Wednesday 20 February 2019

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three - March

1st March: Psalm 86:1-17
'You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you...Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth...I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart...For great is Your love towards me' (5,11-13). God loves us. He forgives our sins. We receive His love. We want to love Him more. His love inspires our praise - 'I will praise You...'. His love inspires our prayer - 'Teach me Your way...'. Our whole life is to to be a celebration of His love - 'Great is Your love towards me'. We are to celebrate His love with 'joy' (4). We rejoice in the Lord because of who He is - 'You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness' - and what He has done for us - 'You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me' (15,17).
2nd March: Psalm 87:1-7
'Glorious things are said of you, O city of God...The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in Zion". As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in You"' (3,6-7). The 'city of God' is our glorious destination - 'we are looking for the city that is to come', 'the Holy City' (Hebrews 13:14; Revelation 21:2). It is also the place of our heavenly birth - 'This one was born in Zion'. The heavenly birth - This is where our journey to the 'city of God' begins: 'No one can see the Kingdom of God without being born from above' (John 3:3). Between our heavenly birth and our glorious destination, there is life in the Spirit: The Psalmist says, 'All my fountains are in You'. Jesus says, 'Rivers of living water shall flow from the heart of anyone who believes in Me' (John7:38).
3rd March: Psalm 88:1-18
The Psalmist is really 'down in the dumps'. He feels like he is 'in the depths of the Pit", He feels like he is 'in the darkest depths' (6). This is the way he feels, but he has not stopped praying - 'O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before You...I call to You, O Lord, every day...I cry to You for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before You' (1,9,13). His prayer doesn't make pleasant reading: 'My soul is full of trouble...I am like a man without strength...Your wrath lies heavily upon me...the darkness is my closest friend' (3-4,7,18). How can we be helped when we feel like this? We can be helped by Jesus. He knows what it feels like. For us, He has entered the 'darkness' - 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?'. For us, He has triumphed - 'risen from the dead' (Matthew 27:45-46; 28:5-7).
4th March:Isaiah 32:1-20
'Abandoned...deserted...a wasteland...' (14). Can such a desperate situation be turned around? Yes! When 'the Spirit is poured upon us from on high...the wilderness becomes a fruitful field' (15). We must not lose heart. We must keep on calling upon the Lord. We must believe that God is able to turn things around. When the situation seems hopeless, we must put our trust in 'the God of hope'. We must pray that God will send His blessing: 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope' (Romans 15:13). 'Restore, O Lord, the honour of Your Name! In works of sovereign power, come, shake the earth again ...Restore, O Lord, in all the earth Your fame, and in our time revive the Church that bears Your Name' (Mission Praise, 579).
5th March: Isaiah 33:1-24
'O Lord...Be our strength every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble' (2). We are not to pray to the Lord only 'in the time of trouble'. We are to pray to Him 'every morning'. We are not to keep God at a distance, calling on Him only when things are going badly. When we keep God at a distance, our life tells its own sad story - 'O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear - all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer'. When we draw near to God, He draws near to us, and everything becomes very different - 'What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!' (James 4:8; Mission Praise, 746). Let God's 'love' come to you 'new every morning' - 'fresh as the morning , as sure as the sunrise' (Lamentations 3:22-23).
6th March: Isaiah 34:1-17
God calls us to 'draw near' to Him. He wants us to 'pay attention' to Him. We must 'listen' to His Word (1). God's Word is not always what we want to hear. It will always be what we need to hear. 'The Lord is angry with all nations' (2). We don't like to hear about God's anger. We prefer to be told 'You're doing fine'. We need to hear about God's anger. We need to hear about how far we have wandered away from God - 'We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us turned to his own way'. We are sinners. We have turned away from the Lord. We have chosen our own way rather than His way. We must hear this 'bad news' before we can really appreciate the 'Good News' - 'the Lord has laid all our sins on Jesus', 'Christ died for us while we were still sinners', 'Christ died for our sins' (53:6; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3).
7th March: Isaiah 35:1-10
What blessings are given to those who draw near to God - 'Your God...will come and save you' (4). The Good News of Christ comes to us as a call to faith - 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved' (Acts 16:31). We have been saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot remain the same. We are called to live a new life. We must travel on the Lord's 'highway' - 'the Way of Holiness' (8). This is 'the Way' which leads to 'everlasting joy' (10). This 'Way' is so different from the world's way. The world has no time for those who seek to live a holy life. This is what Jesus says about the world's way of life: 'the gate is wide and the way is wide that leads to destruction' (Matthew 7:13). Whatever the world may say, we must never forget this: 'Without holiness, no-one will see the Lord' (Hebrews 12:14).
8th March: Isaiah 36:1-37:20
Hezekiah is facing a very powerful enemy - 'Sennacherib, king of Assyria' (36:1). Hezekiah prays for deliverance - 'O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand'. He prays for salvation - 'O Lord our God, save us...' (37:20). We face an even more powerful enemy - Satan, 'the ruler of this world', 'the god of this world'. We must pray for deliverance. We must look to the Lord for salvation. We must pray with faith in Jesus Christ. Satan 'has no power over' Jesus. When Jesus was 'lifted up from the earth' (crucified), He won a mighty victory over Satan. Jesus died for us so that Satan, 'the ruler of this world' might be 'cast out'. Satan's power is broken when 'the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ' shines 'in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ' (John 14:30;12:31-33; 2 Corinthians 4:4-6).
9th March: Isaiah 37:21-38:8
Sennacherib has no power over God's people. They are protected by a superior power, the power of God - 'This is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: "He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here...By the way that he came he will return..."'. This is God's answer to Hezekiah's prayer for salvation - 'I will defend this city to save it' (33-35). What a great God we have! He is the God of our salvation. He will answer our prayer for salvation. God loves us: 'God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...'. Christ died for us: 'God made Him who knew no sin (Christ) to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God'. Christ promises to receive all who come to Him for salvation: 'I will never turn away anyone who comes to Me' (John 3:16; 6:37; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
10th March: Hebrews 7:1-28
'See how great He is!' (4). These words refer to Melchizedek (1-3; Genesis 14:18-20). Melchizedek has 'neither beginning of days nor end of life'. He 'continues a priest for ever'. He 'resembles the Son of God'. He is 'like the Son of God' (3). Let your thoughts move from Melchizedek to the Lord Jesus Christ - 'See how great He is'! Jesus Christ is 'the beginning and the end' (Revelation 21:6; 22:13). 'Jesus lives for ever' and 'has a permanent priesthood' (24). He is our great Saviour: 'He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him' (25). We look beyond Melchizedek. We look to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We look to Him and we say, 'There's no greater Name than Jesus, Name of Him who came to save us' (Mission Praise, 684). Let Jesus be your great Saviour. Come to Him and receive His great salvation.
11th March: Hebrews 8:1-9:14
God gave His promise - 'I will make a new covenant' (8:8-12; Jeremiah 31:31-34). God has fulfilled His promise. There is now a 'new covenant in Jesus' blood' (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25). The old covenant cannot even begin to compare with the new covenant. It is only a 'shadow'. The new covenant is the real thing. It is 'much more excellent'. It is 'a better covenant' (8:5-6), The old covenant is 'outdated' (8:13). It's seen its day. Now, it's past its 'sell by date'! We look at the old covenant and we say, 'There must be more than this'. There is more - 'much more'. Through 'the blood of Christ', 'our hearts and lives' have been 'cleansed'. Now, we can begin 'to serve the living God' (9:14). 'What a wonderful redemption!' - 'eternal redemption' (Mission Praise, 765; 9:12)!
12th March: Psalm 89:1-37
'I will sing of the Lord's great love for ever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness through all generations' (1). Many years have passed since these words were written by the Psalmist. Many generations have come and gone since Jesus Christ came to our world. The years come and go. The centuries run their course. One generation gives way to another generation. Time moves on relentlessly. None of us can halt the march of time. Many changes have taken place over the course of time. There is something which must never change. The Lord is to be praised 'for ever'. He is to be praised 'through all generations'. We must look back and remember. Jesus Christ was crucified for us. Jesus Christ has risen for us. This is the Good News which inspires our praise: 'I will sing of the Lord's great love for ever...'.
13th March: Psalm 89:38-90:17
'Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations...From everlasting to everlasting, You are God' (1-2). The Bible begins with the words, 'In the beginning, God...'. Before the world began, there was God - 'the eternal God'. He is 'the high and exalted One'. He is the God 'who inhabits eternity'. He is the God 'who lives for ever'. He has no beginning. He has no end. He is 'the beginning and the end'. Our life on earth has a beginning. It has an end. Trusting in 'the eternal God', we rejoice in His precious promises - 'The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms'; 'I have loved you with an everlasting love'; 'The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord' (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 33:27; Isaiah 57:15; Revelation 21:6; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 6:23).
14th March: Isaiah 38:9-39:8
'The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the House of the Lord' (20). Some people say, 'I can be a Christian without going to Church'. Here, we have something very different. Believing in the Lord leads to worshipping the Lord. It doesn't make sense to say, 'I believe in the Lord but I'm not interested in worshipping Him'. We believe in Christ. We are saved by Him. We receive a new Spirit of worship: 'God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Father, my Father!" (Galatians 4:4). Let's have none of this 'believing without worshipping' - 'Abba Father, let me be Yours and Your alone. May my will for ever be evermore Your own. Never let my heart grow cold, never let me go. Abba Father, let me be Yours and Yours alone' (Mission Praise, 3).
15th March: Isaiah 40:1-31
'The Lord is the everlasting God...He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak... those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...' (28-31). Far too often, we say, 'I can't' when we really mean 'I won't'. 'I can't' - This is an insult to the power of God. The Lord calls us to do something special for Him. We say, 'I can't'. What are we really saying? This is what we are saying - 'Lord, I don't believe Your promise - "Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength"'. Don't say, 'I can't'. Don't get so busy with other things that you fail to wait upon the Lord and renew your strength. When the Lord calls you to serve Him, say, 'Yes, Lord, I will wait upon You. I will renew my strength. I will do Your will'.
16th March: Isaiah 41:1-29
'Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you...I am the Lord your God who...says to you, Do not fear; I will help you...I Myself will help you, declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel' (10-14). We have something important to say. We repeat ourselves. We want to make sure that our message gets across. We say, 'Do you get the point? Do you see what I mean?'. This is what God is doing here. Three times, He says, 'I will help you'. He wants us to get the point. He wants to leave us in no doubt. He wants us to be sure of this: 'I will help you'. He doesn't want us to go around thinking, 'I wonder if God will help me?'. He really does want to help us. He says it once. He says it twice. He says it three times: 'I will help you'.
17th March: Isaiah 42:1-25
'Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations' (1). These words turn our thoughts towards the Lord Jesus Christ. At His baptism, we hear the voice of the Father - 'This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased'. At His baptism, we see 'the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on Him'. Jesus is the fulfillment of God's Word of prophecy: 'All mankind shall see the Saviour sent from God'. After His resurrection, we hear Jesus Himself speaking. He says, 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...' (Matthew 12:15-21; 3:16-17; 28:18-20; Luke 3:6). Let us bring Christ to the nations. Let us serve the Lord in the power of the Spirit.
18th March: Isaiah 43:1-28
'I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour...I am the Lord, apart from Me there is no saviour' (3,11). Isaiah's words turn our thoughts towards Jesus our Saviour. The Name of Jesus is the Name of our salvation: 'Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved' (Acts 4:12). 'How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear'; 'There is a Name I love to hear...It tells me of a Saviour's love, who died to set me free; it tells me of His precious blood, the sinner's perfect plea. O how I love the Saviour's Name, the sweetest Name on earth'; 'Name of all majesty...See now what God has done, sending His only Son, Christ the beloved One, Jesus is Lord!' (Church Hymnary, 376; Mission Praise, 672,481).
19th March: Isaiah 44:1-28
'I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants' (3). Here, Isaiah is looking forward to the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost - 'They were all filled with the Holy Spirit...' (Acts 2:4). It is 'the Spirit' who brings 'streams of living water' into our lives. It is 'the Spirit' who sends 'streams of living water', flowing out from us to others (John 7:37-39). We are to 'be filled with the Spirit'. 'Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ' - Let your life be full of praise to God: 'filled with the Spirit' (Ephesians 5:18-20).
20th March: Isaiah 45:1-25
'I am the Lord...I will strengthen you' (5). How does the Lord strengthen us? He strengthens us with salvation. He comes to us as our 'God and Saviour'. He calls us to come to Him and receive salvation: 'Turn to Me and be saved...'. Through faith in Christ, we are 'saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation' (15,17,21-22). We are strengthened with 'everlasting salvation'. We look ahead to Christ's Return 'in power and great glory' (Matthew 24:30). On that Day, the glory of our Saviour will be fully revealed: 'At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father'. Jesus is our Saviour. His 'Name is above every name'. Our 'strength' comes from Him (23-24; Philippians 2:10-11).
21st March: Isaiah 46:1-47:15
'I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me...I am bringing My righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed' (46:9,13). God does not keep His distance from us. He comes near to us - 'The Word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the Word of faith which we preach). God does not delay His salvation. He comes to us with His promise: 'If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved' (Romans 10:8-9). Jesus is the Word of God. He is our Saviour. He is our Lord (John 1:1,14; 20:28,31). Let us worship Jesus. He is 'the Holy One of Israel'. He is our Redeemer'. 'The Lord Almighty is His Name' (47:4). 'O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord' (Church Hymnary, 191).
22nd March: Isaiah 48:1-22
'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go' (17). God knows what is best for us. He helps us to say, 'As for God, His way is perfect' (Job 23:10; 2 Samuel 22:31).How does God help us to see that His way is best? He invites us to consider His love. We are to think about all that He has done for us - 'the mercies of God'. He calls us to dedicate our lives to Him - 'present your bodies, as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God'. Dedicating our lives to the Lord - This is 'our 'spiritual worship'. We are not to live for this world - 'Do not be conformed to this world'. We are to live for the Lord - 'be transformed by the renewal of your mind'. 'God's will is good, pleasing and perfect'. Learn this for yourself. Dedicate your life to Him (Romans 12:1-2).
23rd March: Isaiah 49:1-26
'I, the Lord, am your Saviour, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob'. We are not to keep this to ourselves. God wants 'all mankind' to 'know' (26). 'Jesus, the Name to sinners dear, the Name to sinners given, it scatters all their guilty fear, it turns their hell to heaven' - This is not something to keep to oursleves. We must make Christ known to others - 'Oh, that the world might taste and see the riches of His grace! The arms of love that compass me, would all mankind embrace. His only righteousness I show, His saving truth proclaim: 'tis all my business here below to cry: "Behold the Lamb!". Happy, if with my latest breath I may but gasp His Name: preach Him to all, and cry in death: "Behold, behold the Lamb!"' (Mission Praise, 385). 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News' (Mark 16:15).
24th March: Psalm 91:1-16
'Surely He will save you from the traps of the hunter'(3). God has given us His warning. We must 'be alert' - 'Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour'. He also gives us His promise - 'Resist the devil, and he will flee from you'. How are we to resist the devil? - We are to 'resist him, standing firm in the faith' (1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7). We must not try to resist the devil in our own strength. We will be defeated. He is much more powerful than we are. We must resist him in the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, we have the victory - 'Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 15:57). Satan is out to get us. He's trying to trap us. Let's never forget this: Jesus is able to 'deliver us from the evil one' (Matthew 6:13).
25th March: Psalms 92:1-93:5
'You, O Lord, are exalted for ever...The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty...' (8; 93:1-2). The Lord is 'exalted'. We are to exalt Him in our worship. He is not exalted because we exalt Him. We exalt Him because He is exalted. He is 'exalted far above all gods'. That is why we sing, 'I exalt Thee, O Lord'. 'He is exalted, the King is exalted on high' - This is the truth concerning the Lord. 'Iwill praise Him' - This is our response to His truth. We sing, 'Jesus, we enthrone You, we proclaim You our King'. This is our response to the eternal truth concerning our Saviour: 'The Lord is enthroned as King for ever'. 'From all eternity' the Lord is 'robed in majesty'. Let us respond to His majesty. Let us 'magnify' the Lord - 'O Lord our God, how majestic is Thy Name' (97:9; 29:10; Mission Praise, 158,217,388,507).
26th March: Hebrews 9:15-10:18
We look back to what Christ has done for us. We look forward to what He will do for us. Looking back and looking forward: These are both found in 9:28 - 'Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him'. We remember our Saviour. We remember what He has done for us: 'the Son of God loved us and gave Himself for us' (Galatians 2:20). We eat bread and drink wine, giving thanks that our Saviour went to the Cross for us - His body broken for us and His blood shed for us. We are not only looking back. We are also looking forward: 'As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes' (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Remember - and pray, 'Come, Lord Jesus!' (Revelation 22:20).
27th March: Hebrews 10:19-11:16
Are you 'looking for a better country - a heavenly one' (16)? 'God has put eternity into man's mind' (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In every human heart, there's 'a God-shaped blank'. Jesus came to give us 'life' - 'abundant life', 'eternal life' (John 10:10; 17:3; 1 John 5:11). Without Jesus, our lives are empty. The 'longing for a better country' can only be satisfied by Him. He is God's 'foretaste of glory divine' (Mission Praise, 59). Jesus stands at the door of every human heart. He knocks. He waits for our answer. He says, 'Look, I'm standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to My voice and opens the door, I'll come in...' (Revelation 3:20). Don't 'shrink back' (39). Invite Him into your heart now.
28th March: Psalm 94:1-23
'When I said, "My foot is slipping", Your love, O Lord, supported me' (18). The Lord is 'able to keep us from falling'. We are 'kept by the power of God'. Putting our trust in the Lord, we may be confident of this: 'God, who began His good work in us, will carry it through to completion on the Day of Christ Jesus'. We are called to 'press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenwards in Christ Jesus'. As we 'press on', we must never forget this: 'It is God who works in us to will and to work according to His good purpose'. 'Let us fix our eyes on Jesus', trusting in His promise: 'My sheep listen to My voice...I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of My hand...' (Jude 24-25; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Philippians 1:6; 3:14; 2:13; Hebrews 12:2; John 10:27-30).
29th March: Psalm 95:1-11
'Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord...Let us come before Him with thanksgiving...Come, let us bow down in worship...' (1-2,6). We are to worship the Lord with joyful thanksgiving. We rejoice in the Lord. We give thanks for His love. He is 'the great God'. He is 'our God'. He is the God of creation - 'In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land'. He is the God of salvation - 'We are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care' (3-5,7). If we are to learn to worship the Lord with joyful thanksgiving, we must open our hearts to Him: 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts' (7-8). When we hear the call to worship, we must open our hearts to the Spirit of worship.
30th March: Isaiah 50:1-51:8
'The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught' (50:4). We are to listen to God. We are to speak for God. We cannot speak for God unless we are listening to Him. Before we can speak for God, we must speak to Him. We must pray, 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening' (1 Samuel 3:9-10). Listening to God comes before speaking for God. First, we wait on the Lord - 'I waited patiently for the Lord'. Then, we witness for the Lord - 'He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God'. Waiting on the Lord and witnessing for Him, we will win others for Him - 'Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord' (Psalm 40:1-3).
31st March: Isaiah 51:9-23
'Awake, awake!...O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days gone by...The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them...I am the Lord your God...I have put My words in your mouth...' (9,11,15-16). We must pray for revival in this generation. Pray for a revival of joyful worship. Pray for a revival of powerful preaching. Where will revival come from? It comes from the Lord. God hears the prayers of His people - 'Awake, awake!...O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days gone by'. God answers the prayers of His people - 'The ransomed of the Lord will return...Gladness and joy will overtake them'. Revival comes when God sends His Word of power - 'I am the Lord your God...I have put My words in your mouth'.

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