Daily Bible Notes: August, 10th
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
Christ, who is our life.
Colossians 3:4
Paul’s marvellously rich expression indicates, that Christ is the source of our life. "You hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins."
That same voice which brought Lazarus out of the tomb raised us to newness of life. He is now the substance of our spiritual life. It is by His life that we live; He is in us, the hope of glory, the spring of our actions, the central thought which moves every other thought. Christ is the sustenance of our life . What can the Christian feed upon but Jesus’ flesh and blood? "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die." O wayworn pilgrims in this wilderness of sin, you never get a morsel to satisfy the hunger of your spirits, except ye find it in Him! Christ is the solace of our life . All our true joys come from Him; and in times of trouble, His presence is our consolation. There is nothing worth living for but Him; and His lovingkindness is better than life! Christ is the object of our life . As speeds the ship towards the port, so hastes the believer towards the haven of his Saviour’s bosom. As flies the arrow to its goal, so flies the Christian towards the perfecting of his fellowship with Christ Jesus. As the soldier fights for his captain, and is crowned in his captain’s victory, so the believer contends for Christ, and gets his triumph out of the triumphs of his Master. "For him to live is Christ." Christ is the exemplar of our life . Where there is the same life within, there will, there must be, to a great extent, the same developments without; and if we live in near fellowship with the Lord Jesus we shall grow like Him. We shall set Him before us as our Divine copy, and we shall seek to tread in His footsteps, until He shall become the crown of our life in glory . Oh! how safe, how honoured, how happy is the Christian, since Christ is our life!
Evening
The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins.
Matthew 9:6
Behold one of the great Physician’s mightiest arts: He has power to forgive sin! While here He lived below, before the ransom had been paid, before the blood had been literally sprinkled on the mercy-seat, He had power to forgive sin. Hath He not power to do it now that He hath died? What power must dwell in Him who to the utmost farthing has faithfully discharged the debts of His people! He has boundless power now that He has finished transgression and made an end of sin. If ye doubt it, see Him rising from the dead! behold Him in ascending splendour raised to the right hand of God! Hear Him pleading before the eternal Father, pointing to His wounds, urging the merit of His sacred passion! What power to forgive is here! "He hath ascended on high, and received gifts for men." "He is exalted on high to give repentance and remission of sins." The most crimson sins are removed by the crimson of His blood. At this moment, dear reader, whatever thy sinfulness, Christ has power to pardon, power to pardon thee , and millions such as thou art. A word will speak it. He has nothing more to do to win thy pardon; all the atoning work is done. He can, in answer to thy tears, forgive thy sins today, and make thee know it.
He can breathe into thy soul at this very moment a peace with God which passeth all understanding, which shall spring from perfect remission of thy manifold iniquities. Dost thou believe that? I trust thou believest it. Mayst thou experience now the power of Jesus to forgive sin! Waste no time in applying to the Physician of souls, but hasten to Him with words like these: - "Jesus! Master! hear my cry; Save me, heal me with a word; Fainting at Thy feet I lie, Thou my whisper’d plaint hast heard."
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Luke 6:43-49
43 For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit.
44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don't gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things which I say?
47 Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.
48 He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.
49 But he who hears, and doesn't do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."
GOOD FRUIT
My Lord seeks "good fruit." It must be sound. No disease must lurk within it. My virtues are so often touched with defilement. There is a little untruth even in my truth. There is a little jealousy even in my praise. There is a little superciliousness even in my forbearance. There is a little pride even in my piety. It is not "whole," not holy. God demands sound fruit.
And "good fruit" demands "a good tree." We must not look for truth from an untrue soul. If the bullet-mould is deformed, all the bullets will share its deformity. First get the mould right, and every bullet will share its rectitude. When the soul is "true," all our words, and deeds, and gestures will be "of the truth," and will be true indeed. "Make the tree good."
And that is just what our Lord proclaims His willingness to do. He does not begin with effects, but with causes; not with fruit, but with trees. He does not begin with our speech, but with the speaker; not with conduct, but with character. And, blessed be His name, He can transform "corrupt trees" into "good trees," until it shall be said: "He that hath turned the world upside down has come hither also."
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
August 10th.
My loving Lord, teach me how to carry my cross. May I never seek to shirk it! May I not fall in love with the easy way;
but may I love the way of duty and follow it, even though it mean a cross.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
1 Samuel 2:7
All my changes come from him who never changes. If I had grown rich, I should have seen his hand in it, and I should have praised him; let me equally see his hand if I am made poor, and let me as heartily praise him. When we go down in the world, it is of the Lord, and so we may take it patiently: when we rise in the world, it is of the Lord, and we may accept it thankfully. In any case, the Lord hath done it, and it is well.
It seems that Jehovah's way is to lower those whom he means to raise, and to strip those whom he intends to clothe. If it is his way, it is the wisest and best way. If I am now enduring the bringing low I may well rejoice, because I see in it the preface to the lifting up. The more we are humbled by grace, the more we shall be exalted in glory. That impoverishment which will be over-ruled for our enrichment is to be welcomed.
O Lord, thou hast taken me down of late, and made me feel my insignificance and sin. It is not a pleasant experience, but I pray thee make it a profitable one to me. Oh, that thou wouldst thus fit me to bear a greater weight of delight and of usefulness; and when I am ready for it, then grant it to me, for Christ's sake! Amen.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:6
Christ takes into account the paralysis in human life. You cannot build up a regenerated society unless you have regenerated men.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Rejoice alway; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks.
1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17
These three injunctions stand out in clear light upon this last page of the letter. Probably without design on the part of the writer they are closely related to the threefold description of the Christian experience with which the letter opens. In a work of faith they had turned to God; in all that such a revolution meant let them "rejoice always." In a labour of love they were serving the living God; let them maintain that service by remembering to "pray without ceasing." In patience of hope they were waiting for the Son from heaven; let them, therefore, "in everything give thanks." The one secret of true and constant joy is that of our right relation with God. To be reconciled to Him, to have access to Him, to stand in His favour - these are the results of turning to Him; and these are the things that make for perpetual joy. The one reason for prayer which is at once acceptable to God and of prevailing power, is that of a maintained service. To practise our fellowship thus, is to prevail in whatever labour He appoints. The one cause for perpetual thanksgiving is that upon all the shadowed pathway there shines the light of the glory that is to be revealed when the Son shall come again. Concerning all these injunctions the Apostle said: "This is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward." That is our strength - God's will, and the enablement of Christ Jesus!
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.