Daily Bible Thoughts for the Month. ON THE UNION OLD TESTAMENT READINGS. By Blanche A. Rowan. "Thy Word have I hid in my heart." ISAIAH XII. TO XLII. JANUARY 1.-Isaiah xii. How beautiful a portion for the first day of the New Year. We need not tremble as we begin it, for the Holy One in the midst is Himself our Strength, Salvation, and Song. January 2.-Ch. xiii. Surely we should be aroused from our guilty indifference about the souls perishing around us if we faced the awful reality of coming judgment. Such a chapter as this should fill us with burning desire to be used in plucking them as 'brands from the burning" ere "their faces become as flames." 66 January 3.-Ch. xiv. Notice in this chapter how the Lord's mercy goes before, and follows the record of terrible doom. But His mercy is for the poor (verses 30, 32), in contrast with the proud (ver. 13; 2 Cor. x. 5; Ezek. xxi. 26; Matt. xxiii. 12). January 4.-Ch. xv. 7. The end of all ambition and toil for SELF. Would it not be better now to give away to Him for His own use absolutely our all? our two mites, body and soul-even all our "living?" (See Matt. vi. 33.) January 5.-Ch. xvi. 9, 11. We cannot but be struck with this intense yearning of the Lord over His own. For their sins (Luke xix. 41). For their sorrows (Jno. xi. 35). We talk of "fellowship with His sufferings," but what do we know of weeping over the sins of others? not " January 6.-Ch. xvii. 10, 14. Oh! solemn warning. Workers, see that the result of what seem to you "pleasant plants " now becomes 'deadly sorrow just because of the lack of singleness of eye to the glory of God. Bring your work for the purging now ere the judgment seat condemns (Matt. iii. 12; 2 Cor. v. 10; 1 Cor. iii. 13-15). January 7.-Ch. xxi. 2. He pondereth two things-your "heart" (Prov. xxi. 2), and your "goings" (Prov. v. 21). Have you Enoch's testimony (Heb. xi. 5)? Seek it in all things. January 8.-Ch. xix. 24. We must first be blessings in our own homes if we would become blessings "in the midst of the land." (See the promise in Prov. xi. 25.) January 9.-Ch. xx. 5. What is our chief "glory?" Anything in ourselves? Talent? Reputation? Worldly position? Let us be true to the core in our heart searchings. (See Heb. iv. 12.) January 10.-Ch. xxi. 11, 12. Can Christians be sleeping? It is too frequently so. (See Rom. xiii. II; I Cor. xv. 34; Eph. v. 14.) Is the Watchman's message concerning you, "the child is not awaked?" Let the voice of the Lord, which reaches beyond the tomb, reach you to-day, "lest, coming suddenly, He find you sleeping." awful "perpetual sleep" of Jer. li. 39.) (See the January 11.-Ch. xxii. 22. Christ is not only Himself the Door, but He holds the keys of every circumstance. Trust Him to open or shut as He wills for you (Rev. iii. 7, 8). Even of death (Rev. i. 18). January 12.-Ch. xxiii. 18. All things will be at length manifestly the Lord's. Now by faith we hear Him say to us, "All things are yours," and know He will supply all our need. January 13.-Ch. xxiv. 15, 16. A morbid fixing of the mind upon our "leanness" should be guarded against. Rather let us "glorify God in the fires" by praise, by subjection, and by patient endurance with joyfulness. January 14.—Ch. xxv. 8 (last clause). This promise will never affect you unless you are "bearing His reproach" now. If you know nothing about it, it is because you are not walking in out and out separation to God. You may be doing nothing particularly wrong, but you are leaving an immensity undone. 66 January 15.-Ch. xxvi. 3. See the further thought in the margin, and compare with 2 Cor. x. 5. Have you sought this way of peace ?" January 16.—Ch. xxvii. 5. A further way of peace, clinging. only began clinging when he found his own strength gone. (Gen. xxxii. 25, 26). "Man's extremity is God's opportunity." Jacob January 17.-Ch. xxviii. 6, 26. See what God is to the simply dependent. We often want to feel a reserve of power in ourselves, instead of claiming His as we need it. January 18.-Ch. xxix. 16-24. When man endeavours to turn things upside down, the result is failure and contempt; but when the Lord works changes the results are sight, hearing, fruitfulness, and joy. January 19.-Ch. xxx. 19. Why do we get so few direct answers to prayer? Because we do not ask with "all our heart," and have such mixed motives. (See Jer. xxix. 13.) January 20.-Ch. xxxi. 4-6. Tenderness only goes with strength. Strong and fearless as a lion. Anxious, tender, swift as a bird flying to protect her young. So the Lord defends His people. January 21.—Ch. xxxii. 20. Some waters are calm, some tempestuous, some clear, some muddy. If we would sow beside all waters, we need The ox has a separated hoof. separation and humility. January 22.-Ch. xxxiii. 14-16. "Sinners in Zion," i.e., professors. Compare John xv. 6. "Godliness" (ver. 15) has the promise of the "much more now, and life everlasting. January 23.-Ch. xxxiv. 4, 5, 6. Compare 1 Peter iv. 17. The Temple must be cleansed before the Lord can sit down to teach in it. What about the Temple of your heart? " and 66 narrow January 24.-Ch. xxxv. 8. See here the "strait way of Holiness. Only the thoroughly cleansed can walk in it, for "He whose name is Holy shall be with them." (See margin and 2 Cor. vi. 15.) well when Satan (See Ps. xxxv. I ; January 25.-Ch. xxxvi. 21, 22. We should do assaults us to leave it to our King to answer for us. Ps. xxxviii. 15; Matt. xiv. 12.) January 26.—Ch. xxxvii. 14. and kept nothing back. Is it so January 27.-Ch. xxxviii. 3. "A perfect heart," i.e., a cleansed heart. The affections, desires, motives, purged. Can that be said of us? (See Gen. xvii. I; 1 Thess. v. 23). Told it out altogether to the Lord, with us in all things? January 28.-Ch. xxxix. When we begin to make alliance with Babylon, i.e., the world-and speak to them of our holy things, the treasures of our heart, on their worldly ground, we are sure to repent it. (Matt. vii. 6; Eph. v. 11.) 66 66 January 29.-Ch. xl. 10, 11 (margin). Recompense for His Work." His Flock. Both Arms, both Hands at their service to feed," to "gather," to "carry," to "lead." (See Job. x. 8 margin.) January 30.-Ch. xli. 13. If God has hold of our right hand, our strength is given up-and we shall find His "made perfect in our weakness." January 31.-Ch. xlii. 6, 7. The Lord not only calls us in righteousness," but undertakes to keep us holy, and in that keeping gives power to open blind eyes and release Satan's captives. (Jude 24; Acts iii. 6.) Scripture Reading and Prayer Union. 1. Every MEMBER reads daily the same Chapter of the Old Testament and a short Evening Portion of the New. ASSOCIATES read only the New Testament portion, any time during the day. 2. Persons of all ages and all denominations may join. All readers of "CHRISTIAN PROGRESS are invited to join this Union, either as Members or Associates, and to ask their friends to do so. They should send their full names and addresses (stating whether Rev., Esq., Mr., Mrs., or Miss) to the Rev. ERNEST Boys, Beverley, Sidcup, Kent. One stamp must be enclosed, and at card of Membership will be forwarded. WE have to report the following increase in our Union during the past month. Up to December 10th we have received the names of 836 new Members and 681 Associates. We are still filling up vacant numbers in our register of Members, so that we have not much increased our registered total of these, but our total of Associates is 26,483. WORKING FOR NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES. We have printed a large quantity of Letters of Invitation for the New Year, and will be glad to send packets, large or small, according to request, to any address, post free. We hope that our present readers will distribute them as widely as possible in letters and by hand. The services of Messrs. Moody and Sankey, as well as of all Evangelistic preachers, afford great openings for enlisting new Members and Associates. EXPENSES OF THE UNION. Our readers will remember that these are very heavy, including salaries of secretaries, office expenses, printing, postage, etc., and that we depend entirely upon voluntary offerings. We hope all will send any small sum to help. We shall make a brief statement of the financial position of the Union down to the end of the year next month. NEW SECRETARIES WANTED. With the New Year we propose to register as "CHRISTIAN PROGRESS" WORKERS those who will act as SECRETARIES of Associations in Town Districts or Town Congregations, in the same way as we have Secretaries for Country Villages. District Visitors can thus do an interesting work in their districts, and open the way for much spiritual intercourse with their people. Will any such act for us? Persons connected with any town parishes or congregations (of any denomination) can act as secretary for these. The only work will be to get as many to join as possible, and see that the readers are supplied monthly or quarterly with "CHRISTIAN PROGRESS." Who will commence the work? Papers of Instructions will be sent on application. SUBJECT FOR PRAYER FOR JANUARY. For abundant blessing upon the work of Messrs. Moody and Sankey in the several localities which they are visiting, with praise for "great things" which God has done through them already. |