Young Christians Calendar

December 2024

“We await the Lord Jesus as Savior, who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to His body of glory” (Philippians 3:20-21 JND).

Here we are at the end of another year, and once again it is good to be reminded of the Lord’s coming for us. I hope that for each of us, our first hope is to see the face of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who died for us. But something else will happen when the Lord comes too. We will instantly have glorified bodies. It will not be a “brand new” body, but rather the same body, changed into a body like Christ’s. There will be no more evidence in our bodies of aging or disease, nor will there be any marks from injuries that have perhaps left scars and disfiguring, such as happened to those soldiers that we considered over the last two days. Those believers who were blind will see, those who were crippled will walk, and those who were mentally challenged will be completely normal. What a day that will be!

Monday, December 30, 2024

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“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

God’s Word is sometimes like a mirror to our hearts, in that His Word exposes what we are by nature. If we are not saved, it is good to look in God’s mirror, and to realize how sinful our hearts really are. We may think that we are not all that bad, compared to other people, but when we look into God’s mirror, it is not a good picture.

But God has a remedy for our sinful hearts; He wants to give us new life in Christ. Then, like the doctor we mentioned yesterday, God does not want us to be thinking about what we were like before we were saved; He wants us to realize what we are in Christ. When a soldier had sustained a war injury, Dr. Gillies could never make his face totally right, but when God gives us new life in Christ, it is like getting a new face. That new life wants to please God.

Sunday, December 29, 2024

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“His visage [face] was so marred more than any man” (Isaiah 52:14).

We have already had this verse before us about six months ago, but it is always good to remember how much our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for us. But back during World War I, many soldiers had their faces severely disfigured by terrible burns, bombs, gunshot wounds, and even being kicked in the face by horses. A doctor named Harold Gillies established a hospital in England devoted to facial reconstruction, and he did his best to help restore the faces of many of those men. Of course, he could never totally repair the damage, but he made most of those faces look much better. However, there was one thing he would never allow in his hospital; there were no mirrors! He did not want a man whose face had been shattered to look at himself, and become discouraged or upset. He wanted him to wait until the surgery had been done, and his face looked a lot better. Is there a lesson in this for us? We will look at that tomorrow.

Saturday, December 28, 2024

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“And he made the laver of copper, and its stand of copper, of the mirrors of the crowds of women who crowded before the entrance of the tent of meeting” (Exodus 38:8 JND).

Nowadays we are used to nice mirrors in our houses, made of glass with a special coating on the back so that they reflect an image very well. However, in the days when Israel was going through the wilderness, they had to use copper mirrors. They were not as good as glass mirrors, but if they were polished well, they would reflect an image satisfactorily.

However, these women willingly gave up their copper looking glasses so that they could be melted down and used to make the laver for the tabernacle. The laver was for the priests to wash their hands and feet, before they went into the tabernacle to perform their service there.

No doubt the women thought that they could do without those mirrors, so instead of looking at themselves, they helped to build the laver for the service of the tabernacle. Tomorrow we will speak about another situation in which there were no mirrors.

Friday, December 27, 2024

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“Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:9).

If you read this chapter in Matthew, you will find that the Lord Jesus sends His twelve disciples out to preach. When they preached, they were also to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, etc., with the Lord’s power. They had received the Lord’s message for themselves, and they were freely to give it out. They were also to do works of miracles freely, for God is a giving God.

This is good advice for us too. We have received salvation freely, and we should freely tell others about the Lord Jesus. If we have received more than we need in other resources, such as money, we should be willing to help others. We should also be willing to do things for others in the name of the Lord Jesus, without getting paid for it. I knew a Christian man who changed a tire for a woman who was stopped on the highway with a flat tire, and did not know what to do. When she offered to pay him, he refused, telling her that He did it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then he was able to speak to her about being saved, and give her a gospel tract.

Thursday, December 26, 2024

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“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The little girl was a bit afraid to tell her father what had made her so happy, as she thought he might be cross with her for picking up the torn piece of paper. But she told him what the paper said, and that it made her happy to think that God had given something.

As you may imagine, her father was not cross with her, as the piece of paper was only scrap anyway. But he readily showed her the other half of the verse, about how God had actually given His beloved Son. Eventually the little girl learned the whole story of the love of God, and how the Lord Jesus had died for her, so that her sins could be washed away. Then she got saved, and was even happier than before. All this happened because a scrap of paper was on the floor, with only part of a verse on it!

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

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“For God so loved the world, that He gave” (John 3:16).

Most of you who read this calendar will know the above verse by heart, and perhaps you will wonder why I have quoted only part of the verse. But there is a story attached to this.

About 500 years ago, when the printing press had just been invented, a young girl had a father who operated a printing press and made his living printing things for people. Among other things he printed verses from the Bible. One day she was in his shop, and found a torn piece of paper on the floor, with only the words from John 3:16 that I have quoted today. The rest of the verse had been torn off. She picked it up and read it, and it made her glad. She did not know what God had given, but it gave her great joy to think that God had given something, as she had never heard the gospel before.

She was so happy that she started to sing as she went around the house, and her whole life changed. She was much more cheerful than she had been before, and after a while, her father asked her what had happened, and what had made the difference. We will find out tomorrow what she said, and what happened.

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

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“God hath not given us the spirit of fear…but of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Finally, in the same verse we have considered three times, we have the phrase “a sound mind.” Another good translation of the Bible translates this phrase as “wise discretion.” Perhaps “discretion” is a big word that we do not use very much today, but it simply means having the wisdom to know when to do something, and the right way to do it. It is not enough just to have the power to do something, and the love in our hearts to want to do it. We must ask the Lord for wisdom, so as to know when to do it, and how. Harm has often been done by those who had the strength to do something right, and even the love as a motive to do it, but did not use wisdom.

Only by walking with the Lord, and with the guidance of His Holy Spirit, can we have the wisdom to know when and how to do things.

Monday, December 23, 2024

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“God hath not given us the spirit of fear…but of love” (2 Timothy 1:7).

When things are going downhill among believers, we may try to prop them up by introducing rules, using our own strength and ideas to hold things together. Here we are told that one of the characteristics of the spirit that God gives us is love. This means divine love—a love that keeps on loving, even if love is not returned by the one to whom we are showing love. This is not easy, and we can do it only because we have a new life in Christ that makes us capable of it.

Divine love does not take a casual approach to something wrong, but always seeks the good of the person who is loved. That means that even if we feel obliged to say something to someone about the way he or she is acting, it should be done with love. It makes a big difference!

Sunday, December 22, 2024

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“Our Savior Jesus Christ, who has annulled death, and brought to light life and incorruptibility by the glad tidings” (2 Timothy 1:10 JND).

God is presenting Himself to this world today as a Savior-God, through His Son Jesus Christ. As a Savior-God, He has done much more for us than simply saving us from hell for all eternity. He has annulled death, which simply means that as Christians, we no longer need to fear death, for it only brings us to Christ, “which is far better.”

Also, life and incorruptibility have been brought to light through the gospel. In the Old Testament, even the most godly individuals did not know what would happen when they died, nor did they know their eternal destiny. They definitely had a new life, but they did not know anything about eternal life, that fits us for God’s presence. Also, they knew nothing of the Lord’s coming for His saints, when they will receive glorified bodies, suited to heaven. All this has been brought to light through the gospel. What a wonderful Savior we have!

Saturday, December 21, 2024

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“God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The book of 2nd Timothy was the last epistle the Apostle Paul wrote, when he was in prison for the second time, and knew that he would likely be executed. By that time things were starting to go downhill in some of the assemblies he had helped to establish, and some were rejecting the truth he had taught them.

However, Paul encouraged Timothy, as a young man, not to be discouraged. He was to use the gift the Lord had given him, and to remember that the spirit of fear was not of God. Rather, God gives us the spirit of power—His power. Today, we cannot pretend to have the power displayed in the days following Pentecost, but God’s power is always behind those who seek to honor Him, at any time in the church’s history.

Friday, December 20, 2024

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“For the love of money is the root of all evil…But thou, O man of God, flee these things” (1 Timothy 6:10-11).

Yesterday we saw that the things of this world do not satisfy, but that great gain comes from godliness combined with contentment. Today we are warned that the love of money is the root of all evil, and then we have the expression “man of God.” If we wish to be men or women of God, we are to “flee these things.”

The expression “man of God” occurs a number of times in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Actually, it occurs more than 70 times in the Bible, and only two of the references are in the New Testament; all the rest are in the Old Testament. Can you find the other reference in the New Testament?

The phrase “man of God” is always used to describe someone who faithfully follows the Lord, when many others are being unfaithful. It ought to be your wish and mine to be one of them.

Thursday, December 19, 2024

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“Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

When I was young, an older brother, now with the Lord, used to remind us that every advertisement was designed to make us discontent with such things as we have. This is true, and today some advertisements even tell us that “you are worth it,” or “you deserve it!” Even if we have to go into debt to get something, the world will tell us that we are entitled to it.

In our verse today, we are reminded that there is great gain in contentment, but it does not stop there. We need godliness as well. Why is this? Why are we not simply told to be content?

It is because godliness gives us an inner joy that lasts, while anything in this world will eventually only make us want something more. When we have Christ in our hearts, the enjoyment of Him is much more than anything riches in this world can give. When we live in a land where riches are within our grasp, there is a real temptation to go after them. But there is something much better than the things of this world.

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

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“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong…but time and chance happeneth to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

At first glance this verse might seem hard to understand, but if we think about it, we realize that it is true. The fastest runner does not always win the race, for he may fall, or trip, or get a muscle cramp, or simply run out of energy. Likewise, historical battles have not always been won by the biggest army. Alexander the Great won battles several times when he had the smaller army, because of his superior strategy. Yet in the end, he died at the age of only thirty-two, from an illness.

The Lord orders things in this world, and often has intervened using weather changes, strategy, and other factors to control the outcome of battles. At the same time, even those who were victorious had to remember that they too would die one day, in spite of their success.

How good it is to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and to know that whatever happens to us in this world, we will spend an eternity with Him forever, because of His suffering and death on Calvary’s cross.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

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“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

What a practical verse! It is important not to waste our time! We should do our work to the best of our ability, and in order to get it done. Sadly, some young people today have not learned to work, and then, when they get a job, they do not seem to know how to do it well. But a sloppy and poorly done job is not worthy of a Christian; we should do our work as unto the Lord, and as if the Lord Himself were watching us.

Quite a few years ago, when I was in university, I sometimes worked in heavy industry during the summer. At that time, if a man worked a little too hard, the other men often told him to slow down, as his hard work was “showing up” the rest of them. Many of those men did not work very hard, and did not want a hard worker to do more than they did. But it is good for a Christian to be known as a hard worker, and a good worker. Not only will our employer like it, but it will also honor the Lord.

Monday, December 16, 2024

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“Jesus answered and said unto him [Judas, not Iscariot], If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23).

On Saturday, our verse said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions.” In the original language of the New Testament (Greek), the word “mansions” and the word “abode” in today’s verse are the same. This word is not used in any other place in the New Testament. It has the thought of our living in a place continuously, for a long time.

In a coming day, when we leave this world, we will enjoy the many mansions in the Father’s house. But God wants us to enjoy something of that house now. What will make the Father’s house a home to us? It will be the presence there of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. But according to today’s verse, if we obey the Lord’s words, we can enjoy the presence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ in our everyday life, even before we get to the Father’s house.

After He went back to heaven, the Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit down to indwell every true believer, and it is the Holy Spirit that gives us joy in our hearts, as we walk with the Lord, in obedience and faithfulness.

Sunday, December 15, 2024

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“Peace I leave with you” (John 14:27)

As we mentioned yesterday, the Lord Jesus had told His disciples that He must go to the cross, and that after that He must go away from them for a while. However, He was going to leave something with them; He was going to leave peace with them. What does this mean?

This peace refers to our having peace with God about our sins, because of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. All of the disciples (except Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord) already had new life in Christ, but they did not yet know the real peace of having all their sins forgiven, and that they had nothing to fear from God’s judgment for sin. After He had suffered for sin on the cross, the Lord would leave with them that wonderful peace—peace that the whole question of sin had been settled once and for all. And we now have the peace and joy of knowing His Father as our Father. If we are truly saved, you and I can enjoy that same peace. Have we thanked Him for it?

Saturday, December 14, 2024

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“In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you” (John 14:2).

At the time that the Lord Jesus said these words, His disciples were very concerned because He had told them that He was going away from them. He was going back to heaven—back to His Father. They had hoped for an earthly kingdom, but the Lord told them clearly that this was not going to happen at that time. But then He told them something better.

He told them that instead of an earthly kingdom, they would spend eternity with Him in the Father’s house—the place where He lived. What a wonderful prospect that is! It is really more than we can understand. God the Father, and His Son the Lord Jesus, love us so much that they want us to spend eternity in the Father’s house.

This is the only time in the Bible that the expression “My Father’s house” is used in connection with heaven, but it is enough to show us how much God loves us. He wants us to enjoy His presence for all eternity, in His home!

Friday, December 13, 2024

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“The doctrine which is according to godliness” (1 Timothy 6:3).

When Paul wrote to Timothy, he impressed upon him “the doctrine which is according to godliness.” Not only was Timothy to learn this for himself, but he was to teach it to others.

In our Christian life, it is important to have a basis for all our actions, and the doctrine (or teaching) of the Word of God forms that basis for us. All the teachings of the Bible, if they are followed practically in our lives, will result in a godly walk. Then what we teach and what we do will be according to the Word of God. If a Christian is walking in a disorderly way, he cannot say that the Bible told him to act that way.

All this is most important, for false religions may teach some good things, and perhaps some good moral principles. However, they are always mixed with other things that are not good, and we can readily see the results in the practices of those who follow these false religions. The next verse in our chapter (1 Timothy 6:4) tells us that those who ignore the teaching of Scripture end up exhibiting pride, envy, strife, etc. But the Word of God always results in that which glorifies Christ.

Thursday, December 12, 2024

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“Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Timothy 5:20).

When I was in high school, I remember that one day, when our principal made the announcements, he remarked that for the first time in eight years, he had felt compelled to use the strap on a boy. He further remarked, “I have a good mind to tell you his name, and why I did it.” He did not tell us his name or why he strapped him, but at the time, no one thought this remark was unusual. Yet today it is considered wrong to rebuke anyone publicly for bad behavior or wrongdoing. Which is the right way?

According to our verse for today, there are times when it is right to administer a public rebuke, so that others will realize the seriousness of sin. It may be embarrassing to the individual, but that is part of the punishment for wrongdoing. Also, if we learn from the experience, it is worth it, and perhaps it will keep others from doing wrong things. This scripture was written to Timothy, who was to be a help to other believers. Obviously we are not called to rebuke every sin in the life of an unbeliever.

However, as in everything, we need wisdom from the Lord in applying this scripture. Sometimes a private word with someone is more helpful than a public rebuke. The important point is that sin should not be ignored, either in our own life, or in the lives of others.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

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“And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh” (Genesis 47:10).

“And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better” (Hebrews 7:7).

As we saw yesterday, Jacob had to admit that his life had not been a happy one, and we saw that this was because he had tried to get God’s blessing by his own efforts. But then it is recorded that he blessed Pharaoh—the king of the mightiest country in the world at that time. How could this be?

It was because Jacob realized that, in spite of all his failures, he was a child of God, and thus was superior to those who did not know the Lord. Yes, it is true that Pharaoh had seen the power of the Lord displayed in Joseph, who had saved Egypt from disaster by interpreting Pharaoh’s dream correctly. But sadly, it appears that Egypt continued on in idolatry, and at times even the Israelites were affected by it.

By this time in his life, Jacob had realized the grace of God in spite of his failures. His favorite son Joseph, whom he thought was dead, was alive. His happiest years were ahead of him, and he could confidently bless Pharaoh, for surely “the less is blessed of the better.”

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

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“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage” (Genesis 47:9).

In our verse for today, we find that Jacob readily told Pharaoh how old he was, but added some further comments too. He remarked that his days had been few, and that he had not lived to be as old as his fathers. This was true, for his father Isaac lived to be 180 years old, and his grandfather Abraham lived to be 175. However, Jacob’s life was not over yet.

More than this, Jacob describes his days as being evil. Why was that? It was because he had been a schemer and a deceiver much of his life, thinking that he had to get God’s blessing by his own efforts. As a result, he had a bad conscience much of his life, and also, his own sons had deceived him when they sold Joseph into Egypt. They had learned from their father how to lie and cheat.

All this is very sad, for Jacob loved the Lord, and really valued God’s blessing. But it took him a long time to realize that God could bless him without any of his own efforts. Jacob did not need to scheme, lie, and cheat in order to get God’s blessing.

Monday, December 9, 2024

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“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, How old art thou?” (Genesis 47:8).

This month the oldest known living land animal in the world had a birthday! I am writing this in December, 2022, and a very large tortoise turned 190 years old this month. He was born in 1832, in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, and gifted to the British governor of the island of St. Helena in 1882, when he was fifty years old. St. Helena is in the southern Atlantic Ocean, almost 2,000 miles west of the coast of Africa. He has lived there on the property of the governor’s home ever since. His name is Jonathan.

We are amazed that any living creature can live that long, but it is entirely possible that there are other tortoises who live in the wild who are even older. However, this is the oldest one that we are aware of.

When Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was, Jacob was 130 years old. In many parts of the world, even today, it is not considered impolite to ask people how old they are. But tomorrow we will see what Jacob’s answer was.

Sunday, December 8, 2024

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“Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name” (John 12:27-28).

We are on holy ground when we consider these verses, for these words describe the most awful dilemma of all time. Here was the Son of God, as man, in absolute perfection in His person, facing the prospect of suffering for sin. He could request the Father to save Him from all that, but on the other hand, that is why He had come into the world. How could the dilemma be solved?

The Lord Jesus settles the matter with just four words in English—“Father, glorify Thy name.” Our Lord could have gone back to heaven without going to the cross, but would that have glorified the Father’s name? In one sense, He had glorified the Father in His pathway up to that point, but going back to heaven without going to the cross would have left the sin question unsettled, and left you and me in our sins. God would not have been glorified as to sin, and this was most important in the heart of the Lord Jesus. He would glorify the Father and go to the cross, whatever the cost.

Saturday, December 7, 2024

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“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5).

When we consider what we are going to eat, those of us who grew up in western countries find some of the things people eat in other parts of the world a little unusual. Maybe we say, I could never eat that. I remember many years ago being offered sheep’s brains to eat. I was feeling sick that day, and did not feel like eating anything, but the brother in Christ who was with me said jokingly that I just pretended to be sick so that I did not have to eat sheep’s brains. You will remember that John the Baptist ate locusts, and I suppose you could fill your stomach up if you ate enough of them.

On the other hand, people in other lands sometimes think what we eat in North America is rather strange. Some people cannot imagine eating beef, for example, while others would never eat pork. So we all have our preferences.

But here, Paul tells us that if we receive our meat with thanksgiving, then it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. That simply means that God has said that it is all right for us to eat any kind of meat, if we receive it from Him and are thankful for it.

Friday, December 6, 2024

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“One believeth that he may eat all things: another…eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him” (Romans 14:2-3).

Today there are many people who have chosen to eat “vegan” or “vegetarian.” Others feel free to eat meat and animal products. After the flood of Noah, God gave man the right to eat meat, as we find in Genesis 9:3—“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you.” It does not appear that people ate meat before the flood of Noah.

There is sometimes a tendency for us to think that our way is the right way, and I have known people who did not eat meat try desperately to persuade other people not to eat meat. On the other hand, I have heard those who feel free to eat meat make fun of those who are vegan or vegetarian, for the diet they eat.

In our verses today, God warns us all not to do that. It really does not matter spiritually whether we eat meat or not, and the Lord wants us to respect one another, and go on happily together.

Thursday, December 5, 2024

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“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord…for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:7-8).

The book of James is good for all of us to read, but it was written mainly for the Jews who had been saved, and were living in various parts of the Roman Empire. Because most of the Jews did not recognize the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, those Jews who were saved were often persecuted for their faith.

Here James encourages them to be patient, and to wait for the coming of the Lord. The persecution might continue, and might not stop until the Lord came and took those dear Jewish believers home. So it may be with us. We may not be persecuted as the Jews were in those days, but this world has rejected the Lord Jesus, and if we are faithful to Him, we will be rejected too. But “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh,” and then we will enjoy perfect peace forever. We can be patient, when all this is ahead of us.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

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“But the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of the Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 JND).

When we talk about the Lord’s coming, we are sometimes told to be patient in waiting for Him to come. When we are going through a difficult world, it is quite normal for us to want the Lord to come and take us home. We will look at one of those verses tomorrow. But today we see a little different thought that perhaps we have not considered before.

Here in today’s verse it is the Apostle Paul’s wish that the hearts of the Thessalonian believers be directed into the love of God, and into the “patience of the Christ.” What does this mean? I would suggest that it means HE, our Lord Jesus Christ, is waiting for us, and is more anxious to have us with Him than we are to be with Him. If we are waiting patiently, He too is waiting patiently, for He wants us there with Him. How wonderful it is to see things from God’s side, and not only from our own point of view! We can want the Lord to come for selfish reasons, but God wants us to think of things from His side too, and to realize how much His beloved Son wants us to come and be with Him.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

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“They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

This is a very serious verse, for it shows that those who hear the gospel today, and refuse it, will not have a “second chance” after the Lord comes and takes all true Christians home to be with Him. According to our verse today, God will send them “strong delusion,” which simply means that they will be deceived by Satan and believe a lie. Satan has a certain amount of power at his disposal, and he will use some “signs and lying wonders” to convince people of what he is saying. Having rejected the truth of the gospel, they will be allowed to believe these lies. The result will be that they will be forever lost, and eventually sent to hell. Again, how very solemn this is!

God has done everything possible to enable sinful men to be saved, but if they reject God’s offer of mercy, God has no other choice than to punish them for their sins. As Christians, let us be urgent in giving out the gospel, so that souls will not have this happen to them!

Monday, December 2, 2024

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“The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold…sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:9-10).

Back in early November we talked about honey, and saw that it represents the sweetness and enjoyment of natural things. God has provided these things for us, and it is not wrong to enjoy them from time to time.

However, there are some things that are sweeter than honey; that is, things that give us more enjoyment than natural things. When we enjoy natural pleasures (like going on a hike), there is happiness at the time, and then perhaps a pleasant memory afterwards. But they all come to an end, and are only for this life.

In our verse today, the psalmist shows us that the judgments (teachings) of the Lord are more to be desired than gold, and are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. This is true, for the things of Christ are more precious to our souls than anything else, and the enjoyment of them lasts, not merely for time, but for eternity. A small amount of natural pleasure is good, but if we try to find our ultimate enjoyment in those things, we will be disappointed. Only Christ can fill our hearts.

Sunday, December 1, 2024

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“And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour” (Genesis 8:20-21).

Noah had just come out of the ark, because the flood was over, and he, his family, and all the animals in the ark had been safely preserved through it. Now they were to repopulate the earth, and to multiply on it.

Noah was grateful for what the Lord had done, and he was spiritually intelligent enough to realize that a sacrifice was appropriate. That sacrifice was a picture of the Lord Jesus, for Noah and his family could not have been preserved except for the grace of God. They too were sinners, yet God had worked in their hearts to honor Him, and to build that ark.

So today, you and I, as Christians, are beyond any judgment of God for our sins. The Lord Jesus wants us to remember Him in His death, and to recognize that it is only through His grace that we are saved.