Daily Devotional Readings: Year One - June

1st June: Exodus 1:1-2:10

Things were difficult for Israel yet 'the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied' (12). Difficult times can be the making of God's people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God's people (15-16; John 10:10). God is about to move in saving power - His 'midwives' are preparing for the 'birth' of His redeemed people (17,20). Moses was preserved in 'a basket made of bulrushes' (2:3). Born again, we are preserved through God's Word and Spirit - 'the living and abiding Word of God' (1 Peter 1:23). Moses was drawn out of the water (2:10). Israel was drawn out of the bondage in Egypt (6:6-8). Like Israel, we have been redeemed by blood (12:13; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Redeemed by the Lord, we are to be consecrated to Him. In 20:1-2, 'the Ten Commandments' are introduced by a declaration of God's salvation. Our obedience to God is to be grounded in this: He has redeemed us!

2nd June: Exodus 2:11-3:22

Salvation, service, personal faith, life among God's people - God has much to teach us. Moses sins (2:12). God graciously forgives (Micah 7:18-19) - this is salvation. His sin forgiven, Moses is called to service. He is called by the eternal God, the God who draws near to His people (3:14-15). Saved by Christ, we are called to serve Him, the eternal 'God' who 'became flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:1-14). Saved, we belong to God's people (1 Peter 2:10). Serving, we play our part within the 'one body' of Christ (Romans 12:4-5). Moses was to serve God's people, the people whose prayer God answered - delivering them from bondage and leading them on to great blessing (2:23-25; 3:8). Moses was a key figure, but he did not stand alone. The work of God made progress because the people of God went forward together. In God's work, we are to be participators - not spectators!

3rd June: Exodus 4:1-31

Two great obstacles had to be overcome - Moses' sense of inadequacy and Pharaoh's stubborn resistance. Moses had to learn that 'our competence comes from God' (2 Corinthians 3:5). Part of God's provision for Moses was Aaron (14-16). We are not called to go it alone. What encouragement there is in the support of our fellow-believers. Weak believers need strengthening. Stubborn unbelief (Pharaoh) is ready to overwhelm us. We need strength if we are to 'attempt great things for God' and 'expect great things from God' (William Carey). Concerning Pharaoh, God says, 'I will harden his heart' (21). This was also Pharaoh's own choice - 'Pharaoh hardened his heart' (8:15,32; 9:34). God sent circumstances into Pharaoh's life which led him to harden his own heart by rejecting God's Word. Pharaoh's resistance did not hinder God's salvation - he was 'compelled by a mighty hand' (3:19). God is at work - make sure you don't miss out on His blessing!

4th June: Exodus 5:1-6:13

In 4:29-31, we see Moses, the elders and the people worshipping God. Pharaoh opposes them - 'Who is the Lord, that I should heed His voice...?' (2) - , and 'the foremen of the people of Israel' start complaining (19-21). What does Moses do ? - He prays. Notice the honesty of his prayer - he asks the 'Why ?' question, and he protests, 'You have not rescued Your people at all' (22-23). God gives His answer - redemption will be given (6:1,6-8). Redemption - this is God's answer to our suffering. He gave His Son to suffer for our sins. Through Christ, we receive salvation. Moses had to learn to wait for the fulfilment of God's promise. God's own people were not listening to him. How could he expect the unbelieving Pharaoh to listen to him (6:9,12)? It was not easy. Nevertheless, this 'charge' had been given - 'bring the people out'. It shall be done!

5th June: Mark 1:1-20

This is a new 'beginning'. The prophets had spoken. Now, the Saviour has come. This is good news. John has prepared the way. Now, he stands aside to make way for Jesus Christ, the Son of God' (1,11). Following Jesus' baptism, there was temptation. This was Kingdom against kingdom. Satan's kingdom was under threat. The Kingdom of God had come. Christ triumphed over Satan. In Him, we triumph when, hearing the Gospel declaration - 'the Kingdom of God is at hand' - , we obey the Gospel command - 'repent and believe the gospel' (15). With the command, 'Follow Me', there is the promise, 'I will make you...' (17). Christ's call is 'full of grace and truth' (John 1:14). It is truth - a call to discipleship. It is grace - a call from Jesus. In Christ, we become 'a new creation' (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become 'fishers of men' (17).

6th June: Mark 1:21-2:12

Great things were happening. God was moving in power. In all this, we could easily overlook something very important: Jesus prayed (35). He made time for prayer. This was not wasted time. This was time well spent. Jesus was mighty before men - the power of God was flowing freely. Jesus knew where the power comes from - He was humble before God. We long for this - 'they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"' (12). We must pray in faith, bringing people before the Lord, convinced that such prayer 'is powerful and effective' (2:5; James 5:16). "If my people...pray..., I will...forgive their sin and heal their land' (2 Chronicles 7:14). "O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee. Send a revival. Start the work in me. Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need. For blessing now, O Lord, I humbly plead' (Mission Praise, 587).

7th June: Exodus 6:14-7:24

This list of names emphasizes that God is concerned with the 'little people', and not only the 'the big names' like Moses. Gifted individuals have their important place in carrying forward God's purpose. Such individuals are used by God for the blessing of the whole people of God. The forward movement of God's work is often preceded by great difficulties. We must 'walk by faith, not by sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7). Adverse circumstances must not defeat us. The Lord is calling us on to greater faith. God's purpose of grace moves forward according to His power and not our weakness. Moses spoke 'with faltering lips' (30). God worked miracles (8-24). Turning to 'sorcerers' and 'magicians', Pharaoh, the servant of Satan, 'would not listen' to God's servants (11,13;7:22). 'Our God is marching on' - to glorious victory (Church Hymnary, 318)!

8th June: Exodus 7:25-8:32

God's work is 'in the midst of the earth'. He claims His own people for Himself (22-23). To 'all the ends of the earth', He says, 'Turn to Me and be saved'. Concerning His own people, He says, 'In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory' (Isaiah 45:22,25). In the plagues, we see God's power and Pharaoh's pride. There is a conflict between the reality of God and Pharaoh's fantasy. Conflict is God's training ground for spiritual growth. We take our stand on the reality of God. Those who oppose God live in a fantasy world, imagining that they can successfully oppose the mighty God of salvation - 'To pluck from His hand the weakest, trembling soul, it never, never can be done' (Sacred Songs and Solos. 508). Pharaoh was neither the first nor the last to oppose God- and fail! Put to death by men, Christ was raised by God (Acts 2:23-24) - Hallelujah!

9th June: Exodus 9:1-35

Today, we highlight three lessons: The importance of trusting Christ as your Saviour, the folly of refusing Christ's salvation and the danger of professing conversion without really meaning it. Each of us must choose: Will you step into Christ or remain outside of Him? Will you flee to Him and take refuge in Him or will you neglect Him and remain under judgment? 'Flee from the wrath to come'. 'How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?' (20-21; Luke 3:7; Hebrews 2:3). You can enter into salvation through faith in Christ or you can, in unbelief, remain outside of Christ (Hebrews 4:2-3). Pharaoh 'confessed' his sin, but didn't really mean it. He had had 'enough' of God's interference. That was his 'reason' for admitting his sin. This was not real repentance - only a dislike for suffering! Make your decision for Christ, and make it real!

10th June: Exodus 10:1-29

The conflict between God and Pharaoh is a conflict between light and darkness. We are to shine as lights - for God, the 'Light' in whom there is 'no darkness at all' (Matthew 5:16; 1 John 1:5). God's purpose is moving forward. Pharaoh becomes more determined in his rebellion. Pharaoh's stubborn unbelief becomes his own undoing. Pharaoh doesn't want God. God confirms him in his unbelief (28-29). God says, 'You can go your own way, but you will be spiritually dead' (Psalm 106:13-15). God says, 'Do not harden your heart. You may be very close to the point of no return' (Hebrews 3:8; Proverbs 29:1). Before you lose all inclination to return to the Lord, let Christ's love touch your heart. Only His love can 'create in you a clean heart'. Only His love can 'put a new and right Spirit within you' (Psalm 51:10).

11th June: Exodus 11:1-12:28

Here, we focus attention on two verses which emphasize the importance of being saved by the Lord and going on to live for Him: 'when I see the blood, I will pass over you...you must eat unleavened bread' (13,20). In verse 13, we are directed beyond the Passover to Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins (John1:29; 1 John1:7). In verse 20, we have the call to holy living. In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:7-9, Paul uses 'leaven' as a symbol of 'sin', which holds us back from 'running a good race'. We are to live as a new creation, who feast on 'the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth'. Forgiveness of sins and holy living belong together. We are not to rejoice in God's forgiveness and then gloss over His call to holy living: 'justified by faith', we are to 'walk in newness of life' (Romans 5:1; 6:4)

12th June: Exodus 12:29-13:16

God delivered His people from their bondage (3,14,16). There is, in the Exodus, a great picture of the Gospel, which sets us free. Christ sets us free. He does this by His Word of 'truth' (John 8:32,36). The Gospel says, 'Sin will have no dominion over you...You have been set free from sin' (Romans 6:14,18,22). Through 'the Spirit of God', we have received 'not...the spirit of slavery...but...the spirit of sonship' (Romans 8:14-15). Israel's deliverance from the land of bondage was also deliverance for a new life in 'a land flowing with milk and honey' (5). We look back in grateful remembrance. We look forward in eager anticipation. We have received 'the first fruits of the Spirit'. There is more to come - 'the glorious liberty of the children of God...the redemption of our bodies' (Romans 8:21-23).

13th June: Exodus 13:17-14:31

Sin may be 'near', but God never leads His people into it (13:17, James 1:13). Following Christ means walking a narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14). We are surrounded by many temptations. Pray that your feet will not slip (Psalm 37:31; 17:5; 44:18). Sometimes, the Lord leads us 'by way of the wilderness' - a way of apparent fruitlessness. Why? - So that 'equipped for battle', we might learn to serve Him better (13:18). The Lord does not leave His people in the wilderness. Pursued by their enemies (the Egyptians), they were guided by the 'cloud' and 'fire' (13:21-22). God was with them, and He was about to reveal His saving power in a mighty way (13-14). There is judgment as well as salvation (30). Looking to neither the 'right' nor the 'left', we must look to the Lord (14:21-22). Rejoicing in 'the great work' He has done, our faith 'in the Lord' grows strong (31).

14th June: Exodus 15:1-21

This is a song of redemption - God has redeemed His people; a song of thanksgiving - we give thanks for God's redemption; and a song of hope - we look forward to the complete fulfilment of God's redemption. This is not only a 'song of God's people'. It is also the song of Moses, a personal song. This is worship - not a mere formality, but worship which arises from the depths of Moses' heart. Deeply moved by the grace and glory of God, Moses pours his heart out to God in worship: (i) He praises the God of grace - 'my strength...my song...my salvation' (2). (ii) He praises the God of glory - God triumphs 'gloriously' (1). His 'glorious' power is demonstrated in His 'glorious' deeds (6,11). (iii) Worshipping this God of grace - the redeeming God (13) - and glory - the reigning God (18) - , we say, 'You are my God, and I will praise You' (Psalm 118:28). Let us worship God - personally as well as publicly.

15th June: Mark 2:13-3:12

Jesus changes people. Levi became Matthew (14). He became 'a new creation' (2 Corinthians 5:17). The change of name marked his new birth (John 3:6). To be changed by Jesus you must recognize yourself as a sinner (17). There is a world of difference between legal obedience - 'old wine' - and Gospel obedience - 'new wine' (21-22). There is an eternity of difference between belonging to God's Kingdom and remaining outside of His Kingdom (John 3:3,5,7). The religion of the Pharisees was legalistic. The obedience of Jesus was spiritual. Will we follow Jesus, or will we be like these 'religious' men who planned 'to destroy Him' (6)? It is sadly possible to participate in 'religion', professing faith in 'the Son of God', in an 'unclean spirit' (11). Prompted by the Holy Spirit, let us truly confess that 'Jesus is Lord' (1 Corinthians 12:3).

16th June: Mark 3:13-35

The conflict intensifies. The 'twelve' are 'sent...to cast out demons' (14-15). Jesus is accused of being demon-possessed (22). Jesus warns against 'an eternal sin' - blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (28-30). With the offer of forgiveness - 'the blood of Jesus...cleanses us from all sin' - , there is the call to 'confess our sins' (1 John 1:7,9). 'If we say we have no sin' (1 John 1:8,10) and no need of Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we resist the Holy Spirit who seeks to convict us of our sin and lead us to the Saviour (John 16:8-9,14). Are you anxious about 'an unpardonable sin' ? Let the Holy Spirit lead you to the Saviour. Take your sin to Jesus, and let His 'perfect love cast out your fear' (1 John 4:17). Do you think you cannot be forgiven ? God's thoughts are 'higher': 'Return to the Lord...He will abundantly pardon' (Isaiah 55:6-9).

17th June: Proverbs 4:1-9

This is 'a father's instructions' to his 'sons' (1). The father has been a 'son' (3). He has wrestled with temptation. He has needed the exhortation - 'Let your heart hold fast...' (4) - and the warning - 'Do not turn away...' (5). Now, we turn to the divine Father and Son. The Father does not keep His distance from us. Through the Son, He has come near to us. Through the Son, we come to the Father (John 14:9,6). When Scripture says, 'Get wisdom' (7), it means this: 'Come to the Father through Jesus the Son'. Wisdom brings 'a beautiful crown', 'the crown of righteousness', 'the unfading crown of glory' (9; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4). Be wise. Be ready for the Lord's Return (Matthew 25:1-13). 'Purer...higher...greater - Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see!' (Church Hymnary, 374).

18th June: Exodus 15:22-16:36

God allows His people to suffer difficulties. Why? - To strengthen our faith (15:25; 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:2,16; 1 Peter 1:6-7). He chastens us, to teach us repentance (Revelation 3:19). Don't forget God's love. He is faithful: 'He didn't bring us this far to leave us'. He shows us His glory (7). He assures us that He is God (12). He provides us with 'daily bread' (4). Yesterday's 'bread' is insufficient for today's challenges (19-20). 'Morning by morning', the 'bread' is to be gathered (21; Lamentations 3:22-23). Jesus is the Living Bread (John 6:32-35,48-51). Feed on Him each day. Don't invite spiritual starvation by missing days. If you miss some days, don't let it continue. Remember: 'Seven days without prayer makes one weak'! 'How long has it been since you talked with the Lord?' Too long? It is time to pray and feed on Jesus!

19th June: Exodus 17:1-18:27

Worldly people create problems (17:3). Moses asks, 'What shall I do...?' (17:4). Indecision asks, 'Is the Lord among us or not?' (17:7). He gives victory (17:8-9,13). Joshua is being equipped for special service - 'in the ears of Joshua' (17:14). God's great concern is that His people move forward together. The work is not to be left to the few (18). God is looking to faithful servants who will 'bear the burden' together (21-22). There is much to be done, but we must never forget this: 'prayer and the ministry of the Word' (Acts 6:1-4). You may not be a Moses or a Joshua, but you can play your part. We rejoice in who God is and what He has done for us. Assured of His presence with us, let us worship Him: 'Blessed be the Lord...' (18:10-11).

20th June: Exodus 19:1-25

Before law, there is Gospel - what God has done for us (4). We are to obey in the Spirit of grace, as those who have been redeemed by His mercy (5-6; 1 Peter 2:9-10). God's Word is not only for the leader. It is for the whole people of God (3,7,9,11). God speaks to us concerning possession, consecration and reverence. Possession - We are His 'own possession' (5). In love, He has claimed us for Himself. We belong to Him. Consecration - God is holy. We are to be holy (10,14; 1 Peter 1:15-16). Reverence - Don't rush into God's presence, presuming on His blessing. We must not take God's blessing for granted. That would be arrogance (21-22). We must come to Him with this humble confidence: God will bless those who truly call upon Him (2 Chronicles 7:14-16). May God help us to say, 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do' (8).

21st June: Exodus 20:1-20

God does not want to see sin in us (20). He wants to see Himself in us. Sin robs us of His great blessing. He wants to fill us with love (Mark 12:28-31; Galatians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13). Before our love for Him, there is His love for us. He is the God of redemption. He has redeemed us. We are His people. This is His doing. All the glory belongs to Him (1-2). We are to live as His people. He is to have first place in our lives (3). The 'law' is 'holy' and 'good', but it cannot make us holy and good - without 'the new life of the Spirit' (Romans 7:12,6: 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:3). 'Moses' cannot save! There is only one Saviour - Jesus! Not under law, we yield ourselves to the God of salvation (Romans 6:13-14). Our obedience comes from faith in Christ - not legalism (Romans 1:5-6)! Our holiness comes from the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

22nd June : Mark 4:1-34

God's Word carries this message: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says...' (9; Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). We must listen for the voice of the Spirit. Grace has been 'given' to us (11). It is God's gift. To God be the glory! Sadly, some refuse to listen. Think about your response to God's Word (15-20). Let your light shine (21-23; Matthew 5:16). Use your gifts, or lose them (24-25). We preach the Word. God gives the growth (26-29; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7). A small child can count the seeds in an apple. Only God knows how many apples there are in a single seed! God's Word is a 'seed' which bears much fruit (30-32; 1 Peter 1:23-25). Parables whet the appetite - for more! They were given to people 'as they were able to hear it' - 'a starter' (33-34)! May we be 'visual aids' to whet people's appetite - for God!

23rd June: Mark 4:35-5:20

Jesus was sleeping because He was tired - not because He didn't care (38)! He does care. Everything was under control. Faith was being tested. Fear and faith are opposites (40). 'Awe' (41) is very different from unbelieving fear. Awe leads to worship. Fear destroys faith. The man was filled with 'unclean spirits' (13). He was a 'demoniac' (15-16). No one could do anything for him (3) - except Jesus! They tried to 'subdue' him (4). Jesus saved him! He is able to lift from the guttermost...and 'save to the uttermost' (Hebrews 7:25). The human situation is hopeless (Ephesians 4:18-19; 2 Corinthians 4:4) - without Christ! With Him, everything changes (2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 4:22-24). ''The gates of hell prevail against' us. They do not prevail against Christ (Matthew 16:18). Tell others what the 'Lord has done for you' - God will use your words to bring blessing (19-20).

24th June: Mark 5:21-6:13

The story begins with Jairus (21-24). Then, there is an 'interruption' - which brought healing to a woman (25-34). The woman had nowhere else to go (25-26). She came to Jesus (27). She was healed - not because she touched His garment (many others were brushing against Him), but because she had 'faith' (28,31,34). Jesus brought her out into the open - so that she might confess Him (30,32-33). The new birth can take place in very quiet circumstances - by faith in Christ. Jesus wants us to 'come out' - to confess Him. Back to Jairus' daughter - People thought there was no hope. Jesus said, 'Do not fear, only believe' (35-36). Not everyone believes. We can limit the power of Christ among us - by our unbelief (5-6)! We can, however, be called, sent and given authority...(7) - Never forget: The power and glory belongs to God (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

25th June: Mark 6:14-44

They were great men of God - 'John the baptiser...Elijah...the prophets of old' (14-15). None of them can compare with the Lord Jesus Christ. These men directed attention to the Lord (1 Kings 18:36-39; Isaiah 52: 13-53:12; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27). Of Christ alone, we say, 'There is salvation in no one else...' (Acts 4:12). Christ saves - and satisfies: We feed on Him and we are 'satisfied' (42). Apart from Him, the human search ends in this: 'I can't get no satisfaction'. In Him, there is satisfaction - He is the Saviour. Saved, satisfied and sharing - this is what we are to be. To His disciples, He still says, 'You give them something...' (37). We say, 'We don't have enough'. He says, 'I am more than enough' (2 Corinthians 3:5). Many are 'like sheep without a shepherd'. We must not fail them. We must 'teach them many things' (34).

26th June: Mark 6:45-7:23

The storm is raging: 'they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them' (48). Jesus draws near, and there is peace: 'the wind ceased' (51). Another 'storm' continues to rage: 'Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders...?' (5). How did Jesus respond to this 'storm' of criticism? - He exposed the hypocrisy of those who made the tradition of men more important than the Word of God (7-9,13). He invited 'the people' to come 'to Him', to 'hear', to 'understand'. His Word was addressed to 'all' of them (14). Jesus emphasizes this point: 'man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart' (1 Samuel 16:7). The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Which will it be? - 'Their hearts were hardened' (52) or 'Loving the Lord your God with all your heart' (12:30).

27th June: Mark 7:24- 8:26

Verse 27: The Gospel is for all - Jews and Gentiles (John 3:16). It seems like a 'refusal'. It is not. In love, Jesus says, 'Show me that your faith is real'. First things 'first': Do you really want to be blessed by the Lord ? Or, are you content with 'going through the motions' of religious ritual. Is God's Word going in one ear and out the other (deaf)? Are you ashamed of the Lord (dumb)? Jesus 'makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak' (37). Jesus feeds those who are hungry - for Him. To those who say, "'Yes, Lord, even the crumbs', so long as it comes from You", Jesus gives much - and we are 'satisfied' (28;8). Don't settle for 'the leaven of the Pharisees' (15) - second best (by a long way!) - when you can have Jesus, the very best! 'Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus' (22-26; Mission Praise, 545).

28th June: Mark 8:27-9:13

'Who do you say that I am ?': Jesus puts this question to all of us. Some believe He is the Christ. Others do not. Some try to 'sit on the fence'. Everyone makes their response to Him. God is not deceived by outward observance of religion, when it masks an inward refusal to receive Christ as Saviour, to submit to Him as Lord. On the day of judgment, God will not be looking for respectability. He will be looking for faith (Luke 18:8). Peter confessed Christ (29). Then, he was overcome by Satan (33). He became 'puffed up' with pride (1 Corinthians 8:1). He forgot that faith comes from divine revelation (Matthew 16:17). We are not 'to rebuke' the Lord (32). Looking to 'Jesus only' (8; Romans 4:5), we are to live as His disciples (34) - not of this world, as He is not of this world (John 17:14,16; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 2 Peter 1:3-4).

29th June: Mark 9:14-50

'Our God is able' (Daniel 3:17). Do we believe this? There is no doubt about God's power. What about our faith? We come to Jesus, saying, 'If you can'. Jesus turns things around: 'If you can! All things are possible to him who believes' (22-23). This is not so much an appeal for positive thinking. It is a call to prayer (29). Less self-confidence and more confidence in God - This is what we need. God's greatness is more important than our 'greatness' (33-35). Are there things that you don't understand? Don't be afraid to ask (32). You may even learn from those who 'don''t belong to our group' (38-40). They don't belong to our group? So what? Do they belong to Christ? That's what matters. 'It is better' (43,45,47) to be Christ's - than anything else! May our faith, though 'tested by fire', grow strong - to God's glory (49-50; 1 Peter 1: 6-7).

30th June: Psalm 9:1-20

'I will give thanks to the Lord...'(1-2). The enemy is defeated (3-6). 'The Lord sits enthroned for ever' (7). 'The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble' (9). What an encouraging Psalm this is: We have the victory in Christ. Nevertheless, it is not easy when we face determined opposition from the enemies of Christ and His Gospel: 'Behold what I suffer from those that hate me' (13). In this situation, we must call upon the Lord: 'Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail' (19). Though the conflict is raging all around, we must - taking our stand in Christ - declare God's praises and rejoice in His salvation (14). 'The Lord dwells in Zion' (11): 'Blest inhabitants of Zion, Washed in the Redeemer's blood', may we always say, 'Let the world deride or pity, I will glory in Thy Name' (Church Hymnary, 421).

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One - July

1st July: Exodus 20:21-21:32

So many instructions - Don't get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (20:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. Become obsessed with rules and regulations, and there will be no room for the Redeemer and His redemption. 'Earmarked' for Jesus, we are to 'serve Him for life' (6). No turning back! We are bound to Him by love - not law! What love He has for us! Verse 30 speaks of 'ransom' and 'redemption': What great words of the Gospel (Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19)! 'Eye for eye...' (24) - This limits vengeance. Remember: Love is the answer - not vengeance (Leviticus 19:18)! Let Christ's love give you strength - to keep on serving Him (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6).

2nd July: Exodus 21:33-22:31

We travel from grace to glory - from 'Egypt' to 'the promised land'. In the wilderness there are many pitfalls. We can become careless in our obedience to Christ. Do not 'leave a pit open' - you may cause a brother to stumble (33; Romans 14:13). Restitution (1-17) - Be faithful in practical matters (Luke 19:8; 3:10-14). Read of 'the thief' (8). Think of the Lord - and be ready for His return (1 Thessalonians 5:2; Matthew 6:19-21). All our human problems are to be brought 'before God'. Never forget Him (8-9,11). God is 'compassionate' (27). We are to be 'consecrated' (31). God loves us. Will we continue to live as those who have never known His love? - 'God forbid! How can we who died to sin still live in it?' (Romans 6:2).

3rd July: Mark 10:1-31

The Pharisees came to Jesus - 'to test Him' (2). They asked Him about divorce (2). He spoke to them about marriage (6-9). We need to be positive, well grounded in the basic principles of God's Word. When the thorny problems come - as they surely will - we will face them with maturity, and not as 'children, tossed to fro and and carried about with every wind of doctrine' (Ephesians 4:14). Jesus loved the little children (13-16). Do we? Some say 'No' to the love of Jesus (21-22). Say 'Yes' to Him. We cannot save ourselves. Salvation is God's doing, not ours (26-27). Don't let 'self' take the place of Christ: 'we have left everything...' (28). Don't say, 'I have given so much to God, done so much for Him, given up so much for Him'. God has given you more! God has done more for you! God has given up more for you! John 3:16.

4th July: Mark 10:32-52

Jesus was 'going up to Jerusalem' - to the Cross (32). He came to die, 'to give His life as a ransom for many' (45). The death of Christ lies at the very heart of the Gospel (1 Peter 1:10-12; 1 Corinthians 1:23 & 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 1 John 1:7, 2:2; Hebrews 2:9). Don't think, 'Glory for me' (37). Think, 'Glory to God' (43-44): 'God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Galatians 6:14). Bartimaeus cried out to the Lord for mercy (47). 'How embarrassing', some people thought - 'how undignified' (48). When God is at work, some people don't like it! They like everything to be dignified - dull and dead! When God is at work, people get converted. This may not please the 'critics', but it pleases God - and that's what matters. Cry to God for mercy. Your prayer will be heard - and answered.

5th July: Exodus 23:1-33

God is love: He loves 'the stranger' (9). God is holy: He 'will not acquit the wicked' (7). He wants to reproduce His love and holiness - in us. Not holiness without love: that is self-righteous legalism. Not love without holiness: that is spineless sentimentalism. To Israel, He sent 'an angel...' (20). To us, He has sent Christ: He is the Way to the place prepared for us (John 14:2-3,6). Through the Holy Spirit, Christ continues His ministry among us (John 14:25-26). 'Pay attention' to the words of Christ. 'Listen' for the voice of the Holy Spirit (21). Do not 'quench' or 'grieve' the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30). It may take time - 'little by little' (30) - but God will work through his obedient people - 'I will...you shall...' (30-31).

6th July: Exodus 24:1-18

Moses was alone with the Lord - receiving the Word of the Lord (1-2). Moses went to the people - speaking the Word of the Lord (3). There was also a written ministry of the Word (4). At the heart of our worship, there is 'the blood of the covenant' (8; 12:13; John 1:29; Hebrews 9:22; 10:4; 9:13-14; 1 John 1:7). Moses worshipped on 'the mountain of God' (12-18). We worship 'in spirit and truth' (John 4:19-24). We come to the Father through Christ and in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). We come on the basis of Christ's blood shed for us (Hebrews 10:19-22). We come as those to whom the Spirit has been given (John 1:33; 3:34). With 'the Spirit of God' living in us and helping us as we pray, let us feast on Christ, the Truth, the living Word, to whom the written and spoken word point us (Romans 8:9,26; John 14:6; 1:1,14; 17:17).

7th July: Exodus 25:1-40

This is full of Christ! We don't 'read into' the Old Testament things which aren't really there. We read this part of Scripture in the light of the full revelation of God. We see Christ as the Central Theme. Above everything else and everyone else, there is Jesus Christ our Saviour. God dwells among His people (8). Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossans 1:27). God is merciful to us (17-22; Psalm 103:8-12; Micah 7:18-19). Through Christ, we have received 'mercy' (Ephesians 2:4-7; Titus 3:4-7). From 'mercy' we move on to 'testimony' (18). The two are vitally related (1 Timothy 1:12-17). The 'bread of the Presence' (30) turns our thoughts to the Cross. The 'lampstand of pure gold' calls us to shine brightly for Christ, who 'came...to save sinners' (1 Timothy 1:15).

8th July: Mark 11:1-33

Here we learn of the authority of Christ. Calling the 'colt' into His service, He says, with authority, 'The Lord has need of it' (3). With authority, He speaks to the fig tree (14) - a 'visual aid' of His teaching: 'Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away' (John 15:2). In the temple, He speaks with authority, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer...' (17). He speaks of authority in prayer: 'whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours' (24). The religious leaders did not understand Jesus (27-33). Why? - They didn't love Him. We can experience His authority: His Word spoken to us 'in power...' (1 Thessalonians 1:5). We can exercise His authority: Through prayer, setting His Word free to do His mighty work (Ephesians 6: 18-20) - if we are learning to love Him!

9th July: Mark 12:1-44

Jesus - God's 'beloved Son' (6): Rejected by men, raised by God (10-11). Jesus' enemies tried 'to trap Him in His talk' (13). He spoke with wisdom - and so can we. Anointed by the Holy One, we have the mind of Christ (1 John 2:19-20; 1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Christ's enemies knew 'neither the Scripture nor the power of God' (24). We are to speak as those who know the living God (27). Our 'first' priority is love for God (29-30). Jesus says, 'Love your neighbour' (31). This is not, however, 'the be-all and end-all' of our life. There is more. We must not forget God. Jesus is 'Lord' (35-37). Let it be: Jesus is my Lord. The scribes had all the external trappings of religion - and nothing else (38-40)! The 'poor widow' had very little, yet she had everything that really matters: she loved the Lord (41-44)!

10th July: Exodus 26:1-37

From the outside, it was a 'tent'. On the inside, the tabernacle was a place of great beauty. Many look at Christ, and see 'no beauty that we should desire Him' (Isaiah 53:2). The believer looks at Christ, and says, 'You are beautiful beyond description, too marvellous for words, too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard' (Mission Praise, 788).The 'veil' has been removed (2 Corinthians 4:3-4,6). Our sin had separated us from God, hiding His face from us (Isaiah 59:2). When Christ died, 'the curtain of the temple was torn in two...' (Mark 15:37-38). He has changed everything (Hebrews 9:7-8,11-12). Once, we were 'separated...alienated... strangers...far off'. Now, we are 'in Christ Jesus' - 'brought near in the blood of Christ' (Ephesians 2:12-13; Hebrews 10:19-22).

11th July: Exodus 27:1-19

We highlight two interesting phrases - (a) 'as you were shown on the mountain' (8); (b) 'towards the sunrise' (13, New International Version). We need both 'the Scriptures' and 'the power of God' (Mark 12:24). Our faith is based on divine revelation - 'according to the Scriptures' (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We are 'not' to 'go beyond what is written' (1 Corinthians 4:6). Face the risen Son - We may not always be facing the rising sun, but we should always be facing the risen Son! The revelation, the resurrection, the Scriptures, the Son - these are the great focal-points of our Christian Faith: God has revealed Himself, Christ has risen. Encouraged by the Scriptures, and empowered by the Son, we face the risen Son and we say, 'I will proclaim the glory of the risen Lord' (Romans 15:4; Matthew 28:18-20; Mission Praise, 14).

12th July: Mark 13:1-37

We are not to be a people whose 'faith' is locked in the past! We are to be a people of hope. We look to the future. We 'see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory' (26). There may be 'wars and rumours of wars' (7). When Christ returns, only one thing will matter: 'he who endures to the end will be saved' (13). 'This day - the noise of battle': Look beyond all that to 'the victor's song' (Church Hymnary, 481). In human conflict, there is so much of self - 'We are the people'. When Christ returns, nothing will matter but this: 'When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there' (Mission Praise, 759). We hear of 'wars and rumours of wars'. Do we say, 'This is part of our history. It's always been this way'?. We must remember: Preaching Christ's Gospel is far more important than 'defending' our ways (10)!

13th July: Proverbs 4:10-19

'The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day' (18). Face the risen Son. His life in us is like the rising sun. It begins with 'the first gleam of dawn'. It 'shines ever brighter until the full light of day''. Christ 'dawns on us like the morning light' (2 Samuel 23:4). In a moment of discovery, we say, 'It's just dawned on me'. It is very wonderful when Christ reveals Himself, when He brings us out of our darkness and into His light. This is just the beginning. There is so much more: 'No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him' (1 Corinthians 2:9). 'Light has dawned that ever shall blaze...Light a flame within my heart... Let my flame begin to spread' (Mission Praise, 422; Songs of Fellowship, 339).

14th July: Exodus 27:20-29:9

The 'lamp' was 'set up to burn continually' (27:20) - 'May we be a shining light...Let the flame burn brighter...' (Songs of Fellowship 389; Mission Praise, 743). A 'royal priesthood', we have been called by God - to let His light shine (1 Peter 2:9). He has called us to serve Him (28:1 John 15:16; Acts 20:28; 13:2; 9:15; Hebrews 5:4). The divine call is accompanied by a divine empowering - 'the Holy Spirit sent from heaven' (1 Peter 1:12). We are precious to God - Our 'names' are written on His heart (9-12,21,29-30; Luke 10:20; Phillipians 4:3; John 10:3). In Christ we are cleansed (29:4 1 John 1:7), anointed (29:7; 1 John 2:27) and robed (29:5-6,8-9; Isaiah 61:10). In Christ, we have 'the best robe' (28:2; Luke 15:22; Revelation 7:9-10,13-14). In Him, we are 'consecrated' by the Word and 'anointed' by the Spirit (28:3,41; John 17:17; 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-14).

15th July: Exodus 29:10-46

There is a great contrast between the many sacrifices of the Old Testament and the one sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:25-28; 10:1-4, 10-14). Looking to Christ, we focus attention on verses 42-46. For God's people, 'the tent of meeting' was a special place concerning which God said, 'I will meet with you, to speak there to you. There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by My glory' (42-43). Let us pray that, in both the pulpit and the pew, there will be the glory of God. Aaron and his sons were 'consecrated to serve' (44). We look beyond them to Christ who 'came ...to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many' (Mark 10:45). He dwells among us (45; John 1:14). He has provided for us a 'better' redemption than the redemption of Israel from Egypt - He is 'much more excellent' (46; Hebrews 8:6; 9:23-24).

16th July: Exodus 30:1-38

The Word of God ('the testimony') declares the mercy of God, leading to our meeting with God (6). We highlight several features of our worship: (a) 'the blood of the sin offering of atonement' (10) - This points to the 'how much more' sacrifice of Christ on the Cross for us (Hebrews 9:13-14); (b) 'washing' (18) - Christ 'has washed us from our sins in His blood' (Revelation 1:5; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:5-6); (c) 'holy anointing oil' (25) - We are to be 'consecrated', 'most holy', servants of the Lord, 'making holiness perfect in the fear of God', living in the power of the Holy Spirit (29-30; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Zechariah 4:6); (d) 'incense' (35) - We are to be 'the aroma of Christ', spreading His 'fragrance' (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). Christlike living is grounded in prayer (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4; Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

17th July: Mark 14:1-25

Jesus was surrounded by enemies, 'seeking to kill Him' (1). There was also a hypocrite, preparing 'to betray Him' (10-11). What a joy it was to find a woman with such heartfelt love for Him (3-9). Her love for Christ must never be forgotten (9). There is something else which must never be forgotten - His love for us. Our love for Him can never begin to compare with His love for us. When we celebrate the Lord's Supper (22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26), we rejoice in His love. Think little of your love for Him. Think much of His love for you. 'Who His love will not remember? Who can cease to sing His praise? He can never be forgotten throughout heaven's eternal days' (Songs of Fellowship, 168). Remember Christ, and let your remembering be filled with worship (25; Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16-17).

18th July: Exodus 31:1-32:14

'Called' by God and 'filled' with His Spirit (31:1-3), Bezalel had the support of Oholiab and 'all able men' (31:6). Few may be called and equipped to lead, but many are required for God's work to be done - effectively (1 Corinthians 12:4-10). 'All' of us receive our strength from the 'Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:11). We offer ourselves in service with this faith, 'Jesus is Lord'. Faith is God's gift: 'no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit'. There are many gifts. They are varied expressions of one gift: the faith which confesses that 'Jesus is Lord' (1 Corinthians 12:3). The people fell into idolatry and immorality (32:6): a 'warning' to us (1 Corinthians 10:6-12). We have God's help - to overcome temptation (1 Corinthians 10: 13). Moses sets for us a godly example: he spent time with God, hearing His voice and prevailing in prayer (32:1,7-14).

19th July: Exodus 32:15-33:23

In Moses, we see the holiness and love of God: a deep hatred of sin (32:19), an intense longing for sinners to be forgiven (32). Filled with 'the fear of the Lord', Moses was fearless before men. God's Word to sinners is clear: He warns them (Proverbs 29:1); He calls them to repent (Acts 2:38); He invites them to return to Him (Hosea 6:1). Moses' faithful and fearless preaching emerged from his closeness to God: 'The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend' (11). Moses prayed; God heard; God answered (33:17). Moses prayed for a revelation of God's glory (33:18). God revealed Himself as the good God, the God of grace and mercy (32:19). Let us go up to God and bring down all that is needed to build the Body of Christ that God may take pleasure in it and that He may appear in His glory (Haggai 1:8).

20th July: Exodus 34:1-35

God gives His promise (33:19). God keeps His promise (5-7). The glory of Christ is revealed to those who are learning to love Him (John 14:21). We are not yet ready for the full glory (33:20). When Christ returns, 'we shall see Him as He is' (1 John 3:2). There is to be 'no other god' but the Lord (14). We are not to be squeezed into the world's mould (Romans 12:2). 'No molten gods', 'no graven image' - We are to be remoulded by God, 'conformed to the image of His Son' (17; 20:4; Romans 12:2; 8:29). Moses' face was shining - Other people noticed (29)! Let others see Christ in you. Never take pride in your own spirituality - 'If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not know (the Lord) as he ought to know (Him)' (1 Corinthians 8:2). Keep your eyes on Jesus. The glory comes from Him. No glory for me - All glory to Him (2 Corinthians 3:18)!

21st July: Mark 14:26-52

After 'they had sung a hymn' (26), Peter showed that there was a great deal of 'self' in him (29). All of us can be like this - 'they all said the same' (31). We attend Communion (22-24), we sing hymns (26) - yet still the wrong attitudes persist! We 'enjoy' praise, prayer, and preaching - Remember: God is concerned with the whole of life, not just the 'spiritual' activities! Christ looked ahead to the Cross - 'the hour', 'this cup' (35-36). He was far removed from an 'enjoyable atmosphere' within which prayer is 'easy'. Sorely tempted, He prayed, 'not what I will but what You will' (36). This was no easy road - the 'betrayer' was waiting for Him (42). It was a lonely road - 'they all forsook Him, and fled' (50). 'The gate is narrow, the way is hard' (Matthew 7:14). May God help us to follow Jesus.

22nd July: Exodus 35:1-36:7

The work of God is shared by many different people with many different gifts. The work is done according to (a) the Lord's command (35:1,4,10; 36:1,5); (b) heartfelt obedience (21; 36:3,5-7); (c) the God-given abilities (24-25; 36:2,4,8). There is something for 'everyone' to do - everyone 'whose heart is stirred whose spirit is moved' (21). Many gifts are needed (31-35). Underlying them all, there is this: 'filled with the Spirit of God' (31). In God's work, there is to be 'full' obedience. When we are fully obedient, there will be 'an overflowing blessing' (Malachi 3:10). 'The people bring much more than enough...'. There 'was sufficient to do all the work, and more' (36:5,7). God is ready to bless. Are we ready to obey? 'If my people...I will...'(2 Chronicles 7:14). 'Always abounding in the work of the Lord' (1 Corinthians 15:58)!

23rd July: Exodus 36:8-38

Moses may have been the leader among God's people, but he could not do all the work by himself! Two of his helpers - Bezalel and Oholiab - are named (1-2). Most - 'all the able men' - remain anonymous (8). Anonymous yet indispensable - Without them, the work of God would have been left undone! To those who are full of their own importance, God says, 'No-one is indispensable. I will find someone else to do My work'. To those who, without fuss, get on with doing His work, God says, 'You are my servants, through whom My work will make good progress'. Building Christ's Church is a long process, involving suffering and disappointments as well as hard-fought victories. In so many ways, the tabernacle pointed to Christ: 'God with us' (Matthew 1:23). May God help us to lead many people to Christ!

24th July: Mark 14:53-15:5

Jesus is 'the Christ, the Son of the Blessed'. He is 'seated at the right hand of Power'. He is 'coming with the clouds of heaven' (61-62). He is 'the King of the Jews': His Kingdom is greater than Herod imagined - it is 'not of this world' (2; John 18:36). Why, then, did He remain silent when false charges were brought against Him? He was bearing our sin - That is why 'He did not open His mouth' (Isaiah 53:4-7; 1 Peter 2:22-24; 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He knew that He was going to the Cross - for us (John 10:11,15,17-18). Jesus did not deny us: His silence was a godly silence - 'He bore the sin of many', making 'Himself an offering for sin' (Isaiah 53:12,10). Will we deny Him? Our silence is a guilty silence (66-71). May Christ's Word, and His look of love, cause us to weep - and repent (72; Luke 22:61-62; 2 Corinthians 7:10).

25th July: Exodus 37:1-29

Pure gold (2,6,11,16-17,22-24, 26); Jesus Christ is 'pure gold'. He is 'God with us'. His body was broken for us. We feed on Him, the living Bread. His light is shining. He spreads the fragrance of His holiness, and the aroma of His love (Matthew 1:23; Luke 22:19; John 6:35; 8:12; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16). Read about the ark, the mercy seat, the table, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the holy anointing oil...Think of Christ: He is the 'mercy seat of pure gold' (6). 'The Lord is merciful and gracious...': In mercy, He withholds His judgment from us - He is 'slow to anger'. In grace, He pours His blessing on us - He is 'abounding in steadfast love' (Psalm 103:8). We deserve judgment. We receive salvation. Why? Christ took our judgment that we might receive His salvation. This is the Gospel - and it is 'pure gold'!

26th July: Exodus 38:1-31

We read, in verse 8, of 'the ministering women...'. See also 35:25-26,29 - 'all women ...all the women... All the men and women...'. Male and female - We need each other. We are 'one in Christ Jesus'. In Him, 'there is neither male nor female' (Galatians 3:28). There should never be a competitive spirit. We are to complement each other. In verse 25, we read of 'the silver from those of the congregation'. God's work does not depend entirely on those who have been called to be leaders. Each of us must play our part. There should be no pulling in different directions. We belong together. We are to work together. Let's pull together, pooling our resources, pulling our weight. Among God's people, there is 'gold' - but it must be 'used for the work' (24). Will you be worth your weight in gold - for God?

27th July: Mark 15 6-41

Jesus did not 'save Himself'. 'He saved others' (31). He sacrificed Himself for our salvation. His was the sacrifice. Ours is the salvation. He 'put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself' (Hebrews 9:26). Barabbas was 'released'. Jesus was 'crucified' (15). This is the Gospel - He took my place, He died for me. He was 'forsaken' by God (34). We are reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19,21). We rejoice that Christ ignored the mocking call from 'the chief priests' and 'scribes': 'come down now from the Cross' (32). He paid the full price of our salvation. For us now, there is full salvation. His suffering was complete: 'It is finished' (John 19:30) was not a whimper of defeat. It was the declaration of victory. All that was needed - He has done for us. Now, He invites us to receive salvation: 'Come; for all is now ready' (Luke 14:17).

28th July: Exodus 39:1-43

'As the Lord had commanded...' (1,5,7,21,26,29,31-32,42-43): Obedience to God - this is the most important thing. 'And Moses blessed them' (43): Where there is obedience, there is blessing - there's a vital connection between the two. In Jesus, we see perfect obedience: 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work' (John 4:34). Jesus was fully obedient to the Father's will: 'He became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross' (Philippians 2:8). Through His obedience, there is blessing for us: 'by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous' (Romans 5:19). We look beyond the Old Testament priesthood to Christ, the 'High Priest of the good things that have come' - By 'His own blood', He has secured for us 'an eternal redemption' (Hebrews 9:11-12).

29th July: Exodus 40:1-38

Here, we highlight three lessons: (a) The work of God begins with the Word of God: 'The Lord said to Moses...' (1). Before we can do anything for God, we must be taught by God. (b) The work of God must proceed in the way of God: 'Thus did Moses; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did' (16). If we are to accomplish anything for God, we must do God's work in God's way. (c) The work of God must lead to the worship of God: 'The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle' (34). If we are really seeking to work for God, we must seek to give Him the glory for all that is accomplished. Making these our priorities - the Word, way and worship of God - , we will look for 'the cloud and fire', the presence and power of God among us: He will be our Guide 'throughout all our journeys' (38).

30th July: Mark 15:42-16:20

Dead and buried (44-46) - 'The End'? No! There is more. An 'Appendix'? No! A whole new beginning - For Jesus, for us! He is 'the first fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20,23). The full glory is still to come (1 Corinthians 15:24). He has risen (6). 'At His coming, those who belong to Christ' will be raised - with Him and by Him - to everlasting life (1 Corinthians 15:23). This is the glory of the resurrection. It is not simply a thing of the past. It is our glorious future - we 'will be raised imperishable' (1 Corinthians 15:52). There is a Gospel to be preached - the Gospel of salvation (15-16). May God help us to preach the Gospel 'everywhere' - This will involve all of us, not just a few of us! May He give us the joy of seeing Him at work, confirming the message by the signs that attend it (20).

31st July: Psalm 10:1-18

Wickedness seems to be so prevalent. Many 'renounce the Lord', saying 'There is no God' (3-4). It seems that the wicked 'prosper at all times', while the innocent victims of oppression feel that 'God has forgotten' (5-11). When it appears that God 'has hidden His face', when we feel that He has forgotten us, we must remember this: 'The Lord is King for ever and ever' (11,16). Do not judge by appearances. Do not trust your feelings. Everything changes. Nothing remains the same. Everything changes - except God. He is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable in His faithful love for us. We rejoice in this: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever' (Hebrews 13:5). Whatever circumstances and feelings may suggest, never forget this: 'He loved us from the first of time, He loves us to the last' (Church Hymnary, 293).

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One - May

1st May: Genesis 37:1-36

Here, we have human sin and divine grace. We see jealousy (11) and its effects: 'where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice' (James 3:16). There is God working out His purpose: 'you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good' (50:20). In his dreams, Joseph was given a glimpse of the 'new thing' (Isaiah 43:19) God was about to do. Joseph's situation seemed hopeless: 'cast...into a pit', 'sold' into slavery (24,28). God was in this situation. Each of us is in a 'pit', but we are not alone. Jesus has gone into the 'pit' for us, and He has come out of it victorious: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave where is your victory?'. Slaves of Satan, we have been set free by Christ (Romans 6:17-18; Hebrews 2:14-15). God was with Joseph. He is with us.

2nd May: Genesis 38:1-30

'Judah went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain Adullamite...' (1-2). This is the sad story of so many people: Drawn away by an unbelieving man/woman from the fellowship of God's people. The story then goes from bad to worse. A whole catalogue of disasters follows. God is mentioned in only two verses (7,10). Both speak of human sin and divine judgment. God's Word is clear: Believers are not to be joined in marriage to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). Lower your spiritual defences at this point, and you are asking for big trouble! Satan is ready to sweep in and cause chaos. This sad story of sin and shame stands as a warning to us. Do not rush into sinful choices. Put God first, and let Him lead you in His perfect way: 'Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well' (Matthew 6:33).

3rd May: Genesis 39:1-23

In chapter 38, we read of unbridled lust. Here, we read of sexual restraint: 'how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' (9). Sin brings complications, and so does obedience! There is, in fact, only one complication - sin. We live in a sinful world, which has no real interest in obedience to God. We must be realistic: 'all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted' (2 Timothy 3:12). Obedience and persecution - we see both in the story of Joseph. He was tempted, but he did not sin (7-9). Temptation is not sin. God provides 'the way of escape' (1 Corinthians 10:13). Christ is 'the way' (John 14:6), God's way of escape. We go to Him when we are tempted (Hebrews 2:16; 4:15-16). Joseph was put into prison, 'but the Lord was with him, and showed him steadfast love' (20-21) - 'persecuted, but not forsaken'' (2 Corinthians 4:9).

4th May: Matthew 23:1-39

As you read Jesus' stinging words, remember this: there is a 'Pharisee'' in every one of us! Jesus disturbs the 'peace' of 'those who sit at ease in Zion' (Amos 6:1). He invites us to see ourselves as God sees us: 'before Him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do' (Hebrews 4:13). Why does Christ speak such disturbing words? - He loves us. He longs for us to return to Him and be forgiven. Many times He comes to us - 'How often would I have gathered you'. Many times we refuse His appeal of love: 'you would not' (37). You may have refused Him often, yet still He waits. Still, He perseveres in love. Still, He seeks to show you the emptiness of your life without Him - 'forsaken and desolate' (38). Still, He waits for you to say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord' (39).

5th May: Matthew 24:1-31

After the first two verses, concerned with the destruction of the temple, Jesus speaks of 'the sign of His coming and of the end of the age' (3). There will be times of testing (9,21). We must take care not to be drawn away from Him (4,23-24). Beyond the time of testing, there will be the return of the Lord (29-30). The events of our day are not without significance. They are signs of His coming. We are to prepare ourselves for His return. We must live as servants of the Gospel (14). This will not be easy. There will always be opposition. Current affairs may be confusing, but we must look beyond all this to 'the momentous event': 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory' (30). Awaiting the Lord's return, we say, 'If no-one joins me, still I will follow' (Mission Praise, 272).

6th May: Matthew 24:32-25:13

'The times they are-a-changing'. There is, however, one thing that remains constant. Jesus says, 'My words will not pass away' (35). In an age of unbelief, our faith is often under threat. We must stand upon this solid Rock: 'The Word of the Lord stands forever' (1 Peter 1:25). The scoffers will say, 'Where is the promise of His coming?' (2 Peter 3:3-4). We are to believe that 'He is near' (33). Christ has risen. He will return (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). When He returns need not concern us: 'the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect' (44). We are to be ready at all times (13) - doing the Lord's will (46). We are to be 'faithful and wise' (45). As 'the bride of Christ' (Revelation 19:7; 21:2), we await the Return of Christ our Bridegroom: 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him' (6).

7th May: Matthew 25:14-46

We are to be faithful to God (21). There is a reward for faithfulness (29; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). Our 'reward' is not to get more glory for ourselves: 'what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord' (2 Corinthians 4:5). Bringing glory to God - this is to be our greatest joy. We are not to be thinking, 'What am I going to get out of this?'. We are to be asking, 'What can I give to others?'. The 'righteous' are not full of boasting about their 'righteous' actions (37-38). The Lord's true servants do not draw attention to themselves. Do you have 'talents'? Yes - you do! Use them! 'Serve the Lord with gladness' (Psalm 100:2). Let this be your 'reward': the joyful privilege of bringing blessing to others and glory to God. On earth, we begin to 'enter the joy of our Lord' (21). In heaven, there will be 'fullness of joy' and 'pleasure for evermore' (Psalm 16:11).

8th May: Proverbs 3:5-18

'Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' (2 Peter 3:18). If we are to know the Lord, we must come to an end of ourselves: 'Be not wise in your own eyes' (7), 'do not rely on your own insight' (5). True knowledge of God comes through faith: 'Trust in the Lord...' (5). True knowledge of God is heart-knowledge: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart' (5). Knowing Christ involves growing in grace. We cannot get to know God apart from the grace of God working within us. Growth in grace is not always a smooth pathway (11-12; Hebrews 12:5-11). Never forget: 'the Lord's discipline' is an expression of the Lord's love. 'Lord, You are more precious than silver, Lord, You are more costly than gold, Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds, And nothing I desire compares with You' (13-15; Mission Praise,447).

9th May: Genesis 40:1-23

God gave Joseph power to overcome temptation (chapter 39). Now, He gives him power to interpret dreams. Here, Joseph the dreamer (37:5-11) becomes Joseph the interpreter of dreams. Joseph may be viewed as a prophet: 'Surely the Lord does nothing, without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets' (Amos 3:7). As a true prophet, he gives the glory to God alone: 'Do not interpretations belong to God?' (8). Joseph became the forgotten man (23). For Joseph, life had become very difficult. He had known prosperity (39:2-3). Now, he was suffering adversity. God is in both our prosperity and our adversity. He uses adversity to produce in us a heart of humility. What was Joseph doing while he was in prison? He was keeping close to God, waiting patiently for his 'time to speak' (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

10th May: Genesis 41:1-57

'After two whole years', Joseph was still the forgotten man. Then Pharaoh had a dream (1). This was the beginning of the next stage of God's plan for Joseph. In the interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, Joseph directs attention to God: 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favourable answer...God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do...God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do... the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass (16,25,28,32). Joseph spoke with divine authority because 'the Spirit of God' was living in him (38). God was at work in Joseph, enabling him to forget his hardship and to be fruitful in his affliction (51-52). This is the work of divine grace - a reversal of human expectations. By God's grace, hardship and affliction lead not to bitterness and resentment but to a deeper love for the Lord.

11th May: Genesis 42:1-38

'Joseph's brothers...bowed themselves before him' (6): Remember Joseph's dream (37:5-11)! God is fulfilling His purpose. This has nothing to do with the glory of Joseph. It has everything to do with the glory of God. Joseph was exalted to a place of honour because he was a man of God: 'I fear God' (18). All the glory belongs to God alone! Joseph\s treatment of his brothers seemed harsh. In verse 24, we see another side of him: 'he turned away from them and wept'. Joseph loved his brothers. Behind his 'harsh' words, there was love. He wanted them to recognize their sin (38:18-33). He was paving the way for his reunion with them in brotherly love. God loves us. Sometimes, His ways seem harsh, but they are always for our best (Revelation 3:19; Hebrews 12:5-11). He shows us how much our sin hurts Him so that we might see how much He loves us.

12th May: Genesis 43:1-34

The roles have been reversed. At the beginning of Joseph's story, it seemed that the brothers had control over his destiny (37:19-20). Now, Joseph has the upper hand. Ultimately , it was the Lord who was in control. In all the events of Joseph's life, God had been leading him towards the re-uniting of the family through which He would work out His purpose of grace. Joseph, the man at the centre of God's purpose, knew the God of grace and desired that others might also know the blessing of the gracious God (29). Benjamin was Joseph's only full brother. The others were step-brothers (29:31-30:24; 35: 16-18). Joseph had a special affection for Benjamin (30). In the love of Joseph for Benjamin, we see God's love for us: 'My compassion grows warm and tender' (Hosea 11: 8); 'I have loved you with an everlasting love' (Jeremiah 31:3).

13th May: Genesis: 44:1-34

God is fulfilling His purpose: 'the brothers fell before Joseph to the ground' (14; 37:7, 10). God's purpose is moving towards its ultimate fulfilment: 'that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow' (Phillipians 2:10). As God's purpose moves forward, the brothers are being changed from men who sold their brother into slavery to men who will welcome him again as their long-lost brother (37:28; 45:15). God wants to change us - 'Jesus, You are changing me, By Your Spirit You're making me like You. Jesus, You're transforming me, That Your loveliness may be seen in all I do.You are the potter and I am the clay. Help me to be willing to let You have Your way. Jesus, You are changing me, as I let You reign supreme within my heart' (Mission Praise, 389). Bowing the knee to Jesus Christ begins here and now.

14th May: Genesis 45:1-28

In the reunion of Joseph with his brothers, there is a great testimony to the God of grace: 'Do not be distressed... because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life...God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God... God has made me lord of all Egypt' (5,7-9). Joseph was the pioneer. He went ahead of the others. He paved the way for them. Jesus is 'the Pioneer of our salvation'. He will 'bring many sons to glory'. He will welcome us as His 'brothers' (Hebrews 2:10-12). Jesus is also the 'Perfecter of our faith' (Hebrews 12:2). He is leading us to 'a better country - a heavenly one' (Hebrews 11:16). Let 'every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord' (Philipians 2:11). Let it begin here on earth.

15th May: Matthew 26:1-13

Jesus was on His way to the Cross (2). His death was the direct result of the hatred of men (3-4). It was also the supreme demonstration of the love of God (Romans 5:8). In verses 6-13, we read of a woman who loved Jesus very much. Jesus was deeply moved by her great love for Him. He wanted everyone to know about her deep devotion to Him: 'Truly, I say to you, wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her' (13). We read in Acts of the advance of the Gospel (1: 8). Great crowds became believers (2:41; 4:4; 6:7). In all of this, Jesus says to us, 'Don't forget the woman. Don't forget her love'. Love for Jesus - simple, sincere, childlike love - this is the most important thing of all: 'O for grace to love Him more' (Church Hymnary, 676).

16th May: Matthew 26:14-35

Peter and Judas Iscariot had something in common. They both failed their Lord (14-16, 34). Things turned out very differently for them (27:3-5; Acts 2:38-42). When we fail the Lord , we find ourselves at a cross-roads. We can turn to Him. We can turn away from Him. In view of His great love for us - His 'blood' has been 'poured out for the forgiveness of sins' (28) - how can we turn our backs on Him? How can you and I say 'No' to such love? There is no reason why we should say 'No' to Him - yet we do! Do we doubt that He is there for us? Do we wonder if He really loves us? What about you? Do you think that He cannot or will not forgive your sins? He can and He will. That's why He died - 'for the forgiveness of sins' (28).

17th May: Matthew 26:36-56

Jesus' suffering is increasing. What pain His disciples caused Him. Three times, He 'found them sleeping' (40-45), 'My betrayer is at hand' (46), 'all the disciples forsook Him and fled' (56)! Was this the end of the road for His disciples? No! With one exception - Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus still called 'friend' (50), the others became men of prayer (Acts 1:13-14). They stood with Peter as he preached the Gospel, as he led many sinners to the Saviour (Acts 2:14,37-38). Jesus loved His disciples. He died for them. Then - after Jesus was 'glorified' - the Spirit was 'given' to them (John 7:39). The fleeing disciples became men 'on fire' (Acts 2:3). No more 'fleeing'. Now it was 'flowing' - 'rivers of living water' (John 7:38). 'Blaze, Spirit blaze. Set our hearts on fire. Flow, river, flow. Flood the nations with grace and mercy' (Mission Praise, 445).

18th May: Matthew 26:57-75

'Peter followed Him at a distance' (58). He didn't want to get too close! Keeping your distance from Jesus leads to trouble! Trouble was not the end of Peter's story. Three times Peter denied the Lord (69-75). Three times Jesus asked him, 'Do you love me?', three times Peter answered Jesus, 'I love You' (John 21:15-17) - For each denial, an opportunity to re-affirm his love for Jesus. Three thousand souls won for Christ (Acts 2:41) - For each denial, one 'thousand souls' brought to Christ. The contrast between the 'Peter' of the Gospels and the 'Peter' of Acts is striking. When Jesus first met Peter, He said, 'You are Simon...You shall be called Peter' (John 1:42). 'Peter' means 'rock'. Peter's confession of faith - 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God' (16:16) - is the Rock on which our faith is built. With Peter, let us confess Christ.

19th May: Psalm 7:1-17

Scripture speaks to us of both judgment and salvation (6,10; Hebrews 9:27-28). The Gospel brings salvation, - 'God sent the Son... that the world might be saved...'. There is also a warning - 'he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God' (John 3:17-18). The Lord does not wish 'that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance'. Nevertheless, there will be 'the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men' (2 Peter 3:9,7). What is happening here on earth? - 'the wicked man...makes a pit...and falls into the hole which he has made' (14-15). What does God say about this? - 'If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword...' (12), 'God... commands all men everywhere to repent' (Acts 17:30). God calls for 'repentance' and 'faith in our Lord Jesus Christ' - 'Repent and believe the Gospel' (Acts 20:21; Mark 1:15).

20th May: Genesis 46:1-34

Jacob goes to Egypt. There were three factors in Jacob's guidance: Inner desire - He wanted to see Joseph; Circumstances - Joseph wanted to see him and his sons were going to take him; God's Word - God told him to go. With God's command there was also His promise - 'I will there make of you a great nation'. There was no need for fear because God would be with him (3-4). Life would not be easy in Egypt - 'every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians' (34). We live in a world which does not honour Christ as 'the Good Shepherd' (John 10:11,14), 'the Great Shepherd' (Hebrews 13:20-21), 'the Chief Shepherd' (1 Peter 5:4). In Christ, we are 'a holy nation'. Why has God made us His 'own people'? - 'that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him..' (1 Peter 2:9). 'The nations are waiting for us, waiting for the gospel we will bring' (Songs of Fellowship, 539).

21st May: Genesis 47:1-26

Jacob and Joseph - the two stories are one. Christ and the Christian - our story is bound up with His story. Jacob reflects on his life - 'What has it all amounted to?'. He does not sing his own praises (8-9). Let the glory be given to God and not kept for ourselves. Joseph provided food for his family (12). Jesus has provided for us something better than food (Matthew 4:4) - 'an eternal redemption' (Hebrews 9:12). Grateful to Joseph for what he had done for them, the people said, 'You have saved our lives...we will be slaves' (25). Saved by Christ we are to be 'slaves' of Christ (Romans 6:17-18). We belong to Christ. We are to serve Him. We look to Him to 'give us seed (His Word)...that the land may not be desolate' (19; Mark 4:14; Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 126:5-6). We 'sow'. We 'reap'. 'God gives the growth' (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) !

22nd May: Matthew 27:1-26

Jesus went to the Cross for us. Refusing to protest His own innocence, He took our guilt upon Himself. Observing this, 'the governor wondered greatly' (14). We also should wonder greatly at this - Christ took our place, receiving the punishment that should have been ours. Barabbas was released, Christ was crucified (26). This is the great exchange - the sinless Saviour takes the place of the guilty sinner (2 Corinthians 5:21). As well as its divine aspect - 'God so loved...' (John 3:16) - the Cross has a human dimension - the people, Jews and Gentiles (the whole sinful world), sent Jesus to the Cross. For Jews and Gentiles ('the whole world'), Christ has provided salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 John 2:2). In the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Christ, we are invited to ask ourselves, 'What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' (22).

23rd May: Matthew 27:27-54

The 'King of the Jews' wore 'a crown of thorns' (29). In the Cross, we see the King. The way of crucifixion - this is the way of the Kingdom. The prayer, 'Thy Kingdom come' (6: 10), could only be answered by way of the Cross. From the Cross, we hear the call for decision. It is the call of love. The love of Christ calls for our answer: 'What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' (22). Here, we see different responses to Christ - derision, mocking, reviling (39-44); misunderstanding (47-49); believing worship (54). How are we brought out of unbelief and into faith, out of derision and into rejoicing? By the mighty working of God in our hearts, we are brought out of darkness and into light (2 Corinthians 4:6). Salvation comes from above, from God - 'The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom' (51).

24th May: Matthew 27:55-66

'Mary the mother of James and Joseph' was also the mother of Jesus (56; 13:55). She began by receiving Jesus, not only as her son but also as her Saviour (Luke 1:38). She was still following Jesus - 'kept by the power of God' (1 Peter 1:5). None of us - not even the mother of Jesus - can walk with the Lord without His grace keeping us in the way of faith. The unbelieving world still denies Christ - 'that imposter' (63) - and His resurrection - 'fraud' (64). As believers, we must maintain our testimony: 'He has risen from the dead' (64). The unbelievers expected a 'fraud'. They did not expect a resurrection! For them, a resurrection was out of the question. God had a surprise in store for them! Unbelief says, 'Resurrection? - Impossible!'. Faith says, 'it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him' (Acts 2:24). He has risen (28:6) - Hallelujah!

25th May: Proverbs 3:19-35

'You will walk on your way securely...for the Lord will be your confidence' (23,26). Trusting in the Lord, we are to say, 'He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold' (Job 23:10). Our faith is under threat. There is the danger of 'sudden panic' (25). We are faced with the 'man of violence...the perverse man...the wicked...the scorners...fools' (31-35). What are we to do? Even in the most testing and trying times, we must hold on to this: God is at work for our holiness - 'Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire is to be holy. Set apart for You, Lord, I choose to be holy, set apart for You, my Master, ready to do Your will' (Songs of Fellowship, 475). Submitted to God's holy purpose, we rejoice in this: Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39).

26th May: Genesis 47:27- 48:22

No more fear (46:3). No more pride (47:9). Now, no more doubt - God will bless (15-16, 19-21). Let it be confidence (Philippians 1:6), humility (John 15:5) and faith (Hebrews 11:1; Philippians 3:14). Man's way is set aside - 'his younger brother shall be greater than he' (19). We are 'saved by grace' (Ephesians 2:8). There is one way of salvation - God's way (John 14:6). Israel was promised a 'land' (21). In Christ, we are being led on to 'a better country...a heavenly one' (Hebrews 11:16). Jacob said, 'I am about to die' (21). Jesus says, 'I died and...I am alive for evermore' (Revelation 1:18). He says, 'I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also' (John 14:3). No more fear, pride, doubt - Christ saves 'to the uttermost' (Hebrews 7:25).

27th May: Genesis 49:1-27

Jacob blesses his sons, 'blessing each with the blessing suitable to him' (28). The most significant blessings are reserved for Joseph (22-26). This is not simply the blessing of Jacob. This is the blessing of 'the Mighty One of Jacob...the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel...the God of your father...God Almighty' (24-25). God blesses us 'with blessings of heaven above, blessings which are mighty beyond the blessings of the eternal mountains, the bounties of the everlasting hills' (25-26). He does this for us in Jesus Christ, the fulfilment of the divine purpose within which Joseph was privileged to take his part. 'God... has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places' (Ephesians 1:3). What blessings He has given to us - the forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, eternal life (Ephesians 1:7,13-14)! 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits' (Psalm 103:2).

28th May: Genesis 49:28- 50:26

It was a time of 'very great and sorrowful lamentation' (10). Jacob had died (33). Soon, Joseph would be gone (26). God was still there. He had been there in the past (20). He would be there in the future (24-25). Times are hard. We rejoice: 'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases'. An earthly life has ended. We say, 'His mercies never come to an end'. We cannot cope. We discover that 'His mercies are new every morning'. Everything seems to be changing. We trust in God's unchanging love: 'Great is Thy faithfulness'. It seems hopeless. We say, 'I will hope in the Lord' (Lamentations 3:22-24). 'Bad' things are happening to you. Do you need to be 'reassured... and comforted'? - 'God meant it for good...Do not fear'. The Lord 'will provide for you' (20-21). Whatever happens, remember this - God is in control, and He loves you (Romans 8:28)!

29th May: Matthew 28:1-10

The resurrection declares Christ's victory over evil, the triumph of His love. There is no need for fear: 'He has risen' - His 'perfect love casts out fear' (5-6; 1 John 4:18). There has to be a new beginning in faith. First, there was a new beginning 'in fact - Christ has been raised from the dead' (1 Corinthians 15:20). Christ has won the victory over the grave. Christ has taken the sting out of death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Between the new beginning in faith - making disciples (19) - and the new beginning in fact - Christ's resurrection - , there is worship (9). The fact is not dependent on our feelings. 'He has risen' (6-7) - the fact stands, even when many doubt and few worship (17). As we worship, we are strengthened in faith, strengthened for our task. We are to invite people to come to the place where 'they will see' Jesus (10). We are to 'make disciples' (19). Run and tell - with great joy (8)!

30th May: Matthew 28:11-20

Why is it so important that we 'make disciples' (19)? There is a devil, and he is doing his utmost to hinder the progress of God's truth. He spreads lies about Christ - 'to this day' he is still sowing seeds of unbelief (11-15). We must combat the enemy of Christ - with words of truth, with the believing declaration, 'He has risen' (6-7). Satan failed to halt the progress of the Gospel. Christ's disciples rose to the challenge, and so must we: 'Rise up, you champions of God...We'll reach this generation...Go forth! Jesus loves them. Go forth! Take the Gospel. Go forth! The time is now. The harvest is ripening; Go forth! Feel now the burden of the Lord. Feel how He longs to save them. Feel now for those who never heard...Now is the time' (Songs of Fellowship, 486). 'All authority...has been given to Me...I am with you always' (18-20).

31st May: Psalm 8:1-9

The Lord is 'majestic' (1,9). He does not remain remote. He does not keep His distance. He show us His greatness, the greatness of His love. We feel forgotten. He remembers us. We feel unloved. He cares for us (4). We are tempted. He will 'still the enemy' (2). We look beyond our creation (5-8) to our salvation - 'we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone...that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil' (Hebrews 2:8-9,14). This is 'Majesty' - 'Jesus, who died, now glorified, King of all kings'. The Name of the Lord is majestic 'in all the earth' (1, 9). To God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - we pray, 'Glorify Your Name in all the earth' (Mission Praise. 454,142).

The light is shining brightly ...

Daily Devotional Readings: 29th-31st January
For more of these Daily Devotional Readings, visit God's Word For Every Day.

29th January: Matthew 4:12-17

Having overcome His enemy, Jesus begins His ministry. Satan will be back - Luke ends his account of Jesus' temptations with these ominous words, 'When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left until an opportune time' (4:12). Satan will try again, but - for now - he has failed to stop Jesus setting out on His ministry, a ministry which brings light into the darkness. The light is shining brightly - 'the Kingdom of heaven is near' (17). Jesus' ministry is viewed as a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy (15-16; Isaiah 9:1-2). The prophecy had been given: Death will be overcome, men and women will be delivered from 'the shadow of death'. Now, in Christ, the prophecy has been fulfilled: by His death, Christ has destroyed 'him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil' and He has set 'free' those who live in 'fear of death' (Hebrews 2:14-15).

30th January: Matthew 4:18-25

Christ's victory over the world was won for us (1 John 3:8: 5:4-5). Jesus was not a loner. He was a team leader: 'From victory to victory His army He will lead' (Church Hymnary, 481). At the very outset of His ministry, He set about putting together His ministry team. Peter, Andrew, James and John were the first four disciples. He called them to follow Him. His call was both gracious and demanding. It is gracious because it is the Saviour who calls us: 'Follow Me'. It is demanding because He calls us to follow, to submit to His Lordship: 'Follow Me'. These men were called to a new kind of 'fishing' (19). Jesus' ministry reached 'great crowds' through His 'teaching ...preaching ...and healing' (23-25). This chapter sets the scene for Jesus' ministry. We see the Word of the Lord triumphant over Satan, fulfilled in Christ, and effective in the lives of the disciples and the crowds.

31st January: Proverbs 1:1-7

Scripture speaks of different kinds of 'wisdom'. In Proverbs, wisdom is closely associated with godliness. In Ecclesiastes, wisdom - viewed as mere human intelligence - is described as 'meaningless, a chasing after the wind' (1:12-18). This contrast is continued in the New Testament, where Paul describes Christ as our 'Wisdom', contrasting this Wisdom with 'the wisdom of the world' (1 Corinthians 1:18-25,30). The purpose of Proverbs is set out in its opening verses. Notice the vital connection between 'understanding' and 'doing' (2-3). We are to be 'doers' as well as 'hearers' of God's Word (James 1:22). We are to 'keep what is written' in God's Word (Revelation 1:3). The great theme of Proverbs is stated in verse 7: 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge'. Christ is our Wisdom. We will never be wise unless we build our lives on Him (Matthew 7: 24-27).

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three - July

1st July: Jeremiah 39:1-18

You can take the man out of Babylon, but you can't take Babylon out of the man! We may have never set foot in the ancient city of Babylon, but we know all about the spirit of Babylon! 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt' (17:9) - This is the spirit of Babylon, 'the spirit of disobedience', the spirit which is 'at work' in every one of us: 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Ephesians 2:2; Romans 3:23). Is there any hope for us? We cannot change ourselves: 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil' (13:23). We can be changed by God. To those who 'trust' in Him, the Lord says, 'I will save you' (18). God wants to bless you. Put your trust in Him. Let His blessing flow into your heart (17:7).

2nd July: Jeremiah 40:1-16

'The Lord your God pronounced this evil against this place; the Lord has brought it about, and has done as He said. Because you sinned against the Lord, and did not obey His voice, this thing has come upon you' (3). We hear a great deal today about 'the feel good factor'. People need to get a good feeling: 'Give them a pat on the back. Make them feel good about themselves'. There's not much of a 'feel good factor' in Jeremiah's preaching! The people must have been wondering, 'Where did they dig him up from? He has nothing good to say about anyone or anything'. We must rise above the sarcasm of those who have no time for the Word of the Lord. We must ask, 'Where did Jeremiah's message really come from?'. This is what the Word of the Lord says: 'The Word came to Jeremiah from the Lord' (1).

3rd July: Jeremiah 41:1-42:6

Terrible things were happening! Things were going from bad to worse. 'What next?' - The people were wondering where it would all end. What are we to do when everything seems to be getting totally out of control? There is one thing we must never forget. It is the most important thing of all. We must 'pray to the Lord our God'. We must ask Him to 'show us the way we should go'. He will 'show us the thing that we should do' (42:2-3). It's time to stop complaining and start praying. 'What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!...Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer!...Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer!' (Mission Praise, 746).

4th July: Jeremiah 42:7-43:7

'Do not go to Egypt' (19). We may never set foot in the country known as 'Egypt' - but the spirit of 'Egypt' may be in our hearts: 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him...?' (Exodus 5:2). 'Egypt' is an attitude of the heart. It is an attitude of rebellion against God. We must say 'No' to 'Egypt'. We must say 'No' to the spirit of rebellion against God. For God's people, 'Egypt' was a place of slavery, a place from which they needed to be set free by God (Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-10). Each of us must choose how we will live. We can remain in the place of slavery - 'slaves of sin' - , or we can be 'obedient from the heart', stepping out from that place into the place of freedom, 'the new life of the Spirit' - '`the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death' (Romans 6:17-18; 7:6; 8:2).

5th July: Psalm 115:1-18

'Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the glory because of Your love and faithfulness' (1). God loves us. He loves us with a faithful love, 'an evelasting love', a 'love that will not let us go'. His love 'never comes to an end'. Nothing can separate us from His love (Jeremiah 31:3; Lamentations 3:22-23; Romans 8:38-39; Church Hymnary, 677). What have we done to deserve such love? Absolutely nothing! We are 'sinners'. We do not deserve to be loved by God. We have done nothing to earn His love. Love begins with God. It comes from Him. How do we know that He loves us? Have we proved ourselves worthy of His love? No! - 'God shows His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us'. 'To God be the glory!' (Romans 5:8; Church Hymnary, 374).

6th July: Psalms 116:1-117:2

'I love the Lord...I will call on Him as long as I live' (116:1-2). Our love for God is to be a lifelong life. It is to be the love of our life. What are we to do when our love for God grows weak? We must remember His love for us - 'Great is His love towards us. The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever' (117:2). When we we find it difficult to keep on loving God, we must remember how much He loves us. When we feel live giving up on loving God, we must remember that He never gives up on loving us. He loves us when our love for Him is strong. He loves us when our love for Him is weak. In love, He reaches out to us. He brings us out of our weakness and into His strength. Let His strong love reach you in your weakness and give you His strength: 'Loving Him who first loved me' (Church Hymnary, 450).

7th July: Jeremiah 43:8-44:14

'The Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah' (43:8). The Lord speaks His Word to those who are prepared to make time for listening to Him. Come to God's Word, praying that it will be 'a lamp to your feet and a light to your path'. Come with the prayer, 'Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your Word'. See that you 'live according to His Word': 'I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You' (Psalm 119:105,18,9,11). Pray that God will 'speak' to you. 'Listen' to what He says to you (1 Samuel 3:10). 'Say to them, "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel says..."' (43:10). Don't keep God's Word to yourself. Share His Word. We are not to listen to God without also speaking for Him. We must remember that we cannot really speak for Him unless we are also listening to Him.

8th July: Jeremiah 44:15-45:5

'Egypt' was to be a place of punishment. To those who remain in the the place of rebellion, God says, 'I will punish you in this place'. This is His Word of warning. We don't need to remain in the place of rebellion and punishment. We can 'return' to 'Judah', the place of obedience and blessing (28-29). This is not about places we will find on a map of the world. It's a call to look into the secret places of our hearts. We must ask God to search our hearts. What will He find when He looks into our hearts? Will He find rebellion? Will He find obedience? God wants us to leave the place of rebellion and punishment. He wants us to return to the place of obedience and blessing. 'Search me, O God, and know my heart!...See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!' (Psalm 139:23-24).

9th July: Jeremiah 46:1-28

'Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He said, "I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will destroy cities and their inhabitants"' (8). The spirit of rebellion against God is very powerful. Many lives have been destroyed by the attitude of proud unbelief: 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him...?' (Exodus 5:2). We must take our stand against this attitude. We must stand up for the Lord. We see the world going from bad and worse. We must continue to believe the Word of God. When we are filled with fear, He comes to us with His Word, 'Do not fear...Do not be dismayed...'. When we feel the spirit of rebellion sweeping over us, God comes to us with His promise: 'I will surely save you out of a distant place'. He gives us 'peace and security' - 'Do not fear...I am with you' (27-28).

10th July: Jeremiah 47:1-48:17

'The day has come to destroy all the Philistines...The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines ...Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed' (47:4). That seems like ancient history - nothing to do with us! What about this? - 'A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord's work!' (48:17). The Bible may have been written many centuries ago - but it still has a great deal to do with us! We miss the point if we read the Bible as no more than a book of ancient history. God is still speaking to us through His Word. He is still calling us to sit up and take notice. He is still demanding our attention. We must not be lazy in the work of the Lord. We are to be faithful servants of the Lord. 'Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord...your labour in the Lord is not in vain' (1 Corinthians 15:58).

11th July: 1 Peter 1:1-25

On earth, we have 'trials'. In 'heaven', we will have 'salvation' (3-9). In our journey from trials to salvation, from earth to heaven, we are to live a life of holiness and love. In this life of 'obedience to the truth', we must never forget that we have been 'redeemed with the precious blood of Christ' (15,22,18-19). We must never take pride in our obedience - 'boasting is excluded'. All that can be said about ourselves is this: 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'. What makes the difference? What is it that changes us? What is it that sets us on the pathway of holiness and love? We have received 'the redemption which is in Christ Jesus'. Our 'faith' is in Him (Romans 3:27,23-25). He makes the difference. He changes us. He makes us holy. He fills us with His love.

12th July: 1 Peter 2:1-25

Being 'God's own people' is a great privilege - 'you have received mercy'. It is also a great responsibility - 'declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light' (9-10). God's people are described as 'strangers in the world' (11). We must not think of ourselves as 'superior' - 'a cut above the rest'. We are not! In ourselves, we are 'strangers' - 'without God in the world'. There's nothing 'special' about us, There's something very special about what God has done for us: 'In Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ' (Ephesians 2:12-13). As those who 'have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls', let's point others to Him who 'bore our sins...that we might die to sin and live to righteousness' (24-25).

13th July: 1 Peter 3:1-4:6

The world is preoccupied with outward appearances. As Christians, we should be more concerned with our inward attitude. 'In your hearts reverence Christ as Lord'. Pray for His 'attitude' - 'a tender heart and a humble mind' (8,15; 4:1). We believe the Gospel - 'Christ died for our sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God'. Let's share the Gospel - 'Be always ready to give...a reason for the hope that is in you'. How are we to share the Gospel? - 'with gentleness and respect' (18,15). We must get the attitude right - 'so that nothing will hinder our prayers' (7). We need more than the 'right' prayers - words that sound good. We need the right attitude. The blessing will not come because our words sound good. It will only come when our attitude is right.

14th July: 1 Peter 4:7-5:14

In all the service we offer to God, there is to be the offering of worship: 'To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever' (4:11; 5:11). We will not learn to serve God unless we are learning to worship Him. There is a 'form of religion' which 'denies the power' of God - 'These people honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me' (2 Timothy 3:5; Matthew 15:8). They go through the motions - but their hearts are not in it! We must pray that God will deliver us from this kind of thing: 'O for a heart to praise my God! A heart from sin set free; A heart that always feels Thy blood, so freely shed for me' (Church Hymnary, 85). 'Religion' is about respectability. Salvation is about renewal: 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me' (Psalm 51:10).

15th July: Jeremiah 49:1-22

'Afterwards I will restore the fortunes...' (6). Sometimes, when you're going through a particularly difficult time, you may wonder, 'Will this ever end?'. God speaks to us His Word of encouragement. There will be an 'afterwards'. There will be a 'restoration of our fortunes'. 'The Lord will not cast us off for ever. Though He brings grief, He will show compassion according to His steadfast love. He does not willingly bring suffering or grief to anyone' (Lamentations 3:31-33). There will come a time when we will be able to look back at our most distressing circumstances and say from the heart, 'God meant it for good' (Genesis 50:20). In our most testing and trying times, God is teaching us to say, with confidence in Him, 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him' (Romans 8:28).

16th July: Jeremiah 49:23-39

'I will restore the fortunes...in days to come' (39). God is calling us on to His future, a glorious future, a future full of heavenly and eternal glory. We look ahead to 'days to come'. We look ahead to the greatest Day of all - the Day of Christ's Return. It will be a glorious Day - 'the Day He comes to be glorified...in all who have believed'. What a glorious Day it will be - the Day of 'the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ', the Day of 'our being gathered to Him': 'The Lord Himself will come down from heaven...We will be with the Lord for ever'. Get ready for Christ's Return. Don't be like those who 'perish'. They 'do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus'. They 'refuse to love the truth and be saved'. Have 'faith' in Christ and be 'saved' (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:1,10,13-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

17th July: Jeremiah 50:1-28

'The people...will go in tears to seek the Lord their God...They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten' (4-5). God is calling us to come to Him. He is calling us to commit ourselves to Him. We are to come to the Lord with 'tears': 'Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation' (2 Corinthians 7:10). Our commitment to the Lord is not to be a half-hearted thing. It is to be a whole-hearted dedication of our lives to Him. God loves us. He has blessed us so much. He has drawn us to Himself. He has heard and answered our prayer for salvation. How are we to respond to such love? We must give ourselves to Him as 'a living sacrifice'. This is our 'spiritual worship'. It is 'holy and pleasing to God' (Romans 12:1).

18th July: Jeremiah 50:29-46

'The arrogant one will stumble and fall' (32). God's Word warns us - 'Pride goes before...a fall'; 'Arrogance will bring your downfall' (Proverbs 16:18; 29:23). We must not trust in ourselves. We must put our trust in the Lord - Our 'Redeemer is strong. The Lord Almighty is His Name' (34). We must not boast of ourselves. Salvation is 'not our own doing'. We must 'boast of the Lord'. Salvation is 'the gift of God' (1 Corinthians 1:31; Ephesians 2:8-9). When we are tempted to take pride in ourselves - 'Lord, I thank You that I am not like other men...' (Luke 18:11-12), we must come to the Cross of Christ, praying the sinner's prayer - 'Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner' (Luke 18:13) - and boasting only of the Lord - 'God forbid that I should glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Galatians 6:14).

19th July: Psalm 118:1-29

'The Lord is my Strength and my Song. He is my Saviour' (14). Knowing that Jesus Christ is our Saviour gives us a song to sing: 'Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine...This is my story, this is my song, praising my Saviour all the day long'. Knowing that Jesus Christ is our Saviour, we sing His song with strength, committing ourselves to His service, earnestly seeking to win others for Him: 'We've a story to tell to the nations, that shall turn their hearts to the right ...We've a song to be sung to the nations, that shall lift their hearts to the Lord...We've a message to give to the nations, that the Lord, who reigneth above, hath sent us His Son to save us...We've a Saviour to show to the nations...' (Mission Praise, 59,744). Don't keep your Saviour to yourself. Share Him with others. Win others for Him.

20th July: Psalm 119:1-24

The way of blessing is the way of obedience (1,9,11,17). Many will choose the way of disobedience - 'influential people sit together and slander me'. We must choose the way of obedience - 'Your servant will meditate on Your teachings' (23). Following Jesus Christ will not be easy. We see many people turning back from following Him. We are tempted to join them. We feel the pull of the world. We must not take our eyes off Jesus. We must not return to the world's way of living. We must remember all that Jesus has done for us - 'He loved us and gave Himself for us' (Galatians 2:20) - and recommit ourselves to following Him: 'I have decided to follow Jesus...The world behind me, the Cross before me...Though none go with me, I still will follow...No turning back, no turning back' (Mission Praise, 272).

21st July: Psalm 119: 25-48

'Revive me according to Your Word' (25). How does God revive us according to His Word? He gives us His salvation: 'Let Your unfailing love come to me, O Lord - Your salvation according to Your Word' (41). He gives us His strength: 'My soul is weary with sorrow. Strengthen me according to Your Word' (28). He gives us a change of heart: 'I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws...I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free...Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with my whole heart...Turn my heart to Your testimonies...' (30,32,34,36). He gives us 'new life': 'When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!' (40; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

22nd July: Psalm 119:49-72

God's Word makes such a difference! When everything seems so hopeless, we turn to God's Word and we find that there is 'hope' (49). When we are going through a time of terrible 'suffering', we turn to God's Word and we find 'comfort' (50,52). When everything seems to be going so badly, we must keep on reading the Word of the Lord: 'The wicked have laid a trap for me, but I do not forget Your law' (61). Through His Word, God is teaching us to see His purpose in our sufferings: 'The punishment You gave me was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your laws' (71). God is showing us what is really important: 'The law that You gave means more to me than all the money in the world' (72). He is teaching us to see His 'love' in every part of our life (64).

23rd July: Psalm 119:73-96

We rejoice in God's 'constant love'. This is our 'comfort' - God keeps on loving us no matter what's going on in our lives. We may be going through really hard times - 'Men persecute me with lies...They have almost succeeded in killing me'. There's one thing that never changes - God's 'constant love'. He loves us in the hard times as well as in the happy times. His love inspires us to keep on loving Him when we feel like giving up in despair (76,86-88). We see many changes taking place in our world. Sometimes, we wonder, 'Where is God in all of this? Has He abandoned us? Can we keep on trusting Him and rejoicing in His Word?'. When our minds are full of negative thoughts, we must remember God's Word - 'Your Word, O Lord, will last for ever...Your faithfulness endures through all the ages' (89-90).

24th July: Psalm 119:97-120

Throughout life, we have to make choices. Some choices are relatively straightforward. Others are very much more difficult. Some choices don't affect the rest of our life very much. There are, however, choices which affect the whole of our life. There is one choice which is more important than any other - Choosing the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Those who refuse to choose are 'double-minded'(113). They can't make up their mind. They know that they should be following Christ - but they are still 'in love with the world'. They are 'lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God' (I John 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:4). Make your choice. Say to the world, 'Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God'. Say to God, 'I have decided to obey Your laws until the day I die' (115,112).

25th July: Psalm 119:121-144

'The entrance of Your words gives light' (130). The Word of God brings light into our lives. Sadly, many people 'love darkness rather than light'. They refuse to 'come to the light'. They prefer to remain in the darkness. They refuse to listen to what God is saying to them through His Word. Then, when things are not going so well for them, they blame God. They say, 'It's all Your fault'! Things could have been so different. They could have learned to spend time with God. They could have learned the lessons of faith which are found in God's Word. They could have learned to cope with life's difficulties. They could have been filled with the strength of the Lord. They would not be complaining against Him. They would be rejoicing in Him: He has 'called us out of darkness into His marvellous light' (1 Peter 2:10).

26th July: Psalm 119:145-176

'With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!' (145). God is calling us to pray. There is nothing more important than this. If other things have become more important in our lives, we need to think about the way we are living. God wants to send His blessing into our lives: 'Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you' (Matthew 7:7). His blessing will come to those who seek him with their whole heart: 'You will seek Me and find Me when you seek me with all your heart' (Jeremiah 29:13). If we do not ask, we will not receive: 'You do not have, because you do not ask' (James 4:2). God's blessing is not given to those who are half-hearted. God is calling us to love Him with our whole heart: 'I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight' (174).

27th July: Jeremiah 51:1-33

'Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations!' (27). God calls us to be His witnesses. If we are growing in our fellowship with the Lord, we will want others to know what they're missing. We will want them to know how much blessing they could know - if they put their faith in Christ and began to walk with Him day-by-day. Let us give our testimony: 'The Lord is my Banner', 'His banner over me is love' (Exodus 17:15; Song of Solomon 2:4). Let us make sure that our 'trumpet' gives out 'a clear call', calling people to come to Christ. We must point them to Christ, calling them to trust Him as Saviour and obey Him as Lord. We must show them the way to true happiness: 'Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey' (Mission Praise, 760).

28th July: Jeremiah 51:34-64

'When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud' (61). God's Word is not to be kept within the place of worship. We are to take His Word to 'Babylon'. We must speak His Word in the places where He is not worshipped. We are to call people to turn from their sinful ways. We are to call them to return to the Lord. This will not be an easy message to speak. Many people won't want to hear it. We must warn people that by neglecting God's salvation, they are placing themselves in danger of His judgment. We must speak of the Day when everyone of us must 'answer' to God concerning the way we have lived our lives (Hebrews 2:3; 4:13). We must call on people to 'believe in the Lord Jesus' and 'be saved' (Acts 16:31).

29th July: Jeremiah 52:1-34

We need 'a portion for each day...all the days of our life' (34). When we pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread', we must look beynd our physical need for food. We must remember our spiritual need for 'the Bread of life': 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God' (Matthew 6:11; John 6:35; Luke 4:4). Day-by day, we should pray for spiritual feeding: 'Break Thou the Bread of life, dear Lord to me, as Thou didst break the bread beside the sea. Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord. My spirit longs for Thee, Thou living Word! Thou art the Bread of life, O Lord, to me, Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me. Give me to eat and live with Thee above. Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love' (Mission Praise, 64).

30th July: Psalm 120:1-121:8

'Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips' (120:2). God calls us to 'believe the truth', 'love the truth' and 'follow the truth'. We are to be people who 'do what is true' (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11; 3 John 3-4; John 3:21). How can we be such people? We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is 'the Truth' (Hebrews 12:2; John 14:6). When we are tempted to turn away from the pathway of truth, we must remember this: 'My help comes from the Lord'. We must remember God's promise: 'The Lord is your Keeper...The Lord will keep you from all evil'. God's promise is not only for 'this time'. It's 'for evermore'(121:2,5,7-8). This gives us glorious hope as we keep on looking to Christ,'eagerly awaiting' His Return ( Hebrews 9:28).

31st July: Psalm 122:1-124:8

'I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the House of the Lord"' (122:2). Why do we go to the House of the Lord? We go 'to give thanks to the Name of the Lord' (122:4). We seek His mercy for our past sins: 'Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us!' (123:3). We seek His help for our future temptations: 'Our help is in the Name of the Lord...' (124:8). As we receive mercy and help from the Lord, we worship Him: 'Blessed be the Lord' (124:6). In our worship, we 'look to the Lord of our God', drawing encouragement from His Word: 'The Lord is on our side' - In Him we have the victory (123:2; 124:1-5). Rejoicing in God's blessing, we pray for others: 'May they prosper who love You' (122:6).