Daily Bible Notes: October, 26th
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
Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
Haggai 1:9
Churlish souls stint their contributions to the ministry and missionary operations, and call such saving good economy; little do they dream that they are thus impoverishing themselves. Their excuse is that they must care for their own families, and they forget that to neglect the house of God is the sure way to bring ruin upon their own houses. Our God has a method in providence by which He can succeed our endeavours beyond our expectation, or can defeat our plans to our confusion and dismay; by a turn of His hand He can steer our vessel in a profitable channel, or run it aground in poverty and bankruptcy. It is the teaching of Scripture that the Lord enriches the liberal and leaves the miserly to find out that withholding tendeth to poverty. In a very wide sphere of observation, I have noticed that the most generous Christians of my acquaintance have been always the most happy, and almost invariably the most prosperous. I have seen the liberal giver rise to wealth of which he never dreamed; and I have as often seen the mean, ungenerous churl descend to poverty by the very parsimony by which he thought to rise. Men trust good stewards with larger and larger sums, and so it frequently is with the Lord; He gives by cartloads to those who give by bushels. Where wealth is not bestowed the Lord makes the little much by the contentment which the sanctified heart feels in a portion of which the tithe has been dedicated to the Lord.
Selfishness looks first at home, but godliness seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, yet in the long run selfishness is loss, and godliness is great gain. It needs faith to act towards our God with an open hand, but surely He deserves it of us; and all that we can do is a very poor acknowledgment of our amazing indebtedness to His goodness.
Evening
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Ecclesiastes 1:7
Everything sublunary is on the move, time knows nothing of rest. The solid earth is a rolling ball, and the great sun himself a star obediently fulfilling its course around some greater luminary. Tides move the sea, winds l stir the airy ocean, friction wears the rock: change and death rule everywhere. The sea is not a miser’s storehouse for a wealth of waters, for as by one force the waters flow into it, by another they are lifted from it.
Men are born but to die: everything is hurry, worry, and vexation of spirit.
Friend of the unchanging Jesus, what a joy it is to reflect upon thy changeless heritage; thy sea of bliss which will be for ever full, since God Himself shall pour eternal rivers of pleasure into it. We seek an abiding city beyond the skies, and we shall not be disappointed. The passage before us may well teach us gratitude. Father Ocean is a great receiver, but he is a generous distributor. What the rivers bring him he returns to the earth in the form of clouds and rain. That man is out of joint with the universe who takes all but makes no return. To give to others is but sowing seed for ourselves. He who is so good a steward as to be willing to use his substance for his Lord, shall be entrusted with more. Friend of Jesus, art thou rendering to Him according to the benefit received? Much has been given thee, what is thy fruit? Hast thou done all? Canst thou not do more?
To be selfish is to be wicked. Suppose the ocean gave up none of its watery treasure, it would bring ruin upon our race. God forbid that any of us should follow the ungenerous and destructive policy of living unto ourselves. Jesus pleased not Himself. All fulness dwells in Him, but of His fulness have all we received. O for Jesu’s spirit, that henceforth we may live not unto ourselves!
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Matthew 23:1-12
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
2 saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses' seat.
3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don't do their works; for they say, and don't do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
5 But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments,
6 and love the place of honour at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi, Rabbi' by men.
8 But don't you be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest amongst you will be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
THE LUST OF THE EXTERNAL
Pharisaism is the lust of externalities, and the utter negligence of the inward sanctities of the spirit. It thinks more of decorum than of holiness, more of etiquette than of equity, more of ritualism than of "the robe of righteousness and the garment of salvation." Pharisaism lives in the streets: it does not dwell in the inner chambers of our mystic life.
Pharisaism thirsts for the homage of men and not for the approbation of God. It is far more alert to the "Rabbi! Rabbi!" of the crowd than it is to the secret callings of the Lord. The path between itself and the highest is unfrequented and grass-grown; the path between itself and the multitude is a well-trodden and barren road.
My Lord, let me be warned! Let me not pervert the ministries of religion to the aggrandizement of self. Let me not, in appearing to worship Thee, be seeking the worship of men. Give me singleness of mind. Give me purity of heart. And may I discover true greatness in seeking greatness for others.
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
October 26th.
My Father, may I have keener eyes for seeing the lovely! I only see it occasionally. I would see it always and everywhere.
Give me Thine own sight. Wash mine eyes that I may see. "Lord, that I may receive my sight!"
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
For the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:22
For the sake of his elect the Lord withholds many judgments, and shortens others. In great tribulations the fire would devour all were it not that out of regard to his elect the Lord damps the flame. Thus, while he saves his elect for the sake of Jesus, he also preserves the race for the sake of his chosen.
What an honour is thus put upon saints! How diligently they ought to use their influence with their Lord! He will hear their prayers for sinners, and bless their efforts for their salvation. He blesses believers that they may be a blessing to those who are in unbelief. Many a sinner lives because of the prayers of a mother, or wife, or daughter, to whom the Lord has respect.
Have we used aright the singular power with which the Lord entrusts us? Do we pray for our country, for other lands, and for the age? Do we, in times of war, famine, pestilence, stand out as intercessors, pleading that the days may be shortened? Do we lament before God the outbursts of infidelity, error, and licentiousness? Do we beseech our Lord Jesus to shorten the reign of sin by hastening his own glorious appearing? Let us get to our knees, and never rest till Christ appeareth.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Psalm 126:5
Sorrow is a minister, creating character for those who dwell in the Will of God; for such, sorrow is turned into joy.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
The sheep follow Him; for they know His voice.
John 10:4
In the case of the eastern shepherd, that is literally true; and as the next words declare, "A stranger will they not follow, for they know not the voice of strangers." The strangeness of other voices is a warning to the sheep; they do not know the voices, and so take no risks. How full of value is the suggestiveness of all this in the case of those who belong to the Lord! There is no doubt that such do know the voice of the Lord. They may not immediately understand what He is saying, but there is no mistaking His voice. It is the voice of understanding, of tenderness, of strength, of authority. There is none other like it. It often corrects us, runs counter to our desires, calls us to service that we dread, and sometimes to suffering which we fain would miss. But we know when He speaks; and then it is ours to follow, knowing that He makes no mistakes, and that every word He utters to us - the sternest as well as the tenderest - is love-inspired. This being so, our wisdom ever consists in refusing to follow any strange voice. We do not, cannot know others as we know Him. Their suggestions may be false even when their intention is good; or their intention may be evil, when their suggestions are pleasant. Let us listen only to the Voice we know, and hearing let us follow.
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.