28 May
Hos. 1:4-5
The meaning of Jezreel
The Lord asked His servant Hosea to name his son Jezreel to symbolize His forthcoming
punishment of the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel (Hos. 1:4-5). The
massacre at Jezreel is fully recounted in 2 kgs 10:1-11). But why would the Lord
punish the house of Jehu for this massacre whereas He has promised to “consume
Ahab’s descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel” (1Kgs
21:21-22), and Jehu seemed to have thought that he was fulfilling this promise
by carrying out this massacre? (2Kgs. 10:10). The answer is that God’s
justice applies to everyone without exemption (Rom. 14:10-12; 2Cor. 5:10). The
fact that God uses someone as His instrument of justice in respect of someone
else does not exempt him from God’s justice. The same thing happened to
Babylon. God had used her to punish Judah for forsaking Him (see Jer. 1:11-16).
But God latter punished her for all the wrong they did to Judah (see Jer. 50:1-51;
64). Babylon was not exempted or excused from God’s justice because God
had used her as His instrument of justice against Judah. This is how God’s
justice works. Everyone is subject to it (Rom. 14:10-12; 2Cor. 5:10). Only those
who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord will be acquitted (
cf.Rev.20:15).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please save me through your only Son Jesus Christ.
2. Father, please let your mercy be my portion.
29 May
Ps. 145:14
The Lord upholds and lifts up the fallen
We find in this passage another great truth about God (Ps. 145:14). He upholds
all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down (Ps. 145:14). It is His
nature to do so and He is well known for doing it (see Ps. 40:2-3). It is the
Lord alone who does this (Ps. 145:1-4). No other being can do it. Anyone who
falls and is bowed down has a good, ready, willing and able Saviour in the Lord.
Whatever the fall one may find himself, God is ready, willing and able to uphold
him up (Ps. 145:14; Lk. 1:37). This is great, joyful, and comforting news indeed
for all who fall and are bowed down. Instead of being downcast and in despair,
let anyone who has fallen and is bowed down cry unto God, like the psalmist (Ps.
40:1-3; Ps. 18:4-6). Let him not trust in man for help (Jer. 17:5-6). No man
can uphold or lift him up (see Jer. 17:5-6). The help of man is worthless (Ps.
40:1-3; Ps. 18:4-6). Let him not cry to any other gods (see Ps. 40:4). They are
idols and cannot even save themselves (see 1Chron. 16:26; 1Sam. 5:1-4). Like
the psalmist, let him trust in the Lord alone to uphold and lift him up (see
Ps. 42:11; Jer. 17:7-8). Like the psalmist, let him wait patiently for the Lord,
and He will certainly uphold and lift him up (see Ps. 40:1-3; Ps. 38:15; Ps:
37:7). If there is any sin in his life, let him confess it and turn away from
it completely to Christ and the Lord will surely uphold and lift him up (see
Acts 2:38-39; Acts 3:19-20).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please uphold me and lift me up.
• Father, please enable me to trust in you alone regardless of the circumstances.
• Father, please enable me to wait patiently on you for everything.
30 May
Ps. 11:4-7
The Lord examines the sons of men
This passage brings our attention to what the Lord does on His throne. According
to it, He observes or examines the sons of men (Ps. 11:4). Both the righteous
and the wicked come under His constant examination (Ps. 11:4-5). To observe or
examine as used here is not only to view them and their action but to make them
and their actions subject to Him (see Ps. 11:4-6). There is no single act whether
of living or non-living things that is hidden from Him and is not subject to
him. Our good or evil acts are all before Him and subject to Him. He knows even
the hardships, injustices, and insults believers endure in His Name and will
not fail to do something about them (see Rev. 2:2-3).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to please you in all things.
2. Father, please take account of all my needs.
31 May
Ps. 145:20
The Lord watches over all who love Him
We find in this passage another important truth about God (Ps. 145:20). According
to this passage, the Lord watches over all who love Him (Ps. 145:20). It is His
nature to do so (see Ps. 31:23; Ps. 97:10; Ps. 127:1-2). He alone can fulfill
this responsibility (Lk. 1:37). To watch over means to care for, to provide for,
to protect, and to preserve (see Ps. 121:1-8). The Lord’s own watchfulness
is most dependable and worth seeking (see Ps. 121:1-8; Ps. 127:1-2). It is vain
to look for it anywhere else (Ps. 127:1-2) Human kind of watchfulness is not
dependable at all (see Ps. 108:12). But the objects of God’s watchfulness
are those who love Him (Ps. 145:20). They alone are entitled to his watchfulness
(Ps. 145:20). The promise does not apply to those who do not love Him (Ps. 145:20).
What applies to those who do not love Him is His wrath, not His watchfulness
(Ps. 145:20; Deut. 28:15-68; Ps. 1:4-6). Anyone who desires God’s watchfulness
must first love Him (Ps. 145:20). To love Him is to obey Him completely in all
things (Jn. 14:15, 21, 23-24). No one can claim to love Him without obeying Him
fully (Jn. 14:24).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to love you with all my heart.
2. Father, please watch over me as you promised.
1 June
2 Tim. 1:9
God saves and calls to a holy life
This passage explains the goal or purpose of God’s salvation and call.
According to it, God saves and calls believers to a holy life (2 Tim 2:9). God
is holy in His being and ways (Ps. 99:3, 5, 9; Ps. 111:9; Ps. 77:13). This explains
why holiness is His goal or purpose for saving and calling His children. Any
believer who keeps himself or herself holy unto God fulfils His purpose or goal
for saving and calling him or her. On the contrary, any believer who does not
keep himself or herself holy unto God is not fulfilling God’s purpose or
goal for saving and calling him or her. Therefore holiness is at the heart of
God’s plan and work of salvation. It is the strongest and greatest proof
of sonship with God (see 1 Jn. 3:7-10). Without holiness no one will see God
(Heb. 12:14). Believers must give the pursuit of holiness not just a place in
their lives, but the first and whole place. There is no other way to attain God’s
goal or purpose for our salvation and calling than this. The grace to be holy
is available through Christ (cf. Jn. 15:4-5).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please make me completely holy unto you.
2. Father, please take away whatever keeps me from being completely holy
unto you.
2 June
Ps. 145:17
Our loving God
This passage speaks of another attribute of God, His love (Ps. 145:17). According
to the passage, the Lord is not only loving, but loving towards all He has made
(Ps. 145:17). It is His nature to love (1 Jn. 4:16). In Him we do have a loving
God and Father. His love is universal (Ps. 145:17; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 1:29). All mankind
are entitled to His love (Jn. 3:16; Lk. 2:10-12; Jn. 1:29). The best and greatest
demonstration of God’s love is His giving of His only begotten Son, Jesus
the Christ, to die for all mankind (Rom. 5:8). No one else loves like God. His
love is free and irrevocable (Ps. 106:1; Rom. 11:29). His love is available in
and through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:12-13). We forfeit His love when we reject Jesus
Christ (Jn. 1:12-13; Jn. 3:16). His love demands that we love Him and fellow
human beings (Deut. 6:5; Deut. 11:1; Jn. 15:12; Jn. 13:34-35).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please let your love be my portion.
2. Father, please enable me to love you and fellow human beings as you love me.
3.Father, please draw me and all mankind to your love in Christ.
3 June
Ps.11:4-7
The nature of the Lord`s throne
According to this passage, the Lord’s throne is a heavenly throne (cf.Ps.11:4;
Is.66:1). This is the only throne of its kind. There is no other throne like
it. The heavenly throne is the sovereign throne. It rules over all other thrones.
All other thrones are subject to it, willingly or unwillingly. Believers have
nothing whatever to fear or worry about, since their Lord’s throne is the
sovereign and ultimate throne(see Matt.6:25-32). Those who rebel against Him
today will one day stand before Him to give account of all their actions (Acts
17:31; Rom.14:10-12). No one can exclude himself from the authority of this throne.
Everyone, everything is subject to this one throne, now and forever.
PRAYER: 1. Father, please make me and all things subject to your throne.
2. Father, please let there be no one or nothing that is not subject to your
throne.
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