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Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

February 2024

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Thursday, February 29, 2024

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“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55,57).
In our first verse today, it talks about the “sting of death.” No living creature wants to die, and man is just the same. He fights for life, unless he is in so much pain and suffering that death is preferable to more suffering. But with human beings there is a sting to death that an animal does not have. The reason for the sting of death is that man has a spirit, the God-conscious part of his being, and this spirit tells him that there is a God. It also tells him that he must meet God, and answer for how he has lived his life. The sting of death is what we read about in Hebrews 9:27—“It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
That sting is removed for the believer, for his sins are all under the shelter of the blood of Christ. Judgment is behind him, not ahead of him. Death simply takes us from this life into eternity—into the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Truly God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

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“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
When the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, we see in today’s verse that He became the “firstfruits” of them that slept. What does that mean? It means that He was the first man to rise from the dead with a glorified body, never to die again. Those who died and were raised from the dead, like Lazarus and the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-18), got old and eventually had to die again. But the Lord Jesus will never die again.
His resurrection is the absolute guarantee that you and I, as Christians, will also have glorified bodies, fit for heaven, and that will never decay or get old. If we die before the Lord comes, we will get our changed bodies when He comes. If we are still alive when He comes, we will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the assurance of our salvation, and the assurance of our resurrection with glorified bodies. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

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“And the angel answered…I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:5-6).
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is one of the most wonderful events in the history of this world. Prior to His resurrection, others had been raised from the dead in both the Old and the New Testaments. But no one had ever raised Himself from the dead, as the Lord Jesus did. No one had ever come back to life and left the grave as He did. As God, He could say of His life, “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18). When the Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11), he came out of the grave “bound hand and foot with graveclothes” (John 11:44), but the Lord Jesus came right out of His graveclothes.
Also, He did not need anyone to remove the stone, so that He could get out of the tomb. No, as God He would simply go through that stone. The angel rolled away the stone so that the women and the disciples could see inside the tomb, and even go inside. But the angel did not need to roll away the stone so that the Lord Jesus could come out. He had already risen!

Monday, February 26, 2024

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“Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless” (Matthew 22:12).
Something rather strange happened to me recently. My wife and I went to visit our son and his family, and I picked up a shovel to clear some of the snow from his porch and front walk. While I was doing this, a well-fed cat, wearing a collar, suddenly appeared, and was very friendly to me—walking beside me and occasionally rubbing against my leg. When I entered the house the cat boldly walked right in! I thought perhaps they had gotten a cat since my last visit, but no, it was not theirs. Yet the cat behaved in every way as if it belonged there.
It was the same with the man in our verse who did not have a wedding garment. In those days the host often provided a special wedding suit for those who would attend, and it was important to wear it. So you and I, if we are to be in heaven, must have on the “wedding garment” provided by the Lord Jesus through faith in Him. But the man in our verse came in boldly without a wedding garment.
That cat did not belong in my son’s home and had to be shooed out the door. So also, the man without a wedding garment was taken out and cast into outer darkness. It is important to get our wedding garment before we have to leave this world.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

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“All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him” (Psalms 22:7-8).
David wrote this almost one thousand years before the Lord Jesus came into the world, yet he prophesied exactly how the world would treat the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus had escaped from the hands of those who wanted to harm Him many times during His earthly ministry, but when it was time for Him to go to the cross, He submitted to the will of God His Father. There was no other way for sin to be put away.
When He was hanging on the cross, people passed by and commented just as David had said. We read what they said in Matthew 27:43, “He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God.” These were awful words for men to say, for the Lord Jesus could easily have come down from the cross and sent this whole world to hell. But He remained there and bore the punishment for sin. What wonderful love and grace He displayed!

Saturday, February 24, 2024

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“And Enoch walked with God…and begat sons and daughters…and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took Him” (Genesis 5:22,24).
Enoch lived a long time ago, for he was probably born about 3380 B.C. That is more than 5,000 years ago! He lived to be 365 years old, which seems to us like a very long life. Yet in Enoch’s time most people lived longer than that. Enoch’s son Methuselah had the longest life of anyone in the Bible—969 years.
Two things are important about Enoch. First of all, Scripture tells us twice over that “he walked with God.” How did he do it? He did it the same way you and I can do it—one day at a time. The Lord appreciated Enoch and his godly walk and has recorded it. You and I can walk with God too, every day of our lives.
Secondly, Enoch never had to die. The Lord simply took him to be with Him in heaven. Only one other man had this happen to him. Do you remember who he was? You can read about him in 2 Kings 2. You and I will not be taken as Enoch was, but if we are truly saved, we are waiting for the Lord to come and take us home. We may not have to die either!

Friday, February 23, 2024

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“And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron…and…after he had made it a molten calf…they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:3-4).
“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them…behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28).
It is very sad to see these verses in the Bible, and to realize that twice the Israelites made golden calves to worship. They made them once shortly after leaving Egypt, and then king Jeroboam made them again, more than 500 years later. Yet in both cases they said the same words—“These be thy gods, O Israel, that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
They had learned to worship the cow in Egypt, for the Egyptians worshiped the cow. The Israelites knew the true God, yet they turned so quickly to worshiping false gods like a calf. They had seen God’s power in delivering them from Egypt, yet they turned to idols. Even today there is at least one country in the world where they worship the cow.
Why did the Israelites do this? It was largely because they did not have faith, and wanted something they could see, rather than trusting a God whom they could not see. But they had seen clearly God’s power in saving them from the oppression of the Egyptians. We have seen not only God’s power, but also His love. Are we trusting only in Him?

Thursday, February 22, 2024

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“The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (John 7:7).
When the Lord Jesus spoke these words, He was speaking to His own natural brothers. Their names are given to us in Matthew 13:55—James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. At this point in time they did not believe in the Lord Jesus. (They did believe later on, probably after His death and resurrection.)
Why did the world hate the Lord Jesus? Our verse today tells us clearly; it was because He told people that they were sinners, and needed a Savior. As we saw yesterday, He told them plainly that there was no good in them at all, in their natural state. They needed a new life, and they did not want to hear that.
It is the same today. People will listen to you if you want to make this world a better place, if you want to feed people who are hungry, help those in need, etc. But they do not want a message that tells them they are helpless sinners.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

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“It is the Spirit that quickeneth [gives life]; the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63).
According to John 3:5, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” The water speaks of the Word of God, and the Spirit uses the Word of God to give us new life in Christ. We read the same thing again in today’s verse, for the Spirit of God quickens us, using the Word of God. But what about the rest of the verse?
Many years ago, a young man asked a much older Christian what advice he would give him, as he just started out on his Christian pathway. The older Christian simply said, “Learn well four words—‘The flesh profiteth nothing.’” What did he mean? He meant that the old sinful nature with which we were born does not do us any good. The Jews thought that somehow they could be saved through their own efforts, and many people today think the same thing. Sadly, even we who are believers sometimes persuade ourselves that there is still some good in the old nature. Let us believe God’s Word and recognize that it is bad—all bad.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

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“Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:18-19).
Even though the Lord Jesus did many miracles the Jews continually asked for a sign, meaning some kind of miracle that would clearly demonstrate to them who He was. After He had driven out of the temple the people that sold animals, the animals themselves, and the moneychangers, again the Jews asked for a sign. The Lord told them what we read in verse 19—“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews misunderstood, and thought He was speaking of the big temple Herod had built, which had taken 46 years to construct.
However, the Lord was speaking of something more miraculous than that; He was speaking of His own resurrection. He was speaking of the temple of His body, that would be raised up again the third day. But even this miracle, when it happened, did not convince them; they invented a lie, saying that the disciples stole the body while the soldiers slept. Only a real work of God in the heart can bring souls to repentance.

Monday, February 19, 2024

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“Nathanael saith unto him [Philip], Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
“Nathanael answered and saith unto Him [the Lord Jesus], Rabbi, thou are the Son of God; thou are the King of Israel” (John 1:49).
Nazareth was evidently a rather poor place, and Nathanael did not think very highly of it. When Philip told him that they had found the Messiah, Nathanael was very skeptical, and questioned whether anything good could come from Nazareth. However, he was going to get a shock and a surprise.
When Nathanael went with Philip to see the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus immediately addressed him as if He knew him. Nathanael was surprised, and even more surprised when the Lord Jesus told him that he had seen him sitting under a fig tree some time before. The Lord Jesus had not been there to see Nathanael with his natural eyes, so Nathanael immediately knew that he was speaking to the Lord Himself. His immediate reply was to recognize Him as both the Son of God and the King of Israel.
This is a good lesson for us too. We should not make judgments about people just because of what their background might be. Let us accept people for what they are, and not make a judgment based on where they come from.

Sunday, February 18, 2024

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“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).
The Lord Jesus spoke seven times while He was on the cross, and what is recorded here is the sixth one. It is recorded only in John’s gospel, the gospel that portrays the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. As the Son of God, He could dismiss His own spirit, and He did so in full command of what was happening. We learn from other gospels that when He said those words, “It is finished,” He said them in a loud voice, and with His head erect. Then He bowed His head, and said, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). All this showed clearly that He was the Son of God.
The expression “It is finished” was a triumphant cry, for the work of bearing that awful load of sin was done. Now you and I can rest on that finished work, for nothing needs to be added to it, nor can anything be added to it. God has shown His acceptance of that work by raising the Lord Jesus from the dead, for God is not only satisfied with that work; He is glorified by it.

Saturday, February 17, 2024

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“Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister [servant]: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).
Normally the person who is the greatest is the one who is served by others, and those who have the highest place in this world expect others to do things for them. However, the Lord Jesus said exactly the opposite to His disciples. Sometimes His disciples had discussions about who would be the greatest, and the Lord Jesus had to remind them that the greatest among them should be the one who served others.
Then the Lord Jesus used Himself as the example of this. Here He was in this world, the Son of God who became a man, and who took the most humble place. He had created this world, and we read in Hebrews 1:3 that He upholds “all things by the word of His power.” Yet He came into this world to serve, and will remain a servant for all eternity. He is our example, for He deserved to be served, yet voluntarily became a servant.

Friday, February 16, 2024

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“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).
In this chapter the Lord Jesus had been calling the Jewish scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, which simply means that they said many right things, and taught them to others, but did not do those things themselves. They found excuses in order to get away with doing wrong things. The scribes and Pharisees needed to hear all this, for it was very serious for them to teach the people the right thing, and yet do all the wrong things themselves.
However, the Lord Jesus also wanted them to know how much He loved them. He did not want to see them come under judgment, and as He says in our verse today, He would gladly have gathered them together and protected them, the way a mother hen protects her chickens whenever there is danger. But they would not let Him do this, and it made Him very sad.
We may sometimes have to speak plainly to people who are not saved, and tell them that they are sinners and need a Savior. However, at the same time we should be sure to tell them how much God loves them and wants to save them.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

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“Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?” (Romans. 2:21).
“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
The world around us is very quick to point out inconsistency in a Christian. They may allow all kinds of sin and inconsistency in themselves, but deep down inside they know what is right. They expect you and me to act differently, and if what we say does not match how we act, they will quickly point it out to us.
I suppose that not one of us always acts in perfect consistency, and most of us “talk beyond our walk” to some extent. This is regrettable, but because we all still have the old sinful nature in us, we tend to do this. However, it is very important to be consistent as Christians, and to show the world that our Christianity is real. How do we do this?
According to our verse today, we must “walk in the Spirit” so that we do not “fulfil the lusts of the flesh.” The Spirit of God cannot act in us when we are indulging the old nature, nor can the old nature act when we are walking in the Spirit. If we do not grieve the Spirit of God, He will help us to act in a right way before the Lord, and before the world.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

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“The powers that be are ordained of God…wherefore ye must needs be subject [you must obey them]” (Romans 13:1,5).
“We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
As I write this in February 2022, while the Covid-19 pandemic is still going on, many Christians are struggling with these two verses. On the one hand, we are told to obey the government and the laws they make; on the other hand, sometimes governments may tell us to do something that we feel is wrong. How do we make the decision?
When the book of Romans was written, Christians were under Roman rule, and the emperors were often corrupt and unreasonable. In their personal lives they were usually very wicked men. Yet Christians were told to respect and obey them. It is the same today. We are to obey the government the Lord has allowed to be in power, unless the law forces us to sin against God, and to do something against the Word of God. This usually makes the decision easy for us, and not only honors the government over us, but honors the Lord too.

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

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“Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?” (2 Chronicles 19:2).
These words were said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, by a prophet of the Lord named Jehu. Jehoshaphat was a godly king, but he allied himself with Ahab, king of Israel, who was a most ungodly and wicked man. He had allowed the worship of idols in Israel, and it is recorded that “there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord” (1 Kings 21:25). Yet Jehoshaphat allied himself in war with Ahab, and almost lost his life. But the Lord was gracious to Jehoshaphat, and preserved him.
Sometimes as Christians we may be tempted to join projects with those who are not Christians, perhaps thinking that we can bring them to Christ. But this never works; rather unbelievers will only drag us down to their level.
It is nice to be ready to help unbelievers if they are in trouble, and then we can share the gospel with them. But to think that we can work together with them and somehow be a good influence on them is a mistake. The Word of God tells us, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Monday, February 12, 2024

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“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way…who bringeth wicked devices to pass” (Psalms 37:7).
Even when we are obedient to the Word of God, things do not always go smoothly in our life. The Lord tests our faith, and teaches us things through the problems He allows in our lives. But sometimes we see an unbeliever who seems to get along well, even though he is a man who “bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Then we may get discouraged, and somehow think that it does not pay to be faithful to the Lord.
But this verse tells us to wait patiently for the Lord, for He will look after us. Eventually He will also judge the wicked, but He does not always do this right away. God is a God of grace, and He is patient with wicked people, giving them a chance to repent. We should not be upset when bad people seem to do all right, and we end up with problems. Let us trust the Lord, and as our verse says, “Wait patiently for Him.”

Sunday, February 11, 2024

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“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).
“If a man…be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree…(for he that is hanged is accursed of God)” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
Under the law of Moses it was considered a serious loss of dignity to hang a dead man’s body on a tree, or on anything else. It was generally done to those who had committed very serious crimes, or whom the government felt were worthy of being publicly shamed and insulted. Yet our Lord Jesus Christ took our place on that cross, for we were under a curse because of our sin and disobedience. The Lord Jesus was made a curse for us, and suffered in the most shameful way, by being crucified.
We know that the Jews intervened the same day the Lord Jesus was crucified, for although they had asked Him to be crucified, yet they still wanted to obey the Mosaic law. Accordingly, the Lord Jesus, as well as the two thieves crucified with Him, were not allowed to stay on the crosses overnight. For the Lord Jesus, His work was finished, so that you and I could be saved.

Saturday, February 10, 2024

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“Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).
At first glance, it might seem that this verse is a “blank check” to get whatever we want. If we just delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us our desires. However, when we read the verse more carefully, we realize that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, our desires will be formed by Him, and we will want what He would want us to have.
It is a wonderful thing to enjoy the Lord Jesus in our hearts, for only He is able to fill our hearts. Then, that new life He has given us is displayed in our Christian walk in this world, and our desires are for the right things.
Also, God loves to give, and when we are walking in obedience to His Word, He loves to give His children what would be for their good. Then we can have contentment and peace even though there are sometimes problems along the way. Let us always remember that obedience and happiness go together!

Friday, February 9, 2024

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“So the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16).
When we first read this verse, it might seem strange to us. How can the first be last, and the last first? This verse is important, for it is repeated in Mark’s gospel. The Lord Jesus is stressing something we all need to learn.
Even as Christians we can want to “be somebody,” and be given a place of honor and recognition. Of course, a believer who has some gift and who uses it for the Lord may be honored for it, but to want to be important, and to work towards it, is simply pride. Sadly, there are many believers in the world today who have pushed themselves into prominent places in Christian circles, often making a lot of money, and getting a lot of praise. On the other hand, there are others who are quietly serving the Lord, not looking for any recognition in this world, and who are content to leave any reward to the Lord.
In a coming day, when the Lord hands out rewards, those who remained in the background in this world may well be first, while those who used their time and energy to have a prominent place down here may end up last. Let us be content to work quietly where the Lord places us.

Thursday, February 8, 2024

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“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
We all suffer in this world, and especially as Christians. The Apostle Paul could tell Timothy that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). In some of His final words before He went to the cross, the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples that “in the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). The suffering that some believers have gone through at various times in the history of the church has been severe indeed, for many were tortured and eventually killed. The Apostle Paul himself, who wrote today’s verse by inspiration, had suffered much for the Lord.
However, Paul realized that all this suffering, while sometimes very distressing to believers in this world, could not even be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us. Some dear believers have given in and compromised their faith when they suffered for Christ, but when we see the glory that will be shown to us in that day, we will realize that whatever we suffered for the Lord down here was nothing in comparison. That glory will be so wonderful that no amount of suffering down here should even be put side by side with it.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

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“For many walk, of whom I have told you often…that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18).
“And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer reproach? Then is the offence of the cross ceased” (Galatians 5:11).
What does it mean to be an “enemy of the cross of Christ?” What does it mean in the Bible when it speaks of the “offence of the cross?” To be an enemy of the cross of Christ does not always mean that the person is an enemy of Christ. There are many people who are happy to know the Lord Jesus as Savior, to know that their sins are all forgiven, and that they are on their way to heaven. To be an enemy of the cross of Christ means that people do not like the reproach and suffering that are part of following a rejected Christ.
The Apostle Paul found this out when he would not bring the practices of the Jewish religion into Christianity. If he had been willing to do this, he would not have suffered as much. But God was finished with all those things—beautiful buildings, instrumental music in worship, special choirs for singing, a ritual form of service, a priesthood that came between God and the people, etc. But many Christians have brought those things back into Christianity and have brought Christianity down to the level of a worldly religion.
If we really want to follow Christ, we must recognize that He has been rejected. He died a criminal’s death on a cross, and many do not want to be connected with that. The offence of the cross is what happens when we stand apart from this world, and are willing to bear reproach for our Lord Jesus.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

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“Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever…He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:20-21).
I am writing this on February 6, 2022, and while this date may not be very important to some of you, it is quite significant for those in Britain and in the countries that belong to the British Commonwealth. On today’s date, Queen Elizabeth II of England has reigned for 70 years. This is quite an achievement, for she is the longest reigning British monarch. She is also one of longest reigning monarchs of all time, for the only other monarch who reigned longer, and whose dates can be verified, was Louis 16th of France. He reigned a little over 72 years.
I am old enough to remember when she became queen on February 6, 1952, and I remember having to start singing “God save the queen” every morning in school, instead of “God save the king.” Her father was King George 6th, and he died on February 6, 1952.
From our verse today, we learn that it is the Lord that places kings and queens in a position of authority, and it is He that removes them too. During the millennium, the Lord Jesus will reign for 1000 years. No one else has ever even lived that long, and no one has reigned that long. The reign of the Lord Jesus will be a wonderful time of blessing for this world.

Monday, February 5, 2024

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“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
Earlier in this chapter (Matthew 18) the disciples had asked the Lord Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. The Lord Jesus had told them that those who humbled themselves like a little child were the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Little children tend to be simple in their belief, and they trust adults, unless adults somehow betray that trust. The Lord wants us to trust Him like little children.
In Western countries children are generally treated well today, but that is not true in every part of the world. I have been in countries where people laughed when a child got hurt, instead of showing some love and sympathy. But God has a special care for little children, and according to our verse, His angels are specially assigned to look after them. It is a serious thing to mistreat or to despise little children. The Lord has a special love for them.

Sunday, February 4, 2024

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“Christ…who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled [insulted], reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23).
The Lord Jesus was treated very unjustly, and those who hated Him did everything possible to insult and abuse Him. Finally, they hung Him on a cross to die, and the Bible tells us that “sitting down they watched Him there” (Matthew 27:36). The Lord Jesus was God, and He had all the power of God at His disposal. He knew that in a coming day, He would be the Judge of all men, and that all those who did not trust in Him would stand before Him to be judged.
However, the Lord Jesus did not speak of anything like this while He was on the cross. He did not answer back when they insulted Him and said bad things about Him. Rather, He committed it all to His Father. In this, the Lord Jesus was a good example for us. When unbelievers say wrong things about us, or insult us, it is easy to want to answer back. But the Lord Jesus left it all with His Father; we should do the same.

Saturday, February 3, 2024

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“The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3).
“And beside this…add to your faith virtue” (2 Peter 1:5).
The words integrity and virtue have a similar meaning, for both bring before us the thought of moral courage. Both mean having the courage to stand up for what is right, even in the face of opposition. You will find out that this quality is sadly lacking in the world today.
During my lifetime I have had the chance to speak to many people about this, some of them believers and some of them unbelievers. I spoke to them because they were either doing something wrong themselves, or standing by and saying nothing when others did it. When I spoke to them privately, all of them admitted that what I said was right, and that they had been wrong either to do something they knew was sinful, or to stand by while others did it. But then their excuse was, in the language of today, “But what you gonna do, when everyone’s doing it?”
As Christians, we are not to be governed by others in our behavior. The Lord Jesus never gave in to public opinion, and He has called us to do the same. He will give us the courage to do what is right.

Friday, February 2, 2024

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“God has been pleased by the foolishness of the preaching to save those that believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21 JND).
“The foolishness of God is wiser than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
Our first verse today does not mean that the act of preaching seems like foolishness to this world, but rather that the message being preached seems like foolishness to the natural man. The whole idea of salvation through someone who died on a cross seems like foolishness to him. But God uses what man calls foolishness to save those that believe, for as we saw yesterday, God has only one way to be saved. Our second verse reminds us that the foolishness of God (as man sees it) is wiser than men. All man’s wisdom will come to nothing, but God’s way of salvation saves us for all eternity.
We need to remember all this when we speak to unbelievers about Christ. Unless God works in them by His Spirit, they will laugh at the message, and think it is foolishness. Even if they are too polite to laugh, they will not want it. The natural man does not want salvation through One who was crucified, yet it is God’s way. Even if someone laughs at the gospel message, we can pray that the Lord will work in their heart, so that they will receive it later.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

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“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
According to this verse, God has only one way for us to be saved, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we cannot be saved. There are many people in the world today who want to be saved their own way. They maintain that there are many ways to come to God, and that it does not matter how we come, as long as we are sincere. But this does not make sense, even in natural things.
I remember getting on a wrong highway when I was driving to Chicago, in the U.S.A. I was very sincere, and I drove about twenty miles (thirty-two kilometers) before I realized I was on the wrong road. I had to turn around and go all the way back to the right road. No amount of sincerity would have gotten me to Chicago on that road!
If we want to be saved, we must come in God’s way, and that is through His Son, the Lord Jesus. We cannot make up our own way.
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