HE IS RISEN!

Learning to Wait

Published by InTouch Ministries for reading on July 19th.

Isaiah 40:29-31 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

Waiting for God to answer a prayer request is often stressful and frustrating. This is especially true if the issue is urgent or we’ve been praying for months or even years without any evidence of an answer. We must remember that God is working according to His timetable, not ours. He is the sovereign and omniscient ruler of heaven and earth, who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

However, this doesn’t mean He’s a cosmic despot who doesn’t care. On the contrary, He is our loving heavenly Father, who is infinitely good, wise, and powerful. He continually watches over and cares for His beloved children.

From our limited earthly perspective, however, the delay may seem pointless, trying our patience and challenging our faith. Periods of waiting are very often accompanied by fear, stress, or grief. These negative feelings could easily push us forward in search of a solution or lead us into despair. But the Lord has promised protection and provision for those who wait upon Him. If we’ll turn to Him, trusting in His wisdom and love, He will not only strengthen us to endure but will also help us mature through the process.

When the Lord leads you into the “waiting room,” He wants you to keep in step with Him. If you become impatient and try to run ahead, you’ll miss whatever He has for you, whether lessons or blessings or something else. Delays are not easy, but when His answer finally comes, you’ll discover that your patience and trust in Him have grown.

Bible in One Year: Song of Solomon 1-4 Chapter 1 1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine. 3 Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is `as' oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee. 5 I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; `But' mine own vineyard have I not kept. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest `thy flock', Where thou makest `it' to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits `of hair', Thy neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver. 12 While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 13 My beloved is unto me `as' a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me `as' a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedars, `And' our rafters are firs. Chapter 2 1 I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. 3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love. 5 Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love. 6 His left hand `is' under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me. 7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice. 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing `of birds' is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land; 13 The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom; They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth `his flock' among the lilies. 17 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether. Chapter 3 1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 2 `I said', I will rise now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me; `To whom I said', Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? 4 It was but a little that I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me. 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 6 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all powders of the merchant? 7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon; Threescore mighty men are about it, Of the mighty men of Israel. 8 They all handle the sword, `and' are expert in war: Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, Because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin Of the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, The midst thereof being paved with love, From the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon, With the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him In the day of his espousals, And in the day of the gladness of his heart. Chapter 4 1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock `of ewes' that are `newly' shorn, Which are come up from the washing, Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them. 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil. 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men. 5 Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; And there is no spot in thee. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, `my' bride, With me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards. 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, `my' bride; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck. 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, `my' bride! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices! 11 Thy lips, O `my' bride, drop `as' the honeycomb: Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 12 A garden shut up is my sister, `my' bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants, 14 Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. 15 `Thou art' a fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And flowing streams from Lebanon. 16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

God’s Promise to Provide

Published by InTouch Ministries for reading on July 19th.

Philippians 4:10-19 10 But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye have revived your thought for me; wherein ye did indeed take thought, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be content. 12 I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound: in everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want. 13 I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. 14 Howbeit ye did well that ye had fellowship with my affliction. 15 And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; 16 for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need. 17 Not that I seek for the gift; but I seek for the fruit that increaseth to your account. 18 But I have all things, and abound: I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things `that came' from you, and odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Today’s passage contains a marvelous promise—that “God will supply all your needs” (Phil. 4:19). Although these words bring great encouragement, we can’t afford to ignore the rest of the verse or the surrounding context.

“According to His riches in glory” (v. 19). This phrase emphasizes the sufficiency of God’s supply, but it also reveals that many of His provisions are spiritual. We usually want Him to provide physically—and He often does. However, He is more concerned with the condition of our spirit. Since He knows that trials assist in conforming us to the image of Christ, some difficulties may remain until they have accomplished His good purpose in us.

“In Christ Jesus” (v. 19). These may be the most important words of the verse, as they give the basis for the Lord’s abundant supply. It has nothing to do with our hard work or worthiness but is based only on our relationship with God through His Son. As our Father, He assumes the responsibility for meeting the needs of His children.

“You have done well to share with me” (Phil. 4:14). The Philippians were generous people who sent Paul gifts when they could. Their generosity enabled him to assure them of the Lord’s provision: “Give, and it will be given to you” ( Luke 6:38 38 give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again. ).

Pulling verses out of context can distort our understanding of God’s promises. Resulting misconceptions may lead to disappointment and doubt, leaving us to wonder why God isn’t doing what He said. Knowledge of the context motivates obedience and helps us recognize God’s less obvious provisions. 

Bible in One Year: Song of Solomon 1-4 Chapter 1 1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine. 3 Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is `as' oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee. 5 I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; `But' mine own vineyard have I not kept. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest `thy flock', Where thou makest `it' to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits `of hair', Thy neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver. 12 While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 13 My beloved is unto me `as' a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me `as' a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedars, `And' our rafters are firs. Chapter 2 1 I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. 3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love. 5 Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love. 6 His left hand `is' under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me. 7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice. 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing `of birds' is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land; 13 The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom; They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth `his flock' among the lilies. 17 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether. Chapter 3 1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 2 `I said', I will rise now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me; `To whom I said', Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? 4 It was but a little that I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me. 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 6 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all powders of the merchant? 7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon; Threescore mighty men are about it, Of the mighty men of Israel. 8 They all handle the sword, `and' are expert in war: Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, Because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin Of the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, The midst thereof being paved with love, From the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon, With the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him In the day of his espousals, And in the day of the gladness of his heart. Chapter 4 1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock `of ewes' that are `newly' shorn, Which are come up from the washing, Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them. 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil. 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men. 5 Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; And there is no spot in thee. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, `my' bride, With me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards. 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, `my' bride; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck. 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, `my' bride! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices! 11 Thy lips, O `my' bride, drop `as' the honeycomb: Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 12 A garden shut up is my sister, `my' bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants, 14 Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. 15 `Thou art' a fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And flowing streams from Lebanon. 16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

Partners in Suffering for Christ

Published by InTouch Ministries for reading on July 20th.

Acts 19:23-31 23 And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen; 25 whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth. 26 And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands: 27 and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. 28 And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesus. 29 And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel. 30 And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31 And certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent unto him and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre.

In the book of Acts, Paul stands out as the most prominent preacher and apostle. That’s why we tend to pass over the names of other individuals who are mentioned only briefly. An example is Aristarchus—one of the men dragged into the theater of Ephesus during a riot. Paul was the target of the dispute, but Aristarchus was also on the receiving end of the hostility.

>Who was Aristarchus? Though not well known, he is actually mentioned five times in the New Testament. We know he was from Thessalonica and that he joined Paul on his third missionary trip as the apostle was going to Jerusalem ( Acts 20:4 4 And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater of Beroea, `the son' of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. ). The next time he showed up in Scripture ( Acts 27:2 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ), he was boarding a ship with Paul, who by that time was a prisoner on his way to Rome. At sea, Aristarchus and Paul suffered through a great storm that resulted in shipwreck. The last mentions of Aristarchus are as a fellow prisoner with Paul in a Roman jail and a fellow worker (Col. 4:10; Philem. 1:24).

Almost every reference to Aristarchus involves suffering for Christ. Yet this isn’t a popular concept today. We want a Savior who will make life easy, comfortable, and prosperous. But that’s not the message Jesus preached, nor is it the example Paul and Aristarchus set. As the apostle wrote, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

Although most of us probably won’t experience the hardships Paul and Aristarchus suffered, we must be willing to stand for Christ in the face of rejection, ridicule, misunderstanding, discrimination, and even hostility. Are you willing to suffer for Christ?

Bible in One Year: Song of Solomon 1-4 Chapter 1 1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine. 3 Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is `as' oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee. 5 I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; `But' mine own vineyard have I not kept. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest `thy flock', Where thou makest `it' to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits `of hair', Thy neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver. 12 While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 13 My beloved is unto me `as' a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me `as' a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedars, `And' our rafters are firs. Chapter 2 1 I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. 3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love. 5 Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love. 6 His left hand `is' under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me. 7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice. 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing `of birds' is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land; 13 The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom; They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth `his flock' among the lilies. 17 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether. Chapter 3 1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 2 `I said', I will rise now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me; `To whom I said', Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? 4 It was but a little that I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me. 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 6 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all powders of the merchant? 7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon; Threescore mighty men are about it, Of the mighty men of Israel. 8 They all handle the sword, `and' are expert in war: Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, Because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin Of the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, The midst thereof being paved with love, From the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon, With the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him In the day of his espousals, And in the day of the gladness of his heart. Chapter 4 1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock `of ewes' that are `newly' shorn, Which are come up from the washing, Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them. 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil. 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men. 5 Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; And there is no spot in thee. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, `my' bride, With me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards. 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, `my' bride; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck. 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, `my' bride! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices! 11 Thy lips, O `my' bride, drop `as' the honeycomb: Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 12 A garden shut up is my sister, `my' bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants, 14 Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. 15 `Thou art' a fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And flowing streams from Lebanon. 16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

Daily Bible - July 20

Published by Grace To You for reading on July 20th.

Reading for Today:

• Ezra 1:1 Chapter 1 1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and `put it' also in writing, saying, –2:70
• Psalms 86:6-10 6 Give ear, O Jehovah, unto my prayer; And hearken unto the voice of my supplications. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; For thou wilt answer me. 8 There is none like unto thee among the gods, O Lord; Neither `are there any works' like unto thy works. 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; And they shall glorify thy name. 10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone.
• Proverbs 21:15-16 15 It is joy to the righteous to do justice; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity. 16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding Shall rest in the assembly of the dead.
• Acts 21:18-40 18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law: 21 and they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customs. 22 What is it therefore? They will certainly hear that thou art come. 23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on them; 24 these take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges for them, that they may shave their heads: and all shall know that there is no truth in the things whereof they have been informed concerning thee; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law. 25 But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them. 27 And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place. 29 For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they laid hold on Paul, and dragged him out of the temple: and straightway the doors were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul. 33 Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd: and when he could not know the certainty for the uproar, he commanded him to be brought into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the crowd; 36 for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, Away with him. 37 And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith unto the chief captain, May I say something unto thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek? 38 Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins? 39 But Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people. 40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying,

Notes:

Ezra 1:5 whose spirits God had moved. The primary underlying message of Ezra and Nehemiah is that the sovereign hand of God is at work in perfect keeping with His plan at His appointed times. The 70 years of captivity were complete, so God stirred up not only the spirit of Cyrus to make the decree, but His own people to go and build up Jerusalem and the temple (1:1).

Ezra 2:2 Zerubbabel. This man was the rightful leader of Judah in that he was of the lineage of David through Jehoiachin (1 Chr. 3:17). He did not serve as king (the curse on Jehoiachin’s line, Jer. 22:24–30), but was still in the messianic line because the curse was bypassed (Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27 27 the `son' of Joanan, the `son' of Rhesa, the `son' of Zerubbabel, the `son' of Shealtiel, the `son' of Neri, ).The curse of the messianic line for Christ was bypassed in Luke’s genealogy by tracing the lineage through David’s son Nathan. His name means “offspring of Babylon,” indicating his place of birth. He, rather than Cyrus’s political appointee Sheshbazzar (1:11), led Judah according to God’s will. Jeshua. The high priest of the first return whose name means “Yahweh saves.” He is called Joshua in Haggai 1:1 Chapter 1 1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, and Zechariah 3:1 Chapter 3 1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. . His father Jozadak ( Ezra 3:2 2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. ) had been exiled (1 Chr. 6:15). He came from the lineage of Levi, Aaron, Eleazar, and Phinehas; thus he was legitimately in the line of the high priest (Num. 25:10–13).

Acts 21:24 be purified. Having just returned from an extended stay in Gentile lands, Paul was considered ceremonially unclean. He therefore needed to undergo ritual purification before participating (as their sponsor) in the ceremony marking the end of the 4 men’s vows. pay their expenses. For the temple ceremony in which the 4 would shave their heads and the sacrifices associated with the Nazirite vow. Paying those expenses for another was considered an act of piety; and by so doing, Paul would give further proof that he had not forsaken his Jewish heritage. shave their heads. A practice commonly associated with a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:18).

Acts 21:28 the people, the law, and this place. Paul’s enemies leveled 3 false charges against him. They claimed that he taught Jews to forsake their heritage—the same lie told by the Judaizers. The second charge, that Paul opposed the law, was a very dangerous one, albeit false, in this setting. Originally, Pentecost was a celebration of the firstfruits of the harvest. But by this time, it had become a celebration of Moses’ receiving the law on Mt. Sinai. Thus, the Jewish people were especially zealous for the law during this feast. The third charge, of blaspheming or defiling the temple, had helped bring about the deaths of Jesus ( Mark 14:57 57 And there stood up certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, , 58) and Stephen ( Acts 6:13 13 and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, and the law: ). All 3 charges were, of course, totally false.

Acts 21:30 doors were shut. This was done by the temple guards, since Paul’s death on the temple grounds would defile the temple (2 Kin. 11:15). They made no effort, however, to rescue the apostle from the crowd, which was intent on beating him to death.

DAY 20: How did God sovereignly restore the Jews to the land?

It was through a proclamation by Cyrus king of Persia. The Lord had prophesied through Isaiah, who said of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd,…saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ and to the temple, ’Your foundation shall be laid’” (Is. 44:28). The historian Josephus records an account of the day when Daniel read Isaiah’s prophecy to Cyrus, and in response he was moved to declare the proclamation of Ezra 1:2 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. –4 (538 B.C.).“That the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.” Jeremiah had prophesied the return of the exiles after a 70-year captivity in Babylon (Jer. 25:11; 29:10–14; Dan. 9:2). This was no isolated event, but rather an outworking of the covenant promises made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1 Chapter 12 1 Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee: –3.

We are told that “the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.” A strong expression of the fact that God sovereignly works in the lives of kings to effect His purposes (Prov. 21:1; Dan. 2:21; 4:17). Cyrus made a proclamation, which was the most common form of spoken, public communication, usually from the central administration. The king would dispatch a herald, perhaps with a written document, into the city. In order to address the people, he would either go to the city gate, where people often congregated for social discourse, or gather the people together in a square, occasionally by the blowing of a horn. The herald would then make the proclamation to the people. A document called the Cyrus Cylinder, recovered in reasonably good condition by archeologists, commissions people from many lands to return to their cities to rebuild the temples to their gods, apparently as some sort of general policy of Cyrus. Whether or not this document was an extension of the proclamation made to the exiles in this passage must remain a matter of speculation.

It is possible that Daniel played a part in the Jews’ receiving such favorable treatment (Dan. 6:25–28). According to the Jewish historian Josephus, he was Cyrus’s prime minister who shared Isaiah’s prophecies with Cyrus (Is. 44:28; 46:1–4). The existence of such documents, written over a century before Cyrus was born, led him to acknowledge that all his power came from the God of Israel and prompted him to fulfill the prophecy.

From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.

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Faithfulness Through the Ages

Published by Charles Stanley, InTouch Ministries for reading on July 20th.

Deuteronomy 7:8-10 8 but because Jehovah loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he sware unto your fathers, hath Jehovah brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that Jehovah thy God, he is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and lovingkindness with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations, 10 and repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

God is the only One who never disappoints. From the beginning of time, His Word has remained true. Every prophecy is a promise that has been or will be fulfilled.

Perhaps the greatest of these foretellings were the ones that told of the Messiah, and throughout the ages, believers longed for His coming. Prophets spoke about the Anointed One (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 7:14;  Isa. 9:6; Dan. 9:25 NIV; Micah 5:2 2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. ). Although there was no further prophecy on the subject during the four centuries leading up to Christ’s birth, when the time was right, Jesus came to reconcile mankind to the Father.

Surely, people must have questioned whether the Savior would ever come. After all, 400 years is a long time to wait without any word. But, as history proves, God never falls short on His promises. He is trustworthy, even when His timetable differs from what we hoped.

Knowing this, we can read Scripture’s assurances with expectation. For instance, if we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and choose to follow Him, the Bible promises our salvation. We can rest assured that we are forgiven and redeemed. What’s more, nothing can separate us from God’s love (Rom. 8:38-39), and we can trust that He will provide everything we need to accomplish His purpose in our lives.

These are but a few foundational promises; the Word contains many more. Consider God’s faithfulness throughout the Bible and in your own life, and realize that He will be steadfast in the future as well. By living obediently, you can have full confidence that He will do all He has promised.

Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 1-4 Chapter 1 1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine. 3 Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is `as' oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee. 5 I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; `But' mine own vineyard have I not kept. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest `thy flock', Where thou makest `it' to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits `of hair', Thy neck with strings of jewels. 11 We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver. 12 While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 13 My beloved is unto me `as' a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me `as' a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedars, `And' our rafters are firs. Chapter 2 1 I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys. 2 As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. 3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love. 5 Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love. 6 His left hand `is' under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me. 7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice. 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing `of birds' is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land; 13 The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom; They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth `his flock' among the lilies. 17 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether. Chapter 3 1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 2 `I said', I will rise now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me; `To whom I said', Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? 4 It was but a little that I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me. 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake `my' love, Until he please. 6 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all powders of the merchant? 7 Behold, it is the litter of Solomon; Threescore mighty men are about it, Of the mighty men of Israel. 8 They all handle the sword, `and' are expert in war: Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, Because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin Of the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, The bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, The midst thereof being paved with love, From the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon, With the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him In the day of his espousals, And in the day of the gladness of his heart. Chapter 4 1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are `as' doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock `of ewes' that are `newly' shorn, Which are come up from the washing, Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them. 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil. 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men. 5 Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; And there is no spot in thee. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, `my' bride, With me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards. 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, `my' bride; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck. 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, `my' bride! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices! 11 Thy lips, O `my' bride, drop `as' the honeycomb: Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. 12 A garden shut up is my sister, `my' bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants, 14 Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices. 15 `Thou art' a fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And flowing streams from Lebanon. 16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.

Proclaiming the Excellencies of God

Published by Drawing Near - GTY for reading on July 20th.

"That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9).

You are an ambassador of the living God.

The privilege of proclaiming the excellencies of God takes us back to 1 Peter 2:9 9 But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for `God's' own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: , but we consider it here because it summarizes the purpose of all our Christian privileges.

The Greek word translated "proclaim" is an unusual word used only here in the New Testament. It means "to advertise" or "publish," and refers to making something known that would otherwise be unknown. "Excellencies" speak of powerful and heroic deeds. You are an ambassador of Christ, having the great privilege of proclaiming what God has done for His people.

That was an intrinsic part of Hebrew worship. For example, Psalms 103 Chapter 103 1 Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, `bless' his holy name. 2 Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy desire with good things, `So that' thy youth is renewed like the eagle. 6 Jehovah executeth righteous acts, And judgments for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel. 8 Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always chide; Neither will he keep `his anger' for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more. 17 But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his precepts to do them. 19 Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all. 20 Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21 Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22 Bless Jehovah, all ye his works, In all places of his dominion: Bless Jehovah, O my soul. says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord performs righteous deeds, and judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness" (vv. 2-8).

It would be an honor to be an ambassador of the United States, representing this country's power and capabilities to other countries. But you have an even greater honor: to represent the power and capabilities of the living God. When you have an opportunity to speak for Him, you can rightly say, "I have the privilege of announcing the mighty and heroic deeds of the living God, who has called me into His service."

Because you are in Christ, you have glorious privileges that include union with God, access to the Father, spiritual sacrifices, security, affection, dominion, possession, holiness, illumination, and compassion. What greater honor can there be than to proclaim the excellencies of the One who has granted you such marvelous privileges?

Suggestions for Prayer

• Thank God for calling you as His ambassador.
• Ask Him for the courage and integrity to represent Him well always.

For Further Study

Read Psalms 147 Chapter 147 1 Praise ye Jehovah; For it is good to sing praises unto our God; For it is pleasant, `and' praise is comely. 2 Jehovah doth build up Jerusalem; He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds. 4 He counteth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by `their' names. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. 6 Jehovah upholdeth the meek: He bringeth the wicked down to the ground. 7 Sing unto Jehovah with thanksgiving; Sing praises upon the harp unto our God, 8 Who covereth the heavens with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. 9 He giveth to the beast his food, `And' to the young ravens which cry. 10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 Jehovah taketh pleasure in them that fear him, In those that hope in his lovingkindness. 12 Praise Jehovah, O Jerusalem; Praise thy God, O Zion. 13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee. 14 He maketh peace in thy borders; He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. 15 He sendeth out his commandment upon earth; His word runneth very swiftly. 16 He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: Who can stand before his cold? 18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19 He showeth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his ordinances unto Israel. 20 He hath not dealt so with any nation; And as for his ordinances, they have not known them. Praise ye Jehovah. , noting all the mighty deeds of God there proclaimed.

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

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July 20 - Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law

Published by Daily Readings - GTY for reading on July 20th.

“When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him” ( Matthew 8:14 14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick of a fever. –15).

Through the centuries, most male Jews have displayed much preju-dice toward women, as evidenced by the old prayer, “Lord, I thank Thee that I was not born a slave, a Gentile, or a woman.” But here Jesus, just as with the leper and the Gentile centurion, shows mercy and compassion to an outsider—a woman—someone not favored by the Jewish establishment. He cuts through the unscriptural attitude of proud Jewish men to demonstrate again that physical health, race, status, or a person’s sex gained no advantage with Him.

When Jesus arrived at Peter’s home with some of the disciples, Peter’s mother-in-law was ill, and Mark adds, “Immediately they spoke to Jesus about her” ( Mark 1:30 30 Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell him of her: ). Luke the physician notes that she had “a high fever” ( Luke 4:38 38 And he rose up from the synagogue, and entered into the house of Simon. And Simon's wife's mother was holden with a great fever; and they besought him for her. ), though none of the narratives says what caused her illness. That the fever was high suggests she was seriously ill and maybe in danger of death.

Christ once again responded without delay and healed Peter’s mother-in-law immediately. She was not only a woman but also a Jew, which meant that although the Lord had warned the Jews about presuming upon salvation, He had not completely forsaken them, as ministry to Peter’s relative powerfully showed. The fact that salvation was available to faithful Gentiles did not mean it was now unavailable to faithful Jews. Paul later wrote, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. . . . In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice” (Rom. 11:2, 5).

Ask Yourself

Among all religions, none has a higher view of women than does Christianity. And yet, it’s fair to ask ourselves if chauvinism is present within our hearts. Christ honored women. So should we.

From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, www.moodypublishers.com.

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Rejection Because of Your Faith

Published by Strength For Today - GTY for reading on July 20th.

“Not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you” ( 1 John 3:12-13 12 not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. ).

Christians are rejected by the world but accepted by God.

An ancient proverb states that you can judge a man’s character by who his enemies are. That is also true in the spiritual realm. The world loves its own, but since Christ chose believers out of the world, the world hates them ( John 15:19 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. ).

That this is true should come as no surprise to any student of God’s Word. After all, the world hated Jesus so much that it killed Him. We, as His followers, can also expect hostility. “If the world hates you,” Jesus said in John 15:18 18 If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before `it hated' you. , “you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” “If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul,” He added in Matthew 10:25 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household! , “how much more the members of his household!”

From the beginning of history, the unrighteous have hated the righteous. The apostle John noted the tragic story of unrighteous Cain, who murdered his righteous brother Abel in a fit of jealous rage ( 1 John 3:12 12 not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous. ; Gen. 4:1-8). In Acts 7:52 52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers; Stephen asked his accusers, “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.” Stephen’s accusation aptly summarized the sad history of Israel, “who kill[ed] the prophets and ston[ed] those who [were] sent to her” (Matt. 23:37).  Peter noted the reason for the world’s hostility to Christians when he wrote, “[Unbelievers] are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you” ( 1 Peter 4:4 4 wherein they think strange that ye run not with `them' into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of `of': ). Christians’ lives are a threat because they rebuke unbelievers’ sin and remind them of coming judgment.

Have you experienced the world’s hostility, opposition, prejudice, rejection, or even persecution for your stand for Jesus Christ? If so, that’s evidence that you belong to the One who also suffered rejection by the world.

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray that God would enable you to rejoice in the face of persecution ( Acts 5:41 41 They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name. ).

For Further Study

Read Philippians 1:28 28 and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries: which is for them an evident token of perdition, but of your salvation, and that from God; . What should your attitude be when you are rejected by the world?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

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Grace for Every Need

Published by John Piper for reading on July 20th.

Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant. ( Psalms 86:16 16 Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid. )

Future grace is the constant plea of the praying psalmists. They pray for it again and again to meet every need. They leave every saint a model of daily dependence on future grace for every exigency.

• They cry out for grace when they need help: “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” ( Psalms 30:10 10 Hear, O Jehovah, and have mercy upon me: Jehovah, be thou my helper. ).

• When they are weak: “Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant” ( Psalms 86:16 16 Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid. ).

• When they need healing: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord” ( Psalms 6:2 2 Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; for I am withered away: O Jehovah, heal me; for my bones are troubled. ).

• When they are afflicted by enemies: “Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me” ( Psalms 9:13 13 Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; Behold my affliction `which I suffer' of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death; ).

• When they are lonely: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” ( Psalms 25:16 16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; For I am desolate and afflicted. ).

• When they are grieving: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief” ( Psalms 31:9 9 Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah, for I am in distress: Mine eye wasteth away with grief, `yea', my soul and my body. ).

• When they have sinned: “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” ( Psalms 41:4 4 I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me: Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee. ).

• When they long for God’s name to be exalted among the nations: “God be gracious to us and bless us . . . that your way may be known on earth” ( Psalms 67:1 Chapter 67 1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us, `And' cause his face to shine upon us; Selah –2).

Unmistakably, prayer is the great link of faith between the soul of the saint and the promise of future grace. If ministry was meant by God to be sustained by prayer, then ministry was meant to be sustained by faith in future grace.

Morning Devotional by C.H. Spurgeon for July 20th

Published by C.H. Spurgeon for reading on July 20th.

Ephesians 1:14 14 which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of `God's' own possession, unto the praise of his glory.

OH! what enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, what delight of heart is experienced by that man who has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus alone. Yet the realization which we have of Christ's preciousness is, in this life, imperfect at the best. As an old writer says, "'Tis but a taste!" We have tasted "that the Lord is gracious," but we do not yet know how good and gracious He is, although what we know of His sweetness makes us long for more. We have enjoyed the firstfruits of the Spirit, and they have set us hungering and thirsting for the fulness of the heavenly vintage. We groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption. Here we are like Israel in the wilderness, who had but one cluster from Eshcol, there we shall be in the vineyard. Here we see the manna falling small, like coriander seed, but there shall we eat the bread of heaven and the old corn of the kingdom. We are but beginners now in spiritual education; for although we have learned the first letters of the alphabet, we cannot read words yet, much less can we put sentences together; but as one says, "He that has been in heaven but five minutes, knows more than the general assembly of divines on earth." We have many ungratified desires at present, but soon every wish shall be satisfied; and all our powers shall find the sweetest employment in that eternal world of joy. O Christian, antedate heaven for a few years. Within a very little time thou shalt be rid of all thy trials and thy troubles. Thine eyes now suffused with tears shall weep no longer. Thou shalt gaze in ineffable rapture upon the splendour of Him who sits upon the throne. Nay, more, upon His throne shalt thou sit. The triumph of His glory shall be shared by thee; His crown, His joy, His paradise, these shall be thine, and thou shalt be co-heir with Him who is the heir of all things.

Evening Devotional by C.H. Spurgeon for July 20th

Published by C.H. Spurgeon for reading on July 20th.

Jeremiah 2:18 18 And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? or what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

BY sundry miracles, by divers mercies, by strange deliverances Jehovah had proved Himself to be worthy of Israel's trust. Yet they broke down the hedges with which God had enclosed them as a sacred garden; they forsook their own true and living God, and followed after false gods. Constantly did the Lord reprove them for this infatuation, and our text contains one instance of God's expostulating with them, "What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of the muddy river?"—for so it may be translated. "Why dost thou wander afar and leave thine own cool stream from Lebanon? Why dost thou forsake Jerusalem to turn aside to Noph and to Tahapanes? Why art thou so strangely set on mischief, that thou canst not be content with the good and healthful, but wouldst follow after that which is evil and deceitful?" Is there not here a word of expostulation and warning to the Christian? O true believer, called by grace and washed in the precious blood of Jesus, thou hast tasted of better drink than the muddy river of this world's pleasure can give thee; thou hast had fellowship with Christ; thou hast obtained the joy of seeing Jesus, and leaning thine head upon His bosom. Do the trifles, the songs, the honours, the merriment of this earth content thee after that? Hast thou eaten the bread of angels, and canst thou live on husks? Good Rutherford once said, "I have tasted of Christ's own manna, and it hath put my mouth out of taste for the brown bread of this world's joys." Methinks it should be so with thee. If thou art wandering after the waters of Egypt, O return quickly to the one living fountain: the waters of Sihor may be sweet to the Egyptians, but they will prove only bitterness to thee. What hast thou to do with them? Jesus asks thee this question this evening—what wilt thou answer Him?