November 29

Morning

You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD. You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him. — Lev 19:16-17 BSB

Tale-bearing spreads a threefold poison: it harms the one who tells it, the one who hears it, and the one about whom it is told. Whether the report is true or false, we are forbidden by God’s Word to spread it. The reputation of the Lord’s people should be precious to us, and we should consider it shameful to assist the devil in dishonoring the Church and the name of the Lord.

Some tongues need a bridle more than a spur. Many people take pride in tearing down their brethren, as if by doing so they elevate themselves! Noah’s two wise sons covered their father’s shame, while the one who exposed him earned a dreadful curse. One day, we may need our brothers and sisters to show us forbearance and silence—let us offer it willingly to those who need it now. This should be our family rule and personal pledge: SPEAK EVIL OF NO ONE!

“Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.” The Holy Spirit allows us to censure sin but prescribes how we are to do it. We are to rebuke our brother face to face, not speak behind his back. This approach is honorable, brotherly, Christlike, and under God’s blessing, effective. Does your flesh shrink from it? Then lean more heavily on your conscience and ensure you do the right thing, lest by permitting your friend’s sin, you become complicit in it.

Many have been saved from great sins by the timely, wise, and loving warnings of faithful ministers and friends. Our Lord Jesus set us a perfect example of this in His warning to Peter, the prayer He prayed before it, and the gentle way He dealt with Peter’s boastful denial that he even needed such a warning.

Evening

olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; — Exod 35:8 BSB

Under the old covenant, the anointing oil was used for many sacred purposes, and what it symbolized is of even greater importance under the new covenant. The Holy Spirit, who anoints us for all holy service, is indispensable if we are to serve the Lord acceptably. Without His help, our religious acts are nothing but empty rituals, and our spiritual lives are dead. When our ministry lacks the Spirit’s unction, how lifeless it becomes! Nor are the prayers, praises, meditations, and efforts of private Christians any better.

A holy anointing is the soul and life of godliness; its absence is the greatest calamity. To come before the Lord without His anointing is like a common Levite forcing himself into the office of a priest—his actions would be offenses, not offerings. May we never attempt to undertake holy activities without the Spirit’s sacred anointing. This anointing flows down to us from our glorious Head, Christ, and we, who are like the hem of His robe, receive a rich portion of this divine oil.

The holy anointing oil was composed of the rarest and most exquisite spices, mixed by the art of a skilled perfumer. This reminds us of the richness of the Spirit’s influence. All good things are found in the divine Comforter. In this sacred anointing oil, there is matchless consolation, infallible instruction, spiritual quickening, divine energy, and perfect sanctification. It imparts a delightful fragrance to the character and life of the one who receives it. Nothing like it can be found in the riches of the world or the wisdom of humanity. It cannot be imitated. It comes only from God and is given freely through Jesus Christ to every waiting soul. Let us seek it, for it is available to us, even this very evening. O Lord, anoint Your servants!