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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – February

1st February: Psalms 82:1-83:18 'The Lord' is 'the Most High' (18). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become 'sons of the Most High': 'You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus' (82:6; Galatians 3:26). Through the great love of God, we have received the great privilege of becoming 'sons of the Most …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – January

1st January: Joshua 1:1-18 For Israel, it was a new beginning. They were leaving the wilderness. That was their past. They were entering the promised land. This was God's future. For God's future there is God's command - 'Be strong' - and God's promise - 'the Lord your God is with you'. We wonder what …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – January

1st January: Psalm 77:1-20 Sometimes, we have more questions than answers (7-9). The questions keep flooding into our minds. We wonder where the answers are going to come from. What are we to do when this happens? We must remember what the Lord has done for us (11-12). Look back over the 'years' - and …

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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 …

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‘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 …

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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 - …

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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 …

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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 …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – October

1st October: Ezekiel 38:1-23 We read here of God's judgment upon 'Gog from the land of Magog': 'When Gog attacks the land of Israel, My hot anger will be aroused...I will execute judgment upon him...' (1,18,22). The names 'Gog and Magog' are also found in Revelation 20:7-10. There, we read of rebellion against God - …

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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 …

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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 …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – September

1st September: Proverbs 23:19-35 'Keep your heart on the right path' (19). How are we to do this? We must seek 'truth, wisdom, instruction and understanding' (23). We must give our hearts to Christ. He is 'the Truth' (John 14:6). We must open our hearts to Christ. He is 'our Wisdom' (1 Corinthians 1:30). Opening …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Two – September

1st September: 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1 'Satan stood up against Israel...' (21:1). 'Satan' is 'the devil' (Revelation 12:7). He is a powerful enemy. We must not underestimate him. In the service of the Lord, we face strong opposition. It is is not merely human - 'our struggle is not against flesh and blood'. It is much …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year One – September

1st September: Numbers 1:1-54 'Every man able to go forth to war': This is the key phrase in verses 1-46. God is looking for 'soldiers': Soldiers of Christ! To live for Christ is to be engaged in warfare. It is spiritual warfare. We need 'the whole armour of God' (Ephesians 6:10-20). We must remember that …

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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 …

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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 …

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Daily Devotional Readings: Year Three – August

1st August: Lamentations 1:1-22 Jerusalem had fallen into hard times - 'she who once was great among the nations...has now become a slave' (1). The explanation for this sad situation was not hard to find - 'Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean...' (8-9). Could things be turned around? Could there once again …

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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 …

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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. …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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' …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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