Morning, May 5 Go To Evening Reading
“I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
—2 Corinthians 6:16
What a sweet title: “My people!” What a cheering revelation: “Their God!” How much meaning is couched in those two words, “My people!” Here is a specialty. The whole world is God’s; the heaven, even the heaven of heavens, is the Lord’s, and he reigneth among the children of men; but of those whom he hath chosen, whom he hath purchased to himself, he saith what he saith not of others—“My people.” In this world, proprietorship is the idea. The “Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” All the nations upon earth are his; the whole world is in his power; yet are his people, his chosen, more especially his possession; for he has done more for them than others; he has bought them with his blood; he has brought them nigh to himself; he has set his great heart upon them; he has loved them with an everlasting love, a love which many waters cannot quench, and which the revolutions of time shall never suffice in the slightest degree to diminish. Dear friends, can you, by faith, see yourselves in that number? Can you look up to heaven and say, “My Lord and my God: mine by that sweet relationship which entitles me to call thee Father; mine by that hallowed fellowship which I delight to hold with thee when thou art pleased to manifest thyself unto me as thou dost not unto the world?” Canst thou read the Book of Inspiration and find the indentures of thy salvation? Canst thou read thy title writ in precious blood? By humble faith, canst thou lay hold of Jesus’ garments and say, “My Christ”? If thou canst, then God saith of thee, and of others like thee, “My people;” for, if God be your God, and Christ your Christ, the Lord has a unique, peculiar favor to you; you are the object of his choice, accepted in his beloved Son.
Go To Morning Reading Evening, May 5
“He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.”
—Proverbs 16:20
Wisdom is man’s true strength; under its guidance, he best accomplishes the ends of his being. Wisely handling the matter of life gives man the most decadent enjoyment and presents the noblest occupation for his powers; hence, by it, he finds good in the most total sense. Without wisdom, man is as the wild ass’s colt, running hither and thither, wasting strength which might be profitably employed. Wisdom is the compass by which man is to steer across the trackless waste of life; without it, he is a derelict vessel, the sport of winds and waves. A man must be prudent in this world, or he will find no good but be betrayed into unnumbered ills. The pilgrim will sorely wound his feet among the briers of the wood of life if he does not pick his steps with the utmost caution. In a wilderness infested with robber bands, he must handle matters wisely if he would journey safely. If trained by the Great Teacher, we follow where he leads, we shall find good, even while in this dark abode; there are celestial fruits to be gathered this side of Eden’s bowers and songs of paradise to be sung amid the groves of earth. But where shall this wisdom be found? Many have dreamed of it but have not possessed it. Where shall we learn it? Let us listen to the voice of the Lord, for he hath declared the secret; he hath revealed to the sons of men wherein true wisdom lieth, and we have it in the text, “Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” The proper way to handle a matter wisely is to trust in the Lord. This is the sure clue to the most intricate labyrinths of life; follow it and find eternal bliss. He who trusts in the Lord has a diploma for wisdom granted by inspiration: happy is he now, and happier shall he be above. Lord, in this sweet eventide, walk with me in the garden and teach me the wisdom of faith.
C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).
May 5: Believing in the Impossible
Judges 8:1–9:21; Philippians 2:12–18; Psalm 67:1–7
Too often, we’re cynical about circumstances. When people come to us for advice, we want to list why they shouldn’t take a certain course of action. We want to dissuade them. But what if we had a little faith instead?
In Judges, we find someone who is surprisingly idealistic. When the men of Ephraim oppose Gideon, he says, “What have I done now compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? God has given into your hand the Midian, Oreb, and Zeeb commanders. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” (Judg 8:2–3).
Gideon cleverly couches his request in the middle of compliments, placing positives on either side of it. He wins back their favor: “And their anger against him subsided when he said that” (Judges 8:3).
Gideon’s motives were flawed, theologically or interpersonally, but his actions teach us something fascinating. People often want to be told that they can accomplish the impossible. Those who believe in the impossible can usually accomplish things others can’t. Of course, Gideon was audacious; he and the men from Ephraim could have been crushed by these warring nations of mightier strength and military intelligence. Surprisingly, in this circumstance, he succeeded (Judg 8:15–17).
We shouldn’t necessarily look to Gideon as a shining example (he makes many mistakes). But this incident reminds us to carefully consider our interactions with those we influence. What if we chose to be encouraging? What if we didn’t default to cynic mode? When someone comes to you for advice, consider the work that God might be doing in that person. If He deems them worthy, they will accomplish their work—even if everything looks bleak at first.
Who can you encourage? How can you affirm people’s calling?
John D. Barry
John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).
May 5th
Judgment on the abyss of love
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. 1 Peter 4:17.
The Christian worker must never forget that salvation is God’s thought, not man’s; therefore, it is an unfathomable abyss. Salvation is the great thought of God, not an experience. Experience is only a gateway by which salvation comes into our conscious life. Never preach the experience; preach the great thought of God behind. When we preach, we are not proclaiming how man can be saved from hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying good news about God.
In the teachings of Jesus Christ, the element of judgment is always brought out; it is the sign of God’s love. Never sympathize with a soul who finds it difficult to get to God; God is not to blame. It is not for us to find out why it is difficult, but to present the truth of God that the Spirit of God will show what is wrong. The great sterling test in preaching is that it brings everyone to judgment. The Spirit of God locates each one to himself.
If Jesus ever gave us a command He could not enable us to fulfill, He would be a liar. If we make our inability a barrier to obedience, we are telling God there is something He has not considered. Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year (Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering, 1986).
May 5
We glory in tribulations
Rom. 5:3
Have you ever thought that someday you will never have anything to try or anybody to vex you again?
A. B. Simpson
Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).
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