Devotional Hours Within the Bible

Matthew 18:1-14

Jesus' interest in children appears throughout all the Gospels.

It was a strange question which the disciples brought to Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" These men, although occupying so sacred a place in their Lord's family, were still very human, and had their natural human ambitions. They even seem not to have been free from the passion for official or political...

Mark 9:2-13

The Transfiguration was one of the most remarkable events in our Lord's life. The object, so far as the disciples were concerned, probably was to restore their confidence in Christ's Messiahship, after the staggering blow to their faith which had come to them in the announcement by Himself, that He must suffer and be killed. So far as Jesus Himself was concerned, the object of the Transfiguration would seem to have been to...

Mark 7:31 to Mark 8:10

The activity of Jesus was intense. He was never in a hurry; for hurry is wasteful of time and strength. It spoils one's work. It hinders speed. The man who hurries - does not begin to accomplish what the man accomplishes who never hurries. Jesus never hurried. He moved quietly, calmly - as if he had days and days for...

Mark 7:24-30

Much of the public life of Jesus was devoted to caring for sufferers .

The doctor's little girl told the messenger where she thought her father could be found, as he was needed immediately, "I don't know, sir; but you'll find him somewhere, helping somebody." When people sought for Jesus and could not find Him, He was usually away with someone in need, doing good, helping somebody. At this...

Mark 6:30-44

After the tragic death of John the Baptist, his disciples paid loving honor to his body. Their sorrow must have been very great, for they loved their master. We do not know whether or not John had those lovable qualities which drew men to him and made them his friends, or whether, by reason of his natural sternness and his ascetic severity he failed to be a friend of men, as Jesus was. It is not likely that he drew men to him...

Mark 6:14-29

We have here at the very beginning a serious case of conscience. One would say that Herod was past having such fits of remorse, as his life was so wholly bad. But in even the worst men, conscience is not apt to be entirely dead. At least Herod's conscience was only asleep, and when He heard of Jesus gong about the country, working miracles, it seemed to him that it must be John the Baptist, whom...

Luke 4:16-30

Christ never forgot the place where He had spent His childhood years. We are not given many facts of His life there. Nothing indicates that there was anything unusual in the story of the thirty years He spent there. The more we think of His life at Nazareth as simply natural, without anything unusual - the nearer shall we come to the true picture of the

With this blessing resting over us, shall we not hasten now under its bright wings? It will be a blessed shelter for us! A traveler plodded on, weary and hungry, not knowing where to turn to find food and rest. A storm broke upon him, and he fled under a wide-spreading tree for shelter. Here he found not only refuge from the storm - but food also, for the tree gave him of its fruits to eat; and rest, too,...

Revelation 22:1-10

In the early pages of the Bible, we have the story of paradise lost. In the closing chapters, we have paradise regained. Between the two pictures, we have the story of Christ's redemption. All we can do at present, is to glance hurriedly at some of the features of the restoration.

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water...

Revelation 7:9-17

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

Some people have the impression that very few will be saved, that the lost will far outnumber the redeemed. The Bible,...

John describes his vision most vividly. "Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne - a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals." We may study this picture with great profit. The book is the scroll of the divine purposes - this much, at least, we know about it. As we look at it, we learn that God has purposes for His Church, and knows what the...

Revelation 1:9-20

Jesus appears here to John in his banishment and reveals to him many things which John was to write and send to the churches. The writer identifies himself with the Christians to whom he sends the messages, "I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word...

1 John 4:7-16

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love ." One reason why Christians should love one another, is because God would have them interpret His love to the world, and this they can do, only by love. Anything unloving - is not of God....

1 John 1:5 to 1 John 2:6

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you." Everyone has a message from God to announce to men. John had heard Christ speak in human words. Christ had come from the Father, with a message to the world. His message was the announcement of God's love, and of God's desire...