Chesterton: a single sword

Sunday, November 8, 2026
    Feast of Saints & Martyrs of England
Meditation:
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.
    —Psalm 34:6-7 (ESV)
Quotation:
O God of earth and altar,
    Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
    Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us,
    The swords of scorn divide,
Take not Thy thunder from us,
    But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches,
    From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches
    That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation
    Of honor and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation,
    Deliver us, good Lord.

Tie in a living tether
    The prince and priest and thrall,
Bind all our lives together,
    Smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation
    Aflame with faith, and free,
Lift up a living nation,
    A single sword to T hee.
    ... Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936), [1907] The Collected Works of G. K. Chesterton, v. X, Ignatius Press, 1994, p. 141 (see the book)
    See also Ps. 34:6-7; Rom. 8:35-39; Eph. 6:14-18; Heb. 4:12
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant us peace.

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Woolman: the progress of wealth

Saturday, November 7, 2026
    Feast of Willibrord of York, Archbishop of Utrecht, Apostle of Frisia, 739
Meditation:
    But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
    —1 Timothy 6:6-9 (NIV)
Quotation:
    I saw that a humble man, with the blessing of the Lord, might live on a little; and that where the heart is set on greatness, success in business did not satisfy the craving, but that commonly with an increase of wealth, the desire of wealth increased.
    ... John Woolman (1720-1772), The Works of John Woolman, Philadelphia: Benjamin & Jacob Johnson, 1800, p. 25 (see the book)
    See also 1 Tim. 6:6-9; Matt. 6:19-21; 16:26; 18:1-4; Luke 12:15; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; Jas. 5:1-5; 1 John 3:17
Quiet time reflection:
    Teach me, Lord, to be content with Your provisions. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Temple: hope in the Spirit

Friday, November 6, 2026
    Feast of William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher, 1944
Meditation:
    For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
    —Romans 15:8-9 (ESV)
Quotation:
    There is no hope of establishing a more Christian social order except through the labour and sacrifice of those in whom the Spirit of Christ is active.
    ... William Temple (1881-1944), Christianity and Social Order, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1942, p. 100 (see the book)
    See also Rom. 15:8-9; Ps. 18:49; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 3:10-11; 6:12-13; Tit. 3:1-2
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, make me an instrument of Your will for my society. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Tozer: self-promotion

Thursday, November 5, 2026
Meditation:
    But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
    —2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV)
Quotation:
    The self-sins... dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins, egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion, are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders, even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the Church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.
    ... A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), The Pursuit of God [1948], Christian Publications, 1982, p. 42 (see the book)
    See also 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Matt. 7:15; 23:27-28; Rom. 2:17-24; 1 Cor. 10:32-33; Gal. 6:3; Tit. 1:15-16
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant us all the wisdom and discernment to turn away from false teachers. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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M'Intyre: on the image of God

Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Meditation:
    ... then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
    —Genesis 2:7 (ESV)
Quotation:
    When He fashioned man, the Deity breathed into the human form the divine life, “and man became a living soul.” Man is created to be a witness and likeness of God. God and man are so near to one another that it was possible for the Eternal Word to become Man without ceasing to be God, to re-ascend to the Highest without dehumanizing the Manhood which He had assumed; so near that the believer may say in the fullest meaning of the words, “I live, yet not I, but Christ.”
    ... David M. M’Intyre (1859-1938), Faith’s Title Deeds, London: Morgan & Scott, 1924, p. 20 (see the book)
    See also Gen. 2:7; 1:26-27; John 1:1-14; Gal. 2:20
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord Christ, You are the Eternal Man. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Hooker: the real presence

Tuesday, November 3, 2026
    Feast of Richard Hooker, Priest, Anglican Apologist, Teacher, 1600
    Commemoration of Martin of Porres, Dominican Friar, 1639
Meditation:
    Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
    —1 Corinthians 11:27-30 (ESV)
Quotation:
    The real presence of Christ’s most precious Body and Blood is not to be sought for in the Sacrament, but in the worthy receiver of the Sacrament.
    ... Richard Hooker (1554?-1600), The Ecclesiastical Polity and Other Works of Richard Hooker, v. II, London: Holdsworth & Ball, 1830, V.lxvii, p. 288 (see the book)
    See also 1 Cor. 11:27-31; Ps. 26:2-3; Lam. 3:40; Hag. 1:5-7; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 6:4-5; 1 John 3:19-20
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, break open my heart to receive Your grace. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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MacDonald: making easy work hard

Monday, November 2, 2026
    Feast of All Souls
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
    —Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
Quotation:
    Do you think that the work God gives us to do is never easy? Jesus says his yoke is easy, his burden is light. People sometimes refuse to do God’s work just because it is easy. This is, sometimes, because they cannot believe that easy work is his work; but there may be a very bad pride in it... Some again accept it with half a heart, and do it with half a hand. But, however easy any work may be, it cannot be well done without taking thought about it. And such people, instead of taking thought about their work, generally take thought about the morrow, in which no work can be done any more than in yesterday.
    ... George MacDonald (1824-1905), The Seaboard Parish [1868], London: Strahan, 1873, p. 31 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 11:28-30; Ps. 119:103-104; Pr. 3:13-17; Mic. 6:8; John 16:33; 2 Cor. 4:17; 12:9-10; Gal. 5;1; Phil. 4:13; 1 John 5:3-4
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, take away all anxiety about tomorrow, and grant me Your peace. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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