 Peter 3:14; Rev. 22:12; 1 Thess. 1:10.

April 5

“What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19).

Every true believer in Christ as Savior is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” This indwelling presence of the Third Member of the Godhead marks us off as belonging to God by redemption. “After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.” So “ye are not your own ... for ye are bought with a price.” Therefore, believers “should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.” Henceforth “we also should walk in newness of life.” “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.” So, “grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption,” but rather “be filled with the Spirit,” “building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” never forgetting that the Holy Spirit is in us to glorify Christ, for our Lord said that “when the Comforter is come ... He shall testify of Me.”

The Spirit of God dwells in me,

Ready to help me and make me free

From sin’s power, its loss and shame,

Willing to help me honor Christ’s name.

Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 5:15; Rom. 6:4; 1 Sam. 12:24; Eph. 4:30; 5:18; Jude 20; John 15:26.

April 6

“O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise” (Psa. 51:15).

We who know the Lord are called upon to show forth His excellencies, for “ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” We are to be “always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” Our lips then should be open to tell forth His praises. “My tongue shall speak of Thy word.” With Asaph the psalmist, let us determine that “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings,” for “it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High: to show forth Thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.” “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Praise to our Lord and Savior,

Praise for His boundless grace,

Praise for His merciful kindness,

Until we look on His face.

1 Peter 2:9; 2 Cor. 4:10; Psa. 119:172; 77:11-12; 92:1-2; 34:1.

April 7

“Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28).

Not only are we saved by grace—“by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”—but we must also live and love and labor by God’s enabling grace. Only thus can we “serve God acceptably.” And God’s grace has been provided for every possible circumstance and situation which might enter into our lives. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” Paul testified that “by the grace of God I am what I am. ... I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” So God’s Word encourages us to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Helpless and needy ourselves, having nothing to offer God except ourselves as living sacrifices, we hear Him saying to us that “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Let us, therefore, “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

Grace to labor, grace to suffer,

Grace to break the chains of sin,

Grace abundant, all sufficient,

Giving peace and joy within.

Eph. 2:8; 2 Cor. 9:8; 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Tim. 2:1; 2 Cor. 12:9.

April 8

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psa. 103:2).

How easily and quickly we forget the Lord’s mercies to us. It is written of the children of Israel that “they remembered not His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy.” Many Christians become so engrossed in their business and at being successful in this world that little time and energy is left to think upon the Lord and His blessings and mercies. “Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day: lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein ... and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God.” May it not be said of us that “they forgat God their savior,” or that “they soon forgat His works; they waited not for His counsel,” but may we rather be able to say, by God’s grace, that “I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word,” “for consider how great things He hath done for you.”

Forget not His blessings and mercies,

Ye who know His dear name;

Remember the way He has led thee,

He who is ever the same.

Psa. 78:42; Deut. 8:11-14; Psa. 106:21; 106:13; 119:16; 1 Sam. 12:24.

April 9

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9).

How wonderful it is to think upon the faithfulness of God! How it refreshes our hearts to look away from our own unfaithfulness and the unfaithfulness of men, and to remind ourselves that there is One who is absolutely faithful. To be sure, we who know the Lord are called unto faithfulness, and “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” But our faithfulness is relative; His is absolute. There is no possibility that it can ever fail. “If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.” For “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” He is “a merciful and faithful high priest,” for “He is faithful that promised.” Then “let them which suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.”

Faithful to all His promises,

Found in His precious Word,

Faithful to teach and to chasten,

Faithful and wonderful Lord.

1 Cor. 4:2; 2 Tim. 2:13; 1 Cor. 10:13; Heb. 2:17; 10:23; 1 Peter 4:19; 1 Thess. 5:24.

April 10

“Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).

Our acts of “well doing” are usually not appreciated by the world, and sometimes not even by other Christians. This being the case, it is easy to become “weary in well doing.” But let us be encouraged by the fact that “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” All that is done for Him will be rewarded, whether or not it is received or appreciated by men. Our Lord said that “whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ ... he shall not lose his reward.” “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.” So, “beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Then, “as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” So, “as we have received mercy, we faint not.”

All that is done for Him

Will receive its due reward

When He shall come in glory,

Christ Jesus, our blessed Lord.

Gal. 6:10; Mark 9:41; 2 Chron. 15:7; 1 Cor. 15:58; Heb. 6:10; 2 Cor. 4:1.

April 11

“Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad” (Prov. 12:25).

We never know how many stooping hearts we meet from day to day, heavy with sorrow, weighted down with difficulties, perplexed by unsolved and seemingly insoluble problems. We must, of course, be walking in close fellowship with the Lord in order to know how to speak “a good word” at the right time and thus be able to say that “the Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” So we are told to “let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Thus shall we be able to speak “a good word” to make someone’s heart glad. And not only will it bless others, it will also bring blessing to us as we speak the “good word,” for “a man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” So “let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty,” the Word of God.

Only a word, so quickly spoken;

Only a word, what will it be?

A word to help, a word of courage,

A word to last for eternity.

Isa. 50:4; Col. 4:6; Prov. 15:23; Eph. 4:29; James 2:12.

April 12

“If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17).

As important as the substitutionary death of Christ is, His bodily resurrection is of equal importance, for the gospel message, by which we are saved, is “how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Would it not be an awful thing for us believers to contemplate that we “are yet in [our] sins”? But we “by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that [our] faith and hope might be in God.” For “He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” And His resurrection not only assures our salvation, but assures us also strength to live for His glory, for when we trusted in Christ as Savior, we were by the Holy Spirit “baptized into His death ... that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,” “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.”

We shared His death, and we share His life,

Jesus, our Savior and Lord;

He gives us the strength to live for Him,

Strength by the Spirit and Word.

1 Cor. 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:21; Rom. 4:25; 6:3-5; Phil. 3:10.

April 13

“He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

Living in and tempered by a materialistic society, it is hard to comprehend that one’s “life consisteth not in ... abundance” and in “things.” It can even reach the point where we are “supposing that gain is godliness.” But we are not to “trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Not only are “things” transitory, but they are also unsatisfying, and “better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith,” and “better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.” Let us never imagine that “abundance” brings happiness, or that “things” produce spirituality. If God is pleased to give an “abundance of ... things,” let us be sure that “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches” do not “choke the word” and its ministry in our lives. Rather, “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Things and pleasures always beckon

And entice the child of God,

But they give no lasting pleasure,

Which comes as we obey His Word.

1 Tim. 6:5; 6:17; Prov. 23:5; 15:16; 17:1; Matt. 13:22; James 1:22.

April 14

“Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thess. 5:13).

God wants His children to live peacefully, and He has admonished us to “follow peace with all men.” Such an aim and pursuit will result in blessing to our own hearts, “for he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it.” This being the case, “let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” Even so, “peace with all men” may not always be possible, so “if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” We cannot have “peace with all men” by lowering our Biblical standards of conduct, for “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable,” and whether or not all men are peaceable with us, we should always seek to live by the standards of God’s Word, and “when a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” “Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”

How can we be peaceable

In a world that knows not His name?

By constantly “looking to Jesus,”

Being willing to bear His shame.

Heb. 12:14; 1 Peter 3:10-11; Rom. 14:19; 12:18; James 3:17; Prov. 16:7; Psa. 118:6; 119:165.

April 15

“Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit” (Col. 1:8).

The love with which we are called upon to love one another is not mere human love, so easily offended and cooled; it is, rather, “love in the Spirit.” It is “the love of God ... shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” It is the same love by which “was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” With this “love of God” in our hearts, we can love those who are unlovely, and we can love even if it is unrequited. And we can love sacrificially, without counting the personal cost. For to love with “the love of God” is costly, not merely in material things, but in many other ways. It can involve great burden and heartache. “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

How can we love the unlovely?

How can we manifest God’s grace?

By looking at our Lord in the Scriptures,

And joyfully beholding His face.

Rom. 5:5; 1 John 4:9; 3:17-18; 4:11.

April 16

“The Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means” (2 Thess. 3:16).

God wants the hearts of His redeemed people to be filled with His own “peace always by all means.” He is “the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.” On the night before the cross, our Lord said to His own, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Peace is just the opposite of agitation and fear. God does not want us to be continually stirred up about our problems or our circumstances. He wants us to have His peace in our hearts, irrespective of our circumstances. He has told us to “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” So “let the peace of God rule in your hearts ... and be ye thankful.” “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”

Peace when there is trouble?

Peace when the heart is sore tried?

Yes, His own peace to guard us,

When we in Jesus abide.

Heb. 13:20; John 14:27; Phil. 4:6-7; Col. 3:15; Isa. 26:3.

April 17

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).

A joyless Christian is a powerless Christian, both in maintaining his own life and in communicating help to others. God wants His joy to grip our hearts, no matter what state of things may surround us. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” The Lord desires us to be “exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.” He desires to “fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Much joy ought to be connected with our salvation, and only broken fellowship with the Lord can rob us of that joy. When that happens, let us come quickly to the Lord in confession, praying, “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” Hard circumstances and bitter trials ought not to nullify our joy in the Lord, for we can be “as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing.” Therefore, “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [testings].” “My soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in His salvation,” and thus “with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation,” finding that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Joy when the heart is burdened,

Joy when trials we face,

Joy in the Lord’s great mercy,

Joy in Him and His grace.

Phil. 4:4; 2 Cor. 7:4; Rom. 15:13; Psa. 51:12; 2 Cor. 6:10; James 1:2; Psa. 35:9; Isa. 12:3.

April 18

“Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart” (Psa. 119:2).

Blessed indeed are they who wholeheartedly seek to obey the Word of God. To do so is to seek Him, our blessed Lord, who said that “the Scriptures ... are they which testify of Me.” “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.” To “keep His testimonies” is to honor Him. He said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,” and “if a man love Me, he will keep My words.” “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.” Truly, “blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Be sure that “ye are doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. ... A doer of the work ... shall be blessed in his deed,” for “blessed are they that hear the word of God, and do it.”

Hear the Word, and do it;

Fail not its plea to heed;

Your Lord shall be honored,

And you’ll be blessed indeed.

John 5:39; Psa. 2:12; John 14:15,23; Psa. 106:3; 1:1-3; James 1:22,25; Luke 11:28.

April 19

“Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22).

If the believer is to please and honor his Lord, there are not only certain things which he must pursue and follow by the grace of God, but there are also certain things which he must refuse and deny. We are called to “ever follow that which is good,” and to “follow after the things that make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” We need to “seek peace, and pursue it.” But the grace of God is also constantly “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” And rather than be ensnared by “the love of money,” we instead ought to “flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” We who know the Lord are responsible to refuse and deny sin in our lives and associations. “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” For needed power to do this, “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”

If we would live for Christ’s glory,

And walk with Him in the way,

We must deny all sin’s wooings,

Taking grace from Him each day.

1 Thess. 5:15; Rom. 14:19; 1 Peter 3:11; Titus 2:12; 1 Tim. 6:10-11; Prov. 4:14-15; Rom. 13:14; Psa. 34:14.

April 20

“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him” (Dan. 9:9).

How great are the tender mercies of our God. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” How unlike us He is. We, in our dealings with each other, are prone to be ungracious, quick to become angry, and short on mercy. But He calls upon us who know Him to manifest His character. “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” To Him “belong mercies and forgivenesses.” So “be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love.” Let it not be said of us that “they remembered not the multitude of Thy mercies,” but rather, “let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.” Let the assurance of His tender mercies comfort our hearts. He “crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies. ... He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.”

Merciful and gracious, full of compassion,

Yet righteous and holy is our God above,

Dealing with us in tenderness and kindness,

Never forsaking His grace and His love.

Psa. 103:8; Luke 6:36; Eph. 5:1-2; Psa. 106:7; Prov. 3:3; Psa. 103:4,10-11.

April 21

“The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous” (Psa. 1:6).

What untold solace and encouragement it brings to our hearts to know that “the Lord knoweth.” Whatever trials may beset us, however grieved our hearts may be, however much we are misunderstood by friends or foes, though we “are in heaviness through manifold temptations,” still “the Lord knoweth,” for “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do,” even Him who “calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them.” And He says to His own, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Let us follow the example of David, who “encouraged himself in the Lord his God,” for “He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

The floods overflow, and the trials overwhelm,

And the heart is as heavy as stone,

But His Word comes to us, “Be of good cheer,”

For He will never leave us alone.

1 Peter 1:6; Heb. 4:13; John 10:3-4; Isa. 43:1-2; 1 Sam. 30:6; Job 23:10.

April 22

“Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

There is much loose thinking on the part of Christians, not always evil thoughts, but also thoughts that are vain and useless. Thus God calls upon His redeemed children to “gird up the loins of your mind,” “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Outward life is the result of our inward thinking, and our heavenly Father desires that we “be not conformed to this world: but be ... transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” It is true of all of us that “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” It is not humanly possible to control our thought life; it must be by God’s grace and power. The psalmist knew the secret when he said, “I hate vain thoughts: but Thy law do I love.” It is as we fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word and walk in obedience to it that we can “gird up the loins of your mind” and “set your affection on things above.”

Thoughts of righteousness, thoughts of peace,

Thoughts that glorify our Lord,

Thoughts taken captive by His grace,

Thoughts that are molded by God’s Word.

2 Cor. 10:5; Rom. 12:2; Prov. 23:7; Psa. 119:113; Col. 3:2.

April 23

“For a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations” (1 Peter 1:6).

Many different kinds of testing and trials come to the Christian. It may be misunderstanding or ridicule or scorn; it may be sickness, poverty or peril. But God in grace permits these things and tempers them. And He sends them only “if need be.” “Though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” He seeks to help us, not to hurt us. “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Thus God desires “that no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.” Moreover, “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” And in every trial, He says to us that “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

To him who would honor and please the Lord,

Afflictions and testings shall surely come,

But He weighs the load before He gives it;

His grace abundant ever leads toward home.

Lam. 3:32-33; Heb. 12:11; 1 Thess. 3:3; 2 Cor. 4:17-18; 12:9.

April 24

“Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings” (Isa. 51:7).

Strange to say and sad to say, we who know the Lord are many times guilty of fearing “the reproach of men,” as if such reproach was of eternal consequence. We forget that “the fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Suppose that we are reproached of men because of our trust in the Lord, or suppose that we are reviled because we “walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” is it not better to have the Lord’s approval than to have the approval of men? “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man,” even the best of men. “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me,” and “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” “My help cometh from the Lord.”

Kept from man’s anger, kept from his hate,

Kept by God’s power and grace,

We look above to Jesus our Lord,

With no need to fear man’s face.

Prov. 29:25; Eph. 4:17; Psa. 118:8; Isa. 2:22; Heb. 13:6; Psa. 31:20; 121:2.

April 25

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

Our greatest spiritual victories do not always come by our being delivered from trials and adverse circumstances. Paul has been speaking of “tribulation ... distress ... persecution ... famine ... nakedness ... peril [and] sword,” and he says that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” Many times the Lord manifests His grace to us in and during a time of trouble, before He delivers us from it. His promise is that “he shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.” It is gloriously true that “the righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles,” and that though “many are the afflictions of the righteous ... the Lord delivereth him out of them all,” yet we can also say to Him that “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress,” and “I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.” Many times we have to say with the psalmist, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word.”

“I will deliver thee,” He does declare,

This word so blessed He has spoken,

But He giveth grace in the trial itself

And stays near to the heart that is broken.

Rom. 8:35; Psa. 91:15; 34:17,19; 4:1; 118:5; 119:67.

April 26

“Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him” (Prov. 29:20).

Many of us have had times of regret over words hastily spoken: judgmental words, reproachful words, untrue words, boastful words, but all words which can never be recalled, regardless of how much harm they do. Perhaps we did not mean them to be hurtful, but we were “hasty in [our] words,” for the moment forgetting that “the heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.” How well it is for us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,” for “in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” It may seem smart and advantageous to want to have a word on every subject, but “he that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” How very needful that “I ... take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.” Hasty words come from a hasty spirit, and “he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.” So, “set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips,” and “let the words of my mouth ... be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Words spoken in anger, spoken in haste,

Words that we can never recall,

Words that cause sorrow, cause pain and cause grief,

But words that hurt us most of all.

Prov. 15:28; James 1:19; Prov. 10:19; 17:27; Psa. 39:1; Prov. 14:29; Psa. 141:3; 19:14.

April 27

“He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place ... for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31).

We live in an age of hurry and rush. Even among Christians, we measure one’s spirituality by his so-called productivity. We so easily forget that when we stand before the Lord, the primary issue will not be the amount of our works, but “every man’s work shall be made manifest ... and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” Quality comes before quantity. We need to remember that Christian service is not an endurance contest and that the Lord “knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” To be sure, the Lord does not want His redeemed ones to be slothful, for “he also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster,” but neither does He want us to be continually weary. “To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.” “Thus saith the Lord God ... In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” May He not have to say to us, as He did to Israel, “Ye would not.”

It is not by our might or power

That our work for the Lord is tried,

But by the Spirit’s own working,

Who has come to us to abide.

1 Cor. 3:13; Psa. 103:14; Prov. 18:9; Isa. 28:12; 30:15.

April 28

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16).

We live in momentous days, “the last days,” when, as Scripture predicts, “perilous times shall come,” days when we see “men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Therefore, “because the days are evil” and because “evil men and seducers ... wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived,” we who know the Lord are to be “redeeming the time,” that is, “buying up the opportunities.” Day by day, God gives us such opportunities and tells us that “as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” There are times of which it may be said that “ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.” But how much more often is it true that we let opportunities slip away, without redeeming them. God in grace may give other opportunities, but the lost ones can never be recovered. May we be diligent to be “always in remembrance of these things,” that we may “know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary,” and “to warn the wicked from his way,” “to walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

A word of warning, a word of cheer,

As we walk life’s pathway each day,

A word from the Word, with God’s own power,

That will encourage and show the way.

2 Tim. 3:1; Luke 21:26; 2 Tim. 3:13; Gal. 6:10; Phil. 4:10; 2 Peter 1:12; Isa. 50:4; Ezek. 33:8; Col. 4:5; Eph. 5:17.

April 29

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).

Perhaps no statement of Scripture gives a clearer summary of how the believer may live a victorious and joyful Christian life, than that found in the words, “Looking unto Jesus.” The words carry the thought of looking away from all else and centering our attention and affection on Him, as He is seated “at the right hand of the throne of God.” We are to look away from ourselves, both our failures and successes; we are to look away from men, however godly they may be, and look only to Him. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” Just as He tells us to “look unto Me, and be ye saved,” so as saved ones we are to be constantly “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” and “consider Him ... lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” For “the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. ... I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved,” always remembering that “He faileth not.”

I look away from my heart so fickle,

And away from men whose lives do fail;

I look to my Savior seated in glory,

Who beareth my name within the veil.

Col. 3:1; Isa. 45:22; Heb. 12:3; Psa. 16:5,8; Zeph. 3:5.

April 30

“Keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21).

Our verse does not tell us to keep God loving us. Nothing can ever change or alter the glorious fact that He loves us. He tells us that “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.” “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Nor does our text verse tell us that we are to love God, though certainly “we love Him, because He first loved us.” But, our verse says, we are to “keep [ourselves] in the love of God.” We are to keep ourselves in the spiritual condition that permits God’s love to work in our lives and enables us to enjoy that love. Our Lord said, “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. ... If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” So we are called to “come out from among them, and be ye separate ... and I ... will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” Then “keep yourselves in the love of God,” remembering that His “love is strong as death.”

Do stay in the place of blessing;

Do keep yourself in God’s love;

Your life will be filled with goodness,

Sent down from the Father above.

Jer. 31:3; 1 John 4:10,19; John 14:21,23; 2 Cor. 6:17-18; Song of Sol. 8:6.

May 1

“No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you” (Job 12:2).

Job spoke the above words to his three friends, who “had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him,” in his great time of distress and grief and suffering. Each of the three told Job why he was suffering, why God had permitted his afflictions to come, and what Job must do to find relief and help, though none of them had ever experienced like circumstances. No wonder that Job said to them that “ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value,” and “miserable comforters are ye all.” But are we not many times guilty of the same thing as Job’s friends? Do we not set ourselves up as being wise in situations concerning which we have no personal knowledge? God’s Word tells us to “judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” This will keep us from passing hasty or unfair judgment on others, without knowing something of the background of their circumstances or their heart’s exercises. “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me,” “considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

It seems that my friend is now straying,

And that his pathway is not right,

But what do I know of his heartaches,

And tears he has shed o’er his plight?

Job 2:11; 13:4; 16:2; John 7:24; Psa. 131:1; Gal. 6:1.

May 2

“Remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh ... that at that time ye were without Christ ... having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:11-12).

When we Christians think of what we are by God’s grace—”accepted in the Beloved,” and now “made ... to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” and “made the righteousness of God in Him”—when we think of these blessed things, let us never forget what we were apart from God’s grace. To remember our former estate will cause one “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Let us not forget that “ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” Praise God, “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” “Who is like unto the Lord our God. ... He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that He may set him with princes.” We remember, and we give thanks to “the Lamb that was slain.”

Lost and undone, condemned forever,

This was our state, apart from His grace;

Now cleansed, forgiven, accepted in Him,

One day we shall see Him, face to face.

Eph. 1:6; 2:6; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 12:3; 1 Peter 2:25; Psa. 40:2; 113:5,7-8; Rev. 5:12.

May 3

“The God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

We cannot give to others that which we do not ourselves possess. If we would give comfort and encouragement to others, we must first receive it ourselves from God. And before we can receive it, we must be in circumstances where we ourselves need comfort and encouragement. “God, that comforteth those that are cast down,” then “comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort” others “by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God,” for, being “comforted of God,” we are able to extend the “comfort of the Scriptures” to others. How very much God’s people need encouragement, exhortation and consolation. “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God.” He desires “that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.” Our Lord came “to comfort all that mourn.” May He help us to know and impart the “comfort of love” and to “comfort yourselves together.”

Comfort, how much it is needed,

To encourage those in despair,

But how can we give it to them,

Unless we have ourselves been there?

2 Cor. 7:6; Rom. 15:4; Isa. 40:1; Col. 2:2; Isa. 61:2; Phil. 2:1; 1 Thess. 5:11.

May 4

“We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

Perhaps no verse of Scripture has brought more comfort and hope and peace to the hearts of God’s redeemed than has Romans 8:28. No wonder that it has been called “a soft pillow for the weary heart.” How do we know “that all things work together for good to them that love God”? Many times our circumstances are such that we feel with Jacob that “all these things are against me,” yet God’s Word assures us that “all things are for your sakes.” And we know it is true, not because we feel it, nor because we see it, but because God says so. His care for us is such that no testing or trial can come into our lives except by His permission. He “who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” permits chastening “for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” This is His purpose, and “all things work together for good ... to them who are the called according to His purpose,” and this “according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“All things”? Even the things that are bad,

The things that bruise our hearts and bring tears?

Yes, “all things” allowed and planned by Him,

Who sees both time and eternal years.

Gen. 42:36; 2 Cor. 4:15; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 12:10; Eph. 3:11.

May 5

“Your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity [love] of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth” (2 Thess. 1:3).

God wants His redeemed ones to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” and as we learn of Him our faith will be increased. For we “grow in grace” by the Word of God received into our hearts and lives, and we are admonished to “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” The faith of the Thessalonians grew exceedingly because, as Paul tells them, “ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ... not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” For “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” There is no growing faith or growth in grace apart from love for and obedience to the Word of God. And many times God permits troubles to come into our lives to test our reliance upon His Word, “that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end,” and “that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” It is thus that our “faith groweth exceedingly.”

We grow as we feed on His Word;

We grow in knowledge of the Lord,

For we find Him there revealed to us,

On the pages of God’s holy Word.

2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Thess. 2:13; Rom. 10:17; Deut. 8:16,3.

May 6

“Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, O that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, and that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested” (1 Chron. 4:10).

Notice how intensely personal is the prayer of Jabez: “Bless me ... enlarge my coast ... be with me ... keep me from evil.” His name, Jabez, means “to grieve,” but he did not want evil to grieve him. Certainly we are to “pray one for another” and “bear ... one another’s burdens” and to “look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” But how good it is that we can take our personal needs to the Lord, asking Him to “remember me, O Lord, with the favor that Thou bearest unto Thy people: O visit me with Thy salvation.” Like Jabez, we can ask the Lord to “bless me indeed,” and “blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust.” We need to request from Him enlargement in our spiritual lives, in our testimony and in our joy, for He asks us that we “be ... also enlarged.” We need that “Thine hand might be with me” continually and to pray for His enablement to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” Our personal needs are His concern, so “cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.”

He takes our testings and burdens,

When we are weary and frail;

He gives us His grace and mercy,

From His place “within the veil.”

James 5:16; Gal. 6:2; Phil. 2:4; Psa. 106:4; 40:4; 2 Cor. 6:13; 1 Thess. 5:22; Psa. 55:22.

May 7

“These are the beasts which ye shall eat ... whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud ... that shall ye eat” (Lev. 11:2-3).

We have here not only Jehovah’s instructions to Israel “to make a difference between the unclean and the clean ... the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten,” but also “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.” The clean animal “parteth the hoof ... and cheweth the cud.” Both things must be true. If the animal had one of the characteristics but not the other, it was unclean. The foot and the mouth must both be right. It is not enough to say that we know and love the Lord; our daily walk must demonstrate it. Nor is it sufficient to try to walk uprightly, without confessing the Lord Jesus with our mouth. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” God calls His own to “walk in newness of life,” and also that “your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” He tells us to “speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” and to “make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

Our feet in paths of His choosing,

Our lips filled with words of His grace,

Will point others to Christ Jesus,

Who saves all who look on His face.

Lev. 11:47; Rom. 15:4; Eph. 5:15; Gal. 5:16; Rom. 6:4; Col. 4:6; Titus 2:1; Heb. 12:13.

May 8

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

God greatly desires that the believer “be clothed with humility,” and this must be genuine, that which will stand “in the sight of the Lord,” not the put-on “voluntary humility” of one “vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.” Humility is just the opposite of pride and haughtiness, and “before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility.” Verily “pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” He “whose name is Holy” says that “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones,” for “whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” That being the case, “humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” And how do we thus “humble [ourselves] under the mighty hand of God”? The succeeding verse tells us. It is by “casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” When we do this, we are confessing that we ourselves cannot handle our cares, and we will find that “He giveth more grace ... unto the humble.”

Humble yourself in His presence,

That blessing from Him you may know;

His grace He will pour upon you,

For grace He does love to bestow.

1 Peter 5:5; Col. 2:18; Prov. 18:12; 16:18; Isa. 57:15; Matt. 23:12; 1 Peter 5:6-7; James 4:6.

May 9

“Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience” (2 Tim. 3:10).

Notice that Paul mentions his “doctrine” before he speaks of his “manner of life.” In fact, his “manner of life” came as a result of his “doctrine,” that which he believed. Let none of us make the foolish and unscriptural statement, so often heard, that it matters not what we believe, as long as we live right. The fact is that we cannot live right unless we believe right, and we cannot believe right unless we indoctrinate ourselves with the Word of God. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Before the Word of God reproves, corrects and instructs us, we must know its doctrine—we must know what it teaches. “God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” So “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine,” being “rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving,” and “hold fast the form of sound words.”

Taught from God’s Word by His Spirit,

The truth that has made me free,

From sin’s dominion and power,

That praise unto Him might be.

2 Tim. 3:16-17; Rom. 6:17-18; 1 Tim. 4:13; Col. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:13.

May 10

“This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me” (Matt. 15:8).

Could our text be true of any of us, as it was with Israel when Isaiah (29:13) spoke it and when our Lord quoted it to the Jews of His day upon earth? We live in a day when there is much profession of lip, but little godliness of life. Churchanity has taken the place of Christianity in many quarters. The name of the Lord is often heard, but the manifestation of Him in the life is too little seen, for “they say, and do not.” Such “profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him.” Assuredly, “my brethren, these things ought not so to be.” We who know the Savior “have received mercy ... [and ought to] have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” May it not be true of us that “they hear Thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” So “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Professing to know the Lord Jesus,

Yet living for time and for men,

What will it mean when we see Him

Whose blood has redeemed us from sin?

Matt. 23:3; Titus 1:16; James 3:10; 2 Cor. 4:1-2; Ezek. 33:31; James 1:22.

May 11

“I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isa. 41:13).

It is said that the Word of God contains enough “fear nots” or the equivalent to give us a new one for each day of the year. Why are there so many? Is it not because fear is so common among God’s people? It is indeed good to be able to say, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid,” but there are times, many of them, when we need His Word to “fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” Our Lord wants us to have peace in our hearts at all times and under all circumstances, and peace is the opposite of fear and worry. He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. ... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” It is His never-changing presence with us that calms our fears. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee,” so “I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” He has said that “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest,” and, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

“I will fear no evil” or hurt,

For “Thou art with me” each hour,

Leading “in paths of righteousness,”

And keeping me by Thy power.

Isa. 12:2; 41:10; John 14:27; Psa. 23:4; Ex. 33:14; Josh. 1:9.

May 12

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Cor. 9:24).

The Bible often likens the Christian life to a race, in which every believer is a participant. And “seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” If we would run so as to “obtain” a reward when we stand before Him, it will be because we are constantly looking away from ourselves and other people and circumstances, and “looking unto Jesus.” He is the Goal upon which the eyes of the runner must be steadfastly fixed. “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” With Paul, may we be able to say that “I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Let us run with patience the race,

Looking to Jesus our Goal,

Until we shall look on His face

And walk on the streets of gold.

Heb. 12:1-2; Psa. 16:8; Phil. 3:13-14.

May 13

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Tim. 2:4).

The believer is in a continual warfare; he is never a soldier on parade or on furlough. We are called to “fight the good fight of faith,” to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith.” Let us remember always that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We must ever be on the alert, “lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” Therefore, if we would resist Satan and please our Lord “who hath chosen” us, we must not be entangled “with the affairs of this life.” There is a difference in being engaged in “the affairs of this life” and being entangled with them. Even in right and legitimate things we must observe caution lest “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” in the life, for “ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

We are in a war with the devil,

But victory is on our side,

For we trust not in fleshly weapons,

But rely on the Crucified.

1 Tim. 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Eph. 6:12; 2 Cor. 2:11; Mark 4:19; Matt. 6:24.

May 14

“Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name” (Psa. 86:11).

For the believer to “live godly in Christ Jesus,” “to walk in the Spirit, and ... not fulfill the lust of the flesh,” and to “put ... on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh,” there must be godly determination to know and do the will of God, well expressed in the above prayer of David: “Teach me Thy way. ... I will walk in Thy truth.” “Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” And even when we desire to know and do His will, how fitting is the prayer to “unite my heart to fear Thy name,” for we must remember that in the saved person there is not only “the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness,” but there is also “the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” We must be able to say that “I have chosen the way of truth: Thy judgments [ordinances] have I laid before me. I have stuck unto Thy testimonies.” Thus will we find the heart united “to fear Thy name.” This will be our one purpose, and we can say with David that “one thing have I desired of the Lord,” and with Paul, “This one thing I do.”

“Unite my heart to fear Thy name,”

O Thou my Savior and Lord;

I would that I might walk in truth,

In obedience to Thine own Word.

2 Tim. 3:12; Gal. 5:16; Rom. 13:14; Psa. 25:4-5; Eph. 4:24; 4:22; Psa. 119:30-31; 27:4; Phil. 3:13.

May 15

“God ... hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Tim. 1:8-9).

“Salvation is of the Lord,” and we have been saved altogether by God’s grace. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” But He has not only saved us that we “should not perish,” though this is blessedly true; He has saved us also from that eternal doom “according to His purpose.” Elsewhere we read that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” The purpose, then, for which God has called us is that we might “be conformed to the image of His Son.” The full consummation of this will be at His coming, for “we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” But even now, God is making “all things work together for good” to that end. And as we look upon our Lord in the Word, “with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, [we] are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Changed more and more into His image,

As we gaze upon Him in the Word,

Reflecting His likeness to others,

Showing forth to them our dear Lord.

Jonah 2:9; Rom. 6:23; John 3:16; Rom. 8:28-29; 1 John 3:2; 2 Cor. 3:18.

May 16

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” (Col. 1:15).

Our Lord Jesus is “the image of God,” being “the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person.” He is also “the firstborn” of all creation. The word “firstborn” means either first in time or first in importance. In our Lord’s case, of course, it means first in importance or rank. As far as time is concerned, “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He could say that “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” But He is “the firstborn” in importance or rank. The highest place of honor in the universe belongs to Him, not only as the eternal Son of God, but also as the exalted Son of Man. God “raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” For “God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” “that in all things He might have the preeminence.”

He’s above all in heaven and earth,

The One whose right it is to reign;

Is He Lord of all to us e’en now,

As we wait for Him to come again?

2 Cor. 4:4; Heb. 1:3; John 1:1; Rev. 1:8; Eph. 1:20-21; Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:18.

May 17

“Ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

Every saved person has a responsibility toward every other true believer, for “we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Therefore we are to “bear ... one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” remembering both to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints,” and to “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep,” and to be “exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” This will cause us to seek after those “things wherewith one may edify another,” and to “look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” God’s Word tells us to “be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.” We are to “observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” We “have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Let us then be “forbearing one another in love,” not forgetting to “be ... kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

“Bear ye one another’s burdens,”

Our dear Lord says to His own;

It will make your heart more tender

Than living for self alone.

Rom. 12:5; Gal. 6:2; Eph. 6:18; Rom. 12:15; Heb. 10:25; Rom. 14:19; Phil. 2:4; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 Tim. 5:21; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:2,32.

May 18

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way” (Psa. 37:23).

The Bible often calls the Christian’s daily pilgrimage a “walk,” and we are told to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God,” and “if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” When we walk, we take one step at a time. Our days are made up of “steps,” one by one, and “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” He delights to guide our steps, as we look to Him. And He does so by His Word. “Order my steps in Thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me,” and “hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” It is written that when “the law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” Thus “righteousness shall go before Him; and shall set us in the way of His steps.” Let us walk each step in humble dependence upon the Lord, praying Him to “show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths,” knowing that “all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” and that “Thou wilt show me the path of life.” By His Word He shows us the right paths and steps for us, for “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

The Lord leads us a step at a time,

As we look to Him through the Word;

Step by step, day by day, He guideth,

Until we are home with the Lord.

Col. 1:10; Gal. 5:25; Psa. 119:133; 17:5; 37:31; 85:13; 25:4,10; 16:11; 119:105.

May 19

“Unto Thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent Thee. ... Why hidest Thou Thy face from Me?” (Psa. 88:13-14).

Many times when we pray, God does not give us an immediate answer, but exercises and enlarges our own hearts while we are “praying in the Holy Ghost” before He gives us that which we have prayed for. There are other times when our prayers are not answered because of unjudged sin in our lives, for “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Surely “the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.” Disobedience to God’s Word cuts off our fellowship with God, for “he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination,” while “the prayer of the upright is His delight.” Could it be true of us that “ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts”? So, “when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive; neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

We are to pray in the Spirit,

With hearts freshly cleansed by the Word;

We may then expect His answer,

While deep heart peace prayer affords.

Jude 20; Psa. 66:18; Isa. 59:1-2; Prov. 28:9; 15:8; James 4:3; Mark 11:25-26.

May 20

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11).

It is clear from our text that “the fruits of righteousness ... are by Jesus Christ,” and by Him alone. He said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing.” There must be continued fellowship with Him, if we bear “the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” And this delight in the Lord which brings fruitfulness in our lives comes from our delight in His Word. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” For “blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh ... neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

I would bear fruit for His glory;

I would walk with Him day by day;

I would always show forth His praise,

To those whom the Lord sends my way.

John 15:5; Gal. 5:22-23; Psa. 1:1-3; Jer. 17:7-8.

May 21

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).

There will be a special reward at the judgment seat of Christ for “all them ... that love His appearing.” It is dear to the heart of the Lord when His people “love His appearing.” He wants us to understand “what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” He wants us to understand what it will mean when His prayer is answered “that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me.” This special reward for “all them ... that love His appearing” is called “a crown of righteousness,” for the hope of the Lord’s coming, held in the heart, produces righteousness in the believer’s life. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

How will it be when He cometh,

And we look on His shining face?

Will we be eagerly waiting

For Him who has saved us by grace?

Eph. 1:18; John 17:24; 1 John 3:2-3; Rom. 13:12.

May 22

“The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20).

“The God of peace shall bruise Satan under [our] feet” when the Lord Jesus comes again. Until that time, we are exhorted to “put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil,” watching “lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” Chief among “his devices” is his effort to cast doubt upon the Word of God and the Son of God. His first recorded utterance in the Old Testament was to question the Word of God: “Yea, hath God said?” His first recorded utterance in the New Testament was to question the Son of God: “If Thou be the Son of God.” Satan’s methods have not changed. He still denies the veracity of God’s Word. He still raises questions about the deity of God’s Son. And he is a master of deception. He is “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world,” yea, “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” May we, like the church at Philadelphia, be those to whom our Lord can say that thou “hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name.” “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.” “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Satan hates the Word of God,

For the Bible spells his doom;

His power was broken by Christ,

Who died and rose from the tomb.

Eph. 6:11; 2 Cor. 2:11; Gen. 3:1; Matt. 4:3; Rev. 12:9; 2 Cor. 11:14; Rev. 3:8; Psa. 119:89; Matt. 16:16.

May 23

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psa. 23:6).

“Goodness and mercy shall follow” us always because the Lord Himself is with us, and He tells us to “let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Many of us are creatures of moods. Sometimes we feel like the Lord is near; at other times we feel that He is afar off. But our feelings have nothing to do with the facts of God’s Word. “The Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” These are the words of Him who is called “faithful and true,” for “God, that cannot lie,” has vouchsafed His presence always with His own. “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” To be sure, there are times when we are more than ordinarily conscious of His presence, but that does not make His abiding presence any more certain. It depends, not upon our consciousness of it, but upon His own Word. “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God.”

Our Lord never leaves His own;

He stands close by them, always;

Though burdens press and trials come,

He is with us all our days.

Heb. 13:5; Deut. 31:8; Rev. 19:11; Titus 1:2; Matt. 28:20; Josh. 1:9; Isa. 41:10.

May 24

“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3).

There is no such thing as a standstill in the life of a Christian. While the eternal salvation of the true believer is forever secured by the finished work of Christ, our fellowship with the Lord and our fruitfulness for Him depend largely upon our own application of the truth to our lives. So we are to “beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” This needed growth comes by the Word of God as it exercises our hearts, so, “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,” so “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection,” to that spiritual maturity which will bring honor to our Lord and blessing to us, “being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

“But grow in grace” is God’s command

To all who know and trust in Him;

Thus shall “we follow on to know,”

And thus shall things of earth grow dim.

2 Peter 3:17-18; 1 Peter 2:2; Eph. 4:14-15; Heb. 6:1; Col. 1:10.

May 25

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

The believer in Christ needs ever to remember that we are on earth as “strangers and pilgrims” and that “our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” and “here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” We are not only “strangers”—for our Lord said that “they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”—we are also “pilgrims,” for we are journeying toward heaven and glory. How very much we need the Lord’s help to “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” Like David, we need to cry, “Hear my prayer, O Lord ... for I am a stranger with Thee, and a sojourner.” Truly, “I am a stranger in the earth: hide not Thy commandments from me.” Remembering our pilgrim character and that “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world,” then “lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

I am a stranger here on earth,

Journeying to heaven so fair;

Lord, keep me from loving the world

So that it may not be a snare.

Phil. 3:20; Heb. 13:14; John 17:14; Psa. 39:12; 119:19; 1 John 2:16; Matt. 6:19-21.

May 26

“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:5-6).

Every blood-washed sinner is a priest, “having ... boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,” and is invited to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” As believer-priests, we “also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” And what are these “spiritual sacrifices” which we are “to offer up”? First of all, we are to offer ourselves, to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Then, having offered ourselves, “by Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Such is to Him “an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.”

We offer ourselves to our God,

As sacrifices living;

We are transformed, our lives are changed;

Our lives now taste of heaven.

Heb. 10:19; 4:16; 1 Peter 2:5; Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:15-16; Phil. 4:18.

May 27

“Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25).

God does not force His redeemed children to walk with Him; the choice is left to us. He tells us what the consequences will be if we live for His glory, and what they will be if we do not. He tells us plainly that “we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live,” and, on the other hand, He tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” We may “fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth,” remembering His words that “if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor,” and also remembering that “if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” So, “as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.”

We may walk with the Lord each day,

Or follow the leadings of self;

We may know His own peace and joy,

Or of them we may be bereft.

Rom. 8:12-13; Col. 3:16-17; Josh. 24:14-15; John 12:26; 1 Cor. 11:31-32; Col. 2:6.

May 28

“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

Many of us are like Martha, “cumbered about much serving,” and “careful and troubled about many things,” so much so that we forget or at least neglect the “one thing [that] is needful.” There are those “necessary things” which are connected with our life and welfare here on earth and which must claim our attention. Even with them we must be careful lest “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful,” remembering that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth,” for when “thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” But “that good part,” that “one thing ... needful,” chosen by Mary, “shall not be taken away.” She “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word,” and “the word of the Lord endureth forever.” Do not, dear Christian, let “things” choke the Word of God in your life. “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness,” and “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” and all such God-provided “things are good and profitable unto men.”

“Things” loom large on the horizon

And occupy our time and strength,

But “things” will pass away someday;

Just “one thing” will abide at length.

Luke 10:40; Acts 15:28; Mark 4:19; Luke 12:15,20; 10:39; 1 Peter 1:25; 1 Tim. 6:11; Matt. 6:33; Titus 3:8.

May 29

“God; who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Tim. 1:8-9).

“God ... hath saved us.” Salvation is the present possession of all who have trusted Christ. “He that hath the Son hath life” now. We do not need to wait until we stand before God to know if we are saved. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” For the believer to doubt that he is saved is to doubt God’s Word, for “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved,” and can say that “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” The Savior has said that “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” So “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Saved by the blood of Jesus,

Saved from our ruin and sin,

Saved for all eternity

For all who will enter in.

1 John 5:12-13; John 1:12-13; Rom. 10:9; 2 Tim. 1:12; John 10:28; 3:36.

May 30

“He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).

Not only has the true believer been saved from sin’s penalty, we are also being continually saved from sin’s power in our lives, “seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for” us. He “delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us.” “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life,” for “it is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Many times we must cry to Him for this present salvation from sin’s dominion, from pressure of trials, when we “are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” But we never cry in vain. “I am Thine, save me; for I have sought Thy precepts” ought to be our constant prayer. And whenever we cry or whatever circumstances we are under, His word comes to us: “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

Day by day He saveth me

From Satan, the world, and sin,

For Christ ever liveth above,

And the Spirit dwells within.

2 Cor. 1:10; Rom. 5:10; 8:34; 1 Peter 1:6; Psa. 119:94; Isa. 43:1-2.

May 31

“Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom. 13:11).

Everyone who knows Christ has been saved from sin’s penalty and “hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” And our Lord says of all such that “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine,” and thus we are saved from sin’s power. And we await the time of completed salvation, when we shall be saved from sin’s presence, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Though we possess a complete salvation, we do not have a completed salvation. For this we wait, and “now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Already “our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” “Ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” We wait for the “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein we greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.”

He shall come for His own one day,

Taking us home to glory;

We’ll sing His praises forever,

The sweet redemption story.

John 5:24; 17:9; 1 Thess. 4:17; Phil. 3:20-21; Rom. 8:23; 1 Peter 1:5-6.

June 1

“The Lord is my rock” (Psa. 18:2).

A rock speaks of strength and stability, of shelter and security, and the Lord is all this to His people. “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” Our Lord told of “a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” It stood upon the Lord Himself, for “He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.” So we can confidently pray: “Be Thou my strong rock, for a house of defense to save me. For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.” “When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” for “He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defense; I shall not be moved.” He is “my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge.” He is “as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land,” and “in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.” “His way is perfect. ... Who is a rock, save our God?”

A Rock strong and true is my Lord,

For He never withholds His grace,

So I’ll trust Him at this moment,

Whether He delays or makes haste.

Psa. 40:1-2; Matt. 7:24-25; Deut. 32:4; Psa. 31:2-3; 61:2; 62:6; 94:22; Isa. 32:2; Psa. 27:5; 18:30-31.

June 2

“Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Sam. 7:12).

When testings and trials come to us and we are perplexed, how easy it is to forget how God has undertaken for us in past times of distress, for “great deliverance giveth He.” Hence, “because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.” He who has so graciously helped us in the past has not changed. He reminds us that “thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee.” We can say to Him that “Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings.” “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” “I said in my haste, I am cut off from before Thine eyes: nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee.” “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God ... and my cry came before Him, even into His ears,” for “the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.” So now, in present need and distress, because “I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.”

The Lord has always been faithful;

His mercies are always the same;

He never forsakes His people,

For “Faithful and True” is His name.

Psa. 18:50; 63:7; 81:7; 61:3-4; 103:2; 31:22; 18:6; 9:9-10; 13:5.

June 3

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

God is a great giver. First of all, “He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And so, while “the wages of sin is death ... the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” “for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” But after we are saved by God’s gift, He continues to give to us. He “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.” But we need to have the right heart condition to receive His boundless gifts, “for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” And “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” Whatever our needs may be, “He giveth more grace,” for He is “the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength,” and “when He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?” “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

He giveth us grace day by day;

With mercy He meets all our needs;

He goes ahead in the pathway;

We’ll follow wherever He leads.

John 3:16; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8; James 1:5; 1 Peter 5:5; 2 Cor. 9:8; James 4:6; 1 Tim. 6:17; Isa. 40:29; Job 34:29; Rom. 8:32.

June 4

“All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee” (1 Chron. 29:14).

“What hast thou that thou didst not receive?” It is “God ... who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they may do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” Let us never think in connection with our giving that when we give a certain portion or percentage, then what remains is ours to do with as we will. The Lord not only looks at what we give, but He looks also at what we keep, and we are responsible to Him for this also. Most Christians know little about sacrificial giving to the Lord’s work, and thus we miss much blessing. The Macedonian believers were concerned about “distributing to the necessity of saints,” and “in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality,” and that because they “first gave their own selves to the Lord.” Let us remember that “he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” Let us also “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

“Give, and it shall be given … you,

Good measure, pressed down,” running o’er,

For God shall “make all grace abound,”

And shall bless thee more and more.

1 Cor. 4:7; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; Rom. 12:13; 2 Cor. 8:2,5; 9:6; Acts 20:35.

June 5

“Ye know the house of Stephanas ... that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints” (1 Cor. 16:15).

What a blessed statement this is about “the house of Stephanas.” They had “addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.” They were not commissioned by some church or board or committee; they had appointed “themselves” to such needed ministry. They had set themselves to watch for needs among God’s children and to seek to minister to those needs. And thus ministering to God’s children, they ministered to God Himself, “for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Our Lord Jesus said that “inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me,” and “whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” “Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you shall be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” Let us “by love serve one another,” pursuing those “things wherewith one may edify another.” “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others,” and thus “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”

Serving those that our Lord died for,

Considering their tears and woes,

Never seeking the praises of men,

Leaving all to that One who knows.

Heb. 6:10; Matt. 25:40; Mark 9:41; 10:43-44; Gal. 5:13; Rom. 14:19; Phil. 2:4; Heb. 10:24.

June 6

“Neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee” (2 Chron. 20:12).

Many are the times in most of our lives when we have need to say, “Neither know we what to do.” A decision to make, a crisis to face, and the pressure of circumstances over which we have no control all cause us to realize how little is our wisdom and how small is our strength. But then we have One who “is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working,” and He tells us to be “casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” His gracious word to us is to “commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Only let us truthfully say, when “neither know we what to do,” that “our eyes are upon Thee.” “Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look upon the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that He have mercy upon us.” Thus waiting, we shall not be disappointed. Our testimony shall be, “Blessed be the Lord, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him.”

“Our eyes are upon Thee,” dear Lord,

To lead us on day by day;

We know not what we ought to do;

We trust Thee to lead our way.

Isa. 28:29; 1 Peter 5:7; Psa. 37:5; 123:1-2; 28:6-7.

June 7

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

When we wholeheartedly take refuge in the Lord, with our hope and confidence in Him, then we look away from our own imagined wisdom, realizing that “it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” and that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.” But how different when we “trust in the Lord” and do not depend upon our “own understanding,” for when we “in all [our] ways acknowledge Him,” when we diligently seek His answer and His instruction, then “he shall direct thy paths,” for He has promised that “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” “Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will He teach sinners in the way. The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.” “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness.”

Our wisdom is not sufficient

For even one day below;

We acknowledge our need of grace

That we Thy guidance might know.

Jer. 10:23; 1 Cor. 3:9; Prov. 26:12; Psa. 32:8; 25:8-9; Jer. 9:23-24.

June 8

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” Our God says, “I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass?” So “cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Then, dear blood-bought saint, “let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Then, “what shall we say to these things?” “These things” referred to in Romans 8:31 tell us that “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” and that He “did predestinate [us] to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” So “hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.” “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

The dear Lord Himself is for me,

To guard and gird and guide,

And Satan himself can’t harm me

When I in Christ abide.

Psa. 27:1; 118:6; Isa. 51:12; 2:22; Heb. 13:5-6; Rom. 8:1,29; Isa. 51:7.

June 9

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth forever.” Because “wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,” “for the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver.” Let us ever remember that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” Therefore “cease from thine own wisdom,” and “be not wise in your own conceits,” for “the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” Laying aside our own imagined wisdom, we look to “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God,” for “of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom.” He gives us the right kind of wisdom, of which it is said, “He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.” “If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.” Always, “the tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright,” “and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Wisdom, not our own, but His,

Wisdom to discern His will,

Wisdom to know His leading

That we may trust and be still.

Psa. 111:10; Prov. 4:7; 2:6; 16:16; 1 Cor. 3:19; Prov. 23:4; Rom. 12:16; 1 Cor. 3:20; 1:24,30; Prov. 19:8; 9:12; 15:2; 11:30.

June 10

“Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1).

God has mercifully divided our time here on earth into days, “because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.” And every saved person can confidently say that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Whether our days on earth be few or many, we are exhorted to be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” If, like David, we can say, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple,” then we shall experience “days of heaven upon the earth,” “and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” We can confidently pray, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Truly, “thou knowest not what a day may bring forth,” but “the Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.” “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom,” for “ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Let us then “show forth His salvation from day to day.”

This day is mine to live for Him,

To trust Him each step of the way;

I know not what tomorrow brings;

He has promised only today.

Lam. 3:22-23; Psa. 23:6; Eph. 5:16; Psa. 27:4; Deut. 11:21; 33:25; Luke 11:3; Psa. 37:18; 90:12; James 4:14; Psa. 96:2.

June 11

“The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things” (James 3:5).

“The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” So “speak thou the things which become sound doctrine,” and “speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” It is written that “the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness,” and “a talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” On the other hand, “the heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.” Even so, it is well for us to remember that “whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles” and that “a soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” So “let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Words are like arrows shot forth,

With power to ruin and kill;

There’s no way to call them back;

Their pain and hurt go on still.

James 3:8; Titus 2:1; James 4:11-12; Prov. 10:32; 11:13; 20:19; 16:23; 21:23; 15:1; Col. 4:6.

June 12

“Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust” (Psa. 16:1).

The psalmist is praying that God will preserve him, that He will protect him, hedge him about, guard him from all people and circumstances that would hurt and destroy. How appropriate is his prayer, for the Lord does guard His own and guide His own and gird His own. Note how He guards His own, “that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ,” for “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. ... The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. ... The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul.” And see how He guides, for “the meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.” He says that “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” “This God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death,” and “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” And He also girds us, “for Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle.” How very much we need this daily girding by His strength. “As for God, His way is perfect. ... It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.”

He keepeth and guardeth His own;

He leads us in paths that are right;

He girds with strength for the battle;

He girdeth us with His might.

Jude 1; Psa. 121:3,5,7; 25:9; 32:8; 48:14; 73:24; 18:39,30,32.

June 13

“We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

Let not the Christian ever suppose that the world, or even carnal believers, will ever understand what it is to “live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me,” for “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” But just as our spiritual life started by faith, when we believed on Christ as Savior, so does it continue by faith. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him,” for “in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” So we live not by what we see, but by faith, for “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” and “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed.” And let us never forget that this moment-by-moment “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So “cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.”

We live by faith, and not by sight;

We trust His Word, by day and night;

His Word is sure; He cannot lie;

He begs us then His grace to try.

Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 2:14; Col. 2:6; Gal. 5:6; Heb. 11:1; 2 Cor. 4:18; Rom. 4:16; 10:17; Heb. 10:35.

June 14

“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).

There is a Man in the glory, standing between God and men, who “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men,” “for verily ... He took on Him the seed of Abraham.” “In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,” and thus “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Before He came into the world, the angel directed that “thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Jesus is His name as Man, and “we see Jesus ... crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” As He ascended back to heaven, the angelic messengers said that “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven,” and we believers “wait for His Son from heaven ... even Jesus.” “A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers ... in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock, in a weary land.”

There sits in the glory,

At the Father’s right hand,

The Son of the Father,

The blest, glorified Man.

Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:16-17; 4:15; Matt. 1:21; Heb. 2:9; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 1:10; Isa. 32:2.

June 15

“Now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).

How very far off we were before we knew God’s grace “in Christ Jesus.” We “were dead in trespasses and sins ... [and] walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation ... in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” We had “no hope, and [were] without God in the world,” “and all our righteousnesses [were] as filthy rags.” But by simple faith in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, we have “passed from death unto life” and “are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” How nigh? “He hath made us accepted in the beloved,” and “as He is, so are we in this world.” “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” It is written that “both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Our great high priest prayed “that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.”

His own are loved as He is loved,

For we stand before God in Him,

”Accepted in the beloved,”

And forgiven of all our sins.

Eph. 2:1-3,12; Isa. 64:6; John 5:24; Eph. 1:6; 1 John 4:17; 3:1; Heb. 2:11; John 17:23.

June 16

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:1-2).

The above questions are asked in view of the statement that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Is such abounding grace a cause for the believer in Christ to permit sin in his life? No! Rather, “the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again,” for He “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world,” that the Christian “no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” Our Savior “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,” and “ye were ... redeemed ... from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers ... with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God ... and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

The world, the flesh and the devil

All unite to claim our life;

God’s grace alone can deliver,

And end our failure and strife.

Rom. 5:20; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Gal. 1:4; 1 Peter 4:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Rom. 6:13.

June 17

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

How gracious is our Lord to invite us to throw over on Him all that would distract us or make us anxious, because it matters to Him about us. Our cares are of interest and concern to Him. Therefore He bids us to “trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.” So “cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Whatever distractions or worries might come, let us never forget that “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way.” To cast “all your care upon Him” is to recognize and rest in the fact that “He careth for you.” He has myriad ways to bring help to His people in any circumstances, for He is “the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” So “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God,” who has said, “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Let us rejoice that it matters to Him concerning us, and “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

It is His concern about you,

Where’er you stand in this hour,

So lay your burden upon Him

Who delights to show His power.

Psa. 62:8; 55:22; 37:23; Isa. 28:29; Phil. 4:6; Isa. 41:13; Heb. 4:16.

June 18

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Let nothing, dear Christian, come between your heart and the hope of the Lord’s imminent coming. Remember His promise that “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Pay no attention to those who say that certain prophetic events must take place before the Lord can come for His saints. We look not for events, but for Him. “Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” And heed not those who say that the tribulation, or a part of it, must first come. In speaking of that awful coming time of wrath, God’s Word assures us that “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” And refuse the legalistic teaching which says that all believers will not be raptured, but only those who have attained to superior spirituality or who are intently looking for Him, for God’s Word assures us that “we shall all be changed” at His coming. So, “now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

It may be today He shall come

To take us home to glory

To abide with Him forever,

To sing redemption’s story.

John 14:2-3; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 5:9; 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 John 2:28.

June 19

“Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it” (Psa. 90:17).

How appropriate is this “prayer of Moses the man of God,” for the Lord wants His redeemed people to show forth His beauty to those whose lives touch ours. “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ... Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” As we look at Him and to Him in the Word of God, “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

May my dear Lord be seen in me

As I live here among men;

May His image be not effaced

By my sin and self within.

1 Peter 2:9; 2 Cor. 4:6-7,10-11; 3:18.

June 20

“By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13).

Just before our Lord went back to heaven, He promised His own that “ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” This promise was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost and baptized all believers into one body. Since that time, whenever a person is born again by faith in Christ as Savior, that person then becomes a partaker of that “one baptism,” so that “by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” and every true Christian has been made partaker of the Spirit’s baptism, “for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” Thus we have great responsibility toward every other member of His body, for we are “every one members one of another,” and “none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” Therefore let us be “distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality,” and let us “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” And “let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another,” “having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

I need to consider others

Who are loved by the Lord as I,

Who have needs and burdens daily,

And whose hearts hold many a sigh.

Acts 1:5; Eph. 4:5; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 5:30; Rom. 12:5; 14:7; 12:13,15; 14:19; Phil. 2:2.

June 21

“I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

To “abide” is to “continue,” to “remain.” Obviously, it does not refer to our salvation, for the true believer will always “continue” to be saved; he will “remain” saved forever. Our Lord said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” To “abide,” then, has reference to our fellowship with the Lord, and “the fruit of the Spirit ... love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” is borne only as we “stay” in fellowship with Him. “The fruits of righteousness ... are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God,” and our Lord said, “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit,” and “if ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love,” and “if ye continue [abide] in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river ... neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

“Abide in Me,” our Savior said,

And fruit for God you will bear;

Your life will be a light for Him;

The gospel message you’ll share.

John 10:28; Gal. 5:22-23; Phil. 1:11; John 15:8,10; 8:31-32; Jer. 17:7-8.

June 22

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psa. 66:18).

Let not the Christian who has unjudged and unconfessed sin in his life suppose that God will answer his prayers. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.” “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” And, “likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands. ... Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

A heart in fellowship with God

And no unjudged sin between

May come to Him in confidence

And upon His promise lean.

Prov. 28:9; Isa. 59:1-2; Mark 11:25; 1 Peter 3:1,7,12; James 4:3; 1 John 3:22.

June 23

“The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one” (John 17:22).

Who among God’s redeemed children can even faintly comprehend what it will be like when we are in glory with our blessed Lord, “when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe”? What will it mean when “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away”? What will it be when we sing that “new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”? No, we cannot even begin to comprehend what it will be, but by faith we “reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” at His coming. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

We shall see Him in His glory,

And like Him we then shall be,

To sing and praise Him forever,

For His grace that made us free.

2 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 21:4; 5:9-10; Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:16-17.

June 24

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

The “therefore” in the above verse refers to the promise of our Lord’s coming for us in the preceding verses: “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ... Therefore ... be ye steadfast, unmovable.” The present time is a time of labor and sowing; the time of reaping will be at His coming. “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Let us therefore “be ... steadfast [and] unmovable,” settled and not stirred away from our course, remembering to “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God,” never forgetting “that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

Now is the time to serve our Lord,

Seeking to bring honor to Him;

Bearing witness to His great mercy

Makes the things of the earth grow dim.

1 Cor. 15:51-52; Rev. 22:12; 3:11; 1 Cor. 4:5; Col. 3:24.

June 25

“Thou, when Thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:6).

While the Scriptures teach that there is a place for united or public prayer, they also teach, both by precept and example, that every believer ought to be engaged often in private and personal prayer. There come needs and burdens in all our lives that we do not have freedom to discuss publicly, even for help in prayer. So “enter into thy closet, and ... shut the door.” We read of our Lord that “when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.” How encouraging it is to us to know that “the prayer of the upright is His delight” and that “He heareth the prayer of the righteous.” So let us be pointed in our praying, telling Him our every need and burden, for He has told us to “pour out your heart before Him,” and “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” And let us do this persistently, for we “ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Therefore “pray without ceasing,” and “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving,” knowing that “thy Father, which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Pray to thy Father in secret,

For He doth delight in thy prayer;

Come to the throne of His mercy,

For He always will meet you there.

Matt. 14:23; Prov. 15:8,29; Psa. 62:8; Phil. 4:6; Luke 18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17; Col. 4:2.

June 26

“He performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with Him” (Job 23:14).

Let us who seek to walk with the Lord never forget the truth expressed in the above verse. The right way to live is not by our own planning and scheming, but by simple faith in Him who says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Whatever adverse circumstances may envelop us, we can rest assured that “He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold,” for “the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” We can trust Him to lead and guide us, for “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. ... My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.” “The Lord’s portion is His people.” “I cried unto Thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living,” for “Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep Thy words.”

The Lord is the lot of my cup;

He is my portion forever,

If the sun shines bright or darkens,

It can’t my soul from Him sever.

Jer. 29:11; Job 23:10; Psa. 16:5-6; 23:3; 73:24,26; Deut. 32:9; Psa. 142:5; 119:57.

June 27

“We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

Sad to say, not all Christians can say at all times that “we preach not ourselves,” for some proclaim themselves loudly and clearly. Listen to some who speak of their faithfulness in church attendance, of their giving of their money to the Lord’s work, or even of their faithfulness in witnessing. Hear some preachers speak of their wide sphere of usefulness, of the places where they have spoken, or even of their success in winning souls. Or hear some among God’s people talk of how spiritual they are. How dishonoring to our Lord is such heralding of self, for “it is required of stewards, that a man be found faithful,” and “when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” If any service has been done for our Lord’s glory, it is because of His enabling, “for who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” Instead of proclaiming ourselves and our works, our continual attitude ought to be, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes,” for “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies ... which Thou hast showed unto Thy servant.”

Dust and ashes alone I am,

Nothing to commend me to God;

His grace alone has sought me out,

With mercy instead of His rod.

1 Cor. 4:2; Luke 17:10; 1 Cor. 4:7; Job 42:6; Gen. 32:10.

June 28

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).

That which comes out in our lives comes from our hearts, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” As far as our salvation is concerned, we are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time,” and we are “preserved in Jesus Christ.” But we are personally responsible for the keeping of our everyday lives, the keeping of the actions of our souls. Thus we are told to “keep thy heart with all diligence” and to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” Further, we are told to “keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” and to “keep thyself pure.” Moreover, “that good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us,” for the Holy Spirit alone can enable us to keep these “keeps” which are enjoined upon us by the Word of God, for it is by keeping the Word that we are so enabled. “Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” “By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.” “Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

Keep thy lips and thy feet each day,

Keep them for the glory of God,

Who is faithful to gird and guide,

By the promises of His Word.

Matt. 12:34-35; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1,21; Psa. 34:13; 1 Tim. 5:22; 2 Tim. 1:14; Luke 11:28; Psa. 17:4; 1 Peter 4:19.

June 29

“We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1).

We live in a temporary abode, a tent-house, subject to being taken down, for all of us live in mortal death-doomed bodies, and “in this [tabernacle] we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.” We know that “our earthly house of this tabernacle,” the body, is only the dwelling-place for the spirit, and that for those of us who know Christ as Savior “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord,” and that “to be with Christ ... is far better.” So death for the believer is just the entrance into the Lord’s presence, and “in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Nevertheless, “we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” While we are “willing ... to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord,” we are “earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.” Day by day, “we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.”

“To be absent from the body”

Is “to be present with the Lord,”

Where there is His “fullness of joy,”

With full harmony and accord.

2 Cor. 5:2,8; Phil. 1:23; Psa. 16:11; 2 Cor. 5:4,8,2; Phil. 3:20-21.

June 30

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

The believer in Christ has been redeemed. He has been bought out of the slave-market of sin and bought back into God’s possession. Whereas we were “sold under sin,” now “ye are not your own ... ye are bought with a price.” The purchase price was the blood of Jesus Christ, for “we have redemption through His blood,” and we are now “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” And we are not only redeemed from sin’s penalty, but also from its power, for “our Savior Jesus Christ ... gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,” and “ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Moreover, the time is coming when our bodies shall be redeemed, and the “Holy Spirit of promise ... is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” “Ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

Redeemed by His own precious blood,

To be His own forever,

Redeemed each day from sin’s power,

Nothing from Him can sever.

Rom. 7:14; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 3:24; Titus 2:13-14; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:23.

July 1

“Do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).

Sooner or later the Christian must choose whether he will “please men” or “please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” There is nothing wrong with pleasing men as long as it does not conflict with our pleasing the Lord. “Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved,” and “let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.” But this is a far different thing than loving “the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Christian slaves were exhorted (and the exhortation is applicable to all of us) to obey their masters, “not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Now, “men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,” but praise from God comes either now, in His blessings to us, or when we shall stand before Him at His coming, for “then shall every man have praise of God.” Let us, then, “look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Our Lord said that “if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.” Such life and service will please and honor Him and will be “a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.”

Not men, but God, to please and serve,

That His name might honored be;

Thus will our labors please Him well,

For time and eternity.

2 Tim. 2:4; 1 Cor. 10:33; Rom. 15:2; John 12:43; Col. 3:22-23; Psa. 49:18; 1 Cor. 4:5; Phil. 2:4; John 12:26; Phil. 4:18.

July 2

“Ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor. 3:3).

Some believe that there is no such thing as a carnal Christian, but that a person is either all out for God or not saved at all. God’s Word, however, contradicts such teaching. Paul told the Corinthian believers, “them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,” that “I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” It is a sad fact that among God’s redeemed people there are those who, because of ignorance of God’s Word or because of their own unyieldedness to the Lord, have failed to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Considering “the time” since their salvation, “ye ought to be teachers, [but] ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” A carnal Christian is not necessarily worldly in character, though this is certainly included in the designation. It may be one who has remained a “babe in Christ” and did not “follow on to know the Lord” wholeheartedly.

Carnal and sinful and barren

And living like men that are lost;

Dear Christian, take heed and hearken;

Be spiritual at any cost.

1 Cor. 1:2; 3:1-2; 2 Peter 3:18; Heb. 5:12; Hos. 6:3.

July 3

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness ... and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. ... Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:8,10).

Paul, the spiritual Christian, was one of those “that love His appearing.” Demas, the carnal Christian, “loved this present world.” Paul was living for eternity; Demas, for time. There was a time when he had faithfully stood with Paul. From the Roman prison, Paul had written to the Colossian saints that “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.” But now Demas had been ensnared by the evil age in which we live, “having loved this present world.” The Lord has plainly told us to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Such world-lovers are untrue to their Lord. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” How different with those “that love His appearing.” Such believers are not only awaiting “a crown of righteousness” at “His appearing,” they are daily “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” and “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

When we look for His returning,

Then we live for Him each day,

And the world cannot allure us,

Neither turn our hearts away.

Col. 4:14; 1 John 2:15; James 4:4; Heb. 12:2; Eph. 5:16.

July 4

“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psa. 90:10).

“Behold, Thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.” “The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.” “We know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ... For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” “As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” “Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” “My times are in Thy hand.”

My life belongs to the Lord;

It is His to take or stay,

For “my times are in Thy hand,”

Safe there from day to day.

Psa. 39:5; Job 7:6; Prov. 14:32; 2 Cor. 5:1,4; Heb. 9:27-28; 2 Cor. 5:6; Psa. 90:12; 31:15.

July 5

“Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17).

Thus our Lord prayed for His own on the night before the cross, and thus He prays for us in heaven now. His prayer that night, when He said that “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine,” was a picture of His present ministry, where He is in “heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” And “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” There in the glory He prays for our sanctification. As far as our position before God is concerned, “we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” The believer in Christ has been set apart (for that is the meaning of sanctification) to be the Lord’s forever. But He desires that our lives be continually set apart unto Him and lived for His honor and glory. “This is the will of God, even your sanctification,” and this moment-by-moment sanctification is “through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” It is the Word of God, as we learn it and obey it, that produces sanctification of life. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” May our heart attitude be that of the psalmist: “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.”

Would you have your life lived for Him?

Would you His excellencies show?

Then live by His Word each moment;

His grace He will surely bestow.

John 17:9; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 10:10; 1 Thess. 4:3; Psa. 119:11,59.

July 6

“Being fully persuaded, that what He had promised, He was able also to perform” (Rom. 4:21).

What our God has said, He will do. He is “able also to perform” every needful thing in our lives, as we look to Him by our Lord Jesus Christ, by that power “whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” The believer can say with confidence that “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day,” for “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him,” “for in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” “Unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” “Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.” And “now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church throughout all ages, world without end.”

“Able to save to the uttermost,”

”Able to make all grace abound,”

”Able to keep” all placed in His hand,

”Able to keep you from falling” down.

Phil. 3:21; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25; 2:18; Jude 24; Rom. 14:4; 2 Cor. 9:8; Dan. 3:17; Eph. 3:20-21.

July 7

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12).

While “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God ... those things which are revealed belong to us, and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law,” and there are certain things which the Lord especially wants us to know. He wants all of us who have trusted His Son to know that we are saved eternally, and “these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” Thus we can assuredly say that “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” We can also know concerning the varied circumstances of our lives, for in the plan and provision and providence of God, “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” And there is no uncertainty as we look to the future. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”

Do you know that you know the Lord,

That His blood has cleansed you from shame,

That you will be with Him in glory,

To give praise to His blessed name?

Deut. 29:29; 1 John 5:13; Rom. 8:28; 1 John 3:2.

July 8

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him” (Nah. 1:7).

Three things are here stated about the Lord: (1) He “is good,” (2) He is “a stronghold in the day of trouble,” and (3) “He knoweth them that trust in Him.” How wonderful to know that He “is good,” He is loving and gracious, He is precious and sweet, kind and bountiful. “Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will He teach sinners in the way.” And this God who “is good” is for His redeemed people “a stronghold in the day of trouble.” He is to us a defense, a fortified place to which we may flee and take refuge from that which assails us “in the day of trouble.” Many of God’s dear blood-bought children find themselves “in the day of trouble,” beset by adversity, affliction or tribulation. But “the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.” Moreover, “He knoweth them that trust in Him,” for “the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” “He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out,” and “if any man love God, the same is known of Him.”

The Lord stands by us in trouble;

His compassion is full and free;

Our defense against the devil,

Who would our destroyer be.

Psa. 25:8; 9:9-10; 2 Tim. 2:19; John 10:3; 1 Cor. 8:3.

July 9

“Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of Thy wings” (Psa. 17:8).

“Under the shadow of Thy wings.” What a blessed picture of refuge and protection. This assurance of His care is for all who have come to Him for salvation, “under whose wings thou art come to trust.” We know that we are kept and hidden by Him, and in times of trouble we can confidently pray, “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” “Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings.” And “because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.” “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” “How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.” “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. ... He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

“Under His wings shalt thou trust”;

Protection He will provide;

”In the covert of Thy wings”

I shall thus be satisfied.

Ruth 2:12; Psa. 57:1; 61:3-4; 63:7; 107:9; 36:7-8; 91:1,4.

July 10

“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him” (Deut. 32:11-12).

God does not always allow His dear children to be flourishing and prosperous and healthy, or even active. He who says that “I am God ... declaring the end from the beginning” knows what the future, both time and eternity, holds for us, and He permits those trials and sorrows and adversities which He deems best for us. How well it is pictured by the mother eagle, who, when her brood of eaglets reaches the stage where they need to learn to fly, “stirreth up her nest” and pushes out her offspring. As they fall screaming into the air, trying to use their yet not fully developed wings, she “fluttereth over her young,” and as they go downward, she “spreadeth abroad her wings” and, flying under them, “taketh them, beareth them on her wings.” And “so the Lord” deals with His people. He permits our comfortable circumstances to be stirred up; He thrusts us into situations with which we can’t cope. “The brook dried up,” or “there was given to me a thorn in the flesh.” But the Lord intervenes, saying, “I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto Myself,” assuring us that “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

Are you weary and discouraged,

And seem helpless in your need?

Our Lord will come to your rescue;

He’s a deliverer indeed!

Isa. 46:9-10; 1 Kings 17:7; 2 Cor. 12:7; Ex. 19:4; Isa. 40:31.

July 11

“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Having said that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” John now tells us that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Then he says parenthetically that “we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” This statement could only be made by John, his brother James, and Peter, who had been with the Lord Jesus on the mount of transfiguration, when He “was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.” Peter wrote about it years later, that “we ... were eyewitnesses of His majesty,” and that they heard the Father’s “voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” When our Lord came to earth, He laid aside, for the time, His glory, and “being in the form of God ... made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Now He is back with the Father “with the glory which” He had “before the world was.” And we who know Him are privileged to look upon Him in glory. “We see Jesus ... crowned with glory and honor.” And as we by faith gaze upon Him as revealed in the Word, “we ... are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

He sits in the highest glory,

The Son of God most holy;

We gaze upon Him and adore,

Soon to be there evermore.

John 1:1; Matt. 17:2; 2 Peter 1:16-17; Phil. 2:6-7; John 17:5; Heb. 2:9; 2 Cor. 3:18.

July 12

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:33).

The Christian should be careful indeed in choosing his friends, for there is no doubt that “evil” fellowships and company corrupt one’s morals and thus his whole life. To be sure, in the daily business interactions of life, we cannot help having contact “with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolators; for then must ye needs go out of the world.” But this is far different from having such people as our intimate friends, and we are to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” So “walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path,” for “what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. ... Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,” so “that thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.” Choose for your friends those to whom you can say, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Be “a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts.”

Walk, then, with those who love His name,

Who seek His honor and praise,

Whose hearts are right with God and men,

Who seek Him in all their ways.

1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:11; Prov. 1:15; 2 Cor. 6:15-17; Prov. 2:20; Psa. 34:3; 119:63.

July 13

“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).

The true measure of a Christian’s love for the Lord is his love for the Word, for our Lord said of the Scriptures that “they are they which testify of Me.” He also said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,” and “if ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” The psalmist declares that “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. ... I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word.” When our resurrected Lord walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, “He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” So, dear Christian, “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts.”

“Thy words were found and I did eat,”

And sweet to my taste were they found,

Giving me counsel and courage,

And causing His grace to abound.

John 5:39; 14:15; 15:10; Psa. 119:11,14-16; Luke 24:27; 1 Peter 2:2; Jer. 15:16.

July 14

“God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb. 6:10).

God is not like us. We forget what we would like to remember, and remember what we would like to forget. Not so with God. Concerning the sins of all those who have trusted His Son, He says that “their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” But concerning what we do for Him and His people, by His enabling grace, not one thing will be forgotten, “for God is not unrighteous to forget.” Our Lord said that “whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” He will not forget His people. “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Nor will He forget our prayers, for “He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.” And He will not “forget your work and labor of love.” It may be a labor of prayer for God’s people, as Paul told the Colossians that Epaphras was “always laboring fervently for you in prayers.” Be it what it may, “whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”

Only “a cup of cold water,”

Given in the name of the Lord,

Will meet us in His own presence,

Worthy to receive a reward.

Heb. 10:17; Mark 9:41; Isa. 49:15; Psa. 9:12; Col. 4:12; Eph. 6:8.

July 15

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Prov. 18:10).

When we hear a name, we think of the person who bears it, his character and works, what he is, and what he does. So it is with the name of our Lord, “that worthy name by the which ye are called.” To us who know Him, His “name is as ointment poured forth,” giving forth to us the fragrance of heaven. In His name alone is salvation, and “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” And in that name is safety and security for the believer, for “the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe,” and “let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.” “Our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.” In “that worthy name,” we have access into God’s presence, for our Lord said that “whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” “Holy and reverend is His name,” for “God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name.” “His name shall be called Wonderful,” “and they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.”

His name is above all others,

And by it lost men are saved;

By it we are blessed and guarded,

For it our hearts ever crave.

James 2:7; Song of Sol. 1:3; Acts 4:12; Psa. 5:11; Psa. 33:21; John 14:13; Psa. 111:9; Phil. 2:9; Isa. 9:6; Psa. 9:10.

July 16

“Not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Rom. 5:11).

The first half of Romans 5 tells us of the blessings we have because we have been “justified by faith.” Because we have trusted Christ as Savior, we have been “justified,” pronounced righteous by God. More than that, by Him “we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” and may now “come boldly unto the throne of grace.” We also “rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” as we anticipate our Lord’s coming for us and our entrance into His glory. Further, we can “glory in tribulations also,” knowing that God permits them to come for His glory and our blessing. Then “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us,” and “we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” Furthermore, we are daily “saved by His life” of intercession, from the snares of Satan, the lusts of the flesh, and the allurements of the world. But all these things, as wonderful as they are, are not an end in themselves. They lead us to Him whose grace has provided all this, and “we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We joy in Him, not just what He has done for us. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain”!

Great gifts He has provided us;

Great grace to us He has shown;

We worship Him for who He is,

For He is worthy alone.

Rom. 5:1-2; Heb. 4:16; Rom. 5:2-3,5,10; Rev. 5:12.

July 17

“Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).

Blessed is that Christian who recognizes that all his blessings are in Christ and for Christ’s sake. There is no blessing apart from Him. He “of God is made unto us wisdom,” for He is “the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” In Him “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” and He is “the only wise God our Savior.” He is our righteousness also, and God “hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” In Christ “He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,” even “the righteousness of God ... by faith of Jesus Christ.” Furthermore, “Christ Jesus ... is made unto us ... sanctification.” We are “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,” for “we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” And He “is made unto us ... redemption,” “in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood.” Let us, then, not look at ourselves or to ourselves anymore, but let us look at Him and to Him.

He has been made to me wisdom;

In His own righteousness I stand;

He has set me apart to God,

My Redeemer at God’s right hand.

1 Cor. 1:24; Col. 2:3; Jude 25; 2 Cor. 5:21; Isa. 61:10; Rom. 3:22; 1 Cor. 1:2; Heb. 10:10; Col. 1:14; Rev. 5:9.

July 18

“Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord” (Jer. 45:5).

Why should the saved person ever seek “great things for thyself” in a world that is headed toward destruction? Yet, sad to say, some of God’s people do seek “great things.” Let us keep close in our hearts that “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” The world will give us its friendship at a price, but “know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” The world will give us its fame, for a price. But if you seek it, do so remembering that “all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever.” And the world offers its fortune, but “wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” So why “seekest thou great things for thyself” in this world that despises and rejects our Savior? Rather, “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Great in the world that knew Him not?

Well-known where His name is denied?

Rather let me bear His reproach,

For nothing on earth shall abide.

1 John 2:17; James 4:4; 1 Peter 1:24-25; Prov. 23:5; Rom. 12:2.

July 19

“Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).

God wants His people to be filled, not with self, but with Himself, “being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God,” and thus “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” To “be filled with the Spirit” means to be controlled by the Spirit, to be subject to His leading in all things. And He always leads us by the Word, not by our fickle frames and feelings, causing us “to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ... that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” When we are “filled with the Spirit,” it results in “speaking to [among] yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs ... giving thanks always.” And the same results are seen being filled with the Word. “Be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” So, in order to “be filled with the Spirit,” “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”

Would you “be filled with the Spirit,”

To know and do God’s will?

”Let the Word … dwell in you richly”;

Its light will lead you on still.

Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:9-10; Eph. 3:16-19; 5:19-20; Col. 3:15-16.

July 20

“As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

We are not reading here of the glories of heaven, and we cannot now understand what it will be like when we are there in the Father’s house with our Lord. Certainly, our understanding of these things is very limited. But our verse is not speaking of future things, but of present ones, for the next verse says that “God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” He is telling us that human eyes cannot see, nor human ears hear, nor human hearts understand “the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” and which He has revealed to us in His Word. These things must be “revealed ... unto us by His Spirit,” for “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Human wisdom will not suffice; the Holy Spirit must open the Word to our hearts, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know.” That is why we have the often repeated admonition: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith,” for He, “the Spirit of truth ... will guide you into all truth.”

Not by our might nor our wisdom,

But by the Spirit of God,

We learn in God’s Word of Him,

Who has cleansed us by His blood.

1 Cor. 2:10,14; Eph. 1:18; Rev. 2:7; John 16:13.

July 21

“As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Cor. 11:26).

When we partake of the Lord’s supper, as every true believer in Christ is privileged to do, it presents to us a backward look at “the Lord’s death” and a forward look for His appearing, for we “eat this bread, and drink this cup ... till He come.” It also gives us an inward look, for “let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” There is nothing either miraculous or mysterious about the Lord’s supper. It “shows,” that is, by it we “declare,” we “preach,” we “speak of” His “death till He come.” It is a simple continuation of what our Lord did on the night before the cross, when He “took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” We take the Lord’s supper, not because it has merit, but because we love Him who said, “This do in remembrance of Me.” We look back and remember that “the Son of God ... loved me, and gave Himself for me,” we look ahead to the time when “we shall see Him as He is,” and we look into our hearts and pray, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”

We gather around His table

To remember His work for us;

We look forward to His coming,

And back to His work on the cross.

1 Cor. 11:28; Matt. 26:26-28; Luke 22:19; Gal. 2:20; 1 John 3:2; Psa. 26:2.

July 22

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20).

There are many voices today claiming knowledge in the things of God. Some speak of so-called visions, others claim to have power to heal, still others speak of experiences. How shall we discern what is right and what is wrong? How may we obey the Scripture to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good”? Is there a standard by which we may measure spiritual things? Indeed there is such a standard, and it is the Word of God, and “if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.” Not only does the Holy Spirit confess “that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh,” that “God was manifest in the flesh,” He also turns our hearts and affections to Christ and not to Himself, even as our Lord Jesus Christ said of the Holy Spirit that “He shall not speak of Himself; but ... He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” Examine every teaching that comes your way by “the law” and “the testimony.” Does it exalt an experience, a man, or self? It should exalt only Him, our Lord and Savior.

Test all things by the Word of God,

Whether they be false or be true;

He is worthy of all honor;

To Him all our praises are due.

1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1-2; 1 Tim. 3:16; John 16:13-14.

July 23

“I am the Lord; that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:8).

The Lord will not give His glory to another, whether it be “graven images” or whether it be some man, even a Christian. Any service truly done for Him is “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” We can only glorify Him as we abide in and thus draw spiritual strength from Him who said that “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” So “where is boasting then? It is excluded.” For a Christian to boast of his labors and accomplishments for the Lord is no less “the pride of life” than for a rich man to boast of his riches. Sad to say, many Christians fail to “give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name.” There are preachers who, instead of “being ensamples to the flock,” are “being lords over God’s heritage” and trying to build a little kingdom around themselves, like “Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them.” The Lord says that “My glory will I not give to another,” and “for Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted? And I will not give My glory unto another.” “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Have you done some service for Him,

And that by His help and aid?

Would the flesh glory about this,

As if by you it was made?

Zech. 4:6; John 15:4; Rom. 3:27; 1 John 2:16; Psa. 29:2; 1 Peter 5:3; 3 John 9; Isa. 48:11; 2 Cor. 4:7.

July 24

“O how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!” (Psa. 31:19).

The Lord has stored up His goodness “for them that trust in [Him] before the sons of men.” “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” Graciously “He performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with Him,” and “since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.” “Thou, O God, hast prepared of Thy goodness for the poor.” “Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” And all this is for “them that trust in Thee before the sons of men,” those who are willing, if need be, to “be reproached for the name of Christ,” those who are willing “to go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” So “blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.”

Great is the goodness of the Lord,

To those who fear His great name;

Good things He has prepared for them,

He who is ever the same.

Psa. 31:20; Job 23:14; Isa. 64:4; Psa. 68:10; 40:5; 1 Peter 4:14; Heb. 13:13; Psa. 68:19.

July 25

“This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise” (Isa. 43:21).

The Lord has designed that His people be a testimony unto Him, whether it be His earthly people Israel in the Old Testament or the church of the New Testament, His heavenly people, “that they might be unto Me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory.” Our Lord Jesus Christ “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,” and “thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself.” Thus “ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ... written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart,” and so we “have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” Be intent on “having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Thus shall you “show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Our lives a witness ought to be

Of His mercy and His grace,

That others might see Him in us,

And thus long to seek His face.

Jer. 13:11; Titus 2:14; Deut. 14:2; 2 Cor. 3:3; 4:2; 1 Peter 2:12,9.

July 26

“The Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” (Job 1:7). “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” (2 Chron. 16:9).

“Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand,” for our Lord on the cross “having spoiled principalities and powers ... made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” We need to keep our eyes closely upon the Lord Jesus, “lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices,” remembering our Lord’s words to Peter, but so applicable to us, that “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.”

The fight between God and Satan

Is over the hearts of men;

We who know Christ have victory,

Being freed from claims of sin.

1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7; Eph. 6:12-13; Col. 2:15; 2 Cor. 2:11; Luke 22:31-32.

July 27

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

“All things are yours; whether ... the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” The true believer in Christ is rich indeed, “blessed ... with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” and possessing all “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work,” “according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises.” Though “blessed with all,” we often live in spiritual poverty, because we do not claim His “exceeding great and precious promises,” which must be personally appropriated, for “every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours.” It is through His “exceeding great and precious promises” that we are, in our lives, made “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”

“Blessed with all,” yet living daily

In poverty of the soul,

Eating fragments from His table,

When we might enjoy the whole.

1 Cor. 3:21-23; Eph. 3:8; 2 Cor. 9:8; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Deut. 11:24; 1 Tim. 6:12.

July 28

“We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).

Our verse does not say that our Lord Jesus Christ “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sinning”; rather, it says, “Yet without sin.” He had no indwelling sin, such as we have. God takes great care in His Word to tell us of the absolute purity and impeccability of His Son. Not only did our Lord not sin, He could not sin, “for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man” to do evil. It may be argued that since our Lord was both God and man, the manward side could sin though the Godward side could not. But we cannot thus separate our Lord’s nature, for He is “God ... manifest in the flesh.” The law could not save or deliver from sin, but “God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” When gold is refined or tested by fire, the dross or impurities come to the top, but when pure gold is tested, there is no dross to come forth. So it was with our Lord in His temptations, and now He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities. ... Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

A high priest touched by all our need,

With mercy and grace in store,

He bids us come to meet Him there,

Where grace He gives us, and more.

James 1:13; 1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 8:3; Heb. 4:15-16.

July 29

“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever” (2 Peter 3:18).

There is no such thing as a standstill in a Christian’s life. We are either gaining ground or losing ground. We are not speaking of our salvation in Christ, for that is eternal and can never be changed or altered. Every true believer is indwelt by “the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” But in our daily life and walk, we are either going forward or backward. “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” So, “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,” “that ye henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine ... but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”

Are we going along with our Lord,

Feeding on His Word each day?

Growing stronger as we follow,

Seeking to walk in His way?

Eph. 4:30; 2 Peter 3:17-18; John 8:31-32; 1 Peter 2:2; Eph. 4:14-15.

July 30

“The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26).

Often in our prayer lives we are made aware that “we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Itself,” who is all wise, looks into our hearts and into the hearts of those for whom we pray and “Itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Sometimes, as we remember our own sins and failures, we have to say with Ezra that “I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to Thee, my God.” And many times as we think of the hardheartedness and unconcern of those for whom we pray and of situations “which are impossible with men,” how good to remember that He, “the Spirit ... maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” So let us not be discouraged as we pray. Rather, “trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us,” and “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities.”

We’re led along by the Spirit,

Pouring out our hearts to God;

He Himself helpeth our weakness,

Helping us to bear our load.

Rom. 8:26-27; Ezra 9:6; Luke 18:27; Psa. 62:8.

July 31

“Of Zebulon, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart” (1 Chron. 12:33).

Of the men that “came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him,” were these fifty thousand of the tribe of Zebulon, “which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.” What a lesson for us Christians who are engaged in warfare with Satan and his host of evil spirits, “that thou ... mightest war a good warfare.” Zebulon’s hosts were “expert in war, with all instruments of war,” even as we are exhorted to “put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” So we need “the whole armor of God”; we need “all instruments of war” which He has provided for us. And as we use them, let us “keep rank,” each one in the place of God’s assignment, without jealousy, criticism or hurt feelings toward others. And let us not be “of double heart,” for “a double minded man is unstable in all his ways,” and “no man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

With our eyes upon our Captain,

We go forth to fight the foe,

Clothed with “the whole armor of God,”

To have victory, we know.

1 Chron. 12:23; 1 Tim. 1:18; Eph. 6:11-12; James 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:4.

August 1

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

How serious are we in our reading and study of God’s Word? Do we diligently “search the Scriptures”? Do we “seek ... out of the book of the Lord, and read”? Do we “study to show [ourselves] approved unto God ... rightly dividing the word of truth”? God says that “if thou wilt receive My words, and hide My commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding ... if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” God says to us, “Receive My words ... hide My commandments ... incline thine ear ... apply thine heart.” To those who do so is the promise that “then shalt thou understand.” Can we say with the psalmist, “O how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. ... I opened my mouth and panted: for I longed for Thy commandments”? And thus shall we testify of God’s statutes, that “more to be desired are they than gold ... sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

Is God’s Word precious to your heart?

Do you love it above fine gold?

Does it fill your heart with gladness,

With hope and with peace untold?

John 5:39; Isa. 34:16; Prov. 2:1-6; Psa. 119:97,131; 19:10.

August 2

“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).

One might think that such an admonition to God’s children would not be needed, but how wrong is such a conclusion. Continually, in the church, in Christian work, and in the home, situations arise which call for kindness, consideration and forbearance, and which also call for forgiveness, for genuine offenses occur among the saints. So “let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another,” for “charity [love] suffereth long, and is kind.” If you have been offended or hurt, whenever possible “debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself; and discover not a secret to another,” but “that ye would confirm your love toward him,” “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works,” and “by love serve one another.” So “put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye,” and this “with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.”

How much we need each other’s love

To forgive us and restore;

No matter what the offense is,

Our Lord forgave us much more.

Eph. 4:31-32; 1 Cor. 13:4; Prov. 25:9; 2 Cor. 2:8; Heb. 10:24; Gal. 5:13; Col. 3:12-13; Eph. 4:2.

August 3

“If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth” (Prov. 30:32).

Only the Lord knows how many wounded hearts, hurt feelings and blasted reputations are in the world today because of words spoken hastily or thoughtlessly, for words, once spoken, can never be recalled, no matter how much they are regretted. “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself,” and are thus inclined to utter boastful words, “lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” Better “let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” “Or if thou hast thought evil” and are inclined to “speak ... evil one of another,” then also “lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,” for “death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” “Let all ... evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice,” and say with David that “I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.” Don’t let Satan mislead you into believing that if you think something, it is all right to say it. Some people pride themselves in saying what they think. Don’t do it, dear Christian! “If thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.”

“Lay thine hand upon thy mouth,”

If evil “thou hast thought,”

For words spoken hastily

Have untold evil wrought.

Prov. 27:2; James 4:11; 1:19; Prov. 18:21; 13:3; Eph. 4:31; Psa. 39:1.

August 4

“Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:9-10).

After we have “turned to God” from our sins, through His Son, who said that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me,” then we are privileged “to serve ... and to wait,” with “labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.” It is doubtful if any Christian can “serve the living and true God” rightly, unless, while so serving, he is “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And it is equally doubtful if any Christian can rightly “wait for His Son from heaven,” unless, while so waiting, he is exercising “faith which worketh by love,” for our Lord said, “Occupy till I come.” So let us “serve” in the consciousness that we are waiting, and let us “wait” in the expectation of His promise: “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be,” and with the realization that “in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

Serving and waiting for Him,

The Lord of life and glory,

Seeking to show forth His grace,

To tell the gospel story.

John 14:6; 1 Thess. 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:6; Luke 19:13; Rev. 22:12; Gal. 6:9; Col. 3:23-24.

August 5

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).

What are you seeking in life, dear Christian? What are your desires? Riches, fame, so-called security, pleasure? If so, remember that “the fashion of this world passeth away,” and that “all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever.” Our Lord Jesus said to “take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” “Things” do not satisfy, but the Lord does. “Wherefore do ye spend ... labor for that which satisfieth not?” But “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” So “rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The person who puts the Lord first in his life and walks in obedience to His Word does not have to worry about “things,” “for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee,” and “they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” Love “seeketh not her own.” So “seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness,” for “they shall praise the Lord that seek Him.”

What are you seeking, dear friend,

For pleasure, for ease, for things?

Or do you “seek those things … above,”

Which satisfaction do bring?

1 Cor. 7:31; 1 Peter 1:24-25; Luke 12:15; Isa. 55:2; Psa. 107:9; Luke 12:31; Psa. 9:10; 34:10; 1 Cor. 13:5; Zeph. 2:3; Psa. 22:26.

August 6

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation” (Psa. 68:19).

The Lord does not bless His people in a hit-and-miss fashion; He “daily loadeth us with benefits.” Sometimes He “loadeth us” with things which do not seem to us to be beneficial, but let us never forget that “He that searcheth the hearts” and “weigheth the spirits” “knoweth what things ye have need of,” and “faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” As the king of Babylon dealt with Jehoiachin, so our Lord Jesus Christ, “the King of kings,” deals with us, with a “continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.” He has promised that “My loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail.” “The Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” Moreover, “as thy days, so shall thy strength be,” and “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” “Daily shall He be praised,” “because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.”

Day by day His mercies come;

He giveth strength for the way;

Hour by hour He blesseth us,

Giving us His grace each day.

Rom. 8:27; Prov. 16:2; Matt. 6:8; 1 Thess. 5:24; 1 Tim. 6:15; 2 Kings 25:30; Psa. 89:33; Isa. 58:11; Deut. 33:25; Psa. 23:6; 72:15; Lam. 3:22-23.

August 7

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:25).

Imperfect as we all are, we greatly need the exhortation and encouragement of other Christians, for “now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” So “exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” “Where two or three are gathered together in My name,” said our Lord, “there am I in the midst of them.” By God’s grace, “I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts.” And we need each other’s fellowship and encouragement all the more “as ye see the day approaching.” While we are not looking for signs but for the assembling shout of our Lord, we cannot but see the shadows of things to come, reminding us that “now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light,” thus “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

The darkness is almost over;

Soon the Morning Star will arise;

We shall go to the realms of light,

When we meet Him up in the skies.

1 Cor. 12:20-21; Heb. 3:13; Matt. 18:20; Psa. 119:63; Rom. 13:11-12; Eph. 5:16; 1 Peter 4:7.

August 8

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings” (Phil. 2:14).

How often, sad to say, we Christians grumble and complain, either thoughtlessly or willfully ignoring the fact that the Lord has permitted the circumstances about which we murmur and complain. “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot,” and to murmur and complain is to say, in effect, that God has made a mistake. We may try to keep our murmuring private, as the children of Israel “murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord,” or we may even do it in our hearts, without outward expression, but it is not hidden from Him who “looketh on the heart,” for “Thou understandest my thought afar off.” One of Israel’s anticipated blessings during the millennial reign of our Lord is “that there be no complaining in our streets,” and God’s Word to us now is “neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” So “use hospitality one to another without grudging [murmuring],” and “grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door,” but let there be “rather giving of thanks.”

I need not murmur nor complain;

The Lord has determined my lot;

He assigneth me my portion,

Blessings that cannot be bought.

Psa. 16:5; 106:25; 1 Sam. 16:7; Psa. 139:2; 144:14; 1 Cor. 10:10-11; 1 Peter 4:9; James 5:9; Eph. 5:4.

August 9

“I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him” (Zech. 12:10).

In that coming day when national Israel shall repent and be converted at our Lord’s return to earth, when “there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,” the Holy Spirit will be unto them “the Spirit of grace and of supplications.” He is that now to all of us who know the Lord Jesus, for He indwells every believer, and “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” He is “the Spirit of grace,” imparting to us “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and enabling us to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” and to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” Thus are we “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” And He, the blessed Holy Spirit, is also “the Spirit of ... supplications,” causing us, as we yield to the Lord, to be “praying in the Holy Ghost,” and to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” And as we “walk in the Spirit,” He will cause us to look on that Pierced One with hearts made contrite by His love and grace.

The Spirit who indwelleth me

Is the Spirit of God’s grace,

Leading me in supplication,

For all who’ve entered the race.

Rom. 11:26; 8:9; 2 Cor. 8:9; 2 Tim. 2:1; Eph. 6:10; Eph. 3:16-17; Jude 20; Eph. 6:18; Gal. 5:16.

August 10

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

“A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” Therefore let “no man ... be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.” So, “beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” In that soon-coming glory “ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” with “no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither ... any more pain.”

Tested and tried with pressures,

Till it seems you can’t endure,

God’s purpose is not to hurt,

But to make you clean and pure.

John 16:21-22; 1 Thess. 3:3; 1 Peter 4:12-13; 1:6-7; Rev. 21:4.

August 11

“He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men” (Lam. 3:33).

For every testing and trial that comes to His children, God has a purpose. “For a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations,” and “it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” The psalmist testified that “before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept Thy word,” and “it is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes.” He further said that “I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” God works through tribulations and tears to bring His own into closer fellowship with Himself. “Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn Thou me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented.” “Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

A long road and a heavy trial

May be your lot here below,

But your loving Lord is near you

To help you His grace to know.

1 Peter 1:6; 3:17; Psa. 119:67,71,75; Jer. 31:18-19; Heb. 12:9-10; Isa. 41:13.

August 12

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity” (Psa. 37:1).

It is not the “evildoers” who cause us to fret, to blaze up and be incensed. Our text verse says to “fret not thyself.” We cannot blame our fretting on others, no matter what they do or how evil they are; we are personally responsible for it. And God has provided the remedy for it. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” We are not to be incensed, we are not to “fret” over the possessions, the position, the prominence, or the popularity “of evildoers.” Rather, we are to “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” So “fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked.” Let us, then, not blame our fretting on others or on circumstances. God holds us personally responsible for it. “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil,” for “an angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.” On the other hand, “he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly,” and “he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty.”

Why should I vainly fret myself

When only evil it can bring?

His grace is mine to prevent it,

So then will I trust and sing.

Psa. 37:7; Prov. 24:19; Psa. 37:8; Prov. 29:22; 14:29; 16:32.

August 13

“Lord, in trouble have they visited Thee; they poured out a prayer when Thy chastening was upon them” (Isa. 26:16).

Is it not sad that many Christians have to be forced to pray? As long as things go well and there is no special pressure or trouble, we so easily forget to “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Many are those who, in prosperity and health, have “rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High: therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.” How gracious of the Lord to deal thus with His people, after we thus neglect Him and His Word, and thereby bring trouble upon ourselves. But “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.” It is a dangerous thing for the Christian to walk afar off from the Lord and to neglect prayer. “Beware ... lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses ... and all that thou hast is multiplied,” that then “thou forget not the Lord thy God.”

When all goes well with the Christian,

He may see no need to pray,

But when hardships and trouble come,

Then there is no other way.

Col. 4:2; Psa. 107:11-13; 103:10-11; Deut. 8:11-14.

August 14

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

No one can be saved unless he comes to the Father by the Son, for “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,” and “whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” But the words of our Lord are equally true in our prayer lives, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me,” “for through Him we ... have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” We have no merit of our own, no matter how spiritual we may be. We must, with Ezra, confess that “I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to Thee, my God.” But, thanks be unto God, “having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,” “let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Our Lord offers our prayers to God with the sweet savor of His own Person and work, and they are accepted for His sake. He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you,” for “no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

God hears our prayers for Jesus’ sake,

Because of the work He’s done;

We may, then, come boldly to Him

For the sake of His dear Son.

Acts 4:12; 1 John 2:23; Eph. 2:18; Ezra 9:6; Heb. 10:19; 4:16; John 16:23.

August 15

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (Psa. 42:5).

There come times in the lives of most of God’s children when we have to say that “O my God, my soul is cast down within me,” when we feel that “deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me.” When we are tired and weary, Satan takes advantage of us and seeks to discourage and depress us, as Amalek smote Israel “when thou wast faint and weary.” When we fail the Lord, even though we know that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” we are nevertheless oftentimes “cast down.” When we are in the midst of adverse and trying circumstances, we are prone to be “cast down” and “disquieted.” Let us remember that we may be “persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” But “why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?” “He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee”; He “forsaketh not His saints.” “Yet the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.”

Are you “cast down” and “disquieted”?

Do things seem to be all wrong?

The God who loves and who saved you

Can fill your heart with His song.

Psa. 42:6-7; Deut. 25:18; 1 John 1:9; 2 Cor. 4:9; Deut. 31:6; Psa. 37:28; 42:8.

August 16

“The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

“He said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” “Men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.” There are “men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness,” who “lay up for [themselves] treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal,” while God has said to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” When “thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall these things be, which thou hast provided?” “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” “The wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.” So “having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Men will praise you when you do well,

And heap up silver and gold,

But only that done for Christ will last;

In Him are riches untold.

Luke 16:15; Psa. 49:18; 1 Tim. 6:5; Matt. 6:19-21; Luke 12:20; Isa. 55:8-9; Psa. 10:3; 1 Tim. 6:8.

August 17

“Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Cor. 4:5).

“We [believers] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad,” for “every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” The Christian’s character and service will be shown in its true light, for “the Lord ... will bring to light the hidden things of darkness.” All that which has been done in human strength and for the praise of men will be exposed and will be seen as “wood, hay, stubble,” to be devoured by the fire. On the other hand, “the Lord ... will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” It will be seen that many things which have seemed small in the eyes of men are worthy of reward, because the will and purpose of the heart was to please and honor the Lord, who said that “if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.”

Is our service one of gladness,

Seeking to honor His name?

If not, there awaits us sadness,

Standing before Him in shame.

2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:13; 3:12; John 12:26.

August 18

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 6:1).

We who know the Lord ought to do all the good we can at all times to all men, “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” And “as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” But we ought to do so as quietly and unobtrusively as possible, “as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Our “alms,” our compassion, shown and done out of our love for the Lord and because of what He has done for us, ought to be done for Him, and not because we want to impress men. “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites ... that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.” Shall we “receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?” “For not He that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth,” so “that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

Do we want to be seen of men?

Then their praise is our reward;

But if our service is for Him,

We shall glorify the Lord.

Eph. 5:16; Gal. 6:10; Col. 3:23; Matt. 6:2-4; John 5:44; 2 Cor. 10:18; 1 Cor. 1:29.

August 19

“We dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12).

How sad it is that among the blood-bought children of God, among us who ought to be saying that “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing,” there are “some that commend themselves,” while God warns us “not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” There are “some that commend themselves” by telling of their spirituality. But spirituality that must be advertised to be seen is not spirituality. There are among God’s servants “some that commend themselves” by telling of the scope and success of their ministry and how much more they have accomplished than others, “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves.” Such “are not wise.” By thus “measuring” and “comparing,” we show how little we know of Him, who is “meek and lowly in heart.”

Nothing in which we can glory,

All our help comes from above,

Where our Lord is praying for us

And covers us with His love.

Rom. 7:18; 1 Cor. 4:6-7; Matt. 11:29.

August 20

“Hide thyself” (1 Kings 17:3).

These words, spoken by the Lord to His servant Elijah, after Elijah had predicted the three-and-a-half years’ drought to wicked King Ahab, were for the prophet’s own protection. “Hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.” But how timely to all of God’s children are the words “hide thyself.” The old self-life in us wants to be seen and ministered to always. Therefore God’s Word tells us to “let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” So “if ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth,” for “ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man.” Therefore “hide thyself,” “and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.”

Sinful and depraved and ugly

Is all that I am in my own,

But Christ Jesus lives in my heart,

And He gives victory alone.

1 Kings 17:3-4; Phil. 2:3-4; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:1-2,9-10; Psa. 90:17.

August 21

“Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Col. 3:17).

This is the right way to measure “whatsoever ye do,” whether it be “in word or deed.” How may the Christian know whether it is right to do a certain thing, or whether it is wrong? Whether to say certain things, or to refrain from saying them? We can know, if we are willing, whether or not our words and actions will honor the name of the Lord Jesus. “Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” Then “only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ,” “that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ: to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.” So “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” This principle will settle many a problem for the willing heart who desires “that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.” “Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him.” So “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

Our words and our actions show us

If our aim is to please the Lord,

Or whether our life is for self

In disobedience to the Word.

Phil. 1:27; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Tim. 2:4; Rom. 14:17-18; 2 Cor. 5:9; Col. 3:23.

August 22

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).

A Christian’s prayer life is a reliable barometer of his spiritual condition. The neglect of prayer indicates that the soul is at a low ebb of spiritual power, for God’s Word tells us to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” The believer’s attitude ought always to be that “I give myself unto prayer,” for “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” and, moreover, “the prayer of the upright is His delight.” “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty,” and we are told to “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” “My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.” “As for me, I will call upon God. ... Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Let us, like Epaphras, be “laboring fervently ... in prayers.”

Prayer is a struggle and battle,

That must come from the very heart,

As we pray for those about us,

To have help to quench Satan’s darts.

Eph. 6:18; Psa. 109:4; James 5:16; Prov. 15:8; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; Phil. 4:6; Psa. 5:3; 55:16-17; Col. 4:12.

August 23

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

This is not a verse telling people how to be saved, for it is in a letter “written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” So “if we [believers] confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a blessed promise, needed by all of us who know the Lord, for “if we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” But many times, especially when we are cast down because we have sinned and failed the Lord, Satan causes us to think that the Lord has not really forgiven us and that we must continue to confess the same sin over and over. Such doubt dishonors God, for “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If He instructs us to forgive each other “until seventy times seven,” will He do less for His own? So when we truly repent of and confess our sins, let us remember, thankfully, that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”

We must confess to Him our sins

If His fellowship we would share;

He’s faithful to forgive and cleanse,

With mercy enough and to spare.

1 John 5:13; 1:10; Matt. 18:22; Psa. 51:17.

August 24

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8).

God’s grace “abounds” toward His own, there is an “abundance” of it, and “if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” How much grace does God have? How much is “abundance”? The same word that is translated “abundance” is also translated “enough and to spare,” and “over and above.” God has for His people grace “enough and to spare.” He has “over and above” that which all His people will ever need. No wonder that He says that “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Since He “is able to make all grace abound toward us,” we are assured of “always having all sufficiency in all things.” “And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” “By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” “We then ... beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

His grace is abundant and free

For all the needs of our lives;

Let us draw upon it daily;

It will make us strong and wise.

Rom. 5:17,20; Luke 15:17; John 6:13; 2 Cor. 12:9; John 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:1.

August 25

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Col. 2:8).

When God’s Word tells us to beware of something or someone, we do well to take heed and to be very cautious. We do well as Christians to beware of that fondness for so-called wise things, that philosophical view of things that can cause us to think that wisdom is spirituality, when God has told us to “be not wise in your own conceits,” since “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” This is not the humble desire for more knowledge of God and His Son from the Word of God, but rather “after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Our Lord warned of such men when He said to “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Peter warns us that “there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you.” We do well to “beware of dogs [unclean false teachers], beware of evil workers [who teach salvation by works], beware of the concision [who teach salvation by ordinances].” So “beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.”

Beware of all that which takes away

Honor and glory from the Lord,

Which exalts man’s wisdom above

What God has told us in His Word.

Rom. 12:16; 1 Cor. 3:19; Matt. 7:15; 2 Peter 2:1; Phil. 3:2; 2 Peter 3:17.

August 26

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psa. 23:1).

There can be no lack in the life of one who can truly say, because he has been redeemed, that “the Lord is my shepherd,” because “there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” This does not mean that we may have everything that we might desire; it does mean that we shall not lack anything that would be for God’s glory and our blessing. In all our circumstances, though they be adverse, we hear Him saying that “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” “for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect [full] toward Him.” We may have need of prosperity or we may have need of adversity, “but my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” He who is “the God of all grace” shall “make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” Never forget that “the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly,” for “the Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

The Lord Jesus is my Shepherd,

And I am one of His sheep;

No evil can hurt or harm me;

He is faithful to guide and keep.

Psa. 34:9-10; 2 Cor. 12:9; 2 Chron. 16:9; Phil. 4:19; 1 Peter 5:10; Psa. 84:11.

August 27

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

“Christ in you”! Who among God’s redeemed children can fathom it! “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” Yet God’s Word assures me that “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Our Lord promised that “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth. ... If a man love Me, He will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” Paul’s prayer for the saints is “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ... and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” “Christ in you.” “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”

Christ lives within me:

Oh what grace! More than my heart can comprehend;

Such knowledge fills me with His love;

I long to serve Him to the end.

Psa. 139:6; Gal. 2:20; John 14:16-17,23; Eph. 3:16-19; Rom. 11:33.

August 28

“Ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:10).

False teachers at Colosse were saying, as they still do in our day, that our Lord Jesus Christ was not “God ... manifest in the flesh,” but only a created being. But God tells us that “in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” that He “is the head of all principality and power,” and that “He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.” And it is in this blessed and glorious One, who “sitteth on the right hand of God,” that we are complete. The forgiveness of our sins is “complete in Him,” “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Our justification is “complete in Him,” for “by Him all that believe are justified from all things.” Our acceptance before God is “complete in Him,” “to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” And our access to God is “complete in Him,” “by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.” Of ourselves we must say that “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” But in Him “dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” and “ye are complete in Him.”

“Complete in Him,” how rich I am,

Standing before God in Christ,

Freely forgiven for His sake,

Accepted and loved likewise.

1 Tim. 3:16; Col. 2:9; 1:18; 3:1; Eph. 1:7; Acts 13:39; Eph. 1:6; Rom. 5:2; 7:18.

August 29

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

The Christian may well fear Satan, for “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” On the other hand, as we depend upon the Lord, we need not fear Satan, for he is a defeated foe. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil,” and “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.” Our Lord has “overcome him” and “divideth his spoils” with us, His redeemed. “Having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Now, “thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is “through our Lord Jesus Christ” alone that we can overcome the evil one. Our response to Satan must ever be: “The Lord rebuke thee.” Then, always at the right time and in the right way, “when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”

Helpless and needy do we stand

In array against our foe,

But our dear Lord is on our side,

And He helps us here below.

1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 3:8; Luke 11:21-22; Col. 2:15; 1 Cor. 15:57; Jude 9; Isa. 59:19.

August 30

“It went ill with Moses for their sakes: because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips” (Psa. 106:32-33).

“Moses ... spake unadvisedly with his lips” because the children of Israel “provoked his spirit,” for “the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying ... Why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?” So, instead of obeying the Lord’s command to “speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water,” Moses took honor unto himself, and Aaron, and said, “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? ... And with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly.” But “it went ill with Moses for their sakes,” and he was not allowed to enter the promised land. Let us never falsely imagine that because some circumstance or some person provokes us, God holds us less responsible for our actions or words. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city,” and “he that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Let us, then, “be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Speak not when in provocation,

Lest you speak wrong things and sore;

Words that come from provoked spirits

Will bring trouble more and more.

Num. 20:3-4,8,10-11; Prov. 16:32; 25:28; James 1:19.

August 31

“I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12).

Paul wrote the above words from the Roman prison, where he was in chains and cut off from active ministry. The Philippian saints had sent him a gift by the hand of Epaphroditus, who had evidently expressed to Paul the sorrow of his Philippian friends that he was imprisoned and that the gospel was thus being hindered. Paul assures them “that the things which happened unto me” had not hindered the gospel, “but have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.” Thus it is with us also. Many times it seems “that the things which happened” in our lives, over which we have no control, have thwarted God’s purposes and have hindered our testimony for the Lord. But let us not forget that the Lord has permitted our circumstances and has assured us “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” However man opposes, still God “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will,” “for we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” So whatever our circumstances and our limitations, if they are truly committed to Him, He will cause them to fall out “unto the furtherance of the gospel.”

Hindered and thwarted on all sides,

Our labors seem small and few,

But He who holds all things in hand

Sees things from a different view.

Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:11; 2 Cor. 13:8.

September 1

“He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach” (Mark 3:14).

Note that the twelve apostles were chosen first “that they should be with Him,” and then “that He might send them forth to preach.” Sad to say, many of us Christians seek to go out in service for the Lord before we have been in His presence in fellowship and worship, and thus our service is fleshly, and also without any abiding results. Our Lord said, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” It was only after Isaiah said that “mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,” that he could say, “Here am I, send me.” Is this not the reason for much of our spiritual powerlessness? We think that we must always be doing something. We forget that the Lord not only said, “Go ye”; He also said, “Come ye yourselves apart.” “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” They “shall go in and out.” Let us be sure that we go in unto Him before we go out to others. Then we can say, “I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only.”

We have no message to carry,

Except it come from the Lord,

As we tarry in His presence,

And feed our hearts on His Word.

John 10:9; Isa. 6:5,8; Mark 16:15; 6:31; Isa. 40:31; Psa. 71:16.

September 2

“Who hath despised the day of small things?” (Zech. 4:10).

That little favor shown to one in need, that kind word spoken to a discouraged soul, that word of witness to our Lord, quietly spoken, that time spent in secret prayer, how much are these small things worth? They are worth much to Him who said that “whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” We live in a day of so-called big things in spiritual circles. There are so-called “super-churches” with multitudes of people in them. Many evangelists tabulate figures to show their success. Bigness is equated with spirituality, and Christians are told that unless they are “productive” they are failures. Many is the one “who hath despised the day of small things.” But God has not “despised the day of small things.” Whatever little thing is done for the Lord, He still says, as He did of Mary of Bethany, “She hath done what she could,” and “inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much,” and “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name.”

That little deed done for the Lord,

Perhaps unnoticed by men,

Stands eternally in heaven,

And does His approval win.

Mark 9:41; 14:8; Matt. 25:40; Luke 16:10; Heb. 6:10.

September 3

“You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

Apart from Christ, all are spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins.” In the Garden of Eden, “the Lord God commanded the man, saying ... of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” But “the woman ... took of the fruit ... and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” so we hear the Savior saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,” and “we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” So “neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

Dead to God, without any hope,

In Adam, condemned and lost,

But now alive in Christ Jesus,

Redeemed at so great a cost.

Gen. 2:16-17; 3:6; Rom. 5:12; John 5:24; Col. 2:13; 1 John 3:14; Rom. 6:13.

September 4

“Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God” (Isa. 50:10).

There come times of perplexity in the lives of all of God’s children, when we know not which way we should turn, nor what we should do. The above verse does not apply to one who refuses God’s will, but to one “that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant,” who is the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” There are times when we must have immediate light on a situation, and we pray, “Bow down Thine ear to me; deliver me speedily.” At other times, for our good and His glory, He permits us to be “in darkness” and to have “no light.” In such times as that, “Thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” Beware of trying to make your own light by human wisdom and ingenuity. “Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of Mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” So “wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Are we groping in the darkness,

With no light to show us the way?

Wait upon “the God of all grace”;

He will change your night into day.

John 8:12; Psa. 31:2; 18:28; Isa. 50:11; Psa. 27:14.

September 5

“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty” (Prov. 11:24).

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” So “honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

What we lay in store in heaven

Is secure forevermore;

It cannot be marred or stolen;

Thieves cannot enter that door.

Matt. 6:19-21; 1 Tim. 6:7-8; Prov. 3:9-10; 11:25; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Prov. 13:7; Acts 20:35.

September 6

“The house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).

The stones for Solomon’s temple were sized and shaped before being brought to the temple site, “before it was brought thither.” God is presently building a temple also, a temple made of “lively stones ... built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” We believers, “as lively stones,” are being “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.” One day these stones will be “brought thither,” at “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ... our gathering together unto Him,” and then it will be seen that each “living stone” was “made ready before it was brought thither.” This is why God sometimes permits His redeemed ones to be “troubled on every side ... distressed ... perplexed ... persecuted ... cast down.” So “think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you ... but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

A temple built of living stones

Has God designed us to be,

Shaped by the pressures of this life,

Fitted for eternity.

1 Peter 2:5; Eph. 2:20-21; 2 Thess. 2:1; 2 Cor. 4:8-9; 1 Peter 4:12-13.

September 7

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16).

“Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” for “if we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin,” so “that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him,” for “we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” So shall “ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” and “walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory.” “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.”

If we “walk in newness of life,”

Looking carefully how we tread,

We honor and glorify Him,

Our Lord who was raised from the dead.

Eph. 5:8; 4:17; 1 John 1:6-7; Col. 1:10; 2:6; Rom. 6:4; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:12; 1 John 2:6.

September 8

“Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away” (Ex. 8:28).

This was Pharaoh’s response to the request of Moses to let the children of Israel “go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He shall command us.” The “three days” speak of death and resurrection, and God wants those who have been “redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ” to “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Satan will say to us regarding our separation that “ye shall not go very far away.” In other words, “Don’t be too spiritual.” But God says, “Go three days’ journey into the wilderness,” remembering that by “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ... the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

How close to the world may I walk,

And still bring glory to God?

The world that crucified God’s Son

And hates those who trust God’s Word.

Ex. 8:27; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Rom. 6:11; Gal. 6:14; Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 5:11.

September 9

“The chiefest among ten thousand” (Song of Sol. 5:10).

“Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God hath blessed Thee forever,” for “being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” “His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. ... And hath put all things under His feet.” “Never man spake like this Man.” “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and “my Lord and my God,” “who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” “I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save,” “a just God and a Savior; there is none beside Me.” “What then shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ?”

The dear and lovely Son of God

Bore our sins upon the tree;

What then will you do with Jesus,

Who suffered to set you free.

Isa. 9:6; Psa. 45:2; Phil. 2:8-11; Eph. 1:19-20,22; John 7:46; Matt. 16:16; John 20:28; Gal. 2:20; Isa. 63:1; 45:21; Matt. 27:22.

September 10

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

“The Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding,” and “when wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.” “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” “Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” and “of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom.” “Be not wise in your own conceits.” “For this cause we ... pray for you ... that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,” “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” “Where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding. ... Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”

Wisdom is found only in Him;

It is not native to man;

He wants to guide and direct us,

And as we submit He can.

Prov. 2:6,10-11; James 3:17; Col. 2:2-3; 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 12:16; Col. 1:9; Eph. 1:17; Job 28:12,28; Rom. 11:33.

September 11

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him” (James 1:12).

“The man that endureth” under trials and testings, who suffers patiently, will have due reward at the judgment seat of Christ, “when he is tried,” for it is written of us Christians that “every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” And for the enduring believer, “when he is tried,” then “he shall receive the crown of life.” This is not eternal life itself, for we do not earn that by enduring; we receive it as a gift. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” and “he that hath the Son hath life.” It is rather “the crown of life,” a reward for faithfulness under trial, “which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him,” for there must be such love in our hearts to enable us to be “rejoicing that” we are “counted worthy to suffer shame for His name,” and “if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God,” for “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

The Lord looks down upon His own,

Who patiently toil and weep;

”The crown of life” is promised them;

His Word He will surely keep.

1 Cor. 3:13; Rom. 6:23; 1 John 5:12; Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 2:20; 2 Tim. 3:12.

September 12

“If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of Thy children” (Psa. 73:15).

Asaph had been sorely troubled about “the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” It seemed to him that “I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For,” he says, “all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.” It was not until he “went into the sanctuary of God” that he “understood ... their end.” But though these doubts arose in his mind, he kept them to himself, lest “I should offend against the generation of Thy children.” How well it is that we believers keep our doubts and fears to ourselves, lest we should offend others who are seeking to walk with the Lord. “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” Share your joys and victories; keep your doubts to yourself. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man,” and “let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Tell your doubts to the Lord alone; “pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.”

Do doubts and fears distress your soul?

Cast them on the Lord in prayer;

Tell not to men your heart’s doubtings;

God alone can bear your care.

Psa. 73:12-14,17; Prov. 30:32; Col. 4:6; Eph. 4:29; Psa. 62:8.

September 13

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Cor. 10:23).

There are many things in life of which we may partake without committing sin. But some of these seemingly harmless things may impede our spiritual progress and therefore “are not expedient.” Certain attitudes and habits and companionships do not contribute to our spiritual well-being; they are not conducive to a close walk with the Lord. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God,” making sure that we are not “choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” “Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.” “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” “Do all to the glory of God.”

I have liberty in the Lord

To live a life that is free,

But His love holds me in bondage,

And constrained my life must be.

Gal. 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16; Luke 8:14; 2 Tim. 2:4; 1 Cor. 8:9; 6:12; 10:31.

September 14

“I cried unto Thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living” (Psa. 142:5).

“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.” “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” and “the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” “Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us,” for “in God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” So “I will sing of Thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning: for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.” We “have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us ... even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.” “O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction.” “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.”

He is my refuge in trouble;

To Him I can flee for aid;

He giveth His grace to succor,

He on whom my sins were laid.

Psa. 9:9-10; 46:1; Deut. 33:27; Psa. 57:1; 62:7-8; 59:16; Heb. 6:18,20; Jer. 16:19; Psa. 91:2.

September 15

“My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord” (Psa. 104:34).

How spiritually profitable it is for the Christian to muse and ponder over God’s Word. “Blessed is the man” whose “delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Thus “my meditation of Him shall be sweet,” for the Word speaks of our blessed Lord and Savior who, journeying with the two Emmaus disciples, “expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” So when we meditate upon the Word, we are, in fact, meditating upon Him. “I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.” “I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.” So, “give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation,” and “I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.” Meditation then produces prayer and testimony and contributes to a godly life, for “I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways.” “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Ponder well the Word of the Lord;

Muse and meditate therein,

For God’s Word turned o’er in the heart

Will armor the soul from sin.

Psa. 1:1-2; Luke 24:27; Psa. 63:6; 143:5; 5:1; 77:12; 119:15; Josh. 1:8; Psa. 119:97.

September 16

“The commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Prov. 6:23).

The Christian who will not be reproved shows that he is “wise in his own conceit,” for “he is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth,” and “whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.” “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored,” and “he that regardeth reproof is prudent.” While “a scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise,” yet “when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.” So “hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” The Lord says that “because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all My counsel, and would none of My reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh,” for “he, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for ... reproof.”

Will you not let your soul hear truth

That reproves and shows the way?

Will you stubbornly resist it,

As God pleads from day to day?

Prov. 26:5; 10:17; 12:1; 13:18; 15:5,12; 21:11; 19:20; 1:24-26; 29:1; 2 Tim. 3:16.

September 17

“I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psa. 34:1).

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” for “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” So “by Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name,” for “it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High: to show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.” It behooves us who have been redeemed to praise His name, for “He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” So “rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright,” and the Lord says that “whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.” Let us then, by His enabling grace, “in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”

“Praise is comely for the upright,”

From the heart that’s been made new,

Praise for mercies freely given,

Sent down on us as the dew.

Eph. 5:20; Rom. 8:28; Heb. 13:15; Psa. 92:1-2; 40:3; 33:1; 50:23; 1 Thess. 5:18; Psa. 104:33.

September 18

“Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

A good runner does not have his eye upon the other contestants in the race, but on the goal, and we who know the Lord as Savior, and are thus in the Christian race, should be constantly “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. ... I therefore so run, not as uncertainly ... but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” for a reward. “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy.” “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” “Draw me, we will run after Thee.”

I would run the race with patience,

To honor my Savior-Friend,

Looking off always to Jesus,

A reward for Him to win.

Heb. 12:2; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Acts 20:24; Phil. 3:13-14; Song of Sol. 1:4.

September 19

“As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man” (Prov. 27:19).

Just as one may see his face reflected in water, so, as he looks into his own heart, he sees that which is also in the hearts of others. As far as any inherent righteousness is concerned, we “are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God,” “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” As for us who are saved by God’s grace, we all still have to confess that “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not.” Do we excuse things in ourselves which we condemn in others? If things are sinful in others, they are sinful in us also. If things permitted by others seem hateful or questionable, they are hateful and questionable in us too. “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man ... for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” And as we long in our own hearts for understanding and comfort and encouragement, let us remember that others have the same needs, “knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

Do we look upon others with scorn,

Thinking we’re better than they?

Forgetting we’re all as nothing,

Needing God’s grace every day?

Rom. 3:9-11; 3:23; 7:18; 2:1; 1 Peter 5:9.

September 20

“Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” (Gen. 22:14).

“Jehovah-jireh” means “Jehovah will provide,” or “the Lord will provide.” And not only did He provide Abraham with a ram for a burnt offering, He continually provides all His own with all that they need, spiritually and materially. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” “The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly,” for “the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield.” “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” for “my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” “O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

He provideth all that we need,

As we journey from earth to heaven;

Graciously and abundantly

It from His hand is given.

2 Cor. 9:8; Psa. 84:11; 33:18-20; Phil. 4:11,19; Psa. 34:9-10; 23:1.

September 21

“God ... hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1-2).

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ... full of grace and truth.” He is “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me,” and “he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” “that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him.” The Son of God said that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

God’s only begotten Son

Came into the world to save,

Crucified for all our sins,

And raised by God from the grave.

John 1:18,1-4,14; Gal. 2:20; 1 John 5:12; 2:22-23; John 3:36; 5:23; 14:6.

September 22

“Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).

“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord ... but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe,” so “be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” In all confidence, the redeemed child of God can say, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” And “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” We may rest our hearts on His promise: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

God has not put fear in our hearts;

He taketh our fears away;

He gives us His peace and quietness;

He changes our night to day.

2 Tim. 1:7-8; Prov. 29:25; Deut. 31:6; Psa. 27:1; 23:4; John 14:27; Isa. 41:13.

September 23

“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

“The law of the Spirit,” the principle by which the Spirit works in our lives as Christians, is that “of life in Christ Jesus.” Though we are told that “if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” and that we are to “walk in the Spirit, and [so] shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh,” the Holy Spirit does not thus enable us to live for God’s glory by calling our attention to Himself. Rather, He directs our hearts to Another, the Lord Jesus Christ, and keeps us “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” The purpose of our being “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man” is “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Our Lord said that the Holy Spirit “shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” If we have “the righteousness of the law ... fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” it is because the Spirit is actualizing in us “life in Christ Jesus,” pointing us to “Christ, who is our life.”

The Spirit points us to the Lord,

By whose grace we’ve been made free;

His life within gives us the power

To live for eternity.

Gal. 5:25,16; Heb. 12:2; Eph. 3:16-19; John 16:14; Rom. 8:4; Col. 3:4.

September 24

“There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord” (Prov. 21:30).

What God has purposed and promised, He will fulfill, in spite of all the liberals and atheists and unbelievers. “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.” This is to say that God will fulfill His purposes in the world and with His own people in spite of all opposition. “We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth,” and He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” He “is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working,” and “hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” And all this is “according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places ... and hath put all things under His feet.” “The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.” “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning ... saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,” “for I will hasten My word to perform it.”

God’s Word is very, very sure;

What He promises, He’ll do;

Satan and men may oppose Him;

He’ll see His promises through.

Psa. 76:10; 2 Cor. 13:8; Eph. 1:11; Isa. 28:29; Num. 23:19; Eph. 1:19-20,22; Isa. 14:24; 46:9-10; Jer. 1:12.

September 25

“I being in the way, the Lord led me” (Gen. 24:27).

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.” God is genuinely concerned about His redeemed children and wants to lead us “in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake,” and “if any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” So we are told to “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” He has promised that “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” So “show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day,” and He promises that when we “in all thy ways acknowledge Him ... He shall direct thy paths.”

I would walk in the ways of the Lord,

Trusting Him to lead and to guide,

For His Word is a lamp to my feet,

Trustworthy, whatever betide.

Psa. 37:23-24; 23:3; John 7:17; Rom. 12:2; Psa. 32:8; John 8:12; Deut. 5:32; Psa. 25:4-5; Prov. 3:6.

September 26

“Behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house. ... The waters were to the ankles. Again ... the waters were to the knees. Again ... the waters were to the loins. Afterward ... it was a river that I could not pass over ... waters to swim in” (Ezek. 47:1-5).

Ezekiel was given a prophetic vision of the millennial temple, from whence our Lord Jesus shall reign over all the earth. Then “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” But it will not detract from that future scene of blessing to remind ourselves that for us now, those waters picture God’s abounding grace toward His own. Our Lord told the Samaritan woman that “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” and His gracious invitation to all is, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,” “and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” And as we come to Him and go on with Him, we learn that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” As we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” we learn that His grace is all-sufficient, “a river that I could not pass over ... waters to swim in.”

“Rivers of living water” flow

From the Person of our Lord;

”Waters to swim in,” depth untold,

Come forth from the living Word.

Isa. 11:9; John 4:14; Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17; Rom. 5:20; 2 Peter 3:18.

September 27

“My prayer returned into mine own bosom” (Psa. 35:13).

Prayer not only brings blessing to those prayed for, it also brings blessing to those who pray, for, in order to pray effectually, we must be in close fellowship with the Lord. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me,” for “whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” Thus we “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” By His provision through Christ, we “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” So prayer brings blessing to the pray-er because it keeps us desirous of fellowship with God. Prayer also brings a blessing to the one who prays because it turns us from self-centeredness to concern for others, so that we no longer “look ... every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others,” as we seek in prayer to “bear ... one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Further, prayer makes us dependent upon God, causing us to realize that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” “My prayer returned into mine own bosom.”

To pray in the Spirit to God,

We must draw nigh unto Him;

Then His blessing comes to our hearts,

And things of the world grow dim.

Psa. 66:18; 1 John 3:22; Heb. 10:22; 2 Cor. 7:1; Phil. 2:4; Gal. 6:2; James 1:17.

September 28

“Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded” (Prov. 13:13).

A Christian’s love for the Lord may be accurately measured by his love for the Word, for our Lord said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,” and “then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Let no one who neglects and lightly esteems the Word of God talk about his love for the Lord. If you would “delight thyself also in the Lord,” it must be because “Thy testimonies also are my delight, and my counselors,” for what can we know about the Lord Jesus, except what He has told us in His Word? He said that “the Scriptures ... are they which testify of Me.” If we truly love Him, we can say, “O how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day,” and “therefore I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.” So “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves,” for “whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

To know the Word and not do it

Brings reproach upon His name;

His Word is a light to our path;

Obeyed, it keeps us from shame.

John 14:15; 8:31-32; Psa. 37:4; 119:24; John 5:39; Psa. 119:97,127; James 1:22,25.

September 29

“Thus saith the Lord ... for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them” (Ezek. 11:5).

“Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off. ... For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether,” and “neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” “Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?” So “search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

He looks upon the hearts of men;

He sees the good and the bad;

He traces His children’s pathway;

He knows when we’re sad or glad.

Matt. 9:4; Psa. 139:2,4; Heb. 4:13; Jer. 17:9-10; 2 Cor. 10:4-5; Job 31:4; Psa. 139:23-24.

September 30

“Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8).

“Be courteous.” One might think that true Christians would need no such exhortation, but that we would naturally, as believers in Christ, “be courteous” to one another, and even to all men. But such is not the case. Were the Corinthian believers showing courtesy when “brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers”? Were they manifesting courtesy when “there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions”? And how is our own courtesy? Do we show friendliness and kindness in the home, among our workfellows, and toward the saints, remembering that “he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city”? How needful that we “put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” We manifest Christ in our lives “by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned.” So “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,” and “see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.”

Be courteous to all you meet,

And tender and kind and true;

God will repay you in His way;

He will show grace to you.

1 Cor. 6:6; 3:3; Prov. 16:32; Col. 3:12-13; 2 Cor. 6:6; Eph. 4:32; 1 Peter 1:22.

October 1

“I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me” (Psa. 57:2).

Blessed is that Christian who trusts God to perform all things for him, for he will be found praying about all things, in obedience to God’s Word to “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Thus praying, he can say of God confidently that “He performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with Him.” He can also say that “the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands.” The Lord says to His own that “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” He who can truthfully say, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him,” can be sure that He who is “wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working” will undertake in his every need. Our Savior, whose “delights were with the sons of men” and who “delighteth in mercy,” loves to be trusted and prayed to, and He tells us to “commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”

He loves to undertake for those

Who cast their care upon Him,

Who rest and rejoice in His Word,

By faith, though our sight be dim.

Phil. 4:6; Job 23:14; Psa. 138:8; Jer. 29:11; Psa. 62:5; Isa. 28:29; Prov. 8:31; Mic. 7:18; Psa. 37:5.

October 2

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

There are those who would limit the “whosoever” of John 3:16 and tell us that it means only the elect. They say that Christ did not die for all, but for certain chosen people. What a strange and Christ-dishonoring teaching this is, for God’s Word tells us that “He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world,” and that “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Further, “the man Christ Jesus ... gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” If Christ did not die for all, then we must conclude also that all men did not become sinners by Adam’s sin. “As by the offense of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Christ] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Thank God that, without exception, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Christ died for all men everywhere;

Whosoever will may come;

His blood will cleanse you from your sins,

And His grace will take you home.

1 John 2:2; Heb. 2:9; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Rom. 5:18; 10:13; Rev. 22:17.

October 3

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

We often hear Christians say that we should crucify ourselves, but God’s Word never tells us to do that. All four references to the believer’s crucifixion are in the past tense, indicating that this crucifixion has already taken place, once for all, when we died with Christ on the cross. “I am crucified with Christ,” “and they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Moreover, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world,” and “knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” God never tells us to crucify ourselves, but He does tell us to keep the flesh in that place of death to which He assigned it on the cross. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

I died with my Lord on the cross,

When Christ my Savior there died;

Now sin shall not reign over me;

With Him I was crucified.

Gal. 5:24; 6:14; Rom. 6:6,11-12; 13:14.

October 4

“But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).

“But now”! Now that Christ has died and has risen from the dead, now that the gospel of a finished redemption is proclaimed, now that God’s righteousness has been upheld and maintained, “now in Christ Jesus ye ... are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” “In time past ... ye were without Christ ... having no hope, and without God in the world.” “But now,” how different it is. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested ... even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept,” and we have “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest,” and this “according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ.” “Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.” “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

Then I was lost and doomed in my sin,

”But now” I have been “made free,”

For Christ has died and risen again;

I’m saved for eternity.

Eph. 2:11-12; Rom. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:20; Rom. 16:25-26; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; Eph. 5:8; Rom. 6:22.

October 5

“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts” (Prov. 17:3).

Just as silver and gold ores are refined by fire in order to remove the impurities, so “the Lord trieth the hearts” of His redeemed people by the fires of trials and testings. “Thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; Thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” Yes, “the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins,” and “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,” “and refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried.” So, “beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy,” “that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”

The fires of trials and afflictions

Roll o’er the heads of His saints;

He tenderly watches each one;

But for His grace we would faint.

Psa. 66:10-12; 7:9; Mal. 3:3; Zech. 13:9; 1 Peter 4:12-13; 1:7; Isa. 48:10.

October 6

“Wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it” (Prov. 8:11).

The Book of Proverbs has much to say about wisdom. This is not self-wisdom, but rather godly wisdom, centered in “Christ ... the wisdom of God.” “A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” We are told to “be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil,” “for the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding,” and He admonishes us to “get wisdom, get understanding ... neither decline from the words of My mouth.” “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,” not forgetting that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding,” for “the fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility,” because “when pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” So “buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,” for “how much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver.” The Lord assures us that “My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and My revenue than choice silver.”

Wisdom is better than fine gold;

With silver it can’t compare;

It keeps our feet in right pathways,

Makes us of evil beware.

1 Cor. 1:24; Prov. 24:5; 3:7; 2:6; 4:5,7; 9:10; 15:33; 11:2; 14:16; 23:23; 16:16; 8:19.

October 7

“If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Peter 1:17).

The believer in Christ is to be God-fearing, standing in reverence and awe before the Almighty, acknowledging His holiness and power, yet conscious of our own sinfulness and weakness. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth forever.” “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear,” for “in the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death,” and “the fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” So “better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith.” Moreover, “the fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil,” and “by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life.” “Let not thine heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.”

Walk before Him in godly fear,

And your life He’ll surely bless;

He’ll guard your life from Satan’s harm,

And fill it with joy and rest.

Psa. 111:10; Heb. 12:28; Prov. 14:26-27; 8:13; 15:16; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17.

October 8

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22).

It is sometimes hard for us to realize that “the old man” in the Christian “is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” and to “know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” “The old man” or “the flesh” in a Christian is no different than the flesh in an unsaved person. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” and can never be made otherwise. And while it is blessedly true that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new,” along with that new nature there is still in us “the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” But that “old man” has been dealt with in the cross of Christ. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him,” so that now we are told to “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh,” and “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

The flesh and the Spirit battle

To control my life each day;

When all is yielded to Jesus,

The Spirit leads in His way.

Rom. 7:18; John 3:6; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:6,11; Gal. 5:16; Rom. 13:14.

October 9

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is not only identified in the New Testament as “the good shepherd [who] giveth His life for the sheep,” but also as “our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep,” who was “brought again from the dead ... [to] make you perfect in every good work to do His will,” and as “the chief Shepherd [who] shall appear” to give to His faithful servants “a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” In the past, He is the Good Shepherd, dying for us; in the present, He is the Great Shepherd, living for us; in the future, He is the Chief Shepherd, coming for us. “Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” And how gracious and tender is His shepherd care for those for whom He died. “He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice.” “And ye, My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God,” and “I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.” Every true believer in Christ can say with all confidence, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

The Good Shepherd laid down His life

That we from sin might be free;

The Great Shepherd arose from death;

The Chief Shepherd will come for me.

Heb. 13:20-21; 1 Peter 5:4; 2:25; John 10:3-4; Ezek. 34:31,15; Psa. 23:1.

October 10

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Psa. 23:4).

Ever since “as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” this world has been “the valley of the shadow of death.” Even “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope.” Now, apart from the saving work and grace of Christ, all men are “dead in trespasses and sins.” And for us who know the Lord, even “if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin.” Death is stamped on everything in this life, and every true believer can truthfully say that “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” But I need “fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” His word to us is, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” Meanwhile, “Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me,” “for,” He tells us, “as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” “We went through fire and through water: but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.”

He keeps me safely every day,

And He guides me by His grace;

I need fear no evil ever,

Since I shall see His face.

Rom. 5:12; 8:20; Eph. 2:1; Rom. 8:10; Isa. 41:10; Rev. 3:19; Psa. 66:12.

October 11

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

“We are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (for we walk by faith, not by sight).” “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed,” for “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Moses “endured, as seeing Him who is invisible,” and we likewise, for “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” And “though now ye see Him not,” except by the eye of faith, one day faith will be changed to sight, “for now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is,” for “they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.”

“We walk by faith,” and “not by sight”;

We do not yet see our Lord,

”But we know … when He shall appear,”

”We shall see Him,” says the Word.

2 Cor. 5:6-7; John 20:29; Heb. 11:1,27; 2:9; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4.

October 12

“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression” (Prov. 19:11).

“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city,” and “he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.” “It is an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling,” and “a man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again,” for his temper gets him into continual trouble. So “he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.” Therefore “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” On the other hand, “he that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” So “above all things have fervent charity [love] among yourselves: for [love] shall cover the multitude of sins,” for “hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” So “if thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.”

Words spoken in haste and anger

Carry with them hurt and sting;

The one who speaks them shall reap them;

Sadness to his heart they’ll bring.

Prov. 16:32; 14:17; 20:3; 19:19; 14:29; James 1:19-20; Prov. 17:9; 1 Peter 4:8; Prov. 10:12; 25:21-22.

October 13

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14).

God wants His children to be “obedient children.” “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” God desires His children to obey His Word, for “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” and “the entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple,” “that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.” God’s will is “that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,” but rather that we “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor.” “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

The Christian should always obey,

For blessing from the Lord;

Thus will his life be filled with joy,

With peace and sweet accord.

1 Sam. 15:22-23; Psa. 119:105,130; 1 Peter 4:2-3; Eph. 4:17; 5:2; Rom. 12:2.

October 14

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

God’s Word contains many “ifs,” telling of certain things that will be done “if” certain conditions are met. The above verse having to do with our salvation is a good example. “Thou shalt be saved,” then, “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead.” After we are saved, too, there are many applicable “ifs” in our lives. Our Lord said that “if ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Furthermore, it is said to us Christians that “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us,” for “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” But also, thank God, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” And, “if any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” Our Lord said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,” and “if ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

God’s Word is full of promises

For those who trust and obey;

”The Lord will give grace and glory”

And will help us day by day.

John 8:31-32; 1 John 1:8; Psa. 66:18; 1 John 1:9; John 7:17; 14:14-15.

October 15

“Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Thus said our blessed Lord. He also said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,” “for He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” We read that our Savior also said that “if any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Our reaction ought to be that “I stretch forth my hands unto Thee: my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land.” “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” And His answer is that “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty,” and “the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought ... and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”

He, the Fount of living waters,

Bids us come to Him and take;

He will quench our deepest longings;

He our deepest thirst will slake.

Matt. 5:6; Psa. 107:9; John 7:37-38; Isa. 55:1; Psa. 143:6; 42:1-2; Isa. 44:3; 58:11.

October 16

“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).

“Blessed are they which hear the word of God, and keep it.” “If any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh unto the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” The Lord told Ezekiel of the professed believers of his day that “they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” And “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” God has given us His Word, not merely for information, but for the transformation of our lives, and “blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.” So “order my steps in Thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”

The Word of God is full of power,

To cleanse and keep and guide;

God asks for our obedience,

No matter what betide.

Luke 11:28; James 1:23-25; Ezek. 33:31; James 4:17; Psa. 119:2-3,133.

October 17

“Speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Eph. 4:15).

It is sadly possible for us to be “speaking the truth,” but not “in love,” and “though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” There are some things which are true, but which are better left unspoken. We who know the Lord are told that “above all things have fervent charity [love] among yourselves: for [love] shall cover the multitude of sins.” We are also told to be “laying aside ... all evil speakings,” that is, things spoken with intent to hurt others, even if such things are true. “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” And the same principle of “speaking the truth in love” applies to our proclamation of God’s Word, which “word is truth.” The Word of God is not our personal weapon to be used thoughtlessly or carelessly. It is “the sword of the Spirit ... the word of God.” We are not to speak it in a contentious way, but rather to be “speaking the truth in love,” regarding it “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.” Thus shall the truth of God be usable as we speak it, and thus shall we, “speaking the truth in love ... grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”

When we speak “the truth in love,”

God clothes it with His power;

Results will be eternal;

It brings forth bud and flower.

1 Cor. 13:1; 1 Peter 4:8; 2:1; Prov. 17:9; John 17:17; Eph. 6:17; 1 Thess. 2:13.

October 18

“All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

So spoke our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. They who come to Him in faith, trusting Him as their Savior, are His forever. He will never expel them; He will not drive them out or send them away. He said that “this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” We are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time,” and “the God of all grace ... hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,” “in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” He “shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” We who know the Lord Jesus, unworthy as we are in ourselves, “are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” Therefore “grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Saved forever by His grace,

No power can pluck me away;

Saved and kept by God’s power,

Until that eternal day.

John 6:40; 1 Peter 1:5; 5:10; Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Cor. 1:8; Phil. 1:6; Jude 1; Eph. 4:30.

October 19

“We are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6).

“We know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Even “if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness,” and “we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” “We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith,” for “now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.” “I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” “Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself,” and “then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“We walk by faith, and not by sight,”

As we wait for that glad time,

When we shall be up there with Him,

And see His glory sublime.

Rom. 8:22-23,10; 2 Cor. 5:4; Gal. 5:5; Heb. 11:16; Phil. 1:23; 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:54.

October 20

“I sat where they sat” (Ezek. 3:15).

It is not possible for us to understand the troubles and problems of others unless we ourselves have undergone similar trials. Then we can “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep,” and “be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Then we can truthfully say with Job, “Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?” It is written of our Lord that “Jesus wept,” when “Mary ... fell down at His feet,” and “Jesus ... saw her weeping,” “for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” “for in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” We need spiritual discernment to “know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary,” for “as he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.” There are times when we need to be like Job’s three friends, who “sat down with him ... and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.” So “remember ... them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”

If you would be a blessing

And to others help impart,

Think of His comfort to you

When you were weary in heart.

Rom. 12:15; 2 Cor. 1:4; Job 30:25; John 11:35,32-33; Heb. 4:15; 2:18; Isa. 50:4; Prov. 25:20; Job 2:13; Heb. 13:3.

October 21

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Tim. 4:15).

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” “And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity [love]. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” but shall thus “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” “Hold fast the form of sound words ... in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus,” and “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” So “I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways,” for “blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart.” “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

So think upon the Word of God

That it may fill your heart,

And cling to it each passing day,

And ne’er from it depart.

1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 3:18; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2:1; Psa. 119:15,2; Josh. 1:8.

October 22

“He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:50-51).

Our Lord Jesus, after His death and resurrection, left this earth with His hands uplifted in blessing upon His own, “for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us,” where “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Our Lord’s high priestly prayer on the night before the cross gives us a picture of His present intercession by which His own are continually blessed. He said, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. ... Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are. ... I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” So now, up in heaven, He continually blesses us. “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

He lives for us up in heaven;

He lives to bless His own;

Our names engraven on His hands,

We are loved by God’s dear Son.

Heb. 9:24; 7:25; John 17:9,11,15; Num. 6:24-26.

October 23

“It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).

“The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” “By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”

God works in the hearts of His own

To cause them to will and to do

That which will honor the Savior,

And refresh with heavenly dew.

Heb. 13:20-21; 1 Thess. 2:13; Rom. 12:2-3; 1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 3:5.

October 24

“Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee” (Psa. 86:5).

In the “prayer of David” found in Psalm 86, much is said about the attributes and character of God. He is “good,” that is, He is kindly disposed. “The Lord is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works,” and He has designed that “the goodness of God leadeth ... to repentance.” And to those who turn to Him He is “ready to forgive,” “because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” He is also “plenteous in mercy.” “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” It is further stated of our Lord in Psalm 86 that “Thou ... art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Not only is “the Lord ... long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” but also His “long-suffering” continues toward us after we have “come to repentance” and have been saved. He patiently leads and guides us, and forgives and restores us. Further, our psalm tells us, “Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone,” for “who is like unto Thee, O Lord ... who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders.” And “this God is our God forever and ever.”

Tender and gracious is our God;

He lovingly guards His own;

Day by day He watches over them,

And will till we’re safely home.

Psa. 145:9; Rom. 2:4; 1 John 2:12; Psa. 145:8; 86:15; 2 Peter 3:9; Psa. 86:10; Ex. 15:11; Psa. 48:14.

October 26

“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8).

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Nevertheless, our Lord’s word to His own is, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” “Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” He said that “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” So “we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.” His word is, “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be,” and “behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

He shall come with trumpet sound,

To gather home His own,

Washed by His own precious blood,

To stand before the throne.

2 Peter 3:3-4; Rev. 3:11; Heb. 10:37; John 14:2-3; Phil. 3:20-21; Rev. 22:12,7; Rom. 13:11; Rev. 22:20.

October 25

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).

“Religion” is not salvation, but refers rather to outward ceremonies and observances. Thus one may be “religious” without being saved. Paul testified that, before he ever knew the Lord Jesus as Savior, “after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee,” and “in time past in the Jews’ religion ... that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: and profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation.” Nevertheless, after we are saved, the Lord wants our outward lives to be right, and “pure religion and undefiled” is “to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.” God has special concern for the “fatherless and widows,” those who are bereft of the fathers and husbands who would ordinarily care for them. “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.” We therefore have a responsibility to look out for and to relieve such “in their affliction.” What our Lord will say in a future day to those Gentile believers of the tribulation period who have befriended His Jewish brethren is applicable to us: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ... ye have done it unto Me.”

God sees the orphans and widows,

And they are His special care;

His Word to us is to help them,

Seeking their burden to share.

Acts 26:5; Gal. 1:13-14; Psa. 68:5; Matt. 25:40.

October 27

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psa. 27:14).

How very much and how very often we Christians need encouragement. And how very gracious is our Lord to encourage His own. He says to us, “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord,” and “be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee, He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Our discouragement is often caused by fear: fear of people, fear of circumstances, fear of the future. But “the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” There may be adverse circumstances, but “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” The future may look bleak and foreboding, but “the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee: He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law. ... Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. ... Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

The Lord has never failed His own;

He helps them from day to day;

Take courage today, dear pilgrim,

Along your burdensome way.

Psa. 31:24; Deut. 31:6; Psa. 27:1; Rom. 8:37; Deut. 31:8; Josh. 1:7,9.

October 28

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4).

When we received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and were thus born again, we were then made “partakers of the divine nature” and “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Nevertheless, we need, in our daily walk in this world, to be, in practice, “partakers of the divine nature” and thus escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust,” and this we do by God’s “exceeding great and precious promises” given to us in His Word. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” As we go continually to God’s Word for help, claiming His promises, we learn by experience that “all the promises of God in Him [Jesus Christ] are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” It is “through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue” that we have “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises.” Never be afraid, dearly beloved, to trust the promises “which God, that cannot lie,” promised.

God has given us great promises

For needs of each passing hour,

Guaranteed by Christ our Savior,

Who has been given all power.

Psa. 19:7-8; 2 Cor. 1:20; 2 Peter 1:3; Titus 1:2.

October 29

“Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9).

God no longer sees the believer in Christ “in the flesh, but in the Spirit.” This is our position in Christ, “to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved,” His own beloved Son. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” But though we are “in the Spirit” positionally before God, we are to translate this into everyday experience. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

The Spirit and the flesh war

For control of our daily life;

If we will follow the Spirit,

He delivers from fleshly strife.

Eph. 1:6; 2 Cor. 5:17-18; Eph. 2:6; Gal. 5:16-17; Rom. 8:12-13.

October 30

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee ... who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength” (Psa. 84:5-7).

“The valley of Baca” means “the valley of weeping.” Most people feel that tears are a sign of weakness, not of strength. But “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” So God uses weeping and tears in the lives of His people to cause them to “go from strength to strength.” “His anger endureth but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning,” and “though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” Like Paul, we hear Him say to us by His Word that “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” And with Paul let us answer, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” “Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee.” Such “go from strength to strength.” And, beholding in the Word “the glory of the Lord,” they “are changed into the same image from glory to glory.”

God uses tears in His people

To cleanse their spiritual sight,

That they may behold His glory

And live lives filled with His might.

Isa. 55:8-9; Psa. 30:5; Lam. 3:32-33; 2 Cor. 12:9; 3:18.

October 31

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph. 1:5).

Men have taken the doctrine of predestination and made it teach something entirely foreign to Scripture, namely, that God has predestined some people to be saved and some to be lost. Predestination, which means “to mark out the destiny beforehand,” is never mentioned in the Bible in connection with the unsaved. Always it is used to speak of that destiny of glory which God has marked out for those who have trusted His Son as Savior. He has “predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself,” that is, we are predestinated unto the full son-place, and we are “waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” In Christ “we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.”

Marked out to share His glory,

To inherit all with our Lord,

To receive with Him the son-place,

Promised to us in His Word.

Rom. 8:23,28-30; Eph. 1:11.

November 1

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 7:7).

“For,” our Lord continued, “every one that asketh receiveth: and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” And while our Lord was speaking of asking and seeking and knocking in prayer, the principle here stated applies to all areas of our Christian lives. The spiritual life that is ours in Christ is not a passive one; we are, rather, to diligently apply ourselves. It is blessedly true that “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” But in view of this, we have a corresponding responsibility. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth ... seek righteousness, seek meekness.” “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Then “follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called.”

Follow the Lord with all thy heart;

Seek His face from day to day,

Thy heart filled with expectation,

Trusting Him along life’s way.

Matt. 7:8; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:1-2; Zeph. 2:3; Matt. 6:33; 1 Tim. 6:11-12.

November 2

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

We can look back with thankfulness to past times of blessing from the Lord, and we are to “consider how great things He hath done for you,” and to “forget not all His benefits,” but yesterday’s blessings and yesterday’s fellowship will not suffice for today. Like Israel’s manna in the wilderness, our fellowship and our walk with the Lord must be maintained daily. “They gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating,” and God instructed them to “let no man leave of it till the [next] morning.” Just as our physical self must be maintained by constant nourishment, so must our spiritual self. We need to be constantly “forgetting those things which are behind,” not only our sins and failures, but also the spiritual successes and attainments, and to be “reaching forth unto those things which are before,” to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” knowing that “as thy days, so shall thy strength be.”

Forgetting our sins and failures,

That which was done yesterday,

Longing for new heights in our Lord

In all that we do and say.

1 Sam. 12:24; Psa. 103:2; Ex. 16:21,19; Heb. 12:2; Deut. 33:25.

November 3

“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29).

God has not told His redeemed people all that we might wish to know. And we must not only respect the utterances of Scripture, but its silences as well. We may not take away from God’s Word, nor may we add to it (Rev. 22:18-19). God does not always explain His dealings with His saints, and there is mystery about things which He allows to come in our lives, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” But though we do not understand His dealings with us, we have His assurance that “all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” And for this “cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Many times our Lord says to us, in effect, as He said to Peter, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” But we trust Him, for “with Him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding,” and “no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

We know not how He worketh

To bless and help His own,

But His grace always abounds

When we are sad and lone.

2 Cor. 5:7; 4:15-16; John 13:7; Job 12:13; Psa. 84:11.

November 4

“Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psa. 143:10).

As the days come and go, we stand in continual need of guidance, if we would do the Lord’s will. Our constant prayer ought to be: “Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee.” And in view of His promise that “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye,” we may confidently ask Him to “show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” Satan continually tries to divert the Christian from doing the Lord’s will, and how fitting that we ask the Lord to “lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face,” and “teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.” And “good and upright is the Lord: therefore will He teach sinners in the way. The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.” “What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.” “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

The will of God, I would do it,

Each day of my life down here,

Seeking not my way, but His,

Waiting for Him to appear.

Psa. 143:8; 32:8; 25:4-5; 5:8; 27:11; 25:8-9,12; 23:3.

November 5

“Keep thyself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22).

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” “Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in Thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor ... meet for the master’s use.”

Pure and upright by His power,

This would I be by His grace,

Shunning all that turns me from Him,

All that would His name debase.

1 Cor. 5:7-8; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Psa. 15:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:21.

November 6

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16).

“I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil,” and “Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage forever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” “I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” “for the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” So “I will delight myself in Thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up unto Thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in Thy statutes.” “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. ... More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ... By them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.”

God’s Word is sweet and precious

To those who love the Lord;

Nothing on earth can compare

With God’s own holy Word.

Psa. 119:162,111,14,105; Prov. 6:23; Job 22:21; 23:12; Psa. 119:47-48; 19:8,10-11.

November 7

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it” (Psa. 139:6).

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” “Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?” Paul wrote that “unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” while Job’s friend Eliphaz said, “I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number.” “God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive against Him? for He giveth not account of any of His matters.” “Behold, God is great, and we know Him not, neither can the number of His years be searched out.” “Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: He will not afflict.” God wants us to “be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

The ways of God, past finding out,

But always in love and grace

Toward those He has by blood redeemed;

We trust, though we cannot trace.

Rom. 11:33; Job 11:7-8; Eph. 3:8; Job 5:8-9; 33:12-13; 36:26; 37:23; Eph. 3:18-19.

November 8

“Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).

This is a sin which believers commit, to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” We cannot grieve a person unless that person loves us. We can anger one who does not love us, but we cannot grieve such a one. Thus our verse reminds us of “the love of the Spirit.” When a Christian grieves the Holy Spirit, He does not go away, for by Him we “are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Our Lord promised that “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth ... for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” But though He never departs from the believer, sin in our lives grieves Him, so that instead of making Christ real to our hearts, as He longs to do, He must instead occupy us with our sin and the resulting broken fellowship, to bring us to confession. Any sin in our lives grieves the Spirit, but notice especially the admonition to “let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying. ... And grieve not the Holy Spirit. ... Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another.”

When we “grieve … the Holy Spirit,”

With deeds or words not right,

Then our fellowship is broken,

And Christ can’t fill our sight.

Rom. 15:30; John 14:16-17; Eph. 4:29-31.

November 9

“Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

We are not told to make or create “the unity of the Spirit,” but rather to “keep” it. “The unity of the Spirit” is not an organizational unity, but an organic unity created when we were “by one Spirit ... baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” “As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” So we are to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” remembering that “there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” We are to remember this in our dealings with all who have trusted Christ. Even in the matter of Scriptural separation, while we are to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them,” we are also to “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” So “let brotherly love continue,” for “how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”

Christ has made His people one,

Each one a member of Him,

Each one to help the other grow,

So to be a shining gem.

1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 4:4-6; 5:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 13:1; Psa. 133:1.

November 10

“Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Eph. 6:24).

How gracious is our God! Psalm 36 tells us about His mercy, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His judgments, and His loving-kindness. “Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens,” and we read twenty-six times in Psalm 136 that “His mercy endureth forever.” “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful,” and we who know Him are invited to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” He is also the faithful One, whose name is “called Faithful and True,” and “faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” And, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Truly, “Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.” Moreover, “Thy righteousness is like the great mountains,” for “the Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.” “Thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.” “Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known.” And what shall we say of His loving-kindness toward us? “How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.”

The grace of God in Christ Jesus

Attends our daily steps,

Blessing, keeping, encouraging,

And bringing needed help.

Psa. 36:5; 116:5; Heb. 4:16; Rev. 19:11; 1 Thess. 5:24; 1 John 1:9; Psa. 36:5-6; 145:17; 36:6; 77:19; 36:7.

November 11

“I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest” (Psa. 55:6).

Have we not all had times, when overwhelmed by situations and circumstances that oppress and discourage, we have wished that we could leave all the hard things behind “and be at rest”? David wrote these words at a time when he could say that “my heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. ... Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” But we cannot run away from our griefs and troubles and problems. We cannot “hasten [our] escape from the windy storm and tempest.” There are times, to be sure, when the Lord is pleased to change things, so that the things that hurt us are removed. But most of the time He says to us, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” “A man [the God-Man, our Lord Jesus] shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”

The storms of life come upon us;

They lash with fury and force;

His grace holds us steady in them,

So our ship is kept on course.

Psa. 55:4-5,7-8; 2 Cor. 12:9; Rom. 8:37; Isa. 32:2.

November 12

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him” (Prov. 18:13).

How often Christians are guilty of answering a matter before they hear it. We hear only one side about a problem or controversy, and we form an opinion or come to a conclusion without knowing the facts. Many times we reach conclusions from hearsay, when God says that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established,” and we do well to obey God’s word to “be swift to hear, slow to speak,” until we know the facts. “Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” So “it is folly and shame unto him” who “answereth a matter before he heareth it.” Rather “shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently,” and “judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” So be not one “that answereth a matter before he heareth it,” all sides of it. And even then, remember that “love covereth all sins.”

“Be swift to hear [and] slow to speak”

Whatever comes to your ear;

A faithful friend conceals the faults

Of those who to us are dear.

2 Cor. 13:1; James 1:19; Rom. 14:10-13; Deut. 13:4; John 7:24; Prov. 10:12.

November 13

“Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec” (Heb. 6:20).

Our Lord Jesus Christ has “for us entered” “into that within the veil,” “for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” But He has entered “into that within the veil” as “the forerunner.” A “forerunner” is one who goes ahead, cutting a pioneer path, like a scout, that others may follow. None could ever follow the Old Testament high priest “within the veil,” for “into the second [the holy of holies] went the high priest alone once every year.” But we who know the Lord Jesus now have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.” Moreover, our Lord has entered heaven in a body of flesh and bones, as our forerunner, and one day He will take all His glorified saints “within the veil,” fulfilling His promise that “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also,” “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

He has entered heaven for us;

As a Man He sits in glory;

He’ll come to take us to Himself,

Completing redemption’s story.

Heb. 6:19; 9:24,7; 10:19-20; John 14:2-3; 1 Thess. 4:17.

November 14

“What think ye of Christ? whose Son is He?” (Matt. 22:42).

The right answer to the above question is not only a matter of correct doctrine, but a matter that determines one’s eternal destiny. If we only believe Him to be “the Son of David,” as did the Pharisees to whom the Lord addressed the question above, “how then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?” To make our Lord a man only, albeit a good man, is to make God a liar, for He said of our Lord that “this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Then “who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” Our salvation depends upon His Deity and our acknowledgment of it, for “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” With Thomas, every true believer confesses Him as “my Lord and my God.” We humbly and thankfully acknowledge Him as God’s “dear Son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins,” even “God ... manifest in the flesh.”

The Son of God has come to earth

To die for all men;

What have you done with Him, dear friend?

Make ready ere He comes again.

Matt. 22:43-44; 3:17; 1 John 2:22-23; Rom. 10:9; John 20:28; Col. 1:13-14; 1 Tim. 3:16.

November 15

“It became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Heb. 2:10).

God is “bringing many sons unto glory” through “the captain of their salvation,” that blessed One “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree,” and thus was made “perfect through sufferings” to be our Savior. In His Person, He was never anything but perfect, for He was and is “God ... manifest in the flesh.” But in order to be our Savior, “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,” and His vicarious sufferings made Him our Savior. He is “the captain” of our salvation, the leader, the originator. “Salvation is of the Lord.” He originated it, “even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many,” “for,” He said while here on earth, “the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Then, “what shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.”

“The captain of their salvation,”

He leads His own safely home,

Guarding, shielding and protecting

From what would cause us to roam.

1 Peter 2:24; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Peter 3:18; Jonah 2:9; Matt. 20:28; Luke 19:10; 1 Tim. 1:15; Psa. 116:12-13.

November 16

“O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me” (Isa. 38:14).

Are there not times in the life of every believer when we, like Hezekiah in our text verse, find ourselves so filled with anguish and distress, and so unable to handle our situations, that we can only cry to the Lord that “I am oppressed; undertake for me”? Times of great trouble, times of perplexity, times of uncertainty, times when “my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. ... I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.” There come to all of us times when we realize our utter helplessness and our need of dependence on the Lord, when, as Hezekiah, “like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.” When you come to such circumstances, “pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.” “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee. ... He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.” “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people ... and have heard their cry ... for I know their sorrows.” “My hope is in Thee.”

When we are oppressed and weary,

With none to whom we may turn,

He knows our distress and anguish;

Our cry for help He’ll not spurn.

Psa. 77:2-3; Isa. 38:14; Psa. 62:8; 9:9-10,12; Ex. 3:7; Psa. 39:7.

November 17

“They were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me” (Hos. 13:6).

How often it has been among God’s redeemed people that we allow ourselves to be “choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life,” forgetting that “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word.” So, when God permits earthly prosperity to come to His children, often it has to be said that “they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me.” And this is in spite of our Lord’s words that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Earthly possessions in themselves do not give joy, but fellowship with the Lord does. Therefore, we have the admonition to “charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” Nothing on earth can bring joy and pleasure comparable to the joy and pleasure of obedience to and communion with our Lord. “How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied ... and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.”

Filled with the trinkets of this life?

Or filled with His joys supreme?

Living now for eternity?

Or for this life’s transient dream?

Luke 8:14; Mark 4:19; Luke 12:15; 1 Tim. 6:17; Psa. 36:7-8.

November 18

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4).

We are not told to rejoice in our circumstances or in our prospects. These things vary; sometimes they are favorable, and sometimes they are not. Rather, we are told to “rejoice in the Lord always.” We are calmly to delight ourselves in Him, irrespective of our circumstances. We are to cheer our hearts by our contemplation of the Lord and His grace, to “worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Many are the blessings that are ours because we know Him as Savior, “but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” As our Lord prayed for His own on the night before the cross, so now He prays for us in heaven, “that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” That joy must be nurtured and maintained by feeding on His Word, for He said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” “Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” Thus “with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Never forget, dear Christian, that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

He fills the trusting heart with joy,

Though gloomy may be our days;

The soul that leans upon His grace

Will find calm in all his ways.

Phil. 3:3; Rom. 5:11; John 17:13; 15:11; Jer. 15:16; Isa. 12:3; Neh. 8:10.

November 19

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17-18).

“The fig tree ... the vines ... the olive ... the fields ... the flock ... herd” represent all the natural assets of an agricultural people, among whom Habakkuk prophesied. If everything on which we depend should fail, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Whatever may come, He is “the God of my salvation,” and “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” We can confidently ask Him, in times of distress and need, to “lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.” “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name.” “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield.” “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Though every earthly source should fail,

And there be none to give aid,

Yet the Lord will care for His own,

For whom the price has been paid.

Rom. 8:32; Psa. 25:5; 79:9; 33:18-20; Rom. 8:31.

November 20

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psa. 119:11).

The Word hidden in the heart, hoarded up and reserved there, to be brought forth and used as “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” not only works in us that we “might not sin against” God, but it also makes us thankful to the Lord, as the context of our text verse shows. “Blessed art Thou, O Lord: teach me Thy statutes.” And with our praise and thanksgiving unto Him comes the desire to know more about His Word, and thus more about Him, for our Lord said “the Scriptures ... are they which testify of Me.” The Word “hid in mine heart” emboldens us to speak of it and of Him to others, for the psalmist continues and says that “with my lips have I declared all the judgments of Thy mouth,” and thus am “not ... ashamed of the testimony of our Lord ... but ... partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” Moreover, the Word stored up in the heart brings joy, for “I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” And with this joy and delight comes renewed desire and determination to have more of “Thy word ... hid in mine heart,” seen in the psalmist’s declaration that “I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word.”

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart,”

That my life might show Thy praise,

That Christ might be honored and seen

Through all my earthly days.

Eph. 6:17; Psa. 119:12; John 5:39; Psa. 119:13; 2 Tim. 1:8; Psa. 119:14,16.

November 21

“In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity” (Titus 2:7).

We who are saved by God’s grace “are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” God desires “that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men,” for only by our changed lives, manifested by “showing thyself a pattern of good works,” can men see the evidence of our faith in Christ. So the daily life of the believer, whether in the home, in society, in business, or in ministry, is of the utmost importance before God and before men and is to be characterized by “sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” Thus we obey the words of our Lord to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” “The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.” “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.”

Our works of life tell out our hearts,

And what really dwells therein,

Whether we live our lives unto Him,

Or unto self and to sin.

Eph. 2:10; Titus 3:8; 2:8; Matt. 5:16; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Psa. 90:17.

November 22

“How should man be just with God?” (Job 9:2).

Without the substitutionary work of Christ on the cross and the resultant gospel message “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,” there would be no answer to Job’s question in our text verse, “for there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not,” and man cannot justify himself by his works or by his religion, for “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” So “how should man be just with God?” God’s Word answers this question. “The righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood ... that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” “How should man be just with God?” “By Him all that believe are justified from all things.”

Justified by the Savior’s blood,

No charge against me shall stand;

He’ll take me safely through this life,

And home to Immanuel’s land.

1 Cor. 15:3-4; Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:20-26; Acts 13:39.

November 23

“She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

“Jesus” is our Lord’s name as a man, the name He took in incarnation. And having laid down His life for us, that He might take it again, and having ascended back to the Father, He now bears that name in glory, as the glorified man. “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” He is there in glory as the glorified man, and we are told to be “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Because He, “being found in fashion as a man ... humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross ... God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” “We wait for His Son from heaven ... even Jesus.”

We humbly bow before Him,

Jesus, the Son of God,

Who bore our sins on Calvary,

Bearing for us God’s rod.

Heb. 2:9; 12:2; Phil. 2:8-11; 1 Thess. 1:10.

November 24

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).

The long-anticipated Messiah and King had come to Israel, “He that is born King of the Jews.” After His baptism by John, when God had spoken from heaven, declaring that “this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” and after He was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil,” over whom He was completely victorious, “Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The King was at hand, ready to set up His kingdom. Sad to say, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” Not until He comes again “shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.” But when He announced that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” He also announced, in the Sermon on the Mount, the constitution and principles of the kingdom. One of these principles is: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” This is always true, in any age, and it is true for us today. “Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Always, “the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Humble and contrite before Him

Brings blessing to us always;

He delights when we but trust Him

And rest in Him as He says.

Matt. 2:2; 3:17; 4:1,17; John 1:11; Matt. 25:31; Isa. 57:15; Psa. 34:18.

November 25

“Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

We are not always able to see how God works in the lives of His children. We know not His design nor can we trace His movements, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” And the Lord says to us, as He did to Peter, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” But amid all the testings and pressures of life we do know, by faith, that “as for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those who trust in Him. ... It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.” If, like Asaph, we must say that “all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning,” yet His word to us is that “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Now “we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us ... after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” So though “we are troubled on every side, yet [we are] not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair,” for we “have not seen, and yet have believed.”

We may not trace the ways of God,

As He works in us each hour

To bring His image in our lives,

And to fill us with His power.

2 Cor. 5:7; John 13:7; Psa. 18:30,32; 73:14; Isa. 41:13; Heb. 12:9-11; 2 Cor. 4:8.

November 26

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)” (Eph. 2:4-5).

What a dark picture precedes the above words. We “were dead in trespasses and sins,” and we “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” How benighted and benumbed and depraved we all were, “but God!” But for His intervention there was no hope for any. “But God ... rich in mercy,” and because of “His great love,” has “quickened us together with Christ,” “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree,” so that now “by grace ye are saved.” “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And not only so, “but God” still intervenes for us. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Lost, blinded, condemned and undone,

No hope nor help could be found,

”But God … rich in mercy” and grace,

With love unbounded came down.

Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Peter 2:24; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 10:13.

November 27

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17).

This verse anticipates the glorious time when our Lord Jesus Christ shall sit in Jerusalem on the “throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” But that which will be true of redeemed and restored Israel in that day is so applicable now to us who know Him. For us He “is mighty,” He is “wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” “He will save,” for “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” And “He will rejoice over thee with joy.” When we came to Him and trusted Him, there was “joy ... in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,” and now the Lord continues to “rejoice over thee with joy.” He is not a hard taskmaster, ready to smite us when we fail. He deals with us in love and grace, and “like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” “He will joy over thee with singing.” “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

He rejoiceth over His own,

As one that findeth great spoil;

He has redeemed us by His blood,

Apart from our works or toil.

Luke 1:32-33; Isa. 28:29; Heb. 7:25; Luke 15:7; Psa. 103:13-14; Lam. 3:22-23.

November 28

“Turn Thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted” (Psa. 25:16).

Few are the children of God who have never been “desolate,” lonely even in the midst of friends and loved ones, and “afflicted,” depressed, and greatly conscious of our need. At such times we know, deep in our hearts, the truth of the Lord’s words that “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” but even such knowledge seems hard to lay hold upon in times of such depression. Our situation seems like that of Asaph, when he cried, “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. ... Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Is His mercy clean gone forever? Doth His promise fail forevermore?” But notice how Asaph overcame such depression: “I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.” Do likewise, afflicted friend.

Is your heart now sad and lonely?

Do you feel that all has gone?

Your feelings do not alter Him;

He’s ever true to His own.

2 Cor. 12:9; Psa. 77:3-8,10-12.

November 29

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?” (Psa. 56:8).

Many are the tears that have been shed by God’s people in this sin-cursed and hostile world: tears of grief, tears of regret and remorse, tears of repentance, tears of helplessness, tears of concern, and even sometimes tears of joy. And the Lord knows about them all and keeps account of them all. Most of us can put ourselves in the place of the psalmist when he said that “my tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?” Many of God’s dear servants like Paul are “serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears,” and have “ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Many a letter has been written by the saints of which it may be said that “I wrote unto you with many tears,” and many dear children of God can say with David, “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.” God permits these heartaches and tears for a purpose, and He counts all our tears. “In all their affliction He was afflicted ... and He bare them, and carried them,” and His word to Hezekiah comes home to our hearts: “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears.” And the time is fast approaching when “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

The heart does break, and the tears flow

Through dark and sorrowful nights,

But blessing will come from His hand,

Down from “the Father of lights.”

Psa. 42:3; Acts 20:19,31; 2 Cor. 2:4; Psa. 6:6; Isa. 63:9; 2 Kings 20:5; Rev. 21:4.

November 30

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not” (1 John 3:1).

“As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” for “of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures,” and “it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee.” So “the Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” Our Lord said that “I go to prepare a place for you. ... And ... I will come again, and receive you unto Myself.”

Born into the family of God

By faith in our precious Lord;

So then the world knows us not;

It knows not Him nor His Word.

John 1:12-13; James 1:18; Heb. 2:10-12; Rom. 8:16-17; John 14:2-3.

December 1

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple” (Psa. 27:4).

“The house of the Lord” was where the Lord had said that “there will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat.” David’s desire then was to be in the Lord’s presence, to be in fellowship with Him. The same desire is expressed by Paul when he said “that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death,” and “I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Many of us who know the Lord have a desire to go with the Lord, to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” but, unlike David, we do not constantly “seek after” such fellowship. We allow ourselves to be “choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life.” If we would “follow on to know the Lord” in intimate fellowship, we must continually “seek those things which are above.”

If we would know His presence near

And reflect His beauty too,

Then we must count all things as loss

That would hide His face from view.

Ex. 25:22; Phil. 3:10,13-14; 2 Peter 3:18; Luke 8:14; Hos. 6:3; Col. 3:1.

December 2

“I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

There come times in our Christian lives when we must proceed with godly determination. Some unpleasant duty faces us, some task must be performed, and we feel that we are not fitted for it. Some word needs to be spoken, and we find ourselves reluctant to do it. At such times, regardless of our feeling and fears, we must move forward. Paul, with his heart heavy because of the carnality of the Corinthian believers, “determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” Later he wrote to them that “I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.” Having determined these things in his heart, he proceeded to fulfill them. It is recorded of our blessed Lord that, “when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” We hear Him speaking prophetically, through Isaiah, saying, “The Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” May we who know Him determine to do His will. “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

The task is not mine, but the Lord’s,

That which He calls me to do;

I yield myself to His leading,

And He will carry me through.

2 Cor. 2:1; Luke 9:51; Isa. 50:7; Psa. 16:8.

December 3

“He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

The Lord Jesus Christ took our sins, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Our Lord “His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin.” “Now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested ... even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference.” “Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us ... righteousness,” that I may “be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Having the righteousness of God in Christ,

No more does my sin appear;

”Accepted in the Beloved,”

I have nothing now to fear.

Isa. 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; Isa. 53:10; Rom. 3:21-22; 1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9.

December 4

“Ye also helping together by prayer for us” (2 Cor. 1:11).

Paul had just been writing about “our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.” “But,” he continues, “we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us.” Thus he connects the deliverance which God has wrought for him with the prayers of his Corinthian friends, “ye also helping together by prayer for us.” Never will we know, until that hour when all the saints are safely home with the Lord, what God has wrought in our lives by the prayers of other saints. Paul, in prison, wrote to the Philippians about his situation and said that “I know that this shall turn to my salvation [deliverance] through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” God’s Word has much to say about our praying one for another. Thus we “bear ... one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

As we remember each other

Before the throne of His grace,

God undertakes for us richly,

For each one in his own place.

2 Cor. 1:8-10; Phil. 1:19; Gal. 6:2; James 5:16.

December 5

“The grace of God ... hath appeared ... teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).

Because we who know the Savior “are bought with a price,” we are told to “therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” In Christ “we have redemption through His blood,” so we are to leave off those things belonging to the old life, to be “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and to live now for His glory, for we “should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” “Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.” And as we are constantly “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ,” we shall experientially find that “He gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” “Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”

Laying aside deeds of evil

And living godly each day,

Sustained by His grace and power,

Each step of our pilgrim way.

1 Cor. 6:20; Eph. 1:7; Col. 3:9-10; Titus 2:14; 1 John 3:3.

December 6

“Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward” (2 Cor. 1:12).

“Simplicity and godly sincerity.” How much these things are needed by God’s people in the world today. It is a day of extremes, with much activity and movement, and little spirituality, with so-called “super” churches and movements, holding forth great statistics. We do well to remember that “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.” The Christian life is not lived nor Christian work accomplished “with fleshly wisdom.” It is “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Beware “lest by any means ... your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

Human wisdom cannot prevail

In work that’s done for the Lord;

It must be done in His own strength,

By those who trust in His Word.

1 Cor. 1:27-29; Zech. 4:6; 2 Cor. 11:3; Prov. 3:6.

December 7

“Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa. 57:15).

If we Christians would know the blessing of constant fellowship with the Lord, we must be “of a contrite and humble spirit,” “for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” “I say ... to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” “What hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” Let us never forget that “the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit,” and that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” Thus “saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.”

The one who is self-sufficient

Goes on in his haughty way,

But he who trusts the Savior

Finds new blessings every day.

1 Peter 5:5; Rom. 12:3; 1 Cor. 4:7; Psa. 34:18; 51:17; Isa. 66:2.

December 8

“He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

God’s Word teaches us clearly that in this present age, since Calvary and Pentecost, there is no such thing as a true believer in Christ who does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, and “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” Because we are “in Christ,” God “hath anointed us” by His Spirit, so that we may understand spiritual truth. “Ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” Moreover, God by His Spirit “hath also sealed us,” and we who know the Savior are exhorted to “grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” of our bodies. Having “believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” The Spirit in us is God’s guarantee of our coming glory.

Redeemed by the blood of Jesus,

Indwelt by His Spirit now,

I would praise His name forever;

I would in His presence bow.

Rom. 8:9; 1 John 2:20; 1 Cor. 2:9-10; Eph. 4:30; 1:13-14.

December 9

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

As we study the Bible, which “word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” let us be sure that we are “rightly dividing the word of truth.” While all God’s Word is for us “and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”—while it is all for us, it is not all about us. For example, God’s word to Adam was that “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Surely this Scripture, like all other Scripture, “is profitable” to us, as we observe the effects of Adam’s disobedience to it, yet it is not spoken directly to us, for we are not in the Garden of Eden in the beginning of human history, as Adam was. So let us be “rightly dividing the word of truth,” plowing a straight furrow, cutting a clean line. Let us apply to Israel what God has said to them, and let us apply to the church what God has said to us, in wholehearted obedience. Then we can say with the psalmist, “How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”

God’s Word is clear unto the man

Whose heart is to obey it,

Bringing life and hope and blessing

From each verse of Holy Writ.

Psa. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16; Gen. 2:17; Psa. 119:103.

December 10

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).

These Spirit-inspired words written by Paul to young Timothy are equally applicable to every Christian, for all of us are called to be “an example of the believers” in every area of our lives. We are told to “make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed,” and to “let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. ... Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” We are to “speak ... the things which become sound doctrine,” and to be “in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,” that we “no longer should live the rest of ... time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” We who are saved “have been called unto liberty,” but we are to “use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” May it not be true of us as it was of the scribes and Pharisees, that “they say, and do not.” Rather, by God’s enabling grace, “be thou an example of the believers.”

Is your life a light for our Lord,

Mid the darkness of this world?

Showing the power of His grace,

Although Satan’s darts are hurled?

Heb. 12:13; Phil. 1:27; Titus 2:1,7; 1 Peter 4:2; Gal. 5:13; Matt. 23:3.

December 11

“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:10).

“Sincere” means to be “tested by sunlight,” and God wants His people to be tested by the light of His Word and to be found “sincere,” to be clean and pure, truthful and honest, and to be without deceit and pretense. In order for this, He desires “that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment,” and such experience is possible by our “being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” To this end, we are to “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby,” and we have the assurance of God’s grace toward “all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” As we walk in the light of His Word, such “simplicity and godly sincerity” will be ours, as we are “tested by sunlight,” for “the entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple,” and to this Word of God “ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts.” Such a life will “prove the sincerity of your love.”

To be “sincere … without offense,”

Till the time when He appears,

To have Him say to us, “Well done”:

Blest reward for all our tears.

Phil. 1:9,11; 1 Peter 2:2; Eph. 6:24; 2 Cor. 1:12; Psa. 119:130; 2 Peter 1:19; 2 Cor. 8:8.

December 12

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

We who know the Savior are exhorted to “come boldly unto the throne of grace.” For the believer, God’s throne is no longer a throne of judgment, which we must fear. Rather, because our sins have been forever put away by the blood of Christ, it is now a throne of grace! “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” And our verse does not say that we are to “come boldly,” in all confidence and outspokenness, in order to ask for mercy and to hope for grace in our “time of need.” Rather, it says that we come “that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” Like David, we know the Lord as “Thou that hearest prayer.” “Ah, Lord God! Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.” “Pour out your heart before Him.”

I may come boldly unto Him

With all my needs and my cares;

He has promised grace sufficient,

And His promise calms my fears.

2 Cor. 9:8; 1 John 5:14-15; Psa. 65:2; Jer. 32:17; Psa. 62:8.

December 13

“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb. 10:24).

All of us who know the Lord Jesus, “being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another,” and therefore we are to “consider one another” and “be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” We are admonished to “look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” God has given us the privilege and the responsibility to “bear ... one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” that we might “by love serve one another.” There may be occasion, in the circle in which we move, to “warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded [fainthearted], support the weak, be patient toward all men,” “with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.” Let us then, Christian friends, “consider one another,” watching out for the needs of others, that we might stir up and incite them “unto love and to good works.” “See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently,” “and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

There is always need with others

For a word of love and cheer,

Both to warn and to encourage,

And to deliver from fear.

Rom. 12:5,10; Phil. 2:4; Gal. 6:2; 5:13; 1 Thess. 5:14; Eph. 4:2; 1 Peter 1:22; Eph. 4:32.

December 14

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).

In the family of God, there are always those who are undergoing sorrow or pressure and who need help and encouragement. If we would “fulfill the law of Christ,” we are to “bear ... one another’s burdens,” “for even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me,” and when He was here on earth, “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” voluntarily making the troubles of others His very own. “By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken,” and “heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.” Let us look for opportunities to “bear ... one another’s burdens,” the opportunity to speak that word or perform that act of kindness that will help our brother in his time of need. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves,” to be “distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. ... Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”

Let me help my brother, dear Lord,

As Thou in grace hast helped me;

Let me bear his sorrows with him,

So that lighter his load may be.

Rom. 15:3; Matt. 8:17; Prov. 15:13; 12:25; Rom. 15:1; 12:13,15; Heb. 13:3.

December 15

“There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor. 12:7-9).

Many there are among the saints who know something about “a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me.” It may be some physical infirmity, as was evidently the case with Paul. Or it may be a testing or a pressure of some other nature, for which prayer for its removal has been made many times. However, the Lord has not seen fit to remove it. It is not that He is unconcerned, for He “is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” But He wants us to learn to draw our strength from Him, who is “the God of all grace.” He not only has saving grace, but He also has sustaining grace, and His “strength is made perfect in [our] weakness.” “Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat.”

Have you cried to Him many times

That your “thorn in the flesh” might go?

But still He has not removed it,

For to you His grace He would show.

Heb. 4:15; 1 Peter 5:10; Isa. 25:4.

December 16

“See that ye abound in this grace also” (2 Cor. 8:7).

Here we have the “grace” of giving, for it is a “grace” worked into our hearts because of our love for the Lord. It is “the proof of your love” and a means “to prove the sincerity of your love.” And God not only looks at what we give, but also at what we keep for ourselves. “If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” God’s Word teaches us to give regularly and proportionately. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay [up] by him in store, as God hath prospered him.” And He tells us of the blessing of giving bountifully, and of the loss both of present blessing and future reward for careless and grudging giving. “This I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Whatever we may give to Him

Out of His bountiful store

Will be in heaven waiting for us,

And added to more and more.

2 Cor. 8:24,8,12; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-8; Acts 20:35.

December 17

“He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Psa. 103:14).

It is a blessed thing indeed to know that “He knoweth” all about us: our desires, our motives, our hopes, our failures, our temptations, our tears, ALL. “The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous.” “The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.” When trials oppress us heavily, let us not forget that “He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness,” and we can say with Job that “He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” And He not only knows all things, He also “remembereth that we are dust.” He knows our limitations, and “though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.” He tells us that “I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made.” “He hath remembered His mercy and His truth.” So, “remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies and Thy loving-kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.”

“He knoweth the way” of His saints,

And He forsaketh them never;

The world and all its allurements

Cannot us from Him sever.

Psa. 1:6; 37:18; Deut. 2:7; Job 23:10; Lam. 3:32; Isa. 57:16; Psa. 98:3; 25:6.

December 18

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb. 12:11).

There is for the child of God “the present,” and often it is not “joyous, but grievous,” as we pass “through manifold temptations” and “the fiery trial which is to try you.” “The travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it” carries with it a weight of sorrow and weariness, and for the time we forget that “all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” But our loving Father does not work in our lives simply for present benefit and ease. He looks to the “afterward,” both in this life and in eternity. As we allow ourselves to be “exercised” by all the circumstances of life, our trials yield to us “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” Thus God leads us “that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end,” and “that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

We know not the “why” of our trials,

Nor how they can work for our good,

But He sees the end of our testings,

And make us more Christ-like He would.

1 Peter 1:6; 4:12; Eccl. 3:10; 2 Cor. 4:15; Deut. 8:16; 1 Peter 1:7.

December 19

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Our Lord Jesus Christ said that “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me,” and, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” He also said that “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” “Christ, who is our life.” “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

“Dead in trespasses and sins,”

With no hope that I could see,

But God’s dear Son took my place,

That I delivered might be.

John 1:4; 1 John 4:9; 5:12; Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13; John 14:6; 5:24; 6:51; Col. 3:4.

December 20

“Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isa. 9:6).

“The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. ... But ... the angel of the Lord appeared ... in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” And “behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” “The angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David.” But not only is “a child ... born,” also “a son is given.” “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son.” “He ... spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.”

“Christ Jesus came into the world,”

Born a Babe at Bethlehem,

To die for sinners such as we;

He took all God’s wrath for them.

Matt. 1:18,20-21; 2:1-2; Luke 1:30-32; John 3:16; Gal. 4:4; Rom. 8:32.

December 21

“His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

He, our Lord Jesus Christ, is “the Lord of hosts ... wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” He is wonderful, and so is His Word. “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.” And “many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward.” He is the “Counselor,” and “who teacheth like Him?” “Who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor?” He is also “The mighty God,” “wise in heart, and mighty in strength,” declaring that “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” He is “The everlasting Father,” that is, “the Father of the ages,” and all the ages of time, past, present and future, were planned for the glory of “His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds [ages].” And as “The Prince of Peace” He shall one day, at His return, occupy “the throne of His father David,” and “in His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.” And today, we who trust Him “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Wonderful and beyond compare

Is the name of Christ our Lord,

Counselor, Prince of Peace, and God,

Thus revealed throughout the Word.

Isa. 28:29; Psa. 119:129; 40:5; Job 36:22; Rom. 11:34; Job 9:4; Rev. 1:8; Heb. 1:2; Luke 1:32; Psa. 72:7; Rom. 5:1.

December 22

“We know that the Son of God is come” (1 John 5:20).

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” He said that “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world,” “that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” He came “not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many,” “and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

“God sent … His Son into the world,”

To die on the cross for all;

The debt is paid; only believe;

Salvation is in His call.

John 3:16-19; Luke 19:10; John 10:10; 1 John 2:2; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 4:9-10; Matt. 20:28; Isa. 53:6.

December 23

“She shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).

“All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” “When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” in fulfillment of the first Messianic promise, spoken by the Lord God to the serpent, Satan’s tool, in the Garden of Eden, that “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” He said that “I and My Father are one,” and “he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” He is “our Lord Jesus Christ ... the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality ... to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”

The holy Son of God came down

To dwell on earth among men;

Refused, despised and rejected,

He paid the price for our sins.

Matt. 1:22-23; Gal. 4:4; Gen. 3:15; 1 Tim. 3:16; John 1:18; 10:30; 14:9; 1 Tim. 6:14-16.

December 24

“Christ Jesus ... being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:5-7).

Our Lord on earth was the perfect Servant, of whom Jehovah God had spoken prophetically, “Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law.” When He left heaven to come to earth, to be born of the virgin, “when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me. ... Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God.” He could say without reservation that “I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me,” and “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work,” “by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

The Servant of the Lord was here;

His delight was to obey;

He was “obedient unto death,”

To turn our night unto day.

Isa. 42:1-4; Heb. 10:5-7; John 6:38; 4:34; Heb. 10:10.

December 25

“Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

We who are sinners by nature and practice, and all of us are, do not need a teacher, nor an example; we need a Savior. And the One who came down from heaven two thousand years ago was and is “a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” “Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Hundreds of years before He came, He had declared through Isaiah that “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no savior,” for “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” It “is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” and this “according to the commandment of God our Savior.” He could be our Savior because He is the spotless Son of God, “a lamb without blemish and without spot,” “who did no sin,” “who knew no sin,” and “in Him is no sin.” We say with Mary, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.” And knowing Him, “we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” daily “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”

The Savior came into the world

To save such sinners as we;

He laid down His life a ransom

That we from sin might be free.

Matt. 1:21; Isa. 43:11; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 1:15; Titus 1:3; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 3:5; Luke 1:46-47; Phil. 3:20; Titus 2:13.

December 26

“Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).

“He was rich.” Isaiah “saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim. ... And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. Then said I, Woe is me! ... for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” John tells us that “these things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him,” our Lord Jesus Christ. But He “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” “For your sakes He became poor.” “She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” “He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. ... Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. ... All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

He was in the Father’s bosom

Throughout all eternity,

Yet He became Man for our sakes,

Bearing sin for such as we.

Isa. 6:1-3,5; John 12:41; Phil. 2:7; Luke 2:7; Isa. 53:2-4,6.

December 27

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. ... Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” “Not as the offense, so also is the free gift: for if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. ... Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters ... yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

God gave the world of men His Son,

”Unspeakable gift” indeed;

He took our sins upon Himself

In order to meet our need.

Rom. 6:23; John 3:16; 4:10,14; Eph. 2:8; John 10:28; Rom. 5:15,17; Isa. 55:1.

December 28

“The prophets ... inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when It testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:10-11).

We know that “the sufferings of Christ” were accomplished at His first coming, and that “the glory that should follow” will be revealed when He comes again. We live between His two advents. But the Old Testament prophets lived before either coming, and they “inquired and searched diligently” as to what “the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify,” when He spoke through them of “the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” They saw the first and second comings of Christ in one blended vision. Isaiah wrote of One who “is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” On the other hand, he said of that coming One that “He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.” The two comings of our Lord are inseparably connected in the Word. “He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” and we wait for Him to “appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

He came, the blessed Son of God,

To die for the sins of all;

He’ll come again in great glory;

His judgment on sin will fall.

Isa. 53:3; 11:4; Heb. 9:26,28.

December 29

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

“The day of Jesus Christ” is the time when our Lord shall come for His own, and we who know Him are “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are saved because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” because He “His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” But though the believer in Christ is perfectly and completely saved, yet the full manifestation of our salvation awaits the Lord’s return, and “now is our salvation nearer than when we believed,” and “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” So “we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.” And “faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” Meanwhile, we “are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though ... ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.”

He who has saved us will keep us

Until His purpose is done

And we are safely home at last,

With all earthly battles won.

1 Cor. 1:7-8; 1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Peter 2:24; Rom. 13:11; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 5:24; 1 Peter 1:5-6.

December 30

The psalmist wanted to be in the Lord’s presence both “to behold” and “to inquire.” He wanted “to behold the beauty of the Lord.” The time is not yet come when “thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty,” but “though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory,” for by faith “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Thus we “behold the beauty of the Lord,” “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God,” “for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.” And as we gaze upon Him in His Word, “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord,” and with Moses we pray, “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.”

Let His beauty be seen in me,

That men may in me behold

The grace and love of my Savior,

Who gave Himself for my soul.

Isa. 33:17; 1 Peter 1:8; Heb. 2:9; 12:2; Psa. 45:11; 2 Cor. 3:18; Psa. 90:17.

December 31

“Until the day break, and the shadows flee away” (Song of Sol. 4:6).

Many have been the shadows which have fallen on the paths of God’s dear children as we have journeyed through a Christ-rejecting world. The shadows of pain, persecution, separation, misunderstanding, blighted hopes, weariness, privation, grief, and “the shadow of death.” But one of these days shall “the shadows flee away,” and we shall know by sight, even as we now know by faith, “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Like John on Patmos we shall hear a voice saying, “Come up hither,” at “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ... our gathering together unto Him,” “and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” “Until the day break,” let us joyfully trust and serve Him, following “the sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

For long it has been the nighttime,

With its shadows and its sounds,

But soon He’ll come, who is the Light,

And glory will shine around.

Psa. 23:4; Rom. 8:18; Rev. 4:1; 2 Thess. 2:1; Rev. 21:4; 2 Peter 1:19; Rom. 13:12.