Young Christians Calendar

May 2025

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

“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).

The parable of the sower is recorded in Luke’s gospel as well as in Matthew and Mark, and here in Luke the Lord Jesus speaks of those who keep the Word with “an honest and good heart.” However, in Jeremiah we are told that our hearts are “desperately wicked.” How then can some people have an honest and good heart?

The answer is that when we receive the good seed, which is the Word of God, the Spirit of God uses that Word to give us a new life in Christ. That new life gives us a new heart—a heart that wants to please the Lord, and will bring forth fruit for God. We still have the old sinful nature, and it will struggle to display itself in our lives, but God is there to help us to keep that old nature in the place of death. The old nature can never be improved; it remains desperately wicked, but we can be thankful for our new life in Christ—an honest and good heart.

Friday, May 30, 2025

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“And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes…And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled” (Matthew 15:34,36-37).

I am sure most of you are familiar with this story, but if you have not read it, it takes only a few minutes to read it in Matthew 15. We learn a good lesson from the way the Lord Jesus fed the people. As God, He could have made bread and fish simply by speaking the word; He did not have to start with the loaves and fishes that someone had brought.

However, our Lord started with what the disciples had, and then by His divine power made it grow into enough food for thousands of people. It is often that way in our own lives. We may not have enough resources to help others, or to do something for the Lord. Rather than being discouraged and giving up, we should start with what we have, and then trust the Lord to multiply it. I knew a Christian man once who was poor, and when we were talking about helping others, he said, “How can one poor man help another poor man?” He always thought of himself as a poor man, but we should not think that way. If the Lord wants us to do something, He will provide the resources, but He will often start with what we already have.

Thursday, May 29, 2025

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“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man” (Matthew 15:11).

Many people today are very careful what they eat. There are many different “fad diets,” that promise various and amazing results! Some people do not eat certain foods simply because they do not like them. During the Covid pandemic, we washed our hands more frequently so as not to spread the virus unnecessarily. Yet many of those same people are not too concerned about the coarse and often foul language that comes out of their mouths.

In today’s verse, the Lord Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for insisting that people wash their hands before eating, while at the same time adding other traditions to the law that effectively took away the force of what the law said. He showed them clearly that what they said was far more serious than what went into their mouths. What comes out of our mouths comes from the heart, and even true believers can be guilty of using bad language that defiles them. As believers, we should let our new life in Christ dictate what comes out of our mouths.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

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“Then came His disciples, and said unto Him, Knowest Thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” (Matthew 15:12).

As their leaders, the Pharisees taught the law to the people, but they had added a lot of human tradition to it. When the Lord Jesus pointed this out to them, they were upset, and as our verse today says, they were offended. We can react this way too, when we are doing something that is wrong, and someone points it out to us.

However, the Lord Jesus did not apologize. In fact, there is no record that the Lord Jesus ever apologized, for He never said or did anything that was wrong. He never had to take something back; He never said anything in the wrong tone of voice; He never used the wrong “body language” when He spoke. He was always perfect, as the Son of God.

When they told the Lord Jesus that the Pharisees were offended, He replied that they were “blind leaders of the blind.” This was a serious position to be in, for they eventually rejected the Lord Jesus, and demanded that He be crucified.

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

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“And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And He said, Come…But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught Him” (Matthew 14:28-31).

Probably you are already familiar with this story, when Peter walked on the water. It was a wonderful experience for him, but as the Bible tells us, when he saw the wind boisterous, and no doubt saw big waves on the water, he was afraid and began to sink.

This is a picture of how we are often afraid, when we are going through very difficult circumstances in our lives in this world. But just as Peter walked on the water, so the Lord calls us to rise above our circumstances, and to trust Him. Even if the water had been calm, Peter could not have walked on it without the Lord’s power. So also, we could not cope even with normal things in our lives without the Lord’s help. We need Him in every circumstance in our lives.

However, even when Peter’s faith failed, and he began to sink, he knew whom to call upon for help. The Lord immediately saved him, and He will save us too, if we call on Him for help in difficult times.

Monday, May 26, 2025

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“And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Genesis 41:46).

If you go back to Genesis 37:2, you will find that Joseph was seventeen years old when he had his dreams, and it was probably about that time that his brothers sold him into Egypt. Since he was thirty years old when he became governor over the land of Egypt, that means that he was a slave, and later in prison, for thirteen years! That is a long time! Joseph must have wondered sometimes if all his trouble would ever come to an end.

This is a good lesson for us. Sometimes the Lord allows real difficulties in our lives, and perhaps they go on for a long time. Often we do not understand why the Lord is allowing all these problems, and maybe we too wonder when it will all end. But we must remember that just as the Lord brought blessing out of all Joseph’s trouble, so He is using everything in our lives for our good. He knows how difficult things can be sometimes, and we can be assured that He will be with us, and strengthen us, and teach us things that we could not learn any other way. Later on, like Joseph, we will thank Him for all the difficulties He allowed in our lives.

Sunday, May 25, 2025

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“And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck: and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:42-43).

It was a sudden and tremendous change for Joseph to be taken from prison, and made governor over all the land of Egypt. He had been sold into Egypt as a slave, then falsely accused, and put in prison. But the Lord allowed it all for blessing in the end. When he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh appointed him as governor over the whole land of Egypt.

We know that Joseph is one of the most beautiful pictures of the Lord Jesus. He came into this world as a man, and was also falsely accused, and eventually crucified. What an awful thing for men to do to an innocent man! But now God has highly exalted Him, and one day He will come back to this world to set up His kingdom. Just as everyone had to bow the knee before Joseph, so everyone will be compelled to honor the Lord Jesus, and submit to Him.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

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

As I write this in May, 2023, a piece of news is fresh in my mind. In the U.S.A., there was a young girl of fifteen who liked to ride horses. She especially liked to ride horses over jumps. Just a few days ago, she was practicing some jumps with a big horse when the horse stumbled and started to fall. She fell off the horse, and the horse landed on top of her.

An average horse often weighs at least 1100 pounds (500 kg.), and when the horse landed on her head, she was killed instantly. It was an awful shock to everyone who saw it happen. When that girl got out of bed that morning, I am sure that she never expected to die that day. She was young and healthy, and no doubt looked forward to the enjoyment of riding her horse. Yet an accident occurred, and she was instantly in eternity.

God allows such tragedies to warn others of the shortness of time, and to emphasize the importance of accepting the Lord Jesus as our Savior now.

Friday, May 23, 2025

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“And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29).

Our verse today has a solemn message that is similar to the one we had yesterday. The Lord Jesus was warning the Jews that many would come from all over the world, and receive the blessing of being in the kingdom of God, while many of those who had the greatest opportunity would not be able to enter in.

It will be the same for many who live in western countries today, and who have had a Christian testimony for hundreds of years. Sadly, there is not much interest in the gospel today in most of these countries. Many people in western Europe and North America have the idea that everyone will eventually go to heaven, and Satan is happy for them to believe this lie. Many in other parts of the world are glad to hear the gospel, and are accepting the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

In His talk to the people in Luke 13:24-30, the Lord Jesus warned the Jews who rejected Him that in a coming day, they themselves would be “thrust out,” while others from among the Gentiles would enjoy the blessing. In the same way, many in western countries will be shocked when they are denied entry to heaven, while others from all over the world are able to enter in. Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior?

Thursday, May 22, 2025

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“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day” (Matthew 11:23).

You may remember that back in the time of Abraham, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked that God destroyed them with fire and brimstone from heaven. You can read about this in Genesis 19. The only ones who were saved out of that city were Lot, his wife, and their two daughters. But then Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back toward Sodom, when the Lord had specifically told them not to do so.

In our verse for today, the Lord Jesus told the Jews that if the mighty works that they had seen Him do had been done in Sodom, they would have repented, and the city would not have been destroyed. This is very solemn, for Capernaum was the city where the Lord Jesus lived, and yet they did not believe. They probably saw more of Him than anyone else, and this made them much more responsible.

Today you and I know all about the Lord Jesus, for the record of what He did when He was in this world is given to us in the Word of God. We have the Bible in our hands in North America, and we can readily get a copy and read it. Yet many are indifferent to God’s claims upon them, and will not come to the Lord Jesus. An awful judgment will fall upon such people, for they have had such a wonderful testimony to God’s grace and love.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

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“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold” (Matthew 13:8).

Today we will go back to our parable of the seed being sown. None of the first three kinds of soil produced any fruit, but we can be thankful to read that some of the seed fell on good ground. Evidently the soil had been worked up so that the seed settled into it, and with proper rain and sunshine, there was a crop that produced fruit. This is like those who hear the Word of God and believe, and have new life in Christ.

However, all those who believe do not produce the same amount of fruit. The crop considered here is probably wheat, and with what is called dryland farming (that is, without irrigation), a head of wheat with one hundred kernels in it is considered a very good crop. Sixty kernels in a head of wheat is an average crop, while thirty kernels in a head is a rather poor crop.

After we are saved, if we walk with the Lord and serve Him, we produce fruit for Him. Some believers are more diligent in this than others. What kind of soil are you? Are we using our time and energy in living for the Lord, or are we producing only a poor crop?

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

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“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:11-12).

As I write this in 2023, it is just two weeks ago today (May 6) that King Charles III was formally crowned king of Great Britain. It is seventy years since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned queen back in 1953. (I am old enough to remember it quite well.) As you may imagine, the event took place with all the pomp and ceremony that Britain could muster. Thousands of people lined the streets of London to watch the procession, despite the pouring rain. Over two thousand people were invited to attend the coronation inside Westminster Abbey where the kings and queens of Britain have been crowned for centuries.

But everything did not go smoothly, for some protestors on the streets carried placards which said, “Not my king!” One member of the royal family actually had trouble seeing because of the big feather in his aunt’s hat! Some countries in the British Commonwealth are actually considering abolishing the British monarchy as their head of state.

In a coming day, nothing will spoil the time when the Lord Jesus takes His rightful place as King. All will be compelled to own Him as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” All will have to bow before Him. His glory will be seen by all, and His kingdom will be an eternal one. What an event we have to look forward to!

Monday, May 19, 2025

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“And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them” (Matthew 13:7).

We will speak today about another kind of soil into which the seed fell. We have already had this kind of soil before us back on January 15, using verse 22 of our chapter, which explains verse 7. Here the soil is good, but thorns sprung up and took all the moisture and goodness from the soil, so that the good seed could not grow.

It is so easy to let the things of this world crowd into our lives, and then it seems that there is no time to think about the things of God. Satan persuades us that we have plenty of time, and that the things of this world are so important that we need to attend to them first. Or, he persuades us that we should enjoy the good things of life down here, and not worry about eternity. In this way the things of this world prevent the Word of God from growing.

Sunday, May 18, 2025

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“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when He had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that He had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

In our verse today, the Lord Jesus is compared to a merchant man, who is looking for good pearls. Evidently the merchant man was in the habit of finding good pearls, but then He comes upon a pearl so costly that in order to have it, He must sell all that He has. But He is glad to do so, and willingly sells everything in order to have that one pearl.

This is what the Lord Jesus has done for us—His church. He loved us so much, and wanted to have us so badly, that He was willing to give up everything for us. Not only did the Lord Jesus give up His heavenly glory to come down to this world as a man, but He went to Calvary’s cross, to suffer and die, so that He could have us as His pearl.

The price He paid for us was unable to be known; it was a price that only God could estimate. Yet the Lord Jesus gladly paid it, so that you and I could be with Him for all eternity.

Saturday, May 17, 2025

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“Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away” (Matthew 13:5-6).

Here we have another kind of soil—rocky soil. The soil on top looked good, but underneath that soil were rocks, so that the soil was very shallow. That kind of soil warms up quickly, and the plants grow right away. But with no depth of earth, the root cannot form properly. Then, when the sun gets hot, the plant withers and dies, because it has no real root.

This kind of soil is like those who hear the Word of God, and think that it sounds good. They happily believe, but only in their heads, not in their hearts. Then, when trouble, persecution, or other difficulties come along in their life, they give it all up and go back into the world. They were never really saved. The proof that people are really saved is when they continue to live for the Lord, and go on steadily in a Christian pathway.

Friday, May 16, 2025

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“Behold a sower went forth to sow; and when He sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up” (Matthew 13:3-4).

A few days ago, we talked about Israel as a sheep fold, where the sheep were kept inside a stone wall. In this time of God’s grace, the Lord Jesus has now gone out of the fold of Israel, and is sowing His seed everywhere. The seed is the gospel of God’s grace, from the Word of God. Of course, the seed is always good. However, the soil can vary, and there are four kinds of soil mentioned in the Bible.

Here the first kind of soil is the way side, or a hard path on the edge of the field. It would be very hard ground, having been pounded down by the many people who had walked on it. Needless to say, the seed would not grow there, and soon the birds would come and eat up the seed that fell there.

Those birds are like Satan, who comes and snatches away the good seed from the hearts of those who hear it, so that it never grows and produces fruit. If our hearts are hardened against God, the seed will not grow, and Satan is quick to take it away, and give us something else to think about.

Thursday, May 15, 2025

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“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

We have a bird feeder just outside one of our windows, and we can watch the birds who feed at it while we are eating our own meals. This spring we have noticed quite a few cowbirds on the feeder. Cowbirds are somewhat unusual, for they do not build their own nests. Rather, they look around for the unguarded nest of some other small bird, and then lay their egg in that nest. Sometimes the other bird recognizes a strange egg and either pushes it out of the nest, breaks it, or even builds another nest on top of it. But most of the time they just sit on the cowbird’s egg, along with their own eggs, and hatch the cowbird chick too. But usually the cowbird chick is bigger and stronger than the other nestlings, and thus gets more than its fair share of the food the mother bird brings. Then the real chicks of the mother bird get weaker, and sometimes die.

This is like what Satan does in our lives. He brings bad things into our lives, and often we do not recognize what he is doing. We do not realize how harmful that evil thing can be, until it is too late. As our verse says, we need to be on guard, in order to prevent this kind of thing from happening. If the mother bird saw the cowbird approaching her nest, she would drive it away, but it is when she is away from the nest that the cowbird comes. Let us all be on guard for what Satan may be doing.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

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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).

The Lord Jesus loved the nation of Israel, and would gladly have comforted and protected them, yet they would not accept Him. We have a similar problem today in this world, on a wider scale, and involving many people. At the time of my writing this in 2023, it is estimated that there are 30 million refugees in this world, and half of them are under eighteen. Life is almost intolerable in their home countries, sometimes because of civil war, sometimes because of bad governments, and sometimes because of mismanagement of their natural resources.

They all want a better life, and often risk their lives to get to European countries, or into Canada and the United States, in order to get this. But the way to get into these other countries is usually illegal, and they face tremendous hardships and dangers along the way. Many of them drown trying to cross large bodies of water in makeshift boats, or are robbed and ill-treated by those they meet along the way. They are often like those in Jerusalem, for they have no one to look after them.

But the Lord Jesus loves every one of them, and is reaching out to save them, comfort them, and give them hope beyond this world. Sadly, many do not want to hear about the Lord Jesus, and like the Jewish nation, will not come to Him for help and comfort.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

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“And I have other sheep which are not of this fold: those also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock, one Shepherd” (John 10:16 JND).

A fold was an enclosure made of stones, high enough to keep out predators such as wolves and bears. It is a picture of the Jews, who were in that fold. But the Lord had other sheep also—the Gentiles, and He wanted to bring them too, and have them hear His voice. Now both Jews and Gentiles can be part of the church, all together, instead of being separated from each other. The Jews were not allowed to mix with the Gentiles in the Old Testament, but now God wants both Jews and Gentiles in the church.

Now there is no longer a fold with a wall around it, but rather “one flock, and one Shepherd.” The Shepherd is there now to lead, guide, and protect us. We gather around Him, instead of being in a fold—an enclosure. We do not need the wall of the fold to protect us, for as long as we are with the Shepherd, He keeps us safe.

Monday, May 12, 2025

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“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

There was once a man who was brought into court and accused of stealing a sheep. He claimed that the sheep was his, and that he had not stolen it, while another man claimed that the sheep was his. The judge wisely commanded them to bring the sheep into the courtroom, while he told the accused man to go behind a door for a few moments. Then the judge asked the other man to call the sheep. The man called several times, but the sheep paid no attention to him. But then the accused man called from behind the door where he was, and immediately the sheep responded, and went over to the door.

This simple test showed clearly whose the sheep really was, for the sheep knew its shepherd’s voice. It would respond only to its rightful owner, and not to a stranger. The man who was accused of stealing was in fact the real owner of the sheep, while the other man was the thief.

You and I are to be like that sheep. When we know the Lord, and He knows us, we should listen only to His voice. Sadly, we are sometimes not very good sheep, and we do listen to the voices of strangers, instead of the Shepherd’s voice. Then we get into trouble. Let us listen to the Lord’s voice, and follow Him.

Sunday, May 11, 2025

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“All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27).

There are some things in Scripture that are impossible for us to understand, and this is one of them. The Lord Jesus is both God and man in one person, and as human beings, we cannot understand this. Only God the Father understands fully the way that God and man are united in one person in the Lord Jesus; we can accept it and believe it, but we cannot understand it.

However, we could not know God the Father either, but when the Lord Jesus came into this world, He revealed God the Father. He could say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). If we are truly saved, we know God the Father in a way that no one knew Him before the Lord Jesus came into this world as a man. The Lord Jesus revealed God the Father as a God of light, and a God of love. Those two things were brought together at the cross, for God’s holy nature demanded that sin be punished, but God’s love laid that punishment on His Son, so that we did not have to bear it.

You and I live in a very privileged time in the history of this world, for we know many things about God that were not known before this day of God’s grace.

Saturday, May 10, 2025

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“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12).

This might seem like a hard verse to understand, but let me use an illustration. Over forty years ago I was in a foreign country, and I wanted to get on a bus in a large city. Quite a few people wanted to get on, and I tried to be polite, letting others get on first. You can probably guess what happened! The bus started to move, and I was left standing on the sidewalk. When the next bus came, I pushed and shoved along with everybody else, and I got on. The only way to get on the bus was to force your way in.

That is the way it is today with coming to the Lord Jesus, and it has been that way ever since John the Baptist announced the coming of the Lord Jesus. This world did not want Him, and most of the leaders of the Jews did not listen to John the Baptist. They did not listen to the Lord Jesus either, and those that wanted to come to Him had to overcome the resistance of those leaders. Using the same illustration as I used, they had to “push and shove” their way to the Lord Jesus, against all the opposition of the Jewish leaders.

Even today the Lord Jesus is not wanted, and if you wish to follow Him, you will have to overcome the opposition of this world. You will have to force your way in, but it is well worth the effort!

Friday, May 9, 2025

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“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17).

Our verse today speaks of what will happen in the millennium, after the Lord Jesus has come back to this world and executed judgment on all who have rejected Him. Very soon, all true believers will be caught up when the Lord Jesus comes to take us home. After that there will be a time of terrible judgment for this world, but it is only in this way that true peace will be established. After the judgment is finished, the Lord Jesus will set up His glorious kingdom in this world, and there will be true peace.

Although our place is with the Lord Jesus in heaven, yet we can look forward to that day when He will come back to this world to set up His kingdom. At that time, He will have His rightful place, and will reign as “the Prince of peace.”

We notice that righteousness and peace go together in our verse today. That is because God cannot rest or have peace when there is sin that has not been dealt with. Today, many would like to have peace in this world, but they would also like to go on with their sinful ways. God cannot allow this. Only when the Lord Jesus reigns in righteousness will there be true peace in this world.

Thursday, May 8, 2025

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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” (Luke 12:51).

When the Lord Jesus was born into this world, the angels praised Him, saying the words of our first verse today. The Lord Jesus had come into the world as the rightful King, and He had come to bring peace. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah had called the Lord Jesus “the Prince of peace.” (See if you can find this verse in the book of Isaiah.)

But sadly, the Lord Jesus was rejected right from the very beginning. Herod the king tried to kill Him when He was only a small child, and throughout His earthly ministry the Jewish leaders were against Him. Finally they plotted to kill Him, and eventually delivered Him over to the Roman authorities to crucify Him.

That is why the Lord Jesus had to say (in our second verse today) that He was not come to give peace on earth, but rather division. We might ask, Why would His coming bring division? It would bring division because there would be some who accepted Him, and many who rejected Him. Now the world is divided between believers and unbelievers, and there is no real peace. True believers can have peace in their hearts, for they know that their sins are forgiven. However, real peace on this earth will never happen until the Lord Jesus has His rightful place.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

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“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

The expression “as sheep having no shepherd” is rather important, and it is found (with minor variations) at least eight times in the Bible. It is in both the Old and New Testaments. The people of this world are often compared to sheep, for sheep are not very smart animals. Yes, they can endure cold weather, and are generally easy to manage, but they cannot really look after themselves very well. If they get lost, they cannot find their way home. Or they get into places where they cannot get out themselves. Sheep need a shepherd to look after them.

The Lord compares people who have no one to look after them to sheep without a shepherd. They go here and there, looking for something to satisfy them, but they cannot find it. They need someone to care for them, to feed them spiritually, and to guide them in their lives. Most important of all, they need to become one of God’s sheep, by trusting in the Lord Jesus as Savior.

The Lord Jesus felt sorry for the people in Israel when He was here on earth. He loved them, but they had gone astray, and most of them really did not want a shepherd. They liked it when the Lord Jesus fed them, or healed their diseases, but they did not want Him to be their shepherd. If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, then you have a Shepherd who loves you and cares for you. No true believer is like a sheep without a Shepherd.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

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“Charge them that are rich in this world…that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate…that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

It is clearly wrong for a Christian to set out in life to become rich, as we saw yesterday. However, when a believer works hard in his business or in his job, sometimes the Lord allows him or her to become wealthy. This is not wrong, but it makes us very responsible. The more we have in this world, the more the Lord holds us responsible to use it for Him.

Here in our verse today those who are rich are told to be “rich in good works,” and to be “ready to distribute.” That means that those who are rich should be willing to use their money to help those in need, and there are plenty of needs in this world. The Lord Jesus could say to those around Him, “The poor always ye have with you” (John 12:8), and this continues to be true today, all over the world. Also, we must remind ourselves that most of us who live in Western countries are rich beyond the wildest dreams of most of the world’s population. Thus we are not to aim to be rich, but if we have more than most people in this world, we are to look to the Lord for wisdom to use it for Him.

Monday, May 5, 2025

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“No man can serve two masters…ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

We can understand the thought in this verse, for it is clear, even in natural things, that we cannot serve two masters. We have to listen to one or the other when we wish to know what to do. We cannot have two different people telling us what to do, for at some point one will tell us to do something, and the other will tell us to do something else.

Here the Lord Jesus tells us that we cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon is not a word we use today, but it simply means money or wealth. It has also come to have the meaning of wealth that is obtained in the wrong way, perhaps by someone who actually worships money, and wants to have more of it, no matter how it is acquired.

As Christians, we cannot serve the Lord, and yet have money and wealth as our master too. While having money in itself is not wrong, yet the Word of God tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Every kind of evil in this world has been caused by the love of money, and as Christians, we should be on guard to avoid this danger. If our hearts are set on being wealthy, we are not walking with the Lord.

Sunday, May 4, 2025

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“When the time was come that He should be received up, He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

Normally, if we find out that something unpleasant is going to happen to us, we try to avoid it if possible. At the time of our verse for today, the Lord Jesus had finished His time in this world, and He could have gone directly home to His Father. But then He would have gone back alone, for you and I could not be in heaven in our sins. In order to have you and me with Him in heaven, He had to go to the cross.

That is why He “steadfastly set His face” to go to Jerusalem. It was not easy for Him to do this, for He well knew what would happen to Him there. He knew that He would be crucified, and suffer for sin while on the cross. He loved God His Father, and He loved us, so He went directly to Jerusalem. Only His love could have made Him do this.

Saturday, May 3, 2025

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“Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

Yesterday we saw that we are not to use vain repetitions in prayer, as the heathen do, but today in our verse it says that we are to “pray without ceasing.” This might seem to contradict what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel. But does the Word of God say one thing in one place, and something opposite in another place? No, of course not, for God does not contradict Himself. What does today’s verse mean then?

When we use “vain repetitions,” it means to say the same words over and over again, perhaps without much feeling in our hearts. It becomes merely a set of words that we say, like a chant that is sometimes heard when a crowd of people gathers together and makes a demonstration in the street.

On the other hand, when we pray without ceasing, we come before the Lord day after day, in earnest prayer, perhaps asking for the same thing as we did the day before. Or, it may be that other things are on our hearts the next day, but still, we are continuing to pray. But in each case there is real exercise in our hearts, and a seeking to know the Lord’s mind, so that we pray intelligently. Then we may well “pray without ceasing,” but we will not be guilty of using vain repetition.

Friday, May 2, 2025

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“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do…for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

Apparently S heathen people, who worshiped idols, used to pray, they repeated the same phrases over and over again, as if the god to whom they were praying would somehow answer their prayers more readily if they repeated themselves many times. I remember several young people in foreign countries who used to write to me, asking for things, and to make sure that I understood clearly what they wanted, they would repeat the request four or five times in the same letter. Sometimes at the end of the letter they would write several times, “Don’t forget me!”

But in our verses for today, we read that our Father already knows what we need, before we ask Him. We do not have to repeat the same request over and over again, in the same prayer. Our God knows what we need, and we can trust Him to provide for us. But notice that it says, “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of.” It does not say, “Your Father knoweth what things ye want.” The Lord has promised to supply all our needs, not all our wants.

Thursday, May 1, 2025

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“Bear ye one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).

Just last week we had a severe ice storm in our area. For those of you who don’t live in the north, this happens most often in spring when the temperature hovers around the freezing point and then it begins to rain. It’s not long before the roads are icy, and the trees start to get a heavy coating of ice built up on their branches. This makes the branches heavier and heavier, until finally many begin to snap. During this storm, many branches, and even some large trees came down.

As I watched the trees bending over from the weight they were carrying, I thought of people. Many have troubles and sorrows in their lives that make them “bend over” with all those cares. What would have helped those trees? If the sun had come out and some warmth had shone on them, soon the ice would have melted away! If you see someone who seems overwhelmed by care, you can apply some “warmth.” Maybe just a kind word, or a little service you can do, will be a big help. The Lord often gives us an opportunity this way. Let’s spread the warmth of His love.