Month: December 2016

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 9-10; Malachi 3:7 to 4:6; Rev. 22:6-21

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes… Rev. 21:4

Someday, on the edge of eternal glory, one last tear will roll down your cheek. You will not forget the moment, for you will never shed another. Forever. On that narrow border between all you have left behind and all that is ahead, that final tear will be a last summation of all your earthly journey’s sorrows, failures and loss. Gazing at the glorious future just ahead you might hasten and quickly wipe it away. But hold. This is a powerful and symbolic moment. And God Himself is drawing near. With tenderest touch, your last tear, He will wipe away. “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:23). —S. McEachern

At the name of Jesus bowing, Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heaven we’ll crown Him, When our journey is complete.
—Lydia O. Baxter

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 7-8; Malachi 2:10 to 3:6; Rev. 21:9 to 22:5

…I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)

It seems we live in a world of deception, whether it’s buying a car or real estate. One needs to observe the caveat “Buyer beware!” When one turns to the Scripture, his feet are on firm ground. The God who cannot lie has promised him eternal life, the hope of heaven. One can face the problems of life with all its uncertainty and know that he is secure. —Donald L. Norbie

I know not why God’s wondrous grace, to me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own.
But “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able,
To keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day”. —Whittle

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 5-6; Malachi 1 to 2:9; Rev. 20:7 to 21:8

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? John 6:67

The Lord Jesus prophesied that in the last days spiritual ardour would cool (Matt. 24:12). Elsewhere He taught that the church would become spiritually lukewarm with a self-satisfied attitude that excludes its head (Rev. 3:16). Since many of His followers in the past deserted Him over the gospel’s flesh-denying demands (John 6:60-66), it is not surprising that many abandon Christ in this apathetic day. Yet no one else can save us like the Lord. Only He can satisfy; all other so-called “gods” are powerless idols that cannot deliver us. Enjoy the Lord today by prayerfully meditating on His Word; He satisfies the thirsty (John 4:14). —K. R. Keyser

Why should my feet grow weary of this my pilgrim way?
Rough though the path and dreary, it ends in perfect day! —S. C. Kuster

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 3-4; Zech. 13:7 to 14:21; Rev. 19:11 to 20:6

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. Ecclesiastes 1:13

The resources that have gone into pointless scientific exploration are mind boggling. We’ve walked on the moon and brought back rocks. We’ve sent unmanned spacecraft throughout our solar system to take pictures. We’re even planning a one-way trip to Mars! Having left God out of the search, man continues to ask questions, yet receives the blackness of space and the darkness of his heart for answers. Willing ignorance carries its own sentence of despair. —Rick Morse

Throughout the universe of bliss, the centre Thou, and Sun;
Th’ eternal theme of praise is this, to heaven’s beloved One.
—Josiah Conder

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 2; Zechariah 12 to 13:6; Revelation 19:1-10

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Psalm 119:2

The testimony of Caleb recorded in Joshua is simply this: “…I wholly followed the Lord my God” (Josh. 14:8). That’s a worthy goal for every believer, whether young or old. Our society is rather half-hearted in most every endeavour. The believer is to live in stark contrast to culturally accepted norms. The psalmist mentions the whole-hearted lifestyle six times in Psalm 119. He reminds us that it is the way to a life of blessing. —Wm. H. Gustafson

True hearted, whole hearted, faithful and loyal,
King of our lives, by Thy grace, we will be.
—Frances Ridley Havergal

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 1; Zechariah 11; Revelation 18

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.Colossians 2:9

The Redeemer who came into the world at Bethlehem is fully God and fully man. Into the darkness of fallen humanity came one who amidst hatred brought love and amidst the corruption of sin brought healing for time and eternity. Man on his own could never have done so. But the incarnate Son of God, through His work at the cross, perfectly fulfilled the Father’s redemptive plan. You and I, frail vessels of clay, are now privileged to be marked and transformed by the Son of God. —Mark Fenn

We see the Godhead-glory shine through that human veil;
And, willing, hear the story of love come here to heal.
—John Nelson Darby

 

DAILY?READINGS: Nehemiah 13; Zechariah 9-10; Revelation 17

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light… Isa. 9:2
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. John 1:4

The nights are long in December. But even on a dark and gloomy night, the twinkling lights of the Christmas season transform the bleakness into cheeriness! Spiritual darkness had spread over the land of Palestine. People longed for light. Isaiah spoke of One who would come—the “light of men”. He prophesied, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isa. 9:6). If during this Christmas time, you are groping in the darkness of your life, come to the One who said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). —Jim Comte

Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, love divine,
Love was born at Christmas; star and angels gave the sign. —Doug Petty

DAILY?READINGS: Nehemiah 12; Zechariah 8; Revelation 16

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary… Luke 1:30
…the angel of the Lord appeared unto him…saying, Joseph…fear not… Matthew 1:20
And the angel said unto them [the shepherds], Fear not… Luke 2:10

Mary, Joseph and the shepherds were chosen to have a special role in our Lord’s birth. We believe that they all were marked by faith and integrity. Yet their pathway was not easy! Mary was “troubled” (Luke 1:29), Joseph was “minded to put her away” (Matt. 1:19) and the shepherds were “sore afraid” (Luke 2:9). How comforting it is to observe the Lord’s “Fear not”, in each case. If you are finding His assignment difficult, listen for His “Fear not”! —George Hall

Fear no evil, fear no evil, Only all My counsel take.
For I’ll never, never leave thee, I will never thee forsake.
—Author Unknown

DAILY?READINGS: Nehemiah 10-11; Zechariah 7; Revelation 15

…Speak; for thy servant heareth. 1 Samuel 3:10

Perhaps the first discipline a child must learn is to listen. The Latin word for to listen is audire. The phrase ob audire, means to listen intently. From this phrase we get our word obedience. So to obey is rooted in listening intently. Conversely the Latin word for deafness is surdus. To be totally deaf is ab surdus. So life is absurd, even irrational, if we are not listening intently—to the point of obeying the One who is the truth. —M. M.

Speak Lord in the stillness while I wait on Thee,
Hushed my heart to listen in expectancy.
For the words Thou speakest, they are life indeed;
Living bread from heaven, now my spirit feed!
—E. M. Grimes

DAILY?READINGS: Nehemiah 9; Zechariah 5-6; Revelation 14

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. Ecclesiastes 7:10

There are many reasons for not living in the past. It can sap your spiritual energy and desire and result in you giving up and concluding it is not worth going on. “It will never be as good as it was before!” A young believer, especially, wants to hear that, despite the moral and spiritual decline round about us, the Lord is still able to use us. Look up and forward—not back and down. —Brian Russell

Ye that are men now serve Him,
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose. —George Duffield