January 23

Morning

Hope maketh not ashamed. — Rom 5:5

I am the Lord: … they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.—Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.—Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.—My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.—I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.

God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.

Isa 49:23, Jer 17:7, Isa 26:3-4, Ps 62:5-6, 2 Tim 1:12, Heb 6:17-20

Evening

The offence of the cross. — Gal 5:11

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.—We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.—Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.

God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.—I am crucified with Christ.—They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.

Matt 16:24, Jas 4:4, Acts 14:22, Rom 9:33, 1 Pet 2:7-8, Gal 6:14, Gal 2:20, Gal 5:24, 2 Tim 2:12