Month: October 2024

2 Kings 24:1-20; Lamentations 4:1-5:22; 2 Timothy 1:1-18

May He remember all your offerings, and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah. Psalm 20:3 NKJV

The Lord rejected King Saul because of his serial disobedience, which was little more than witchcraft in a sanctified garb (1 Sam. 15:22-23). Elsewhere we read: “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats” (Isa. 1:11). How different it is for believers who come to the Almighty through the Son of God’s sacrifice. They are unquestionably received into His holy presence (Heb. 10:19-22).  —Keith R. Keyser

Sweet to reflect how grace divine, my sins on Jesus laid;
Sweet to remember, that His blood my debt of sufferings paid.  —Augustus Toplady

2 Kings 23:1-37; Lamentations 3; 1 Timothy 6:1-66

And a certain man found him (Joseph), and, behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? Genesis 37:15

Joseph is a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus in so many ways. However all pictures eventually fall short. Joseph is wandering, he is lost. We praise and thank God that our Lord never wandered. Every step that He took had a sense of purpose and direction. Every footfall took Him to Calvary, without deviation or retracing a step. Such was His love for us. —John M Clegg

O Jesus, Lord, how can it be,
That Thou shouldst give Thy life for me,
To bear the cross and agony,
In that dread hour on Calvary?  —W. M. Darwood

2 Kings 21:19-22:20; Lamentations 2:1-20; 1 Timothy 5:1-25

Obey My voice, and…walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed…the [imagination] of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. Jeremiah 7:23-24 NKJV

Is it well with you today? Or are you heading in the wrong direction because of your disobedience to His Word? If you have backslidden and have been turned aside from the things of God by the attractions of this world, you are going backwards! Friend, stop and consider the one who went all the way to Calvary for you. Never turning aside, His direction was always towards the cross— such was His love. Why not change direction today? —Pete Smith

Gladly I yield obedience now; in all things to Thy will I’d bow.
I’ll follow where my Savior led, and humbly in His footsteps tread.  —Unknown

2 Kings 20:1-21:18; Lamentations 1:1-22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16

I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. Genesis 35:3

Not only could Jacob testify that God answered his prayers, but that He continued to be with him throughout his journey. Isn’t this the reality for every believer in Christ? Not only has God saved us from the distress of sin, but He continues to rescue and provide for us and care for us along life’s way. What great consolation to know that the God who delivers us, is the God who continuously looks out for us as well. Let’s trust Him today for all that we need!
—Deborah Manera

We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus,
but because He holds tightly to us. —R. C. Sproul

2 Kings 19:1-37; Jeremiah 52:1-34; 1 Timothy 3:1-16

So I prayed to the God of heaven. Nehemiah 2:4

Nehemiah was an inspiring leader. His prayers attested His confidence in God. God’s interests were His goals (1:8-9). He left his honoured position to honour God (2:5). Knowing the adversaries, He foresaw the needs and His plans met those needs (4:16, 21). He valued unity and exemplified the self-sacrifice he required of others (4:15, 23). He was considerate of his workers (4:22). He was willing to die to finish his work (6:11). He advanced others (Ezra) to bless God’s people (chapter 8). When his people sinned, he interceded for them (chapter 9). In short, he was like the Lord Jesus. May God help us to have the same qualities. —David W. Oliver

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. —S. Phelps

2 Kings 18:1-37; Jeremiah 51:25-64; 1 Timothy 2:1-15

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Believers should expect suffering (1 Peter 4:12). Though at times crushing, it has immeasurable value. The Lord allows suffering: to prevent sin (2 Cor. 12:7); to discipline (Heb. 12:5-11); to promote spiritual growth (Rom. 5:3-5); to increase intimacy with Christ (Phil. 3:10); to test our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7); to give assurance (1 Peter 4:14); and to bear testimony (Rom. 9:15-16). Of incalculable worth, suffering, but its benefits still pale in comparison to our future glory. Praise God for His goodness! —George Ferrier

Be still, my soul! The Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide; in every change He faithful will remain.  —Katharina von Schlegel

2 Kings 17:1-14; Jeremiah 51:1-24; 1 Timothy 1:1-20

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 NKJV

The omnipresence of God is a wonderful source of assurance for the believer. It is a constant reminder that our God is not an absentee Lord. Loneliness may cause us, at times to feel uncertain, distressed and fearful. The child, feeling separated from its mother, cries out, “Mom”, and the immediate response is, “I’m here”. An old man, crippled and alone in his cabin, when asked if he was lonely replied, “It’s true I am alone, but I am not lonely”, and picking up his worn-out Bible, said, “I read what God says to me and I tell Him my thoughts and concerns. Then I am not lonely”. His abiding presence is a wonderful comfort. —Jim Comte

Though the sky be dark and drear, fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember He is near, and He will not fail. —Arthur A. Luther

2 Kings 15:32-16:20; Jeremiah 50:21-46; Titus 2:9-3:15

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8 NKJV

One of the characteristics of the rebellion in the early days after creation, was that of being unthankful (Rom. 1:21). Similarly, a sign of the last days is that men will be unthankful (2 Tim. 3:2). We are living in this kind of time. As believers we can seize the opportunity to have a testimony simply by saying, “thank you”, first to the Lord for His goodness and then to those around us to show our appreciation. On a dark night, even a dim light looks bright! May we shine brightly to our darkening world around us. —Rex Trogdon

To save me from bondage and judgment,
Thou gladly hast suffered for me;
A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings,
I bring, blessed Saviour to Thee! —Ernst Homburg

2 Kings 14:23-15:31; Jeremiah 50:1-20; Titus 1:1-2:8

And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. Jeremiah 32:10

The details of this real estate transaction give us a wonderful description of our own redemption. Having purchased us with His blood, the Lord Jesus then sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise. Further, we are now encompassed by a great cloud of witnesses who testify that God’s required price has been paid in full. We’ve been subscribed in the Lamb’s book of life, and nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Rick Morse

No blood, no altar now, the sacrifice is o’er!
No flame, no smoke ascends on high,
The Lamb is slain no more. —Horatius Bonar

2 Kings 13:1-14:22; Jeremiah 49:1-39; Hebrews 13:7-25

Bethany…there they made him a supper. John 12:1-2

We cannot be certain that this occasion was the same as in Mark 14:3-9, but it does seem likely. If so, a delightful picture unfolds. Mark records that the home belonged to “Simon the leper”, and he was sitting alongside Lazarus “which had been dead”. It is unthinkable that Simon was still a leper, so with the Lord was one living who was changed, and one who had been dead but was raised. After this sweet picture of the Church in Heaven, there is a foregleam of Israel’s restoration (John 12:12-15) and the Gentiles blessed (vv. 20-21). And all because “A corn of wheat [would] fall into the ground and die” (v. 24). —Phil Coulson

Ransomed now, accepted, free, safe from judgement, Lord, in Thee,
Praise the Father, through the Son, who so vast a work hath done.  —John Cennick