Daily Meditations for October

October 1

BLESSING GOD AS KING OVER ALL
Psalm 103:20-22

    With these words he began this Psalm, and with these same words he brings this Psalm to its close. In between he tells us why God must be blest. Actually he tells all creation to bless God. He writes: "Bless the Lord, ye angels that excel... Bless the Lord all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His. Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion." Psalm 103:20-22

    In verse 19 he told us why all creatures must bless Him.  He wrote: "His kingdom ruleth over all.  Here also we have the reason why he already in verse one had said, "Bless His holy name."  His name is God Over All! He rules and owns all things. Not only does He deserve to be blest, but He must be blest by all creation. The thinking, willing creatures, men and angels, must do so; and through them and their use of the other creatures which He gives to them, God must be blest.

    Take hold of that truth today and put it into practice more fully every day the rest of your life. Bless His name by saying in your actions as well as with your mouth that He is the one Who "ruleth over all" and is above all creation. Bless Him as God and as God alone.

    Sing our versification, but live that way as well:

    Established in the highest heavens
    The Lord has set His throne,
    And over all His kingdom rules, For He is God alone.
    Bless ye the Lord, all ye His works
    In His dominion broad,
    And, never ceasing, O my soul,
    Bless thou the Lord thy God.

    Created in the image of God man stands between God and the whole earthly creation and is able to speak to God.  He must use it all in the consciousness that it is God's and is given so that through man's soul it may return to God.  Every morning tell your soul to bless Him through the whole day that is before you.

Read: Psalm 148
Psalter versification: 279:1, 4
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 217
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Isaiah 62:6-12 ; Isaiah 63 ; Isaiah 64 ; Isaiah 65
Philippians 2:19-30 ; Philippians 3:1-3
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 24:13-14
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Quote for Reflection:

“Our Lord is doing the best thing for His Kingdom in going away. It was in the highest degree expedient that He should go, and that we should each one receive the Spirit. There is a blessed unity between Christ the King and the commonest soldier in the ranks. He has not taken His heart from us, nor His care from us, nor His interest from us: He is bound up heart and soul with His people, and their holy warfare, and this is the evidence of it, "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."  (Rev. 22:12)   -C. Spurgeon

October 2

HOPE FOR SPIRITUAL SAFETY
Psalm 119:113, 114

    Have you ever said, and do you dare to say, that you know more than God does? Did you ever think that He was wrong and you were right? Well, take hold of this truth before you say, No! Every time that you sin, you say by that deed that you know better than God does what is good and what is evil for you. You say that you are right and God is wrong in forbidding this and demanding that. Just look at Psalm 119:113, 114. We read, "I hate vain thoughts: but Thy law do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Thy word."

    Plainly anything contrary to God's law springs from vain thoughts. And our versification puts it this way:

    Deceit and falsehood I abhor
    But love Thy law, Thy truth revealed;
    My steadfast hope is in Thy word;
    Thou art my refuge and my shield;
    The paths of sin I have not trod,
    But kept the precepts of my God.

    Whenever we sin we are guilty of deceit and falsehood. We were created in the image of God. But it may reverently be said that when we sin, we look like the devil! We were created to walk in love to God; but when we sin, we manifest hatred toward Him.

    Bear in mind that it was the devil's vain thoughts that led us into sin. He made us believe that we could decide what is good and what is evil. And because of that fact we need a hiding place and shield, not merely from God's holy wrath, but from Satan's devilish power.

    As the psalmist did, put your hope in God's word for such protection. Adam tried to find safety by fig leaves instead of running unto God. We, who know the Word of God made flesh, Christ our Savior, must trust in Him. In Him we can safely hide; and He is a shield that will keep us safe from God's wrath and Satan's power.

    By all means, see Satan as your chief enemy, and realize how important it is to be shielded from his vain thoughts which he wants to implant and keep in your mind. Hope in God's word that presents Christ and His cross but also a new life of love to God by a rebirth.

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Isaiah 66:1-24
Philippians 3:4-21
Psalm 74:1-23
Proverbs 24:15-16
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Quote for Reflection:

Discipleship: “Take my yoke upon you…” (Matt. 11:29 a) For many of today’s supposed Christians—perhaps the majority—it is the case that while there is much talk about Christ and even much furious activity, there is actually very little following of Christ Himself. And that means in some circles there is very little genuine Christianity. Many who fervently call Him ‘Lord, Lord’ are not Christians (Matt. 7:21)... There are several reasons that the situation I have described is common in today’s church. The first is a defective theology that has crept over us like a deadening fog. This theology separates faith from discipleship and grace from obedience. It teaches that Jesus can be received as one’s Savior without being received as one’s Lord…  When Jesus used this image, he was saying that to follow Him was to submit to Him.  It was to receive Him as Lord of one‘s life.”  -J. Boice 

October 3

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS
Psalm 119:115-117

    A desire does not mean that one has the ability to do that which will fulfill it. One with a malignant tumor will want it removed; but he surely cannot do that himself. So the child of God, because of his new spiritual life, will want to be freed from Satan's power and to be able to keep God's law perfectly, and will say to the world, "Depart from me ye evil doers: for I will keep the commandments of my God." (Psalm 119:115)   But because he cannot make them depart, he prays to God: "Uphold me according to Thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto Thy statutes continually."  Psalm 119:116, 117.

    What we say then to the world, and to Satan the Prince of this world, must be in perfect harmony with our prayer to God. If we really want to walk in love to God, we must tell the world to depart from us. We cannot have fellowship with God and those who hate God.

    Join the world in its carnal entertainment and glorification of sin, and you do not mean it when you pray, "Let me not be ashamed of my hope." In Romans 1:32 Paul exposes the evil of having pleasure in them that have pleasure in sin.

    And the psalmist reveals a very important truth here. We must realize our complete dependency upon God for a righteous walk. Think that you can do that alone, and you do not really want to walk in love to God. And you do not really see how much Satan has you in his power.

    No, the child of God prays that God will hold him up. He sings, and in his song he prays:

    According to Thy gracious word
    Uphold me, Lord, deliver me;
    O do not let me be ashamed
    Of patient hope and trust in Thee;
    O hold Thou me, and I shall stand
    And ever follow Thy command.

    We are safe because we are upheld according to God's word. And that word assures us that we are safe in the arms of Jesus, Who blotted out our sins and now has all power in heaven and on earth to bring forth presently, and now keep, a perfect church to God's glory.

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 1 ; Jeremiah 2:1-30
Philippians 4:1-23
Psalm 75:1-10
Proverbs 24:17-20
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Quote for Reflection:

"If we do not prefer the Church to all other objects of our solicitude, we are unworthy of being accounted among her members."  -- John Calvin

October 4

AWESOME JUDGMENT AND SURE COMFORT
Psalm 119:118-120

    The child of God is safe. The wicked of the earth are not only in great danger, but shall most assuredly be punished everlastingly for their sins. Children of God sing that too in this versification:

    The froward Thou hast set at nought
    Who vainly wander from the right;
    The wicked Thou dost count as dross;
    Thy just decrees are my delight;
    For fear of Thee I stand in awe
    And reverence Thy most holy law.

    These words express the truth of Psalm 119:118-120 where we read: "Thou hast trodden down all them that err from Thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: Therefore I love Thy testimonies. My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy judgments."

    History is full of that truth. The wicked are trodden under foot by God. Think of the destruction of the whole human race, with the exception of eight souls, at the time of the flood in Noah's day. Recall what happened to Egypt when ten plagues were sent, and at the Red Sea. But in due time every wicked man dies. How true: "Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross."

    Is it any wonder then that the psalmist says that his flesh trembleth for fear of God and that he is afraid of God's judgments? But remember that in verse 117 he had prayed, "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe." It is understandable that he is afraid of God's judgments, and that his flesh trembleth for fear of God. However, there is no contradiction here.

    When the believer sees himself, he has reason to fear God for what He does to those whose sins were not blotted out by the blood of Christ.  The torment of hell is enough to make our flesh tremble when we think of it, and when we realize how often we fall into sin.

    But those who love God's testimonies, according to the new man in Christ implanted in them, can be sure that God will uphold them according to His word. Hold on to that word for its blessed comfort. God's judgment is awesome; but He gives us a sure comfort.

Read: Psalm 1
Psalter versification: 335:3
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 418
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 2:31-37 ; Jeremiah 3 ; Jeremiah 4:1-18
Colossians 1:1-17
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 24:21-22
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Quote for Reflections

 “How amazing also is the kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ towards us, who, notwithstanding his greatness, and our extreme insignificance, ‘is not ashamed to call us brethren!’  Truly infinite is the distance with regard to dignity between Christ and us—Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and us, who, considered in the most favorable light, are as persons ‘born out of due time.’”  ~ H. Witsuis

October 5

A HUMBLE AND NECESSARY CONFESSION
Psalm 119:121-124

    It might seem as though the psalmist began the sixteenth section of Psalm 119 in a proud, boastful way. In verse 121 be begins: "I have done judgment and justice." Is this not a boast of what he did?  And then in verse 123 he writes: "Mine eyes fail for Thy salvation, and for the word of Thy righteousness." Have we not here a proud boast of how pious and spiritual he is?

    Well, look carefully at verses 121-124. You will find in them five things that he wrote, which reveal that he speaks not in pride but in childlike humility before God. He writes: "Leave me not to mine oppressors. Be surety for Thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. Deal with Thy servant according to Thy mercy, and teach me Thy statutes." Or, as our versification presents this passage:

    I have followed truth and justice;
    Leave me not in deep distress;
    Be my help and my protection,
    Let the proud no more oppress.
    For Thy word and Thy salvation,
    Lord my eyes with longing fail;
    Teach Thy statutes to Thy servant,
    Let Thy mercy now prevail.

    When he speaks of what he did, and how he longs for salvation and God's word of righteousness, he is confessing what God wrought in him and not what he brought to God. Then too, twice he humbly confesses himself to be God's servant and expresses the desire to be taught by God.

    And what we ought to be taught here by God, Who used the psalmist to speak to us, is that we must confess unto God in song and prayer what He has done for us in His grace. Yes, when we sing, we should be singing to God. He wants to hear us confess what we have by His grace. He created us so that we could and would. And we must pray to God for protection not only from pain and persecution, but also from falling into sin. We must pray to God that He will teach us how in every circumstance of our lives we can walk in judgment and in justice.

    Not to be overlooked is also our calling to pray for our salvation and God's word of righteousness. We must long and pray for the day of salvation when Christ completes it and we walk in perfect righteousness.

Read: Psalm 119:121-136
Psalter versification: 336:1
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 404
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 4:19-31 ; Jeremiah 5 ; Jeremiah 6:1-15
Colossians 1:18-29 ; Colossians 2:1-7
Psalm 77:1-20
Proverbs 24:23-25
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Quote for Reflection:

When the Holy Spirit has been given to a man, “he inflames him to the love of God and of his neighbor.”  But while this flame of love sheds its light on all the faculties of the soul, its radiance is exercised particularly on the will….The divine ardor which emanates from it (charity, MD) rectifies the will and directs it toward what is good.  The will is so affected that it takes a genuine delight in what is good.  This (love) is “the movement of the soul toward the enjoyment of God for his own sake.”

    (Thomas Hand, quoting St. Augustine on “Prayer”) 

October 6

LOVE FOR GOD'S LAW
Psalm 119:127-128

    The humility of the psalmist manifests itself again in the last four verses of the sixteenth section of Psalm 119. For the third time in this section he calls himself God's servant. This time emphatically he confesses, "I am Thy servant." This truth he underscores when in verses 127, 128 he writes, "Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way."

    That is strong language! It is language of a faithful servant. And it is the reason why he prays, "Give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies." It also explains why he says that it is time for God to work. Seeing men all around him breaking God's law, which he loves, he is eager to have God put an end to all the evil he sees.

    Two questions arise here.  Does it hurt you when you see men working on the Sabbath, or pursuing their sports? Or do you find pleasure listening to and watching them desecrate the Sabbath? Another question: Is God's law more precious to you than earthly treasures? When a new job, or an increase in salary, brings you more gold, are you happy that you have greater means to support the preaching of God's word, to finance mission projects, to relieve the poor and to help spread the gospel by the printed page and air waves to a greater degree?

    What a gift of God's grace it is when we can sincerely sing:

    I am Thine, O give me wisdom
    Make me know Thy truth, I pray;
    Sinners have despised Thy statutes;
    Now, O Lord, Thy power display.
    Lord, I love Thy good commandments
    And esteem them more than gold;
    All Thy precepts are most righteous;
    Hating sin to these I hold.

    For all of us, no one excluded, this is a prayer we must present to God every day: "Give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies,"  We all have only a small beginning of a new life. That work of God we must want executed upon us, namely, a richer measure of the life Christ earned for us, so that God's commandments are loved by us above the finest gold.

Read: Matthew 5:27-48
Psalter versification: 336:2
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 179
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 6:16-30 ; Jeremiah 7 ; Jeremiah 8:1-7
Colossians 2:8-23
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 24:26
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Quote for Reflection:

… when he says that the coming of Christ would be intolerable, what is said is to be confined to the ungodly; for we know that nothing is more delightful and sweeter to us than when Christ is nigh us: though now we are pilgrims and at a distance from him, yet his invisible presence is our chief joy and happiness.       – Calvin’s Commentary ( Malachi 3)  

October 7

SAFE IN THE STORMS OF LIFE
Psalm 61:1,2

    When we are in serious trouble, there is the possibility of help, if we are near a phone by means of which we can contact one who is able to help us. And if the trouble is the rising waters of a flood that threaten to reach a level above our heads, we need to be lifted to a place where we can still breathe the oxygen we need for life.

    The child of God, when he exercises his faith in God, is never, no matter where he is, afraid that he cannot reach God. He believes that there is a high point where God will lift him above all that threatens his well-being and life.

    David, a child of God, expresses this in Psalm 61:1, 2 in these words: "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

    Here we have a prayer of confidence. Go where you will. Be at the end of the earth.  God is very near you. And you do not need to run to a phone. You could lose precious time that way, and help might come too late. You need not cry loudly to God, or even open your mouth to call Him. He knows your thoughts and the prayers in your soul.

    God has a Rock that keeps His sheep in absolute safety. That Rock is His Son Whom He lifted up upon His cross to blot out our guilt, and Who is now lifted to God's right hand with power over all things in heaven and on earth. Surely then the child of God is safe no matter where he is and what threatens his well-being. Our powerful enemy, Satan, is completely under Christ's control. Our sins, which call for everlasting agony in hell, will not touch us because of what Christ, our Rock of Refuge, suffered in our stead. We are absolutely safe from all that which would keep us from reaching and enjoying everlasting bliss and blessedness with Him in heavenly glory. We are safe in all the storms of life. Sing these words then:

    O God, regard my humble plea;
    I cannot be so far from Thee
    But Thou wilt hear my cry;
    When I by trouble am distressed,
    Then lead me on the Rock to rest
    That higher is than I.

Read: Psalm 61
Psalter versification: 159:1
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 188
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 8:8-22 ; Jeremiah 9:1-26
Colossians 3:1-17
Psalm 78:32-55
Proverbs 24:27
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Quote for Reflection:

… O how many children of God today are compromising, dwelling at Half-way House, and in consequence they are not worshippers. O that the Spirit of God may so work upon and within all of us that the language of our lives, as well as that of our hearts and lips, may be “Worthy is the Lamb”—worthy of whole-hearted consecration, worthy of unstinted devotion, worthy of that love which is manifested by keeping His commandments, worthy of real worship. May it be so for His name’s sake.   – Arthur Pink (Worship) 

October 8

A SURE REFUGE
Psalm 61:3-4

    Even in times of peace we need shelter and protection. There is the cold and heat that make life miserable. There are diseases that make us want something to keep them away from us. And surely in times of war, bomb shelters today are urgently needed.

    In Psalm 61:3-4 David speaks of troubles that call for help when he writes: "For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. Selah."

    Plainly past experiences have made it sure in David's mind that he is going to escape all that which would harm him in the future. And he reveals a firm conviction that he will reach heavenly glory. Believing it was God Who protected him in the past, he is sure of absolute protection in the future. Looking back he is sure of what is ahead of him.

    That is also true for us. We should never look forward without looking back at what God did in His Son long ago, and at what was written in His word before we were born. The whole history of His church from creation to the day of Pentecost reveals what we can expect in the remaining years of our lives and of this present creation. What God has done for His church also reveals what we are going to find, namely, that all is well; we are going to have refuge and safety, so that we can sing with confidence:

    In Thee my soul hath shelter found
    And Thou hast been from foes around
    The tower to which I flee,
    Within Thy house I will abide;
    My refuge sure, whate'er betide,
    Thy sheltering wings shall be.

    What comfort is there not in those words! God's faithfulness in the past assures us that the almighty, unchangeable God will take good care of us. When what lies ahead seems to threaten you, look back at what He did already for you. His Son He built as a high tower, a sure shelter for us. Even as He raised His Son, our exalted King, He will bring us there into His house, and is preparing our place.

Read: Daniel 6
Psalter versification: 159:2
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 237
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 10 ; Jeremiah 11:1-23
Colossians 3:18-35 ; Colossians 4:1-18
Psalm 78:56-72
Proverbs 24:28-29
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Quote for Reflection:

There is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for Thine own sake, whose joy Thou Thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee, for Thee; this it is, and there is no other. —The Confessions of St. Augustine (354-430) 

October 9

COMFORTING SIGNS
Psalm 61:5,6

    Signs are important in our lives. They are visible representations of invisible realities. Take the sign away, and those walking past the house will not know that it is for sale. Drive eastward on a one-way street whose sign, indicating that traffic may only go westward, has been taken away, and you may get into a serious accident.

    So there are signs that we are safe in God's care on the Rock that is higher than we are. There are signs that we are going to dwell with God in a most blessed life. Signs that we have been born again, and that we most assuredly do have a new life given to us by God in His grace.

    David speaks of such a sign in Psalm 61:5, 6 when he writes, "For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows: Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name. Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years for many generations."  Here David gives the reason for what he had said in the preceding verse, namely, that he would dwell in God's house forever, because he was safe under the shadow and shelter of God's wings. God is his tower and shelter from all his enemies. And according to verse eight his vow is to praise God's name. That God has enabled him to make that vow, and that He has given him the heritage, or inheritance which Christ earned for His elect children, are signs that we will abide in God's house with all its blessings. We sing it thus:

    For Thou, O God, my vows hast heard,
    On me the heritage conferred
    Of those that fear Thy name;
    A blest anointing Thou dost give,
    And Thou wilt ever make me live
    Thy praises to proclaim.

    Yes, today we also have signs from God. He made us fear His name, that is, believe in Him and His Son, This is a sign that we have been born again; and that in turn is a sign that we will inherit the kingdom the death of His Son realized for us.

    Do you find those signs in your life? Do you find that new life that makes you desire to praise God? In it He is speaking to you and telling you that what He says in His word in all its promises are His word to you.

Read: I John 5
Psalter versification: 159:3
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 381
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 12 ; Jeremiah 13 ; Jeremiah 14:1-10
1 Thessalonians 1 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 24:30-34
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Quote for Reflection:

Unto You…a Savior:  “Unto you, lowly and contrite, that have become conscious by the power of His grace of the darkness of your nature and the horror of your sin and the misery of being bound in the chains of death; unto you, who are filled with holy fear in the presence of the Lord and His glory; unto you, that are heavy laden and weary because of burdens of sin…  Unto you a Savior is born, which is Christ the Lord!”  -Herman Hoeksema

October 10

DIVINELY FORMED FOR DIVINE PRAISES
Psalm 61:7, 8

    On Mars Hill the apostle Paul stated the profound truth that in God we live and move and have all our being. That is true of every creature that lives and moves, but also of the inanimate creatures. They also have all their being in God.

    Although there are those who deny that all our spiritual living, moving, and being is in God, so it surely is. We do nothing spiritually good unless God gives us a new life with its strength. God does not invite spiritually dead men to "accept" Christ. A dead tree cannot bring forth fruit, and a spiritually dead person cannot want salvation.

    Listen to what David says in Psalm 61:7, 8: "He shall abide before God forever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto Thy name forever, that I may daily perform my vows."

    David had prophetically spoken of Christ, Who in the line of David's descendants would become the everlasting King. And it is in God's mercy and truth in Christ that we receive life, strength, and spiritual existence, so that we not only vow but keep the vows of praising God's name.

    Praise is important. God said in Isaiah 43:21, "This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise." We were made and saved so that God may be praised. And it all is God's work upon us. He does not foolishly wait for dead men to decide whether they want to be saved.

    If there is anything about which we ought to praise God it is that our salvation is one hundred percent His work in us. From the desire for it to the full enjoyment in the new Jerusalem, it is God's work that gives us all this. He makes us sing with joy in our souls:

    Before Thy face shall I abide;
    O God Thy truth and grace provide
    To guard me in the way;
    So will I make Thy praises known,
    And humbly bending at Thy throne,
    My vows will daily pay.

    Praise Him then as the one in Whom you live and move and have all your spiritual being.

Read: Ephesians 2
Psalter versification: 159:4
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the Heidelberg Catechism

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Song for Meditation: Psalter number 187
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Jeremiah 14:11-22 ; Jeremiah 15 ; Jeremiah 16:1-15
1 Thessalonians 2:9-20 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 25:1-5
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Quote for Reflection:

… In heaven alone is known the number of times God’s people have turned to God’s Word in all the sorrows and sufferings and have found peace. Scripture is the cooling fountain of an oasis in the desert of this life, from which God’s people have drunk deeply and longingly to quench their parched souls.

The words of Theodore Beza to the Duke of Guise, though referring to Christ’s church, can be applied to the senseless and wicked attacks on Scripture by the higher critics: “Sire, I would have you know that it is an anvil which has worn out many an hammer.”                                        -H. Hanko – June 2006 SB