Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) was something of a whiz kid. He enrolled at St. Andrews University in Scotland at age twelve. By fifteen, he began studying theology and at nineteen, he was preaching in a small church outside Edinburgh while also serving as an assistant to the Professor of Mathematics at St. Andrews. He wrote a pamphlet in those early years boasting that he could complete all his pastoral duties in two days, thereby providing more time for “uninterrupted leisure.” His sermons centered on the importance of being good and the value of moral attainments.
Thomas came to a crisis of faith at age thirty after nine years of frustrating ministry and a serious bout with tuberculosis. He realized the saving grace of Jesus Christ was the only true impetus to make lasting moral change. His journal described his spiritual awakening and new commitment, “O God, make me feel the firmness of the ground I tread upon, and enable me to give all my mind to Thy Word. Above all, may I never recede an inch from my Savior.”
Thomas adopted the daily practice of praying the Scriptures. He would meditate on a chapter of the Bible each day and compose prayers that flowed from the readings. He would then identify a “keystone verse” to carry with him through the day to shape his thoughts and prayers. He wrote a series of devotions from 1841-1846 that was published following his death. His book of Sabbath Scripture Readings offered reflections and prayers on every chapter of the New Testament as well as a considerable portion of the Old Testament. His first entry on Genesis 1 meditated on God as Creator and concluded with the prayer: