Daily Bible Notes: February, 19th
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
Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.
Ezekiel 36:37
Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication. You have found this true in your own personal experience.
God has given you many an unsolicited favour, but still great prayer has always been the prelude of great mercy with you. When you first found peace through the blood of the cross, you had been praying much, and earnestly interceding with God that He would remove your doubts, and deliver you from your distresses. Your assurance was the result of prayer.
When at any time you have had high and rapturous joys, you have been obliged to look upon them as answers to your prayers. When you have had great deliverances out of sore troubles, and mighty helps in great dangers, you have been able to say, "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing’s shadow . When the sunlight of God’s mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain. Or, to use another illustration, when God piles up a hill of mercies, He Himself shines behind them, and He casts on our spirits the shadow of prayer, so that we may rest certain, if we are much in prayer, our pleadings are the shadows of mercy. Prayer is thus connected with the blessing to show us the value of it . If we had the blessings without asking for them, we should think them common things; but prayer makes our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask for are precious, but we do not realize their preciousness until we have sought for them earnestly. "Prayer makes the darken’d cloud withdraw; Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw; Gives exercise to faith and love; Brings every blessing from above."
Evening
He first findeth his own brother Simon.
John 1:41
This case is an excellent pattern of all cases where spiritual life is vigorous. As soon as a man has found Christ, he begins to find others . I will not believe that thou hast tasted of the honey of the gospel if thou canst eat it all thyself. True grace puts an end to all spiritual monopoly. Andrew first found his own brother Simon, and then others. Relationship has a very strong demand upon our first individual efforts . Andrew, thou didst well to begin with Simon. I doubt whether there are not some Christians giving away tracts at other people’s houses who would do well to give away a tract at their own - whether there are not some engaged in works of usefulness abroad who are neglecting their special sphere of usefulness at home. Thou mayst or thou mayst not be called to evangelize the people in any particular locality, but certainly thou art called to see after thine own servants, thine own kinsfolk and acquaintance. Let thy religion begin at home. Many tradesmen export their best commodities - the Christian should not. He should have all his conversation everywhere of the best savour; but let him have a care to put forth the sweetest fruit of spiritual life and testimony in his own family. When Andrew went to find his brother, he little imagined how eminent Simon would become. Simon Peter was worth ten Andrews so far as we can gather from sacred history, and yet Andrew was instrumental in bringing him to Jesus. You may be very deficient in talent yourself, and yet you may be the means of drawing to Christ one who shall become eminent in grace and service. Ah! dear friend, you little know the possibilities which are in you. You may but speak a word to a child, and in that child there may be slumbering a noble heart which shall stir the Christian church in years to come. Andrew has only two talents, but he finds Peter. Go thou and do likewise.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Psalms 139:1-12
1 LORD, you have searched me, and you know me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, behold, LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.
6 This knowledge is beyond me. It's lofty. I can't attain it.
7 Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me. The light around me will be night,"
12 even the darkness doesn't hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.
THE THOUGHT AFAR OFF
"Thou knowest my thought afar off." That fills me with awe. I cannot find a hiding-place where I can sin in secrecy. I cannot build an apparent sanctuary and conceal evil within its walls. I cannot with a sheep's skin hide the wolf. I cannot wrap my jealousy up in flattery and keep it unknown. "Thou God seest me." He knows the bottom thought that creeps in the basement of my being. Nothing surprises God! He sees all my sin. So am I filled with awe.
"Thou knowest my thought afar off." This fills me also with hope and joy. He sees the faintest, weakest desire, aspiring after goodness. He sees the smallest fire of affection burning uncertainly in my soul. He sees every movement of penitence which looks toward home. He sees every little triumph, and every altar I build along life's way. Nothing is overlooked. My God is not like a policeman, only looking for crimes; He is the God of grace, looking for graces, searching for jewels to adorn His crown. So am I filled with hope and joy.
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
February 19th.
My Father, may my mistakes be my teachers! May my failures be my warnings! Turn the foolishness of
yesterday into the wisdom of to-day.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.
Nahum 1:12
There is a limit to affliction. God sends it, and God removes it. Do you sigh, and say, "When will the end be?" Remember that our griefs will surely and finally end when this poor earthly life is over. Let us quietly wait, and patiently endure the will of the Lord till he cometh.
Meanwhile, our Father in heaven takes away the rod when his design in using it is fully served. When he has whipped away our folly, there will be no more strokes. Or, if the affliction is sent for testing us, that our graces may glorify God, it will end when the Lord has made us bear witness to his praise. We would not wish the affliction to depart till God has gotten out of us all the honour which we can possibly yield him.
There may to-day be "a great calm." Who knows how soon those raging billows will give place to a sea of glass, and the sea birds sit on the gentle waves? After long tribulation the flail is hung up, and the wheat rests in the garner. We may, before many hours are past, be just as happy as now we are sorrowful. It is not hard for the Lord to turn night into day. He that sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies. Let us be of good cheer. It is better on before. Let us sing Hallelujah by anticipation.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
Revelation 3:20
Shall we not swing the heart's door widely open that He may come in, to work in us "both to will and to work for His good pleasure"?
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
I will declare Thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.
Psalms 22:22
It has become utterly impossible for the Christian believer to read this Psalm in any other connection than that of Messianic values. For such, there can be no question that, whatever may have been the personal experiences calling it forth, the singer was singing better than he knew. While giving utterance to actual experiences, he was voicing deep and profound matters, the fullness of which came in the experiences of the Saviour of the world. This is demonstrated by the fact that in the supreme hour of His passion, our Lord actually quoted the opening cry of this great song of anguish. If, then, we have here, in the interpretation of the Holy Spirit, some insight into the things of that full and redeeming sorrow of the Son of God, let us carefully note whereunto that sorrow moved. With the words we have quoted, the song merged into the strains of triumph, and these run on to the end. Thus we discover the real value of that very sorrow. Through it, and only through it, could the Name of God be declared, and His praise be made known. Through those sorrows alone, could righteousness be established, and man be brought to the realization of all the loving purpose of God for him. As this song came out of human experience, so it may be appropriated by men. We recognize, as we have said, that its full value is only found in the experience of the Lord of life and glory. Yet in fellowship with Him, we may take our comfort from its revelation, that travail ever leads to triumph. The measure in which it is given to us to have fellowship in His suffering, is the measure in which we may rest assured of fellowship in His victory.
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.