Continuing daily....Acts 2:46
DAILY SEARCHING OF THE SCRIPTURES
I am often
surprised that Christians who have listened for years (apparently with interest and
attention) to the ministry of the Word know so little of divine things. They seem to enjoy
the ministry, their faces are bright in the meetings, and yet when you come to talk to
them you find that very little of it has got into their souls. I believe the secret is
that they listen to what is said, but value it so little that they do not take the trouble
of going to the Scriptures to verify it for themselves. Ministry has its own blessed and
important place, but I do not believe any ministry will be of permanent profit to our
souls if it is not followed by searching of the Scriptures. They received the word with
all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily (Acts 17:11).
DAILY WATCHING AT WISDOM’S GATE
Are we on the alert to
improve our acquaintance with Christ? The great defect of modern Christianity is that
there is so little affection for Christ. Many hear what is called a clear gospel, and
trusting the Person and work of Christ they get the assurance of the Scriptures that they
will never perish, and this seems to satisfy them and they settle down upon it and go to
sleep. There is not the earnest longing after Himself, the watching daily at His gates.
Did it ever occur to you that Christ values your affections? You belong to Him; you are
the object of His love; you are His own. Your heart is Christ’s property. Is it His
dwelling place? Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting
at the posts of my doors (Prov. 8:34).
DAILY PRAYER
Christendom is full of solemn warnings as to the
tendency of our hearts to drop into a routine of religious forms. It is a very great loss
to the soul to get into the habit of repeating substantially the same words in prayer
every day. It is not real prayer at all. Today is not like yesterday, and tomorrow will
not be like today. If you are really with God you will be sensitive to the fresh needs of
every day. God delights to have our confidence as to every need and care. Then let us
cultivate a child’s confidence, and a child’s simplicity as we come to Him in
prayer. Bring the trying circumstances of today, and the expected difficulties and
perplexities of tomorrow. Be merciful unto me, O Lord; for I cry unto thee daily (Ps.
86:3).
DAILY BREAD
What have you had from the Lord today? You may say
that you have been reading a very good book, and part of one of the periodicals. I am glad
to hear it, but did you get anything from the Lord? Again you may say that you have read
one or two chapters in the Bible. I am very thankful for that, but still you might read
many chapters without getting anything from the Lord to meet the present need of your
soul. Food is that which satisfies a craving (a felt need) and unless we have an appetite
there is not even the desire for it. The food of which I speak is the gracious supply to
our souls of that which answers the exercises, and meets the need of which we become
conscious in our experience day by day. I do not mean your external need, but the need of
your heart and spirit, in the various experiences of your soul. May the Lord preserve us
from becoming insensible to our daily need that His love delights to supply as our daily
bread. Give us this day our daily bread (Matt. 6:11).
DAILY CROSS
To bear the cross is to accept the reproach of being
connected with that which is mean and despicable in the eyes of men. The daily cross is
not bodily affection or the ordinary trials of life, as so many suppose, for these things
are not peculiar to Christians, they are the common lot of mankind. The daily cross is the
acceptance day by day of a path and a portion which, so far as this world goes, is one of
dishonor and reproach. If we are true to Christ, it will involve the surrender of much
that we naturally esteem - the praise of men, and the honors of life in this world. You
may be sure that every bit of real testimony for Christ will cost you something. If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me
(Lk. 9:23).
DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT
There is a constant tendency in our hearts to
be discouraged because of the way. I am afraid that many souls backslide and drift away
simply because we are not near enough to the Lord, and have not sufficient affection to
give them a word of encouragement. You must keep your eye on that which is of God in the
saints, and lay yourself out to encourage that. There is something which is of God in
every saint; it may be very weak and small, but we must build on and encourage that. We
must count on the work of God in the souls of His saints, and seek to help and encourage
that which is of Himself in every way. Let none of us think that this is only for teachers
and ministers of the Word. This applies to every one of us in our individual contact with
each other. But exhort (encourage) one another daily (Heb. 3:13).