Daily Bible Notes: March, 23rd
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
His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:44
The mental pressure arising from our Lord’s struggle with temptation, so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great drops of blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Saviour so that he distilled great drops of blood! This demonstrates the mighty power of his love . It is a very pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes from the tree without cutting is always the best. This precious camphire-tree yielded most sweet spices when it was wounded under the knotty whips, and when it was pierced by the nails on the cross; but see, it giveth forth its best spice when there is no whip, no nail, no wound. This sets forth the voluntariness of Christ’s sufferings , since without a lance the blood flowed freely. No need to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously. No need for the rulers to cry, "Spring up, O well;" of itself it flows in crimson torrents. If men suffer great pain of mind apparently the blood rushes to the heart.
The cheeks are pale; a fainting fit comes on; the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner man while passing through its trial. But see our Saviour in His agony; he is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of his agony driving his blood to the heart to nourish himself, it drives it outward to bedew the earth. The agony of Christ, inasmuch as it pours him out upon the ground, pictures the fulness of the offering which he made for men.
Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wrestling through which he passed, and will we not hear its voice to us ? "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." Behold the great Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the great tempter of your souls.
Evening
I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
Luke 19:40
But could the stones cry out? Assuredly they could if He who opens the mouth of the dumb should bid them lift up their voice. Certainly if they were to speak, they would have much to testify in praise of Him who created them by the word of His power; they could extol the wisdom and power of their Maker who called them into being. Shall not we speak well of Him who made us anew, and out of stones raised up children unto Abraham? The old rocks could tell of chaos and order, and the handiwork of God in successive stages of creation’s drama; and cannot we talk of God’s decrees, of God’s great work in ancient times, in all that He did for His church in the days of old? If the stones were to speak, they could tell of their breaker , how he took them from the quarry, and made them fit for the temple, and cannot we tell of our glorious Breaker, who broke our hearts with the hammer of His word, that He might build us into His temple? If the stones should cry out they would magnify their builder , who polished them and fashioned them after the similitude of a palace; and shall not we talk of our Architect and Builder, who has put us in our place in the temple of the living God? If the stones could cry out, they might have a long, long story to tell by way of memorial, for many a time hath a great stone been rolled as a memorial before the Lord; and we too can testify of Ebenezers, stones of help, pillars of remembrance. The broken stones of the law cry out against us, but Christ Himself, who has rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, speaks for us. Stones might well cry out, but we will not let them: we will hush their noise with ours; we will break forth into sacred song, and bless the majesty of the Most High, all our days glorifying Him who is called by Jacob the Shepherd and Stone of Israel.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
John 18:1-14
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
3 Judas then, having taken a detachment of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were happening to him, went out, and said to them, "Who are you looking for?"
5 They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
6 When therefore he said to them, "I am he," they went backward, and fell to the ground.
7 Again therefore he asked them, "Who are you looking for?" They said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,"
9 that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, "Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none."
10 Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, "Put the sword into its sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?"
12 So the detachment, the commanding officer, and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him,
13 and led him to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should perish for the people.
THE DARK BETRAYAL
Our Master was betrayed by a disciple, "one of the twelve." The blow came from one of "His own household." The world employed a "friend" to execute its dark design. And so our intimacy with Christ may be our peril; our very association may be made our temptation. The devil would rather gain one belonging to the inner circle than a thousand who stand confessed as the friends of the world. What am I doing in the kingdom? Can I be trusted? Or am I in the pay of the evil one?
And our Master was betrayed in the garden of prayer. In the most hallowed place the betrayer gave the most unholy kiss. He brought his defilement into the most awe-inspiring sanctuary the world has ever known. And so may it be with me. I can kindle the unclean fire in the church. I can stab my Lord when I am on my knees. While I am in apparent devotion I can be in league with the powers of darkness.
And this "dark betrayal" was for money! The Lord of Glory was bartered for thirty pieces of silver! And the difference between Judas and many men is that they often sell their Lord for less! From the power of Mammon, and from the blindness which falls upon his victims, good Lord, deliver me!
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
March 23rd.
Great God, may this be a week of rich growth in the Divine life! May I live in the heavenly places with Thee! May I never
descend to anything base or unclean! May my life be spent in the heights!
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not.
Isaiah 42:16
Think of the infinitely glorious Jehovah acting as a Guide to the blind! What boundless condescension does this imply! A blind man cannot find a way which he does not know. Even when he knows the road, it is hard for him to traverse it; but a road which he has not known is quite out of the question for his unguidcd feet. Now, we are by nature blind as to the way of salvation, and yet the Lord leads us into it, and brings us to himself, and then opens our eyes. As to the future, we are all of us blind, and cannot see an hour before us; but the Lord Jesus will lead us even to our journey's end. Blessed be his name!
We cannot guess in which way deliverance can possibly come to us. but the Lord knows, and he will lead us till we shall have escaped every danger. Happy are those who place their hand in that of the great Guide, and leave their way and themselves entirely with him. He will bring them all the way; and when he has brought them home to glory and has opened their eyes to see the way by which he has led them, what a song of gratitude will they sing unto their great Benefactor! Lord, lead thy poor blind child this day, for I know not my way!
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 15:26
A man who was not already a martyr never laid down his life for truth. The noble army of martyrs died, not to become martyrs, but because they were martyrs.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
They all left Him, and fled.
Mark 14:50
That was the last stage in a process which had been going on almost from the beginning of our Lord's public ministry. He had irresistibly attracted men by the charm of His personality, and the radiant splendour of His ideals. But men could not reach Him. They came so far, and then halted, and went back. First the rulers; then certain of His earlier followers, who went back and walked no more with Him; then the crowds themselves, as they yielded to the influence of the rulers; and now at last the inner circle of His disciples, as they were perplexed and terrified by the force of circumstances which were closing in around Him. And it is all quite understandable. Man can only come to fellowship with Him in thought and life as he is made nigh by the work of Grace which results from His Cross. These men were presently regathered by the fact of the Resurrection, and ingathered by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Then they were able to share His Cross. It is always so. Mere admiration of the Person of the Lord, or consent to the perfection of His ideals, will not outlive the experiences through which attempts at following Him will lead men. Men may applaud Him, and be prepared to cast their votes for a Kingdom such as He described; but under the pressure of opposing forces they will only follow Him as they are united to Him in death and resurrection.
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.