June 8 – July 7 (30 days); due April 20: Jun 8—What’s Your Motive? Read Proverbs 21 Proverbs 21:1 teaches that the hearts of the rulers of this world are under the sovereign control of our God. What comfort! Not only are the hearts of kings open to him, however: “Every way of a […]
Devotional April 8—May 7 April 8—“I am Prayer” Read Psalm 109 How do we reconcile Scripture’s command to love our enemies with Psalm 109’s seemingly vindictive tone? Notice, David does love these wicked, but they return evil for his good and hatred for his love (vv. 4–5). Likewise, our enemies must not be people […]
February 8—March 7 (28 days) February 8—From Communion to Conquer Read 2 Samuel 8 We read in 2 Samuel 7 that the Lord gave David “rest round about from all his enemies.” During that time of rest, the prophet Nathan brought David Jehovah’s word, and David spent time in prayer. Now chapter 8 begins, […]
Dec. 8 – Hear! Hear! Hear! Read Psalm 81 Psalm 81 seems more familiar when one calls to mind the first stanzas of its only versification in our Psalter: #222. “Now to God, our Strength and Savior, render praise and loudly sing,” and, “Let the trumpet, far resounding, this our festal day proclaim…” This psalm […]
Oct. 8 – A Tragic Day Read 1 Samuel 4 Proverbs 19:3 declares, “The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.” Thus was the case when the Philistines smote Israel. Israel’s sin led to their defeat, but instead of repenting, they grumble: “Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today […]
June 8 – Vow and Pay Read Leviticus 27 The principle throughout Leviticus 27 is this: if one vowed to dedicate someone or something to Jehovah and then changed his mind, he was required to pay the value of the offering plus 20 (one-fifth) percent interest to redeem it. (God does not value the souls […]
Exodus 5–35 April 7 – Two Lessons Read Exodus 5 The moment of truth has arrived. Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh with Jehovah’s command, “Let my people go.” They a ramification to their request: “lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword” (v. 3c). Calvin suggests that “the threatening, which […]
February 8 – Wisdom Without Price Read Job 28 Last August our family camped in the Rocky Mountains. As we drove to a trailhead one afternoon, intending to hike to a nearby waterfall, we passed a gaping hole in the side of a mountain. Aha! This must be the gold mine that a camp volunteer […]
December 8 – Go to God in Prayer Read Psalm 142 1 Samuel 22 records the time that David hid from Saul and the Philistine king Achish in the cave of Adullam. 1 Samuel 24 recounts the time that he fled from Saul to a cave in the wilderness of Engedi, the same cave his […]
Dear Daily Press readers, Shortly before I submitted this month’s devotionals for publication, Ben Laning and I realized that we had miscommunicated regarding which psalms we would be writing on each month. As a result, we have overlapped in our study of several psalms in the past, and this month I wrote meditations for three […]