May

May1st

“David recovered all the Amalekites had carried away… and there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great.” (1 Sam.30. 18-19).

David and his men had suffered a great and heavy loss. All their houses had been burnt down and their women and children and possessions had been taken captive by the Amalekites. Their loss was so great that even though they were strong men, they all began to weep loudly. Here were strong military men weeping, so much and so loudly that they had no more tears to shed (Vs.4). Their tears were all dried up, their throats were hot, and their heads were aching, so much so that they could not weep any more. So great was their loss, and, humanly speaking, beyond all hope of recovery.

By God’s help and grace, they recovered all that they had lost and much more beside, so much that they were able to pay all the debts that they had incurred during the previous years. They had been given shelter and food. Now David sent gifts to acknowledge kindnesses shown, and to pay back his debts. It is a peculiar joy to recover what we have lost, and especially when there has been no hope of recovery.

We have many spiritual losses because of our faults and failures. There are many in fact who have lost their joy. Some, because of trouble and trial, may have lost their faith. Others may have lost their consciousness of God’s Presence. Others have not yet learned the secret of finding God’s will. Many have lost the old power they had when they were first born again. Others have lost their first love. Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Fear not… for thy prayer is heard.” Luke1:13

May2nd

“The Lord God sent him forth from the Gardenof Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man.” ( Gen.3:23,24 ).

How many hearts there are with some spiritual loss. They are not enjoying their Bibles as before. They have not got the same burden for prayer as once they had. Some weep openly and some secretly, but they have no faith to recover what they have lost. They want to recover it but they do not know how to recover it, and worse still they have lost the hope of recovery. They are saying in their hearts, “Maybe I will never get my former joy and peace again.” They maybe saying: ‘I can never do the Lord’s service as before’. What ever it may be that you have lost spiritually there is hope for you. Your loss can be recovered. Rather, you can receive much more than you have lost.

Though in the beginning Adam lost everything, yet man is able to recover everything through our Lord Jesus Christ. In Gen. 1:28, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden. He also gave him power and dominion over the whole earth and over the fish and over the birds and animals. In a very real sense he was the king of the whole earth. Yet in chapter 3 he was driven out as a thief and the Word of God says it was God Himself who drove him out. In the beginning he could talk to God as man to man, but now he was being driven out from the presence of God. He was driven out from his home in the Garden of Eden and had to surrender all his rights. What a tremendous loss! No man can estimate the loss incurred by the first man, Adam. But in Revelation 21 and 22, we find man ruling the new creation, which will be far more glorious than the old.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. I John.4:4.

May3rd

“Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God”. Joel.2:13.

In fact God has given to men more than what was lost in Genesis 3. God began the recovery by the power of the Cross. Every loss of every sinner and every loss of every believer can be recovered by God’s grace and by His help, as revealed in the sacrifice of Calvary. Are you of any use to God? Can you say God has used something of your life? Please be honest and truthful with yourself.

Are you willing and desirous for your sins to be forgiven? Jesus Christ came into the world and died and rose again, that we might recover every loss. Even though we have wasted our lives all these years, now we can again become God’s co-workers and partners ( I Cor.3:9 ).

Every loss incurred by your sins can be recovered. Because of your sins you have brought reproach upon your own name, your family name and the name of your God. Through your sins you have ruined your life, health and body. Because of your sins you are far away from God. You have not the least understanding of the things of God. You are a fool before God and whatever you are doing is a waste. You will die without hope.

Do you want to be transformed? We have a message for you. Come to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come with a repentant heart, felling sorry for your sins. This day the Lord will forgive you and transform you. That is why He came into this world to seek and to save you.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee” Num.6:25.

May4th

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.” “Return unto the Lord thy God.” (Hosea.14:1-4).

Thirty-one years ago my life was being wasted; completely and absolutely wasted. I was then living a life of shame, defeat and barrenness, but I can testify that all that I now say and do are of eternal abiding value. If I do something wrong my Lord is there to correct me and chastise me and bring me back.

David suffered four great losses in his life-time, and we too as believers suffer in our life-time great losses. By the grace of God and His help David recovered all these losses. And not only what he had lost, but much more beside. We also as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, suffer many losses because of doubts and folly, blindness and defeat, but from God’s Word we can see now every spiritual loss in a believer can be recovered.

You have lost your appetite for God’s Word, lost your burden for prayer, lost your understanding of God’s Word, and you do not know to enjoy God’s Word, and you do not know how to enjoy God’s presence. You have lost many privileges in the House of God. Please tell God frankly of all your losses and then pray: ‘Now, Lord, do thou help me to recover all my losses.’ You are assured from God’s Word that you will recover much more than you have lost.

He will give you much more than you lost. But you must be honest and truthful and sincere and tell Him all about your loss. We will see from God’s Word as we study further, how David recovered his four losses, and then how we also can recover all that we have lost spiritually.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary.” Psalm.150:1

May5th

“Be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things.” (Joel.2:21).

The Scripture tells us that whatever is lost spiritually can be recovered. It may seem impossible, but by the help of God, by His grace and by his Word, there can be recovered.

That simple lesson is taught to us in the story in 2 Kings 6:1-7 about the young prophets. Those young men were studying with Elisha and they found the place too small for them. They wanted a larger house, and for this they needed wood. They had to go beyond Jordan to cut the wood; so they all got together and went there, and even though they were young men, and the sons of prophets, they had some wisdom, and took with them Elisha (Verse 3). Young people today think they know so much more than their elders. So the young people question why they should go to such old men and women with their personal problems.

These young men however had understanding, and showed it by their request for Elisha to go with them. While they were there felling the wood, one young man lost his axe head, which fell into the water (verse 5). That axe did not belong to him but he wanted to return it. Being a wise young man, however, he went to Elisha, an old man, rather than to the young men (verse6).

He said ‘Alas, my Master, due to my negligence, I have lost the axe head. I want to return it, for it was borrowed. Tell me, my Master, what I should do?’ Elisha said, ‘Show me the place where the axe fell.’ So the young man pointed it out, and Elisha cut down a branch of the tree and dropped it into the water. Immediately the axe began to swim. It is a simple story, but full of deep meaning, to teach us how every spiritual loss can be recovered.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“Be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Eph.5:17

May6th

“Praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you and my people shall never be ashamed.” (Joel.2:26).

Make it a point, whenever you go anywhere, and wherever you go, to make sure that the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Elisha, goes with you. Secondly, when you do lose something, do not be ashamed to confess it. Confess your faults readily. Do not cover your folly and sham; and do not go to others for help, go direct to the Lord Jesus Christ. Go to His feet. Humble yourself and confess your loss and failures to Him. Let your prayer be: ‘Alas, my Master, what shall I do?’ Let Christ take you to the place where the loss took place. Be willing and prepared to see how God will help you. That stick cut by Elisha speaks of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. For our sins He hung on a tree and died for us, and by the same cross our loss can be recovered. It is by faith we apply the cross in our lives, and through it we will see every loss recovered.

Remember this simple rule. First of all, show Him the place where the loss began in your life and go to that very place and say; ‘Yes, Lord, on such a date, and at such and such a time, I behaved like a fool, and that is why there this loss in my life! If you go to the Lord with that confession, by the power of the cross, He will help you to recover every loss. The cross is the power of God, and faith is necessary—a simple and living faith. Our Lord is with us. He said: ‘Lo I am with you always.’ Do not hesitate to go to Him. Tell Him your losses. Believe also that He died on the cross on your losses. Believe also that He died on the cross on your behalf to help you to recover those losses, Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“He is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Col. 1:17

May7th

“They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel.” (Psa. 106.13).

However great your loss may be and whatever its cause, it can be recovered, and in fact, in recovery we receive much more than we have lost. However, we must be willing to obey God’s Word and His divine laws which no man can change. Even though David was a good, wise and kind king, and a man after God’s own heart, he was deceived by the devil on four occasions and suffered four great losses, but with the help of God, and by His grace he recovered all. Let us look at the causes for the four losses, and then see how he recovered all that he lost. The first is in 1 Samuel 29:1-4. David wanted to join the army of the Philistines against Saul. Saul was David’s enemy and tried to kill him on several occasions because God had chosen David to be king instead of Saul.

The Philistines, led by their princes, gathered together and went to battle against Saul. David went with them but the princes of the Philistines did not believe David and he was compelled to go back, very sad and disappointed. David knew that Saul had been anointed king by Samuel and though Saul had been disobedient to God’s Word, yet he was still God’s anointed. That is why God had not allowed David to touch Saul but David had become impatient. David knew that on many occasions God had been with him to help to help him, yet on this occasion, without consulting God, he had joined the Philistines.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“My son, God will provide himself.” Gen. 22:8

May8th

“David enquired at the Lord: … and He answered him, “Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake them and without fail, recover all.” (1 Sam. 30:8).

When David and his men returned to Ziklag they found their house burnt. They found their women and children gone, and their stuff looted by the Amalekites. All this was due to David’s failure. He ought to have consulted God before going to the Philistines, but had been depending upon his own wisdom and strength at that time.

Then suddenly he came to his senses (verse 6). Underline these words, and one day they will help you when you are forsaken by your dear ones, and when even those whom you love forsake you. David encouraged himself in the Lord. He came to his senses and said, “O God forgive me for my failures, for not finding your will before I joined the Philistines. Lord, forgive me.” Then David sent for the priest, Abiathar, and asked him, “Please, find out God’s will for me. What shall we do? Shall we go against our enemies the Amalekites?” God said, ‘Yes, go’. Again he said, “Now, Lord, if we go will we recover all that we have lost?” And God said: (verse 8, last part) ‘Without fail, without fail, you recover all.’

David found the place where the Amalekites were encamping, and they were eating and drinking and dancing with joy. Suddenly David and his men came upon them and recovered their wives and children, and stuff, and also spoiled the Amalekites. The spoil was so great that they were able to pay in full all the debts they had incurred. David also sent gifts and presents to all the people with whom he had been staying.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.” Job37:14

May9th

“Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel.” (Psa. 73.24).

We read in 1 Sam. 31:3-6 about the battle of the Philistines against Saul. In that battle Saul died. When David had tried to kill Saul, God would not allow him to do so, because Saul was God’s anointed. Now Saul and his sons had been killed in battle. There had been no need for David to fight against Saul. Unknown to David, God was working on his behalf. God had chosen David for a great and high service. He was not only God’s king but had been chosen by God as a prophet. He was not only God’s prophet, but one who would also receive from God His heavenly plan. That is why he had to be refined in many refining fires. We, as believers, have also been chosen by God for a very high and lofty purpose, and that is why we too have to go through extreme suffering to be ready that calling. It is for us to find out God’s will for our lives.

God Himself is my high priest. I can go to Him at anytime. The priest was given two stones, the Urim and the thummim, but now the Lord Jesus Christ has put in me these two stones, divine light and divine truth. According to Psalm 43:3 when I go into the house of God to find God’s will, His light and His truth, as the indwelling Christ in my heart, will lead me.

Now you can prove for yourself, that not only will God recover your losses, but your sorrows will be changed to joy when you come back to the Lord. Do not depend on the Philistines, and your friends, but learn to put your trust in Christ alone. Learn to enquire of God in every situation, seek to know His will, to hear His voice and to obey Him, and though the situation may be impossible, still obey Him. Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:

“Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it....” Psalm 65:9

May10th

“Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face evermore.” (Psa.105:4).

Now let us look at the second great loss that David incurred. With what zeal and labor David sought to bring again the ark of God to its place. But alas! Instead of gathering the Israelites and the sons of Aaron and the sons of the Kohathites as commanded by God in Number 4 and 7, he used his own human wisdom and zeal to carry the ark in a new cart. This had been done by the philistines in 1 Sam. 6.

God had so clearly commanded in numbers 4:15 and 7:9, that the ark of God was to be carried only by the sons of Kohath, the sons of Levites, upon their shoulders. It was never to be carried in a cart. The ark was placed on a new cart, and on the way the oxen stumbled, and when Uzza put forth his hand to steady the ark, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza so that He smote him. Thus they could not bring the ark to its place. Now when David began to obey and fellow the divine order as revealed in the Word of God, with great joy he and all the people were able to bring the ark of God to its place (1Chron. 15: 28).

After this great event David wrote the wonderful song of thanksgiving which we have as Psa.105, “O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His Name, make known His deeds among the people, talk ye of all His wondrous works” etc. (vs. 1-7,14,15). Unless we seek God’s face constantly and try to find His order in all our activities, duties and plans, whether in the house or in the church, we are bound to suffer very heavy loss. We cannot be governed by our zeal, or wisdom, or judgment. Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Cor.6:20.

May11th

“Look ye out among you… men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.” (Acts.6.3).

Today there is very great loss among God’s people, because of the failure to follow God’s Word. Even those people who believe in finding elders by prayer become so careless and negligent in this very important task that without praying together as God’s servants and coworkers concerning this matter, they are governed by a man’s human qualifications, by his ability to speak, or by his worldly position or other resources. The result is barrenness and spiritual infancy, and people come and go away hungry from the services.

When David repented of his mistake God forgave him, for God is merciful, and gracious, and if we humble ourselves and confess our failure and mistake He forgives us, and helps us to recover every loss.

Now the ark of God speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Only those who are truly born again and those who are called by Him have the privilege of presenting His claims and showing to the people the way of salvation. Alas! Again we find in these days so many men who are never called by God to His Service, but are simply thrust out into the mission fields. The result is that more than sixty-five per cent of the missionaries who go out from the West never return to their respective mission fields after their first term of five years is over.

In the same way many persons have been given positions in Christian circles, because of their wealth or position, but they have never been called by God for that service, and are therefore unable to govern church affairs according to God’s will. Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Gal.5:16

May12th

“In everything, by prayer, and supplication with thanksgiving; let your requests be made known unto God.” (Phil. 4.6).

We must find God’s will about marriage. As young people the couple like each other. Maybe they are positive at that time that God wants them to be joined together as life partners, but they never seek the face of the Lord. They refuse to pray with others who could help them by prayer to find God’s will, and that is why there are so many unhappy homes. They begin their married lives with high hopes, but soon afterwards the couple find that they cannot get along together and there is constant strife in the family, and unhappiness in their own hearts.

Because we seek God’s plan for our ministry, we have never had to ask for money. Sometimes the need has been very great, but we have prayed together, and because it is the Lord’s work and He is responsible for our needs, He has always supplied it. We have never had to wait even a single day to pay any bill. Whatever the responsibility we have to bear in God’s service we must always seek God’s face and His plan. We must never try to change the Word of God, by saying that we are living in a new age, and in different days. God’s Word can never change, so pray that the Lord will help you to recover every loss.

If in your married life you indeed both repent of the mistake you made, and ask God’s forgiveness, then He will surely forgive you and you will not only recover every loss, but your lives will be used of Him to the blessing of others.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “All things work together for good to them that love God.” Rom. 8:28.

May13th

“Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41).

The story of David’s third loss in 2 Samuel 11 has a message for both believers and unbelievers. First of all, we are made to see the wickedness and deception of man’s heart. Whoever we may be, however good and nice we may look outwardly, we are inwardly all equally defiled, filthy and dirty. There is no truth in our lives. We do not want to know our true condition. When we are told about it, our pride is hurt. That is why many people are offended and hurt when reading God’s Word. Now let us look at the story of David in 2 Samuel 11.

From his youth he had been a God-fearing, wise, honest and good man. Also he was chosen of God. He was a good man, living a good life, for many years. He hated evil and kept away from it. But unknown to David there was a hidden evil nature somewhere, and unless God fully changed him, he could not be used in any great measure. The incident in 2 Sam. 11 happened in David’s life so that David might see himself as God saw him.

David was a man of war, a might man, but, rather than go to war as he ought to have done, he set at home in Jerusalem. Outwardly this was only a very small failure. The second verse tells us it was eventide and though David was a mighty man he had been sleeping until the evening. There are so many people like this subtle way the mighty man became a lazy man, and while walking leisurely on the roof of the palace, he was brought face with temptation.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary. Lev. 19:30

May14th

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer.17.9).

Later, to cover this sin, David had to think of many ways and means and devices. He had to think of more ways and commit sin in order to cover the sin he had committed and so became a hypocrite. When he discovered his sin was going to be found out, he sent for Uriah, the husband of the woman. When Uriah came, David began to question him about the war. Then he said to him, ‘Uriah, you are very tired. You must go home and have a hot bath and then go to bed.’

Uriah had hardly left the palace, when a man took to him many dishes of rich food the king’s table. How kind king David was that day to Uriah! One sin leads to a second sin and then a third, and then to a fourth! A great and wise king became a first-class adulterer, then a deceiver, and then a hypocrite, and then a liar, all to cover one sin. Uriah, however, did not go home but slept at the door of the King’s palace. Again David pressed him: ‘Uriah, you are still very tired, you can take a few days’ leave.’ But still Uriah did not work! Finally, he had to cause the death of Uriah through Joab. He never intended to murder Uriah. He had no thought of becoming an adulterer. He never knew that hidden part of his nature. It is only when temptation came that he knew how evil his heart was.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Stand perfect and complete in all the will of God”. Col.4:12

May 15th

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psa.51:17)

All of us are born with sinful natures, but that lesson was learned by David only after he had sinned, as he says in Psalm 51, ‘Behold, I was shapen in iniquity’. Before God could see David as his chosen vessel, He had to change and transform him, and cleanse and purge and wash him. See what David says in Psalm 51, He had realized what he was and the true condition of his heart (verse 7, 9, and 19). The very same David is making this confession with a broken heart. ‘O God, give me a clean heart. Give me a new heart. Give me a pure heart, and purge me and cleanse me, and wash me thoroughly, and blot out all my iniquity’.

Confess to God exactly what you are. Do not try to make any changes in your condition. Say, ‘Yes, Lord, I am a sinner,’ but do not say: ‘I am much better than my neighbor.’ Because God loves you, tell Him your true condition and say before Him: ‘Lord, wash me. I am filthy and defiled. O God, create in me a clean heart. Take away my old nature.’ In this way you will recover every loss. Your perishing life will become abundantly fruitful. Every word you speak and everything you do will bring forth abiding fruit and the very memory of your sinful life will be gone. When God forgives, He forgives forever.

Your sins will be forgiven forever. They will be blotted out, because the Lord Jesus Christ died in your stead and paid the full price of your debt of sin. Will you say, O Lord, create in me a pure and a clean heart. Wash me and purge me and cleanse me thoroughly.’ He will hear and answer provided you are sincere and humble before Him.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” Col.3:16.

May16th

“I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer worm.” (Joel 2:25).

Do you know that your life is nothing but wasted in the eyes of God unless your sins are forgiven? In Joel.1:4 we read of four kinds of insects which eat away the crops of the farmer,---the Palmer worm, the locust, the canker worm and the caterpillar. Sometimes the farmers with great hope work very hard day and night to till the land and sow the seed. The seed comes up but when the times comes for reaping the harvest, they find that some thing has come in and destroyed the crops. May be one part of the crop is eaten away by the palmer worm, another part of the field by the locust, and the third part by the canker worm, and forth part by the caterpillar. How much is life. Nothing! All is gone! what does God say? ‘ Oh! Ye sinners, why do you waste your life?’. Your life is like that field which is being eaten away by the palmer worm, canker worm, locust and caterpillar.

Indeed, this may be your condition today. You are conscious that your life has been wasted and is being wasted. There is hope even for you. You can recover every loss. How ever great your loss may be, and how ever humbling, still your loss can be recovered. Your life can be abundantly fruitful, and every minute you spend will yield everlasting fruit. It is by abiding in Lord Jesus Christ that we may bring forth abiding fruit. That is the wonderful miracle of salvation. Even though we have wasted our life in many sinful and shameful ways, yet, by coming into the Lord Jesus Christ, and by being joined to Him, we may become abundantly fruitful.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” Rev 2:10.

May17th

“The wages of sin is death.” (Rom.6:23). “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ejek. 18:4)

Some times unexpected losses come to us. We read in II Kings 4:38, that suddenly there was a great famine. There was no grain anywhere, because there was no rain. There was great barrenness and no crops and the people had to go here and there to gather something for food. They had no rice, wheat or vegetables. They lived upon herbs.

The very same condition exist even now in the world. On the one hand, people are boasting of worldly education, wealth, and advancement. On the other hand, they are rotting in filth and defilement in sinful places. How much time they spend in cinemas and evil places. How much time they spend reading filthy magazines which they carry about with them.

When these men, in II Kings 4:39, went into the jungle to gather herbs, they saw some wild wines. ‘We have found something wonderful. We are going to have a nice meal’, they said as cooked it. But, when the food was being served and they began to eat, some wise men discovered something wrong with the food. So he cried, ‘Oh man of God, there is death in the pot’.

‘We are about to die because we have eaten poison. Please help us now. In a few minutes we are going to die’. At his command they brought some flour and he put it into the pot, and effect of the poison was taken away. The Lord Jesus Christ said, ‘ I am the bread of life, and by eating Me ye shall live for ever’. This is the only bread that can taken away the poison in your life caused by sin.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God.” John.11:40.

May18th

“I am the living Bread…If any man eat this bread, he shall live forever”. John 6:57. Now those people were hungry. They were wondering ‘How can we get food to satisfy our hunger?’. Then there came a man who brought to the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread and the prophet said, ‘You serve the people’ (v.43). There were many men and only twelve loaves of bread. Twenty loaves to be divided among them. So naturally the servitor said, ‘how can twelve loaves satisfy their hunger?’. The man of God said, ‘Give the people that they may eat, for thus said the Lord, they shall eat and leave there off’. So, they ate and ate till they could not eat anymore; they were full up to the throat, but still much was left over.

There is a poison that effects your stomach, nerves and brain. It works very slowly. So it is with sin!. By living in sin you are eating and drinking poison every day and ruining your life. So we beseech you this day to eat the bread of life by faith. It will take away the effects of poison of sin in your nature that you may begin to recover every loss. It will make you eternally wise, eternally rich, eternally strong, and eternally satisfied, and every past loss will be fully recovered. Similarly, all the damage of the loss caused by folly, sin and defilement can be recovered. Only eat the bread of life from the hands of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is greater than Elisha, greater than all prophets and all other men. He offers to you this bread of life today.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread” Prov.28:19.

May19th

“By faith Abraham, when he was to go out… obeyed and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Heb.11:8

God has recorded the story of David in the Bible to show us both the warfare and the weapons. David suffered from two kinds of losses, personal loss and national loss. What we have seen of David’s personal loss was because of his own failures, carelessness and neglect, yet God wanted him to recover all. Also, God wanted everything to be recovered that had been lost nationally because of his failure and folly.

We have heard of a great and fertile land which the Lord God had given to His people Israel. The story begins in the book of Genesis, chapter 12. There was a man called Abraham of the city Yr of the Chaldees. Chaldea was a highly civilized country, which has been proven by the archaeologists. Abraham was a wealthy man and had plenty of gold and silver, servants, property and lands. One day the Lord suddenly appeared to him and he heard the voice of God very clearly saying; ‘Abraham, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house into the land that I shall sow thee. Abraham believed that word. He knew he heard the voice of God, and that is why he had obeyed. God had given to Abraham a great promise in Genesis 12:2, 3; ‘I will make of thee a great nation. I will bless thee and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing. I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed.

When a man obeys God, He blesses him.
Today’s calendar’s Bible verse:
“Whatsoever He sayeth unto you, do it.” John 2:5.

May20th

“All these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the lord thy God” Duet.28:2.

When the children of Abraham left Egypt to go to Canon, God told them through Moses in Deut.7:1, that there were seven nations living in the land. More than four hundred and fifty years before, God had promised to give that land to Abraham and to his seed. God had not forgotten. God never forgets. What ever God says, He remembers and will do. What promises He makes, He will keep. But He had spend many centuries preparing His people for that inheritance.

In the same chapter of Deuteronomy, God told His people that all seven nations would be completely driven out from that land. Then God said also; ‘Do not make any covenant with them or league. Do not take their daughters to be wives nor give your daughters to them in marriage. Break down their groves and their images.’ God spoke so clearly, and still they did not abbey fully. That was their first failure.

How often, though we seek to obey God, we do not obey Him fully. It may be that just in a few things we do not obey Him. Joshua.1:12 shows this. They said; ‘now these men are our slaves. We shall use them to draw water for us ‘. Thus the devil gained ground. Later came mistakes in marriage, and then the people of God began to worship idols also even though they came into the land, they could not enjoy the land.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do.” John 14:13.

May21st

“The Lord shall establish thee a holy people unto Himself … if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in His ways.” Duet.28:9.

The men of Benjamin allowed a few Jebusites to remain in Jerusalem. They were first living there as slaves. Later they became a very strong nation. When David and his men came to Jerusalem, the Jebusites began to mock David. They began to say, ‘Who is David? Even a blind man can go and fight with David.’ They had gained so much ground in Jerusalem that they were mocking and ridiculing David, the man of God.

How sad it to see that we as believers are also suffering many losses. I am talking now to those who say they are born again. No doubt for a short time they had abundant joy, great zeal, great peace, and a great hunger for God’s Word; but now we find them in darkness, defeat, failure, jealousy, and barrenness, because not only one but many Jebusites have found their way into their hearts, into their homes, and into their families.

It was not an easy job for David to drive out those Jebusites. God had to prepare him in His own way. First of all God took David through eight long years of painful suffering through Saul and Absalom and others. Then He brought him to Hebron. There He kept him for seven years and six months, and from thence He brought him to Zion. Only then was he able to driven out from Zion. Then came the heavenly plan, then came the temple and then came the glory.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” Rev.3:19

May22nd

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (2 Cor.2.9)

These are two kinds of losses; personal loss and collective loss. The first loss is what we incur individually and the second is what is incurred by the whole assembly. Now the Word of God says that we as believers are members of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every member of the body is very necessary and precious. Some are tiny members, but in the body they play a very important function. When one member suffers the whole body suffers. When we live a life of loss and barrenness as believers, then the whole body, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, suffers. Our loss is a loss to the whole Church. Likewise our recovery will be joy and blessing to all.

Again we know that in the Lord Jesus Christ we have a great spiritual inheritance; it is a heavenly inheritance, and undefiled, which will never fade away. No man can fully comprehend it. Yet we continue to live a life of defeat and failure, because we do not know how to enjoy our heavenly inheritance. God had appeared and said to Abraham so clearly, ‘Leave your land, your property, and you kith and kin and go to a land which I will show you.’ He obeyed God. But one small mistake he brought heavy loss into his life. This was a loss through wrong partnership.

Because of Lot, God was not able to speak to Abraham clearly. God had been leading him from the very beginning, but at last he came to a stop. For, because of Lot, Abraham had lost the sense of God’s Presence. If there was to recovery it could be accomplished only through separation.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord.” Deut 11:7.

May23rd

“And the Lord said unto Abraham, after that Lot was separated from him. Lift up now thine eyes.” (Gen 13.14)

God appeared to Abraham again, but only after Lot had appeared from him. Please mark this fragment in the Bible: ‘After that Lot was separated from him’. God was now able to show Abraham what a great inheritance He was offering to him and to his seed forever. Because of some Lot in your life you are not able to enjoy true fellowship with God. When Abraham separated himself from Lot, God became real to him, he could talk to God as man to man and that is why he could leave his land and cattle and other precious things of God’s sake. God was real to him.

When Lot was with him, God was silent. He might have thought sometimes: ‘What shall I do?’ But God would not answer him until Lot went away from him.

As for Hebron, the first thing it speaks of is fellowship, firstly of fellowship with fellow-believers. Friendship with Lot will not bring you into this fellowship; you have to break up your worldly friendships and relationships, and then God will give you His own friendship for eternity.

The second thing Hebron speaks of is faith. In Joshua 14:11-13 we read of a man called Caleb. He came to Joshua and said, ‘you give me Hebron. Even though there are many giants there I can conquer them. I have proved God for many years.’ So Hebron speaks of faith. Do not be scared of the giants, but be prepared to fight against them. Through your living faith you can conquer every giant, obstacle and hindrance.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” I Cor 7:23

MAY 24th

“God does not save by sword or spear; for the battle is the Lord’s.” (1 Sam.17:47).

The story of the threshing-floor of Araunah is the story of David’s fourth loss. God had to bring David on two occasions to a threshing floor (I Chron 13 and II Sam.24). A threshing-floor is the place where wheat is threshed, to separate the chaff from the grain. Then, by winnowing, the wind separates the chaff from the Wheat.

Now in II Samuel 24, we read how David commanded his general Joab; ‘Go, number the fighting men in our kingdom’. David knew full well that he had never won any battle by his own strength, or by the power of his army. Yet, now he wanted to make a show of the number of fighting men who were available in his kingdom. He had become proud, and was depending upon his army for his victory. Joab said to him; ‘Your majesty! You have won no battles by yourself. It is God who has fought for you. Why do you want to number these men?. The Lord thy God add unto the people, how many so ever they be, and hundred fold; yet they are not going to save you. There is only God who has helped you. However, David was proud and insisted on numbering the people. So the King’s word prevailed. It is true that David repented and cried unto the Lord; ‘I have sinned greatly in that I have done; and now, I besiege thee, take away thy inequity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly,’ but as a result of David’s sin God sent three days pestilence in the land and seventy thousand men died. What a loss! What a terrible loss!

At last God stayed the hand of the dirtying angels at the threshing floor of Araunah.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “The son of man is the Lord even of the Sabbath day.” Mathew 12:8.

May25th

“All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.” ( I Chron. 28:19).

In 2 Chron. 3:1 we read that it was the very same place which later became the site of the temple, and out of that terrible loss to David and the nation, God gave not only forgiveness and full recovery but much more beside. God gave to David a heavenly pattern of the temple to be built later on by Solomon, David’s son, who carried out all the instructions given by David, his father. He built the temple, and when the work was finished, and temple was complete, Solomon offered sacrifices in the temple. That was the happiest day for the whole nation. All the loss of so many centuries had been recovered. They saw God’s glory, and God came and lived among them. He could to speak to them from between the cherubim in the temple, and all nations had to come and bow before Solomon. They had incurred great losses as a nation, terrible losses. But now the story was changed. Now they were God’s people and God was with them in His full glory. Now there was real recovery, and they could truly be called God’s people.

In Zion, the Lord brought David to sight of the temple. God brought David to the place where he was fully freed from human wisdom, where he was totally broken and emptied of all chaff; and then revealed to him the sight of the temple. When the work was complete, God’s fire came down and His glory filled the place. God began to speak plainly. That is Zion, the real Zion where God reigns in every heart and in every church according to the heavenly plan. It is thru Zion that He shows His wisdom and power, and there only can we see God’s fullness and glory. Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Whatsoever He sayeth unto you, do it.” John 2:5.

May26th

“Truly our fellowship is with the father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ”. 1 John.1:3 “If we walk in the light, as He is the light, we have fellowship one with another”. 1 John.1:7.

Now there are two kinds of losses which we as human beings incur. The first kind of loss is caused when we do not have the experience of salvation, and then no matter what we do everything is failure and loss.

The second kind of loss is suffered even by those who are born again, perhaps because of lack of knowledge, of perhaps through their own folly. Now let us study the weapons and the means by which we can recover every loss. There are two great means which God uses to recover our losses, that is, Hebron and Zion. Through these two instruments God recovered every loss which came upon His people. Hebron means fellowship: firstly, fellowship with God, that is with the Father and, secondly, fellowship among ourselves, as we see in 1John 1:3,4,7. a sinner cannot talk with God nor be indwelt by Him. A sinner cannot find the will of God, nor can He understand God’s plan or purpose, or mysteries.

When our sins are forgiven and our hearts are cleansed, there is a longing in our hearts to be in the presence of God. That fellowship with God enables us to have real fellowship with his people. The more we walk with God and the nearer we live to God. So much the more we long to enjoy fellowship both with God and with His people; the two go together they cannot be separated.

Today calendar’s Bible verse: “Abhor that which is evil: cleave to that which is good. Rom. 12:9.

May27th

“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 11:23). According to Matt .17:20 through faith even mountains can be removed. Hebron means this faith. Again Hebron was a place of refuge Joshua 21:10,11,27. What is the third meaning of Hebron? We have to bear the burden of those who are weak spiritually, when they fall or are in danger, traveling and persevering prayer, and lift them up by love and kindness.

Fourthly, Hebron stands for utter dependence on God. Many believers and servants of God suffer heavy losses because they do not know how to consult God for their plans. When David came to Hebron in 2 Samuel 2:1, he had become emptied, humble, and broken. In everything he enquired of God. ‘Shall I go up? Shall I go up? Where shall I go? When shall I go up? That is the fourth way of recovering every loss. Empty yourself of every self-confidence and find time to go to God for everything. Ask Him even how you should spend your money!

Similarly God must be consulted in every Church matter. At Hebron you learn that you must enquire from God, individually and collectively, concerning every action, every movement, saying: “what shall we do? Where shall we go? Again, as we have seen, many people do not know how to find God’s will concerning marriage.

This is how many believers are ruined, and have unhappy ruined homes, because they have never learned that lesson of how to enquire from the Lord. Even with David, it was only after many years of sufferings that he learned that lesson: ‘Lord, shall I go? Shall I go?

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.” Col 4:6.

May28th

“David went on, and grew great; and the Lord God of Hosts was with Him.” 2 Sam 5:10.

We have seen how God brought David to Hebron and Zion to enable him to recover all personal and national losses by following certain divine principles. After David had stayed in Hebron for seven years and six months, he came to Zion. God had first to prepare David in Hebron, where he learned the full meaning of fellowship. After Hebron David was brought to Zion. According to Deut.7 the Israelites had to drive out all the seven nations who were living in the land, and they had not to make any covenant with them, nor intermarry with them.

Because of their human wisdom, however they failed God; all the seven nations stayed there, and brought great loss to the whole nation of Israel. In 2 Sam. 5 we read how David took Zion from the Jebusites and established his throne in the city. Alas! In his sinful pride he insisted on numbering the people, for which God had to punish him. Then at the command of the prophet, David went to the threshing floor of Arunnah, and build there an alter to the Lord and in so doing found the site for God’s temple. That is the first divine principle about Zion: it is the site of God’s temple.

We must first be brought into God’s own way and secondly we must not depend upon our own knowledge, cleverness and qualification for His service. After God had revealed to David the site for His temple, He gave him next the pattern of the temple in writing. This is the second divine principle of Zion: the heavenly plan for our personal life, family life and church life. (1 Chron,28: 11).

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.Heb. 10:23

May29th

“As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation … other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 3:10, 11.

‘Out of the spoils won in battles, did they dedicate to maintain the House of the Lord’. The third divine principle is to gather material to fulfill the plan. God permits battles in our lives, that we may have the privilege of bringing the needed material into God’s House.

After David had found the site for the Lord’s temple and had received the plan and gathered the material, the next thing he wanted was a wise master builder. When God chose Solomon (1 Kings 2:12; 3:11) he asked God to give Him wisdom (1 Kings 3:5, 9). This is how he became a wise master builder. If the work of God is to go peaceably, there must be men of apostolic vision and experience. For the work of God, God needs all kinds of workmen. God needs skillful workers from every part of the world. Only then can the work go on smoothly.

Even though they were using heavy stones and large timbers for building, and huge beams, there were no sounds in the temple of any instrument of any kind. It is very necessary to know God’s plan, so that God’s work will go on in perfect unity and harmony.

When Solomon made an end of praying, the fire of God consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifice, and the glory of the Lord filled the house, God’s glory came down only when the work was finished that we too shall see His glory. Unfinished work cannot be to glory of God. Go din His purpose brought David to Zion that He might reveal Himself to all His people.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “The Lord is God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. 1Sam. 2:3.

May30th

“Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.”Psa. 87:3.

We learn something more about Zion is Ps. 87:2, “the Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” Jacob had to go through many experiences before he could understand God’s purposes for him. “All the dwellings of Jacob” in Ps.87:2 speak of all that he had been doing for himself, his own efforts his own struggles and his own battles and all his human efforts to obtain God’s blessing. He was trying to get the portion of the first-born by human methods.

“The gates of Zion” (verse one). God’s love is towards Zion. The scripture says “the Lord loveth gates of Zion”. If we also would enjoy God’s love in its fullness we must become a part of Zion. It is only in Zion we can recover every loss, so the Lord continually seeks to draw our attention towards Zion.

Genesis 14:18, 19. This is the first reference to Zion in the word of God. The name “Salem” means peace; and Salem or Jerusalem is the city of peace. Before Abraham could be deceived by king of Sodom God sent him Mechisedek, the king of Salem, and priest of the most high God, who had blessed him(vs. 19). When, therefore, the king of Sodom offered all the wealth, Abraham refused to touch even a thread or a shoe latchet.

How did Abraham get such faith? From Zion had come Melchisedek, the priest of the most high God, and from him Abraham received a true blessing, for Melchisedek blessed him in the name of the most high God who is the possessor of Heaven and earth.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth. Eccl. 12:1

May31th

“The Lord hath sworn and will not repent; Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek.” (Ps. 110:4:Heb. 7:4, 12)

Not only did Melchisedek bless Abraham, but he also brought him food from Zion: he gave him the bread and wine (Gen. 14:18). Abraham believed that every blessing came from God and that is why he gave his tithe to God (Gen.14:20).

The tithe speaks of his faith, and also the experience of thanksgiving. According to 2 Chron. 3:1, Mt. Mariah is the place where Abraham passed his last test(Gen. 22) God appeared ten times to Abraham, and the tenth time He appeared to him in Mt. Mariah. He had to pass these ten tests t5o become the friend of God. God brought him to Zion to pass his last test.

After this God was fully bound to Abraham. Abraham had obeyed God and whatever God commanded, he did. in the same way when you came to Zion without fear or doubt, God is bound to you. You can command God to do anything and He will do it for you. Can any man give us so much? Do not keep away from God’s house nor despise it. Do not despise the fellowship of God’s saints, but take your full share in the house of God and then you will surely recover every loss.

These two lessons from the life of Abraham are very important to learn. Honor God by your substance and acknowledge that God alone can bless you; this is the first lesson. The second is to come into God’s house with strong but simple faith and then you will be wholly and fully bound up in the purpose of God.

Today’s calendar’s Bible verse: “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.Ps.23:6.