Morning, May 29 Go To Evening Reading
“Thou hatest wickedness.”
—Psalm 45:7
“Be ye angry, and sin not.” There can hardly be goodness in a man if he is not angry at sin; he who loves truth must hate every false way. How our Lord Jesus hated it when the temptation came! Thrice it assailed him in different forms, but ever he met it with, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” He hated it in others; none the less fervently because he showed his hate oftener in tears of pity than in words of rebuke; yet what language could be the sterner, more Elijah-like, than the words, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayer.” He hated wickedness so much that he bled to wound it to the heart; he died that it might die; he was buried that he might bury it in his tomb, and he rose that he might forever trample it beneath his feet. Christ is in the Gospel, and that Gospel is opposed to wickedness in every shape. Wickedness arrays itself in delicate garments and imitates the language of holiness, but the precepts of Jesus, like his famous scourge of small cords, chase it out of the temple and will not tolerate it in the Church. So, too, in the heart where Jesus reigns, what war there is between Christ and Belial! And when our Redeemer shall come to be our Judge, those thundering words, “Depart, ye cursed,” which are, indeed. Still, a prolongation of his life-teaching concerning sin shall manifest his abhorrence of iniquity. As warm as is his love to sinners, so hot is his hatred of sin; as perfect as is his righteousness, so complete shall be the destruction of every form of wickedness. O thou glorious champion of right, and destroyer of wrong, for this cause hath God, even thy God, anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Go To Morning Reading Evening, May 29
“Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho.”
—Joshua 6:26
Since he was cursed, who rebuilt Jericho, much more the man who labors to restore Popery among us. In our fathers’ days, the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now some would rebuild that accursed system upon its old foundation. O Lord, be pleased to thwart their unrighteous endeavors and pull down every stone they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error that may tend to foster the spirit of Popery. When we have made a clean sweep at home, we should seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world. This last can be done in secret by fervent prayer and in public by decided testimony. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel truth and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like owls hate daylight. Are we doing all we can to go for Jesus and the gospel? If not, our negligence plays into the hands of the priestcraft. What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the Pope’s bane and poison? Are we casting abroad good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, “The devil hates goose quills,” and doubtless, he has good reason, for ready writers have done his kingdom much damage by the Holy Spirit’s blessing. If the thousands who will read this short word this night will do all they can to hinder the rebuilding of this accursed Jericho, the Lord’s glory shall speed among the sons of men. Reader, what can you do? What will you do?
Spurgeon, C. H. Morning and Evening: Daily Readings. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896. Print.
May 29: Blessed Sticky Notes
1 Chronicles 24:1–25:31; 2 Timothy 3:10–17; Psalm 89:1–22
A great friend keeps sticky notes with prayer requests on a bathroom mirror. They serve as a reminder of the needs of others. This friend never seems to have an “off day” or feel sad about their particular situation. Maybe these notes play a part in that attitude, but that’s not why I find the practice remarkable. What astounds me is the effort to pray for others constantly. This person reminds me of God’s faithfulness in my life whenever things get tough, for me or others, and I’m grateful my name is on one of those notes. Otherwise, I think I would have lost my way several times already.
First Chronicles presents story after story of God’s faithfulness. The book records how God kept His people alive in the face of powerful adversaries, and it tells how God led David in his great appointment as king. Paul’s journey has several parallels with David’s. Just as the chronicler watches David’s narrative and that of Israel in general (e.g., 1 Chr 24), Timothy watches Paul and the Christian church (2 Tim 3:10–17). Paul recounts to Timothy, “But you have faithfully followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra, what sort of persecutions I endured, and the Lord delivered me from all of them” (2 Tim 3:10–11). Timothy is more than a colleague; he is a true friend.
What a joy it is to have someone in your life who watches “your story.” Think how our lives might be different if we had more friends who faithfully prayed for us, and we faithfully prayed for them. Following God is not just a matter of listening to His guidance; it’s also being aware of how His faithfulness is playing out in the lives of those around us.
Who can you be praying for? How can you commit to being a blessing to them? How can you regularly remind yourself to do so?
John D. Barry
Barry, John D., and Rebecca Kruyswijk. Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan. Print. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012.
May 29th
Undisturbed relationship
At that day ye shall ask in My name … The Father Himself loveth you. John 16:26, 27.
“At that day ye shall ask in My name,” i.e., in My nature. Not—‘You shall use My name as a magic word,’ but—‘You will be so intimate with Me that you will be one with Me.’ “That day” is not a day hereafter but a day here and now. “The Father Himself loveth you”—the union is complete and absolute. Our Lord does not mean that life will be free from external perplexities but that just as He knew the Father’s heart and mind, so by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, He can lift us into the heavenly places where He can reveal the counsels of God to us.
“Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name ….” “That day” is a day of the undisturbed relationship between God and the saint. Just as Jesus stood unsullied in the presence of His Father, so by the mighty efficacy of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we can be lifted into that relationship—“that they may be one, even as We are one.”
The sovereign character of Jesus Christ is tested by His own statements. “He will give it to you,” Jesus says that God will recognize our prayers. What a challenge! By the Resurrection and Ascension power of Jesus, by the sent-down Holy Ghost, we can be lifted into such a relationship with the Father that we are at one with the perfect sovereign will of God by our free choice, even as Jesus was. In that beautiful position, placed there by Jesus Christ, we can pray to God in His name, in His nature, which is gifted to us by the Holy Ghost, and Jesus says—“Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.”
Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest: Selections for the Year. Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering, 1986. Print.
May 29
Our Lord Jesus Christ … gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world
Gal. 1:4
Attachment to Christ is the only secret of detachment from the world.
A. J. Gordon
Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.
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