Month: June 2025

Joshua 13:1-33; Isaiah 9:8-10:4; Luke 24:36-53

He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.  Psalm 147:4 NKJV

On our farm, I have around 25 cows, each of which has a name.  Sometimes I need to think about what a cow’s name is, or I may check her tag number to confirm her identity. With God, it is very different. There are billions of stars and yet God knows each by name. What confidence this should give us. If He gave His Son to die for us, He will never forget one of us. He says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). —Janet Fleming

Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky,
And You know them by name; You are amazing, God
All powerful, untameable; awestruck, we fall to our knees
As we humbly proclaim, You are amazing, God! —C. Tomlin

Joshua 11:1-12:24; Isaiah 8:5-9:7; Luke 24:13-35

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Luke 24:30 NKJV

Christ revealed Himself to these disciples by breaking bread with them. When He was on earth, He frequently ate with different classes, even notorious sinners and prostitutes. In doing so, He did not demean Himself or defile His holiness. Instead, He saved them and elevated them to a personal relationship with the triune Godhead. Fellowship with the risen Lord is the essence of eternal life, and will be the chief feature of believers’ future glorious existence in the coming ages. —Keith Keyser

Here together we recall Thee,
In Thy presence break the bread;
Never more can grief befall Thee,
Thou art risen from the dead. —T. H. Reynolds

Joshua 10:1-43; Isaiah 7:1-8:4; Luke 23:47-24:12

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Psalm 17:15

With all the chaos in the world today, while many are distressed, we, as believers, can be greatly encouraged. If we spend time meditating upon His soon return (2 Tim. 4:8), our hearts will be thrilled knowing that any day now He will come for us. On that soon coming day we shall be delightfully satisfied with the Lord. Satisfied too, that our service for Him was more than worthwhile, for we shall awake in His likeness, and be forever with Him.  —David Croudace

Face to face; oh, blissful moment!
Face to face; to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loved me so. —Carrie Ellis Breck

Joshua 9;:1-27 Isaiah 6:1-13; Luke 23:13-46

Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Both teaching and training are necessary in child-rearing. But there is a difference between the two. Teaching instructs a child to know what is expected of him. Teaching has to do with the mind. Training deals with the will. In this area, it is not so much what we say, but more significantly what our actions are and what we do. As parents, how are you training up your child? —Robert Gentile

I’ve a soul to be saved,
May this truth be engraved,
On my mind and my heart,
While I’m young.  —Unknown

Joshua 8:1-35; Isaiah 5:1-30; Luke 22:54-23:12

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28

Seeing her child in imminent danger, a mother jumped up and ran to her. Taking her little one by the hand she led her safely away. Behind this mother’s grip was a motivating love for her child. Similarly, believers are kept spiritually secure by the Lord. Behind His omnipotent grasp is a loving desire for us. It motivated Him to pluck us as a brand from the impending fires of hell and His continuing hold will someday lead us into His presence. My Deliverer! —George Ferrier

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

Ruth 1:1-22; Isaiah 41:1-29; 2 Corinthians 1:1-24

She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the Lord, she has not drawn near to her God. Zephaniah 3:2 NKJV

In the generation before the Babylonian captivity, obstinate Jerusalem refused the Almighty’s discipline, preferring vain idols to His saving power. That He wanted them to draw near was incomparable grace. Only unbelief explains their neglect of this privilege. Contemporary believers are similarly invited to come to Him for wisdom, rest, and comfort. Individually and corporately we may do this through Bible reading and prayer. His command to remember Him through the Lord’s supper is a weekly opportunity to draw near to our Maker and Redeemer. —Keith Keyser

And since Thy great compassion, thus brings Thy children near Thee,
May we to praise, devote our days, and keep forever near Thee.—H. Ware

Joshua 7:1-26; Isaiah 3:1-4:6; Luke 22:31-53

And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Jude 1:22-23

When the Lord Jesus saw the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd, Scripture repeatedly records that He was moved with compassion (Matt. 9:36, 14:14). As we witness the directionless ranks of humanity around us, we are often moved with either despair or anger. That needs to change! We can hate their sinstained garments, yet we must have our Lord’s compassionate heart upon those who are wearing them. May we pray today for Him to change our hearts toward the lost. —Rick Morse

Help me the slow of heart to move by some clear, winning word of love;
Teach me the wayward feet to stay, and guide them in the homeward way.  —Washington Gladden

Joshua 5:13-6:27; Isaiah 2:1-22; Luke 22:1-30

And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. Mark 1:19

The Lord wanted those who not only could fish, but could mend the nets too. Mending is an interesting word study. In 1 Cor. 1:10, it is translated “perfectly joined together.” So many things in the Corinthian church needed to be mended. There were cracks in their ministry, motives, and morals. Perhaps our local church needs some mending. How can we help facilitate that work? The word is also translated “restore” in Gal. 6:1. What a wonderful ministry. Who comes to mind just now that needs your personal “mending” ministry? May we seek them out and help mend them today. —L. Cain

Let us for each other care, each the other’s burden bear;
To Thy church the pattern give, show how true believers live.—C. Wesley

Joshua 4:1-5:12; Isaiah 1:1-31; Luke 21:5-38

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

What a comfort these words are! Our heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth, wants to help us. He doesn’t want us to struggle through life. Our enemy, on the other hand, wants us to believe that we can do all things without God’s help. But that isn’t true. It is important to cling to the truth of God’s Word and stay close to Him every day. That is my prayer for each one of us. Satan will try to use anyone or anything to draw us away from the Lord. May we resist him knowing that he will flee from us (James 4:7). —Pam Hagey

Lord Jesus, Friend unfailing, how dear Thou art to me;
Are cares or fears assailing, I find my strength in Thee.  —S. C. G. Küster

Joshua 3:1-17; Hosea 11:12-14:9; Luke 20:20-21:4

If he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. Philemon 1:18 NKJV

How reminiscent Philemon’s story is of what the Lord has done for us! Had we wronged Him? Yes! “He is despised and rejected of men” (Isa. 53:3). Did we owe Him anything? Yes! Like the unjust servant in Matthew 18:25, we owed a debt we could not pay. How has He put our debt on His account? By bearing our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). How thankful we should be that even though we had wronged Him, and owed more than we could pay, our account is wiped clean! —E. V.

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.  —Elvina M. R. Hall