Daily Bible Notes: August, 9th
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
The city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it.
Revelation 21:23
Yonder in the better world, the inhabitants are independent of all creature comforts. They have no need of raiment; their white robes never wear out, neither shall they ever be defiled. They need no medicine to heal diseases, "for the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." They need no sleep to recruit their frames - they rest not day nor night, but unweariedly praise Him in His temple. They need no social relationship to minister comfort, and whatever happiness they may derive from association with their fellows is not essential to their bliss, for their Lord’s society is enough for their largest desires. They need no teachers there; they doubtless commune with one another concerning the things of God, but they do not require this by way of instruction; they shall all be taught of the Lord. Ours are the alms at the king’s gate, but they feast at the table itself. Here we lean upon the friendly arm, but there they lean upon their Beloved and upon Him alone.
Here we must have the help of our companions, but there they find all they want in Christ Jesus. Here we look to the meat which perisheth, and to the raiment which decays before the moth, but there they find everything in God. We use the bucket to fetch us water from the well, but there they drink from the fountain head, and put their lips down to the living water. Here the angels bring us blessings, but we shall want no messengers from heaven then. They shall need no Gabriels there to bring their love-notes from God, for there they shall see Him face to face. Oh! what a blessed time shall that be when we shall have mounted above every second cause and shall rest upon the bare arm of God! What a glorious hour when God, and not His creatures; the Lord, and not His works, shall be our daily joy! Our souls shall then have attained the perfection of bliss.
Evening
He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.
Mark 16:9
Mary of Magdala was the victim of a fearful evil . She was possessed by not one devil only, but seven. These dreadful inmates caused much pain and pollution to the poor frame in which they had found a lodging. Hers was a hopeless, horrible case. She could not help herself, neither could any human succour avail. But Jesus passed that way, and unsought, and probably even resisted by the poor demoniac, He uttered the word of power, and Mary of Magdala became a trophy of the healing power of Jesus . All the seven demons left her, left her never to return, forcibly ejected by the Lord of all. What a blessed deliverance! What a happy change! From delirium to delight, from despair to peace, from hell to heaven! Straightway she became a constant follower of Jesus , catching His every word, following His devious steps, sharing His toilsome life; and withal she became His generous helper , first among that band of healed and grateful women who ministered unto Him of their substance. When Jesus was lifted up in crucifixion, Mary remained the sharer of His shame : we find her first beholding from afar, and then drawing near to the foot of the cross. She could not die on the cross with Jesus, but she stood as near it as she could, and when His blessed body was taken down, she watched to see how and where it was laid. She was the faithful and watchful believer , last at the sepulchre where Jesus slept, first at the grave whence He arose. Her holy fidelity made her a favoured beholder of her beloved Rabboni , who deigned to call her by her name, and to make her His messenger of good news to the trembling disciples and Peter. Thus grace found her a maniac and made her a minister, cast out devils and gave her to behold angels, delivered her from Satan, and united her for ever to the Lord Jesus. May I also be such a miracle of grace!
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Micah 6:1-8
1 Listen now to what the LORD says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 Hear, you mountains, the LORD's controversy, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD."
6 How shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
GOD'S REQUIREMENTS
"What doth the Lord require of thee?"
"To do justly." Then I must not be so eager about my rights as to forget my duties. For my duties are just the observance of my neighbour's rights. And to see my neighbour's rights I must cultivate his "point of view." I must look out of his windows! "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
"And to love mercy." And mercy is justice plus! And it is the "plus" which makes the Christian. His cup "runneth over." He gives, like his Lord, "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over." There is always "a little extra" for Christ's sake! And "blessed are the merciful."
"And to walk humbly with thy God." And there I am at the root of the two graces which have been enjoined upon me. The lowly friend of the Lord will most surely be both just and merciful. He cannot help it. The fragrance will cling to him as the fragrance of the orange clings to him who labours in the fruitful groves of Spain.
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
August 9th.
God of all mercies, impart to me the spirit of mercy. Save me from all harshness. Give me a soft and sympathetic spirit.
May I do Thy work by gracious living! May I constrain others to Thee by the beauty of a consecrated life!
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it,
that it may bring forth more fruit.
John 15:2
This is a precious promise to one who lives for fruitfulness. At first it seems to wear a sharp aspect. Must the fruitful bough be pruned? Must the knife cut even the best and most useful? No doubt it is so, for very much of our Lord's purging work is done by means of afflictions of one kind or another. It is not the evil but the good who have the promise of tribulation in this life. But, then, the end makes more than full amends for the painful nature of the means. If we may bring forth more fruit for our Lord, we will not mind the pruning and the loss of leafage.
Still, purging is sometimes wrought by the Word apart from trial, and this takes away whatever appeared rough in the flavour of the promise. We shall by the Word be made more gracious and more useful. The Lord, who has made us, in a measure, fruit-bearing, will operate upon us till we reach a far higher degree of fertility. Is not this a great joy? Truly there is more comfort in a promise of fruitfulness than if we had been warranted riches, or health, or honour.
Lord Jesus, speedily fulfil thy gracious word to me, and cause me to abound in fruit to thy praise!
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it.
1 Corinthians 12:26, R.V.
The Church is to be so constituted, a fellowship of souls in Christ, that the wrong-doing of one is felt by and affects the whole; and the purity of the entire Church must be maintained, even at the cost of the excommunication of a brother who persists in wrong-doing.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
That ye be ambitious to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands.
1 Thessalonians 4:11
Here again we have adopted the marginal reading, because that is the exact meaning of the Greek word rendered "study." Here then is a revelation of proper ambition, and it is remarkable as contrasting with worldly ambition. Three things the Apostle exhorted these young Christians to be ambitious about. The first was to be quiet, and the word describes that which stands in sharp contrast to the passion for notoriety, the desire to be seen and known. He urges them to be ambitious to be secluded, hidden, quiet. The next was to attend to their own affairs, instead of interfering in the affairs of others. The last was to work with their own hands, rather than live by the exertions of others. As we have thus endeavoured to state the ideas, we have seen the contrary and unworthy ambitions which so constantly master human life. The first is that for distinction, for the conspicuous position. The second is for the power and opportunity to meddle with the business of other people. The last is for freedom from the necessity for personal toil, gained through imposing work on others. How revolutionary Christianity is! How it cuts clean across popular conceptions, and runs counter to the mean desires of the human heart! And yet how great it is in all its constructive purposes! Think of the life which is described here by implication. The life of quiet strength and repose; the life that is arranged and orderly; the life that is honourably independent. Surely it is good to be ambitious for such a life.
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.