March 26 “What is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:22) The Lord Jesus had just told Peter that he would live to be an old man, and then die a martyr’s death. Peter immediately looked across at John and wondered out loud if John would receive preferred treatment. The Lord’s reply was, “What…
March 25 “In the beginning God—” (Gen. 1:1) If we separate the first four words of Genesis 1:1 from the rest of the verse, they form a sort of motto for all of life. They say, “God first.” We find this motto suggested in the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”…
March 24 “Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Eph. 4:7) We must always remember that whenever the Lord tells us to do something, He gives us the needed power. All His commands include His enablement, even when His commands are in the realm of…
March 23 “Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.” (2 Sam. 24:24) When David was instructed to offer burnt offerings where the Lord had stopped the pestilence, Araunah offered as an outright gift a threshing floor, oxen, and wood for the fire. But David insisted…
March 22 “Thou didst well in that it was in thine heart.” (1 Kings 8:18) One of the great desires of David’s heart was to build a Temple for Jehovah in Jerusalem. The Lord sent word that he would not be permitted to build the Temple because he was a man of war, but the…
March 21 “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shall thou restrain.” (Psa. 76:10) One of the fascinating features of human history is the way in which God makes man’s wrath praise Him. Ever since the Fall, man has shaken the fist against God, against His people and against His…
March 20 “Father, I have sinned…” (Lu. 15:21) It was not until the prodigal son returned repentant that the father ran out to meet him, fell on his neck and kissed him. It would not have been righteous to administer forgiveness until first there was repentance. The scriptural principle is, “… if he repent, forgive…
March 19 “Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.” (Judges 5:23) The Song of Deborah rehearses the curse on Meroz for staying on the sidelines while the army…
March 18 “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:4 NASB) The key word in Philippians 2 is “others.” The Lord Jesus lived for others. Paul lived for others. Timothy lived for others. Epaphroditus lived for others. We too should live for others. We…
March 17 “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule.” (Psa. 32:9) It seems to me that the horse and the mule picture two wrong attitudes we might have when we are seeking the Lord’s guidance. The horse wants to charge ahead; the mule wants to lag behind. The horse tends to be…