Thursday, April 30, 2020

Numbers 10:11-11:3; Proverbs 8:1-36; Jude

I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great congregation. Psalm 40:10, NKJV

As you go about your day today look for opportunities to tell others about our Lord Jesus Christ’s righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, and lovingkindness. It may be that you will be an encouragement to other believers or you may sow a seed for an unbeliever to think upon during the rest of their day. —Annette Baal

Praise the name of Jesus, praise the name of Jesus
He’s my Rock, He’s my Fortress, He’s my Deliverer,
In Him will I trust. Praise the name of Jesus. —Roy Hicks Jr.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Numbers 9:1-10:10; Proverbs 6:20-7:27; Mark 16:1-20

For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings Are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of His glory. Isaiah 3:8, NKJV

How might God’s displeasure for a society be displayed today? Much in the same way it was in Isaiah’s day. Isaiah 3:3-7 identifies several signs of a society destitute of God’s blessing: a void of godly leadership, immature leaders taking control, a divided society, discounted values, and an air of despair dominates the nation. Like Israel, these symptoms warn of a society that has turned away from God and is ripe for judgment! May we walk in love and truth and pray for a great revival in our land. —W. A. H.

Wherefore do the nations rage, and the people vainly dream,
That in triumph they can wage war against the Lord supreme? —Paraphrase of Psalm 2

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Numbers 8:1-26; Proverbs 5:1-6:19; Mark 15:24-47

O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97

During a visit to China, Dr. Paul Freed paused at the side of a university student at work in the school library. “Will you please show me a Bible?” asked the then President of Trans World Radio. “What is a Bible?” responded the sincere young man. How sad! Can we, who are privileged to have the Word of God, honestly say with the Psalmist “O, how I love thy law!” Loving it and meditating on it assures spiritual growth and maturity. Neglecting it assures spiritual malnutrition and deformity. —Arnot P. McIntee

Mine to tell of joys to come, and the rebel sinners doom:
O thou holy book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine. —John Burton, Sr.

Monday, April 27, 2020

Numbers 7:1-89; Proverbs 4:1-27; Mark 15:1-23

And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand…for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them; because they put their trust in him. 1 Chronicles 5:20

These valiant men of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh teach us an important lesson. As we face the world, the flesh and the devil, and are engaged in spiritual battles, let us not trust in ourselves to overcome, but in our God. Remembering too, the effectiveness of prayer and the encouragement—that our God hears. —Pete Smith

Jehovah is our strength, and He shall be our song;
We shall o’ercome at length, although our foes be strong.
In vain then Satan doth oppose, for God is stronger than His foes. —Samuel Barnard

Lord’s Day, April 26, 2020

Numbers 6:1-27; Proverbs 3:1-35; Mark 14:53-72

And they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. Ezekiel 16:40

“Our son…is a glutton and a drunkard…the men…shall stone him” (Deut. 21:20). In the Old Testament, we see how God punished His people for sin. Stoning and thrusting through with a sword are mentioned here. In the New Testament, we read of the Lord Jesus, who never sinned, suffering the same things. “They took up stones to cast at him” (John 8:59), “the soldiers with a spear pierced his side” (John 19:34). Oh how He suffered for our sin! —Mary Robins

Surely He has born our sorrows
And with His stripes we are healed. —Lois Irwin

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Numbers 5:1-31; Proverbs 2:1-22; Mark 14:27-52

And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. Exodus 16:14

Manna, a picture of feeding on God’s Word, is rich with His wise counsel. Gathered in the morning after dew had risen upward, leftovers were not helpful. It took work by each individual to collect a pot full. But most importantly, it lay on the ground, gathered only with a humble heart bowed low in worship. —Sam Thorpe, Jr.

Bread of our souls, where-on we feed!
True manna from on high!
Our guide and chart, where-in we read,
Of realms beyond the sky! —Bernard D. Barton

Friday, April 24, 2020

Numbers 4:1-49; Proverbs 1:1-33; Mark 14:1-26

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me…Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Psalm 51:10, 12

The Psalmist’s cry for a clean heart and a right spirit infers his recognition of the absence of these in his life. What had robbed him of this? He acknowledges that sin had (v. 3). We cannot experience the freedom of a cleansed heart and right spirit while harbouring sin in our lives. But our fellowship and joy can once again be restored upon confession (1 John 1:9). Why delay? —E. V.

See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free. —J. Edwin Orr

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Numbers 3:1-51; Psalms 148:1-150:6; Mark 13:1-37

How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Genesis 39:9

We live in an age of celebrity, an era of personality, where character is sacrificed and considered valueless. Joseph, in the Old Testament, knew that integrity was important to God and when Potiphar’s wife tried to entice him he lost his coat but kept his character. He refused to compromise his principles, even under the greatest pressure, and is held up as a great testimony of faithfulness to God. He risked his status, his occupation, his freedom and even his life to maintain righteous living before God. Are we prepared to do the same? —Paul Young

Preserve the power of faith alive, in those who love Thy name;
For sin and Satan daily strive to quench the sacred flame. —J. Newton

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Numbers 2:34; Psalms 146:1-147:20; Mark 12:18-44

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Acts 26:28

This quote from Agrippa ranks as one of the saddest verses of Scripture. Certainly the one who said it has regretted it a thousand times over. He was one for whom Christ died. Salvation was within his reach. He had to decide. Paul could not decide for him. Paul had done his job. The Holy Spirit had done His convicting work (John 16:8). Agrippa resisted both. How about you? Will you choose salvation? —Ken Gross

“Almost persuaded” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive;
Seems now some soul to say, “Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day, on Thee I’ll call.” —Philip P. Bliss

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Numbers 1:1-54; Psalms 144:1-145:21; Mark 11:27-12:17

Blessed are you among women…why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:42-43, NKJV

Elizabeth had a beautiful spirit! The astounding news that, finally, she would be a mother, was suddenly upstaged by even bigger news. She harboured no resentment that her younger cousin would bring the Messiah into the world. No jealousy hampered her ability to rejoice over Mary’s news. No bitterness. In humility, she wonders why Mary would even bother to knock on her door. When Christ is the ultimate object of our desire, a beautiful spirit will radiate from our lives too. —Peter Ramsay

Join all the glorious names, of wisdom, love and power,
That mortals ever knew, that angels ever bore:
All are to poor to speak His worth, too poor to set my Saviour forth. —Isaac Watts