Day 5 - Thursday | Daily Devotions | Morning and Evening: Daily Reading | Connect the Testaments | My Utmost for His Highest | Thoughts for the Hour |

 Morning, September 4 Go To Evening Reading

“I will; be thou clean.”

—Mark 1:41

Primeval darkness heard the Almighty fiat, “light be,” and straightway light was, and the word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word of power. Redemption, like Creation, has its word of might. Jesus speaks, and it is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the Lord’s “I will.” The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery; nature contributed nothing to its own healing, but the unaided effort on the spot and for word effected the entire work. The sinner is in a plight more miserable than the leper; let him imitate his example and go to Jesus, “beseeching him and kneeling down to him.” Let him exercise what little faith he has, even though it should go no further than “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean,” and there need be no doubt as to the result of the application. Jesus heals all who come and casts out none. In reading the narrative in which our morning’s text occurs, it is worthy of devout notice that Jesus touched the leper. This unclean person had broken through the regulations of the ceremonial law and pressed into the house, but Jesus, so far from chiding him, broke through the law himself to meet him. He made an interchange with the leper, for while he cleansed him, he contracted a Levitical defilement by that touch. Even so, Jesus Christ was made sin for us, although in himself he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. OH, that poor sinners would go to Jesus, believing in the power of his blessed substitutionary work, and they would soon learn the power of his gracious touch. That hand which multiplied the loaves, which saved sinking Peter, which upholds afflicted saints, which crowns believers, that same hand will touch every seeking sinner, and in a moment make him clean. The love of Jesus is the source of salvation. He loves, he looks, he touches us, we live.

Go To Morning Reading Evening, September 4

“Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have.”

—Leviticus 19:36

Weights, scales, and measures were to be all by the standard of justice. Surely no Christian man will need to be reminded of this in his business, for if righteousness were banished from all the world beside, it should find a shelter in believing hearts. There are, however, other balances that weigh moral and spiritual considerations, and these often need examination. We will call in the officer tonight.

The balances in which we weigh our own and other men’s characters, are they quite accurate? Do we not turn our own ounces of goodness into pounds, and other persons’ bushels of excellence into pecks? See to weights and measures here, Christian. The scales in which we measure our trials and troubles, are they according to a standard? Paul, who had more to suffer than we have, called his afflictions light, and yet we often consider ours to be heavy—surely something must be amiss with the weights! We must see to this matter, lest we get reported to the court above for unjust dealing. Those weights with which we measure our doctrinal belief, are they quite fair? The doctrines of grace should have the same weight with us as the precepts of the word, no more and no less; but it is to be feared that with many, one scale or the other is unfairly weighted. It is a grand matter to give just measure in truth. Christian, be careful here. Those measures in which we estimate our obligations and responsibilities look relatively small. When a rich man gives no more to the cause of God than the poor contribute, is that a just ephah and a just hin? When ministers are half-starved, is that honest dealing? When the poor are despised, while ungodly rich men are held in admiration, is that a just balance? Reader, we might lengthen the list, but we prefer to leave it as your evening’s work to find out and destroy all unrighteous balances, weights, and measures.

 C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).

September 4: Utopian Truth for Today

Hosea 8:1–10:15; Acts 4:1–37; Job 16:1–9

Wealth often tempts us to materialism, as our possessions make us feel secure, valued, and comfortable. However, sometimes the absence of these assets allows this temptation to exert even more power over us, driving us to spend our lives chasing a higher salary, a bigger house, or a new car. Our pursuit of this illusion makes it easy to dismiss passages like Acts 4 as utopian fantasy—ideal for difficult times, perhaps, but hardly realistic.

“Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all things were theirs in common. And with great power, the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. For there was not even anyone needy among them, because all those who were owners of plots of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds of the things that were sold” (Acts 4:32–34).

We too easily find ways to distance ourselves from the selfless acts of the early believers. Sell plots of land or houses? Give it all away? That doesn’t seem reasonable. Won’t people take advantage of us? Won’t they grow lazy and begin to feel entitled?

The early church responded differently. They responded to the testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with concrete acts of faith. They saw Christ as Lord over all they previously regarded as their personal possessions. They were so united in purpose and prayer that the things they owned mattered little unless they could be used in service to others—in doing the work of Christ.

Regardless of our financial situation, we need a new mindset. If it’s difficult to imagine changing our lifestyle to help someone in need, then we need to examine our hearts. If we cling to the belief that our possessions give us security, value, and comfort, then we need to examine our faith. Either way, we must assess our possessions, talents, and time, consider the people in our lives, and make decisions guided by the values of a new kingdom.

How can you better use your money, possessions, time, and talents to serve others?

Rebecca Van Noord

 John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

September 4th

His!

Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me. John 17:6.

The missionary is one in whom the Holy Ghost has wrought this realization—“Ye are not your own.” To say ‘I am not my own’ is to have reached a significant point in spiritual nobility. The true nature of life in the actual whirl is the deliberate giving up of myself to another in sovereign preference, and that other is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit expounds the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might go off as a showroom exhibit. Our Lord never sent any of the disciples out on the ground of what He had done for them. It was not until after the Resurrection, when the disciples had perceived by the power of the Holy Spirit Whom He was, that Jesus said, ‘Go.’

“If any man come to Me and hate not …, he cannot be My disciple,” not—he cannot be good and upright, but—he cannot be one over whom Jesus writes the word ‘Mine.’ Any one of the relationships Our Lord mentions may be a competitive relationship. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself; then says Jesus, You cannot be My disciple. This does not mean I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be ‘His.’

Our Lord makes a disciple His own possession; He becomes responsible for him. “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me.” The spirit that comes in is not that of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The secret of the missionary is—I am His, and He is carrying out His enterprises through me.

Be entirely His.

 Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year (Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering, 1986).

September 4

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness

Dan. 9:9

Just as a spring lock closes itself, but cannot be unlocked without a key, so we may run into sin, but cannot return without the key of God’s grace.

Cawdray

 Samuel G. Hardman and Dwight Lyman Moody, Thoughts for the Quiet Hour (Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997).