Daily Bible Notes: July, 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
The Lord our God hath shewed us His glory.
Deuteronomy 5:24
God’s great design in all His works is the manifestation of His own glory.
Any aim less than this were unworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why He bringeth His people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when He comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who "do business in great waters," these see His "wonders in the deep."
Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God’s greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you.
Evening
A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench.
Matthew 12:20
What is weaker than the bruised reed or the smoking flax? A reed that groweth in the fen or marsh, let but the wild duck light upon it, and it snaps; let but the foot of man brush against it, and it is bruised and broken; every wind that flits across the river moves it to and fro. You can conceive of nothing more frail or brittle, or whose existence is more in jeopardy, than a bruised reed. Then look at the smoking flax - what is it? It has a spark within it, it is true, but it is almost smothered; an infant’s breath might blow it out; nothing has a more precarious existence than its flame. Weak things are here described, yet Jesus says of them, "The smoking flax I will not quench; the bruised reed I will not break." Some of God’s children are made strong to do mighty works for Him; God has His Samsons here and there who can pull up Gaza’s gates, and carry them to the top of the hill; He has a few mighties who are lion-like men, but the majority of His people are a timid, trembling race. They are like starlings, frightened at every passer by; a little fearful flock. If temptation comes, they are taken like birds in a snare; if trial threatens, they are ready to faint; their frail skiff is tossed up and down by every wave, they are drifted along like a sea bird on the crest of the billows - weak things, without strength, without wisdom, without foresight. Yet, weak as they are, and because they are so weak, they have this promise made specially to them. Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and lovingkindness! How it opens to us the compassion of Jesus - so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from His touch. We need never fear a harsh word from Him ; though He might well chide us for our weakness, He rebuketh not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from Him, and the smoking flax no damping frowns.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
John 2:13-22
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.
15 He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers' money and overthrew their tables.
16 To those who sold the doves, he said, "Take these things out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace!"
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will eat me up."
18 The Jews therefore answered him, "What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?"
19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20 The Jews therefore said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?"
21 But he spoke of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
THE WRATH OF THE LAMB
The narrative of the cleansing follows the story of the wedding-feast. In the one the Lord has taken the spirit of the sanctuary into a worldly feast, and thereby illumined and glorified the feast. In the other, the spirit of the world has invaded the sanctuary, and thereby defiled and dishonoured it. The spirit of worldliness, like an unclean, insurgent flood, would enter and possess the entire realm of human life and service. And here it converted a legitimate convenience into an unhallowed business. It transformed a needful expedient into an unholy end. It fixed its tables in the very courts of the Temple, and exalted the quest of money above the worship of God.
"And He made a scourge of cords." And is this "the Lamb of God"? Yes, "the Lamb of God" is also "the lion of Judah." The mild sunshine can become focussed into scorching flame! As soon as blessings touch sin they become curses. "For this was the Son of Man manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
My soul, remember thou the scourge of thy Lord, and do not trifle in His holy place! Seek thou the clean hands and the pure heart, and the thunders of Sinai shall come to thee as beatific music from the hill.
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
July 19th.
God of all, wilt Thou bless all the families of the earth? Remove the things that make for division. Create the common
purpose that makes for peace. Destroy the selfishness that engenders strife. Extend the reign of the spirit of love.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
Deuteronomy 33:25
Here are two things provided for the pilgrim: shoes and strength.
As for the shoes: they are very needful for travelling along rough ways, and for trampling upon deadly foes. We shall not go barefoot - this would not be suitable for princes of the blood royal. Our shoes shall not be at all of the common sort, for they shall have soles of durable metal, which will not wear out even if the journey be long and difficult. We shall have protection proportionate to the necessities of the road and the battle. Wherefore let us march boldly on, fearing no harm even though we tread on serpents, or set our foot upon the dragon himself.
As for the strength: it shall be continued as long as our days shall continue, and it shall be proportioned to the stress and burden of those days. The words are few, "as thy days thy strength," but the meaning is full. This day we may look for trial, and for work which will require energy, but we may just as confidently look for equal strength. This word given to Asher is given to us also who have faith wherewith to appropriate it. Let us rise to the holy boldness which it is calculated to create within the believing heart.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
John 12:31,32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. O blind men, infatuated men! While they gloat over their fancied victory, God rends the veil of the temple in twain, and for evermore does away with the priest. Just as they thought they had ensured their dominance of humanity by crucifying Him, He by His dying spoiled their power, rent the veil, and by abolishing the priest, created the priesthood of all believers.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.
2 Corinthians 2:7
It is generally agreed that here Paul was referring to the man whom he had charged the Corinthian church in his former letter to exclude from its fellowship, in order that his spirit might be saved. It would seem that they had acted in accordance with his directions, and that the punishment had produced in him a true sense of his sin, and genuine sorrow for the same. In such an hour as this, that man was open to a new and strange device of Satan, that of the suggestion that for such as he there could be no mercy. Therefore the duty of the church was clear. They were to forgive him, and comfort him. If discipline is largely lacking in the Church of today, so also is the grace of forgiving and comforting those who, having done wrong, are truly repentant. How often, alas! souls have been indeed swallowed up with overmuch sorrow because of the harshness and suspicion of Christian people toward them in view of some wrong which they have done. It is true that there should be no toleration of evil out of a false charity; but it is equally true that there should be ungrudgingness and delight in forgiveness. Love never slights holiness; but holiness never slays love. Notice, more-over, Paul charged them not to forgive only, but also to comfort. There may be a judicial forgiveness which is hard, and leaves the soul always conscious of the past. Comfort takes the soul to the heart and forgets. That is how God forgives, and so should we who are His children.
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.