Every Day a Precious Portion

​EVERY DAY
A PRECIOUS PORTION
 
HELPFUL HINTS IN THE STUDY OF GOD’S WORD
 
BY GEORGE MULLER

​FIRST DAY   “Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”  Jer. 15:16.
If the reader understands very little of the Word of God, he ought to read it very much; for the Spirit explains the Word by the Word.  And if he enjoys the reading of the Word little, that is just the reason why he should read it very much; for the frequent reading of the Scriptures creates a delight in them.
 
SECOND DAY   “Every day a portion.”  Jer. 52:34.
It is of immense importance for the understanding of the Word of God, to read every day a portion of the Old and a portion of the New Testament, going on where we previously left off.  This throws light upon the connection; for a different course will make it utterly impossible ever to understand much of the Scriptures.
 
THIRD DAY   “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them.”  1 Tim. 4:15.
We should meditate on what we read, so that perhaps a small portion of that which we have read, or, if we have time, the whole, may be meditated upon in the course of the day.  Or a portion of a book, or an epistle, or a gospel, through which we go for meditation, may be considered every day.
 
FOURTH DAY   “The Spirit of Truth . . . He will guide you into all truth.”  John 16:13.
The Word of God can be explained only by the Holy Spirit; He is the teacher of His people.  The first evening that I shut myself into my room, to give myself to prayer and meditation over the Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a period of several months previously.
 
FIFTH DAY   “Send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.”   Neh. 8:10.
Also the Lord is pleased to communicate unto me that which, very soon after, I have found become food for other believers.  My heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father, and to my Friend about the things He has brought before me in His precious Word.
 
SIXTH DAY   “Dig for it more than for hid treasures.”   Job 3:21.
When I have been for a while making confession, or intercession, or supplication, or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go on, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it; but still continually keeping before me, that food for my own soul is the object of my meditation.
 
SEVENTH DAY   “Feed me with food convenient for me.”  Prov. 30:8.
God has taught me this point, that the first thing the child of God has to do morning by morning is to obtain food for his inner man.  Now what is the food for the inner man?  Considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.
 
EIGHTH DAY   “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.”  James 1:5.
When I do not understand a passage of the Word of God, I lift up my heart to the Lord, that He would be pleased by His Holy Spirit to instruct me, and I expect to be taught, though I do not fix the time when, and the manner how, it should be.  When I am going to minister in the Word, I seek help from the Lord, and believe that He for His dear Son’s sake will help me.
 
NINTH DAY   “Our God, whom we serve is able.”  Dan. 3:17.
The Believer will repose upon the ability of God to help him, because he has not only learned from His Word that He is of almighty power and infinite wisdom, but he has seen instance upon instance in the Holy Scriptures in which His almighty power and infinite wisdom have been exercised in helping His people.
 
TENTH DAY  “Reading in the book the words of the Lord.”    Jer. 36:8.
I continue to wait upon God, and seek to encourage my heart by His Holy Word, and while He delays giving me answers, to be occupied in His service.  Of this my soul has not the least doubt, that, when the Lord shall have been pleased to exercise my soul by the trial of faith and patience, He will make bare His arm and send help.
 
ELEVENTH DAY  “They are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.”  1Cor. 10:11.
Why may not all believers act in the spirit of apostolic Christians, seeing that the same blessed Spirit who dwelt in them dwells in all who believe in the Lord Jesus; and that we have the whole revealed will of God in our possession in the Holy Scriptures; and like apostolic believers are looking for the return of the Lord Jesus, with whom we shall share the glory.
 
TWELFTH DAY  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”  2 Tim. 3:16.
I believe that all the books of the Old Testament and of the New Testament are written by inspiration.  My great love for the Word of God and my deep conviction of the need of its being spread far and wide, have led me to pray to God to use me as an instrument to do this.
 
THIRTEENTH DAY  “With my spirit within me will I seek Thee early.” Isa. 26: 9.
My heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father, and to my Friend, about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.
 
FOURTEENTH DAY  “I hope in Thy Word.”  Ps. 119:81.
Is it not precious to have the living God as a Father to go to, who is ever able and ever willing to help, as may be really needed?  All believers, according to the will of God concerning them in Jesus Christ, may cast, and ought to cast, all their care upon Him who careth for them, and need not be anxiously concerned about anything.
 
FIFTEENTH DAY  “Thy servant did meditate in Thy statues.”  Ps. 119:23.
Prayer requires, generally speaking, a measure of strength or godly desire, and the season, therefore, when this exercise of the soul can be most effectually performed, is after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God, where we find our Father speaking to us to encourage us.
 
SIXTEENTH DAY   “My soul, wait thou only upon God.”  Ps. 62:5.
Often it may appear that we wait upon the Lord in vain; but in His own time God will abundantly prove that it was not in vain.  Go on to wait upon the Lord.  Continue to make known your requests to Him; but do expect help from Him.  You honor God by believing that He does hear your prayers, and that He will answer them.
 
SEVENTEENTH DAY   “I love Thy commandments above gold.”  Ps. 119:127.
I have been for sixty-eight years and three months a lover of the Word of God, and that uninterruptedly. During this time I have read considerably more than one hundred times through the whole of the Old and New Testaments, with prayer and meditation.
 
EIGHTEENTH DAY   “I have esteemed the Words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”  Job 23:12.
Before we went to work we had, as an habitual practice, our seasons for prayer and reading the Holy Scriptures.  Should the children of God neglect this and let their work or service for God interfere with caring about their own souls, they cannot be happy in God; and their happiness must also suffer on account of it.
 
NINETEENTH DAY   “Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.”  Exodus 14:13.
Were we to stand still in order to see the salvation of God, to see His hand stretched out on our behalf, trusting in Him alone, then our faith would be increased, and with every fresh case in which the hand of God is stretched out on our behalf in the hour of the trial of our faith, our faith would be increased yet more.
 
TWENTIETH DAY   “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.”  Acts 13:48.
The question, therefore, simply is this:  Do I believe in the Lord Jesus?  Do I take Him to be the One whom God declares Him to be, i.e. His Beloved Son in whom He is well pleased?  If so, I am a believer, therefore the matter is a very simple one; if I believe in the Lord Jesus, I am a chosen one-I have been appointed to eternal life.
 
TWENTY-FIRST DAY   “Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name.”  Psalm 138:2.
He has condescended to enable me to circulate the Scriptures in all parts of the earth, and in various languages; and has been pleased thus, simply through the reading of the Holy Scriptures, to bring thousands of persons to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
 
TWENTY-SECOND DAY  “We through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”  Rom. 15:4.
This morning Luke 7 came in the course of my reading before breakfast.  While reading about the Centurion and the raising from the dead of the widow’s son at Nain, I lifted up my heart thus:  “Lord Jesus, Thou hast the same power now.  Thou canst provide me with means for Thy work in my hands.  Be pleased to do so.”
 
TWENTY-THIRD DAY   “If thou . . . searchest as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord.”   Proverbs 2:4.
The first thing I did after having asked the Lord’s blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God, searching, as it were, into every verse to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word, but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul.
 
TWENTY-FOURTH DAY   “Them that honour Me I will honour.”  I Samuel 2:30.
I have not been in the smallest degree a loser in acting according to the dictates of my conscience, and as regards spiritual things the Lord has indeed dealt bountifully with me, and led me on in many respects, and moreover, has condescended to use me as an instrument in doing His work.
 
TWENTY-FIFTH DAY   “I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest.”  John 17:8.
Be not discouraged if you have unconverted relatives.  Perhaps very shortly the Lord may give you the desire of your heart, and answer your prayer for them; but in the meantime seek to commend the truth by manifesting towards them the meekness, gentleness, and kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
TWENTY-SIXTH DAY   “Thy testimonies also are my delight.”  Psalm 119:24.
This evening I was walking in our little garden meditating on Hebrews 13:8.  I was led to say to myself, Jesus in His love and power has hitherto supplied me with what I have needed, and He will provide me with what I may need for the future. A flow of joy came into my soul while realizing the unchangeableness of our adorable Lord.
 
TWENTY-SEVENTH  DAY    “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.  Acts 16:31.
How may I know that I shall be saved?  Notice here in particular (1)  It matters not how great a sinner I am; (2)  The promise is positive concerning my salvation, if I believe in the Lord Jesus; (3)  I have only to believe in the Lord Jesus.  If I trust in and depend upon the Lord Jesus for salvation, I shall have everlasting life.
 
TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY   “My meditation of Him shall be sweet.”  Psalm 104:34.
Through reading of the Word of God, and especially through meditation on the Word of God, the believer becomes more and more acquainted with the nature and character of God, and thus sees what a kind, loving, and faithful Being He is; thus meditation on the Word of God will be one special means to strengthen our faith.
 
TWENTY-NINTH DAY   “I will perform My Word with thee.”  I Kings 6:12.
Let God work for us when the hour of trial of our faith comes, and do not work a deliverance of our own.  Wherever God has given faith, it is given, among other reasons, for the purpose of being tried.  However weak our faith may be, God will try it; and as in every way, He leads on gently, gradually, patiently.
 
THIRTIETH DAY   “They that fear Thee will be glad . . . because I have hoped in Thy Word.”  Psalm 119:74.
We may have to wait upon the Lord, yea, even a long time; but at last He helps.  It may seem as if the Lord had forgotten us, but at last He helps abundantly, and shows that only for the trial of our faith, both for our own benefit and the benefit of those who might hear of His dealings with us, has He allowed us to call so long upon Him.
 
THIRTY-FIRST DAY   “I will hasten my Word to perform it.”  Jer. 1:12.
Whilst He is pleased to sustain me, I am able, day by day, to pass on peacefully, and thus, by God’s help, even with my present measure of faith, if continued to me, should be enabled to bear up under other difficulties and trials; but I look for an increase of faith with every fresh difficulty through which the Lord is pleased to help me.