Redeemed by the Lord, we are to be consecrated to Him (Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – June).

1st June: Exodus 1:1-2:10 Things were difficult for Israel yet 'the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied' (12). Difficult times can be the making of God's people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God's people (15-16; John 10:10). God is about to move in saving power - His 'midwives' …

No-one goes on forever (Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – June).

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two - June 1st June: 1 Kings 1:1-53 David's reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – May

1st May: Jeremiah 1:1-19 To understand Jeremiah's story, we must look 'behind the scenes': 'The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations"' (4-5). To understand our own …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – May

1st May: 2 Samuel 1:1-27 'How are the mighty fallen!' (19,25,27). The tragedy of Saul was there for all to see. He had made a right mess of things! What are we to think when we read of this tragic figure? He started out so well. He ended so badly. There were high hopes – …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – May

1st May: Genesis 37:1-36 Here, we have human sin and divine grace. We see jealousy (11) and its effects: 'where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice' (James 3:16). There is God working out His purpose: 'you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good' (50:20). In …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – April

1st April: Genesis 25:19-34 Esau was a fool. He chose his own way rather than the Lord's way. Jacob was a 'heel'! 'Born with his hand holding on to Esau's heel..., he was named Jacob (Heel)' (26). A crafty twister, a manipulating cheat, there was nothing about him that merited God's blessing. He was not …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – March

1st March: Psalm 86:1-17 'You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you...Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth...I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart...For great is Your love towards me' (5,11-13). God loves us. He forgives …

Stand amazed in the presence of Jesus.

Matthew 2:13-23 The story unfolds according to God's saving purpose and not Herod's Satanic schemes. Herod dies. Jesus lives. The purpose of man is defeated. The purpose of God prevails. Jesus' time in Egypt is full of prophetic significance (15; Hosea 11:1). Egypt was the place of bondage. God turns everything around, making it the …

We are called to a life of single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ.

Numbers 27:1-23 The daughters of Zelophehad were concerned about the continuation of their father's name (1-11). Our first concern must be the glory of God, our Heavenly Father. We are to honour our parents, loving them deeply. We must not allow such love to compete with our love for Christ. He must come first. We …

Romans 8:1-39

Each of us must choose. We can 'live according to the flesh' or we can 'live according to the Spirit'. We can 'set the mind on the flesh' or we can 'set the mind on the Spirit' (5-6). The new life in the Spirit is just the beginning. God is preparing us for the greater …

Looking to Jesus, we are assured of this: Satan will be defeated.

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One - December 1st December: John 10:1-42 The Christian life is not easy. The devil 'comes only to steal and kill and destroy' (10). Satan was working through the religious leaders. They were trying 'to stone' Jesus (31). 'Again', they failed (39). They could not take Jesus' life. 'His hour had …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – December

1st December: Haggai 1:1-15 '"Why is everyone saying it is not the right time for rebuilding My Temple?" asks the Lord. His reply to them is this: "Is it then the right time for you to live in luxurious homes, when the Temple lies in ruins?"' (2-4). God's people had forgotten about God. They were …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – November

1st November: Hosea 1:1-3:5 'Hosea' means 'salvation'. Married to 'an adulterous wife', Hosea spoke with great compassion to 'the land' which was 'guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord' (1:2). He brought God's Word of love to the people: 'I will show My love to the one I called, "Not My loved …

We need the encouragement of God’s Word.

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two - November 1st November: Psalms 60:1-61:8 There is so much to hold us back from worshipping and serving the Lord. We could so easily become discouraged. We need the encouragement of God's Word. This is what we have here: 'With God we shall gain the victory, and He will trample …

More than a story about David and Goliath

1 Samuel 17:1-58 David defeats Goliath. This is not only a story about David and Goliath. It is about the Israelites and the Philistines. It is about 'God' and the 'gods' (43,46). Victory comes from the Lord. It is given by grace. It is received by faith (47). Notice the contrast between the attitude of …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – October

1st October: 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34 In 17:3, we read of backsliding - in David, Asa and Jehoshaphat. 'Jehoshaphat walked in the first ways of his father David'(Authorized Version). David, Jehoshaphat's ancestor, started off so well - 'the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power'. Things fell apart for him when he set his …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – October

1st October: Numbers 19:1-22 The sacrifice was to be 'without defect'. There was to be 'no blemish' (2). Here, we have a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ - 'without sin', He offered Himself 'for the sins of the people' (Hebrews 4:15; 2:17). The gathering of 'the ashes' (9-10) speaks of the completeness of Christ's …

When we bow at the foot of the Cross, we say, “To God be the glory.”

Romans 11:1-36 'You stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe' (20). In 9:32, Paul contrasted 'faith' and 'works'. Here, he contrasts 'grace' and 'works' (6). Grace and faith belong together. 'Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling' (Church Hymnary, 83) - This is …

Recent Posts: Daily Devotional Readings

From a good phyical harvest to a rich spiritual harvest Exodus 23:1-24:18; Mark 3:31-4:29; Psalm 22:22-32 The people of Israel were called by God to celebrate His goodness:  “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field” (Exodus 23:16). A good harvest is used by Jesus as a …

Give all the glory to God.

1 Samuel 19:1-24 Saul was planning to kill David (1). Jonathan warns David and tries to talk some sense into Saul (2,4-5). Saul took Jonathan's advice - but not for long (6,10)! Thank God that the 'like father, like son' rule didn't apply here! How much more difficult life would have been for David if …

The glory belongs to the Lord, not to anyone else!

1 Samuel 18:1-30 'Loved' by 'all Israel and Judah' (16,28), David was hated by only one man, the most powerful man in the land - Saul (29). Saul was full of envy (7-8), suspicion (9) and violence (10-11). Saul had been proved wrong (17:33,50), and he didn't like it! David had more success with the …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – August

1st August: 1 Chronicles 1:1-54 What are we to make of this long list of names? - A waste of space? Are we wasting our time looking for God's Word here? No! God has a very important message for us! Do you ever feel insignificant - just one among so many? Here`s God's Word for …

Christ is the real thing.

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One - August 1st August: Leviticus 1:1-2:16 Jesus Christ, 'the Lamb without blemish', has 'made atonement' for sin through the shedding of His 'precious blood' (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ - He 'loved us and gave Himself up for us' - is 'a pleasing odour to the Lord', …

In Christ, we are set free to obey God.

Genesis 2:15-17 We noted, in Genesis 1:1-3, the importance of getting our priorities right - God, God's Word, God's Spirit. Here, we emphasize the importance of these priorities. We are under God. We must remember that He is God (Genesis 2:15). We are to obey God's Word (Genesis 2:16). Here we learn that the act …

Trust in Christ, not in yourself.

Romans 9:1-33 We read about 'Jews' and 'Gentiles'. We learn about salvation. The Jews are not saved because of their nationality. It is 'not because of works'. The Gentiles are not excluded because of their nationality. It is 'because of His call'. Salvation comes from God's grace, not from our good works. It is received …

Jesus says that we are not to be like ‘the hypocrites.’

Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus says that we are not to be like 'the hypocrites' (2,5,16). The word 'hypocrite' means 'play actor.' It refers to 'putting on a performance'. This performance may be extremely religious, but God is not in it. The hypocrites live according to 'the letter' of the law, but they know nothing of the …

Pray that faith will come, as the Word of Christ is heard.

Romans 10:1-21 To 'Jew and Gentile', God says, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' (12-13). The Jews had praised the Lord Jesus: 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!'. Before long, they were shouting, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him!' (John …

Let Christ’s love give you strength – to keep on serving Him.

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One - July 1st July: Exodus 20:21-21:32 So many instructions - Don't get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (20:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. …

We’ve wandered away from the Lord. He’s waiting for us to make our way back to Him.

For more notes on God's Word, visit God's Word For Every Day. Genesis 4:6-16. In the story of Cain, we see the development of sin. Jealousy leads to anger, and anger leads to murder. In this story, we see ourselves in the 'mirror' of God's Word. Here, God emphasizes our exceeding sinfulness - 'The heart is …

I once was lost, but now am found.

For more notes on God's Word, visit God's Word For Every Day. Genesis 6:1-8 The story of Noah is the story of God's grace - 'Noah found grace' (8). Noah lived in very difficult times (5-7), yet 'Grace found Noah'. His testimony could be summed up: 'Amazing grace...I once was lost but now am found' (Mission …

Jesus Christ – the Source of our salvation

Genesis 7:1-24 What was going on outside of the ark is contrasted with the haven of salvation inside the ark. We read that, once all were in the ark, "the Lord closed the door behind them" (16). What was it that made the ark a place of salvation? - The Lord. What is it that …

Judgment and Salvation

Genesis 6:9-22 To view the flood exclusively in terms of judgment is to see only one side of what God was doing. As well as judging, He was also saving - 'In this ship a few people - eight in all - were saved by water' (1 Peter 3:20). The ark points forward to Christ …

Standing on Christ and sent out by Him

Genesis 8:1-22 Following the flood, we have this simple yet striking declaration: 'the ground was dry' (13). Safe from judgment! This is the message which comes to us from the Cross: 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). The judgment has fallen upon Christ. We are no …

Names are important to God.

Genesis 10:1-32 Names are important to God. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, "calls His sheep by name' (John 10:3). Among the many names, there is an interesting reference to "Nimrod, the first mighty warrior on the earth ... a mighty hunter whom the Lord blessed" (8-9). When we note that the first among the "cities in …

Creation – and New Creation

Genesis 1:26-2:3 We now come to the creation of humanity, male and female. Our creation is described in a distinctive way - created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We are different from the rest of creation. We have been given dominion over 'all the earth' and 'every living creature' (Genesis 1:26,28). We are …

When you see a rainbow, remember God is love.

Genesis 9:1-19 'When you see a rainbow, remember God is love.' The rainbow reminds us of the gracious promise of God (13-15). If the love of God is revealed in the rainbow, it is more fully revealed in the Cross: 'We sing the praise of Him who died, of Him who died upon the Cross...upon …

Yesterday’s victories can become today’s defeats, if we do not keep close to God.

  Genesis 9:20-29 What a sad episode this is! It teaches us that yesterday's victories can become today's defeats, if we do not keep close to God. We read, in Hebrews 11:7 of Noah the man of faith, but here we have a very different picture. The lesson is clear - 'The arm of flesh …

Grace found Noah.

Genesis 6:1-8 The story of Noah is the story of God's grace - 'Noah found grace' (8). Noah lived in very difficult times (5-7), yet 'Grace found Noah'. His testimony could be summed up: 'Amazing grace...I once was lost but now am found' (Mission Praise, 31). Expanding on the thought of 5:29 - 'this one …

A Great Hymn Of Praise

Genesis 1:14-25 The Bible's opening chapter is a great hymn of praise, emphasizing that all things have been created for the glory of God (Revelation 4:11). Nothing can be permitted to distract our attention from the Lord. He alone is worthy of worship. The creation of the 'lights' makes no reference to the sun and …

Get Your Priorities Right – God, God’s Word, God’s Spirit.

Genesis 1:1-3 'Genesis' means 'beginning'. These opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right - (a) The priority of God (Genesis 1:1). God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) The priority of God's Word (Genesis 1:3). God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there …

‘My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.’

Psalm 42:1-11 As we read God's Word day-by-day, we are to pray for an increase of our desire for God: 'My soul thirsts for God, for the living God' (Psalm 42:2). This is the spiritual experience, referred to in Psalm 42:7 - 'Deep calls to deep'. This is what Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians …

Our Fall Into Sin – And The Foundation Of Our Salvation

Genesis 2:4-14 We read of 'the breath of life', producing 'a living being' (Genesis 2:7). Separated from God through our sin, we have become spiritually dead (Ephesians 4:18; 2:1), we have been 'born again', 'born of the Spirit'. This new birth is brought about by the breath of life, the wind of the Spirit (John …

God wants to bless you.

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three - July 1st July: Jeremiah 39:1-18 You can take the man out of Babylon, but you can't take Babylon out of the man! We may have never set foot in the ancient city of Babylon, but we know all about the spirit of Babylon! 'The heart is deceitful above all …

The Name of the Lord is a strong tower.

Genesis 11:1-9 Human pride sets itself up against the authority of God. This is the oft-repeated story of the 'Tower of Babel'. The end of godless men is sure - 'Tower and temple, fall to dust' (Church Hymnary, 405). Sin can be analyzed psychologically in terms of the human attitude of proud independence ('let us …

When You See A Rainbow, Remember God Is Love.

Genesis 9:1-19 '‘When you see a rainbow, remember God is love’. The rainbow reminds us of the gracious promise of God (13-15). If the love of God is revealed in the rainbow, it is more fully revealed in the Cross: ‘We sing the praise of Him who died, of Him who died upon the Cross... …

God is moving on.

Genesis 11:10-32 Another list of names! Again, there is something here for us - God is moving on. These many names summarize the times between Noah and Abraham. We must look beyond this list of names. We must see them in connection with His Story. History can be tedious, until we see it as His …

Close To The Heart Of God, Created To Glorify Him

We come here to the creation of woman. Her creation is bound up with the creation of man. She is created from man's 'rib' (Genesis 2:21-22). The 'rib' is taken from his side, emphasizing that man and woman are to be together, side-by-side, not one in front of the other. The 'rib', rather than the …

Jesus Christ, ‘the Lamb without blemish’, has ‘made atonement’ for sin through the shedding of His ‘precious blood.’

Leviticus 1:1-2:16 Jesus Christ, 'the Lamb without blemish', has 'made atonement' for sin through the shedding of His 'precious blood' (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ - He 'loved us and gave Himself up for us' - is 'a pleasing odour to the Lord', 'a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God' (1:9,13,17; Ephesians …

The Lord’s love speaks of His keeping power. He will complete the work He has begun.

Deuteronomy 7:1-26 Enter, Destroy, Possess (1-2). Don't try to jump straight from entering to possessing. Don't forget to destroy. We enter the Christian life through faith in Christ. We will not 'take possession of' a fuller enjoyment of His salvation if we refuse to 'destroy' the obstacles to His blessing in our lives. Sin is …

The fear of the Lord and love for the Lord

Deuteronomy 6:1-25 'Hear' and 'do' (1-3; James 1:22-25). In our obedience to God, there is to be the fear of the Lord and love for the Lord (2,5). Fear and love: the two belong together. God is holy - fear Him. God is love - love Him. This is for every generation: 'you and your …

God is greater than all the problems!

Deuteronomy 2:1-37 During their wilderness years, God's people had many problems. God is greater than all the problems! Israel's journey began in the land of 'bondage' (Exodus 2:23-25). From there, He led them to the land of promise, 'the land which the Lord our God gives to us' (29). This is 'amazing grace': 'Through many …

Read about the prodigal son, and think of the perfect Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 15:1-32 People were coming to Christ (1). Still, the critics were murmuring among themselves (2). What did Jesus do ? - He kept on preaching the Gospel (3-32). The lost sheep (3-7) the lost coin (8-10), the lost son (11-32) - These are the parables of the Gospel. They teach us two lessons - …

Jesus brings His light into our darkness.

For more of these Daily Devotional Readings, visit God's Word For Every Day. Matthew 4:12-17 Having overcome His enemy, Jesus begins His ministry. Satan will be back - Luke ends his account of Jesus' temptations with these ominous words, 'When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left until an opportune time' (4:12). Satan …

Sent out into the world – to bring others to Christ

Genesis 8 At the end of the flood, God said to Noah, "Come out of the ship" (v. 16). We are "in Christ". He is the Source of our salvation. God has brought us into Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). He does not bring us into Christ for our own benefit only. He sends us out …

‘Pull yourself together’: What good will this do, without the love of Jesus?

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two - December 1st December: Job 3:1-4:11 'I'm reaching the end of my tether' - Do you ever feel like this? What are we to do when, like Job, we find ourselves sinking into a state of deep depression? Remember Jesus. Remember His suffering - 'My God, my God, why have …

Daily Devotional Readings : Year One – January

1st January: Psalm 119:105-112 We begin the year with the words of verse 105: 'Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path'. This a great text with which to begin the year. It is a great starting-point for these studies in God's Word. As we journey through life with …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – February

1st February : Genesis 6:1-8 The story of Noah is the story of God's grace - 'Noah found grace' (8). Noah lived in very difficult times (5-7), yet 'Grace found Noah'. His testimony could be summed up: 'Amazing grace...I once was lost but now am found' (Mission Praise, 31). Expanding on the thought of 5:29 …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – March

1st March: Genesis 15:1-21 God is greater than our circumstances. God had given great promises to Abraham, yet there appeared no sign that His promises were being fulfilled. The circumstances seemed bleak, and Abraham felt despondent. Abraham was full of questions. In verse 2, he asks, 'What can you give me...?'. This is the question …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – February

1st February: Judges 1:1-2:5 'You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7). Everything seems to be going well - 'From victory to victory His army He shall lead till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed' (1-18; Church Hymnary, 481). Things went badly wrong. God commanded His people …

Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – March

1st March: Ruth 1:1-2:23 Ruth meets Boaz. It seemed like a 'chance' meeting - 'she happened to come...'(2:3). It was more than that. God was at work. Ruth had committed herself to the Lord (1:16-17). She was being guided by the Lord (Psalm 37:3-5; Proverbs 3:5-6). Ruth was unassuming and grateful, hard working and responsible …