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Young Christians Calendar

A daily meditation for young Christians

November 2024

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Saturday, November 30, 2024

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“But Jonathan…put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened” (1 Samuel 14:27).
I am very fond of honey, and particularly a real honeycomb, where the wax is there with the honey. A few days ago my wife was shopping in a special store, and knowing how much I like honeycombs, she bought one for me. I am still enjoying spreading it on my toast!
Here in our verse for today, King Saul’s son Jonathan was fighting in a battle, and since he had had nothing to eat, he was feeling a bit faint. When he found some honey made by some wild bees, he took some, and immediately felt better.
But do you and I realize how much work goes into making honey? The so-called “worker bees” in a beehive work hard gathering nectar from flowers, bringing it back to the hive, and making honey. They also have special glands that enable them to make the wax that contains the honey. A common estimate is that one worker bee in its lifetime makes only 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey! To make a pound of honey, it takes 1230 worker bees! The Lord has made them this way, so that they can make honey, not only for themselves, but for us too. In a couple of days, we will discuss the meaning of honey in the Bible.

Friday, November 29, 2024

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“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward” (Psalm 127:3).
As we saw yesterday, the birth of a baby is a very serious event, for a new life has come into the world, and it will live as long as God lives. Yet it is a happy occasion too, for human birth is a real miracle. For a number of months, that baby has been growing in the womb of its mother, and at a given time, that baby is born, and starts living its life outside of its mother’s womb. Of course it needs plenty of care and help until it is able to look after itself, but it is being prepared to live on its own.
We must remember that when a baby is born, it is a gift from the Lord. According to our verse today, it is an inheritance from the Lord, and a reward from Him. It is important for parents to recognize this, and to seek to raise that child for Him, and to honor Him.

Thursday, November 28, 2024

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“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).
Yesterday we had the privilege of holding in our arms, for the first time, our first little great-grandchild. She was three weeks old and of course we thought she was a most beautiful little girl! We were reminded of what my wife’s aunt wrote to us on the birth of our first child (this baby’s grandmother). On her card she put the words, “Another little life, born to live as long as God lives.”
What a solemn thought this is! When a tiny baby is born, it has a never-dying soul. We pass through this life, and some of the days in your life may seem very long to you, as young people. The years until you can achieve some of your dreams may seem far away! But our life is like a puff of smoke carried away on the wind. It is brief, but so very important. In the short time we have in this world, we have to make the most important decision of our life. Where will you spend eternity? You have a choice, and in His love, the Lord Jesus is holding out His nailed-pierced hands, inviting you to spend eternity with Him.

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

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“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord…that He has counted me faithful, appointing to ministry him who before was a blasphemer and persecutor, and an insolent and overbearing man” (1 Timothy 1:12-13 JND).
“But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7).
In both of these verses, the Apostle Paul is talking about himself, but what a big difference between the two verses! In the first verse, Paul is referring to himself before he was saved, and he was not a very likeable man then. Not only did he persecute Christians, but he was also rude and disrespectful. But then, when he wrote to the Thessalonians, he described himself as gentle, like a nurse who looks after children. What made the difference?
It was knowing the Lord Jesus as Savior, and having a new life in Him. As he came to know the Lord Jesus more and more, he became more like Him, and was quite a different man from what he was before he was saved.
The Lord wants to change us too. We all have old sinful natures, but God wants that new life in Christ to display itself in our lives. If we walk with the Lord, we will become more like Him.

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

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“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19).
Yesterday’s verse spoke about our Lord’s coming for us, to call us home to be with Him. Today’s verse refers to a different coming of the Lord, when He will come back with us, to display Himself, and us too, to the world. When the Lord Jesus comes back to call us home to be with Him, the world will not see Him. The event will happen very quickly, in “the twinkling of an eye,” according to 1 Corinthians 15:52. The dead in Christ will be raised, and those who are alive at the time will be changed—all in less than one second!
However, after a period of at least seven years, sometimes called the tribulation period, the Lord Jesus will come back to this earth, to act in judgment and to set up His kingdom. When that happens, we will be with Him, and He will display us to this world as His bride.
More than that, the Lord Jesus will give out rewards, and Paul will have the joy of seeing those Thessalonian believers as his joy and “crown of rejoicing.” It will be Paul’s delight to see those dear ones displayed then, as those to whom he preached the gospel.

Monday, November 25, 2024

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“Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).
The Apostle Paul and those with him did not get a very nice reception when they went to Thessalonica to preach the gospel. They had been there only three or four weeks when the Jews raised up persecution against them, and they had to leave (read Acts 17:1-10). But during that short time some had been saved, and a short time later Paul wrote to them to encourage them.
In particular, he brought before them the Lord’s coming for them, and he mentions this in our verse for today. Previously they had worshiped idols, but now they knew the true God, and His Son Jesus Christ. They were saved, and were waiting for the Lord to come. Just think; they were waiting for the Lord to come nearly two thousand years ago, and still He has not come. But He will come very soon, and this is the proper hope of all those who know Him as Savior.

Sunday, November 24, 2024

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“Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession” (1 Timothy 6:13).
Humanly speaking, the Lord Jesus stood before Pilate under very difficult circumstances. He had been kept up all night without any sleep and had been abused by the chief priests and scribes in a number of ways. Then He was taken over to Pontius Pilate early in the morning. During the course of His time with Pilate, He was scourged—a most awful punishment. Yet the Lord Jesus stood firm, and in the end, it was Pilate who was afraid, not the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus submitted to Pilate and his authority, yet reached his conscience as to what he was doing. He reminded Pilate that all his (Pilate’s) authority ultimately came from God, and that he was thus responsible to God. He also reminded Pilate that if he wanted to know the truth, it could be found only in the Lord Jesus.
We may not be called upon to give up our lives for Christ, but as we face the opposition of this world, we too can witness a good confession, and honor the Lord Jesus.

Saturday, November 23, 2024

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“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).
Yesterday we saw that the Lord Jesus Christ is both God and Man in one Person, and that He is able to guide us in every way in our Christian pathway. However, we see from today’s verse that the Word of God is very balanced. Knowing that the Lord Jesus can guide us in every way is good, but we can still get help from other brothers and sisters here in this world. It is always good to ask for advice and help from someone older and wiser than we are, and often their counsel is very valuable. Older ones especially have had experience for many years, and can help us by drawing on that experience.
Also, we see from today’s verse that it often helps to ask more than one person for advice. However, we must be careful when we do this, for sometimes we keep asking different people for advice, hoping that one of them will tell us what we want to hear. Sometimes we make up our own minds about what we want to do, and then try to find someone who will support our own thoughts. Rather, we should carefully think about any advice we get, and ask the Lord whether it is right for us, or not. If we really want to know the Lord’s mind for us, He will show us.

Friday, November 22, 2024

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“In Him [the Lord Jesus Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him” (Colossians 2:9-10).
Our first verse today is a short sentence, but it is a most profound statement. We may read it quickly, but it is an amazing fact. The Lord Jesus became a man, but at the same time He was fully God. He was just as much God as He was before He became a man. We cannot understand this; it is a secret that we humans cannot fully “wrap our minds around.”
Yet, when we know the Lord Jesus as Savior, and when we are united to Him as His body and His bride, we are “complete in Him.” More than this, we do not need anything else in order to live for God’s glory in this world. In the verse before this, the Apostle Paul talks about things like philosophy and the traditions of men, and sometimes we are tempted, as Christians, to get our advice and direction in life from these sources. But nothing can compare to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is not only a man, but also God Himself. He can guide us much better than anyone else in this world.

Thursday, November 21, 2024

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“When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).
People may not have a Bible, and they may not have dreams or visions from the Lord, but when they look out at the sun, the moon, and the stars, they are looking at the wonders God has created. If man is honest with himself, he realizes that someone must have created all this. It all runs in perfect harmony and according to divine laws that God has established. Yet some people persist in believing that all this happened by chance, and without any Creator.
Through astronomy, which is the study of the stars and the universe, we are learning more and more about God’s creation. The more we know about it, the more wonderful it seems to us. For example, from what we have discovered about the stars up until now, we know that there are 10,000 times as many stars as there are grains of sand on this earth. That is hard to believe, yet it is true! When we know this, it should make us want to know more about the God who created it all. Also, it should make us realize our responsibility to God, who made us as well.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

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“For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then He openeth the ears of men” (Job 33:14-16).
God has different ways of speaking to men and women, and He knows how to get our attention when He wants to tell us something. Now that we have the complete Bible, God uses His Word most of the time to speak to those of us who live in countries where the Bible is easily available. However, there are countries in the world today where it is very difficult to get a Bible, and where someone who gets a Bible may get into trouble for doing so. In such places the Lord is still speaking to people with dreams and visions.
We all have dreams, and many of them are silly. Usually they are not worth remembering. But the Lord knows how to appear to people in dreams in such a way that they realize that God Himself is speaking to them. When Job was living in this world (probably about the time of Abraham, or shortly after him), the Bible had not been written yet. God still spoke to men in dreams and visions, and He can do so today. Tomorrow we will look at other ways that the Lord can speak to us.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

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“Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God” (1 John 3:21).
Yesterday we saw how that our heart can condemn us when we get away from the Lord, even though we have not actually committed a definite sin. In today’s verse we find what happens when we do walk with the Lord, and enjoy His company. When we put Him first in our lives, and take care to walk closely with Him, the Holy Spirit is free to give us joy in our hearts. Then our heart does not condemn us, and we have confidence toward God.
I think we can all understand that. When we have allowed ourselves to be at a distance from someone, emotionally and socially, we feel uncomfortable in their presence. We may not have actually done anything wrong to them, but we have perhaps neglected to maintain our friendship in the right way. However, when all this is made right, we then feel comfortable with that person again, and can be at ease in their company.

Monday, November 18, 2024

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“For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (1 John 3:20).
When we have done something that we know is wrong, our conscience condemns us, and we feel unhappy and ashamed. But when our heart condemns us, it is perhaps a deeper thought. For example, I usually buy my wife some flowers on her birthday. But suppose I am very busy that week, and I forget about her birthday. I have not actually done something wrong, but my heart condemns me, because I love my wife. I feel bad that I forgot her birthday. I have allowed other things to crowd into my life, and forgotten to show my love by buying her flowers.
It can be the same in our Christian life. We can become occupied with the things to do with this life, which the Bible calls “the cares of this life.” We can become careless, and forget to read our Bibles, or spend time in prayer. Then it is not so much our conscience that condemns us, but rather our heart. When this happens, it is reassuring to know that the Lord is greater than our heart, and knows that we do love Him, even though we have been careless.

Sunday, November 17, 2024

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“And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son” (Genesis 22:13).
In the story in Genesis 22, Abraham is a picture of God the Father, and Isaac is a picture of the Lord Jesus. But in the story, God stopped Abraham from actually killing his son and offering him up for a burnt offering. A substitute was provided—a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. But there was no substitute for the Lord Jesus; only He could be the true burnt offering, and pay the penalty for sin. There are many pictures of the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament, but none of them are perfect.
The ram is also a picture of the Lord Jesus, for the ram was caught by its horns. The horns of a ram are strong, and it would be most unusual for a ram to be caught in this way. But the horns are perhaps a picture of the strength of the Lord’s love for us, and that love held Him to the cross, until the work was done.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

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“If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:10-11).
The Lord wants His children to be happy, and not only happy, He wants our joy to be full! Yes, it is true that we all experience difficult times in our lives, and things that may make us sad. However, the Lord wants us to be able to rise above those things, and to have an inner joy that even tough circumstances cannot spoil.
However, to be happy in the Lord, we must be obedient to His Word, for obedience and happiness go together. Sadly, we sometimes know what the Word of God says, but we persuade ourselves that we will be happier by doing our own will, instead of obeying the Lord’s will. We may not say it exactly that way, for we can sometimes try to persuade ourselves that the Bible does not mean what it says. Or we will bring up another verse that seems to support what we want to do.
However, if we walk with the Lord, we will know what pleases Him, because we are enjoying His presence. We will say a little more about that in a couple of days.

Friday, November 15, 2024

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“But that which ye have already hold fast till I come” (Revelation 2:25).
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take they crown” (Revelation 3:11).
I have occasionally seen small children holding on very tightly to something, perhaps a favorite toy, some money, or something else that was of value to them. Why did they hold onto it so tightly? It was usually because they were afraid that some other child would take it away from them.
When we have received precious truth from the Lord, it is important to value it, to walk in it, and as our verses today tell us, to “hold fast” what we have. This is necessary because Satan is doing his best to take it away from us. If we do not walk in the truth that the Lord has given us, we may lose it. We may not have as much as someone else has, but what we have we are to hold fast. Also, the Lord will reward us for walking in the truth that He has given us, because it honors Him.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

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“Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13).
The word “occupy” can have more than one meaning in English, but here in this verse it means to keep busy. It means to make good use of our time, our money, our minds, and everything that we have. (We have already looked at this verse earlier this year, in late July). In the parable here in Luke 19, the nobleman went away, but gave each of his ten servants a pound, telling them to occupy until he came back. The nobleman is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and we are like His ten servants.
The Lord has given us various things, including spiritual gifts, and He expects us to use them for Him. If you read the whole parable, you will find that one servant gained ten pounds, and another five pounds. But one servant wrapped his pound up in a napkin, and did nothing with it. Then he gave it back to the nobleman when he returned.
The Lord does not want us to wrap our pound in a napkin; He wants us to use it for Him, and He will reward us for doing this. Are you using what the Lord has given you for Him?

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

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“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13).
Several days ago we remarked that there are some things which the Lord has told us to do until He comes. A few more of those things are mentioned in our verse today. We are to “give attendance” to them; that means to pay attention to them. We are to be found reading what will build us up. This includes the Bible, but is not limited to it. There are good writings of reliable people who are now with the Lord, which are very valuable for us.
We are also to pay attention to exhortation, and this means to listen to those who give us practical instruction for our Christian lives. Also, we are to pay attention to good doctrine, which means good teaching. There is a lot of bad teaching circulating around in Christian circles today, and it is important to listen to good teaching.
Also, it is important to keep on doing this, for we need God’s Word all the way home. Let us remember to read it regularly.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

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“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
We have been comparing the devil to mice, in the way that he invades our lives. The Lord Jesus showed us a good example of our verse for today, when the devil met Him in the wilderness and tempted Him. You can read about this in Matthew chapter 4. The Lord Jesus, as God, could easily have commanded Satan to go away, but this would not have helped us. We do not have the power to do this. But the Lord Jesus simply quoted the Word of God to Satan, and he was totally defeated. He resisted the devil, and Satan went away.
It will be the same in our lives, if we remember what the Word of God says. There is an answer in the Bible for every temptation that Satan brings before us. However, in order to do this, we must be familiar with the Bible, and this is why it is so important to read it every day. Then we become familiar with God’s Word, and the Spirit of God is able to bring it to our remembrance when we need it. In this way the devil will not be able to overcome us, because he cannot resist the Word of God. He will leave us alone if we use God’s Word.

Monday, November 11, 2024

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“Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27).
Two days ago we talked about mice getting into homes. You and I might wonder how mice could get into homes, but it is amazing how small a hole they can squeeze through. Also, mice can climb well, even up brick walls, and they can fall from a great height without hurting themselves. In our home, they have gotten into our attic through an air vent that is about fifteen feet (almost five meters) above the ground. We have heard them running around up there, and scratching too. We have tried to catch them, but they just keep on coming.
This is like Satan in our lives. We may think that we are being careful in our behavior in our Christian life, but all Satan needs is one little slip in our life, and then he can lead us astray. We must be on our guard all the time.
The only way to fix the mouse problem in our home is to place a strong wire screen behind the vent, so that the mice cannot get in. The only way to keep the devil from causing trouble in our life is to walk with the Lord Jesus. We will talk about this more tomorrow.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

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“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
There are some things that the Lord has told us to do until He comes, and this is perhaps the most important of them. Before He went to the cross, the Lord Jesus showed His disciples how to remember Him, using a loaf of bread and a cup of wine. Later, the Apostle Paul was given a further revelation, telling us that when we remember the Lord, we “show the Lord’s death,” and that we are to do this until He comes. This is a real privilege for all of us to do.
We show the Lord’s death to this world, and because we show His death, we give witness to the fact that He is risen. We cannot show the death of someone who is dead, for they are dead. But we show (or announce) the death of one who died, but who is now alive.
Also, we are to do it until the Lord comes. Surely the Lord will make this possible for us, and provide for us a place where we can remember Him in the way that He has asked us to do.

Saturday, November 9, 2024

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“Wherefore ye shall make images of…your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure He will lighten His hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land” (1 Samuel 6:5).
When Israel sinned against the Lord, the Lord allowed the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, to be captured by the Philistines. But then the Philistines attributed the victory to their heathen god Dagon, and because of this, the Lord allowed a plague of mice to overrun the land of the Philistines.
Mice multiple very quickly. One female can produce a new litter every 3-4 weeks, all her life, and each litter can have as many as 6-8 little mice. If the conditions were perfect, one pair of mice could multiply into more than 5,000 mice in one year. Can you imagine that many mice? They are sometimes rather interesting little creatures, and they are a major part of the diet of birds like hawks and owls. Coyotes and wolves also eat them. but most people do not like them, for they tend to invade our homes, and cause a lot of trouble. About this time of year, when the weather is getting colder, they often look for a warmer place to live, and end up in garages, or even in our houses.
Eventually the Philistines sent the ark of the covenant back to the land of Israel, together with some golden mice in it, as a present to the Lord. They hoped that then the Lord would stop the plague of mice that were running all over the land of the Philistines.

Friday, November 8, 2024

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“Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4).
Yesterday we talked about a tree that was rotten on the inside, although no one could see it until the tree was cut down. Sometimes you and I may be feeling like that tree—discouraged, sad, and really burdened by the situations in our life, yet pretending that everything is all right. When people ask us, perhaps we say that we are fine. I knew a Christian man who often asked people how they were doing. If they said, “Fine,” he would say, “Now tell me how you really are!” Then sometimes people would open up and tell him their problems.
When we feel “down” and under a heavy burden, it is good first of all to tell the Lord about it. He can comfort us better than any other. But let us not hesitate to tell someone else, and especially if we know that he or she is sincerely interested in helping us. We are told in Galatians 5:2, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” If we are feeling a particularly heavy burden, it is good to speak about it to those who can help.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

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“Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
A few days ago we had some trees taken down around our home, not because we did not like trees, but because they were growing out so much that you could hardly see the house during the summer, when the trees are leafed out. One of the trees, a large maple, was strong and healthy (or so we thought). But when the tree cutters took it down, they found that the core of the upper half of the trunk was rotten. In a strong wind it could easily have come down on the house. We were thankful that it was taken down before that happened.
According to our verse today, we are sometimes like that tree. We can put on a good appearance before others, but spiritually we may not be healthy at all. Naturally, we are all sinners before God, and God’s eye can see our hearts. We may pretend before other people, but God sees our wicked hearts. The only way our hearts can be cleansed is through the blood of Christ.
Even as Christians we can pretend to be living for the Lord, while perhaps we are allowing wrong things in our life that only the Lord knows about. But He notices, even if we pretend before others.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

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“But avoid foolish questions…and contentions…for they are unprofitable and vain” (Titus 3:9).
Sometimes, when we speak to unsaved people about the Lord Jesus, and the importance of being saved, they may try to dodge what we say by bringing up foolish questions. Yes, sometimes they have honest questions, and we should answer those questions from the Word of God. But many times their questions are foolish, so that they can avoid having their conscience reached by the Word of God. All they want is a good argument.
In these cases, we need to avoid those questions, and rather stick to the important point. We need to ask, “Are you saved”? Do you know where you are going when you leave this world? Do you realize that you will have to answer to God for your sins someday? The important thing is not to get into a difficult discussion, but rather to reach their conscience. As someone has said, and it is true, “Whenever we speak from the Word of God, the other person’s conscience is on our side.”

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

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“Hast thou found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for thee” (Proverbs 25:16).
I think my favorite breakfast food is a big bowl of hot oatmeal. There’s nothing quite like it, although you may not all agree! It’s especially good with a nice drizzle of honey (or maple syrup!) on it.
Yesterday we arrived home from a trip during which we had been away from home for over a month. It was supper time when we pulled into the driveway, and we had no groceries in the house. The perfect time for my oatmeal. Soon we were seated at the table, and it was time to pour on a little honey. You may be able to guess what I found when I took the top off the honey pot! To my dismay, there were many large ants in there, some still struggling, and some that had long ago given up. They had been greedy and had dived right in, and of course could not get out again.
Our verse today cautions us to do things in moderation. Honey in Scripture is often a picture of natural sweetness in this life. Perhaps a holiday, or a nice meal at a restaurant, or something special that is an “extra” that is not sinful but needs to be taken in small amounts. If we dive right in, we may find that we’re stuck in that pattern and cannot get out. Then our usefulness to the Lord may be diminished as we drown in our pleasures. Let’s keep in mind what is “sufficient” or enough!

Monday, November 4, 2024

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“If the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be” (Ecclesiastes 11:3).
We live in a wooded area, and today we are having some big trees taken down on our property, because they are beginning to crowd out the sun. Of course the men doing the work are cutting up the wood and taking it away, but in the forest, when a tree falls over, it stays wherever it happens to fall. Then, over a period of time, it will gradually decay and rot. But why does God remind us of this in His Word?
God is showing us that the way we live our lives will determine where we will spend eternity. If we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will spend eternity with Him. Sadly, those who do not know the Lord Jesus will have to suffer God’s judgment for all eternity. But after we have died, there will be no chance to change our destiny. An old poem expresses it well—
As the tree falls, so shall it lie,
As a man lives, so shall he die,
As a man dies, so shall he be,
All through the ages of eternity.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

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“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28).
Today’s verse is really only part of a verse, but very important for all of us. The previous verse (Heb. 9:27) reminds us that after we die, there is judgment to follow. There are those who try to tell us that when people die, they die just like an animal, and that is the end of their existence. But God’s Word tells us that we were created for eternity, not for time.
However, God is very quick to tell us that Christ was once offered (on the cross) to bear the sins of many. This is wonderful news, but we notice that it says, “the sins of many,” not “the sins of all.” All will not come and accept Christ as Savior, but all are invited to come. For those who accept the Lord Jesus, the judgment for their sins took place at Calvary’s cross. Sadly, for those who reject the Lord Jesus, the judgment is ahead of them. Which is it for you?

Saturday, November 2, 2024

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“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).
Today’s verse is very simple, yet it carries a depth of meaning that perhaps we do not always appreciate. Do we realize that because of our sins, we were “far off” from God? How far off were we? The Bible does not describe any specific distance, but when God uses the term “far off,” it must mean a long way! How could we get back to God? There is only one way, and that is through the blood of Christ.
That simply means that our sins that took us far away from God are completely put away by the blood of Christ, and now we are brought back to Him. However, all this does not happen automatically; we must repent of our sins, and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Sadly, some people in this world do not want to be brought back to God; they prefer to carry on living in their sins. If they do not come to Christ, some day they will have to endure the awful judgment of God for their sins. How encouraging it is to know that we have been brought nigh (near) to God through the blood of Christ!

Friday, November 1, 2024

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“According as He [God the Father] hath chosen us in Him [the Lord Jesus] before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).
We have had this verse before, this year, but today I want to emphasize something different from the last time we used it. We are told that God chose you and me in Christ before the foundation of the world. How old is this world? We do not know for sure. But concerning the creation of this world, it says in God’s Word, “Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth” (Psalm 102:25). When God uses the word “old,” it surely must mean a long time ago!
Yet God knew about you and me, and He chose us in Christ before He even made this world. Think about that for a moment; it is so amazing that we cannot understand it. God could look down through the ages, and knew when we would be born. Then He chose us to be part of His church, and to be united with His beloved Son.
As we go about our daily lives, let us always remember that God loved us so much that He chose us that long ago—even before this world was made!
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