Daily Bible Notes: February, 20th
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
God, that comforteth those that are cast down.
2 Corinthians 7:6
And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the deaf adder, he listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. He is drinking gall and wormwood, and comfort him as you may, it will be only a note or two of mournful resignation that you will get from him; you will bring forth no psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Him lift up his countenance, and the mourner’s eyes glisten with hope. Do you not hear him sing - "‘Tis paradise, if thou art here; If thou depart, ‘tis hell?"
You could not have cheered him: but the Lord has done it; "He is the God of all comfort." There is no balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God. There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is Jehovah-rophi. It is marvellous how one sweet word of God will make whole songs for Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and the Christian is the goldbeater, and can hammer that promise out for whole weeks. So, then, poor Christian, thou needest not sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him to give thee consolation. Thou art a poor dry well. You have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first of all, and then you will get water, and so, Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them Job’s comforters after all; but go first and foremost to thy "God, that comforteth those that are cast down," and you will soon say, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul."
Evening
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Matthew 4:1
A Holy character does not avert temptation - Jesus was tempted. When Satan tempts us, his sparks fall upon tinder; but in Christ’s case, it was like striking sparks on water; yet the enemy continued his evil work. Now, if the devil goes on striking when there is no result, how much more will he do it when he knows what inflammable stuff our hearts are made of.
Though you become greatly sanctified by the Holy Ghost, expect that the great dog of hell will bark at you still. In the haunts of men we expect to be tempted, but even seclusion will not guard us from the same trial. Jesus Christ was led away from human society into the wilderness, and was tempted of the devil. Solitude has its charms and its benefits, and may be useful in checking the lust of the eye and the pride of life; but the devil will follow us into the most lovely retreats. Do not suppose that it is only the worldly-minded who have dreadful thoughts and blasphemous temptations, for even spiritual-minded persons endure the same; and in the holiest position we may suffer the darkest temptation. The utmost consecration of spirit will not insure you against Satanic temptation.
Christ was consecrated through and through. It was His meat and drink to do the will of Him that sent Him: and yet He was tempted! Your hearts may glow with a seraphic flame of love to Jesus, and yet the devil will try to bring you down to Laodicean lukewarmness. If you will tell me when God permits a Christian to lay aside his armour, I will tell you when Satan has left off temptation. Like the old knights in war time, we must sleep with helmet and breastplate buckled on, for the arch-deceiver will seize our first unguarded hour to make us his prey. The Lord keep us watchful in all seasons, and give us a final escape from the jaw of the lion and the paw of the bear.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
1 John 3:4-10
4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.
5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him.
6 Whoever remains in him doesn't sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him and doesn't know him.
7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can't sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
TAMPERING WITH THE LABEL
Sin is transgression. It is the deliberate climbing of the fence. We see the trespass-board, and in spite of the warning we stride into the forbidden field. Sin is not ignorance, it is intention. We sin when we are wide-awake! There are teachers abroad who would soften words like these. They offer us terms which appear to lessen the harshness of our actions; they give our sin an aspect of innocence. But to alter the label on the bottle does not change the character of the contents. Poison is poison give it what name we please. "Sin is the transgression of the law."
Let us be on our guard against the men whose pockets are filled with deceptive labels. Let us vigilantly resist all teachings which would chloroform the conscience. Let us prefer true terms to merely nice ones. Let us call sin by its right name, and let us tolerate no moral conjuring either with ourselves or with others. The first essential in all moral reformation is to call sin "sin." "If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin."
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
February 20th.
O God, help me to follow hard after Thee. May I not choose the ways of ease! Help me to take the
steep road when that is the way of life.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
The Lord shall guide thee continually.
Isaiah 58:11
What aileth thee? Hast thou lost thy way? Art thou entangled in a dark wood, and canst thou not find thy paths? Stand still, and see the salvation of God. He knows the way, and he will direct thee in it if thou cry unto him.
Every day brings its own perplexity. How sweet to feel that the guidance of the Lord is continual! If we choose our own way, or consult with flesh and blood, we cast off the Lord's guidance; but if we abstain from self-will, then he will direct every step of our road, every hour of the day, and every day of the year, and every year of our life. If we will but be guided, we shall be guided. If we will commit our way unto the Lord, he will direct our course so that we shall not lose ourselves.
But note to whom this promise is made. Read the previous verse: "If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry." We must feel for others, and give them, not a few dry crusts, but such things as we ourselves would wish to receive. If we show a tender care for our fellow-creatures in the hour of their need, then will the Lord attend to our necessities, and make himself our continual Guide. Jesus is the Leader, not of misers, nor of those who oppress the poor, but of the kind and tender-hearted. Such persons are pilgrims, who shall never miss their way.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
The morning cometh.
Isaiah 21:12
The signs of the times are such as reveal the power of spirituality side by side with the development of evil; but, thank God, beyond the night that comes is the larger day and gladder age for man.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
The Lord is my Shepherd.
Psalms 23:1
That is not only the first statement of this song, it is its inclusive statement. Everything that follows interprets the glory and sufficiency of the fact thus declared. When this is said, all is said. Whatever may be added, is only to help us to understand the fullness of this great truth. An adequate interpretation of this affirmation demands a recognition of the fact that in all Eastern thought, and very definitely in Biblical literature, a king is a shepherd. This is the supreme song in the Psalter concerning the Kingship of God in its application to the individual soul. Other songs set forth the wonders of His Kingship of the nation, and over all peoples. There are only two persons in this Psalm, Jehovah and the singer - save where enemies are referred to. The personal note is immediately struck - "Jehovah is MY Shepherd!" This eternal King, ruling over all the universe, is also the direct, personal, immediate King of every individual soul. When this is recognized, the glory of the song is discovered. It is a revelation of the nature and method of the Divine government of the individual life. Pondered in this way, the Psalm becomes a beautiful interpretation of that wonderful phrase of Paul - "The good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Under His sway there is no lack. Our peaceful days He creates. If we wander, we are not abandoned. In the darkest hours He is still with us. He upholds us and delivers us in conflict. He entertains us on the pilgrimage, and receives us into His house for ever. All the uttermost of value in this song has been interpreted to us through Him Who said of Himself, "I am the good Shepherd."
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.