Growing in Grace – July 2026

July 2026

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

“If he [Saul of Tarsus] found any of this way … he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:2).

“And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them” (Acts 24:22).

In the early years of Christianity, believers on the Lord Jesus did not at first identify themselves by the name “Christian.” In fact, it was actually worldly people who first used that phrase, for the Word of God tells us that “the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). People who were not saved wanted some kind of name by which to identify believers, so they called them “Christians,” because they followed the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the beginning, people simply referred to those who believed on the Lord Jesus as following “that way,” and referred to the truth that they believed as “the way.” As time went on, the name Christian became more common, and the expression “the way” was replaced by Christianity.

However, the term “that way” is not a bad one, for as we see in our first verse for today, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He was the way, and the only way, to approach God, and the only way to be saved. When Saul of Tarsus (who became the Apostle Paul later after he was saved) was going out to try and arrest Christians in the city of Damascus, he referred to them as being “of that way.” Even later on in the life of the Apostle Paul, when he had been preaching for many years, the Roman governor Felix still referred to what Paul believed as “that way.” Although they might not have had a specific name for those who believed, yet the truth of the gospel had spread rapidly, and the Roman government knew all about it. Poor Felix listened to the Apostle Paul many times, yet we have no record that he ever accepted Christ as his Savior. It seems that he was more interested in getting money from Paul, rather than hearing how he could have eternal riches.

Now everyone knows what the name “Christian” means, and what “Christianity” means. However, the name is not what is important; it is the truth of Christianity that is important, and to know the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life.”

Thursday, July 30, 2026

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“Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters … that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Titus 2:9-10).

Paul gave Titus some very clear advice as to very practical things. In fact, we find the phrase “good works” used many times in the book of Titus. Why was this? The Christians on the island of Crete knew the gospel and had believed it. However, they were not very good at acting like Christians, and frequently did things that were not right for Christians to do. Paul told Titus to make sure that they not only believed the gospel, but acted like Christians.

When I was in medical school, we had to study the human skeleton. We had a number of human skeletons available to us, standing up in little closets, so that we could learn the names of the bones, and how they fit together. Those skeletons were not very attractive, and if you were to see one, you might think it was actually ugly. Yet those bones are in all of our bodies, and are very important. They provide a structure on which muscles, fatty tissue, organs such as our heart, liver, kidneys, etc., and finally our skin can be held together.

Good doctrine is like our skeleton. It may not always be pretty by itself, but it is the structure and support on which our Christian life can be built. What then does it mean to adorn the doctrine? It means that even if people do not like the doctrines of Christianity, they ought to be able to see the good works in our lives — things that they can appreciate. These good works are like the soft tissues that cover our skeletons — they are much more pleasing to look at!

It is important to remember this in our everyday lives. We may tell others about the Lord, and we may tell them how to get saved, but it will not mean much unless our lives are “adorning the doctrine.” We need to show the proof of our Christianity to this world.

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

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“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34).

When Hudson Taylor was in China, he organized what was called the China Inland Mission. Many young people joined him there, in order to bring the gospel to those who needed to hear it. Hudson Taylor liked to interview personally the young people who volunteered to spend their time in this way, in order to get to know them, and to pass on some advice.

Once he took a young man out to lunch at a restaurant, in order to have a visit with him. In the course of their conversation, Mr. Taylor suddenly brought his fist down hard on the table. As you may imagine, some of the water in their drinking glasses immediately spilled out onto the table. Then Hudson Taylor made his point. He said to the young man, “During your time in China, you will almost surely get many hard knocks. But when this happens, it is what is inside that will spill out, just as with our water glasses.”

It was a good point to be made, for in our lives, even if we do not go to a foreign land, we will likely get some hard knocks. Then what is inside will come out. An older brother used to remind us, ‘Circumstances do not produce our state of soul; they manifest (show it out) it.” He also used to say, “I will never know how closely you walk with the Lord until someone crosses you, and I see how you react.” It is easy to be pleasant and nice when everything is going smoothly, but our true state of soul (what we are really like inside) comes out when things are not going well. But walking with the Lord can give us His peace, which involves accepting our circumstances from the Lord, and taking our problems to the Lord.

The Lord Jesus experienced many hard knocks in His life, and He always reacted in the right way. Sometimes He was gracious, and at other times He reached the consciences of those who were responsible for those hard knocks. But Peter tells us that “when He was reviled, [He] reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). He did this as an example for us, and we can ask Him for the grace to act the same way.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

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“Is any happy? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13 JND).

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25).

We usually expect people to sing when they are happy. The first recorded singing in the Bible is when the children of Israel had crossed the Red Sea, and were delivered from Pharaoh — the one who treated them cruelly. No doubt they were very happy to be free! Then we find in our first verse today that the Lord tells us, through James, that if we are feeling happy, we are to sing. As I am running errands in stores and other public places, I occasionally hum a tune to myself. Sometimes people overhear it, and say, “You seem very happy today!” We expect people who sing to be happy.

But here in our second verse we find two men singing who were not in a very good situation. They had been falsely accused, publicly beaten in the marketplace, and then imprisoned, with their feet in the stocks. Stocks were usually made of wood, and then locked around the ankles of the prisoner, so that he could not possibly escape. The stocks were sometimes placed in public places, so that the people could see those who were in them, and make fun of them. But these stocks were actually in the prison.

You and I would not feel like singing under those conditions. Their backs were sore and bleeding from the beating they had received, and now they were in prison, not knowing what would happen to them. How could they sing after all that?

They could sing because they were happy in their souls. They knew that the Lord had allowed all this, and that He could deliver them. Then they began to sing in the middle of the night, at midnight. It was probably pitch dark in the prison, but they continued to sing, and the other prisoners heard them. Then the Lord stepped in and did a remarkable thing. He allowed a big earthquake, and it shook the prison so violently that everyone’s stocks came loose, and all the doors opened.

The jailor was about to kill himself, for if the prisoners escaped, he was held responsible. He would likely be executed. But no one had escaped, and that very night the jailor was saved. You can read this story in Acts 16, and how the jailor got saved. Paul and Silas had been badly beaten, but they sang in spite of this, and the jailor got saved. It was worth it!

Monday, July 27, 2026

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“And as he (Saul of Tarsus) journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:3-4).

“He is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus (afterward the Apostle Paul) is one of the most remarkable events in the whole Bible. Here was a young man who hated the name of the Lord Jesus, and who was the leader among the Jews in seeking to stamp out Christianity. He had already been present when Stephen was stoned (Acts 7), and some time later he was on his way to the city of Damascus to arrest and imprison more believers in the Lord Jesus.

However, the Lord has His eye on that young man. Since Saul had been among those who killed Stephen, one of the brightest and best believers on the Lord Jesus, the Lord seemed to say, “All right; then you, Saul, will come and take his place, and I will make out of you an even greater servant than Stephen.” This is exactly what happened, for the Apostle Paul became the one to whom the Lord gave the special truth of the assembly, from a risen Christ up in heaven.

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Saul to be traveling along, probably on horseback, and then to be struck down by a light so bright that he fell to the earth? Many years later, when he was telling his story, Paul says that the light was “above the brightness of the sun.” As a result of this experience he was blind for three days, and did not eat or drink. But he was truly saved, and immediately began to preach the wonderful truth that Jesus is the Son of God. Paul became a real servant of the Lord, and went on to preach both the gospel and the truth of the assembly.

You and I have not had the kind of experience that Saul of Tarsus had when he was saved. The Lord saved him in a special way, for although he never saw the Lord Jesus while He was on earth, yet he saw Him in heaven on that day when the Lord struck him down on the road to Damascus. Seeing the Lord Jesus in heaven made a big difference to the Apostle Paul’s ministry, for he always thought of the Lord Jesus as risen and up in heaven. But you and I have sinful hearts too, and we need to recognize that our hearts, before we were saved, were no better than Saul’s. We too need a new heart, just as he did. We may not be called to do what Paul did in serving the Lord, but we all have something that the Lord has given us to do.

Sunday, July 26, 2026

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“For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11).

“It is not the will of your Father … that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14).

Perhaps many of you reading this have already memorized today’s first verse, at some time. And maybe you think that a couple of words are left out. Doesn’t it say, “To seek and to save?” Well, it does in Luke 19:10, but here in Matthew it just says, “to save.”

We have one more story from the Titanic. Of course there were lists of all the passengers, and when the survivors were all checked off the lists, they knew right away the names of all those who had drowned. One sad part in the list were the names of a young family from England who were all on their way to Niagara Falls to start a new life — a father, mother, and six children. None of them were rescued. But several days after the disaster, as rescue ships searched the area, they recovered the lifeless body of a little boy floating in the water. There were 109 children traveling on that ship and 53 of them perished.

The rescue ships took all the bodies they found back to the nearest port, which was the city of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada. No one knew who the little boy was, as many children were missing. So the sailors buried him in the cemetery there, and put up a marker over his grave, “Unknown child of the Titanic.” For almost 100 years people came to see the various headstones in the cemetery, and many visited this one. As the research into DNA progressed later in the 20th and 21st centuries, researchers were finally able to identify the little boy from a fragment of a bone that was still in his coffin. He was Sidney Leslie Goodwin, the youngest child of Charles and Augusta Goodwin, the family that had been traveling to Niagara Falls.

All this seems so very sad, but do you know that the Lord Jesus always knew whose body was in that grave? And by the time men had figured it out, little Sidney had already been enjoying heaven for almost 100 years!

When little children die before they are able to understand the gospel, and to accept the Lord Jesus as Savior, they have not set their will against God. In these situations, the will of the Father takes over, and they are taken to heaven, for it is not the will of God the Father that one of these little ones should perish. Sadly, as children grow up, many refuse to accept Christ, and end up in a lost eternity.

Those of you who read this cannot claim that you are too young, for if you are old enough to read and understand the gospel, then you are responsible before God. But how beautiful it is to see how God cares for babies and little children who die.

Saturday, July 25, 2026

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“Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?” (Luke 13:2).

In today’s verse, the Lord Jesus was talking to the people around Him when He was here on the earth. We could substitute other people for the word “Galilaeans.” We could say, “Do you think that those on the Titanic were worse sinners than any others, because they suffered in this way?” Jesus went on to say in the next verse, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise [in the same way] perish” (Luke 13:3). God warns us sometimes by making an example of others, in order to alert us to the danger of neglecting our souls’ salvation.

As the Titanic was preparing to load and sail, my mother’s family were busy packing their cases and belongings to sail from England to North America as well. The Lord allowed that they booked a passage on another ship a few weeks later. At that time my mother was a little girl of two years of age, and she had six older brothers and sisters. They would have travelled 3rd class, and would not have been the ones in the lifeboats! God had His eye on that family and protected them from what would have been almost certain death. They were saved for a purpose. It touches my heart when I think of this, and makes me feel responsible to please the Lord Jesus and tell others about Him.

No, God does not like to punish the people that He made, for He loves them. But sometimes they get very proud and boastful, and forget about Him, while living their lives for their own pleasure. Then He may allow a disaster that speaks to the whole world, as everyone is devastated when they hear of a terrible tragedy. Today we see earthquakes and hurricanes, flooding, droughts, and wars. We should all be listening, and if we know the Lord Jesus, then we can use all these things to tell others about Him — the One who loves them and came to die for them.

Friday, July 24, 2026

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

April 10, 1912 was a busy day on the docks in Southampton, England. The largest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world was ready to steam out of the harbor, headed for New York City across the Atlantic. Headlines in the newspapers had boasted that the ship was “unsinkable.”

Big cranes swung over the ship, loading all the provisions. There were 40,000 eggs going into the massive kitchen. Five grand pianos were rolled into their places, and a wonderful orchestra had been assembled for entertainment. The passengers were excited. Some were traveling “1st class” and had paid a very large sum of money for their tickets, while others were “2nd class” and many more were “3rd class.” But all expected a pleasant seven-day journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

All the latest technology had gone into the design and building of this ship named the Titanic, but there was something lacking. As the 2,200 passengers and crew took their places on board, they did not know that there were lifeboats for only half that number. And they did not know that God had His eye on that ship, and that it would never reach New York City.

As we wake up each morning, we do not have any idea what may happen during the day ahead of us. But those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior and have been washed from our sins in His precious blood do not need to have any fears. If the Lord Jesus chooses that day to gather me up in His arms and take me home to heaven, then it would still be a good day! A wonderful day, in fact.

Shortly after midnight on April 15th, the Titanic struck an iceberg, and it tore a huge hole in the side of the ship. Within a few hours that massive boat was at the bottom of the ocean. That “unsinkable” ship had sunk! Over two thirds of the people on board perished that night in the icy water. There were many acts of bravery as quite a few of the women and children were put into the lifeboats; 705 people were rescued but 1,500 died that night.

But remember, God never leaves you without a way to escape coming judgment, the way so many of those on the Titanic were left to drown because there were not enough lifeboats. He is offering you a pardon right now. You would not have stood on the deck of that ship that cold night and refused to get into a lifeboat. Do not wait another day to accept God’s offer of a pardon!

Thursday, July 23, 2026

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“When I blow with a trumpet … ye also shall blow the trumpets … and shall say, For Jehovah and for Gideon” (Judges 7:18 JND).

“And the three companies blew the trumpets … and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands … and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon” (Judges 7:20).

By the time that the battle was to be fought, Gideon knew that only the Lord could give him the victory over the Midianites. Gideon had only three hundred men, while the Midianites were “like grasshoppers for multitude” (Judges 7:12). He knew very well that he could not win the battle in his own strength, and the Lord had arranged it this way so that Israel would know that only the Lord had delivered them.

But then Gideon gave his men further instruction. They were to hold lamps in their left hands, and trumpets in their right hands. The lamps were probably torches of fire, burning at the ends of thick sticks of wood. At first the torches were hidden inside pitchers made of clay, but when they blew the trumpets, they were to break the pitchers so that the torches could be seen. Then they were to cry, “For Jehovah and for Gideon.” The men did not use swords, for they already had their hands full. They did not have any hand with which to hold a sword, but they did not need them.

But when the men cried out, they did not say what Gideon told them to say. See our verse for today! Instead they said, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” Gideon had more faith than his men, but the Lord gave them the victory, for all the Midianites fought with each other. Of course the men had swords, and eventually they used them later, but the Lord won the battle without any fighting at all by Gideon and his three hundred men.

In our lives we too are engaged in a spiritual warfare, and we do have a sword — “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). But sometimes we must simply let the Lord work on our behalf, and if we let our light shine, and witness for the Lord, He will win the battle for us. Then as He should He gets the praise and glory for it.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

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“And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many … Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return … and there returned of the people twenty and two thousand” (Judges 7:2-3).

“And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many … by the three hundred men that lapped will I save you” (Judges 7:4, 7).

I am sure most of you have heard the story of Gideon and his three hundred men, and how they defeated a huge army of the Midianites. Perhaps you have sung the song about him in Sunday school — “Brave Gideon had three hundred men, the Midianites had a host,” etc. But at first Gideon had many more than three hundred men — he had 32,000 men. The Lord said that this was too many, and so He told Gideon to tell anyone who was afraid to go home. As a result, 22,000 of his men went home — more than two-thirds of his army.

This is a good lesson for us too. We should be dependent on the Lord, but if we are afraid to face the world and stand up for the Lord, it is better for us not to attempt to serve Him until we have walked with the Lord a little longer, and have learned to go out in His strength. If one person is afraid, he will tend to make others afraid. The Lord had already given these instructions to Israel in the law, telling them that anyone who was afraid should not go out to battle. See if you can find this verse; it is in the book of Deuteronomy.

However, even though Gideon had only 10,000 men now, the Lord said that they were still too many. The Lord told Gideon to test them in an unusual way; you can read about it in Judges 7. He was to take the men to the water to drink. Most of the men got down on their knees to drink directly from the water, while a few scooped up water in their hands and lapped it, like a dog. Then the Lord said that those who scooped up water with their hands should be the ones to go to war — only three hundred men. Why was this?

There was really nothing wrong with getting on their knees to drink, but it is a picture of taking it easy in this world, and enjoying the good things down here. Also, while they were drinking, they could not be on guard. But the ones who scooped up water knew they had work to do, and a battle to fight. They drank quickly, and in a way that allowed them still to be on guard.

This is the way we should treat the good things God gives us in this world. We need things like food, water, clothes, a house to live in, etc., but we should not be thinking so much about those things. We are here to live for the Lord’s glory, and to fight the Lord’s battles as Christians. It is important to be like Gideon’s three hundred men, who took the water quickly, and who then were ready to go out to battle.

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

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“Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer … So will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:15-16).

Esther is another very interesting book of the Bible, and shows how the Lord preserves and cares for His people, even when they are in a foreign land, and perhaps are not honoring Him as they should. The book of Esther takes place during the reign of king Ahasuerus, whose real name was Xerxes. He reigned from 485 B.C. to 474 B.C., so the book of Esther took place some years before we read about Ezra and Nehemiah.

Esther was a young girl whose parents had died, and a relative named Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. They did not live in the land of Israel, but lived in the Persian empire, where their ancestors had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar. She was apparently a very attractive girl, and eventually the Persian king Ahasuerus chose her for his queen. This was of course quite a wrong thing for a Jewess to do, for they were not to marry outside of the people of Israel. This is probably the reason that the name of God is not mentioned in the whole book of Esther, but we certainly see God working on behalf of His people.

A man named Haman was a high official in the Persian government, and he did not like Mordecai, nor did he like the Jews as a people. He wanted to get rid of them all, and persuaded the king to kill all the Jews on a certain day. Mordecai appealed to Esther to go to the king, and to ask him to do something about this. However, it was against the law for anyone, even the queen, to go into the king’s presence without being invited. The king might welcome someone who came in, but he also might execute them, if he decided he did not like their coming in to disturb him. But Esther decided to go in, and to trust the Lord as to the king’s reaction.

I will not tell you the rest of the story, but read it for yourself in the book of Esther. It is all very interesting, and remarkable how the Lord used Esther to deliver the Jews from harm. Also, let us remember that the Lord can, and does, still work today on behalf of you and me, to protect us.

Monday, July 20, 2026

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“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them” (Genesis 1:27).

Today a lot is being said out in the world concerning gender issues, and many young people are becoming confused by what they are hearing. Suddenly, within the last few years, the world has decided that people can choose their own gender, rather than being satisfied with the gender with which they were born. Boys can decide that they want to be girls, and girls can decide what they want to be boys. Same sex marriages have become legal in many countries, and homosexual behavior is not only permitted, but honored. So called “Pride parades” are often organized to promote this kind of behavior. Those who speak out against this kind of thing can be accused of “hate speech” and may be liable to punishment.

We do not want to go into all the reasons why these new attitudes have suddenly developed out in the world, but we would point out to all of you young people that the Word of God strongly condemns any such behavior, in both the Old and the New Testaments. It is a very sinful thing, and ultimately comes about because “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge” (Romans 1:28). As a result of their giving up God, we read that “God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to practice unseemly things” (Rom. 1:28 JND). We see this all around us in the world today, for as God is given up, and people try to live without Him, God is allowing this serious moral evil to overtake us.

Let us trust the Word of God, and recognize the sinfulness of all this. The Word of God is plain, and we need simply to follow the clear teaching of the Bible. Let us have nothing to do with this sinful behavior; it is not of God, but rather something Satan has devised.

Sunday, July 19, 2026

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“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we can incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Probably most of you have heard of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. He was born in Scotland, then immigrated with his family to Canada, and eventually moved to the United States. However, his summer home was in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, and he spent much of his time there, even in winter.

He was a very dedicated man who worked long hours on things that interested him, and eventually, in 1876, he managed to make a working telephone. He became very famous for this, and very wealthy too. He was interested in a lot of other things as well, and was one of the founders of the National Geographic Society. He was also very interested in flying machines, and was involved in designing the first airplanes. While it was Wilbur and Orville Wright who actually invented the airplane, it was Alexander Graham Bell and his younger assistants who first publicly flew a plane over a kilometer, and won a prize offered by the Scientific American. He also designed and built a speedboat that set a world record.

He was a man who wanted to make his mark in this world, and he said once, “I want to be remembered for my WORK!” He certainly is remembered, as the telephone is now used all over the world. He received many honors, including honorary degrees from well known universities, and invitations to speak all over the world.

However, it seems that he had no time for, or interest in, eternal things, and although he knew the Bible and could quote from it, there is no evidence that he was ever saved. This is very sad, for although his name is well known on earth, it is not likely written in the book of life.

Let those that know not second birth,
Labor to write their names on earth
My joy is this, that grace divine,
On heaven’s scroll has written mine.

Saturday, July 18, 2026

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“Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east” (Nehemiah 3:26).

“From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house” (Nehemiah 3:28).

“After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate” (Nehemiah 3:29).

“After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son … over against the gate Miphkad” (Nehemiah 3:31).

The water gate would also speak to us of refreshment, for water in the Bible is often a picture of the Word of God. The fountain speaks of refreshment, while water speaks of a constant steady source of peace and blessing. We all need water for our natural bodies, and we need the regular “washing of water by the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). That is, we need the Word of God every day to wash away the things that we contact every day in this world.

The horse gate is perhaps a picture of strength, for the horse in the Bible often speaks of strength. But it must not be our own strength; it must be the Lord’s strength. The Lord says in the Bible, “An horse is a vain thing for safety” (Psalm 33:17), yet if we rely on the Lord, He is able to protect us.

The east gate was special, for it was the gate through which only Lord could enter, or the Prince who represented Him. We read in Ezekiel, “The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east … the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate” (Ezekiel 46:1-2). This will happen in the millennium when the Lord Jesus reigns as the rightful King. The east is where the sun rises, and the Lord will enter in at that time like the rising Sun, to bring blessing to Israel.

Finally we have the gate Miphkad, which is difficult. It means “the gate of the appointed place.” We might take different meanings from this, but perhaps it means that while we are down here in this world, the Lord has an appointed place for us to come together and worship Him. We are not free to go just anywhere we like. If we really wish to be where the Lord is, He will lead us there.

Friday, July 17, 2026

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“The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah” (Nehemiah 3:13).

“But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab” (Nehemiah 3:14).

“But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh” (Nehemiah 3:15).

The valley gate would perhaps be a picture of what we read about in Psalm 23:4 — the “valley of the shadow of death.” Sometimes in our Christian lives we feel as if we are on a mountaintop, while at other times we seem to be in a valley. You may remember a time when the Syrians were badly defeated by Israel. The Syrians said, “The Lord is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys” (1 Kings 20:28). But the Lord is looking after us just as much when we go through a valley as when we are on a mountain. The Syrians were again badly defeated, because the Lord was with Israel. Let us remember that the Lord is also with us, even if we seem to be in a valley in our life.

The dung gate was probably the gate out of which they carried the manure from the animals. It was necessary to do this, and sometimes in our lives there are things that need to be carried out. Manure has a smell to it, and it is not nice to have large amount of it around our homes. In the days of Nehemiah they had plenty of horses, and the manure needed to be taken away. So you and I need to deal with those things in our lives that are not pleasing to the Lord, and to get rid of them.

But what comes next? The fountain gate, which speaks of refreshment. The Lord Jesus could tell the woman at the well of Sychar that “the water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life” (John 4:14 JND). When we get rid of things in our life that are not pleasing to the Lord, then the Spirit of God can use the Word of God to bring real refreshment to us. I suggest that this is the meaning of the fountain gate.

Thursday, July 16, 2026

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“Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate” (Nehemiah 3:1).

“But the fish gate did the sons of Hasenaah build” (Nehemiah 3:3).

“Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah” (Nehemiah 3:6).

Yesterday we mentioned the ten gates that were in the wall of Jerusalem, and the fact that they had meanings to their names. We might wonder why so many gates were needed, if the wall was mainly for protection. But there were people and things that needed to come into the city, and other things that needed to be taken out from time to time. Every city with a wall needs some gates in it.

You and I should be separate from this world, but this does not mean that we never have any contact with the world. No, we are to be separate from the world, but not isolated from it. We see this particularly with the first gate mentioned — the sheep gate. That would speak of the gospel going out, and people being saved. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus often refers to us as His sheep. Also, we notice that the sheep gate had no locks or bars; it was always available for those who might want to come in. That is like the gospel today.

The fish gate also speaks of the gospel, for the Lord Jesus told Peter and Andrew, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). You and I have this privilege today, for we are to go out and bring people to the Lord Jesus. Peter and Andrew were used to catching fish, but the Lord said to Peter, “From henceforth [now on] thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5:10).

Thirdly, we have the old gate. I am not sure just what it was used for in Nehemiah’s time, but maybe it was simply an older gate than some of the others. But for us, perhaps it is a picture of our needing to stand firmly for what the Lord has given us, and not to be wanting something new. Since the Bible was completed, many people have come forward, saying that they were prophets of God, and pretending to have some special new teaching from the Lord. But this cannot be, for the Word of God is complete; it cannot have anything added to it.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

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“They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded [those who helped to place loads on others], everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon” (Nehemiah 4:17).

One of the things about which Nehemiah was very concerned was that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and everything there was in a mess. Also, some of the gates of the city had been burned. As we have already said, it had been that way for more than 130 years, and no one had had the energy to clean up the mess, and rebuild the wall. It was a disgrace, and Nehemiah wanted to do something about it.

In Nehemiah 3 we read about the building of the wall, and I would suggest that you read this chapter. See if you can find the names of the ten gates in the wall that are mentioned in the chapter. They all have a meaning, but there is not room in our outline today to go into all of those meanings. In addition to the names of the ten gates, there are a lot of details about those who built the wall, how much they did, and how they did it. But everyone worked hard, and each did something, until the wall was finished.

The wall is a picture of separation from this world, and protection. Nehemiah realized that even though they had already rebuilt the temple about 65-70 years before, the city was not safe unless they rebuilt the wall as well. This is a good lesson for us too, for we need to be separate from this world if we are going to worship the Lord properly, and serve Him. We do not build a literal wall of bricks and mortar, but we need to walk in separation from this world.

However, if you read some of the other chapters in Nehemiah, such as chapter four and chapter six, you will see that some of the people who lived in the land of Israel were not at all happy to see the wall rebuilt. Some men came and tried to hinder the work, and even threatened to attack those who were working. That is why it was necessary for Jews to work with a tool in one hand, and a weapon in the other.

This is a picture of how we ought to live as believers too. We do not carry actual weapons, but when we work for the Lord, we need to be on guard, as Satan has those who will try and hinder the work of the Lord, just as they did in Nehemiah’s day.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

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“And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire … O Lord, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant … and grant him mercy in the sight of this man [the king of Persia]. For I was the king’s cupbearer” (Nehemiah 1:3, 11).

We now come to Nehemiah, and he was quite a different man from Ezra. Nehemiah came back to the land of Israel a little later than Ezra, in 455 B.C. As we see from the first verse today, he was upset and felt sad because of the condition of the people back in Israel, and also because the wall of Jerusalem was broken down. It had been broken down for a long time, for the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar away back in 588 B.C., more than 130 years before Nehemiah’s time. Nehemiah was so concerned that when he came into the presence of the king, the king noticed his sad face, and asked him about it.

Nehemiah was frightened, for the kings in those days had a rule, that no one was to come before them with a sad face. They wanted to see only happy faces. Also, Nehemiah had a very important place as the king’s cupbearer. That meant that he brought wine to the king on a regular basis. In modern times we do not have such a person in government, but in those days, it was a high position to be a cupbearer. His job was to taste all the wine that the king was to drink, and to make sure that no one had put poison into it. The king had to be able to trust this man completely, for poisoning was a favorite way of assassinating a king in those days. The king often confided in a man like this, and asked his advice.

When the king asked Nehemiah why he was sad, Nehemiah told him about the condition of things in Jerusalem, and the Lord gave him favor before the king. As a result, the king sent him back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, and to be the governor of that area.

Ezra was a humble, careful man who waited on the Lord before doing anything, and who faithfully taught the people from the law of Moses. Nehemiah was more of a man of action — a man who wanted to get things done. If you read the book of Nehemiah, you will find that the Lord used Nehemiah to get the wall of Jerusalem rebuilt, in spite of many difficulties. Yet as we read the book, we find that sometimes Nehemiah thought a little too much of himself, and what he was doing. He wanted the credit for being faithful to the Lord, which is not good. However, he was a very faithful man, and the Lord really used him.

Monday, July 13, 2026

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“The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands … for they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons … and when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle … and sat down astonied (surprised)” (Ezra 9:1-3).

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

We see from the first verse today that there was a big problem in Ezra’s time with the people of Israel mixing with people who lived around them — people who worshiped idols, and did not know the true God. The men of Israel had intermarried with heathen women, and even had children by them. They were strictly forbidden to do this, by the law of Moses, yet they had disobeyed, and dishonored the Lord. More than this, some of those who married these heathen women were leaders in Israel — princes, rulers, priests, and Levites.

As a faithful man, Ezra was very concerned about this, but before doing anything about it, He sat down in the Lord’s presence, and prayed. This is a good way to act when we see something happen that dishonors the Lord, and it is touching to read Ezra’s prayer in this same chapter, for he takes his place as part of the failure. He does not pray as if he were faithful, and the people were guilty. Rather, he says “we have forsaken Thy commandments” (Ezra 9:10), and “we are before Thee in our trespasses” (Ezra 9:15).

He prayed to the Lord, and as a result, the people came to him and confessed that they had done wrong. They wanted to make it right, and Ezra helped them to do what was right before the Lord.

The Lord gives us the same kind of instruction today, as we read in the book of 2nd Corinthians. We are not to be yoked together with an unbeliever, whether in marriage, or in business, or in any other way. We should always be ready to help those who are not saved, and to share the gospel with them, but we should not be together with them. They may be very nice people on the surface, but they will never want to enjoy the things of Christ. They will always want the things of this world, and it will make trouble for us eventually.

Each one of us needs to remember this. In my lifetime I have known several Christians who have married unbelievers, and while it might have seemed to work for a while, eventually it caused trouble. We are never wiser than the Word of God. Let us obey it and have a happy Christian life.

Sunday, July 12, 2026

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“Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses … For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements” (Ezra 7:6, 10).

Sometimes even Christians hesitate to read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, as they do not know much about them, and find these books hard to understand. Also, there are a lot of names in both books — names that are sometimes hard to pronounce. However, these books are quite interesting, and show how God looked after His people Israel, even after they had been carried away into captivity.

The book of Ezra actually begins a long time before Ezra was back in the land of Israel, for it begins about 536 B.C., right at the end of the seventy years of captivity predicted by the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord had worked in the heart of Cyrus, the king of Persia, to issue a command that any of the children of Israel who wanted to go back there and live, should be allowed to do so. He also specially gave a command to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. As a result of this command, close to fifty thousand Jews went back to the land of Israel, and began to rebuild the temple. The first six chapters of the book of Ezra tell us of some of the problems these people faced, and tells how people who did not want to see the temple rebuilt made trouble for those who were building. But eventually the temple was finished, perhaps about 520 B.C.

Later on, Ezra comes on the scene, perhaps about 468 B.C. He was of the priestly family, for he was descended from Zadok, and he could trace his family all the way back to Aaron. As we see from our verses today, Ezra had a concern for the people of God, and although he found himself in captivity, the Lord worked in the heart of the king to allow him to go back to Jerusalem. Not only did the king give permission, but he also said that any others who wanted to go with Ezra should be allowed to go. More than this, the king provided whatever was needed for the sacrifices to be carried on, and for Ezra to teach the law of Moses to the people.

It is wonderful to see how the Lord could work in the heart of this Gentile king, to allow him to favor the Jews, and to help them in this way. The Lord can do this today, for He controls the hearts of the authorities over us. If the Lord wants something done, He can make it happen!

Saturday, July 11, 2026

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“Peter said unto Him (the Lord Jesus), Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee” (Matthew 26:35).

“Then began he (Peter) to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man (the Lord Jesus)” (Matthew 26:74).

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him (Peter)” (Matthew 14:31).

“And he (Peter) gave her (Dorcas) his hand, and lifted her up, and … presented her alive” (Acts 9:41).

Have you ever thought of how we learn things in this world? Right from the time we are born, we begin to learn things, but how do we learn them?

There are really only two ways to learn something. We can learn things by having other people tell them to us. Our parents, relatives, teachers at school, etc. all teach us things by telling them to us. Or perhaps we read things in books, or on the internet. Sometimes, of course, people tell us things that are not true, or we read something that is not true. Then later we may have to correct what we think we know. However, listening to others is one way of learning.

The other way of learning is by experience. For example, when I was a boy we had a wood stove in our home, and as children we quickly learned that it was hot. If we touched it, it would burn us, and we did not touch it again. That is learning by experience. No one had to teach us that the stove was hot; we learned by experience.

We see both of these ways of learning in the Bible, and particularly in the case of Peter. He thought he was strong enough to follow the Lord Jesus in his own strength, even if it meant dying with Him. He said that he would never deny the Lord Jesus, yet, as we see in the second verse today, he did deny Him, and with cursing and swearing. He had to learn by experience how weak he was.

But Peter also learned by listening to the Lord Jesus, and seeing what He did. When Peter was sinking in the waves of the sea, the Lord reached out to him, and lifted him up again. Then later, Peter was able, with the Lord’s strength, to lift up Dorcas and restore her to life. Peter had learned love and compassion from the Lord Jesus, for the Lord Jesus had taught this to him. So Peter learned things in both ways, and so did many others in the Bible.

It is the same with us. We can learn many things from others, and particularly from reading the Word of God. But we also learn things by experience, for sometimes we do not pay attention to what the Bible says. Then the Lord has to teach us by allowing us to make a mistake. Learning by experience really impresses the lesson on us, but it is better, if possible, to learn by listening to others. It can save us from a lot of problems.

Friday, July 10, 2026

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“But He (the Lord Jesus) answered and said, It is written (Matthew 4:4).

“Jesus said unto him, It is written again” (Matthew 4:7).

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written” (Matthew 4:10).

Yesterday we were speaking about how the Lord Jesus was tempted of the devil, and that this proved that the Lord Jesus was truly the Son of God, and did not have a sinful nature. But there is more in this story of the temptation of the Lord Jesus, and you and I can learn a valuable lesson from how the Lord Jesus answered Satan.

As the Son of God, the Lord Jesus has power over Satan, and could easily have told Satan to go away, and not to bother Him. Or, when Satan tempted Him, He could simply have said to Satan, “No, I will not do that.” If He had told Satan to go away, this would not have proved that He did not have a sinful nature; it would only have proved that He had power over Satan. If the Lord Jesus had simply said to Satan, “No, I will not do that,” it would have proved that He could not be tempted with sin, but it would not have helped you and me when we are tempted.

Instead, the Lord Jesus did something else; He quoted the Bible to Satan. He gave Satan just the right verse for each of the temptations, and Satan had no more to say. This is what we need to do too. Unlike the Lord Jesus, you and I have sinful natures, and can be tempted to sin. But if we simply remember what the Word of God says, we can use it to combat Satan. The Word of God will protect us from every temptation if we use it.

This is another good reason to read the Bible every day, and to memorize verses from it. Then the Lord can bring them to our remembrance when we need them.

See if you can find the three verses that the Lord Jesus used to reply to Satan. (Hint — they are all in the same book of the Bible.)

Thursday, July 9, 2026

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“In Him [the Lord Jesus] is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1).

It is very clear from the first verse we have today that the Lord Jesus did not have a sinful nature, and could not sin. Some people say that He could have sinned, but did not. But this is a blasphemous statement, for if He could have sinned, then He must have had a sinful nature, and could not be our Savior.

Then why was it necessary for Him to be tempted [or tested] of the devil? Some people would argue, Why did He need to be tempted, if He could not sin? Where was the temptation in all this? The answer is very simple. The temptation proved that the Lord Jesus did not have a sinful nature.

Let me use an illustration. You all know that real gold is very valuable. At the moment, gold is worth nearly $1,800 U.S. per ounce (approximately 31 grams). For thousands of years people have been making “fake gold,” and then selling it as if it were real gold. Sadly, many people have been fooled by this fake gold, and have paid their money, only to find out later that what they have is not real gold. But there are special tests that can be done to prove that gold is real. Fake gold jewelry will usually leave a mark on your skin, while real gold will not. Fake gold will rust, while real gold will not. Finally, you can put a small amount of nitric acid on real gold, and nothing will happen. But if it is fake gold, a green color will appear, or sometimes a milky color, if the gold is mixed with silver. In this way people can test a piece of gold, to make sure that it is real.

The testing that the Lord Jesus went through proved that He was who He said He was — the Son of God. We who have a sinful nature can all be tempted by the devil, but the Lord Jesus simply answered him with quotations from the Word of God, and Satan was defeated. Satan could not tempt the Lord Jesus to sin, for He did not have a sinful nature. Then He began His earthly ministry, having proven who He was.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

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“So he [Elijah] departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him” (1 Kings 19:19).

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-19).

“And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us” (Matthew 20:6-7).

As you look at these three verses, you might wonder how they are connected. Two of them talk about those who were called to serve the Lord, while the third one speaks about men who were waiting in the marketplace to be hired. Let me explain the connection, for we can learn from these three verses.

First of all, we see that the Lord called Elisha to replace Elijah as prophet in Israel, and if you read the passage, you will see that Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha. Elisha knew immediately what that meant, and he quickly put his affairs in order, and followed Elijah. Likewise, in the New Testament, we find the Lord Jesus calling Peter and John to leave their fishing business, and to follow Him. He wanted to make them “fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed the Lord Jesus.

The important thing to see in both of these cases is that the Lord chose busy people to work for Him. He did not look around for people who were lounging about, doing nothing. No, when the Lord picks people to serve Him, He picks those who have energy, and who are busy doing things. So it is today. The Lord does not look for those who are lazy, and call them to work for Him. He picks busy Christians, who do their regular work well, whether it is school work, or in some kind of a job. It is important for each one of us to do what we see needs doing, and to be busy doing. The Lord can use that kind of a Christian.

However, in the third verse we find those who were not working, although they wanted to work. In those days men did not always have regular jobs. Those who wanted to work would go down to the marketplace and wait for someone to hire them for the day. At the end of the day they would get paid, and then have to go to the marketplace again the next day. What does this teach us?

Sometimes in this world there are people who want to work, but there is no work for them. This is hard, and it can be very difficult, especially for those who have a family to support. For those who are believers, we can go to the Lord to ask Him to help us in such a situation.

But we never have to worry that the Lord does not have something for us to do. There is always work for the Lord, even if it is just doing our schoolwork or regular job. We are to “do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Also, if we really want to do something for the Lord, He will show us what to do.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

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“Angels … are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14).

“For unto angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come [the millennium], whereof we speak” (Hebrews 2:5).

Yesterday we talked a bit about angels — who they are, and what they do. We saw that they are stronger than men, and are God’s servants, whom He uses to maintain order in this world. But in our verses today we see something wonderful! God hath given us new life in His Son, and now those same angels are serving you and me. This does not mean that you and I actually command them to do certain things, but rather that the Lord commands them to look after us, and tells them what to do. You and I are “the heirs of salvation,” meaning that someday we will be taken up to heaven, with bodies of glory. But while we are down here, the angels are like our “secret service,” whom the Lord uses to protect and care for us.

Most of the time we are not aware of these angels who look after us, but sometimes the Lord allows others to see them. Many years ago, a missionary was preaching the gospel in a country in South America, and several times those who did not like him tried to attack his home and kill him. But each time they tried, they saw a large shining light in front of his house, so bright that they could hardly see. They did not dare attack. When they asked the missionary later who shone that light, he told them that he did not see anything. But the Lord allowed the attackers to see that bright light, no doubt His angels were shining that light, and they were afraid to attack the missionary.

Now the world is being governed by angels, but a change will come when the Lord sets up His millennial kingdom. As we read in our second verse today, God is not going to govern His millennial kingdom with angels. No, He is going to replace them with Christ, and you and me. Do we realize that? We are going to govern this world with Christ, for it tells us in Revelation 20:6 that you and I “shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Angels will still be there in heaven to praise God, but they will not be governing in the same way they are today. God has a wonderful future for you and me.

Monday, July 6, 2026

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“He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:11).

“Depart from Me … into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

“His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments” (Psalm 103:20).

Angels are mentioned many times in the Bible, yet many people do not understand exactly who they are. It is clear from the Word of God that they are spirit beings, who were created before man. We cannot normally see them, although they can, if necessary, appear as men and women with normal bodies. They can also appear very strong and frightening, as the angels did at the tomb of the Lord Jesus, after He had risen from the dead. The Bible tells us that they are “greater in power and might” than man (2 Peter 2:11).

They are God’s servants, who do what He tells them to do. From our verses today we see that there are good angels and bad angels. Good angels are those who never rebelled against God, and who continue to serve Him faithfully. In the Old Testament they acted as messengers for the Lord, as well as keeping order in this world, and preventing even whole nations and governments from going against the will of God. They continue to do this today.

The bad angels, or fallen angels, are those who, along with Satan, rebelled against God, wanting to be gods themselves. Some of those fallen angels sinned so seriously that God has imprisoned them until the day of judgment. You can read about these angels in 2 Peter 2:4, and in Jude, verse 6. But others of these fallen angels are free to go about, and since they are spirits, they move about in the air, unseen by us. But they are very real, and are often called devils in the KJV Bible. The word should properly be translated demons, for there is only one devil, that is, Satan. These fallen angels, or demons, are the servants of Satan, and go about making as much trouble as possible.

You have read in the Bible about people being possessed of demons, and this is still happening today. Sometimes these demons actually live inside people, and take over their lives. They tell them what to do, and how to act. It is an awful thing to have this happen to someone, but it does not happen to real Christians. It happens only to those who choose to involve themselves with demons, and then eventually the demons get control of them.

Sunday, July 5, 2026

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“And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so he had appointed, minding himself to go afoot [to walk]” (Acts 20:13).

Today’s verse has an interesting detail recorded in Scripture that tells us something about Paul — another example of what we were talking about yesterday.

It is a nice idea to find yourself a Bible atlas and keep it handy when you are reading. Then you can look up places like Assos and Troas. If you read the story that precedes our verse, you’ll remember that this was the occasion when Paul preached all night in Troas and a young man named Eutychus fell asleep and fell out of the window. It says that Paul continued preaching till the break of day.

Then he, and the disciples with him, were going to get on a ship and sail to the next place. But … . we are told that Paul decided to walk to the next city and the others would sail there, and pick him up. So Paul loved to hike and walk! And maybe too, he liked some time alone to “recharge” before he was to preach again! This is where your Bible atlas would come in handy as you would find that this was a hike of 20 miles (or about 32 kilometers). This would have been hiked wearing sandals and was likely over rough paths.

It is also nice to have a Bible dictionary, as the Bible often refers to distances and measures that we do not use today. With the two walking away from Jerusalem in Luke 24, we are told that they walked threescore furlongs. What is a score and what is a furlong? See if you can find out.

In Acts 27:28 we find the sailors measuring and finding the depth of the ocean twenty fathoms, and then fifteen fathoms. What is a fathom? And then we read about shekels and cubits. The Lord has put all these details in His Word for us, and you will find some interesting things if you search them out.

Saturday, July 4, 2026

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“For whatsoever things were written aforetime [in the Old Testament] were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4).

As we know from the Bible and the timelines set out in it, the creation of man on the earth took place about 6000 years ago. We measure, or “record” time in B.C. and A.D. The letters B.C. stand for “Before Christ” and A.D. stands for Anno Domini (which is Latin, and means “in the year of our Lord”). So at the moment of writing this we are in the year 2022 A.D. There were 4000 years of man’s history in the world before the Lord Jesus was born into this world.

Of course, during the very early years, man did not write down his own history. For one thing, he had no written language in which to put it down, or paper and ink (or a laptop!). Although men may have used a written language before the flood of Noah, it is doubtful if any ancient writings that have been discovered date from before the flood. But writings since the flood are available to us, dating back to shortly after the flood took place. (The flood took place about 2350 B.C.) Early writings were scratched on clay or stone tablets with tools, but when man began to keep records, it was mostly accounts of battles, the numbers in armies, and the names of captains and kings.

But then, the Lord directed Moses by inspiration to write the first five books of the Bible. And we know he wrote by inspiration, as Moses was not alive to see creation, or to have met Abraham and Jacob or the other people we know so well from the stories in Genesis. And the amazing thing about these stories is that the people in them are so alive! We can really get to know them. If you like to picture things as you read them, no doubt you have a mental image of Abraham’s tent pitched out in a vast plain. He welcomed the angels there and gave them a good meal. And then we hear Sarah laugh when she hears she is going to have a child in her old age. Do you know that that is the first time, in any of the ancient writings, that anyone is mentioned as laughing? God is a God of details! His people whom He loved very much are shown to us in what we could call “3D.” That is, in three dimensions, not just “flat” accounts of names and numbers. And we can get to know them too, and learn very good lessons from their lives. They were people with struggles and problems, just as we have.

Think of many of your favorite people in the Bible stories you know. You know what Moses’ personality was like. He was shy, and wanted his brother Aaron to go with him to talk to Pharaoh. David was courageous, and musical. Ruth was tender-hearted and loving (and hard working!). Stop and think a little about this as you have your daily reading.

Friday, July 3, 2026

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“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed [hated] evil” (Job 1:1).

The book of Job is another somewhat difficult book for young people to read. Most of the book is taken up with how Job was allowed to become very sick with boils all over his body, and how his three friends came and visited him. His friends really wanted to help, but they assumed that Job was a bad man, and that God had allowed this sickness to punish him. This was not true, as we see from our verse for today. Job was a very good man, but his trouble was that he thought quite highly of himself, and did not realize that any goodness in him was only because of the grace of God. It was not because of his own efforts.

However, Job had something to learn, and after Job’s friends had finished saying quite a bit, a younger man named Elihu comes into the picture, and he said the right thing to Job. Eventually Job learned what the Lord wanted to teach him, and his friends learned an important lesson too. They learned not to make wrong accusations when they really did not understand at all what God was doing.

You and I can learn much from Job’s experience. Even as Christians, we can think we are behaving rather well, instead of realizing that it is only because we have a new life in Christ that we are able to live to please the Lord. Job also had to learn that any goodness that was in him was because of the grace of God, and not because he was naturally a good man. Being proud of our goodness is wrong, for any goodness in us comes from God.

Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible, and we are not even totally sure who wrote it. Job probably lived sometime after the flood, perhaps about the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We do not know much about his family background, nor do we hear anything of him later in the Bible, except a brief comment about this patience in James 5:11. However, the lesson that Job’s life teaches us is most important, so do not forget to read the book of Job.

Thursday, July 2, 2026

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“And the king [Nebuchadnezzar] spake unto Ashpenaz … that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science … now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel … ” (Daniel 1:3-4, 6).

We have all heard of Daniel in the lions’ den, and how the Lord miraculously prevented the lions from harming him. However, there is much more in the book of Daniel than this story. Daniel and his friends were taken captive from the land of Israel during the first attack by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in 606 B.C. But Nebuchadnezzar was a smart king; he did not destroy everybody whom he conquered. He realized that there were some clever people in Israel, and he wanted them to come to Babylon and serve him. He saw young men like Daniel who were well educated, physically fit, and able to be a help in his kingdom.

When you read the book of Daniel, you will find Daniel first of all as a young man, and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Together they had to adjust to a new life in Babylon, learn a new language, and serve a foreign king. But they all accepted what the Lord had allowed, and at the same time, they were faithful to the true God whom they had known in Israel.

However, there is more in the book of Daniel than simply how Daniel and his friends survived and did well in captivity. The book of Daniel covers more than 70 years, and when Daniel ends up being thrown into the lions’ den, he must have been between 80 and 90 years of age. Perhaps you have not realized that before. He survived the 70 years of the captivity that were prophesied by Jeremiah, and then served even during the reign of a new nation — the Medes and Persians.

But then we come to the hard parts of Daniel. In the later chapters, the Lord gave Daniel many prophecies about the future. Some of these have already been fulfilled, particularly what we read in chapter 11. But then there are other prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled, and will not be completed until after the Lord comes and takes us home to heaven. You may find this a bit complicated, but again, it is good to read it. If you do not understand, perhaps you can ask someone older to help you.

Daniel is a good example for us, as he was faithful to the Lord when everything seemed to be “falling apart.” Yet he honored the Lord, and the Lord honored him. He was called by the Lord, “O man greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:19). Could the Lord say that about you and me, because we were faithful to him in a time of real problems?

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

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“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1).

Ezekiel is another difficult book in the Bible, and one which Christians sometimes do not bother to read because it is hard to understand. However, like the book of Jeremiah, it has some wonderful things in it. If you are a person who likes dates, you will be interested to know that the book begins in “the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,” which was about 595 B.C.

Ezekiel, unlike many of the other prophets, was taken captive by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, and was taken to Babylon. The river Chebar that is mentioned was not likely an actual river, but rather a canal made by Nebuchadnezzar, which connected the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Some of the Jews were probably employed in digging this canal, and that is how Ezekiel found himself beside it. But then a wonderful thing happened; the Lord opened the heavens, and Ezekiel was given visions from the Lord. Like Jeremiah, he prophesied against Israel for all the sins they had committed, yet He also speaks of wonderful blessing later, when they will return to the Lord.

There are a number of special things that the Lord gave Ezekiel to tell us. For example, in chapter 28, we have a description of the pride of the king of Tyrus in verses 11-19. But this is also an account of the fall of Satan, which must have occurred even before the Garden of Eden was made.

Also, in chapters 38 and 39, we have the future of Russia brought before us, and how they will be completely defeated by the Lord when they try to attack Israel in a coming day. We do not find this anywhere else in the Bible.

At the end of the book, in chapters 40-48, there is a description of the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem in the millennium. It is pretty complicated, and even the best minds among Christians sometimes have trouble understanding how it will look. But it is very interesting to read. As with the book of Jeremiah, I would encourage you to read Ezekiel, even if you cannot understand it all. You will get something from it, and be helped by reading it.