A Daily Devotional

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The Day Of Visitation

“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (I Peter 2:12).

This unique expression, “in the day of visitation,” based on a surprising use of the Greek word episkope, occurs one other time in such a way, when Christ wept over Jerusalem, and pronounced its coming judgment. “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. . . . Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:42,44).

Now this word, episkope, and its derivatives, are usually translated as “bishop,” “office of a bishop,” or “bishopric,” and it seems strange at first that it could also mean “visitation.” However, its basic meaning is “overseer,” or “oversight,” and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is really the “Shepherd and Bishop of (our) souls” (I Peter 2:25), as well as that of nations and, indeed, every aspect of every life.

As a bishop or pastor (“shepherd”) is responsible for the “oversight” of his local church, or flock, so Christ is “that great shepherd of the sheep,” the true “bishop of our souls,” the overseer of all people in every age and nation. In His great plan of the ages, the Jews, and then the Gentiles, each have been entrusted with a time of “visitation,” or “oversight,” of God’s witness to the world. Sadly, the Jews “knew not the time of (their) visitation” (Luke 19:44) and, as for Judas, the Lord had to say “(their) bishopric let another take” (Acts 1:20).

Now, in God’s providence, it is the time of Gentile oversight, and it is eternally important that we who know His salvation today glorify God by our good works, with our “conversation (i.e., lifestyle), honest among the Gentiles,” in our own “day of visitation.”

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The Everlasting Covenant

“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20).

This is the only verse in the book of Hebrews that refers specifically to Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It occurs at the climactic conclusion of the book, which had previously referred at least 17 times to the atoning death of Christ, and is associated with God’s everlasting covenant with His people.

The covenant theme is strong in the book of Hebrews. The Greek word (diatheke), which is also frequently translated “testament,” occurs more in Hebrews than in all the rest of the New Testament (or “New Covenant”) put together. The word basically means a contract, especially one for disposition of an inheritance.

A number of God’s divine covenants are mentioned in Scripture, but the writer of Hebrews is especially concerned with God’s new covenant (or “new testament”). It is surely the most significant of all covenants.

This new covenant is also called “a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22; 8:6). It is best defined in Hebrews 8:10,12, quoting Jeremiah 31:33: “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: . . . and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Christ is “the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15).

The inheritance is eternal because the covenant is everlasting. The blood of the covenant is the infinitely precious blood of Christ, whom God has raised from the dead, and now “He ever liveth to make intercession” for all those who “come unto God by Him” (Hebrews 7:25).

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The Divine Search

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:30).

The divine search was on, but no one was found to do the Lord’s work. How tragic! He sought for a committed servant, but He found none. That was then: But what about today? For what kind of man is God searching?

First, God is searching for a man who will really pray. “And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor” (Isaiah 59:16). “There is none that calleth upon thy name” (Isaiah 64:7). God was amazed that there were no intercessors. Is the Lord just as amazed at us?

Secondly, God is searching for a man who longs for a deeper Christian experience. “There is none . . . that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee” (Isaiah 64:7). Do we “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6), or is God amazed at our lack of spiritual desire? “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1).

Thirdly, God is searching for a man who will love the souls of men. David said, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me . . . no man cared for my soul” (Psalm 142:4). Soul winning comes from the very heart of God. Do we share that burden with God? Or are lost souls around us saying, “No man cares for my soul”?

In Ezekiel’s day, no one could be found to do the Lord’s work because all of God’s people were serving sin instead of the Lord. “Her prophets . . . devoured souls” (v.25), “her priests have violated my law” (v.26), “her . . . princes are like wolves ravening” (v.27), and “the people . . . have used oppression” (v.29). Sin is the great barrier to service.

God still desires servants to “make up the hedge, and stand in the gap.” Will He find us, or are we part of the “but I found none” group?

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Places He Has Been


“And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place: for Jesus oft times resorted thither with His disciples” (John 18:2).

In the 18th and 19th chapters of John’s gospel, there are four “places” where Jesus had to go to accomplish our salvation. The first was the place, as noted in our text: He, “knowing all things that should come upon Him” (John 18:4), nevertheless went directly to that place, knowing that Judas would meet Him there.

Then He went to the place of trial: “Pilate . . . brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called . . . Gabbatha” (John 19:13). But He did not stay there long; the mockery of a trial was soon over, and Pilate delivered Him to be crucified. “And they took Jesus, and led Him away. And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull” (John 19:16,17). And in that place called Golgotha, He died for our sins.

He was betrayed in a place called Gethsemane, condemned in a place called Gabbatha, and crucified in a place called Golgotha. But that was not all; He must yet be laid in a tomb. “Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus” (John 19:41,42).

And that also was the place from which He arose, and our salvation was secured forever! Now, just before this amazing four-place itinerary of our Lord Jesus, He had promised still another place to which He would be going.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions. . . . I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2,3).

Because He went to a place called Calvary, we shall soon be with Him forever in a place called Heaven!

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The Trinity In The Old Testament

“Come ye near unto me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the LORD God, and His Spirit, hath sent me” (Isaiah 48:16).

It is significant that Biblical Christianity is the only trinitarian religion—and therefore the only true religion—in the world. Most religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, etc.—are pantheistic and humanistic, denying the existence of an omnipotent God who created the space/time cosmos. There are two other major religions, however, that are monotheistic, believing in the God of creation and in the creation record in Genesis—Judaism and Islam.

However, these two fail to understand that the Creator must also be the Redeemer, and therefore they also become humanistic, believing that man must achieve salvation by his own efforts. Further, they also fail to acknowledge that God’s objective work of redemption must be made subjective in each person by the indwelling personal presence of the omnipresent Creator/Redeemer.

All this is beautifully revealed in the New Testament in the doctrine of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God in three Persons, incomprehensibly human, but very real (see John 15:26; etc.).

This wonderful revelation of the Godhead was foreshadowed in the very beginning—the Father creating; the Spirit moving; the Son speaking (Genesis 1:1; 1:2; 1:3). In our text above, again it is the Son (as the living Word of God), prophesying about His coming mission of redemption, saying that “the LORD God, and His Spirit, hath sent me.”

Then, when He had finished His work and could return to the Father, He promised the coming of “the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,” and that He would “abide with you forever” (John 14:26,16).

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Rest

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

In the midst of our hurried and sometimes harried lives, it is good to pause and reflect on the various types of rest discussed and/or promised in Scripture. In our text, Israel (and by extension the New Testament saint) is promised rest in the coming Kingdom.

The first rest was that of God as He finished His “very good” (Genesis 1:31) creation and “rested from all His work which God created and made” (2:3). This perfect state was broken through Adam’s rebellion and the resultant curse, which meant that God had to go to work again, this time to redeem His fallen creation. In His marvelous work of redemption, however, sweet rest is available both to us and to Him, for “It is finished” (John 19:30). Nothing remains to be done.

To the sinner, Jesus invites, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28) in salvation. To the believer, He promises “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (v.29). To the weary disciple, He entreats, “Come ye yourselves apart (with Me) into a desert place, and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

There is also a rest in death. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors” (Revelation 14:13). “To you who are troubled rest with us” (II Thessalonians 1:7) in the fact that there is a coming judgment on your persecutors, who “shall have no rest day nor night” (Revelation 14:11).

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest” (Hebrews 4:9–11).

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The Powerful Hand Of God


“Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together” (Isaiah 48:13).

The human hand is an anatomical marvel; nothing remotely comparable exists among the primates or any other animals. It is a marvel of design. But surely the “hand of God”—of which man’s hand is only a very dim shadow—is infinitely more powerful and skillful.

Note the testimony of Isaiah 45:12: “I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” God did not have to use intermediate processes or pre-existing materials. Everything was “commanded” into existence and “I, even my hands,” made all of it, including man. Creation was direct—a direct product of God’s mighty hands.

Not only was it direct, it was also immediate, as our text above makes emphatically plain. His hand laid the earth’s foundation and spanned the heavens. Then, “When I call unto them,” He says, “they stand up together!” Not one by one—first the universe, then the sun, then the earth, and so on. No, “they stand up together.” “He spake, and it was done” (Psalm 33:9). It did not take 16 billion years; it took six days—and the only reason it took that long was so that God’s work week could serve as a pattern for man (Exodus 20:8–11).

God’s hand is omnipotent, and “He’s got the whole world in His hand.” It is wonderful to know His hand is gentle and loving as well as powerful. His hands will bear eternal scars, where they were spiked to the cross, because He loved us, and died for us. “My sheep hear my voice,” He says, “and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27,28). The hand that spanned the heavens can hold on to those who trust Him.

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Christ And Clothing

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25).

The attitude of our first parents to their nakedness changed after the fall. At first there was no shame in nakedness, but the next chapter of Genesis, reporting their fall into sin, says that “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (v.7). Adam and Eve “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD” (v.. The Lord in turn made “coats of skins, and clothed them” (v.21).

Not only did our Lord make provision for clothing, however, but He Himself suffered the indignity of exposure while hanging on the cross. The soldiers “took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part” (John 19:23). They also took His seamless “coat” (khiton in Greek, the part worn next to the skin) and gambled for it (vs.23,24). Not only did this fulfill prophecy concerning the Messiah (Psalm 22:18), but Jesus was even suffering the shame of nakedness so that we might be clothed forever in the robes of His righteousness!

Jesus said, “I counsel thee to buy . . . white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear . . .” (Revelation 3:18). In Revelation 7:13,14 we read that “one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes?” The answer came, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

The Lord Jesus Christ was that Lamb, typified by the animal or animals used to provide covering for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). The Creator, who sacrificed one or more of His creatures to cover our first parents, sacrificed Himself to cover us with His love. He is worthy of our love and devotion.

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The Clothing of a Virtuous Woman


"Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come" (Proverbs 31:25).

This testimony notes a vital aspect of the character of the virtuous woman eulogized in the final 22 verses of Proverbs 31. The writer composed it as an acrostic, with each of its verses beginning with the appropriate letter of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet, probably suggesting thereby that one needs all the resources of human language in describing a truly ideal woman.

She is industrious in providing clothing for her family ("all her household are clothed with scarlet") and her own "clothing is silk and purple," because she "layeth her hands to the spindle" -- Proverbs 31:21,22,19). But more importantly, her spiritual clothing is strength and honor, more lovely even than beautiful garments.

Two great apostles of the New Testament give similar testimonies. Peter exhorted Christian wives not to emphasize outward appearance. "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (I Peter 3:3-4).

Likewise the apostle Paul urged "that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works" (I Timothy 2:9-10).

Thus the exhortation of Scripture is for Christian women to be primarily concerned with their spiritual clothing -- strength of character, honor, quietness of spirit, and good works. "Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised" (Proverbs 31:30).

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Comfort Of The Scriptures


“I remembered thy judgments of old, O L SIZE="-1">ORD; and have comforted myself” (Psalm 119:52).

In this present evil world, there is no greater comfort than the word of God. The Word is faithful to record the fact that God indeed takes care of His own. The following are examples of God’s care based on II Peter 2:4–9.

If God is strong enough to chain up the sinful angels “to be reserved unto judgment” (II Peter 2:4; Revelation 9:14), than “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).

If God ran out of patience with Sodom and Gomorrah (vs.6–8), then we can be assured this present evil world will one day be subject to the One out of whose mouth “goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).

If God still cared about Lot (v.7) who found himself in the worst possible situation, then He will remember us for His “goodness’ sake” (Psalm 25:7).

If God did not tolerate the sin of the antediluvian world (v.5), but destroyed it with a worldwide flood, then we can believe the record of Peter that destruction is coming again. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (II Peter 3:7).

If God was faithful to Noah throughout his hundred-year-long project, we can believe that “He which hath begun a good work . . . will perform it” (Philippians 1:6).

If God can preserve Noah’s family of eight, it is certain He is able to be “my hiding place,” and to “preserve me from trouble,” and “compass me about with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).

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The Girdle Of Truth


“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

There are many military metaphors in Scripture, but none more famous than this passage on the “armor of God.” We are commanded to “put on the whole armor” so we can “stand” (be firm, well established) against “the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Each piece is crucial. “Truth” is first on the list (v.14).

This “girdle” (lower body armor) was designed to protect from wounds which, though not fatal, would cause extreme pain and incapacity. Truth is our protection against Satan’s lie. “He is a liar” and does not live “in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). Satan’s strength is in this untruth which he uses to be “the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). In fact, we are warned by Paul that the devil is able to disguise himself and “his ministers” as “ministers of righteousness” (II Corinthians 11:15). We can be spoiled by philosophy and other false teachings (Colossians 2:. We can be beguiled by good-sounding words (Colossians 2:4). We can be tossed to and fro by crafty and deceptive men (Ephesians 4:14). We can even depart from the faith after listening to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (I Timothy 4:1).

Our defense against each of these potential disasters is Truth. Truth is the essence of the strength of Jesus who claimed to be Truth personified (John 14:6) as He fulfilled His mission as spokesman for the Father (John 12:46–50). That “Truth” is now verified by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13–15) and by the Word of God (John 17:17). We are to be doers of the Word (James 1:22), being willing to walk in the truth (III John 3), and to let our deeds be made manifest by doing truth (John 3:21).

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The Breastplate Of Righteousness

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14).

The “stand” which the Christian is expected to make against the “principalities and powers” of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12,13) is in large part made possible by the protection provided by the great breastplate of righteousness—the strong, upper-body armor designed to ward off fatal blows of the enemy to our vital organs. Obviously, the strength of this armor can be none other than the spiritual “power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). “The LORD my strength . . . My goodness . . . my shield, and He in whom I trust” (Psalm 144:1,2).

This is none other than the gift of righteousness by which we reign in life (Romans 5:17), the new man of holiness (Ephesians 4:24), appropriated “through the faith of Christ” (Philippians 3:9), by which we are “made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21). “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15).

Yet, we are told we must take up and put on this armor (Ephesians 6:11–13). As soldiers engaged in active warfare, we are to “put on righteousness as a breastplate” (Isaiah 59:17), flee the desires of youth and “follow after righteousness” (I Timothy 6:11), separating ourselves from the unclean thing and the unequal yoke of sin (II Corinthians 6:14–18), yield our bodies as “instruments (weapons) of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13–22), and “awake to righteousness, and sin not” (I Corinthians 15:34). This life style of righteousness is the Christian’s assurance that the Lord will bless and defend us in our battle “as with a shield” (Psalm 5:11,12). With God’s righteousness, we can “go in the strength of the LORD God” (Psalm 71:16) and “in (His) righteousness shall (we) be exalted” (Psalm 89:16).

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The Shoes Of Preparation

“Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).

In the armor of God described in Ephesians 6, the shoes seem somewhat mundane when contrasted to the more glamorous pieces. Yet, these shoes play a vital and indispensable part in the effective warfare of a Christian.

They are defined as “the preparation of the gospel of peace,” with the emphasis on preparation. Much could be said relative to the gospel (I Corinthians 15:1–4), with its focus on the substitutionary death (Isaiah 53:1–9), physical burial (Hebrews 2:14,15), and bodily resurrection (Acts 2:29–36) of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible identifies the creation account as part of the gospel’s message (Revelation 14:6,7), as well as the promise of the eternal Kingdom (Revelation 11:15–18). And no gospel message would be clear without a presentation of the nature of sin and its awful consequences for the unbeliever (Romans 3:10–23; II Thessalonians 1:7–9), nor without an understanding of the anointed, incarnate Son of God (Isaiah 9:6; Acts 4:12).

The receiving of all of that data requires preparation. Peter says that we must be always ready to “give an answer (apologia) to every man” (I Peter 3:15). Paul noted that he was set “for the defense of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17), and that we were to “know how (we) ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6), and to participate with him in the “confirmation of the gospel” (Philippians 1:7). This great work cannot be carried out by the “wisdom of words” (I Corinthians 1:17,18), or in any way be misunderstood as “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6–9) or other way (John 10:1–11). Our feet must be shod with such solid preparation that we will not suffer injury when our feet are dashed against a stone (Psalm 91:12), and so that we can “run, and not be weary; and . . . walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

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The Shield Of Faith


“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16).

More than any of the elements of the defensive pieces of God’s armor for the Christian, this “shield of faith” is so important that it is said to be “above all.” Perhaps this is because it is to be used to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” These flaming arrows were designed to create fear in the heart of the soldier and to set fires within the camp, thus driving the soldiers away from their ranks and into the unprotected open. It worked, too, unless the shield was used.

Usually, the enemy would fire great volleys or salvos of arrows, thousands at a time, only seconds apart. Both the sights and sounds of the effects were terrifying. The sky was ablaze and the air alive with the hiss and sizzle of these awesome missiles. And, interestingly enough, the most effective defense against this barrage was for all soldiers to form ranks together and raise their individual shields, joining themselves side to side, end to end, to form a “roof” (shield) over themselves and the camp. When the arrows fell (they were shot from a distance and at a high angle), they would clatter harmlessly on the firm “roof.” But let one soldier drop his shield, or open a gap between his shield and those next to it until the fire storm was over (they sometimes went on for hours), a “fiery dart” would get through, setting fire to the clothing, equipment, or ground cover under the “roof,” which would quickly spread and destroy the “unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:13), scattering the soldiers and giving an advantage, and perhaps a victory, to the enemy.

These “fiery darts” are so effective that they can be disguised as “ministers of righteousness” (II Corinthians 11:15). But Satan flees if we “resist steadfast in the faith” (I Peter 5:9), above all, taking the shield of faith.

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The Helmet Of Salvation



“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

In the armor of the Christian soldier, none is as indispensable as the “helmet of salvation” (6:17). Many soldiers have fought on after grievous and ultimately fatal wounds to their bodies. But a blow to the head (the mind) renders one either insensible, unconscious, or dead.

King David often described salvation in terms of military protection, as he did in his great song of praise written to commemorate the defeat of Saul (II Samuel 22). It is a horn (mountain peak) from which to gain advantage over the enemy (v.3), and a shield (protective line of troops) behind which we are safe (v.36). It is also a rock (natural fortress) from which one can safely attack (v.47) and a tower, a place so safe that it inspires boasting (v.51).

Not only does this “helmet” protect us from the most damaging blows of the enemy, but it inspires us and emboldens us with confidence to take part in the battle. No soldier would ever fight without his helmet.

Yet many religious leaders today encourage us to put on a “helmet” of “works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5), or to protect our minds with philosophy and the “tradition (teaching) of men,” or the “rudiments (logical systems) of the world” (Colossians 2:, rather than to place our faith in the risen Christ by embracing the grace of God’s salvation. We become “wise unto salvation” through a study of the Scriptures (II Timothy 3:15) and thereby become able to “work out (our) own salvation” (Philippians 2:12) as the gospel, which is the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16), makes it possible for God to work in us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).