Daily Bible Notes: June, 15th
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
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:6
It was far above the power of nature, and even contrary to its laws, that the aged Sarah should be honoured with a son; and even so it is beyond all ordinary rules that I, a poor, helpless, undone sinner, should find grace to bear about in my soul the indwelling Spirit of the Lord Jesus. I, who once despaired, as well I might, for my nature was as dry, and withered, and barren, and accursed as a howling wilderness, even I have been made to bring forth fruit unto holiness. Well may my mouth be filled with joyous laughter, because of the singular, surprising grace which I have received of the Lord, for I have found Jesus, the promised seed, and He is mine for ever. This day will I lift up psalms of triumph unto the Lord who has remembered my low estate, for "my heart rejoiceth in the Lord; mine horn is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation."
I would have all those that hear of my great deliverance from hell, and my most blessed visitation from on high, laugh for joy with me. I would surprise my family with my abundant peace; I would delight my friends with my ever-increasing happiness; I would edify the Church with my grateful confessions; and even impress the world with the cheerfulness of my daily conversation. Bunyan tells us that Mercy laughed in her sleep, and no wonder when she dreamed of Jesus; my joy shall not stop short of hers while my Beloved is the theme of my daily thoughts. The Lord Jesus is a deep sea of joy: my soul shall dive therein, shall be swallowed up in the delights of His society. Sarah looked on her Isaac, and laughed with excess of rapture, and all her friends laughed with her; and thou, my soul, look on thy Jesus, and bid heaven and earth unite in thy joy unspeakable.
Evening
He openeth, and no man shutteth.
Revelation 3:7
Jesus is the keeper of the gates of paradise and before every believing soul He setteth an open door, which no man or devil shall be able to close against it. What joy it will be to find that faith in Him is the golden key to the everlasting doors. My soul, dost thou carry this key in thy bosom, or art thou trusting to some deceitful pick-lock, which will fail thee at last?
Hear this parable of the preacher, and remember it. The great King has made a banquet, and He has proclaimed to all the world that none shall enter but those who bring with them the fairest flower that blooms. The spirits of men advance to the gate by thousands, and they bring each one the flower which he esteems the queen of the garden; but in crowds they are driven from the royal presence, and enter not into the festive halls.
Some bear in their hand the deadly nightshade of superstition, or the flaunting poppies of Rome, or the hemlock of self- righteousness, but these are not dear to the King, the bearers are shut out of the pearly gates.
My soul, hast thou gathered the rose of Sharon? Dost thou wear the lily of the valley in thy bosom constantly? If so, when thou comest up to the gates of heaven thou wilt know its value, for thou hast only to show this choicest of flowers, and the Porter will open: not for a moment will He deny thee admission, for to that rose the Porter openeth ever. Thou shalt find thy way with the rose of Sharon in thy hand up to the throne of God Himself, for heaven itself possesses nothing that excels its radiant beauty, and of all the flowers that bloom in paradise there is none that can rival the lily of the valley. My soul, get Calvary’s blood-red rose into thy hand by faith, by love wear it, by communion preserve it, by daily watchfulness make it thine all in all, and thou shalt be blessed beyond all bliss, happy beyond a dream. Jesus, be mine for ever, my God, my heaven, my all.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Psalms 24
1 The earth is the LORD's, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods.
3 Who may ascend to the LORD's hill? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face-even Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates; yes, lift them up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of Armies is the King of glory! Selah.
THE KING'S GUESTS
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?"
Who shall be permitted to pass into the sanctuary of the cloud, and have communion with the Lord in the holy place? "He that hath clean hands." These hands of mine, the symbols of conduct, the expression of the outer life, what are they like? "Your hands are full of blood." Those hands had been busy murdering others, pillaging others, brutally ill-using their fellow-men. We may do it in business. We may do it in conversation. We may do it in a criminal silence. Our hands may be foul with a brother's blood. And men and women with hands like these cannot "ascend into the hill of the Lord." There must be no stain of an unfair and scandalous life.
"And a pure heart." We need not trouble about the hands if the heart be clean. If all the presences that move in the heart - desires, and motives, and sentiments, and ideals - are like white-robed angels "without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing," everything that emerges into outer life will share the same radiant purity. The heart expresses itself in the hands. Character blossoms in conduct. The quality of our current coin is determined by the quality of the metal in the mint. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
June 15th.
My Lord God, I would learn to be faithful in that which is least. I would consecrate the trifle. I would be more and
more scrupulous in the doing of Thy will. Lord, increase my faith, that I may have increased power.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion; and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
Psalms 128:5
This is a promise to the God-fearing man who walks in the ways of holiness with earnest heed. He shall have domestic blessedness; his wife and children shall be a source of great home happiness. But then as a member of the church he desires to see the cause prosper, for he is as much concerned for the Lord's house as for his own. When the Lord builds our house, it is but fitting that we should desire to see the Lord's house builded. Our goods are not truly good unless we promote by them the good of the Lord's chosen church.
Yes, you shall get a blessing when you go up to the assemblies of Zion; you shall be instructed, enlivened, and comforted, where prayer and praise ascend, and testimony is borne to the Great Sacrifice. "The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion."
Nor shall you alone be profited; the church itself shall prosper; believers shall be multiplied, and their holy work shall be crowned with success. Certain gracious men have this promise fulfilled to them as long as they live. Alas! when they die the cause often flags. Let us be among those who bring good things to Jerusalem all their day's. Lord, of thy mercy make us such! Amen.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake.
Romans 9:2,3
"Oft, when the Word is on me to deliver,
Lifts the illusion and the truth lies bare,
Desert or throng, the city or the river,
Melts in a lucid paradise of air.
Only like souls I see the folk thereunder
Bound who should conquer, slaves who should be kings,
Hearing their one hope with an empty wonder,
Sadly contented in a show of things;
Then with a rush the intolerable craving
Shivers throughout me like a trumpet call,
Oh, to save these, to perish for their saving,
Die for their life, be offered for them all!"
- F. W. H. Myers.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
What time I am afraid ... I will not be afraid.
Psalms 56:3,4
The title of this Psalm describes it as having been written by David when the Philistines took him in Gath. It is a revelation of his experiences under these circumstances. He was keenly conscious of the malignant hatred of his foes. They were subjecting him to every form of indignity and cruelty. They were seeking every method to bring about his discomfiture. Indeed, they were set upon securing his destruction. He was equally conscious of God. His wanderings were known to Him. His tears were written in His book. He was naturally fearful for his safety in the midst of such enemies; yet his faith refused to be overcome. The song is a record of the fight between fear and faith, and ultimately of the victory of faith. The two things find expression in these two brief sentences. The fear was there, for he said: "What time I am afraid." Faith was also there, for he was able to say: "I will not be afraid." The second word was the result of the action of faith in the midst of fear. It was an act of the will, based upon the activity of reason. The "I will trust" in the hour of fear led on to the "I will not be afraid." This is a song full of comfort in its recognition of the possibility of fear, and of the way of complete triumph over it. The heart of man is frail at its strongest, and there are hours in which the forces against us inevitably suggest that sense of weakness, and thus create fear. In such hours let us exercise our reasoning powers to the full, for that is the true activity of faith.
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.