August 31

I continued my talk with the girl I met at roll call.

"Do you know that when you ask Jesus to come into your life and heart, He gives you peace? In perhaps an hour they will kill me, but I am not afraid. I know I belong to Jesus and will go to heaven."

"I would like to know Him," she said.

"Then speak to Him in your heart. He will hear you."

I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

John 11:25-26     

Lord, thank You that You never send away anybody who comes to You.

August 30

I asked the Dutch girl who stood beside me on roll call, "Do you read the Bible?"

"No, never," she replied.

"Do you know the Lord Jesus?"

"Who is He?"

I told her about Jesus and how He died on the cross for the whole world. I asked her, "Do you ever realize that you need a Saviour? Are you what the Bible calls a sinner?"

"I know I am a sinner," she answered.

“If you have to die here, will you be ready?”

“No.”

“Jesus is the answer. He died for the sins of the whole world, and also for your sins."

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought

My sin—not in part, but the whole

Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul

H. G. Spafford

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins.

1 John 1:9 KJV

Lord, this is more than I can take in. What a wonderful Saviour You are!

August 29

I was number 66,730 in the concentration camp. One day I was called out at roll call and placed as number one in the row. Why did they call me? Could it be that I was to die that day?

Next to me was a Dutch girl. I stood there with her for a long time and I thought, "This is perhaps the last person to whom I can bring the Gospel, for in a short while they will kill me." We had a long talk, and I showed her the whole way of salvation.

Making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:16

Make and keep us faithful to Your work, Lord, no matter what our circumstances are.

August 28

Many Christians do not realize the work that Jesus is doing today. They forget that He serves as our advocate with His Father, cleansing us of our sins as soon as we confess them.

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 2:1 KJV

Thank You, Jesus, for Your love and that You are there, constantly interceding for us!

August 27

People know very well that there is no security in today’s world. Their knowledge should be counted as a blessing, for it makes them open to the Word of God.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:35

When people are insecure, they need help. Lord Jesus, in You we have the help they need. Use us to help all who will listen.

August 26

Look unto Jesus. I looked on Jesus .and the dove of peace entered my heart. I looked at the dove of peace; and lo . . . off he went.

Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord.

Once it was the feeling, now it is the Word.

Once the gift I wanted, now the Giver owns.

Once I sought for healing,

Now Himself alone.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

James 1:17 KJV

Lord, thank You for all You have given me, but thank You most of all for who You are.

August 25

Do not hastily ascribe all things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions, and revelations to be from God. They may be from Him, or from nature, or from the devil.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God . . .

1 John 4:1

Thank You, Holy Spirit, that You give us the gift of the discernment of the spirits. Keep our vision clear.

August 24

The trouble with a man who lacks a clear understanding of justification by faith is that he is still trying to put himself right. It is impossible to pull yourself up by the scruff of your neck. If you do not see the reality of justification clearly, just talk to the Lord about it. He is willing to give you full satisfaction.

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

Lord Jesus, open my eyes that I may see the many blessings of eternity which we may enjoy here and now.

August 23

Do you believe that the Son of God came from heaven and lived and did all He did on earth, that He died on the cross and rose again, that He ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, in order to leave us in a state of confusion? Certainly not; it is impossible.

This is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

See John 17:3

Holy Spirit, Truth divine,

Dawn upon this soul of mine.

Word of God and inward Light,

Wake my spirit, clear my sight.

— Samuel Longfellow

August 22

The moment we become Christians we become the special objects of Satan’s attention. He often uses the tool of ridicule to discourage us from doing the work of God. It is his purpose to ruin and destroy the work of the Gospel.

When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews.

Nehemiah 4:1

Lord, Thank You for Your dynamic promises such as "Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" Keep us close to Your heart so that we see things, as it were, from Your point of view.

August 21

Unhappiness in the Christian life is very often due to our failure to realize the greatness of the Gospel. The Gospel is not something partial. It takes in the whole life, the whole of history, the whole world. It tells about the Creation and the final judgment and everything in between. It is a complete, whole view of life. It covers every eventuality in our experience. The Gospel is meant to control and govern everything in our lives. We must dwell more on our riches.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . .

Colossians 3:16 KJV

How great thou art! Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You came to make us rich King’s children instead of poor beggars.

August 20

The angel announced that Jesus would save His people from their sins (see Matthew 1:21). Sometimes we do not grasp that truth and even after we have accepted Jesus as our Saviour we worry about a sin in the past which still burdens us. It is as if we write after the promise of the angel, "except this sin which I have committed." I am sure it is the devil, the accuser of the brethren, who tells us this lie. Listen to the Holy Spirit, not to the liar.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Lord, I rejoice in You. Forgive my confusion and cleanse my heart and thoughts from all that is wrong.

August 19

During my first visit to Japan, by mistake I asked a non-Christian to close a meeting with prayer. He admitted that he was not a Christian, so I said the prayer myself. After the meeting he came to me to explain why he could not pray. Now I had a chance to have a fruitful talk with him and he accepted the Lord Jesus. Do you see? My blunder of mistaking one man for another had been used to give me the opportunity to bring that man to Jesus! God has no problems, only plans.

. . . freely forgiven through that full and generous grace.

Ephesians 1:7 Phillips

We are grateful that even our blunders may prove useful for Your purposes, Lord.

J.B. Phillips New Testament—Copyright © 1962 edition by HarperCollins The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips

August 18

How can Jesus trust us to spread His Word? Because He has given us the Holy Spirit and the Bible; they are all we will need.

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Ephesians 3:8

Father, Thank You for providing Your army with all the supplies it needs. Even the weakest soldier becomes powerful if he has the right equipment.

August 17

Missed opportunities!

If only . . .

It is good to regret missed opportunities, but quite wrong to be miserable about them. You cannot look back across your past life without seeing things to regret. That is as it should be. But we have to draw a subtle distinction between a legitimate regret and a wrong condition of heart. Give God your “if only’s.”

Think of those laborers in the vineyard in the parable which Jesus told in Matthew 20:1-16. They all received the same wages, although some had worked the whole day and some had worked for only an hour. Compare that to a person’s life. Some people enter the Kingdom right at the end of their lives.

They may regret all those years when they

were not serving Christ. But the important thing

is that they are in the Kingdom. The thing that mat-

ters first of all, if you are a Christian, is not what

you once were but what you are now.

I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten.

Joel 2:25

Lord Jesus, I give my "if only's" to You. Make

me a faithful laborer here and now.

August 16

Before she died in the concentration camp, my sister Betsie was inspired by the Lord to show me the work I would do after the war.

When I had to leave that work I felt very sad. I even became depressed, until somebody showed me that bondage to someone who has died is wrong. I was set free and the Lord gave me great peace.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore.

Galatians 5:1

Lord, the wishes of those we love are a pleasant bondage, but only as long as they do not keep us from doing Your work. Help us to break bonds that must be broken.

August 15

God’s ways are sometimes not understandable. He led the Jews around the land of the Philistines, although it was shorter to pass through that land.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

Isaiah 55:8

Father, when we question Your ways, help us to remember that we do not need to understand completely, but that it is sufficient that we obey.

August 14

As a camel kneels before his master to have him remove his burden at the end of the day, so kneel each night and let the Master take your burden.

Cast your burden on the Lord,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit,

the righteous to be moved.

Psalms 55:22

Lord, take our daily burdens from us so that we will be refreshed and strong for the next day’s journey.

August 13

Peter said, “No, Lord!” But he had to learn that one cannot say no while saying “Lord” and that one cannot say “Lord” while saying no.

Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Jeremiah 7:23

Lord, make me responsive to Your will. I know that then I can lead a victorious life to Your honor.

August 12

We are ministers of Christ. Stewardship of the mysteries of God has been entrusted to us. Be a faithful steward.

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Here I am, Lord. I have accepted Your promises to make me a steward. Thank You for Your grace and my salvation. Take my life and use me.

August 11

One day when I was five years old, my mother watched me playing house. She saw me knock on an imaginary neighbor’s door and wait for an answer.

“Corrie,” she said, “I know Someone who is standing at your door and knocking. He is Jesus. Would you like to invite Him into your heart?”

I said yes, I wanted Jesus in my heart. She put her hand in mine, and we prayed together.

Does a young child understand spiritual matters? I know Jesus became more real to me from that day on. Children need to be led, not left to wander.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Lord, give me an opportunity to bring my child to You today. I know that is the greatest gift I can give him.

August 10

“Thank you so much, Corrie,” a woman told me one day after I had shown her the way of salvation and challenged her to make a decision for Jesus.

“How impolite you are!” I answered. “Someone knocks, and instead of talking with Him, you say thank you to me. Jesus asked you something.”

 

We had a conversation together. At last she said, “Oh, I see! Forgive me, Lord Jesus. Yes, come into my heart.” He came.

“Talk with Him,” I said. “Admit whatever sins He has found, and repent. Now you may thank me! “

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through, our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57    

Lord, keep us mindful that as Your messengers we are not important. It is Your message that matters.

August 9

Here is a prayer which one could use for somebody who wants to come to the Lord: Jesus, I ask You to come into my life. I am a sinner. I have been trusting myself and my own good works, but now I put my trust in You. I accept You as my own personal Saviour. I believe You died for me. I receive You as Lord and Master over my life. Help me to turn from my sins and to follow You. I accept Your forgiveness and Your gift of eternal life. I thank You for it. Amen.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16     

Prayer of the counselor: Lord Jesus, You have heard this prayer. Once You said, “Those who come to Me I will in no wise cast out!”  Lord, what a welcome! I ask You that Your Holy Spirit will give to this person the assurance of life eternal. Bless him with the certainty that his sins are forgiven. Thank You.

August 8

Does being born into a Christian family make one a Christian? No! God has no grandchildren. Each person must make the decision for the Lord himself.

Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:3

Lord, give us much wisdom to teach our children Your Word, so that when You come to them, they will be eagerly waiting.

August 7

The riches of the Bible are ours, but people continue to argue over interpretation. For those who have not yet accepted the Saviour Jesus Christ, and who are therefore lost, it is the same as having your house on fire, and then having to listen to the firemen argue about which hose to use!

. . . who are you to criticize the servant of somebody else, especially when that Somebody Else is God? It is to his own Master that he gives, or fails to give, satisfactory service. And don’t doubt that satisfaction, for God is well able to transform men into servants who are satisfactory.

Romans 14:3-4 Phillips

Lord, we know it is not our place to decide who is right and who is wrong in any matter. Your promises are there for our salvation, not for our discussion.

J.B. Phillips New Testament—Copyright © 1962 edition by HarperCollins The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips

August 6

Are you honest? Go to your bookshelf, check which books you have borrowed, and send them back. You may not steal.

. . . you will need the strong belt of truth . . .

Ephesians 6:14 LB

Lord, Thank You that we have the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6, and can stand victorious against "decent" and "indecent" sins.

August 5

Sin can break your connection with God. The great joy is that we know the Bible has the answer for that problem! When we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and forgives us.

I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like mist . . .

Isaiah 44:22

 

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for that blessed answer to my sin problem: the cross, where You finished all that was necessary in order to destroy my sin. Keep me close to You, Lord, so that I see Your amazing grace.

August 4

Sometimes the devil speaks of our sins and makes us despair. He takes away our courage. He tells us, “You will be that way all of your life. There is no hope for you!” The devil is a liar! We are what we are in Jesus Christ.

At the Cross, at the Cross,

where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

it was there by faith I received my sight . . .

Ralph E. Hudson

 

I thank my God. . . for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:4 KJV

 

Thank You for Your gift of grace and peace, Lord. When we know we are forgiven we have victory and joy, despite what the devil says.

August 3

Today is the day of salvation. Some people miss heaven by only eighteen inches—the distance between their heads and their hearts. One of the devil’s most successful wiles is “Wait awhile.” But we need to listen to God.

For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved.

Romans 10:10     

Lord, if You are not yet in my heart, but only in my head, please come down to my heart. Fill it with Your life, through Your grace. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

August 2

I often looked death in the eye when I was a prisoner. When I saw the smoke go up from the crematorium I asked myself, “When will it be my turn to be killed?” I did not know that one week before they killed all the women my age I would be set free through a miracle of God and a blunder in the administration.

When you look at death you see everything in such an uncomplicated way. I saw that the devil was strong, much stronger than I, but then I looked at Jesus. He was strong, much stronger than the devil. Together with Him, I was much stronger than the devil.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57

Lord Jesus, thank You that when we are yoke-fellows with You, we stand on victory ground. Hallelujah!

August 1

The American astronauts who went to the moon had to be in constant contact with their leader. When the contact was broken, they did nothing else until it was restored. When your connection with God is broken because of sin, you must do what His Word says to restore that connection.

My little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sin. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:1 LB

If we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.

1 John 1:9 LB

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You restore all broken contact when we come to You with our sins.

The Living Bible (LB) —Copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. All rights reserved.