Daily Bible Notes: May, 12th
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 will manifest myself to him.
John 14:21
The Lord Jesus gives special revelations of Himself to His people. Even if Scripture did not declare this, there are many of the children of God who could testify the truth of it from their own experience. They have had manifestations of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a peculiar manner, such as no mere reading or hearing could afford. In the biographies of eminent saints, you will find many instances recorded in which Jesus has been pleased, in a very special manner to speak to their souls, and to unfold the wonders of His person; yea, so have their souls been steeped in happiness that they have thought themselves to be in heaven, whereas they were not there, though they were well nigh on the threshold of it - for when Jesus manifests Himself to His people, it is heaven on earth; it is paradise in embryo; it is bliss begun. Especial manifestations of Christ exercise a holy influence on the believer’s heart. One effect will be humility .
If a man says, "I have had such-and-such spiritual communications, I am a great man," he has never had any communion with Jesus at all; for "God hath respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off." He does not need to come near them to know them, and will never give them any visits of love. Another effect will be happiness ; for in God’s presence there are pleasures for evermore. Holiness will be sure to follow. A man who has no holiness has never had this manifestation. Some men profess a great deal; but we must not believe any one unless we see that his deeds answer to what he says. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked." He will not bestow His favours upon the wicked: for while He will not cast away a perfect man, neither will He respect an evil doer. Thus there will be three effects of nearness to Jesus - humility, happiness, and holiness. May God give them to thee, Christian!
Evening
Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again.
Genesis 46:3,4
Jacob must have shuddered at the thought of leaving the land of his father’s sojourning, and dwelling among heathen strangers. It was a new scene, and likely to be a trying one : who shall venture among couriers of a foreign monarch without anxiety? Yet the way was evidently appointed for him, and therefore he resolved to go. This is frequently the position of believers now - they are called to perils and temptations altogether untried: at such seasons let them imitate Jacob’s example by offering sacrifices of prayer unto God, and seeking His direction; let them not take a step until they have waited upon the Lord for His blessing: then they will have Jacob’s companion to be their friend and helper. How blessed to feel assured that the Lord is with us in all our ways, and condescends to go down into our humiliations and banishments with us! Even beyond the ocean our Father’s love beams like the sun in its strength. We cannot hesitate to go where Jehovah promises His presence; even the valley of deathshade grows bright with the radiance of this assurance. Marching onwards with faith in their God, believers shall have Jacob’s promise .
They shall be brought up again, whether it be from the troubles of life or the chambers of death. Jacob’s seed came out of Egypt in due time, and so shall all the faithful pass unscathed through the tribulation of life, and the terror of death. Let us exercise Jacob’s confidence. "Fear not ," is the Lord’s command and His divine encouragement to those who at His bidding are launching upon new seas; the divine presence and preservation forbid so much as one unbelieving fear. Without our God we should fear to move; but when He bids us to, it would be dangerous to tarry. Reader, go forward, and fear not.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Exodus 4:10-17
10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."
11 The LORD said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, the LORD?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak."
13 Moses said, "Oh, Lord, please send someone else."
14 The LORD's anger burnt against Moses, and he said, "What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16 He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17 You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."
MOUTH AND MATTER
"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth."
And what a promise that is for anyone who is commissioned to proclaim the King's decrees. Here can teachers and preachers find their strength. God will be with their mouths. He will control their speech, and order their words like troops. He does not promise to make us eloquent, but to endow our words with the "demonstration of power."
"And I will teach thee what thou shall say." The Lord will not only be with our mouths, but with our minds. He will guide our thoughts as well as our words. He will be as sentinel at the lips. He will be our guide in our processes of meditation and judgment, and He will bring us to enlightened ends. All of which is just this: He will give us mouth and matter.
This does not put a premium upon idleness. The Lord guides when men are honestly groping. He gives us fire when we have built the altar. He works His miracle when we have provided the five loaves. He sends His light through diligent thinking. The divine power is given through the consecrated strength.
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
May 12th.
My Father, I pray for all who have not had a glimpse of Thy face. Mercifully look upon all who are groping in the darkness.
May they touch Thy hand even before they see Thy face! Bring them speedily to the open vision.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
Proverbs 27;18
He who tends the fig tree has figs for his pains, and he who waits on a good master has honour as his reward. Truly the Lord Jesus is the very best of masters, and it is an honour to be allowed to do the least act for his sake. To serve some lords is to watch over a crab tree and eat the crabs as one's wages; but to serve my Lord Jesus is to keep a fig tree of the sweetest figs. His service is in itself delight, continuance in it is promotion, success in it is blessedness below, and the reward for it is glory above.
Our greatest honours will be gathered in that season when the figs will be ripe, even in the next world. Angels who are now our servitors will bear us home when our day's work is done. Heaven, where Jesus is, will be our honourable mansion, eternal bliss our honourable portion, and the Lord himself our honourable companion. Who can imagine the full meaning of this promise - "He that waiteth on his master shall be honoured."?
Lord, help me to wait upon my Master. Let me leave all idea of honour to the hour when thou thyself shalt honour me. May thy Holy Spirit make me a lowly and patient worker and waiter!
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
2 Timothy 3:14
To lose the Christ of virgin birth, and virtuous life, and vicarious death, and victorious resurrection, is to lose the New Testament. And the reverse is true. To lose the New Testament is to lose that Person. The Christ of Christianity and the Christ of the New Testament are one.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luke 6:46
How familiar these words of our Lord are to all of us! We agree with their intention. It is wrong, it is futile, to call Him Lord, if we are not acting in harmony with the profession which such naming of Him involves. To call Him Lord, is to declare that we are His subjects. To neglect to do what He commands, is to give the lie to our declaration. All that we recognize. Now the arresting thing here is that our Lord did not upon this occasion convey the truth in the form of a statement, but in the form of a question. Therefore the incisive word is the introductory "Why?" What is the answer? If we are disobedient why continue the profession of obedience? To find the answer will be to search the inner life diligently and ruthlessly. The "Why" of Jesus penetrates to the deepest things of the life. It refuses to be put off with any hypocrisy, or superficial excuse. "Why!" Therefore it is a question to which it would be almost dangerous to suggest possible answers. Each soul guilty of the wrong referred to, must face this "Why" alone. All that need be said is, that to do so will inevitably be to discover the unworthiness of the reason, and moreover, that there is no necessity for such hypocrisy. Indeed, the Lord has a better chance to help any man who ceases to call Him Lord, when he ceases to obey His commands. This "Why" of Jesus is like a sharp instrument which cuts into the very core of a malady.
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.