This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
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HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of
Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just
mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
PSALM
CHAPTER 110
1 A Psalm of David
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Here David acknowledges God's prophecy that Messiah shall be both David's son and LORD! David looks down through time until this son shall be born and he sees that this son shall be LORD!
Jesus confounded the Pharisees of His day with this statement (Matthew 22:44).
This LORD shall become the "right hand" of God Almighty. He shall ascend to the power of God. And all His enemies shall be made a "footstool."
For God shall send His power and the Son of David shall rule with power "in the midst" of His enemies. Therefore, Messiah shall not have to FIGHT for His kingdom, but God Himself shall bring the battle to the close.
One notices that Jesus didn't fight to obtain His kingdom. Instead He gave up His life on Calvary. Yet today He is LORD of all! Peter acknowledged this by saying that Christ "received from God the Father honor and glory" (2Peter 1:17)
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
The people who become a part of the Kingdom of God are "willing" people. They come to Christ willingly for forgiveness and salvation.
That which attracts the "willing" people is the "beauty of holiness" in Christ. It is the realization of sinfulness and the desire to be cleansed from it that calls the willing soul to Jesus.
In the morning, the dew settles on the ground and provides hope for the vegetation of the earth to live. So it is with Christians. They are the "dew" of the Son of the Morning, and bring hope to the world.
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
This same LORD, the Son of David, Messiah, Jesus Christ is at the "right hand" of those who surrender to Him. He becomes the power by which they live. His power defeats the enemies of sin and death. And His power brings conquering ability to the church today. The church today lives in overcoming power (See Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21 and 21:7).
Just as the LORD fought for David (2Samuel 5:24), He also fights for the church today. He told David (in 2Samuel 5) that when he heard the sound of the wind in the mulberry trees to go forward against the Philistines, for God Himself was fighting FOR him! And the Holy Spirit of God is moving against His enemies and the enemies of the church today!
One day, our Lord, Jesus Christ shall come again. In that day He shall defeat the armies of those who fight against Him with the sword of His mouth (Revelation 19:15). And He shall cause many dead bodies in that day.
Jesus shall become the "Judge" of all men, and He shall be the One to determine their eternal destiny (verse 6).
Jesus drank of the brook Kidron, the "black" brook, when He crossed it to go into Jerusalem and die for our sins. He drank of God's WRATH for our sakes.
And because He did that, He can "lift up the head" of all those who come to Him in shame for sin. He can exhonerate them and bring them to glory!
PRAISE GOD - WHAT A SAVIOR!
PSALM 111
Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
Again, let me say, look at the continuity of the Bible. See how one chapter runs into the other. See how one chapter compliments the other.
Because of what Jesus has done we should determine to PRAISE HIM!
And we should make it our practice to praise Him in the "congregation" (in church)!
2 The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
All of God's work is "honourable and glorious." From the beginning of creation to the end of the salvation of sinful man, God always acts in honor and brings glory to His Name. One must surely recognize that the works of creation and salvation are "GREAT" works!
God's work is also REMEMBERED; especially by those who are saved. Salvation is remembered because of God's "compassion." It is certainly not because of our goodness that God saves us. It is because of His COMPASSION for our sin-sick souls.
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
Through the work of salvation God gives man "meat" to sustain him. God eternally stands by His commitment to save WHOSOEVER will come to Him (John 3:16, Romans 10:13).
God has shown the "power" of His salvation thrugh the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord. The power to bring back a dead body to life also brings the sould "dead in sins" back to life in holiness with God!
God's Name should be held as "holy and reverend" among men. OH! How I despise to hear God's Holy Name used in vanity and profanity! Such use depicts no REVERENCE for God.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
And it is the "reverence" for God that is the "beginning of wisdom." Those who treat God with holy fear (reverence) desire both to be obedient to His Word, and to praise Him forever.
CHAPTER 112
1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
In complete continuity, the very next verse calls for PRAISE to be given to God. Praise is using God's Name in REVERENCE, and pouring out thanksgiving to a Holy God Who is willing to save sinsick souls.
The person who PRAISES God in genuine reverential awe is "blessed." He is filled with happiness. And he also "delighteth" in God's commandments; for those commandments are the direction of real life.
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
The person who surrenders willingly to Christ shall lead his children to know the love of God. Therefore, his children will be "mighty" against the works of evil, and they too shall be "blessed."
"Wealth and riches" are not to be confused with the temporary things of earth such as gold, silver, money, power, influence, fame, etc. True "wealth and riches" is the righteousness of God conferred upon an otherwise lost sinner destined for an eternal hell. When God confers that righteousness upon a repentant soul, it is ETERNAL and "endureth for ever."
4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
There is "light" to the Christian from God. That "light" is revelation of truth which is eternal.
One of those truths, discussed here, is the eternal nature of salvation. Virtually nothing in this world can UNDO what God has done for the lost sinner when He gives that person salvation.
God imparts to the saved person the "spirit of power and of love, and a sound mind" (2Timothy 1:7).
The saved person cannot be "moved" from his salvation by any power. That is the main theme in the book of Job.
Therefore, when "evil tidings" come to the saved person, he realizes (by the "light" of God's revelation), that even DEATH cannot separate him from the love and power of God!
8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
The saved sould is "established!" He is anchored in the love of God through the blood of Christ Jesus and the "sealing" of God's Holy Spirit! He can NEVER be moved!
And one day (judgment day) the saved soul shall SEE God ruin all the enemies of righteousness!
Because Christ Himself has given salvation to the "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3), so the saved person disperses the gospel of Christ. Every truly saved person desires to SHARE the good news of salvation with others!
The saved person desires to share the gospel so much that even the "wicked" see his zeal. And one day, those who have chosen to refuse the "GOOD NEWS" of Jesus' salvation shall perish in the eternal pit of the burning wrath of God.
Even today, the zeal of true Christians is known, and the immoral are gnashing with their teeth against the moral nature of God in the saved soul. Christians are persecuted, tempted, tried, even put to death because of their constant witness of Christ.
But, PRAISE GOD, they can NEVER BE MOVED from that testimony! Please continue in Bible Study with us.
Melchizedek was the priest of Jersusalem to whom Abraham paid tithes. There is no record of Melchizedek's beginning or end. Therefore Jesus is like Melchizedek. He is without beginning and end for He IS the beginning and the end of all things. And to Him all men must pay honor and glory. He is the HIGH PRIEST forever of all those who are saved.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)
NOTHING, virutally NOTHING can separate the saved soul from the power of God to save!