A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Keeping The Law (#19940501)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).

The law of God, centered in the Ten Commandments, is “holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12) and expresses perfectly the will of God for holy living. “The man that doeth them shall live in them” (Galatians 3:12).

The problem is that no man can possibly do them all. A man may keep most of the commandments most of the time, but he will inevitably fail in some of them some of the time. Since the law is a divine unit, breaking any commandment—as our text reminds us—breaks the whole law, bringing the guilty one under God’s curse of death. “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10). “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20).

All men, having sinned against God’s law, are therefore lost and in urgent need of salvation. This is where God’s wonderful grace comes in. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, . . . Even the righteousness . . . which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Romans 3:21,22), “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). He kept the law for us, and bore its curse for us: Thus we are saved through trusting Him.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (Romans 6:1,2). We now desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (I John 5:3). We are now able to keep them, because His Spirit now lives in us, and we are “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). HMM

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The Rest Is Yet To Come (#19940502)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9).

This has long been a favorite verse of those who labor. Many employees may work a five or six day week, but mothers work seven days. Missionaries and people in special ministries are often heard to say that, while they never grow tired of the work, they do get weary in the work, for the needs seem so great that they dare not stop even for a day.

The Lord knew His people would need rest, of course, and so ordained a weekly day of rest. In fact, the only reason He took six days to do the work of creation was to set the pattern for man’s six-day work week (Exodus 20:8–11). Yet Jesus also indicated it is still “lawful to do well on the sabbath days” (Matthew 12:12), and the Scriptures command us to be always “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16), so it is often difficult for concerned Christians to find the time for needed rest, even on the “sabbath days,” let alone an annual vacation.

Our text verse seems to have a threefold application. The word for “rest” is actually the special word for “sabbath rest,” used only this one time in the New Testament, evidently indicating that the weekly rest day (like each of the other laws in the Ten Commandments) is still a divine principle in the Christian dispensation, and violating it is to our detriment. It also refers, in context, to the rest we find in Christ, “For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:10).

There is surely also a most comforting application for our future life: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: . . . that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them” (Revelation 14:13). HMM

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Creation Is Self (#19940503)
by Steven A. Austin, Ph.D.

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19,20).

The first sentence of the Declaration of Independence signed by the founders of the United States on July 4, 1776, says: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created. . . .” The founding fathers of America were keen observers of nature, and they believed the earth and life to express the self-evident handiwork of the Creator.

Paul claims that knowledge of God is evident to men being “manifest in them,” and that truth is the invisible character of God plainly displayed in creation. After teaching that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), Paul says that the word has been heard by all men. “Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” (v.18), quoting Psalm 19:4. The message has “no speech nor language” and the “voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:3). That self-evident truth is creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork” (v.1).

Elsewhere, Paul speaks of the “hope of the gospel” which during Paul’s day “was preached (in) every creature which is under heaven” [the word “in,” rather than “to,” is the correct translation] (Colossians 1:23). This is a self-evident message, for the gospel had not been preached orally to everyone in the world.

We should give thanks and glorify God for this message in the creation around and in us, noting that those who were not thankful and did not glorify God are referred to as “foolish” (Romans 1:21) and “without excuse.” SAA

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Creation Understood By Faith (#19940504)
by Steven A. Austin, Ph.D.

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).

The epistle to the Hebrews contains the important statement that “the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38). As a central theme of Hebrews, living faith is awarded a prominent place in its own chapter (Hebrews 11). No other New Testament book contains such a compelling summary of practical applications of faith in the lives of so many saints.

The first tenet of living faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 is in reference to creation. We are told that it is “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (v.3). This statement about the centrality of faith in respect to understanding creation might seem to be contradictory, for there is an undeniable message about God’s character in the created universe for which men are held “without excuse” (Romans 1:20), and faith with regard to creation is not required; it is proved and “manifest in them” (v.19).

The answer to this apparent contradiction is that the author of Hebrews is communicating how God created (“by the word of God”), which can be understood only by faith. Paul is relating the fact that God created (creation was by a Being with “eternal power and Godhead” [v.20]), which is a self-evident fact.

Our natural way of thinking and reasoning about how God created would be that creation was out of “things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3), as “all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (II Peter 3:4). However, we have the historical record in Genesis 1, telling us it was spoken into existence at God’s command, and did not evolve from preexisting materials by presently observable processes. “For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9). SAA

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From The Beginning (#19940505)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (I John 3:11).

The pungent phrase “from the beginning” occurs no less than nine times in the first three chapters of the little epistle of I John. Thus, while in one sense, Christ’s command to love one another was a new commandment, in another sense it has been with us from the very beginning of the world. “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning” (I John 2:7).

That this beginning is the same beginning as in Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 is shown in the very first verses of John’s epistle: “That which was from the beginning, . . . of the word of life, . . . that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us” (I John 1:1,2). Note also I John 2:13: “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning” (see also I John 2:14).

“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father” (I John 2:24). This is an eternal commandment, for “God is love” (I John 4:16) and “love is of God” (I John 4:7). In the upper room, Jesus prayed to the Father: “Father . . . thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. . . . and I have declared unto them thy name, . . . that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them” (John 17:24,26).

Love, therefore, has been at the center of God’s plan from the beginning, but a new pattern and measure of that love was given us by Christ. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). HMM

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Moses And The Shining Face (#19940506)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand . . . that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him” (Exodus 34:29).

Moses had been alone with God forty days and forty nights, simply communing with God and receiving the tables with the Ten Commandments. When he finally descended, the glory of God so radiated from him that the people could not bear to look at his face, and he had to wear a veil even to speak to them.

The council of Jewish leaders had a similar experience as they interrogated Stephen concerning his Christian testimony: “And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15).

None of us today ever seem to exhibit such glowing faces, nor is anyone likely to mistake us for an angel. But perhaps this is because we have not spent the time in His presence that Moses did; nor preached the word in the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit, as Stephen did. Nevertheless, we should have a different countenance than before we met the Lord. Men should be able to say of us as it was said of Peter and John: “They marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

In fact, God even promises that this will be so to the extent that we spend time in His word, which itself is alive with the light of His glory. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Corinthians 3:18). May God enable us, therefore, to be “holding forth the word of life,” even “in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15,16). HMM

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To And Fro; Up And Down (#19940507)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” (Job 1:7).

This remarkable scene in heaven provides us a striking picture of Satanic activity. The devil, in his opposition to God and His program of salvation, evidently never rests. He is not omnipresent, like God, because he is a finite (though very powerful and brilliant) created being. To accomplish his goal, therefore, he is never at rest, but keeps going from place to place and working deception after deception, bringing everyone he can under his influence.

Therefore, God urgently warns us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:.

The same is true of the demonic spirits who have followed the devil in his rebellion against God. They never rest until they can take possession of some person’s body and mind and then control that person’s behavior. “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out” (Matthew 12:43,44).

This restlessness that characterizes the devil and his demons often also manifests itself in the unsaved, and this will be the ultimate state of those who yield to the pressures of these evil spirits. “They have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:11).

True rest of soul is found only in Christ, with His forgiveness and cleansing and guidance. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28,29). HMM

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A Mother's Hands (#19940508)
by Connie J. Horn

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1).

Proverbs has many instructions concerning what to do and what not to do with our hands. A “little folding of the hands” brings poverty and want (6:10). “A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend” (17:18). Hands that “refuse to labor” are slothful hands (21:25). “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich” (10:4). “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute” (12:24). “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth” (30:32). “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it” (3:27).

Note especially the hands of the mother in Proverbs 31: “She . . . worketh willingly with her hands” (v.13); “with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard” (v.16); “she layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff” (v.19); “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy” (v.20).

The Hebrew word translated “plucketh” in our text means to pull down, or to destroy. It is used in a warlike sense to pull down the wall of a city and destroy it utterly.

Particularly significant is the fact that the Lord hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (6:17). A mother may do many things with her hands that either further or hinder her family’s service for the Lord Jesus Christ. But the plucking down of her house, or its utter destruction, comes when she refuses the children that God has given to build an ongoing testimony. “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward” (Psalm 127:3). CJH

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The Christian's Position (#19940509)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).

The search for identity and meaning can drive one to great successes or tragic failures. For the Christian, however, the question is answered throughout Ephesians.

We are chosen! We are selected as a favorite out of “many (who) are called” (Matthew 22:14) “out of the world” (John 15:19). What a privilege! We are God’s choice to bear His name, represent His cause, and share His glory throughout eternity.

In fact, we are “predestinated [previous boundaries set] . . . unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself” (Ephesians 1:5). And “if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

Furthermore, we have been “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). That word, “accepted,” is a specialized form of the word most often translated “grace.” We have been “graced” by almighty God, who has set absolute boundaries around our lives, and made us His children. We were purchased “through His blood” (Ephesians 1:7) “that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar [that is, ‘precious’] people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).

Moreover, we are forgiven! (Ephesians 1:7). Our sins are “covered” (Psalm 32:1), “cast” behind God’s back (Isaiah 38:17); removed “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12); “remembered . . . no more” (Jeremiah 31:34); and cleansed “from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

Hallelujah! Since we are God’s children, we should have no identity crisis. We are a chosen, predestined, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, and holy people. Finally, we are predestined “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). HMM

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Meditation in the Morning


"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up" (Psalm 5:3).

Bible study, meditation on the Word, and prayer are necessities for a healthy Christian life and are good to practice at any time of the day or night, according to the constraints of time and responsibilities of each individual. Other things being equal, however, the best time of all is in the early morning. A believer who awakens each morning to the voice of the Lord in His Word will, in turn, be ready to speak words of blessing to others through the day (Isaiah 50:4). And as we, in turn, look up to Him each morning in prayer, He will hear and direct our steps through the day.

This was the example set by the Lord Jesus Himself: "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" (Mark 1:35). If even Jesus Christ needed such a quiet time early in the morning set aside to fellowship with His Father, we also would do well to follow.

Note the prayer of David: "Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee" (Psalm 143:. We urgently need to know the way we should walk each day, for it is so easy to get turned aside into our own ways, and the obvious time to pray for guidance is at the very beginning of every day.

One should not make a legalistic ritual of prayer and Bible meditation, of course, for it should come from a heart of love whenever and wherever it can be done, whether morning or evening; whether in a solitary place or a crowded street. However it may work for each person, may God help us to say with the psalmist: "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).

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Never Alone


"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up" (Psalm 27:10).

There may be more people alive today than ever before, but there are also more lonely people today than ever before--divorced spouses, homeless street people, many elderly parents and, perhaps saddest of all, orphaned or abandoned children. These and many others are still alone, even in a crowded world.

No one, though, was ever so alone as the Lord Jesus on the cross. "Behold, the hour cometh," He had said, "yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me" (John 16:32). Then, only a few hours later, as He hung on the cross, even His heavenly Father had to leave Him, and He cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). He died alone, bearing the burden of all the sin of all the world on His soul.

But because He suffered alone, no one else need ever be alone again. "Be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). The apostle Paul, suffering alone in a Roman dungeon shortly before his execution, could still say: "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me" (II Timothy 4:17). John the beloved, old and imprisoned alone on the tiny isle of Patmos, nevertheless "was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:10) and then saw the Lord in all His glory. So it has always been with those who know the Lord, for He is there, even when all others have forsaken them, and He understands. He has already been there ahead of us, "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16).

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The Christian's Purpose (#19940510)
by Henry Morris III, Th.D.

“. . . that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).

In the grand purpose of our “selection” into God’s family, two key words are used:

“Holy” (Greek, hagios) stresses dedication. A holy man or woman is distinctively God’s, set apart for God’s use; separated from the secular, and consecrated to God’s service. All who are “chosen” are chosen to be holy.

The Colossian Christians were told to “mortify” the physical appetites, to “put off” their sinful mental attitudes and habits, and to “put on the new man . . . as the elect of God, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:5–12). The focus is character.

“Without blame” refers to our reputations. This character will only be fully realized in heaven (I Corinthians 1:, but there is a present responsibility to “present your bodies a living sacrifice. . . . And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind . . .” (Romans 12:1,2).

The character of holiness will become the cause of a lifestyle of blamelessness. We are to be the “sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

This holy and blameless condition will result in “the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:6) where God will someday “gather together in one, all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).

What a magnificent thought! The purpose for which we have been chosen, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven is to be holy in character and blameless in reputation, so that when God gathers us all together in Christ, we will be the praise of the glorious grace of God! HMM III

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The Christian's Prosperity (#19940511)
by Henry Morris III, Th.D.

“. . . who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Given our high position in Christ, it follows that God would provide whatever is necessary to accomplish His purposes in and for us.

The “Beatitudes” of Matthew 5:3–12 provide a good illustration. Each “blessing” is designed to meet a need or fulfill a desire of God’s “chosen” (Ephesians 1:4). The poor, meek, and persecuted are given ownership in the kingdom. The mournful are given God’s special comfort. Those who hunger for righteousness are filled. The merciful will obtain mercy, the pure in heart will see God, and the peacemakers are identified as God’s children. The longings of our souls and characters are all met by God.

The practical needs of “wisdom and prudence” are met, too (Ephesians 1:. Wisdom is knowledge focused toward useful application, and prudence is the ability to develop successful activities based on wisdom. The word of God is the source of wisdom (Deuteronomy 4:1–6; Proverbs 1:1–6) and is inspired of God to be “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16,17).

Furthermore, He has “made known unto us the mystery of His will” (Ephesians 1:9). “Kept secret” in the days of the Old Testament prophets (Romans 16:25,26), it is now made clear to us so that we can show “. . . unto the principalities and powers . . . by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10). These spiritual resources are available for every believer “to profit withal” (I Corinthians 12:7). We must pray that we do not waste these resources like the “wicked and slothful” servant in the parables of the talents and the pounds (Matthew 25:26; Luke 19:22). HMM III

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The Christian's Permission (#19940512)
by Henry Morris III, Th.D.

“. . . wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

The High Priest of Israel wore the inscription “Holiness to the LORD” to illustrate to all who obeyed God that they were “accepted before the LORD” (Exodus 28:36–38).

Joshua, as a type of all believers, was granted “places to walk” in the courts of God (Zechariah 3:7). Christ’s disciples were commanded to “ask” the Father for “whatsoever,” since they were chosen and ordained to “bring forth fruit” (John 15:16). We have permission to “ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

But there is more! Not only are we accepted, we are “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13), an “earnest [down payment, deposit] of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14). We are “stablished . . . anointed . . . sealed” (II Corinthians 1:21,22).

We are “confirmed” in everything (I Corinthians 1:4–8), consecrated and sanctified to serve (Exodus 28:41; I John 2:27), and given the “earnest of the Spirit” (II Corinthians 5:5) to empower our ministry.

The Holy Spirit does His work through a three-fold ministry in our lives. He will work on Christ’s behalf, through our witness, to bring conviction to those not yet in Christ (John 16:7–11). He will also minister to us as the teacher of our spirits to guide us into all truth (John 16:13; 14:17,26; 15:26).

Furthermore, the wisdom, prudence, and knowledge of God are revealed to us through His work in us (I Corinthians 2:9,10). All that is necessary for our “effectual working” (Ephesians 3:7) is “graced” to us so that we can “work out (our) salvation” (Philippians 2:12). We are “complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10). HMM III

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The Christian's Possibility (#19940513)
by Henry Morris III, Th.D.

“. . . may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened . . .” (Ephesians 1:17,18).

The “spirit of wisdom” is applied to a wide variety of circumstances. It certainly includes leadership (Deuteronomy 34:9).

But wisdom is also identified with the ability to make beautiful clothing (Exodus 28:3) and to engineer and invent complex equipment (Exodus 31:2–6). Daniel was said to have “an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts” (Daniel 5:12). We are even promised that our “adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist” (Luke 21:15).

A “spirit of revelation” is also made available to us. This revelation (literally, “to take off the cover”) is not new doctrine or truth. Revelation is implemented by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:10), having the source of His revelatory work from Jesus Christ on behalf of Christ (John 16:13–15).

The Greek language of the phrase, “the eyes of (our) understanding being enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18), could be translated, “the vision of your deep thought will be made to shine” . . . or paraphrased in a more colloquial expression, “the light comes on!”

There are three specific enlightenments cited here: the hope of our calling (see Romans 15:13,14), the riches of the glory of our inheritance (Romans 11:33–36), and the exceeding greatness of His power exercised on our behalf (Ephesians 3:20; 6:10). Each of these three are specifically designed by God to undergird our faith and embolden our confidence, even though we are “strangers and pilgrims on earth” (Hebrews 11:13). HMM III