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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — All Through This Hour

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 25:1-11

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. —Psalm 25:5

The majestic chime of London’s Great Clock of Westminster, commonly known as Big Ben, is familiar to many. In fact, some of us may have clocks in our homes that sound the same hourly chime. It is traditionally thought that the melody was taken from Handel’s Messiah. And the lyrics inscribed in the Big Ben clock room have a time significance:

All through this hour,

Lord, be my guide;

And by Thy power,

No foot shall slide.

These lyrics are a good reminder of our constant need for God’s guidance. King David recognized that he needed guidance all through the day as he faced the challenges of life. In Psalm 25 he says: “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (v.5). Wanting to be a teachable follower of God, David looked to his Redeemer for direction. His heart’s desire was to wait on God with dependent faith throughout the entire day.

May this be our desire as well. Our requests for God’s help often begin the day, but then competing distractions can pull our attention away from Him. Lord, remind us to pray: “All through this hour, Lord, be my guide.” —Dennis Fisher

There’s never a day nor a season

That prayer may not bless every hour,

And never a prayer need be helpless

When linked with God’s infinite power. —Morton

Let Christ be first in your thoughts in the morning, and last in your thoughts at night.

Bible in a year: Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The question of fear and the answer of faith

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“Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.” Job 23:6

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:14-3: 5

Didst thou ever stand and take a view of heaven? Hast thou discerned the hills which lie between your soul and paradise? Hast thou counted the lions thou hast to fight, the giants to be slain, and the rivers to be crossed? Didst thou ever notice the many temptations with which thou art beset, the trials thou hast to endure, the difficulties thou hast to overcome, the dangers thou hast to avoid? Didst thou ever take a bird’s eye view of heaven, and all the dangers which are strewn thickly along the path thither? And didst thou ever ask thyself this question, “How shall I, a poor feeble worm, ever get there?” Didst thou ever say within thyself, “I am not a match for all my foes, how shall I arrive at paradise?” If thou hast ever asked this question, I will tell thee what is the only answer for it: thou must be girded with almighty strength, or else thou wilt never gain the victory. Easy thy path may be, but it is too hard for thy infantile strength, without the almighty power. Thy path may be one of little temptation, and of shallow trial; but thou wilt be drowned in the floods yet, unless almighty power preserve thee. Mark me! However smooth thy way, there is nothing short of the bare arm of deity that can land any one of you in heaven. We must have divine strength, or else we shall never get there. And there is an illustration of these words: “No, but he will put his strength in me.” “And shall I hold on to the end?” says the believer. Yes, thou wilt, for God’s strength in is thee. “Shall I be able to bear such-and-such a trial?” Yes, thou wilt. Cannot omnipotence stem the torrent? And omnipotence is in thee; for, like Ignatius of old, thou art a God-bearer; thou bearest God about with thee. Thy heart is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and thou shalt yet overcome.

For meditation: For meditation: Without Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5)—we have no reason for self-confidence. In Christ we can do all things (Philippians 4:13)—there is no need for despair. Do you regard yourself as self-sufficient or as Christ-sufficient? See 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Sermon no. 108

8 September (Preached 31 August 1856)

 

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Greg Laurie – An Unprecedented Open Door

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Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. —Colossians 4:3–4

Jesus has given us, as a church, an unprecedented open door. We read in Revelation 3:7, “What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open.”

If the key is a symbol of His authority, then the door is a symbol of opportunity. The idea of an open door is a concept that is used often in the New Testament. Paul spoke of it in 2 Corinthians 2:12: “When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.” In Acts 14:27, Paul and Barnabas spoke of a door of faith that was opened to the Gentiles.

We should pray for such doors to open in our own lives. In fact, Paul said, “Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.”

When a Harvest Crusade is approaching, sometimes people will ask me how they should pray for me. My answer is the same as Paul’s: First, that God would open a door to speak for Him, and second, that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

We should all be looking for open doors. We should not rest on past accomplishments or victories. We need to be looking for opportunities today and in the days to come.

You see, this year, this month, may be the last opportunity to go through an open door. Just because a door is open now doesn’t mean it will remain open forever.

Will you walk through those open doors? Will you look for those opportunities? Will you do what God has called you to do?

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Charles Spurgeon – The two effects of the gospel

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“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” 2 Corinthians 2:15,16

Suggested Further Reading: Acts 13:42-52

The Gospel produces different effects. It must seem a strange thing, but it is strangely true, that there is scarcely ever a good thing in the world of which some little evil is not the consequence. Let the sun shine in brilliance—it shall moisten the wax, it shall harden clay; let it pour down floods of light on the tropics—it will cause vegetation to be extremely luxuriant, the richest and choicest fruits shall ripen, and the fairest of all flowers shall bloom, but who does not know, that there the worst of reptiles and the most venomous snakes are also brought forth? So it is with the gospel. Although it is the very sun of righteousness to the world, although it is God’s best gift, although nothing can be in the least comparable to the vast amount of benefit which it bestows upon the human race, yet even of that we must confess, that sometimes it is the “savour of death unto death.” But we are not to blame the gospel for this; it is not the fault of God’s truth; it is the fault of those who do not receive it. It is the “ savour of life unto life” to every one that listens to its sound with a heart that is open to its reception. It is only “death unto death” to the man who hates the truth, despises it, scoffs at it, and tries to oppose its progress.

For meditation: There is hope for one in whom the law of God produces a sense of death (Romans 7:10); it is a fearful thing when the life-giving Gospel is rejected and hardens the dead sinner.

Sermon no. 26

26 May (Preached 27 May 1855)

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Greg Laurie – The Accuser

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Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” —Revelation 12:10

Novelist Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, said, “A good general must penetrate the brain of his enemy.”

It is good for us to know how the devil works. Paul the apostle said, “For we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

The devil attacks primarily through accusation. We read in Revelation 12:10, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down’ ” (emphasis added).

The devil is the accuser of the brethren. First he comes to you with the temptation. All of a sudden, an ungodly, horrible thought is placed in front of you. You think, I can’t believe this! Whoa! Where did that come from?

Then the devil says, “You are so twisted! What’s your problem? Why would you think such a horrible thought? And you call yourself a Christian! What kind of a Christian are you?”

That is how the devil works. But your defense against his accusations is the intercession of Jesus on your behalf. Jesus is standing in the gap for you. He once said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31). But then He went on to say, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail . . .” (verse 32).

Romans 8:34 tells us, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” The next time you are tempted, remember this: Jesus is interceding for you in heaven.

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Greg Laurie – A Bittersweet Message

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To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? —2 Corinthians 2:16

Have you ever eaten something that was sweet going down but made you sick later? Let me restate the question: Have you ever eaten eight Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one sitting? I have. I got a little carried away. They were great going down. But less than ten minutes later, I was asking, What have I done?

In Revelation 10, the apostle John asked an angel for a small scroll. When the angel gave him the scroll, he told John, “Yes, take it and eat it. It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!” (verse 9).

John said, “So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings’ ” (verses 10–11).

The message that we believe as Christians is sweet to us, but it is bitter to others. This is God’s Word to us. We eat it like food. Job said, “I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food” (Job 23:12). For Christians to have a Bible study is like a feast. We love it. But for others, it is misery and torment. They don’t like it.

Some hear the gospel and say, “I love that. I believe it. I want Jesus.”

Others say, “Not only do I not like it, I hate it. And I hate you for saying it.”

As believers, we need to take the message of the gospel and give it to as many as we can. Whether they love it or hate it is really up to them.

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Charles Spurgeon – Full redemption

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“There shall not an hoof be left behind.” Exodus 10:26

Suggested Further Reading: Revelation 20:1-10

A man once wrote a book to prove the devil a fool. Certainly, when all matters shall come to their destined consummation, Satan will prove to have been a magnificent fool. Folly, magnified to the highest degree by subtlety, shall be developed in Satan. Ah! Thou trailing serpent, what hast thou now after all? I saw thee but a few thousand years ago, twining around the tree of life, and hissing out thy deceptive words. Ah! how glorious was the serpent then—a winged creature, with his azure scales. Yes, and thou didst triumph over God. I heard thee as thou didst go hissing down to thy den. I heard thee say to thy brood,—vipers in the nest as they are,—“My children, I have stained the Almighty’s works: I have turned aside his loyal subjects; I have injected my poison into the heart of Eve, and Adam hath fallen too; my children let us hold a jubilee, for I have defeated God.” Oh, my enemy; I think I see thee now, with thy head all broken, and thy jaw-teeth smashed, and thy venom-bags all emptied, and thou thyself a weary length of agony, rolling miles afloat along a sea of fire, tortured, destroyed, overcome, tormented, ashamed, hacked, hewed, dashed in pieces, and made a hissing, and a scorn for children to laugh at, and made a scoff throughout eternity. Ah! well, brethren, the great Goliath hath gained nothing by his boasting: Christ and his people have really lost nothing by Satan. All they lost once, has been re-taken. The victory has not simply been a capture of that which was lost, but a gaining of something more. We are in Christ more than we were before we fell. “Not a hoof shall be left behind.”

For meditation: Victory over Satan will be celebrated with joy (Revelation 12:10-12; Romans 16:20) but for the moment we must remain on our guard against him (1 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 4:27; 6:11; 1 Timothy 3:6,7; 1 Peter 5:8,9).

Sermon no. 309

22 April (1860)