Day 2 - Monday - Daily Devotions - Logos

 Morning, September 18: Go To Evening Reading

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

—Galatians 5:25

The two most essential things in our holy religion are the life of faith and the walk of faith. He who shall rightly understand these is not far from being a master in experimental theology, for they are vital points to a Christian. You will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other hand, you will never discover a truly holy life that has not for its root a living faith in the righteousness of Christ. Woe unto those who seek after the one without the other! Some cultivate faith and forget holiness; these may be very high in orthodoxy, but they shall be intense in condemnation, for they hold the truth in unrighteousness; and others have strained after holiness of life but have denied the faith, like the Pharisees of old, of whom the Master said, they were “whitewashed sepulchers.” We must have faith, for this is the foundation; we must have holiness of life, for this is the superstructure. Of what service is the mere foundation of a building to a man in the day of tempest? Can he hide himself therein? He wants a house to cover him and a foundation for that house. Even so, we need the superstructure of spiritual life if we would have comfort in the day of doubt. But seek not a holy life without faith, for that would be to erect a house that can afford no permanent shelter because it has no foundation on a rock. Let faith and life be put together, and, like the two abutments of an arch, they will make our piety enduring. Like light and heat streaming from the same sun, they are alike full of blessings. Like the two pillars of the temple, they are for glory and beauty. They are two streams from the fountain of grace, two lamps lit with holy fire, and two olive trees watered by heavenly care. O Lord, give us this day life within, and it will reveal itself without to thy glory.

Go To Morning Reading Evening, September 18

“And they follow me.”

—John 10:27

We should follow our Lord unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for he has a right to lead us wherever he pleases. We are not our own; we are bought with a price—let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. The soldier follows his captain, the servant obeys his master, and we must follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession. We are not true to our Christian profession if we question the bidding of our Leader and Commander. Submission is our duty; caviling is our folly. Often might our Lord say to us as to Peter, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

Wherever Jesus may lead us, he goes before us. If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road? The journey may be long, but his everlasting arms will carry us to the end. The presence of Jesus is the assurance of eternal salvation; because he lives, we shall live also. We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith because the paths he leads us all end in glory and immortality. Indeed, they may not be smooth paths—they may be covered with sharp, flinty trials, but they lead to the “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant.” Let us put complete trust in our Leader since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, his purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy. We shall find it sweet to go up the bleak side of the hill with Christ, and when rain and snow blow into our faces, his dear love will make us far more blest than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world’s fire. To the top of Amana, to the dens of lions, or to the hills of leopards, we will follow our Beloved. Precious Jesus, draw us, and we will run after thee.

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

September 18: Another Take

Nahum 1:1–3:19; Acts 16:6–40; Job 24:12–25

What do we risk when we know of God’s forgiveness and then become complacent and return to our sinful ways? What happens when we turn our back on God—treating Him like an insurance agent rather than a savior?

The short, shocking book of Nahum shows what happens to those disregard God. Where the book of Jonah displays God’s mercy and Nineveh’s repentance, Nahum proclaims God’s judgment on the same Assyrian city. The city’s deeds catch up with it, and the decision is harsh—unrelenting.

“There is no healing for your wound; your injury is fatal. All who hear the report of you will clap their hands for joy concerning you. For who has not suffered at the hands of your endless cruelty?” (Nah 3:19). The empire responsible for conquering cities, displacing and enslaving people, and looting wealth would eventually meet its end—defeated by Babylon.

Jonah shows us that God will eagerly dispense mercy, but the book of Nahum—wholly dedicated to God’s judgment of Nineveh—reminds us that His mercy cannot be taken for granted. It’s a sobering but necessary reminder to respond to God’s mercy with faith and trust. It’s also a reminder to recognize God’s whole character: He delights in steadfast faithfulness but is also a burning fire. Don’t tread on His mercy. Respond to it.

How does the idea of a God who sets everything right bring you both awe and comfort?

Rebecca Van Noord

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

September 18th

His temptation and ours

For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15.

Until we are born again, the only kind of temptation we understand is that mentioned by St. James—“Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” But by regeneration, we are lifted into another realm with other temptations to face, viz., the temptations Our Lord met. The attractions of Jesus do not appeal to us; they have no home in our human nature. Our Lord’s temptations and ours move in different spheres until we are born again and become His brethren. The attractions of Jesus are not those of a man but the temptations of God as Man. By regeneration, the Son of God is formed in us, and in our physical life, He has the same setting that He had on earth. Satan does not tempt us to do wrong things; he tempts us to make us lose what God has put into us by regeneration, viz., the possibility of being of value to God. He does not come on the line of tempting us to sin but on the line of shifting the point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.

Temptation means the test by an alien power of the possessions held by a personality. This makes the temptation of Our Lord explainable. After Jesus, in His baptism, had accepted the vocation of bearing away the world's sin, He was immediately put by God’s Spirit into the testing machine of the devil, but He did not tire. He went through the temptation “without sin” and kept His personality's possessions intact.

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

September 18

Then spoke Solomon … I have indeed built thee a house to dwell in

1 Kings 8:12, 13

Solomon, the prince of peace, alone could build the temple. If we would be soul-winners and build up the church, which is God’s temple, let us note this: not by discussion nor argument, but by lifting up Christ shall we draw men unto Him.

J. Hudson Taylor

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