DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

Go To Morning Reading      Evening, April 30          “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God.”            — Psalm 139:17 Divine omniscience affords no comfort to the ungodly mind, but to the child of God it overflows with consolation. God is always thinking upon us, never turns aside his mind from us, has us always before his eyes; and this is precisely as we would have it, for it would be dreadful to exist for a moment beyond the observation of our heavenly Father. His thoughts are always tender, loving, wise, prudent, far-reaching, and they bring to us countless benefits: hence it is a choice delight to remember them. The Lord always did think upon his people: hence their election and the covenant of grace by which their salvation is secured; he always will think upon them: hence their final perseverance by which they shall be brought safely to their final rest. In all our wanderings the wat...

Day Seven, God's Sabbath

May 1 Lesson 9 INCREASED FAITH DEVOTIONAL READING: Jeremiah 23:33–24:6 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE : Luke 17:1–10 LUKE 17:1–10 1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. 7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto...

April 30: They’re Futile; This Isn’t Joshua 22:10–24:33; 2 Corinthians 13:11–14; Psalm 60:1–12 If you knew it was time to die, to say goodbye for good, what would you say? How would your final hoorah sound? In an episode of Northern Exposure, Dr. Joel Fleischman is convinced that he is dying. Joel, who is usually conservative, begins risking everything: he drives a motorcycle way too fast without a helmet, gets a ticket that he rips up, and eventually crashes the bike—all while feeling no remorse. He then returns to his office to learn that he is actually fine; his doctor’s initial inclination was incorrect. Almost immediately, he becomes angry that he didn’t know his fate earlier. In his recklessness, he could have prematurely ended his life. The risks you take when you think your life is over are quite different from those you’re willing to take when you think you’re fine. The things you say, the person you are, would be very different if you knew tomorrow were your last d...

April 29: Examine Thy Self Joshua 21:1–22:9; 2 Corinthians 13:1–10; Psalm 59:1–17 Before advising others on how they should act, self-examination is always necessary. When the Corinthians questioned the authenticity of Paul and his colleagues’ ministry (which is ironic, since he had planted their church), Paul says to them: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless you are unqualified?” ( 2 Cor 13:5 ). None of us are ready for the ministry that Jesus has for us because we’re not worthy of the glorious gift of salvation He has offered. We are meant to find our identity and calling in Christ; and to lead out of the awards, and He has given us ( see 1 Cor 12 ). For this reason, Paul makes this claim: “And I hope that you will recognize that we are not unqualified! Now we pray to God that you do not do wrong in any way, not that we are seen as approved, but that you do w...

April 30th The spontaneity of love Love suffereth long, and is kind … 1 Cor. 13:4–8 . Love is not premeditated, it is spontaneous, that is, it bursts up in extraordinary ways. There is nothing of mathematical certainty in Paul’s category of love. We cannot say— ‘Now I am going to think no evil; I am going to believe all things.’ The characteristic of love is spontaneity. We do not settle statements of Jesus in front of us as a standard; but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard without knowing it, and on looking back we are amazed at the disinterestedness of a particular emotion, which is the evidence that the spontaneity of real love was there. In everything to do with the life of God in us, its nature is only discerned when it is past. The springs of love are in God, not in us. It is absurd to look for the love of God in our hearts naturally, it is only there when it has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. ...

April 30   Be it unto thee even as thou wilt         Matt. 15:28 Oh, the victories of prayer! They are the mountain-tops of the Bible. They take us back to the plains of Mamre, to the fords of Peniel, to the prison of Joseph, to the triumphs of Moses, to the transcendent victories of Joshua, to the deliverances of David, to the miracles of Elijah and Elisha, to the whole story of the Master’s life, to the secret of Pentecost, to the keynote of Paul’s unparalleled ministry, to the lives of saints and the deaths of martyrs, to all that is most sacred and sweet in the history of the Church and the experience of the children of God. And when, for us, the last conflict shall have passed, and the footstool of prayer shall have given place to the harp of praise, the spots of time that shall be gilded with the most celestial and eternal radiance shall be those, often linked with deepest sorrow and darkest night, over which we have the inscription, “Jehova...

Gecko Sunning Itself ‎The Mediterranean House Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, also called the Turkish Gecko, is a nocturnal lizard inhabiting the Mediterranean Basin and surrounding areas. Rarely growing longer than six inches (15 cm), they have large, lidless eyes with elliptical pupils. The skin of the head and upper body exhibits dark spots over a yellow or tan base, and the tail usually features dark stripes. Geckos emit a high-pitched call that sounds like a bird chirping. Though dietarily unclean in the Mosaic Law, they have adapted well to living around humans. ‎ Lev 11:30, Prov 30:28 ‎Image by user ZooFari, from Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 3.0

A Silver Shekel ‎Rome operated a mint in Tyre that produced silver shekels of high purity (94 percent silver or more). These and half-shekels were the only coins accepted by the temple in Jerusalem. The high priests paid Judas with silver shekels like this one to betray Christ ( Matt 26:15 ). This was also the coin Jesus told Peter to find in the fish’s mouth ( Matt 17:27 ).

Jacob Meets Rachel ‎So Jacob came to Haran; and he paused, even as Eliezer had paused by a well outside the city. But this was a well farther away among the fields, where shepherds watered their flocks. He inquired for his mother’s people; and the shepherds pointed to where Rachel was coming with her flock to the well. Jacob with his usual craft hurried the shepherds away so that he remained alone, to help Rachel water her sheep and then tell her who he was. She welcomed him gladly with a kiss and ran to tell her father. ‎This father was Laban, the brother of Rebekah, who had given the latter to be Isaac’s wife. Laban was a man of Jacob’s own type, well-meaning perhaps at heart, and bold where needed, but full of guile and trickery. The two men were not ill-matched. At first, Laban had all the advantage of their intercourse; for Jacob was after all but an ignorant country lad, and besides he had fallen at first sight deeply in love with Rachel. The purest, noblest, ...

Old City View from Mt of Olives

Tomb of Lazarus ‎Tradition locates the site of this celebrated event in the sepulchre to which we here see the opening. It is, of course, nothing but a tradition. The tomb is partly cut out of the rock and partly lined with masonry. It is sacred both to Christians and Moslems alike, and the strong probability is that the tomb is not very far away. There is something very impressive in the thought that it was here, within the sound of our voices, that Lazarus and Mary and Martha lived; the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair. When Lazarus was taken sick his sister sent to Jesus with the simple message: “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” It was four days after the burial of Lazarus before Jesus reached Bethany, and it was at the grave that He g...

Adoption Romans 8:15 Excerpt Among the Greeks and Romans, when a man had no son, he was permitted to adopt one even though not related. He might, if he chose, adopt one of his slaves as a son. The adopted son took the name of the father and was in every respect regarded and treated as a son. Among the Romans, there were two parts to the act of adoption: one a private arrangement between the parties, and the other a formal public declaration of the fact. It is thought by some that the former is referred to in this verse, and the latter in verse 23 , where the apostle speaks of “waiting for the adoption.” The servant has been adopted privately, but he is waiting for a formal public declaration of the fact. ‎After adoption, the son, no longer a slave, had the privilege of addressing his former master by the title of “father.” … Freeman, James M., and Harold J. Chadwick. Manners & Customs of the Bible . North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998. Print.

Tents Song of Solomon 1:5 Excerpt ‎Tents were among the early habitations of man, though not the earliest since they apparently were not introduced until the time of Jabal, who was in the seventh generation from Adam (see Genesis 4:20 ). The first tents were doubtless made of skins, though afterward when the process of weaving became known, they were made of cloth of camel’s hair, or goat’s hair, spun by women. The latter is the material most commonly used by the Arabs, and since the goats were usually black, or a very dark brown, the tents had the same appearance. It was thus in the days of Solomon with the tents made the descendants of the Ishmaelitish Kedar. “Kedar,” which means “powerful” in Arabic and “black” in Hebrew, designates the descendants of Ishmael in North Arabia. … Freeman, James M., and Harold J. Chadwick. Manners & Customs of the Bible . North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998. Print.

The Joy of the Lord Excerpt The state of the blessed is a state of joy, not only because all tears shall then be wiped away, but all the springs of comfort shall be opened to them, and the fountains of joy broken up. Where there are the vision and fruition of God, a perfection of holiness, and the society of the blessed, there cannot but be a fulness of joy. (2.) This joy is the joy of their Lord; the joy which he himself has purchased and provided for them; the joy of the redeemed, bought with the sorrow of the Redeemer. It is the joy which he himself is in the possession of, and which he had his eye upon when he endured the cross and despised the shame, Heb. 12:2 . It is the joy of which he himself is the fountain and center. It is the joy of our Lord, for it is joy in the Lord, who is our exceeding joy. Abraham was not willing that the steward of his house, though faithful, should be his heir ( Gen. 15:3 ); but Christ admits his faithful stewards into his own joy, to be joint-hei...

April 29: Examine Thy Self Joshua 21:1–22:9; 2 Corinthians 13:1–10; Psalm 59:1–17 Before advising others on how they should act, self-examination is always necessary. When the Corinthians questioned the authenticity of Paul and his colleagues’ ministry (which is ironic, since he had planted their church), Paul says to them: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is to you unless you are unqualified?” ( 2 Cor 13:5 ). None of us are ready for the ministry that Jesus has for us because we’re not worthy of the godly gift of salvation He has offered. We are meant to find our identity and calling in Christ; and to lead out of the gifts; He has given us ( see 1 Cor 12 ). For this reason, Paul makes this claim: “And I hope that you will recognize that we are not unqualified! Now we pray to God that you do not do wrong in any way, not that we are seen as approved, but that you do what is goo...

Morning, April 29       Go To Evening Reading          “Thou art my hope in the day of evil.”           — Jeremiah 17:17 The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine; he has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written in God’s Word, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace;” and it is a great truth, that religion is calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above; but experience tells us that if the course of the just be “As the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day,” yet sometimes that light is eclipsed. At certain periods clouds cover the believer’s sun, and he walks in darkness and sees no light. There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for a season; they have basked in the sunshine in the earlier stages of their Christian career; they have walked along the “green pastures” by the side of the “sti...

April 29th The graciousness of uncertainty It doth not yet appear what we shall be. 1 John 3:2 . Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We imagine that we have to reach some end, but that is not the nature of spiritual life. The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently, we do not make our nests anywhere. Common sense says— ‘Well, supposing I were in that condition …’ We cannot suppose ourselves in any condition we have never been in. Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God and do the d...

April 29   Thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me         Isa. 49:23 Quiet waiting before God would save from many a mistake and from many a sorrow. J. Hudson Taylor Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Jesus Knew their Hostile Thoughts Excerpt Immediately (euthys; cf. 1:10 ) Jesus perceived in His spirit (inwardly; cf. 14:38 ) their hostile thoughts and He confronted them directly with pointed counterquestions (a rhetorical device in Rabbinic debate; cf. 3:4 ; 11:30 ; 12:37 ). The scribes expected a physical healing, but Jesus pronounced the man’s sins … forgiven. They probably thought that a pronouncement of forgiveness was easier than one of healing because healing was visible and immediately verifiable. Grassmick, John D. “ Mark .” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures . Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 112. Print.

The Truth about Conflicts Excerpt The chapter break falls in the middle of the third ( 3:13–4:10 ) section of the body of James’s letter. This section deals with the two different kinds of wisdom and is typified by two ways of life, that is, two kinds of friendship: the one with the world and the other with God. As the section continues in the fourth chapter, James expounds these two types of spiritual friendship,penetrating deeper into the basic problems of double-mindedness and self-deception and the corrective need of active faith. In the second section of the letter, James sought to prove his point by specifying what his addressees were failing to do. Now in section three he points out the failings that were obvious in what they were doing. Richardson, Kurt A. James. Vol. 36. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997. Print. The New American Commentary.

A Samaritan Gives Thanks Excerpt Only one of the ten men was grateful enough to come first to Jesus and thank Him for His merciful gift of healing. (See Ps. 107:8 , 15 , 21 , and 31 .) But the astounding thing is that this man was a Samaritan! Imagine a Samaritan giving thanks to a Jew! But because he did, this man received an even greater gift: he was saved from his sins. “Your faith has made you well” can be translated, “Your faith has saved you” (see 7:50 , NKJV ). Physical healing is a great blessing, but it ends at death; while the blessing of eternal life lasts forever. Wiersbe, Warren W. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament . Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992. Print.

Euodia and Syntyche Philippians 4:2 Excerpt Two women, Euodia, and Syntyche did not live up to the meanings of their names. “Euodia” means a “prosperous journey.”   “Syntyche” means a “pleasant acquaintance.” Since Paul pleaded with these two to agree with each other in the Lord, it seems that they were causing dissension in the assembly. This helps explain Paul’s earlier plea for unity ( 2:1-4 ). Lightner, Robert P. “ Philippians .” The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures . Ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Vol. 2. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. 663. Print.

The First Marriage Excerpt Everything in Creation was “very good” ( 1:31 ) except the loneliness of Adam. “It is not good for man to be alone” points to the basis for marriage: (1) to provide companionship; (2) to carry on the race; (3) to help one another and bring out the best. The word “helpmeet” ( v. 18 ) refers to helper: one that meets his needs. This companion was not found anywhere in animal creation, thus showing the great gulf that is fixed between brute creatures and human beings made in the image of God. God made the first woman out of the flesh and bone of the first man, and He “closed up the flesh in its place” ( v. 21 , NKJV ). The verb “made” in v. 22 is actually the word “built,” as one would build a temple. The fact that Eve was made from Adam shows the unity of the human race and the dignity of woman. It has been remarked that Eve was made, not from the man’s feet to be trampled by him, or from his head to rule over him, but from his side, to be near his heart...

Learn Christ Ephesians 4:20–21 Excerpt The first formulation, ‘you did not learn Christ that way’ , is without parallel. The phrase ‘to learn a person’ appears nowhere else in the Greek Bible , and to date it has not been traced in any prebiblical Greek document. In Colossians , the same verb is used of the readers having ‘learned’ the ‘grace of God’ from Epaphras, who had given them systematic instruction in the gospel ( Col. 1:7 ). Here in Ephesians Christ himself is the content of the teaching which the readers learned. Just as he is the subject of the apostolic preaching and teaching ( 1 Cor. 1:23 ; 15:12 ; 2 Cor. 1:19 ; 4:5 ; 11:4 ; Phil. 1:15 ; cf. Acts 5:42 ), so he is the one whom the hearers ‘learn’ and ‘receive’ . O’Brien, Peter Thomas. The Letter to the Ephesians . Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999. Print. The Pillar New Testament Commentary.

The Significance of the Sender Galatians 1:1 Excerpt The significance of a messenger depended not on his own status, but on the status of the one who sent him. Paul claims the highest status of all, for he was sent “by Jesus Christ and God the Father.” Two propositions further emphasize Paul’s position. His apostleship is neither from ( apo ) or through ( dia ) men. Not “from men” sets Paul apart from the false apostles, who were never commissioned by God at all. Not “through men” sets him with the Twelve, directly commissioned by Jesus. Richards, Lawrence O. The Bible Reader’s Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991. Print.

April 28: The Subtle Sinner Joshua 19:10–20:9; 2 Corinthians 12:11–21; Psalm 57:1–58:11 Some sins slip through the cracks—the ones that emerge in hushed tones between like-minded Christians. Sometimes these sins seem respectable because they occur out of supposed concerns for the Church or others. But they can leave deep gashes in the life of a community because they often go unchecked. And it’s these sins that Paul addresses shortly before closing his letter to the Corinthians: “For I am afraid lest somehow when I arrive, I will not find you as I want, and I may be found by you as you do not want. I am afraid lest somehow there will be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, pride, disorder” ( 2 Cor 12:20 ). While the Corinthians were guilty of flagrant sins like impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness, they were also sinning in ways that subtly undermined Paul’s authority. Slander and gossip created deep divisions in the Corinth...

Morning, April 28       Go To Evening Reading          “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.”           — Psalm 119:49 Whatever your especial need may be, you may readily find some promise in the Bible suited to it. Are you faint and feeble because your way is rough and you are weary? Here is the promise— “He giveth power to the faint.” When you read such a promise, take it back to the great Promiser, and ask him to fulfil his own word. Are you seeking after Christ, and thirsting for closer communion with him? This promise shines like a star upon you— “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Take that promise to the throne continually; do not plead anything else, but go to God over and over again with this— “Lord, thou hast said it, do as thou hast said.” Are you distressed because of sin, and burdened with the h...

April 28th What you will get Thy life will I give thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. Jeremiah 45:5 . This is the unshakable secret of the Lord to those who trust Him— ‘I will give thee thy life.’ What more does a man want than his life? It is the essential thing. ‘Thy life for a prey’ means that wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life, nothing can harm it. So many of us are caught up in the shows of things, not in the way of property and possessions, but of blessings. All these have to go; but there is something grander that never can go—the life that is “hid with Christ in God.” Are you prepared to let God take you into union with Himself, and pay no more attention to what you call the ‘great things’? Are you prepared to abandon entirely and let go? The test of abandonment is in refusing to say— ‘Well, what about this?’ Beware of suppositions. Immediately you allow— ‘What about this?’ it means you have not...

April 28   To him be glory both now and forever         2 Peter 3:18 Believer, you are anticipating the time when you shall join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus; but are you glorifying Him now? The apostle’s words are, “To him be glory both now and forever.” C. H. Spurgeon Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Plan, Roman Freedmen’s Funerary Estate ‎This first-century A.D. marble diagram details plans for memorial buildings and an ornamental garden in a funerary estate in Rome belonging to freed slaves. The inscription reads, “Claudia Peloris, freedwoman of [Emperor] Claudius’ daughter Octavia, and Tiberius Claudius Eutychus, [Emperor Nero’s] freedman and procurator, left the care of this … monument to their sisters and freedmen and freedwomen and their descendants.” Peloris and Eutychus apparently pleased their imperial patrons, who freed them and gave them money and property. Peloris and Eutychus owned—and freed—slaves. ‎ Acts 6:9, 1 Cor 7:22 ‎Image by Giovanni Dall’Orto, from Wikimedia Commons. License: Free use, attribution required

Appreciation Excerpt Apparently some time elapsed between gifts from the Philippian church. It may have been years between the gifts mentioned in 2 Cor 8 and the one delivered by Epaphroditus. Perhaps Paul had despaired of their love for him since so much time elapsed and since they were the ones who remembered him financially and a financial gift uniquely expressed love. Their gift was a cause of joy in the Lord. Perhaps they expected Paul to be joyful because of the gift but, as the context clearly reveals, his joy was in the Lord. Spiritual relationships brought the most satisfaction: their love for him because of Christ’s love and his love for the Lord. Thus, it was natural for a material gift to become an occasion for Christian joy. The Christian nature of this relationship is supported by the word Paul used for “concern.” It is the key verb of the epistle, phroneō . Paul used it consistently to point out proper Christian attitudes in following the mind of Christ. He must h...

Boswellia Boswellia thurifera, a source of frankincense. Sweeney, Marvin A. “Frankincense.” Ed. Mark Allan Powell. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) 2011 : 300. Print.

Overview of Psalm 139 Psalm 139 Excerpt David meditates on the omniscience ( 139:1–6 ), omnipresence (vv. 7–12 ), and omnipotence (vv. 13–18 ) of God. He then applies these truths to the wicked, whom he calls on God to slay (vv. 19–22 ), and to himself, whom he calls on God to examine and to lead (vv. 23–24 ). Richards, Lawrence O. The Bible Reader’s Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991. Print.

Stand Firm in Freedom Excerpt If Galatians is the Magna Carta of Christian liberty, then Gal 5:1 has reason to be considered one of the key verses of the epistle. With the language of freedom and slavery still ringing in their ears from the analogy of Hagar andSarah, the Galatians are now told by Paul: “Plant your feet firmly therefore within the freedom that Christ has won for us, and do not let yourselves be caught again in the shackles of slavery” (Phillips). This verse contains both an assertion, “For freedom … Christ has set us free,” and a command based upon it, “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” George, Timothy. Galatians. Vol. 30. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994. Print. The New American Commentary.

Garden Tomb area

The Mosque of Omar, Jerusalem ‎ This beautiful mosque has a meaning within and above its beauty that no other edifice can claim. It is the shelter or inclosure of the great altar of the world. It has a post of sublime interest, and one always asks oneself, “What will be the next great event in its history?” Away back in the childhood of the world Abraham climbed these heights, yet untouched by man, and laid his son, Isaac, there for an offering to the Lord, who had claimed it. After the trial was over it became the “Mount of the Lord,” and the Messiah was then promised. Later the great plague that fell upon Israel was stayed at this spot— “the threshing-floor of Oman, or Araunah ” —and here David saw the great angel stand between the heaven and the earth, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. And another altar was built by David, upon which the Lord sent holy fire. A few years later Solomon laid the foundation of the Lord’s house around the rock alta...

April 27: Walking in Circles Joshua 18:1–19:9; 2 Corinthians 12:1–10; Psalm 56:1–13 I often wish things were more obvious. I ask God to help me understanding His timing so that I can easily act. I ask for everything to happen at the right moments. I ask Him to give me such clear directions that I can’t fail in following them. I used to think this was a good thing, but I realize now that all my questions could indicate a lack of faith. It seems that my questions lead to more questions. Like a man losing his memory in old age, I end up walking in circles around the block rather than finding my way home. Maybe it’s not the lack of knowing that disturbs me, but that when I really know what God wants, I will have to act. In general, this seems to be the problem with faith in western Christianity. We say we don’t know what God wants. However, if we’re honest with ourselves, perhaps we don’t really want to know what God wants. In our hearts, we’re certain that knowing will mean unc...

Morning, April 27       Go To Evening Reading          “God, even our own God.”           — Psalm 67:6 It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God himself. Though he is “our own God,” we apply ourselves but little to him, and ask but little of him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking his guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that he may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, “I am thine, soul, come and make use of me as thou wilt; thou mayst freely come to my store and the oftener the more welcome.” It is our own fault if we make not free with the riches of our God. Then, since thou hast such a friend, and he inv...

April 27th What do you want? Seekest thou great things for thyself? Jeremiah 45:5. Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not exploring to be a great one, but asking great things from God for yourself. God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts; He wants you to get to know Him. A great thing is accidental, it comes and goes. God never gives us anything accidental. Nothing is easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He gives. If you have only come to the length of asking God for things, you have never come to the first strand of abandonment; you have become a Christian from a standpoint of your own. ‘I did ask God for the Holy Spirit, but He did not give me the rest and the peace I expected.’ Instantly God puts His finger on the reason—you are not seeking the Lord at all, you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus says— “Ask, and it shall be given you.” Ask God f...

April 27   He … said … I … hid thy talent in the earth.… His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant         Matt. 25:24–26 Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing. Monod Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.