Daily Devotionals

Devotional: December 20th

Morning

“The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.”

2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3:3 , 2 Peter 3:4

They insinuate that there is no God, or that if there be he takes no interest in the affairs of men, or else surely he would have come to judge his enemies long ere this.

2 Peter 3:5 , 2 Peter 3:6

They wilfully forget that there was one grand interposition of vengeance, and therefore it is not altogether true that the machinery of nature has from time immemorial moved on regardless of human sin. Once by water has the world been destroyed, and by another element it shall soon be overwhelmed.

2 Peter 3:7-9

He waits that men may wait on him. He gives the race space to repent; but, alas, it abuses his longsuffering!

2 Peter 3:14-16

Good doctrine can be twisted to bad purposes. This is not the fault of the doctrine, but of the foolish or wicked minds which pervert it. We must not neglect the study of those great truths which Paul treats of for it is the ignorant who wrest them, and therefore we should not be of the number. If we are well acquainted with the deep things of God we shall, by God’s grace, be all the less likely to abuse them.

Jesus, thy church with longing eyes,

For thy expected coming waits;

When will the promised light arise,

And glory beam from Zion’s gates?

Yes, thou wilt speedily appear;

The smitten earth already reels;

And, not far off, we seem to hear

The thunder of thy chariot wheels.

Teach us, in watchfulness and prayer,

To wait for the appointed hour,

And fit us by thy grace to share

The triumphs of thy conquering power.

Evening

“Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

1 John 1

The apostle John plunges at once into his subject, and begins to discourse upon the Word made flesh, in whom his soul delighted.

1 John 1:1-3

How strong are John’s expressions as to the certainty of our Lord’s having appeared in the flesh. He had been heard, seen, studiously observed, and actually touched; his appearing was no fiction or pious legend, but a sure matter of fact, and he who appeared was none other than Jesus, the eternal life.

1 John 1:4

Fellowship with Jesus and joy lie so closely together, that the apostle could aim at both at the same time.

1 John 1:5

These little words contain a mint of meaning. What a wondrous sentence, ”God is light!”

1 John 1:6 , 1 John 1:7

Only in truth and holiness can we have fellowship with God, and to render this possible to such sinful creatures as we are, the precious blood of Jesus must purge us from sin. Have we all been cleansed by it?

1 John 1:8-10

God only acts according to the truth, he will meet us as sinners, for that is our true character; but if we claim to be innocent, he cannot admit that falsehood, and will not commune with us.

1 John 2:1-11

1 John 2:1

This one sentence is worth the whole of the kingdoms of the world.

1 John 2:2

He did not die for Jews alone, but to all races the way of salvation is opened by his atoning blood.

1 John 2:3

Our life and conversation are to ourselves as well as to others the best evidence as to our state.

1 John 2:7 , 1 John 2:8

The love of our brother is in one sense an old command, for it is the substance of the second table of the law; but the gospel sets it in a new light beneath the cross, and binds us to keep it by new and powerful obligations.

1 John 2:9-11

Hatred is darkness, love is light; the revengeful man is an heir of eternal midnight. Let us purge ourselves from all anger, malice, and envy, for these are evils of the darkest dye.

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