Daily Bible Notes: September, 18th
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
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25
The two most important things in our holy religion are the life of faith and the walk of faith . He who shall rightly understand these is not far from being a master in experimental theology, for they are vital points to a Christian. You will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other hand, you will never discover a truly holy life which has not for its root a living faith upon the righteousness of Christ. Woe unto those who seek after the one without the other! There are some who cultivate faith and forget holiness; these may be very high in orthodoxy, but they shall be very deep in condemnation, for they hold the truth in unrighteousness; and there are others who have strained after holiness of life, but have denied the faith, like the Pharisees of old, of whom the Master said, they were "whitewashed sepulchres." We must have faith, for this is the foundation; we must have holiness of life, for this is the superstructure. Of what service is the mere foundation of a building to a man in the day of tempest? Can he hide himself therein? He wants a house to cover him, as well as a foundation for that house. Even so we need the superstructure of spiritual life if we would have comfort in the day of doubt. But seek not a holy life without faith, for that would be to erect a house which can afford no permanent shelter, because it has no foundation on a rock. Let faith and life be put together, and, like the two abutments of an arch, they will make our piety enduring. Like light and heat streaming from the same sun, they are alike full of blessing. Like the two pillars of the temple, they are for glory and for beauty. They are two streams from the fountain of grace; two lamps lit with holy fire; two olive trees watered by heavenly care. O Lord, give us this day life within, and it will reveal itself without to Thy glory.
Evening
And they follow me.
John 10:27
We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for He has a right to lead us wherever He pleases . We are not our own, we are bought with a price - let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. The soldier follows his captain, the servant obeys his master, much more must we follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession. We are not true to our profession of being Christians, if we question the bidding of our Leader and Commander.
Submission is our duty, cavilling is our folly. Often might our Lord say to us as to Peter, "What is that to thee? Follow thou Me." Wherever Jesus may lead us, He goes before us . If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road? The journey may be long, but His everlasting arms will carry us to the end. The presence of Jesus is the assurance of eternal salvation, because He lives, we shall live also. We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which He leads us all end in glory and immortality . It is true they may not be smooth paths - they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant." Let us put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, His purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy. We shall find it sweet to go up the bleak side of the hill with Christ; and when rain and snow blow into our faces, His dear love will make us far more blest than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world’s fire.
To the top of Amana, to the dens of lions, or to the hills of leopards, we will follow our Beloved. Precious Jesus, draw us, and we will run after Thee.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
Psalms 139:1-12
1 LORD, you have searched me, and you know me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, behold, LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me.
6 This knowledge is beyond me. It's lofty. I can't attain it.
7 Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me. The light around me will be night,"
12 even the darkness doesn't hide from you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like light to you.
THE ALL-ROUND DEFENCE
"Thou hast beset me behind."
And that is a defence against the enemies which would attack me in the rear. There is yesterday's sin, and the guilt which is the companion of yesterday's sin. They pursue my soul like fierce hounds, but my gracious Lord will come between my pursuers and me. His mighty grace intervenes, and my security is complete.
"Thou hast beset me ... before." And that is a defence against the enemies which would impede my advance and frighten me out of the heavenly way. There is fear - fear of the morrow, fear of consequences, fear of death! And my Lord will come between me and them, and their menace shall be destroyed. The fiery darts shall be quenched before they reach my soul.
"And laid Thine hand upon me." And that is a defence against the enemies which may lie in ambush in present and immediate circumstances: the sudden temptation to passion, or the temptation to panic, or the temptation which would snare me to criminal ease. But my Lord's hand is all-sufficient! And so on every side my defence standeth; "the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him."
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
September 18th.
My Saviour, wilt Thou help me to conquer any besetting sin? If I am finding my delight in it, graciously change my tastes.
Give me a strong inclination towards the pure and good. May the holy be sweet unto my taste! May I drink of the river of Thy pleasure!
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long,
and he shall dwell between his shoulders.
Deuteronomy 33:12
Yes, there is no safety like that which comes of dwelling near to God. For his best beloved the Lord can find no surer or safer place. O Lord, let me always abide under thy shadow, close to thy wounded side. Nearer and nearer would I come to thee, my Lord; and when once specially near thee, I would abide there for ever.
What a covering is that which the Lord gives to his chosen! Not a fair roof shall cover him, nor a bomb-proof casement, nor even an angel's wing, but Jehovah himself. Nothing can come at us when we are thus covered. This covering the Lord will grant us all the day long, however long the day. Lord, let me abide this day consciously beneath this canopy of love, this pavilion of sovereign power.
Does the third clause mean that the Lord in his temple would dwell among the mountains of Benjamin, or that the Lord would be where Benjamin's burden should be placed, or does it mean that we are borne upon the shoulders of the Eternal? In any case, the Lord is the support and strength of his saints. Lord, let me ever enjoy thy help, and then my arms will be sufficient for me.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
It is God which worketh in you.
Philippians 2:13
This implies the actual presence of God at the centre of our being. The very simplicity of these words renders them difficult of understanding; for no man understands the complex and marvellous mechanism of his own personality. God worketh in you - not outside, but in - in the place where thought is born, and the throne of the will is set up, and the affections have their seat; in the inward shrine of the being, God worketh.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
According to the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God.
1 Timothy 1:11
This is another instance where the Revision has added greatly to the understanding and beauty of a phrase. In a previous note we observed the difference between "the might of His glory" and "His glorious might" (Col. 1:11). Here we have the same kind of change. Instead of reading "the glorious Gospel," we have "the Gospel of the Glory." That the Gospel is glorious we know, but the Apostolic phrase draws our attention to the fact that the good news is that of "the Glory of the blessed God." Knowing that it is the Gospel of His Grace, we are thus reminded that Grace and Glory in God are one. That which is the very essence of His splendour and beauty is the infinite love of His heart. Also we may, with perfect accuracy, render the description of God as "the happy God." What unfathomable depths of suggestiveness there are in the words: "The Gospel of the Glory of the happy God!" But now observe how the words are introduced. Immediately before them are the words "according to." When we go back to see what this Gospel is the standard of, we find a remarkable denunciation of evil things, some of the most fearful being named, and, all others being included in the words "and if there be any other thing." All these things are "contrary to the sound doctrine, according to the Gospel of the glory of the happy God." Thus again, as so constantly in the New Testament, we are reminded that the Gospel makes no excuse for sin, makes no terms with it.
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.