Young Christians Calendar

August 2025

“And Abel was a keeper of sheep…and Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering” (Genesis 4:2,4).

Abel brought to the Lord a blood sacrifice, for he realized that he could not approach God unless there was a substitute for him, that died in his place. Unlike his brother Cain, he realized that the produce of a cursed earth could not be acceptable to God.

Abel’s sacrifice was a picture of the Lord Jesus Himself, who was the ultimate sacrifice that puts away our sins, if we accept Him as our Savior. All the sacrifices in the Old Testament, beginning with Abel’s lamb, were only a picture of the real Lamb of God—the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His blood that cleanses us from all sin. Scripture calls today the Lord’s day, and it is a day when we can specially remember that the Lord Jesus died for us.

Saturday, August 30, 2025

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“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass…that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there…And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven” (Genesis 11:1-2,4).

Here we have the story of how the tower of Babel came to be started, and once again, it was in the land of Shinar—in present-day Iraq. It was here that God eventually confounded their language, so that people began to speak different languages. This compelled them to separate from one another and to spread themselves out over the earth.

But many other things took place in this part of the world. For example, the Garden of Eden was in the territory of present-day Iraq. Noah built the ark somewhere in this area of the world. Abraham came from the city of Ur, which was in southern Iraq. Jonah preached in Nineveh, and it was in present-day Iraq. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den in present-day Iraq.

Many things happened in this part of the world which is well-known for its oil, and for being at one time the domain of Saddam Hussein. You and I as believers know many things that happened there, many of which influenced the world in a large way.

Friday, August 29, 2025

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“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth…and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar” (Genesis 10:8,10).

Most of you have probably heard of the country of Iraq, and especially as it was invaded by several western countries over 20 years ago, in 2003, because they suspected that its ruler, Saddam Hussein, was secretly making weapons of mass destruction. But did you know that Iraq is mentioned many times in the Bible? It is not called by that name, but is referred to as the land of Shinar, Mesopotamia, or Babylon.

The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, and the two rivers are the Tigris and the Euphrates. This is where the present country of Iraq is, and a lot of Bible history took place within the boundaries of that country. That part of the world has a long and important history, and is very significant in the Word of God. Tomorrow we will see some of the things that happened there.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

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“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself” (Romans 14:7).

Our verse today reminds us of something very important, namely, that we all have an effect on others. The way we live our lives affects others, whether we realize it or not. Often younger ones will look up to those who are a little older than they are, and will say and do the same things the older ones do. In this way we can have either a good effect or a bad effect on others.

When I was a small boy, I overheard some worldly people repeatedly using the phrase, “By golly,” not knowing what it meant. I did not realize that “by golly” really means “by God,” but that because people do not want to be heard using the name of the Lord in vain, they say, “By golly.” I thought they were saying, “By gully,” and started to say it too. My mother had a difficult time getting me to stop using that term, for I thought it sounded smart. But I learned it by listening to older people.

Let us always be aware of the fact that we influence other people by our walk and ways. If we walk in a way that is pleasing to the Lord, it will have a good effect on others.

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

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“Render therefore to all their dues…fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7).

In the world today, we sometimes see people who do not want to honor their country or their government, and who refuse to stand up when the national anthem is sung or played. This has happened frequently in the United States during the past few years, when people have chosen to kneel down instead of standing up. Usually this is done as a protest against some perceived injustice in the country. Several years ago in Australia, a nine-year-old girl was threatened with suspension from school for refusing to stand up for the national anthem. Others have refused to say the pledge of allegiance.

While we as believers know that we are heavenly citizens, we are also told, according to this verse, to give honor to whom honor is due, and fear to whom fear. Standing up for a national anthem or a pledge of allegiance is a way of honoring those whom God has put in authority over us.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

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“For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues” (Romans 13:6-7).

None of us likes to pay taxes to the government, and especially if we feel that we are paying too much, or that the government is wasting the tax money paid to them. I have known worldly people, and sometimes even Christians, boast about how they managed to cheat the government by avoiding paying their proper taxes.

But here we are explicitly told to pay our taxes, and the Bible says that those who collect taxes are God’s ministers. God has appointed them, and we are to respect them. Would we think of cheating God’s ministers? I hope not.

In the days of the Roman Empire, when the Apostle Paul wrote these words, the government was quite corrupt, and often those who collected taxes were corrupt as well. They often made themselves rich by collecting much more than they were supposed to collect. Yet Paul still calls them God’s ministers, and told believers to honor them. We should do the same.

Monday, August 25, 2025

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“And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased” (Matthew 14:32).

The end of this story is that when the Lord (and Peter, who had also walked on the water) got into the boat, suddenly the wind stopped. What a relief to the disciples! What a demonstration of the Lord’s power over His creation! Now they could row the boat easily.

Let us remember this in our lives too. The Lord sometimes tests our faith, but He will never disappoint us. When He came into the boat, a miracle happened, and the wind stopped. The Lord is able to do the same thing for us too. He can make big problems disappear quickly, and give us rest and peace in our lives. Let us always have faith in Him, and trust Him even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Sunday, August 24, 2025

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“Jesus our Lord…who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:24-25).

All our offences—our sins, were against us, and a holy God could not just forgive our offences; the penalty had to be paid for them. But the Lord Jesus stepped forward in our place (if we are true believers) and took the awful punishment for sin upon Himself. Then something else happened: He died and was placed in a grave, but then rose again the third day. Why does it mention His resurrection as being connected with our justification?

It is because when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, it was the sign of God’s approval and perfect satisfaction with the work He had done on the cross. We can be absolutely sure of our salvation because our Savior rose from the dead. If He had not risen, it would have meant that the work was not complete, and that God was not satisfied. But our Lord Jesus did rise, and we can be sure of our justification because of this.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

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“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:25-27).

The Lord Jesus knew the distress the disciples were in, and He came to them, but in an unusual way. They thought it was an evil spirit and were afraid, but the Lord Jesus instantly reassures them that it was He who was walking on the water. His words, “Be of good cheer” must have really encouraged them.

Sometimes the Lord comes to us in our lives too, but in an unusual way. He may allow some strange or unfamiliar thing to happen that we think could only mean more trouble, yet it is the Lord Himself coming to our help. He knows the trouble we are in, and wants to reassure us—“Be of good cheer!” Let us not be afraid, but recognize that the Lord is over all the things that happen to us, and wants to encourage us. But He allows our faith to be tested sometimes.

Remember, all this happened in the fourth watch of the night—between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. They had been rowing most of the night, but the Lord had not forgotten them. We will see the end of the story on Monday.

Friday, August 22, 2025

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“And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship…but the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary” (Matthew 14:22,24).

It is sometimes difficult to handle a boat in a storm, but some of the disciples were experienced fishermen who had worked on boats on the sea of Galilee for years. No doubt they had encountered storms before, and knew what to do. However, they had a real problem this time, and had rowed for hours without getting across the lake. Evidently they were rowing against a very strong wind, and they could not make headway. The sea of Galilee is only about eight miles (thirteen kilometers) wide, so that it is not that far for strong men to row a boat.

This sometimes happens in our lives too, although we may not be in a boat. But the Lord may allow difficult circumstances in our lives in order to make us realize that even though we are strong, mentally and physically, we cannot manage life’s problems without Him. Tomorrow we will see what eventually happened.

Thursday, August 21, 2025

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“Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young” (Psalm 84:3).

Different birds build different kinds of nests, and each one is marvelous in its own way. The nest of the swallow is particularly interesting, for it is built out of mud, although reinforced with bits of grass to hold it together. The swallow must fill its beak up to 500 times with dirt, then mix it with saliva, to form enough mud for its nest. Maybe you have seen one, for they often build them in barns, or even under the roofs of porches of houses. We have an elevated deck on our home, on the level of the second floor, and swallows regularly build their nests under it.

Swallows usually come back to the same nest year after year, and after a little repair work, it is ready for use again. Sometimes swallows use the same nest for many years. But how do they know how to do this? It is only the Lord who could have given them the wisdom to build a nest like this that will last for many years.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

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“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us…He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

These are very encouraging verses, for much of the time, when we pray, we really do not know what we should pray for. We may ask for things that would not be good for us, or ask the Lord to take us out of some trouble that He has allowed for our good. But what happens when we pray?

The Spirit of God that dwells within us presents that prayer to the Lord, but He often does not present our prayer to the Lord exactly as we prayed. Rather, the Spirit of God knows what is best for us, and presents our prayer according to the will of God, and not according to our imperfect understanding of what is best for us.

This is very comforting, for the Lord always answers our prayers, but not always in the way that we expect. However, He answers them according to His will, which is always best. Let us never forget that the Lord wants the very best for us!

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

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“There come to Him [the Lord Jesus] the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and say unto Him, By what authority doest Thou these things? And who gave Thee this authority to do these things?” (Mark 11:27-28).

When the Jewish leaders asked the Lord Jesus this question, He had just finished cleansing the temple, and chasing out all the money changers, those that sold doves, and other animals that were kept there to be sold for sacrifices. If you read the whole story, you will see that the Lord Jesus would not answer their question directly, but rather asked them a question that they could not answer.

The real truth was that the Lord Jesus had already given plenty of evidence that He was the Son of God, and thus had total authority over what went on in the temple. He had done many miracles—miracles that no other man had ever done. Also, He taught the people with authority, and in a way that no one else could teach. Yet those leaders still did not want to believe that He was the Son of God.

Sadly, there are many in this world who still will not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They may admit that He was a great prophet, but will not admit that He is God. This is very sad, for if Jesus is not God, then we have no Savior. But He is the Son of God, and He rose from the dead to prove it beyond any doubt.

Monday, August 18, 2025

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“Verily I [the Lord Jesus] say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein” (Mark 10:15).

On the occasion that the Lord Jesus said this, His disciples had rebuked those who brought young children to Him, thinking that He did not have time for them. But the Lord Jesus was displeased with His disciples for doing this, and told them to let the children come to Him.

Then He explained that we all need to become as little children in order to enter the kingdom of God. Why did the Lord Jesus say that? It is because young children naturally are very trusting, and do not raise questions about what they are told. They do not suspect that someone is trying to trick them. Unless someone betrays their trust, young children believe what they are told.

When we come to the Lord Jesus, we must come with that same trust. We must believe that He loves us, and wants to bless us. He will never disappoint our trust in Him!

Sunday, August 17, 2025

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“Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

It is a solemn thing for us to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ was just, and that we were unjust. In order to bring us to God, He had to suffer for us. While it is not unusual in human history for someone to have suffered for someone else, yet there is nothing in man’s history to compare to the cross of Christ. Here was the Son of God, who came into this world in love and grace, nailed to a cross and left there, while people who passed by mocked and taunted Him, telling Him to come down if He could. Yet in that very place, where the very worst in man’s heart was being displayed, God was laying upon His Son the sins of millions of souls—souls that would eventually spend eternity in glory with that same Son of God who hung there. No human mind could have invented a story like that; it is well expressed in the words of another, “O God, the thought was Thine: Thine only it could be.”

Saturday, August 16, 2025

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“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

Today we have one final verse that tells us how we should behave toward others. We learned from other verses (in the last two days) how we should not take revenge on others who do wrong to us, but rather do our best to live peaceably with them. But here we are told to do something positive.

Whenever we have the chance, we are to do good to everyone, and especially to other believers. If we see someone else having a problem, it is easy to say, “Let them look after it themselves!” But you will remember the story of the good Samaritan, and how he helped the man who had been robbed and beaten up. The Lord Jesus told this story because it is a good example for us. We are to be ready to help others whenever we can, and especially other believers.

Also, when we help unbelievers, it gives us a good chance to tell them about the Lord Jesus. Many people have been saved in this way.

Friday, August 15, 2025

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“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).

Here is another verse that tells us how we should act in this world, in getting along with other people. When we go through this world, whether at school, at work, or in our spare time, we will encounter all kinds of people. Some people are easy to get along with, even though they are not believers. But with others, it may be very hard to have a good relationship with them. Some people are very unhappy in their lives, and seem to take pleasure in being irritable and grouchy.

As Christians, we are to do our best to get along with everyone, even if they make it difficult for us. Many unsaved people in this world are very unhappy, and their lives are not going well for them. They may have family troubles, troubles at work, money problems, etc. They often react by being difficult and hard to get along with. You and I are to do our best not to provoke them, but rather to live in peace with them. This may not always be possible, but we are not to be hard to get along with!

Thursday, August 14, 2025

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“Recompense to no man evil for evil…for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:17,19).

When someone does something wrong toward us, the first thought in our natural hearts is to think of some way to do something in revenge to them. That is why we see so much “road rage” on the highways today. That is why fights break out between people. That is why there are so many shootings today, especially in North America. Someone feels disrespected or wronged, and they fight back.

But our verses for today tell us not to do this. Rather, we are to remember that it is the Lord’s job to take vengeance on people who do wrong; it is not our job. The Lord sees all the wrong done in this world, and He will punish those who have wronged others. Our job as Christians is to show grace and love, and to tell them about Christ.

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

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“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

This is a wonderful verse, for it tells us that if we call on the name of the Lord, we will be saved. On one occasion when this verse was being discussed, one Christian commented that it was important to call on the Lord in the right way. But then another believer answered and said, “If your son was drowning in a lake or a pool, and he called out to you for help, I am sure that you wouldn’t pay much attention to the kind of language he used. It you saw that he was drowning, you would immediately go out and help him, however he called out to you.

It is the same with God. Yes, it is good to address God in the right way, but if we recognize who He is, and call upon Him, He will hear us and save us.

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

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“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35).

Here we have another question with the same answer as yesterday’s question. Yesterday we saw that if God was for us, no one could be against us. Today we see that no one can separate us from the love of Christ. The Lord may allow many difficulties in our lives, in order to test and strengthen our faith. But His love never changes. His ways with us may change, for we have many things to learn. But His love is always the same.

It is sad when we sometimes hear a husband say to his wife, or a wife say to her husband, “I don’t love you anymore!” This can happen, but the Lord will never say this to us. Even as Christians, sometimes we behave very badly, and the Lord has to speak to us by allowing difficulties in our lives. But let us always remember that if we repent and confess our sins, we will find that His love is still the same. What a wonderful comfort this is!

Monday, August 11, 2025

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“If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

I have heard people comment on this verse, saying that “it is good to have God on our side.” However, I would suggest that this is not the right way to look at this verse. Rather, we should make sure that we are on God’s side. Sometimes we make our own plans, and then ask the Lord to help us carry out those plans. However, the Lord cannot help us in our plans, if those plans are not according to His will.

Rather, we should first of all ask the Lord to show us His will. Then we can go ahead with confidence, for in the pathway of His will, all His power is with us. Can anyone oppose the Lord? No, for the Lord is able to help us overcome any difficulty in our lives, when we are in the pathway of His will. No one can be against us if we are walking with the Lord. Satan may cause difficulties for us, but he cannot win against the Lord.

Sunday, August 10, 2025

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“For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me” (Romans 15:3).

When the Lord Jesus came into this world, He did not come to please Himself. In fact, if you read through the four gospels, you will never find one occasion where the Lord Jesus did something for His own pleasure. He was the only one who had the right to do as He pleased, for He created this world, but He always did the will of His Father. All His acts were for the glory of God and the blessing of others.

More than this, when people in this world reproached (or rejected and spoke against) God, it was the Lord Jesus who bore that reproach, for He showed people exactly what God was like. This world did not want God, and they did not want the Lord Jesus.

However, all this reproach and rejection did not stop the Lord Jesus from going to the cross, and dying for us. All this shows how much He loved us!

Saturday, August 9, 2025

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“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

This is an absolute statement; there are no qualifications with it. God says “all things,” and does not make any exceptions to this statement. Sometimes some very sad things happen in our lives, even as Christians, and we may find it very hard to think that they are working for our good. But the Lord says so. How can something tragic or sad work for our good? It is because God teaches us important lessons through the difficulties and problems in our lives, and perhaps we learn things through troubles that we could not have learned any other way. Earlier in this same chapter, the Apostle Paul says that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). So let us remember that everything that happens in our lives is allowed of the Lord, even if someone else causes the trouble. The Lord is going to use it to “work together for good.”

Friday, August 8, 2025

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“And being in the house He [the Lord Jesus] asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest” (Mark 9:33-34).

In our verse today we see the real problem with the disciples. Instead of wanting to see God glorified, they were concerned about themselves, as to who should be the greatest. If they had been in God’s presence by prayer and fasting, they would have realized how wrong this attitude was, and they would have confessed it as sin. But when they wanted the glory for themselves, the Lord Jesus would not give them power over demons.

Sadly, this same attitude is sometimes a problem among Christians today. We want to be important before others, instead of realizing that we are called to be like the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus had to remind those disciples that the one who wanted to be first should be the servant of all. That is what the Lord Jesus did when He was in this world; He was the Servant of all. We should always be thinking of God’s glory, not our own.

Thursday, August 7, 2025

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“And when He [the Lord Jesus] was come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:28-29).

While Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John were up on the mount of transfiguration, the man with the son who took fits had evidently come to the other disciples, asking them to cast out the demon. But the disciples were not able to cast him out. Previously (Mark 6:7,13), the Lord had given his disciples power over demons, so that they should have been able to cast this demon out. But when they asked the Lord Jesus why they could not do it, He simply said that there needed to be prayer and fasting. What did He mean?

Perhaps you can think about this a little, and tomorrow we will see why the disciples had no power to cast out the demon.

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

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“And he said…If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:22-23).

In this verse the father of the boy who was having fits caused by a demon was desperate. No one else had been able to help, and finally he comes to the Lord Jesus. However, he did not realize who the Lord Jesus was, and came to him just as a person might go from one doctor to another. But now he was in the presence of the Son of God. It was not a question of whether the Lord Jesus could heal the boy, but rather whether the father would have faith in Him.

But the Lord Jesus was gracious, for the poor father broke down, asking the Lord Jesus to help his unbelief. Then the Lord Jesus cast out the demon, and the boy was well again.

It is sometimes like that in our lives. We do not really have faith in the power of God, and we miss the blessing we otherwise could have had. Perhaps we put our faith in something else, instead of the Lord. For example, medical science can do wonderful things today, and it is not wrong to use that knowledge. But let us not rely on it; let us rely on the Lord instead. He is the Great Physician.

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

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“And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, It is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not [he did not know] what to say; for they were sore afraid” (Mark 9:5-6).

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt uncomfortable, and did not know what to say? Perhaps you felt that you should say something, but because you did not know what to say, you said something rather dumb. I have been in that situation a few times, and have said something that did not make sense.

That is what happened to Peter at the transfiguration. He and the other two disciples were afraid when they saw the Lord’s glory, and Peter said something rather silly. Why would God want them to build tabernacles on the top of a mountain? It would have been better for Peter to have kept quiet, and simply to have looked on all the glory displayed before Him.

However, God used the opportunity to teach the disciples something. Suddenly Moses and Elijah disappeared, and only the Lord Jesus was there. Then the voice of God the Father told them to listen only to His beloved Son. The Lord Jesus deserves to have all the glory and praise, and we do better to listen to Him, rather than wanting to talk too much. It is a good thing to listen to the Lord through His Word, and to learn from Him.

Monday, August 4, 2025

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“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).

This verse is important, for it describes the whole book of Judges. See if you can find another place where this same verse is repeated in Judges. It is true that there was no king in Israel, but Israel did not need a king. God had given them the law through Moses, and raised up judges to rule them, who were faithful men. However, we read in Judges 2:17 that “they would not hearken unto their judges,” and preferred to worship idols. The result was that everyone did what was right in his own eyes. For this reason, Judges is a rather sad book, with many unhappy stories.

It is much the same today in this world, for when people turn away from the Word of God, they end up with no proper moral instruction, and do what they think is right. But then Satan persuades them that wrong things are all right, and soon their consciences do not bother them anymore.

Let us remember that God’s Word is truth, and gives us the truth about everything in this world. Let us not be like those in Judges, who did what was right in their own eyes. Let us do what is right in God’s eyes!

Sunday, August 3, 2025

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“And Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair” (John 12:3).

“Joseph of Arimathaea…besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus…And there came also Nicodemus…and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight” (John 19:38-39).

I have no doubt that the Lord Jesus appreciated what Mary did, and what Joseph and Nicodemus did. Mary gave only one pound of ointment, while Nicodemus, who was probably a wealthy man, brought one hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes. However, Mary anointed the Lord Jesus while He was alive, and it does not seem that she went either to the cross, or to the tomb. No. he knew the Lord Jesus would rise again, and she anointed Him while He was alive. Joseph and Nicodemus expected the Lord to remain in the grave, so they brought a large amount of spices. God saw to it that His Son received a rich man’s burial. But He rose again, so the spices were not really necessary.

Again, Mary, and also Joseph and Nicodemus, did what they could, and all was appreciated and recorded in God’s Word.

Saturday, August 2, 2025

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“And Joshua said unto them [the Gibeonites], Who are ye? And from whence come ye?…and the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord” (Joshua 9:8,14).

If you read the whole story of this incident in Joshua 9, you will see that the Gibeonites played a trick on the children of Israel. They lived in the land of Canaan, but they pretended that they had come from a far country. They wore old clothes, and carried hard and mouldy bread. Their shoes were worn out, and their wine bottles (made of animal skin) were dry and old. Joshua and the other men of Israel should have asked the Lord what to do, but instead, Joshua and the other Israelites believed the Gibeonites, and made a treaty with them, not to harm them.

Then, in a few days, they found out that the Gibeonites lived right there in the land of Canaan. They had been deceived because they did not consult with the Lord. In our lives, we should always ask the Lord’s help before making any decision about what to do. Israel had to suffer for hundreds of years because of this treaty that was made with the Gibeonites, and we may suffer too, in our lives, if we fail to consult the Lord.

Friday, August 1, 2025

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“And she [Rahab] let them [the two spies] down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall…And the men said unto her…Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by” (Joshua 2:15,18).

You are probably familiar with the story of Rahab, a young woman who hid the spies when they came into the city of Jericho to search it out. Rahab was not only an immoral woman, but she also told lies about the two spies, and was a traitor to her city. But she had faith in God, and knew that the Lord had given the Israelites the land of Canaan.

When she let the men down through a window in her house, so that they could escape, she evidently used a rope that was scarlet (a deep red) in color. Perhaps it seems strange to us that her rope was this color, for rope made out of hemp is normally a brown color. However, God allowed that rope to be red, for it is a picture of the blood of Christ.

When the Israelites conquered the city of Jericho, anyone who was in Rahab’s house was safe, because of the scarlet line in the window. In the same way we can be safe from the judgment of God, if we are under the shelter of the blood of Christ.