Daily Devotion: The Word Of Truth by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: James 1:17-24 KJV  

Key Verse:  "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." - James 1:18 KJV

If we look at the work of the Spirit on the heart, we shall see how, in all his sacred dealings and gracious movements, he invariably employs truth as his grand instrument. Does he pierce and wound? It is by the truth; for the "sword of the Spirit is the word of God," and that we know is "the word of truth." If he mercifully heals, if he kindly blesses, it is still by means of truth; for the promise is, "Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth." And when he thus comes, it is as a Comforter, according to those gracious words, "But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me."

Daily Devotion: The Calling Of Matthew by Favell Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Matthew 9:7-13 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."
- Matthew 9:9 KJV

We have great reason to be interested in the calling of Matthew, for it was he who wrote the history of our Lord which we are now reading. It is supposed that his calling took place some time before the events we have lately considered; but we have deferred noticing it, because the feast to publicans and sinners was given at this period of the history; and it seemed most convenient to consider the calling and the feast at the same time.

Daily Devotion: Your Brother Will Rise Again by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: John 11:23-31 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again."
- John 11:23 KJV

There is wondrous music in these words, as they are spoken in the ears of sorrowing ones beside the coffin and by the new-made grave. It was a dim teaching in Martha's time—but soon afterward that occurred which made it bright and clear as day. Jesus himself lay in the grave, and then rose from death, walking forth in the light and radiancy of immortal youth.

Daily Devotion: A Gracious Condition by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:"
- 1 Peter 1:6 KJV

What a blessed motto and superscription over the dark lintels of sorrow: "If need be!" Every sharp arrow from the quiver of God is feathered with it! Write it, child of affliction, over every trial your God sees fit to send! If He calls you down from the sunny mountain heights — to the dark glades, hear Him saying, "There is a need be!" If He has dashed the cup of prosperity from your lips, curtailed your creature comforts, diminished your "basket and your store," hear Him saying, "There is a need be!" If He has ploughed and furrowed your soul with severe bereavement; extinguished light after light in your dwelling; hear Him therefore stilling the tumult of your grief: "there is a need be!"

Daily Devotion: The Spiritual Miser by James Meikle

Bible Reading: Luke 16:19-26 KJV 

Key Verse:  "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:"
- Luke 16:19 KJV

Who is more an object of ridicule than the rich miser—who goes supperless to bed, because he will not give one farthing out of his immense sums to purchase food; being afraid to live on what he is never able to spend, and anxious to heap up what he can never enjoy.

Daily Devotion: Eternal Purpose of God by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: Romans 8:26-33 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
- Romans 8:28 KJV

Where is God at work in your life? Are you going through some deep hurt, pain or suffering? Could God perhaps be doing a special work through your present circumstances? One of the greatest promises in the Bible is found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” 

Daily Devotion: Peace Of God by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Philippians 4:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7 KJV

In a world filled with noise, uncertainty, and constant pressure, peace often feels fragile, here one moment and gone the next. Yet the peace God offers is not like the peace the world gives. It is deeper, steadier, and supernatural.

Daily Devotion: Glorify Christ by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: John 16:12-19 KJV 

Key Verse:  "He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."
- John 16:14 KJV

One essential and important office of the Spirit is to glorify Christ. And how does He most glorify Christ, but by exalting His atoning work, giving to it the preeminence, the importance, and the glory it demands; leading the sinner, whom He has first convinced of sin, to accept of Jesus as a willing, an all-sufficient Savior; to cast away all trust in self, all reliance upon a covenant of works, which is but a covenant of death, and thus going entirely outside of himself, to take up his rest in the blood and righteousness of Immanuel, the God-man Mediator. Oh, what sweet, holy delight must it be to the Spirit of God when a poor sinner, in all his conscious nothingness, is led to build upon Jesus, the "tried stone, the precious corner-stone, the sure foundation!"

Daily Devotion: Salvation Is Of The Lord by Charles Spurgeon

Bible Reading: Jonah 2 KJV

Key Verse:  "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord."
- Jonah 2:9 KJV

Salvation is the work of God. It is He alone who quickens the soul which is "dead in trespasses and sins," and it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both "Alpha and Omega." "Salvation is of the Lord." If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God's gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God Himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone.

Daily Devotion: Endure hardship by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
- 2 Timothy 2:3 KJV

We often get into states and frames of mind, where we need something else besides consolation. A child would not grow, if it were always fed upon sweets. It must have exercise, and be exposed to the weather, and have the cold winds blow upon its face, and be hardened, so as to enable it to bear the chill winter and the nipping frosts.

Daily Devotion: Christ Delivers The Demoniac Tomb Dweller Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Mark 5:1-20 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea."- Mark 5:13 KJV

The history of the poor demoniac affords a striking instance of the malice of devils, of the power of Christ, and of the wickedness of man. How great was the malice of the devils that assaulted this poor man! They led him to dwell in solitary places among the tombs; for in those days tombs were generally made in lonely spots, among barren hills and rocks. Cut off from the company of his fellows, he spent his miserable days in crying, and cutting his own flesh; and when his friends mercifully bound his hands in chains, and his feet in fetters, he burst through these restraints and again escaped to his desolate abode. Thus he became a terror to the neighborhood, and a torment to himself.

Daily Devotion: Feed My Sheep by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: John 21:15-22 KJV 

Key Verse:  "He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep."
- John 21:16 KJV

We are striving to follow Christ—but we are weak. We intend to be loving—but we mar our days with unhappy tempers and selfish strivings. We intend to be strong in faith—but many times our trust fails us. We bow our heads to take the Master's blessing, "Peace be unto you;" but again and again—the peace is broken. We intend to show the world a pattern of Christlikeness, but the temptations about us are so sore, that every day we are conscious of having failed to be true. We set out in the morning brave and confident; but alas! how often does the evening find us defeated!

Daily Devotion: Divine Sympathy by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: Exodus 3:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;" - Exodus 3:7 KJV

Man cannot say so. There are many sensitive fibers in the soul, which the best and most tender human sympathy cannot touch. But the Prince of Sufferers, He who led the way in the path of sorrow, "knows our frame." When crushing bereavement lies like ice on the heart, when the dearest earthly friend cannot enter into the peculiarities of our grief — Jesus can, Jesus does! He who once bore my sins — also carried my sorrows. That eye, now on the throne, was once dim with weeping! I can think in all my afflictions — "He was afflicted;" in all my tears — "Jesus wept."

Daily Devotion: Jesus, The Living Bread by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: John 6:31-38 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
- John 6:35 KJV

Jesus calling himself the “bread of life” in John 6 means that he is the one who truly sustains and satisfies the deepest hunger of the human heart. In the context of Israel’s history, God once provided manna in the wilderness to keep his people alive day by day. Jesus contrasts this with himself as the true bread from heaven, given for the life of the world, whose life does not perish and who offers eternal life to those who come to him in faith, to trust, believe, and remain in him. Whoever comes to Jesus, the bread of life, “shall not hunger” and “shall never thirst” in a spiritual sense. 

Daily Devotion: What We Should Expect And Wait For by James Meikle

Bible Reading: Romans 15:13-20 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
- Romans 15:13 KJV

How are our joys heightened by hope. But sadly—sometimes our hopes may be false! And how vainly are our expectations pointed at some future worldly enjoyment, which, when it comes, shall perhaps disappoint us—even in the enjoyment of it! Yet, for such things we long, though, in a manner—we are actually hankering after our own misery.

Daily Devotion: The Gift Of Eternal Life by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: 1 John 5:7-14 KJV

Key Verse:  "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."
- 1 John 5:11 KJV

Eternal Life is God’s kind of life. It is eternal because He is eternal. Nothing will ever separate the believer in Christ from the One who loves us. He gave us His free gift of eternal life the very moment we were born spiritually, and it can never be lost (John 3:15-16, 36; 6:47; 10:28). It is a life without end, and no one can ever take it from you. There are no final boundaries to eternal life.

Daily Devotion: The Constant Exercise Of Prayer by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
- Proverbs 3:6 KJV

The constant exercise of prayer makes every burden light, and smooths every rugged step of a child of God: it is this only that keeps down his trials; not that he is ever exempt from them- no, it is "through much tribulation that he is to enter the kingdom;"- he is a disciple of the cross, his religion is that of the cross, he is a follower of Him who died upon the cross, and entire exemption from the cross he never expects until he passes to the possession of the crown.

Daily Devotion: Jonah Fled by Charles Spurgeon

Bible Reading: Jonah 1:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord."
- Jonah 1:3 KJV

Instead of going to Nineveh to preach the Word, as God bade him, Jonah disliked the work, and went down to Joppa to escape from it. There are occasions when God's servants shrink from duty. But what is the consequence? What did Jonah lose by his conduct?

Daily Devotion: Grand Object Of Faith by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: Hebrews 13:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
- Hebrews 13:8 KJV

The eye of our faith must be ever fixed on Jesus, for the Person of Christ is the grand object of faith, and to lose sight of him is to lose sight of the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Is he not the same Jesus now that he was on earth? He is exalted, it is true, to an inconceivable height of glory, so that when John saw him, even as if in some measure veiled, he fell at his feet as dead. But he is the same Jesus now as when he was the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as he wears the same human body, so he has the same tender, compassionate heart.

Daily Devotion: Christ Sleeps In The Storm Then Stills It by Favell Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Mark 4:33-41 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it."
- Mark 4:33 KJV

It was in this manner that the Lord Jesus ended a day of great labor. His friends in the midst of it had desired him to desist, but seeing multitudes assembled to hear the word, he continued to teach. In order to be seen and heard more conveniently, he removed into a ship. The parable of the sower, and many others, were spoken by Jesus while he sat in a ship on the lake of Gennesaret. (See Mark 4:1.) Afterwards, he had a private conversation in the house with his disciples, when he explained his parables. In the evening he crossed the lake in a ship.

Daily Devotion: The Coming Kingdom by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 4:17-24 KJV 

Key Verse:  "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
- Matthew 4:17 KJV

When Jesus stepped onto the scene, His first public message wasn’t about politics, morality, or self-improvement. It was about God's Kingdom. “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) 

Daily Devotion: Transformation Of John by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: John 21:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea."
- John 21:7 KJV

One compares the character of John, in its mellow ripeness, to an ancient, extinct volcano. Where once the crater yawned—there is now a verdurous, cup-like hollow on the mountain summit. Where once the fierce fires burned—lies a still, clear pool of water, looking up like an eye to the beautiful heavens above, its banks covered with sweet flowers. "It is an apt parable," he says, "of the apostle John. 

Daily Devotion: Immutability by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: Malachi 3:1-8 KJV

Key Verse:  "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."
- Malachi 3:6 KJV

The UNCHANGEABLENESS of God. What an anchor for a storm tossed sea! Change is our portion here on earth! Scenes are altering. Joys are fading. Some friends are removed by distance; others have gone to their 'long home.' Who, amid these checkered experiences, does not sigh for something permanent, stable, enduring? The vessel has again and again slipped its earthly moorings. We long for some secure and sheltered harbor.

Daily Devotion: The Approaching Happiness Of The Saints by James Meikle

Bible Reading: James 5:7-14 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." - James 5:11 KJV

To escape my present sorrow, and triumph in the midst of my present grief, let me suppose eternity is at hand, which may very soon, but must before long—be the case. May I not, then, with the eye of all-triumphant faith, think I see myself walking in white with my well-beloved, along the fields of glory, and my whole soul going out to him in a manner it never could here below! While floods of glory from his reconciled face overflow me, and the smile of his lovely countenance entrances my soul forever! While I join the hosannas of the higher house, the eternal hallelujahs, and begin the song which none can learn but the chosen number—the sealed ones! With what transport do I mingle with the heavenly multitudes, and, to my extreme comfort, realize that there is not one sinner in the heavenly company, or anything expressed against the majesty of the Most High! Where all the heavenly multitudes, transforming in his beams, kindling in his flames, and drinking at his ecstatic rivers—are happy beyond conception!

Daily Devotion: Eternal Consequences Of Critical Choices by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: Romans 6:16-23 KJV 

Key Verse:  "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
- Romans 6:23 KJV

“The wages of sin is death.”  Those are startling words. The only wages sin pays results in death spiritually and eternally. The wages of sin is death spiritually. That means spiritual eyes that cannot see God, spiritual ears that cannot hear His voice. It means a spiritual heart that is hardened to God and cannot respond to the atoning sacrifice of His Son.

Daily Devotion: An Everlasting Covenant by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: Isaiah 55:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."
- Isaiah 55:3 KJV

God had promised David that he would sit upon the throne of his fathers that the kingdom of Israel, rent from Saul, should be transferred to his government. But the crown and the scepter thus promised loomed in the distance, almost enshrouded from view by dark intervening clouds. The promise seemed as a dead letter. The providence of God appeared to clash with and to contradict the promise of God. But, in the history of His Church, the providences of the divine government are not the exponents of the promises of the Divine Governor. 

Daily Devotion: The Wrath To Come by Charles Spurgeon

Bible Reading: Matthew 3:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
- Matthew 3:7 KJV

It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon His Savior's head, and if there are a few drops of sorrow falling, they distill from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction.

Daily Devotion: Jesus' Two Great Commandments by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 22:32-40 KJV 

Key Verse:  "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
- Matthew 22:40 KJV

When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus did not hesitate. He did not choose a ceremonial law or a complex rule. He chose love. These two commandments are not suggestions. They are the foundation. Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets hang on them. Every command, every teaching, every moral instruction flows from loving God and loving others.

Daily Devotion: I Will Go In To The King by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: Esther 4:10-17 KJV

Key Verse:  "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."
- Esther 4:16 KJV

When we are in darkness, under distress of conscience, or when guilt lies hard and heavy upon the soul, these things do, and must until removed, keep us back from the Lord. But are we ever to give heed to these enemies of our soul's peace? Are we never to press through the crowd? How was it with the man who was paralyzed for so many years? He might forever have lain helpless upon his bed, had he not been brought into the presence of Jesus. How with the woman with the issue of blood? She might forever have tarried on the skirts of the crowd, a poor, polluted, self-condemned wretch. But she pressed through the crowd, and got to touch the hem of Jesus' garment.

Daily Devotion: The Parable Of The Fishing-Net by Favell Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:47-54 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:"
- Matthew 13:47 KJV

The parable of the net cast into the sea was calculated particularly to interest the disciples, many of whom were fishermen. They were accustomed, after the toils of the day, to sort the fish they had taken. This employment affords a lively image of the distinctions that will be made at the last day. The net represents the word of the Gospel, which is preached to many, and which many profess to believe. The disciples were shortly to begin the work of preaching it. Great success would accompany their endeavors; but yet that success would be attended by much disappointment. Many to whom they preached would prove hypocrites. Some of these would be detected in their lifetime, but others not until the judgment-day.

Daily Devotion: Your Labor Is Not In Vain by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV

Jesus walks no more among men, doing his deeds of love—but he sends his followers forth to do the works in his name. We ought to abound in all loving ministry just as he did. It is not enough to be good, gentle, sweet, amiable, kindly, patient. It is beautiful to live such a life; and its influence is far-reaching, like the fragrance of Mary's ointment. But we must also be full of good works. We must be winners of souls. We must live to do good to men, to comfort sorrow, to feed hunger, to relieve distress, to cheer the disheartened, to break chains and liberate sin's captives, to stand up for the truth, to do battle for the right. We are to be like Christ, and we begin to be like Christ—only when we begin to be useful.

Daily Devotion: The Reason For Chastisement by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." - Hebrews 12:6 KJV

What! God loves me — when He is discharging His quiver upon me — when He is emptying me from vessel to vessel — when He is causing the sun of my earthly joys to set in clouds? Yes! O afflicted, tempest-tossed one, He chastens you — because He loves you! This trial comes from His own tender, loving hand — from His own tender, unchanging heart!

Daily Devotion: The Madness Of The World In Their Choice by James Meikle

Bible Reading: Mark 12:10-17 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:"
- Mark 12:10 KJV

Why does the world reject the Savior of the world? Why do they abhor him who is altogether lovely—and hate him who is the best Friend of mankind? Had I the tongue of a cherub, which has heard the language of glory, and mingled in the discourse of the multitudes before the throne for these five thousand years; or could I talk in every tongue, extend my voice to every nation, and speak so loud and long, that the assembled universe should hear—what should be my theme, my darling, favorite theme? Surely the Son of God, the Savior of the world. How would I dwell on his divine nature, and enlarge on his enrapturing relationship to his people—until all the needy nations fell prostrate adorers before the throne of their kinsman-Redeemer, and their God!

Daily Devotion: Either We Die Or He Dies by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: Romans 5:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
- Romans 5:8 KJV

The Scriptures are very clear that the wrath of God is visited upon sinners or else that the Son of God dies for them. Either sinners are punished for their sins or else there takes place a substitution. Either the sinner dies or the substitute dies.

Daily Devotion: Rejoicing In The Lord by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Psalm 118:21-29 KJV

Key Verse:  "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24 KJV

Every morning we awaken to a gift, a day God Himself has made. It may unfold with joy or challenge, sunlight or storm, but no matter what it holds, one thing remains true: the day belongs to the Lord. Because of that truth, we can choose to rejoice.

Daily Devotion: Doubting by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: Matthew 14:31 KJV

Key Verse:  "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
- Matthew 14:31 KJV

Doubting faith is not doubtful faith. If the believer has not the faith of assurance, he may have the faith of reliance, and that will take him to heaven. All the doubts and fears that ever harassed a child of God cannot erase his name from the Lamb's book of life, nor take him out of the heart of God, nor shut him out of glory. "Unbelief," says Rutherford, "may perhaps tear the copies of the covenant which Christ has given you; but He still keeps the original in heaven with Himself. Your doubts and fears are no parts of the covenant; neither can they change Christ."

Daily Devotion: Comfortable Words by Charles Spurgeon

Bible Reading: Zechariah 1:12-19 KJV

Key Verse:  "And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words."
- Zechariah 1:13 KJV

What a sweet answer to an anxious enquiry! This night let us rejoice in it. O Zion, there are good things in store for you; your time of travail shall soon be over; your children shall be brought forth; your captivity shall end. Bear patiently the rod for a season, and under the darkness—still trust in God, for His love burns towards you. God loves the church with a love too deep for human imagination. He loves her with all His infinite heart. Therefore let her sons be of good courage; she cannot be far from prosperity to whom God speaks "good words and comfortable words."

Daily Devotion: Possessing All Things by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:10-17 KJV 

Key Verse:  "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
- 2 Corinthians 6:10 KJV

How do we possess all things? In possessing Christ who is heir of all things. If we possess Christ, what have we not in him? We have wisdom to teach us, righteousness to justify us, sanctification to make us holy, and redemption to deliver us from sin, death, and hell. If we have him, we have the favor and love of God; we have the pardon of our sins, the reconciliation of our persons, the casting behind God's back of all our backslidings, and a title to a heavenly crown. If we have him, we have everything in him, for Christ is ours, and Christ is God's. Therefore in him we possess all things. We shall have in providence things sufficient to carry us to the grave. He will give us everything that is for our good, and keep back nothing that is for our benefit. If we possess him, what have we not in him?

Daily Devotion: The Parables Of The Hidden Treasure by Favell Lee Mortimer

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:44-51 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."
- Matthew 13:44 KJV

We should be much astonished if a man were to show such eagerness to possess a common field, that he was willing to give any price for it. But if we afterwards found that he had discovered in it a mine of precious ore, we should not be surprised at his anxiety to obtain the field, even at a very high price.

Daily Devotion: I Do What I Hate by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: Romans 7:14-21 KJV

Key Verse:  "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
- Romans 7:15 KJV

Think of the brokenness, the incompleteness, the littleness, of these lives of ours! We get glimpses of beauty in character, which we are not able to attain! We have longings which seem to us too great ever to come true. We dream of things we want to do; but when we try to work them out, our clumsy hands cannot put them into realizations! We have glimmerings of a love that is very rich and tender, without a trace of selfishness, without envy or jealousy, without resentment—a love that seeks not its own, is not provoked, and bears all things. We get the vision from the life of Christ Himself. We say, "I will learn that lesson of love; I will be like that!" But we fail.

Daily Devotion: The Safe Refuge by John MacDuff

Bible Reading: Isaiah 32:1-8 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."
- Isaiah 32:2 KJV

"A man!" This first word forms the key to the precious verse, it is "The man Christ Jesus!" And when and where is He thus revealed to His people as their hiding place and shelter? It is, as with Elijah of old, in the whirlwind and the storm! Amid the world's bright sunshine, in the tranquil skies, uninterrupted prosperity — they seek Him not! But when the clouds begin to gather, and the sun is swept from the skies; when they have learned the insecurity of all earthly refuges — then the prayer ascends, "My heart is overwhelmed — lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." The Earthquake, the Tempest, the Fire — and then "the still small voice!"

Daily Devotion: Idle Words by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Matthew 12:30-36 KJV 

Key Verse:  "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."
- Matthew 12:36 KJV

Words often seem small and fleeting. We speak them quickly and forget them just as fast. Yet Jesus teaches that no word is insignificant. An “idle word” is not merely a careless phrase, it is speech that is empty of purpose, truth, or grace. Heaven listens even when we are not paying attention.

Daily Devotion: This Life A Valley Of Tears by James Meikle

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:15-22 KJV 

Key Verse:  "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
- 1 John 2:15 KJV

Why have I mistaken this thorny wilderness—for a garden of flowers? Why have I mistaken this place of danger—for a palace of delight? Why have I mistaken this howling desert—for an enchanting grove? If the world has joys, it has none for me—they are carnal or unlawful. My joys must be pure and spiritual. If the creature affords pleasures, they cannot suit my soul—its honey is mixed with gall, its sweet with wormwood, its wine with water, its gold with dross—and all are mixed with poison. The pleasures I should seek are such as my soul may feed on without danger, feast on without excess, and rejoice in without sin.

Daily Devotion: Effectual Call of God by Wil Pounds

Bible Reading: John 6:44-51 KJV 

Key Verse:  "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
- John 6:44 KJV

Have you responded to the effectual call of God to salvation? In his effort to encourage suffering Christians, the apostle Paul wrote, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30).

Daily Devotion: Love Your Neighbor by Octavius Winslow

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:41-48 KJV

Key Verse:  "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy."
- Matthew 5:43 KJV

"Love your neighbor." Perhaps he rolls in riches—and you are poor, and living in your little cottage side-by-side with his lordly mansion. Every day you see his estates, his fine linen, and his sumptuous banquets. God has given him these gifts, covet not his wealth, and think no hard thoughts concerning him. Be content with your own lot, if you cannot better it—but do not look upon your neighbor, and wish that he were as yourself. Love him—and then you will not envy him.

Daily Devotion: Showers Of Blessing by Charles Spurgeon

Bible Reading: Ezekiel 34:24-31 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing."
- Ezekiel 34:26 KJV

Here is sovereign grace, "I will send down showers." Is it not sovereign, divine mercy—for who can say, "I will send down showers," except God? There is only one voice which can speak to the clouds, and bid them beget the rain, "Who sends down the rain upon the earth? Who scatters the showers upon the green herb? Do not I, the Lord?" Grace is the gift of God—and is not to be created by man.

Daily Devotion: Christ Risen The Firstfruits by J.C. Philpot

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 KJV 

Key Verse:  "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."
- 1 Corinthians 15:20 KJV

Christ risen is the firstfruits of that mighty crop of buried dead whose remains still sleep in the silent dust, and who will be joined by successive ranks of those who die in him, until all are together wakened up in the resurrection morn. The figure is that of the sheaf of the firstfruits which was waved before the Lord before the harvest was allowed to be reaped (Lev. 23:10, 11). This offering of the wave sheaf was the consecration and dedication of the whole crop in the field to the Lord, as well as the manifest pledge that the harvest was fully ripe for the reaper's sickle.

Daily Devotion: Parables Of The Mustard-Seed And Leaven by Favell Lee Mortimerw

Bible Reading: Matthew 13:31-35 KJV

Key Verse:  "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:"
- Matthew 13:31-35 KJV

We will now consider several short parables that our Savior related, but of which he gave no interpretation; still we may endeavor from other parts of Scripture to discover their meaning. The seed of the mustard-tree is smaller in proportion to the size of the tree it produces, than any other seed. In eastern countries the mustard-tree has immense spreading branches, which afford a fit shelter for the birds.

Daily Devotion: Forgiveness by J.E. Smith

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32 KJV

Key Verse:  "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
- Ephesians 4:32 KJV

Forgiveness is one of the clearest marks of a heart transformed by grace. It does not come naturally to the flesh, which desires justice, vindication, and repayment. Yet Scripture teaches that forgiveness flows from remembering how much we ourselves have been forgiven by God.

Daily Devotion: A Hope Of Resurrection by J. R. Miller

Bible Reading: Acts 24:14-21 KJV 

Key Verse:  "And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."
- Acts 24:15 KJV

A hope of resurrection to a believer in Christ—ought to be a wonderful inspiration in the earthly life. The grave is not the end; we shall come again from it in new beauty, and shall live on forever. Not only did Christ teach that the dead shall rise again—but he himself went down into the grave and then came out again, after three days, alive! Thus he showed the reality of resurrection; one man died and rose again, and may not all? But his resurrection meant more than that. He was the head of his people, and as such—his victory was for them. He met and conquered death for them.