"And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them." Today's Devotional Reading John 17:22Behold the superlative liberality of the Lord Jesus, for he hath given us his all. Although a tithe of his possessions would have made a universe of angels rich beyond all thought, yet was he not content until he had given us all that he had. It would have been surprising grace i...
Keep Reading"Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Today's Devotional Reading 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," is the whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They "sleep in Jesus," but their souls are before the throne of God, praising him day and night in his temple, singing ...
Keep Reading"Looking unto Jesus." Today's Devotional Reading Hebrews 12:2 It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never b...
Keep Reading"Only ye shall not go very far away." Today's Devotional Reading Exodus 8:28 This is a crafty word from the lip of the arch-tyrant Pharaoh. If the poor bondaged Israelites must needs go out of Egypt, then he bargains with them that it shall not be very far away; not too far for them to escape the terror of his arms, and the observation of his spies. After the same fashio...
Keep Reading"Art thou become like unto us?" Today's Devotional Reading Isaiah 14:10 What must be the apostate professor's doom when his naked soul appears before God? How will he bear that voice, "Depart, ye cursed; thou hast rejected me, and I reject thee; thou hast played the harlot, and departed from me: I also have banished thee for ever from my presence, and will not have mercy...
Keep Reading"Get thee up into the high mountain." Today's Devotional Reading Isaiah 40:9 Our knowledge of Christ is somewhat like climbing one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at the base you see but little: the mountain itself appears to be but one-half as high as it really is. Confined in a little valley, you discover scarcely anything but the rippling brooks as they descend i...
Keep Reading"A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." Today's Devotional Reading Luke 11:27-28 It is fondly imagined by some that it must have involved very special privileges to have been the moth...
Keep Reading"Ephraim is a cake not turned." Today's Devotional Reading Hosea 7:8 A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial obedience, there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee, see whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough in the things of God? Has grace gone through th...
Keep Reading"He shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory." Today's Devotional Reading Zechariah 6:13 Christ himself is the builder of his spiritual temple, and he has built it on the mountains of his unchangeable affection, his omnipotent grace, and his infallible truthfulness. But as it was in Solomon's temple, so in this; the materials need making ready. The...
Keep Reading"Thou art fairer than the children of men." Today's Devotional Reading Psalm 45:2 The entire person of Jesus is but as one gem, and his life is all along but one impression of the seal. He is altogether complete; not only in his several parts, but as a gracious all-glorious whole. His character is not a mass of fair colours mixed confusedly, nor a heap of precious stones...
Keep Reading"For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." Today's Devotional Reading Amos 9:9 Every sifting comes by divine command and permission. Satan must ask leave before he can lay a finger upon Job. Nay, more, in some sense our siftings are directly the w...
Keep Reading"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Today's Devotional Reading Acts 2:4 Rich were the blessings of this day if all of us were filled with the Holy Ghost. The consequences of this sacred filling of the soul it would be impossible to overestimate. Life, comfort, light, purity, power, peace; and many other precious blessings are inseparable from the Spirit's ben...
Keep Reading"Thy Redeemer." Today's Devotional Reading Isaiah 54:5 Jesus, the Redeemer, is altogether ours and ours for ever. All the offices of Christ are held on our behalf. He is king for us, priest for us, and prophet for us. Whenever we read a new title of the Redeemer, let us appropriate him as ours under that name as much as under any other. The shepherd's staff, the father's...
Keep Reading"Help, Lord." Today's Devotional Reading Psalm 12:1 The prayer itself is remarkable, for it is short, but seasonable, sententious, and suggestive. David mourned the fewness of faithful men, and therefore lifted up his heart in supplication - when the creature failed, he flew to the Creator. He evidently felt his own weakness, or he would not have cried for help; but at t...
Keep Reading"And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." Today's Devotional Reading Genesis 21:6 It was far above the power of nature, and even contrary to its laws, that the aged Sarah should be honoured with a son; and even so it is beyond all ordinary rules that I, a poor, helpless, undone sinner, should find grace to bear about in my so...
Keep Reading"Delight thyself also in the Lord." Today's Devotional Reading Psalm 37:4 The teaching of these words must seem very surprising to those who are strangers to vital godliness, but to the sincere believer it is only the inculcation of a recognized truth. The life of the believer is here described as a delight in God, and we are thus certified of the great fact that true re...
Keep Reading"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Today's Devotional Reading Revelation 22:17 Jesus says, "take freely." He wants no payment or preparation. He seeks no recommendation from our virtuous emotions. If you have no good feelings, if you be but willing, you are invited; therefore come! You have no belief and no repentance, - come to him, and he will giv...
Keep Reading"Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting." Today's Devotional Reading Daniel 5:27 It is well frequently to weigh ourselves in the scale of God's Word. You will find it a holy exercise to read some psalm of David, and, as you meditate upon each verse, to ask yourself, "Can I say this? Have I felt as David felt? Has my heart ever been broken on account of si...
Keep Reading"We love him because he first loved us." Today's Devotional Reading 1 John 4:19 There is no light in the planet but that which proceedeth from the sun; and there is no true love to Jesus in the heart but that which cometh from the Lord Jesus himself. From this overflowing fountain of the infinite love of God, all our love to God must spring. This must ever be a great and...
Keep Reading"We live unto the Lord." Today's Devotional Reading Romans 14:8 If God had willed it, each of us might have entered heaven at the moment of conversion. It was not absolutely necessary for our preparation for immortality that we should tarry here. It is possible for a man to be taken to heaven, and to be found meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in ligh...
Keep Reading"The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." Today's Devotional Reading Psalm 126:3 Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep a...
Keep Reading"There fell down many slain, because the war was of God." Today's Devotional Reading 1 Chronicles 5:22 Warrior, fighting under the banner of the Lord Jesus, observe this verse with holy joy, for as it was in the days of old so is it now, if the war be of God the victory is sure. The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh could barely muster five ...
Keep Reading"Ye that love the Lord hate evil." Today's Devotional Reading Psalm 97:10 Thou hast good reason to "hate evil," for only consider what harm it has already wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy heart! Sin blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty of the Saviour; it made thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer's tender ...
Keep Reading"Behold, I am vile." Today's Devotional Reading Job 40:4 One cheering word, poor lost sinner, for thee! You think you must not come to God because you are vile. Now, there is not a saint living on earth but has been made to feel that he is vile. If Job, and Isaiah, and Paul were all obliged to say "I am vile," oh, poor sinner, wilt thou be ashamed to join in the same con...
Keep Reading"The Lord shut him in." Today's Devotional Reading Genesis 7:16 Noah was shut in away from all the world by the hand of divine love. The door of electing purpose interposes between us and the world which lieth in the wicked one. We are not of the world even as our Lord Jesus was not of the world. Into the sin, the gaiety, the pursuits of the multitude we cannot enter; we...
Keep Reading"The kindness and love of God our Saviour." Today's Devotional Reading Titus 3:4 How sweet it is to behold the Saviour communing with his own beloved people! There can be nothing more delightful than, by the Divine Spirit, to be led into this fertile field of delight. Let the mind for an instant consider the history of the Redeemer's love, and a thousand enchanting acts ...
Keep Reading"These were potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work." Today's Devotional Reading 1 Chronicles 4:23 Potters were the very highest grade of workers, but "the king" needed potters, and therefore they were in royal service, although the material upon which they worked was nothing but clay. We, too, may be engaged in...
Keep Reading"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." Today's Devotional Reading Galatians 5:17 If the young man in the gospel used this title in speaking to our Lord, how much more fitly may I thus address him! He is indeed my Master in both senses, a ruling Master and a teaching Master. I delight to run upon his errands, and to sit at his feet. ...
Keep Reading"The evening and the morning were the first day." Today's Devotional Reading Genesis 1:5 Was it so even in the beginning? Did light and darkness divide the realm of time in the first day? Then little wonder is it if I have also changes in my circumstances from the sunshine of prosperity to the midnight of adversity. It will not always be the blaze of noon even in my soul...
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