Saturday, June 20, 2020

Joshua 1:1-18; Hosea 8:1-9:17; Luke 19:29-48

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them…to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thessalonians 4:15

The cemetery in Sutton Hoo has a sign at its boundary which says “No Exit From Burial Site.” A newspaper journalist wrote “We never thought there was.” The Bible disagrees and explains that one day the bodies of those committed to the ground will be raised. The great hope of the Christian is that just as Christ was raised from the dead so too will those who have died in Christ. Then, Paul says, we who are alive and remain will join them and together we will meet with the Lord. What a glorious prospect. —Brian Powlesland

Jesus is coming! The dead shall arise,
Loved ones shall meet in a joyful surprise,
Caught up together with Him in the skies. —Daniel Whittle

Friday, June 19, 2020

Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Hosea 6:4-7:16; Luke 19:1-28

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2

Our thoughts are an indication of what holds the most value in our lives. By intentionally placing our thoughts and attention on the Lord daily, He will become our treasure. The world is full of distractions; cling to Him, hold fast and look up! —Danielle Robins

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above. —Robert Robinson

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Hosea 4:1-6:3; Luke 18:15-43

Ye have said, it is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? Malachi 3:14

The last book of the Old Testament mirrors our present day with alarming accuracy. Surrounded by a fallen race of those who only seek self-gratification, many of us have fallen prey to the current atmosphere of selfishness. Instead of heading to our local Church meetings with the idea of what we can get out of it, why not ask ourselves what we can bring to them? Our Saviour gave His all for us; shall we not do likewise? —Rick Morse

Give me a faithful heart—likeness to Thee,
That each departing day, henceforth may see, some work of love begun, Some deed of kindness done—something for Thee. —S. D. Phelps

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Deuteronomy 32:15-52; Hosea 2:1-3:5 ; Luke 17:20-18:14

Look unto me, and be ye saved. Isaiah 45:22

This is a delightful, simple text. Even a young child can understand it. It was through this verse that the preacher C. H. Spurgeon was saved at 15. Because of a snowstorm he turned into a little chapel where there were only a handful of people. The preacher couldn’t make it, so a man stood in the pulpit and read this verse. “Look unto me”, he declared urging the few souls to look to Jesus. Seeing Spurgeon in the balcony he pointed his finger, “Young man you look very miserable and you always will be miserable.” Then he said, “Young man, look to Jesus Christ.” Right there and then Spurgeon trusted Christ. Have you? —Jim Comte

There is life for a look at the crucified One,
There is life at this moment for thee. —Amelia Hull

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Deuteronomy 31:14-32:14; Hosea 1:1-11; Luke 17:1-19

Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls. Proverbs 25:28, NKJV

When Jericho’s walls came down, the residents were instantly vulnerable. In the same way, lack of self-discipline leaves me vulnerable and easy prey to the darkest assaults of my enemies. The walls of self-discipline are strengthened and reinforced when, in humility of spirit, the Word of God is my steady diet and communion with Christ is my daily routine. Practice transparency and self-judgment alone with God. —Peter Ramsay

Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me O Saviour, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free. —Charles Wesley

Monday, June 15, 2020

Deuteronomy 30:1-31:13; Amos 9:1-15; Luke 16:1-31

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Psalm 25:2-3

Those who trust in the Lord cannot imagine life without Him. He is always there to talk to them, to show them things they need to know. Even in pain, His grace is sufficient for them. When the future looks bleak, they can depend on Him to give peace and to calm them. What a wonderful God of comfort He is! —G. Frear

To You O Lord, I lift up my soul, You are the One who makes me whole,
I trust in You, I will not blame, I’m led by You, and have no shame. —G. F.

Lord’s Day, June 14, 2020

Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Amos 7:1-8:14; Luke 15:11-32

When I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. Lam. 3:8
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. Psalm 22:2

Jeremiah prayed from the depths of his sorrow because God’s people had turned away from Him and even the most earnest of prayers on their behalf would not reverse God’s intent to judge them. But as we turn to Calvary, we hear the Lord Jesus cry a somewhat similar prayer, but in this case, the reason the Heavens were silent was because He was bearing our sins in His body on the tree. God’s righteous judgment, reserved for us, was exhausted upon the sinless Saviour instead. —W. H. Burnett

Because the sinless Saviour died, my guilty soul is counted free.
For God the just, is satisfied, to look on Him and pardon me.—Bancrof

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Deuteronomy 28:38-68; Amos 5:1-6:14; Luke 14:25-15:10

And David said…Gird ye on every man his sword…and David also girded on his sword. 1 Samuel 25:13

David urged his men to prepare for battle by taking up their swords. We too have a battle to fight, but the battle of the Christian warrior is not with the swords of men, but with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). We recognize that it would have been suicidal for David to go into battle without a sword. Yet when it comes to our life, does our Bible remain for the most part on our desk or shelf? It needs to be in our hearts and in our hands. Do we carry it and use it daily? —Sam Thorpe, Jr.

This age of sin is almost o’ver, its horrors soon will cease,
The Son of God will soon appear, to reign in perfect peace. —M. T. Shelford

Friday, June 12, 2020

Deuteronomy 28:1-37; Amos 3:1-4:13; Luke 14:1-24

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalm 119:160

Just as God is from everlasting to everlasting, His Word also abides forever, true and unchanging. God’s truth existed before time began and will endure after time ends. Even more sobering is the fact that it will be the standard by which we are judged. You have everlasting life in Christ; spend much time getting to know the everlasting Word of life. —D. Pickup

I love the Bible, the Word of God,
It is the Word God has given to man,
Telling who God is, all that He’s done,
How He loved me; how He sent His Son.—P. P. Knapp

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Deuteronomy 26:16-27:26; Amos 1:1-2:16; Luke 13:22-35

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6, NKJV

All planting but no watering leads to a desert. All watering but no planting leads to a flood. All our work without God’s blessing is a waste of time. There is a balance in God’s service: We do our part—whatever God has enabled us for, then God brings the blessing. We are told to be faithful in our calling (see 4:2), and then to let God do the wooing and winning. It is His work, after all, and we are merely workers together with Him. —N. C. Funston

I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord, Over mountain, or plain, or sea. I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord. I’ll be what You want me to be. —Mary Brown