A Daily Devotional

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The Unfailing Presence (#19950518)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (Genesis 28:15).

This is the first of many promises of God’s unfailing presence with those who trust Him. The words of our text were spoken to Jacob on his flight from the unwarranted wrath of Esau. Those expositors who accuse Jacob of fraud when he secured the birthright promised to him by God before his birth (Genesis 25:23) should note that God never rebuked Jacob, but instead promised His perpetual protecting presence.

Note also His promise to Joshua: “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5). There is also His promise to His chosen people, Israel: “For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people” (I Samuel 12:22).

There are many other such assurances in the Scriptures. One that especially reveals God’s heart is Isaiah 41:17: “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”

The most precious of all, however, is the assurance to all New Testament believers that “I will never [literally ‘never, never, never’] leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Paul teaches after an exhausting list of possibilities that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). “Lo, I am with you alway,” Jesus said, “even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). HMM

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Men Can Be Like Animals (#19950519)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Men have not evolved from animals; we have all been specially created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27). However, we often seem to “devolve” into animalistic behavior. As our text says, all of us are like stupid sheep, going our own way instead of God’s way. “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider” (Isaiah 1:3).

With some men it is even worse. The hypocritical Pharisees were compared by Christ to “a generation of vipers” (Matthew 23:33) and “false prophets” to “ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

Apostate teachers in Christian churches are even worse than false prophets and hypocrites, for they teach their lies in the name of Christ. As Peter says: “It is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (II Peter 2:22). In fact, He says they are “as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed” who must eventually “perish in their own corruption” (II Peter 2:12).

Now the dog and the sow, the sheep and the ox—even the viper—are just natural brute beasts, and their behaviors are instinctive, not volitional. But when men or women choose to behave like animals, they deserve the fate of animals. Many even claim an animal ancestry through evolutionary development to justify gross animalistic behavior, which, of course, has its own fitting reward. Nevertheless the Lord Jesus Christ has become “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and “the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” so that He “taketh away the sin of the world.” HMM

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War A Good Warfare (#19950520)
by John Morris, Ph.D.
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (I Timothy 1:18,19).

Paul had been entrusted with the gospel of Jesus Christ by Christ Himself (vv.1,12–16), and he did not take this fact lightly when it was time to pass on the job of guarding and propagating the truth to others.

In our text, following his praise to God for giving him such a function, Paul now “charges” Timothy to follow in his footsteps. The word “commit” finds usage in banking vocabulary and implies a deposit of something of great value. Timothy was to continue to teach the valuable, life-changing truth of the gospel in love (v.5) while guarding the flock against the teaching of false teachers (v.3).

Paul had not found such a responsibility to be easy. In our text he reminds Timothy of this fact, encouraging him to “war a good warfare.” Note the two weapons of Timothy’s warfare mentioned here. First, faith, which, while not specified, certainly implies faith in God and Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and faith that this cause is just and right. Second, a good conscience, yielding a life and ministry free from both controlling sin and the guilt of that sin. Such a conscience comes from a lifestyle brought into submission to God’s word. In fact, this couplet—faith and a good conscience—is said to be “the end of the commandment” (v.5), along with love.

Some (v.19) had abandoned these vital weapons to the “shipwreck” of their own faith and the faith of their followers. Nevertheless, such weapons, properly used, are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (II Corinthians 10:4). JDM

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Pitch It (#19950521)
by John Morris, Ph.D.
“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch” (Genesis 6:14).

The flood of Noah’s day was an unthinkable time of judgment of the sin of mankind (vv.5–7, 17, etc.), far outside the realm of our experience (9:11). In preparation for this devastating flood, Noah was to cover the ark both inside and out (and possibly even impregnate the wood) with pitch. This may have been a resinous sap, the residue of heating wood without allowing it to burn, an animal-derived glue, or some other concoction designed with the purpose of making the ark safe for its occupants. (An additional purpose may have been to help preserve the remains of the ark to the present day, and that one day it will be rediscovered; but that is as yet conjecture.) Those on board the ark were, to a great degree, kept safe from the waters of the judgment by the action of the pitch.

Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word translated “pitch” is translated elsewhere as “atonement.” Consider the following verse: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement [pitch] for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement [pitch] for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

Such varied translation may at first seem unusual, but note the wonderful analogy. Just as those inside the ark were protected by the pitch from the judgment outside, so the one who believes may now escape the judgment of sin by the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, through faith in its atoning power.

“Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. . . . by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:9,11). JDM

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Instant Creation (#19950522)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created” (Psalm 148:5).

Certain Christian intellectuals today are promoting the concept of what they call “process creation,” a euphemism for theistic evolution This is a contradiction in terms, however, for creation, by definition, is supernatural and instantaneous. The Bible makes this plain.

Our text is in one of the beautiful “hallelujah” psalms in which the entire creation is exhorted to praise the Lord. The sun, moon, and all the heavens are included, and then the testimony of our text is given. As soon as God commanded, they were created, not over long ages, but immediately. God said “Let there be . . .” and it was so.

This is made especially emphatic in the 33rd psalm: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. . . . For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6,9). This is also the testimony in the great “faith” chapter, Hebrews 11. The very first object of faith is the following: “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). That is, the things which are seen (sun, moon, stars, etc.) were not made out of preexisting materials (things which appear), but by the spoken word of God.

There is not any need at all to compromise either God’s omnipotence or His inerrant word by such devices as theistic evolution, progressive creation, or process creation, for no natural “process” could ever generate the complex and beautifully organized systems of the creation. Compromising evangelical scientists and theologians who are intimidated by the ungodly philosophy of evolution should be corrected, not accommodated. HMM

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Blood (#19950523)
by John Morris, Ph.D.
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18,19).

The concept of blood is a profound one in Scripture, and without a sound understanding of the importance of blood, our faith will falter. Let us look at some of the important passages dealing with this foundational concept and the message for us in each case.

The first mention of blood occurs at the murder of Abel. God said to Cain, “What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10). Blood was shed in the death of Abel, and yet it cried out for vengeance. Here blood stands for guilt and death.

While blood may stand for death, it also stands for life, and indeed it is necessary for life. “For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh” (Leviticus 17:14). Medical science has, of course, recognized this Biblical teaching as true.

While the blood also explains the difference between life and death in a physical sense, it speaks even more eloquently in an eternal sense, as foreshadowed by the spreading of the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the Israelites’ door posts prior to their exodus from Egypt. “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you” (Exodus 12:13). The ultimate fulfillment of this token, as in our text, assures us that we are “redeemed . . . with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Praise God! Blood stands for salvation. JDM

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Abide (#19950524)
by John Morris, Ph.D.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4,5).

As recorded in John 14–16, much of Christ’s last words to His disciples as He was about to leave them regarded abiding. The word meno occurs 18 times in this discourse and is translated not only abide, but also remain, dwell, continue, and be present. Let us look at what He told them about abiding while He was “yet present” (14:25) with them.

First: “the Father . . . dwelleth in me” (14:10), “I am in the Father, and the Father in me” (v.11). That is, they are one and the same, inseparably abiding together, giving great power to those believing on Him (v.12).

Furthermore, the very Spirit of God, the “Comforter” will “abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive . . . ; but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (vv.16,17). “I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (v.20).

Abiding in Him, as we see in our text and in verse 7 (as opposed to the tragic end of those who “abide not” [v.6]), brings forth much fruit, and that fruit shall “remain” (v.16).

There is one requirement—that we keep His commandments (14:23 and 15:10), and if we do so, we will “continue” and “abide” in His love (vv.9,10). “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (v.11).

Not only are we to abide while in this world, but throughout eternity. “In my Father’s house are many mansions [same root word, meaning abiding places]: . . . I will come again, and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also” (14:2,3). JDM

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Our Hope (#19950525)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope” (I Timothy 1:1).

Paul, in his opening salutation to Timothy, makes it clear that the Christian’s hope is not just in Christ, but is Christ! In the New Testament, the term “hope” does not refer to some vague wish, but to a confident expectation of something (or someone) sure to come. It focuses especially on the promised return of Christ to complete His great work of redemption.

It is specifically called the blessed hope: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). It is also a living hope, for God the Father “hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3).

Furthermore, since Christ is our hope, it is a saving hope. “For we are saved by hope” (Romans 8:24). It is a glorious and joyful hope. It recognizes the present truth of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), so that we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).

It is not a blind hope but a reasonable hope, one founded on solid evidence, and every believer must “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (I Peter 3:15).

Finally, this hope of the imminent coming of Christ, when at last “we shall be like Him,” is a purifying hope, for “every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (I John 3:2,3). It also is a stabilizing hope, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast” (Hebrews 6:19). In every way, God “hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace” (II Thessalonians 2:16). HMM

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He Is Able (#19950526)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

Despite man’s arrogant pride, he is utterly unable to save himself or to make himself acceptable to God. Neither is he able to keep himself saved nor, above all, is he able to defeat sin and conquer death.

But God is able! The word “able” (Greek dunamai) is closely related to the word for “power” (Greek dunamis), both speaking of God’s spiritual dynamics. He is all powerful, His ability is without limit, and His power “works in us”!

Therefore, “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him” (Hebrews 7:25). Because the gospel of Christ is the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16), God “is of power to stablish you according to my gospel” (Romans 16:25).

Even when great troubles and sorrows and temptations come, He is able. “For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). He “is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).

In fact, He is able to meet every need of our lives and even to use us in His service. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (II Corinthians 9:.

Finally, “He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (II Timothy 1:12). That day will surely come, but then He will give us bodies of glory, for “He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Philippians 3:21). HMM

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Broken Cisterns (#19950527)
by Kenneth B. Cumming, Ph.D.
“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13).

Jeremiah was called to warn the people “that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain” (v.5). In spite of God’s provision and obvious leading the people of Israel lost their way and drifted into idolatry “But when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit” (vv.7,8).

Our text informs us of two mistakes. First, while drifting away from God, they forgot their source of life. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). In like manner we frequently forget our source. “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water” (John 4:10).

Secondly, the people stored precious resources in leaky vessels. They worked hard, but in vain. “Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things, Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things” (Deuteronomy 28:47,48). Are we found thirsting after righteousness? Are we storing our works in heavenly places? Or have we joined those who are defiling His land and heritage? KBC

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Creation And United Prayer (#19950528)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
“And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is” (Acts 4:24).

When Christians can unite in acknowledging God as true omnipotent Creator (as did the early disciples), then they can pray in confidence, in spite of all the “threatenings” of those who are “gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ” (Acts 4:26,29). The God who called the infinite cosmos into existence with all its creatures can easily handle those who would seek to thwart His will.

But Christians do not speak with one accord today, even on this most basic of all truths, the fact of creation. Instead, many choose to dissemble and equivocate and compromise, inventing such self-contradictory concepts as theistic evolution, progressive creation, process creation, and such like, wistfully seeking approval from those who deny that the God of the Bible created all things and thereby doing great harm to the faith of many. Like the men-pleasers of old, who “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43), they seek academic approval rather than Biblical authority and scientific factuality. Being of one accord with the intellectual establishment carries more weight than unity with Christian brethren who believe the Bible means what it says.

Nevertheless, when the Christians in any given place do pray with one accord, united on the basic truth of special creation as the foundation of all other truth, then the results will be as it was for the disciples cited in our text. “And when they had prayed . . . they spake the word of God with boldness . . . and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:31,33). There can be no real Christian unity until there is one accord on the foundation of Christian unity. HMM

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Courage And Strength (#19950529)
by Connie J. Horn
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).

There are two prerequisites for a strong heart. One is waiting on the Lord, the other is to be of good courage. Waiting on the Lord is the joyful expectation of the just resolution of all things. To be of “good courage” can also be translated to “become mighty.” Moses taught this same principle: “Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong” (Deuteronomy 11:. This courage is exhibited by Joab: “Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in His sight” (I Chronicles 19:13).

We become courageous because we base our motives and actions on God’s word, we act courageously on behalf of our families and those we love, and we commit the results to God as He strengthens our heart. It is one of the paradoxes of Scripture that we become courageous because we obey God’s word, and it takes courage to obey God’s word. God gave this charge to Joshua: “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law” (Joshua 1:7). This courageousness is the same Hebrew word as the “strong heart” of our text verse. The word means to fasten upon and is best illustrated by Ruth’s pledge to Naomi. The Bible says Ruth was “steadfastly minded to go with her” (Ruth 1:18).

When God strengthens our heart, He establishes within us a determination that He is indeed worthy of our trust and devotion. He says to us: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). CJH

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A Good Warfare (#19950530)
by John Morris, Ph.D.
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (I Timothy 1:18,19).

We find in our text for today Paul’s commission to his young disciple Timothy. As any pastor today knows, shepherding a flock is a most difficult task, and opportunities for discouragement and defeat are many.

The word “charge” is a military term, a command from one in authority. The same word was used in verses three and five regarding the teaching of the truth in love and opposing any form of false teaching. Paul reinforces the charge here, reminding Timothy that the truth committed unto Paul by Christ was now being entrusted to him. Such a responsibility must have been expected by Timothy, for it had been prophesied of him (I Timothy 4:14).

“War a good warfare,” Paul charged, using a verb tense implying the war would be an ongoing one. Paul knew from experience the vicious nature of the enemy and the brutal nature of the fighting. Of course the battle would not just be between Timothy and false teachers, this would be only symptomatic of the great conflict of the ages between the forces of evil and the forces of light.

Notice the two tools at the good warrior’s disposal. First, he must hold on to sound “faith.” Such faith is the result of the truth taught in love (v.5). Our faith is well founded, for our commander has assurred us of ultimate victory. He is just, and our cause is a just cause. We also need “a good conscience,” unencumbered by unconfessed sin or unmended relationships. We must be obedient in all respects to the teaching of God’s word. To abandon these weapons leaves us open to “shipwreck.” JDM

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A Mighty Putdown (#19950531)
by Kenneth B. Cumming, Ph.D.
“He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree” (Luke 1.52).

In the midst of Mary’s song of praise to the Lord in Luke 1:46–55, she presents the state of believers everywhere at various times during their lives. There are moments of great joy, such as this awareness of the baby Jesus that will soon be hers to hold and nourish. And then there are occasions of great decision when the enemies of God are persecuting the saints. The latter is occurring in many places even as this is being written. What is our hope under such circumstances? It is to remember. Remember the strong arm of the Lord that delivers and saves, “For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation” (vv.49,50).

What a comfort to know that He scatters the proud. How they design and scheme to destroy God’s chosen ones. In their evil imaginations they boldly declare there is no God, and they boast that they are a measure unto themselves. How foolish that a man would huff and puff until his confidence rests in the seat of his office. Yet, our verse declares that “He hath put down the mighty from their seats.” Our dilemma is short lived, but His mercy goes on generation after generation.

Looking up from the depths of a defeat at the hands of opposers, one wonders when will God exalt them of low degree? When will He fill the hungry and empty the rich (v.53)? One answer is when we have exhausted our responsibilities, then it’s up to God to carry through. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). KBC

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Take Heed (#19950601)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you” (Mark 13:5).

In the account of Christ’s great prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives, as recorded in Mark chapter 13, the Lord Jesus warns us no less than four times to “take heed!” This fourfold admonition (Mark 13:5,9,23,33) must be important and demands our attention!

First of all, our text warns us not to be deceived by human claims of spiritual authority and prophetic insights, for there would come many deceptive teachers claiming to be the returning Christ. When Christ does return, all His saints will know beyond question, for they shall all “meet the Lord in the air” (I Thessalonians 4:17).

His second warning tells us to be prepared for persecutions (Mark 13:9), for “in the world ye shall have tribulation” and “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (John 16:33; II Timothy 3:12).

His third admonition warns of false christs and false prophets who will even “shew signs and wonders” (Mark 13:22,23). Many will be deceived unless they remember that neither prophecies nor exorcisms nor other wonderful works suffice for acceptance by Christ, if those who perform them are “work(ers of) iniquity” (Matthew 7:22,23).

The fourth “take heed” is a sober warning against trying to predict the time of His return. “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is” (Mark 13:33). Such a warning is pointless if certain prophesied events must take place first, for then there would be no need to watch for Him. In the same discourse, as reported by Luke, Jesus gave a final such warning, speaking of this very danger. “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares” (Luke 21:34). HMM