Daily Bible Notes: January, 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
There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
2 Timothy 4:8
Doubting one! thou hast often said, "I fear I shall never enter heaven." Fear not! all the people of God shall enter there. I love the quaint saying of a dying man, who exclaimed, "I have no fear of going home; I have sent all before me; God’s finger is on the latch of my door, and I am ready for Him to enter." "But," said one, "are you not afraid lest you should miss your inheritance?" "Nay," said he, "nay; there is one crown in heaven which the angel Gabriel could not wear, it will fit no head but mine. There is one throne in heaven which Paul the apostle could not fill; it was made for me, and I shall have it." O Christian, what a joyous thought! thy portion is secure; "there remaineth a rest." "But cannot I forfeit it?" No, it is entailed.
If I be a child of God I shall not lose it. It is mine as securely as if I were there. Come with me, believer, and let us sit upon the top of Nebo, and view the goodly land, even Canaan. Seest thou that little river of death glistening in the sunlight, and across it dost thou see the pinnacles of the eternal city? Dost thou mark the pleasant country, and all its joyous inhabitants? Know, then, that if thou couldst fly across thou wouldst see written upon one of its many mansions, "This remaineth for such a one; preserved for him only. He shall be caught up to dwell for ever with God."
Poor doubting one, see the fair inheritance; it is thine . If thou believest in the Lord Jesus, if thou hast repented of sin, if thou hast been renewed in heart, thou art one of the Lord’s people, and there is a place reserved for thee, a crown laid up for thee, a harp specially provided for thee. No one else shall have thy portion, it is reserved in heaven for thee, and thou shalt have it ere long, for there shall be no vacant thrones in glory when all the chosen are gathered in.
Evening
In my flesh shall I see God.
Job 19:26
Mark the subject of Job’s devout anticipation "I shall see God." He does not say, "I shall see the saints" - though doubtless that will be untold felicity - but, "I shall see God." It is not -"I shall see the pearly gates, I shall behold the walls of jasper, I shall gaze upon the crowns of gold," but "I shall see God." This is the sum and substance of heaven, this is the joyful hope of all believers. It is their delight to see Him now in the ordinances by faith. They love to behold Him in communion and in prayer; but there in heaven they shall have an open and unclouded vision, and thus seeing "Him as He is," shall be made completely like Him. Likeness to God - what can we wish for more? And a sight of God - what can we desire better? Some read the passage, "Yet, I shall see God in my flesh," and find here an allusion to Christ, as the "Word made flesh," and that glorious beholding of Him which shall be the splendour of the latter days. Whether so or not it is certain that Christ shall be the object of our eternal vision; nor shall we ever want any joy beyond that of seeing Him. Think not that this will be a narrow sphere for the mind to dwell in. It is but one source of delight, but that source is infinite. All His attributes shall be subjects for contemplation, and as He is infinite under each aspect, there is no fear of exhaustion. His works, His gifts, His love to us, and His glory in all His purposes, and in all His actions, these shall make a theme which will be ever new. The patriarch looked forward to this sight of God as a personal enjoyment. "Whom mine eye shall behold, and not another." Take realizing views of heaven’s bliss; think what it will be to you . "Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty." All earthly brightness fades and darkens as we gaze upon it, but here is a brightness which can never dim, a glory which can never fade -"I shall see God ."
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Genesis 13:10-18
10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.
11 So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot travelled east, and they separated themselves from one other.
12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
13 Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against the LORD.
14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,
15 for I will give all the land which you see to you and to your offspring forever.
16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted.
17 Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its width; for I will give it to you."
18 Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.
THE LUST OF THE EYE
Look at Lot. He was a man of the world, sharp as a needle, having an eye to the main chance. He boasted to himself that he always "took in the whole situation." He said that what he did not know was not worth knowing. But such "knowing" men have always very imperfect sight. Lot saw "all the well-watered plain of Jordan," but he overlooked the city of Sodom and its exceedingly wicked and sinful people. And the thing he overlooked was the biggest thing in the outlook! It was to prove his undoing, and to bring his presumptuous selfishness to the ground.
Look at Abram. His spirit was cool and thoughtful, unheated by the feverish yearning after increased possessions. He had a "quiet eye," the fruit of his faithful communion with God. He was more intent on peace than plenty. He preferred fraternal fellowship to selfish increase. And so he chose the unselfish way, and along that way he discovered the blessing of God. "The Lord is mindful of His own. He remembereth His children." In the unselfish way we always enjoy the Divine companionship, and in that companionship we are endowed with inconceivable wealth.
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
January 10th.
My Father, may I have the consciousness of one of Thy forgiven children! May I know my sin is forgiven by my more fervent
love of the good!
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
He that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Proverbs 11:25
If I carefully consider others, God will consider me; and in some way or other he will recompense me. Let me consider the poor, and the Lord will consider me. Let me look after little children, and the Lord will treat me as his child. Let me feed his flock, and he will feed me. Let me water his garden, and he will make a watered garden of my soul. This is the Lord's own promise; be it mine to fulfil the condition, and then to expect its fulfilment.
I may care about myself till I grow morbid; I may watch over my own feelings till I feel nothing; and I may lament my own weakness till I grow almost too weak to lament. It will be far more profitable for me to become unselfish, and out of love to my Lord Jesus begin to care for the souls of those around me. My tank is getting very low; no fresh rain comes to fill it; what shall I do? I will pull up the plug, and let its contents run out to water the withering plants around me. What do I see? My cistern seems to fill as it flows. A secret spring is at work. While all was stagnant, the fresh spring was sealed; but as my stock flows out to water others the Lord thinketh upon me. Hallelujah!
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Out of the pressure of tribulation we extract the new wine of the kingdom, and out of the deep, dark, death experience, in which the devil sifts and tries, there breaks a new capacity and enlarged outlook, a new meaning in life, a new tone in speech.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father.
Matthew 10:29
Christ was not speaking of seraphim, nor of saints, but of sparrows. Of one of them He said that if perchance with broken wing, or fainting heart, it fall on the ground, it is not alone, for God is with it. Observe carefully that the declaration is not "without your Father's knowledge," but "without your Father." God not only knows, He is with the falling bird. Like a flash of light, these words enable us to see God's world and God, as Jesus saw them. Nothing is outside His knowledge; nothing is beyond the tender strength of His nearness. He is the Comrade of the bird, which man values at half a farthing! This conception of God creates the fear of Him which cancels all other fear. Knowing Him, we fear with the fear which is born of love. Certain of our safety in His knowledge, and nearness, we fear lest we should grieve Him or disappoint Him in any way. When that fear masters the life, we become devoid of all fear as to what man can do to us. He may kill the body, but that is of little moment. Even if he do, as we fall, the God Who is with the falling sparrow will be with us, and that is the life of the soul, today and for ever. This superlative application involves all lesser ones. Fear of pain, of poverty, of adverse circumstances, is cancelled as we know this God, and walk the way of life in His company.
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.