For this child I prayed . . . So I dedicated him to the Lord. I Sam. 1:27, 28. It was in the period of the Judges, in the Old Testament. It has been described as the period of the five R’s regarding Israel. Relapse into sin, Retribution (punishment), Repentance, Release and Rest At this […]
Even now, declares the Lord, return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments, return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate. Joel 2:12, 13. It was exceptionally hot and dry in mid-western America, the “bread-basket” of the nation. In […]
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. I. Cor. 2:9, 10a On Pentecost day there were no angels visibly present. Often we read of their presence in the life of Christ, in […]
And he led them ou t as far as Bethany and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Luke 24:50–52 Some experiences we never […]
“And when he had left speaking he said unto Simon, put out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answered and said, Master we toiled all night and caught nothing; but at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:4, 5). “They (the disciples) went into the […]
“There they crucified him” (Luke 23:33). “The rulers even sneered at him” (v. 35). “The soldiers also came up and mocked him” (v. 36). “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads” (Matt. 27:38). “In the same way the chiefpriests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him” (v. 41). “In […]
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had ten thousand sheep . . . . And he also had seven sons and three daughters. After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children in the fourth generation. And so he died, […]
“The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God . . . And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.” Nehemiah 12:40, 43 As […]
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:13, 14 How utterly amazed these shepherds must have been by the appearance of the angels on that first Christmas […]
“And they that use this world, but not abusing it; for the fashion of this world passes away” I Cor. 7:31 To bless the earth Thou sendest, from Thine abundant store The waters of the springtime, enriching it once more. The seed by Thee provided is sown o’er hill and plain And Thou with gentle […]