Daily Bible Notes: March, 3rd
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
I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10
Comfort thyself, tried believer, with this thought: God saith, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Does not the word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yea, is it not an asbestos armour, against which the heat hath no power? Let affliction come - God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayst stride in at my door, but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayst intrude, but I have a balsam ready - God has chosen me. Whatever befalls me in this vale of tears, I know that He has "chosen" me. If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace . In that silent chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side One whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest it not, He makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smooths thy pillow for thee. Thou art in poverty; but in that lovely house of thine the Lord of life and glory is a frequent visitor. He loves to come into these desolate places, that He may visit thee. Thy friend sticks closely to thee.
Thou canst not see Him, but thou mayst feel the pressure of His hands.
Dost thou not hear His voice? Even in the valley of the shadow of death He says, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God."
Remember that noble speech of Caesar: "Fear not, thou carriest Caesar and all his fortune." Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own. "Fear not, for I am with thee," is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in the "furnace of affliction."
Wilt thou not, then, take fast hold of Christ, and say - "Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead, I’ll follow where He goes."
Evening
He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.
Matthew 3:16
As the Spirit of God descended upon the Lord Jesus, the head, so He also, in measure, descends upon the members of the mystical body. His descent is to us after the same fashion as that in which it fell upon our Lord. There is often a singular rapidity about it; or ever we are aware, we are impelled onward and heavenward beyond all expectation. Yet is there none of the hurry of earthly haste, for the wings of the dove are as soft as they are swift. Quietness seems essential to many spiritual operations; the Lord is in the still small voice, and like the dew, His grace is distilled in silence.
The dove has ever been the chosen type of purity , and the Holy Spirit is holiness itself. Where He cometh, everything that is pure and lovely, and of good report, is made to abound, and sin and uncleanness depart. Peace reigns also where the Holy Dove comes with power; He bears the olive branch which shows that the waters of divine wrath are assuaged. Gentleness is a sure result of the Sacred Dove’s transforming power: hearts touched by His benign influence are meek and lowly henceforth and for ever. Harmlessness follows, as a matter of course; eagles and ravens may hunt their prey - the turtledove can endure wrong, but cannot inflict it.
We must be harmless as doves. The dove is an apt picture of love , the voice of the turtle is full of affection; and so, the soul visited by the blessed Spirit, abounds in love to God, in love to the brethren, and in love to sinners; and above all, in love to Jesus. The brooding of the Spirit of God upon the face of the deep, first produced order and life , and in our hearts, He causes and fosters new life and light. Blessed Spirit, as Thou didst rest upon our dear Redeemer, even so rest upon us from this time forward and forever.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
John 14:1-14
1 "Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many homes. If it weren't so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.
4 You know where I go, and you know the way."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him."
8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, 'Show us the Father?'
10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.
13 Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.
PREPARING FOR THE BRIDE
Our Lord has prepared a place. It is the Bridegroom "getting the house ready" for the bride. And, therefore, the preparations are not made grudgingly and with slow reluctance. Everything is of the best, and done with the swift delight of love. "Come, for all things are now ready."
And our Lord will fetch His bride to the prepared place. "I am the way." We become so wrapt up in Him that nothing else counts. I once travelled through the Black Country with a fascinating friend, and I never saw it! And we can become so absorbed in our glorious Bridegroom that we shall be almost oblivious of adverse circumstances which may beset us. Yes, even this is possible: "He that believeth in Me shall never see death!"
"I will receive you unto Myself." The last obscuring veil is to be rent, and we are to see Him "face to face." And that will be home, for that will be satisfaction and peace. The deepest hunger of the soul will be gratified in a glorious contentment, and we shall find that "the half hath not been told."
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
March 3rd.
My Father, when I am inclined to grow feverish and hasty, help me to abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Keep me cool and
calm amid the destruction that wasteth at noontide.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalms 16:10
This word has its proper fulfilment in the Lord Jesus; but it applies also, with a variation, to all who are in him. Our soul shall not be left in the separate state, and our body, though it see corruption, shall rise again. The general meaning, rather than the specific application, is that to which we would call our readers' thoughts at this particular time.
We may descend in spirit very low till we seem to be plunged in the abyss of hell; but we shall not be left there. We may appear to be at death's door in heart, and soul, and consciousness; but we cannot remain there. Our inward death as to joy and hope may proceed very far; but it cannot run on to its full consequences, so as to reach the utter corruption of black despair. We may go very low, but not lower than the Lord permits; we may stay in the lowest dungeon of doubt for a while, but we shall not perish there. The star of hope is still in the sky when the night is blackest. The Lord will not forget us and hand us over to the enemy. Let us rest in hope. We have to deal with one whose mercy endureth for ever. Surely, out of death, and darkness, and despair we shall yet arise to life, light, and liberty.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
Psalm 106:15
Ruin of human life is always the issue of false attempts to satisfy its legitimate claims.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Psalms 35:3
This Psalm in its entirety is an appeal for help in the midst of circumstances of cruel and unjust persecution. The sense of wrong is most keen from beginning to end. Those who were causing his sufferings had not only no cause to do so, their action was that of base ingratitude. The Psalmist's sense of wrong found expression in the prayer to God to visit the evil-doers with summary and complete vengeance. These particular words, found early in the song, constitute a clear revelation of the state of mind of the singer. So trying were the circumstances, so poignant the pain, that he was at least in danger of losing his assurance in God. Hence the plea that God would give him the inward sense of certainty: "Say unto my soul - I am thy salvation." It was a request for a renewing or strengthening of the inner communion with God, which is ever the secret of strength in days of turmoil and of sorrow. How constantly we are driven to cry out thus to God! It is the reasonable cry of faith, and it is safe to say that is always answered. When, the pressure of circumstances is such as to create the sense of weakness to such an extent that we feel in danger of collapse, then we need some reinforcement within, stronger than the pressure from without. This is ever to be found in communion. The human side of communion is that of this very prayer for the speech of God, direct, immediate, and reassuring. The Divine side is that of the answer. Whenever in extremity the child of God thus cries out to the Father, that answer is given. Sometimes the very voice is heard, sometimes a light suddenly shines, sometimes a great silence which is of the essence of strength enwraps the soul. Whatever the method, it is God, reassuring, comforting; and in the strength of it, the soul stands up bravely against all the outside pressure, and at last is more than conqueror.
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.