Month: August 2024

2 Samuel 15:1-37; Zephaniah 3:1-20; Galatians 3:1-14

The city of our God. Psalm 48:1
The city of the great King. Psalm 48:2
The city of the Lord of hosts. Psalm 48:8

This threefold description of Jerusalem appears in the third of a triplet of Psalms that look forward to the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus. In that day Jerusalem will no longer be “trodden down of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) but will be the administrative centre of the world. As “the city of our God” it will be graced with His presence and, and as “the city of the great King”, it will be governed by His principles. Although no longer under threat of assault, as “the city of the Lord of hosts” it will nevertheless be guarded by His power. —Phil Coulson

Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God.
He whose word cannot be broken formed you for His own abode. —J. Newton

2 Samuel 14:1-33; Zephaniah 2:1-15; Galatians 2:1-21

Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. John 19:11

The coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II had three objects on its lid. A crown set with over 3,000 precious stones indicative of royal status, a jewel bedecked sceptre representing the power and governance of a monarch and a golden orb—a reminder that all power is derived from God. The Queen was always conscious of her accountability to
God. How unlike Pontius Pilate, who was rebuked concerning his presumptious attitude, as the Lord cautioned him that his power was given to him from above. Christians in positions of power, should act knowing that power is God-given. —Brian Powlesland

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.  —Francis Ridley Havergal

2 Samuel 13:1-39; Zephaniah 1:1-18; Galatians 1:1-24

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.  Psalm 147:3

Kintsukuroi is the Japanese art form of pottery repair. When a vase or cup breaks, rather than discard the object, the artist glues the parts back together using a special lacquer that is mixed with gold. After the painstaking, time-consuming job is completed, the restored work is more beautiful and often more valuable than the original. Dear
friend, does it feel as though you have broken pieces in your life? Give them to the Lord and allow Him to work. You will be amazed at how He brings beauty from the broken. —Lynn Shatford

I can take, even your greatest mistake,
Every scar, every tear, every break,
And I can turn it into something,
More beautiful than you have ever seen. —Matthew West

2 Samuel 12:1-31; Habakkuk 3:1-19; Romans 16:1-27

And all the people saw him walking and praising God…and they were filled with wonder…at that which had happened unto him. Acts 3:9-10

After being miraculously healed from a lifetime of being lame, this man immediately responded by walking, leaping, and praising God! This amazing transformation was witnessed by all who saw him, causing them to marvel at the miracle which had occurred in his life. We too have received a marvelous transformation from death to life in Christ Jesus. Does it show? May our lives overflow with praise and thanksgiving, so all may see and marvel at God’s work in our lives. —E. V.

Praise the Saviour, ye who know Him!
Who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him, all we are and have. —Thomas Kelly

2 Samuel 10:1-11:27; Habakkuk 2:1-20; Romans 15:14-33

[The spies said], all the people that we saw in [Canaan] are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants. Numbers 13:32-33
Joshua…spake unto…the children of Israel…If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey…The Lord is with us: fear them not. Numbers 14:6-9 

When faced with “giants”, the Israelites trembled. Short memories of God’s provisions, miracles and blessings left them panicked. Where was their memory of the Red Sea, water from the rock and manna from heaven? For us, what about our wonderful salvation and all the many blessings our Lord has showered upon us through the years? Trust your “giants” to Him. —Ken Gross

Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There, by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. —F. Crosby

2 Samuel 8:1-9:13; Habakkuk 1:1-17; Romans 14:19-15:13

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children. Psalm 78:6

This psalm shows the importance of teaching our children of what God has done in the past and to assure them that He will continue to be faithful in the future, no matter how dark the days may look. It may sometimes seem that God is not at work. But suddenly He reveals Himself and rises up in power. He will see us through. —Gwenyth Frear

We will tell our children now,
Of all that God has done and how,
He led our fathers all the way;
We’ll teach them of these things each day,
So that in turn they’ll teach their own,
The truths that in their hearts we’ve sown. —G.F.

2 Samuel 7:1-29; Nahum 2:1-3:19; Romans 14:1-18

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? Psalm 116:12
There they made him a supper. John 12:2

The supper that the family at Bethany provided for the Lord was a loving response to the amazing blessing He had bestowed upon them in raising Lazarus from the dead. They could never render to Him anything of equal value to what He had done for them, but they did what they could, out of genuine appreciation. As those who benefit eternally from His great work for us at Calvary, may we have an increasing desire to render to Him from our hearts, a
loving response in worship and service. —Philip A. Kaye

I gave My life for thee, that thou might ransomed be;
I gave My life for thee; what hast thou given for Me?  —Frances R. Havergal

2 Samuel 6:1-23; Nahum 1:1-15; Romans 13:1-14

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. Psalm 106:13, 15

John Perowne says of this Psalm, “They were not content to exercise a patient dependence upon God, leaving it to Him to fulfill His own purposes in His own way but would rather rule Him than submit themselves to His rule”. He gave them their request but He sent leanness to their soul. Often the hardest part of living for the Lord is when we need to wait on Him. Beware of dire consequences when we do not wait on the Lord’s timing to answer our prayers. A premature answer is not God’s best for us. We must learn to wait. —K.J.W.

My soul, be silent, wait upon the Lord!
Till God may freely, fully flow thru thee. —W. Lee

2 Samuel 4:1-5:25; Micah 7:1-20; Romans 12:1-21

I thank God, whom I serve. 2 Timothy 1:3 NKJV

To serve God, Paul suffered whippings, beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, perilous journeys, weariness, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness, frequent imprisonments, and threats of death (2 Cor. 11:24-27). He had faced persecution, but Roman laws had protected him (Acts 16:38-39; 21:39-40; 22:25-29). Now being a Christian was a crime and some preached Christ insincerely “to add affliction to my chains” (Phil. 1:16). Now, again imprisoned in
Rome, “all those in Asia have turned away from me” (2 Tim. 1:15). Soon his life would be “poured out as a drink offering” (2 Tim. 4:6).

Nonetheless, he was thankful to be serving his God. Thankfulness
depends on what you value most. —David W. Oliver

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside;
So enchained my spirit’s vision, Looking at the Crucified. —M. James

2 Samuel 3:1-39; Micah 6:1-16; Romans 11:13-36

Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us. Daniel 3:17

My favourite Bible story is about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I love how these men refused to follow the crowd. They stood alone when all the rest bowed down. King Nebuchadnezzar was furious because his supremacy was challenged, so he ordered that they be cast into a furnace. But that fire had no power over the servants of God.
When the king looked inside, he saw four men! He said to his officials, “The fourth is like the Son of God” (v. 25). He then acknowledged the supremacy of their God. The pressure on Christians to conform to the world around us is continual. There is much we can learn from these three faithful believers. —Pam Hagey

Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard.
Not I, but Christ in every thought and word.
—Albert B. Simpson & Ada A. Whiddington