Month: December 2023

Nehemiah 8:1-18; Zechariah 4:1-14; Revelation 13:1-18

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Phil. 2:10-11

Hendrick Van Loon, in “The Story of Mankind”, wrote, “Seven hundred and fifty-three years after the founding of Rome. Caesar Augustus was busily engaged in ruling the world. Mary, the wife of a carpenter, was tending her little Boy, born in a stable. Before long, palace and stable were to meet in open combat, and the One born in the stable was to emerge victorious.” —Arnot P. McIntee

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.  —Walter Chalmers Smith  

Nehemiah 7:1-73; Zechariah 2:1-3:10; Revelation 12:1-17

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. Luke 22:3

What sad words. Judas was associated closely with the Lord Jesus and seemed like an intimate disciple. He had listened to the Lord and seen His works. But he was not a believer. Sometimes we assume that those that we associate with are one with us in salvation. We need to be faithful preaching the Gospel and then leave the planted seed to bring conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit. We may be surprised by hearing of a confession of faith in Christ by
someone who we thought was already saved. —K. J. W.

Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I’m the sinner, whom Jesus came to save;
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me. —Katherine Hankey

Nehemiah 6:1-19; Zechariah 1:1-21; Revelation 11:1-19

O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:31

Peter discovered on that stormy day that doubt is a powerful faithneutralizer! The enemy will use this tactic in primarily two ways, as illustrated in another storm story in Mark 4. First, he will try to get us to doubt God’s Word. Jesus stated in no uncertain terms before getting into the ship with His disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side” (v. 35). He guaranteed their safekeeping. Yet, the disciples fearfully declared, “We are perishing” (v. 38b). Second, the enemy will attempt to cause us to doubt God’s character. “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (v. 38). So to grow in faith requires growth in our understanding of both God’s Word and God’s character. Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief! — Brian Cretney

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail. —R. K. Carter

Nehemiah 5:1-19; Haggai 2:1-23; Revelation 10:1-11

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her. Ruth 1:22

Do you ever feel that your contribution to the work of God is small and insignificant? I do. Then I think of Ruth. She was a foreigner, poor, and in a strange land. She spent her days hunting for grain that had fallen on the ground after harvest. Not a very glamorous life, nor was she someone that would be thought important. Yet through a divine chain of events, she became a link in the lineage of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What an honour for a lowly gleaner. He has plans for me too. —Debbie Douglas

Jesus bids us shine, with a clear, pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night;
In this world of darkness we must shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine. —Susan Warner

Nehemiah 4:1-23; Haggai 1:1-15; Revelation 9:1-21

Awake, O sword…against the man that is my fellow. Zech. 13:7

“My fellow” could be rendered, “my nearest one”. The equality between the Father and the Son is absolute and mutually delightful. For us to enjoy this relationship, “my nearest one” became “the man”, morally perfect and fully pleasing to the Father in every act, thought, motive, and word. Every one of our sins—first to last, was ever present in God’s mind. Human wickedness and rebellion constantly affronted His holiness. In one event at Calvary, righteous anger against both sin and sins awoke as Christ hung on the cross. All because God loves you and me. Who can comprehend such grace? —David W. Oliver

Jehovah bade His sword awake; O Christ, it woke ‘gainst Thee!
Thy blood the flaming blade must slake; Thy heart its sheath must be.  —A. Cousin

Nehemiah 3:1-32; Daniel 12:1-13; Revelation 8:1-13

Who hath declared this from ancient time?…have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isaiah 45:21-22

There is only one God. He is Lord (Jehovah), the trustworthy, covenant keeping God who delights to reveal Himself. He is God (Elohim), a trinity, holy and unique, separate from His creation. He is a just God (El), the Almighty who exercises His power in perfect righteousness. There is only one Saviour, the Lord Jesus (Jehovah saves) who died to save us. Have you received Him? —George Ferrier

His plea echoes from eternity throughout the earth,
“look to Him and be saved.”—George Ferrier

Nehemiah 1:1-2:20; Daniel 11:21-45; Revelation 7:1-17

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. Psalm 65:4

How wonderful! That we might approach God and find satisfaction as we dwell in His courts. We know we have this privilege only in and through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:2). How remarkable to have full access to the God of heaven at any time of day or night. We can bring our needs to Him and thank Him for the blessings He bestows! —G. Frear

Lord, in Thy presence, silent I would be,
That in the inmost, I to Thee may come;
I would not in my own way pray to Thee,
But let Thy prayer in me, my prayer become. —W. Lee

Ezra 10:1-44; Daniel 11:1-20; Revelation 6:1-17

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46 NKJV

When one comes to know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour it is as if blinders have been removed from their eyes. The light of the glorious Gospel has dawned and they cannot get enough of God’s Word. That gives those who are preachers of God’s Word incentive to keep on preaching and to missionaries to never to give up and to all of us to be faithful witnesses. We never know whom God has arranged to hear His Gospel that day. —Rosemary J. Richardson

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see. —John Newton

Ezra 9:1-15; Daniel 10:1-21; Revelation 5:1-14

And thus shall ye eat it (the Passover lamb); with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Ex. 12:11

Plague after plague swept through the land of Egypt. When this, the last plague, arrived—the death of the firstborn—God instructed His people, as shown in our subject verse, to be ready to leave that very night for their “promised land”. We live in similar times. Catastrophe after catastrophe, plague after plague is sweeping our world, and mankind with all its resources, is completely impotent to deal with them. Under these circumstances, we, like the children of Israel on the Passover night, must be on “high-alert” to leave at a moment’s notice to meet the Lord in the air, and be escorted to our “promised land”, Heaven. —Willie H. Burnett

Midst the darkness, storm and sorrow, one bright gleam I see,
Well I know the blessed morrow, Christ will come for me. —P. Gerhardt

Ezra 8:1-36; Daniel 9:1-27; Revelation 4:1-11

The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. Numbers 6:25

The word “shine” can also be rendered “to enlighten, show favour, or smile with approval”. We are reminded here that His face is ever toward us. We live in His presence. We cannot flee from His gaze. May our lives be so lived that it will bring a “smile of approval” to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Truly a smile of His grace.  —Sam Thorpe

Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth’s dark shadows flee.  —J. S. Pigott