NOVEMBER 1

" Satan went forth...and smote Job." ( Job 2:7)

Satan struck Job as hard as he could. Job fell down to the dust, his whole world had been shaken, and he was shaking too. How did Job survive ? The human race has always questioned why we suffer in a world which belongs to God. Job survived because he was aware of two forces in the world, invisible powers of good and evil. There was a visible and an invisible world. The Word of God takes us behind the scenes to watch the devil at work. But satan's power is not equal to God's, he is limited in what he can do. Job continued to worship God, even in the dust, because he knew that his Redeemer lives. And when this is all over, we shall go to live with Him. The world says, " This is no comfort in suffering." - and have they a better answer ? No, all they have are words of hopelessness, words which exclude God or just blame Him.

NOVEMBER 2

" He went out, not knowing whither he went." ( Hebrews 11:8 )

Abraham believed God and set out for the land God had promised to him. He had not been to this land yet, so had to follow God's guidance day by day. The immediate future, even of today's hours , is unknown territory to us. We do not know what lies ahead for us to experience on the journey. He did not know where he was going to day by day, but he knew who he was going with ! ' I am with you always, all the days ', said Jesus. You can face the future with God or without God, lonely or in His company. With God you shall get there, without God you will get nowhere. 

NOVEMBER 3

" You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." ( Genesis 50:20 )

Joseph went out one morning and he did not return, he was taken to Egypt. What a shock this was ; sudden, frightening, mysterious. No-one could realize that this was God's way of saving His people from an approaching catastrophe, a severe famine in many lands. But there would be food in Egypt, because God was working to raise Joseph to be Prime Minister of Egypt. No-one at the time, and as the years went by, could possibly understand what God was doing. We may be in the same position of perplexity. But remember, that even those who are seeking to defeat God's purposes are unconsciously helping to fulfil them. They mean it for evil, but God will work it for good. It's a matter of trust for us.

NOVEMBER 4

" The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away." ( Job 1:21 )

We shall all attend funerals in this world. There is a lot of talk at funerals, but this is the best thing to say. It was not easy for Job to say this, but it was the right thing to say. There are no ' accidents ' in God's world; no ' accidents of birth ' or of death. He brings us into this world and He takes us out, both in His own time. Job here confesses to God his submission to His Will, and this submission leads to worship. The future would not be easy for Job, but he did the right thing, and everyone heard His words about God. He was still God's witness in the world.

NOVEMBER 5

" They that know Thy Name...trust in Thee." ( Psalm 9:10)

When Paul visited Athens he found that while the people there accepted that there was a God, they did not know Him. This meant that they could not trust in Him ( because you have to know someone before you can trust him ), and they didn't know how to worship Him either. To remind them, and others , of this ignorance they set up an altar ( a stone ) with a label underneath which said, " For the unknown God." There are many people like that today. They accept there is a God but that's all they know. Paul stood up in Athens and revealed the Name of God to them, Jesus , ' God with us ', Immanuel. But, now that they know, who is with Him ? Who trusts in him for time and eternity ?

NOVEMBER 6

" How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? " ( Hebrews 2:3 )

The answer is of course that we shall not escape if we refuse the only way out of our prison. A ' great salvation ' is offered to sinners in the Gospel to escape the penalty and guilt of breaking God's unchangeable law. It is a ' great salvation ' because it is the great Son of God ( Luke 1:32 ) who has made the way out. ' Follow Me ,' He says to the sinner. He made the way, He knows the way, He shows the way, He leads the way, He is the way ( John 14:6 ). Everything about this is great, the world has seen nothing and No-one greater.

NOVEMBER 7

" Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." ( Matthew 1:21 )

The angel says that this is the name given to Him by God His Father. He is named for His work, He comes to save those who cannot save themselves, and they know it ! These are His people. How do we know them ? One indication is how they view and how they use this Name. This name has an effect on them like no other name, it gives a sense of reverence, wonder, joy. They use it with care and sincerity. It is spoken at the end of all their prayers. It is a Name they delight to hear in sermons. It means the world to them and the next world too. What would they be without Him ? - they shudder to think. Do you see the supernatural in this Name ? Do you avoid it ? Are you afraid of it ? Remember, it is given to save sinners, so you are qualified to use it !

NOVEMBER 8

" Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ? "  ( Genesis 18:25 )

We look for honesty, goodness and truth in the world. We look for it because we know that the world has lost it. And yet we want it in the world ! Dishonesty, lies and cruelty are hateful to us. We have democracy in our country ( a sharing of power ), because we cannot trust one man or one woman to rule on his/her own. We need others in the government to oppose them if they want to rule selfishly, in their own interests. It is the best we can do to be as safe as we can under those who rule us. But in God we find Someone who can only speak the truth, can only do good and is always faithful to do what He says. How much better to be a subject of God, a citizen of the kingdom of God first, and of this world second. ( Luke 20:25 ). Right and wrong exist independently of human opinions, and this Judge shall give the right verdict to us all.

NOVEMBER 9

" All is vanity. " ( Ecclesiastes 1:2 )

What a boring world this is for those who think this world is all there is ! A world which has all the answers, a world which lives inside a box, which does not think there is anything outside the box. A genuine scientist will tell you that they do not have all the answers, contrary to what the public thinks. They will also confirm that there are mysteries in life, some things beyond explanation. The proud cannot contemplate saying, " I don't know." - this would give them a sense of insecurity, and that is the last thing they want. But to accept one's ignorance is the beginning of exploring what we don't know. Suddenly an interest awakens to seek the mysterious, to think of things outside the box. There is an invisible reality of angels and powers which surround us each day. Such an awareness changes life from being dull.

NOVEMBER 10

" That ye may grow. " ( 1 Peter 2:2 )

Peter links using the Word to using food, you need it if you are going to grow into maturity. It is the maturity of understanding, explaining experience and of being closer to Jesus in your character. We are made to grow, we cannot remain babies all our life. If there is no growth, there is something wrong in the development, something which should concern us. Sadly, there are still many who are at the same level as they were years ago. ( Hebrews 5:12,13 ). Why is this ? It is because of the neglect of proper food. You can buy a lot of ' junk food ' in the shops these days, and so with shallow books to read. God gave us the Bible so that we can understand Him and ourselves. Have we made progress ? ( Hebrews 6:1 ).

NOVEMBER 11

" If you love Me, keep My commandments." ( John 15:11 )

Some professing Christians are very proud of what they do not do.Many seem to think that Christianity is all about what you don't do, and that it's all very tense as you seek to avoid this and that. A life of misery does not attract people ! People were not attracted to Jesus because of what He didn't do but because of what He did do. He came into the world to save sinners, he receives sinners, He leads sinners ' in the path of righteousness.' Holiness is a positive virtue, it is something desired because of love to Jesus. Love, trust, hope, gratitude are all positive. Emphasis on this devotional side of Christianity, love to Christ, means that old things in the new life will fall away, as leaves fall from the tree as it grows.

NOVEMBER 12

" Watch and pray." ( Matthew 26:41 )

The road we travel on does not get better as we go through life. There are still holes, ditches, obstacles, hazards as we go on. Other people can be the greatest problem on the road. They can try to push us out of the way, or even advise us to go the wrong way. You can also become frustrated with your lack of progress, and take risks, look for shortcuts etc. You can get tired and take your eyes off the road - you can have a few ' near misses ' in life. An important part of life is how you respond to people and events. They suddenly appear on the road and you have to respond somehow. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to do. At such times of perplexity, if you know the Bible, you at least know what not to do. That makes choosing simpler.

NOVEMBER 13

" Lead us not into temptation." ( Matthew 6:13 )

When you are tempted it is pressure to do something wrong. It can be pressure from outside you, from people or circumstances. Or it can come from inside you, your desires or imagination. You recognise it as a temptation because you know it is wrong. But you can also be deceived into doing something which did not look wrong at first, but the deeper you go into it the more it does not feel right. We " pray lead us not " because in God's Providence we are always going to meet temptations in this world to do the wrong thing - it is that kind of world ! We are praying to avoid them or to receive strength from God to get past them safely. Jesus knows the world, it tempted Him also.

NOVEMBER 14

" But deliver us from evil." ( Matthew 6:13 ) 

What happens when you fall into a temptation ? A true sheep will bleat, cry out to God, to get him out of it. This means confessing sin, praying for forgiveness, learning from your mistakes and getting back on to the safe path of following Jesus the Good shepherd. Sadly, some people say to themselves, " God will never forgive me for this ! " But God says there is forgiveness for all kinds of sin. David and Peter fell into temptation but trusted that God could deliver them from this snare and also from the consequences of the sin. We must be careful not to shut the door on ourselves. The blood of Christ cleanses from all sin ( 1 John 1:7). Do you not believe this ?

NOVEMBER 15

" Out of the heart. " ( Mark 7:21 )

We should be concerned about what is in our hearts, and keep an eye on what is going on there. This is where sin begins. Our thoughts determine our behaviour. Some people say, " I did it without thinking. " No, it was a very swift thought ( and few things are as sudden as a thought ) and led to immediate action. Sadly, many thoughts are beyond our control. We cannot prevent them rising up within, but we can pray to prevent them growing into actions. We can also pray that the Holy Spirit will keep our mind on the good things, the things that bring us peace, thoughts on Christ, of hope ( Philippians 4:7-9 ). Happily the heart of Christ in heaven is still towards His people as it was on earth, and His love shall bring us through and bring us Home.

NOVEMBER 16

" Cease from anger." ( Psalm 37:8 )

Anger causes a lot of problems. Once something is done or said in anger ( and it's usually a bad thing ) it is difficult if not impossible to reverse it, to take it back. Anger is bad for relationships, and for our health, as medical experts tell us. Anger is usually caused by impatience, hence the ' count to ten ' advice. You can also be angry with yourself, or even with God. But what does anger accomplish ? Usually nothing profitable. It is not a sign of progress. It is however right to be angry against sin, God is angry with sin and sinners. But, unlike us, God is not imperfect when He deals with it. He has nothing to regret. Let us commit ourselves, perhaps angry selves, to Him for improvement.

NOVEMBER 17

" Every thing by prayer. " ( Philippians 4;6 )

Prayer is to cover everything, because we need help all the time. Only the proud, with a wrong view of how strong they are, would disagree. Anxiety can leave you with a swirling brain and you say to yourself, " I don't have the concentration to pray." But this itself is something to pray about. The main point is that you go to God first, and do not forget that He is God, and all that this means. pray for the strength to face what you fear, to get through the storm. Has it brought you to your knees before Him ? As William Cowper said, this is the position that Satan fears to see - a call for reinforcements. God does not always do what we want, but He will do what is best.

NOVEMBER 18

" (Before) ...the evil days come." ( Ecclesiastes 12:1)

It is impossible to go through this world without seeing disappointments and failures, in our own lives and in the lives of others. The exhortation in this passage is to get a good foundation for your life before the storms come. After a hurricane many houses are blown down, but some are still standing ( although often severely damaged ) because they had a solid foundation. God is called a Rock in Scripture, and this Rock will hold up believers in the storm ( Matthew 7:24,25 ). A storm of emotions can overwhelm us, and we may be reluctant to face the next storm ( naturally ! ), but it is all part of the journey. And soon it will all be over. " Go with God ! " says the Spanish farewell.

NOVEMBER 19

" In many things we all offend ( stumble ). " ( James 3:2 )

None of us walk without stumbling sometime. Some people have lost their confidence. they think that because they failed once, they will always fail. This can refer to a job or to a relationship, or to serving God. Some people also fail and fail again because they do not take advice. God says this is foolish ( Proverbs 12:15 ). But we must be careful not to overreact - disappointments are part of life. This is not heaven we are living in ! Moreover, children are afraid that when they fail they will not be loved as much as before. Never think this about God, it is not true. The Father's love and pity for His children does not fail or diminish ( Psalm 103:10-14) . Life may be against us, but not God.

NOVEMBER 20

" God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." ( Revelation 21:4 )

The Bible reaches us that we were not made for this world.Heaven is a gateway into eternity, and we cry a lot on the way. We cry, wipe the tears away, but we cry again. It is only when we arrive in Heaven that we shall cry no more. To be where Christ is now is to be in heaven. We think about it on the way there - it would be strange if we were not thinking about our destination. Such thinking helps us to endure the hardships of the journey. The obituary column in the newspapers usually tells us who died peacefully and who died in peace with God - there is an eternal difference between these two deaths. It was well said, " Life is hard, but God is good, and Heaven is real ! "

NOVEMBER 21

" Let us exalt His name together." ( Psalm 34:3 )

This is a call to worship. If we are going to have strength for the day, it cannot be done without worship. To ' magnify His Name ' is to remember who He is as we approach Him. You stand in the presence of the King or Queen. We must also have respect, greater respect, for God. " With me...together, " says David. This is where we worship, with the church, the people of God. We have this in common, we have commun-ion with God and with one another. We exalt His Name to others, He has the highest praise for who He is and what He has done. He ' has done great things for us ' ( Psalm 126:3), and is still to do more !

NOVEMBER 22

" There is a great gulf fixed." ( Luke 16:26 )

We are all together here, but after death there is a final and eternal divide. We all take different paths through life but only one path leads to heaven. There is a strange illusion that no matter what path we take through this world we shall meet together in the end. Death ends all illusions, reality is seen clearly at last. Salvation for sinners " consists in being put back on the right road...evil can be undone, but it cannot develop into good." ( C.S.Lewis ). Jesus taught about hell long before we were born. The Christian faith is what it is, whether people like it or not. Jesus spoke of hell and took it seriously, and we should too ! This is an either-or situation, and we cannot escape our responsibility to make a choice.

NOVEMBER 23

" We are His workmanship. " ( Ephesians 2:10 )

There is a lot going on inside the Christian. Walls have to be taken down, rubbish has to be put out, supports need to be strengthened, checks and repairs have to be carried out regularly. The Christian is a " work in progress."

It would be wrong to judge a building before it is finished, or a statue before it is finished. The Christian still has imperfections in this world, but God is at work. We did not begin the work, He did, and He has promised to finish it ( Philippians 1:6 ) and we rely on that promise. We grow by faith, and again He is the" Author and Finisher of our faith " ( Hebrews 12:2 ). What can we do ? We can pray not to resist the ' hammer and chisel ' of God ( Rutherford ) as He works towards the finished work, and also to be patient ! He has the design in His mind, and the finished work will reflect His glory.

NOVEMBER 24

" The gift of God is eternal life." ( Romans 6:23 )

God was not under any necessity to save sinners, the decision was made before any of us came into the world ( 2 Timothy 1:9 ). A free pardon cannot be forced from the King. Breaking the law brings us under judgement, but there is this pardon which no creature can give. God hands out pardons for sins freely, but how many are aware of their need for forgiveness before they die ?It is Jesus who reveals this gift and His Spirit who convinces us of our need and of His willingness to receive any sinner who comes to Him. No-one goes away boasting who receives it, for it is not by our works, but by His, that it comes to us. Jesus is God's greatest gift, and " to you who believe He is precious."

NOVEMBER 25

" A just God and a Saviour." ( Isaiah 45:21 )

God demands that sin be punished. Our conscience demands that sin be punished. God demands that His law be kept. Our conscience is also aware of this obligation, and also of our guilt that we have not kept it. In the life and death of Christ we see Another keeping the law for others and being punished for the sins of others. And all this happened once for all, it cannot be repeated. ( Such a request would imply He did something wrong). This is the ' good news ', " It is finished ! " He said on the cross. A man in church one day was alarmed when he heard about his danger as a sinner. He hurried to the minister. " What do I have to do to be saved ? " he said. The minister replied, " You're too late...it's all done."

NOVEMBER 26

" Whereas I was blind, now I see." ( John 9:25 )

The Pharisees were contradicting this man regarding what Jesus did for him. These words are his response. He appeals to his personal experience, he knows he can see things he never saw before. And this happened because of his contact with Jesus.These learned men try to explain it away. It was an experience they never had and so they found it threatening ( because it said something about their own lack of this experience ). They did all they could to get rid of the man's testimony. They were unable to do this so they got rid of the man. They would do the same with Jesus not long afterwards. Certainly, we need the Bible, God's words, to check that our experience of Jesus is valid. But we don't need man's words !

NOVEMBER 27

" In the law of the Lord." ( Psalm 1:2 )

Before sin entered into the world it was ' natural ' ( man's nature ) to follow this law, but not now. Human nature is antagonistic to keeping all God's laws. We look at the world and it is clear that the world has made big mistakes and is on the wrong road. God has put into the minds of all people His moral law. They may deny it but they know what guilt is, and that they cannot match up even to their own standards, besides God's ! If we look into the mirror of the law we see our condemnation. But if we look into the mirror of the gospel we see hope of acquittal. " The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." ( John 1:17). Make sure you are looking at the right Person, not Moses, not the law ( which even Christians cannot keep perfectly ) but Jesus Christ.

NOVEMBER 28

" By whom we have now received the atonement." ( Romans 5:11 )

Our sin, law-breaking, means the death penalty. A death has occurred, 2000 years ago, but it affects sinners today, sinners who ' receive ' it.To receive is to understand it as a fact, that " Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures." ( 1 Corinthians 15:3 ). To receive it is to eagerly accept the substitutionary character of this death, to bless God for the gift. Also to gaze in wonder that the son of God should die on a cross to save sinners 'from their sins.' The cross held Him up to the view of the world. " Look to Me and be saved," He said. There is forgiveness and peace in that look, that receiving, and you will never look anywhere else now for life and all that life means.

NOVEMBER 29

" Heaven that is over thy head shall be brass " ( Deuteronomy 28:23)

There are days when you feel you are on your own, somehow cut off from everyone else and everything else. It is not just the elderly and bereaved who feel lonely, but teenagers too. There can be a feeling of being ' out of place ', and the teenage years often begin a search for that place where we belong. Brass is a symbol of a hard surface and the teaching here is that there are days when prayer does not ' go up to God ', that it cannot get through. This makes us feel more lonely than before. But God calls for trust. Neither your feelings nor Jeremiah's in this passage affect the way God looks at you or looks after you if you follow His Son on the path to heaven. Keep right on to the end of the road.

NOVEMBER 30

" Know ye what I have done to you ? " ( John 13:12 )

Earth is a land of questions, heaven is a land of answers. Matthew Henry once began a weekly series on the questions in the Bible - it took 20 years to go through them. The Bible does not avoid the great questions of life and death. All people believe something. Many believe there are no answers, life is all a vague and indefinite blur. ' Fake news ' and theories being passed off as ' facts ' make people cynical too. The Bible is not against raising questions. Too many people go through life without asking them. It's as if the devil has put a sign over their hearts saying, " Do not disturb." ' Seek and you shall find,' said Christ Jesus, and so get some definite answers about God and yourself. The rest will then be explained when you get there ( vs.7 ).