Daily Bible Notes: April, 1st
The following daily bible notes for every day of the year, are taken from six public domain sources:
- "Morning and Evening" by Charles H.Spurgeon
- "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by John H.Jowett
- "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
- "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by Charles H.Spurgeon
- "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan
- An Evening Meditation from "Searchlights from the Word" by G. Campbell Morgan
1. "Morning and Evening" by C.H.Spurgeon
Morning
Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth.
Song of Solomon 1:2
For several days we have been dwelling upon the Saviour’s passion, and for some little time to come we shall linger there. In beginning a new month, let us seek the same desires after our Lord as those which glowed in the heart of the elect spouse. See how she leaps at once to Him ; there are no prefatory words; she does not even mention His name; she is in the heart of her theme at once, for she speaks of Him who was the only Him in the world to her. How bold is her love! it was much condescension which permitted the weeping penitent to anoint His feet with spikenard - it was rich love which allowed the gentle Mary to sit at His feet and learn of Him - but here, love, strong, fervent love, aspires to higher tokens of regard, and closer signs of fellowship. Esther trembled in the presence of Ahasuerus, but the spouse in joyful liberty of perfect love knows no fear.
If we have received the same free spirit, we also may ask the like. By kisses we suppose to be intended those varied manifestations of affection by which the believer is made to enjoy the love of Jesus. The kiss of reconciliation we enjoyed at our conversion, and it was sweet as honey dropping from the comb. The kiss of acceptance is still warm on our brow, as we know that He hath accepted our persons and our works through rich grace. The kiss of daily, present communion , is that which we pant after to be repeated day after day, till it is changed into the kiss of reception , which removes the soul from earth, and the kiss of consummation which fills it with the joy of heaven. Faith is our walk, but fellowship sensibly felt is our rest. Faith is the road, but communion with Jesus is the well from which the pilgrim drinks. O lover of our souls, be not strange to us; let the lips of Thy blessing meet the lips of our asking; let the lips of Thy fulness touch the lips of our need, and straightway the kiss will be effected.
Evening
It is time to seek the Lord.
Hosea 10:12
This month of April is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio , which signifies to open , because all the buds and blossoms are now opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery year. Reader, if you are yet unsaved, may your heart, in accord with the universal awakening of nature, be opened to receive the Lord. Every blossoming flower warns you that it is time to seek the Lord ; be not out of tune with nature, but let your heart bud and bloom with holy desires. Do you tell me that the warm blood of youth leaps in your veins? then, I entreat you, give your vigour to the Lord. It was my unspeakable happiness to be called in early youth, and I could fain praise the Lord every day for it. Salvation is priceless, let it come when it may, but oh! an early salvation has a double value in it. Young men and maidens, since you may perish ere you reach your prime, "It is time to seek the Lord ." Ye who feel the first signs of decay, quicken your pace: that hollow cough, that hectic flush, are warnings which you must not trifle with; with you it is indeed time to seek the Lord. Did I observe a little grey mingled with your once luxurious tresses? Years are stealing on apace, and death is drawing nearer by hasty marches, let each return of spring arouse you to set your house in order.
Dear reader, if you are now advanced in life, let me entreat and implore you to delay no longer. There is a day of grace for you now - be thankful for that, but it is a limited season and grows shorter every time that clock ticks. Here in this silent chamber, on this first night of another month, I speak to you as best I can by paper and ink, and from my inmost soul, as God’s servant, I lay before you this warning, "It is time to seek the Lord ."
Slight not that work, it may be your last call from destruction, the final syllable from the lip of grace.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Luke 23:33-47
33 When they came to the place that is called "The Skull", they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Dividing his garments amongst them, they cast lots.
35 The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!"
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,
37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
38 An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
39 One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!"
40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."
42 He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
43 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46 Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Having said this, he breathed his last.
47 When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man."
THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS
Look at our Lord in relation to His foes. "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!" Their bitterness has not embittered Him. The "milk of human kindness" was still sweet. Nothing could sour our Lord, and convert His goodwill into malice, His serene beneficence into wild revenge. And how is it with me? Are my foes able to maim my spirit as well as my body? Do they win their end by making me a smaller man? Or am I magnanimous even on the cross?
And look at our Lord in relation to the penitent thief. "To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." There was no self-centredness in our Saviour's grief. He was the good Physician, even when His body was mangled on the cross. He healed a broken heart even in the very pangs of death. When "there was darkness over all the earth," He let the light of the morning into the heart of a desolate thief. And, good Lord, graciously help me to do likewise!
And all this amazing graciousness is explained in our Lord's relation to His Father. "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit!" Yes, everything is there! When I and My Father are one, my spirit will remain sweet as the violet and pure as the dew.
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
April 1st.
My Father, take charge of my desires. Incline them into Thy will. May they instinctively bend in homage to Thy choice! May
they never rear themselves in haughty antagonism to Thee!
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isaiah 35:8
The way of holiness is so straight and plain that the simplest minds cannot go astray if they constantly follow it. The worldly wise have many twists and turns, and yet they make terrible blunders, and generally miss their end. Worldly policy is a poor short-sighted thing, and when men choose it as their road, it leads them over dark mountains. Gracious minds know no better than to do as the Lord bids them; but this keeps them in the king's highway, and under royal protection.
Let the reader never for a moment attempt to help himself out of a difficulty by a falsehood, or by a questionable act; but let him keep in the middle of the high road of truth and integrity, and he will be following the best possible course. In our lives we must never practise circular sailing, nor dream of shuffling. Be just and fear not. Follow Jesus and heed no evil consequences. If the worst of ills could be avoided by wrong-doing, we should, in the very attempt, have fallen into an evil worse than any other ill could be. God's way must be the best way. Follow it though men think you a fool, and you will be truly wise.
Lord, lead thy servants in a plain path because of their enemies.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
We have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 5:1
In the eternity of God, time has but one significance - it is perpetually and unceasingly "Now."
Not built with hands is that fair radiant chamber
Of God's untroubled rest,
Where Christ awaits to lay
His weary-hearted In stillness on His breast.
O Home of God, my Father's joy and gladness,
O riven Veil, whereby I enter in!
There can my soul forget the grave, the weeping,
The weariness and sin.
T. S. M.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Ye shall be My witnesses.
Acts 1:8
In the matter of the responsibility of the Christian soul, and the Christian Church, these are the arresting words of this first chapter of Luke's second treatise. This book is of priceless value as it gives the story of the first movements in the work of the Church. The incidents selected by Luke cover a period of about a generation and illustrate how varied were the forms of her service; and in them we have a revelation of her one mission, and of the method by which she is to fulfil it. That mission is simply and inclusively that of making Christ known, and the method by which it is to be accomplished is that of the witness of all her members. Because of the infinite fullness of the Lord, and the complex need of man, that mission is infinite. There is no possible experience of humanity, individual or social, to which He does not speak, in His infinite wisdom and in His redeeming power. Therefore the fullness of this witness demands all the natural and spiritual resources of His people. Nevertheless the simplicity of this statement enables us to make the most personal application of the truth. The question by which we may persistently test ourselves is: "How far am I living - thinking, speaking, doing - so that the Lord may be seen and heard and known?" The measure in which every Christian soul is a living witness, is the measure in which the Christian Church is fulfilling her true mission.
Note: To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that the above material, all published before 1926 and freely available elsewhere on the internet in various formats, is in the public domain.