A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

Believing God
 
"Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." (Acts 27:25)
 
Most people believe in God--some kind of god--but it's a different thing altogether to believe God! And our text makes it clear that believing God simply means believing what He says, "that it shall be even as it was told me." Paul spoke these words at the height of a terrible storm at sea, when it appeared certain that "all hope that we should be saved was then taken away" (v. 20). But God had spoken otherwise, and Paul believed God rather than adopting the fears of those around him. Abraham, "the father of all them that believe" (Romans 4:11), had set the example. "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform" (Romans 4:20-21).
 
God does not speak to us audibly today as He did to Abraham and Paul, but He does speak far more comprehensively to us through His written Word, and we have even less excuse for unbelief than they might have had. It is a terrible offense against our Creator to question His Word. This, indeed, was the very sin of pride that led to Satan's fall and then to the fall of Adam and Eve. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God |literally, 'is God-breathed'|" (2 Timothy 3:16) and thus should be fully believed and explicitly obeyed, for "he that believeth not God hath made him a liar" (1 John 5:10).
 
But what about those Scriptures that modern scientists claim to be wrong? "Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:3-4). "For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth" (Psalm 33:4). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Stand Fast
 
"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)
 
Many is the modern-day evangelical who has attempted to harmonize the plain sense of the Scriptures with big bang cosmogony, concepts of stellar evolution, and a uniformitarian framework for earth history. This exercise seldom results in a tempering of secular thought, but rather in a compromising reinterpretation of Scripture, making it say something it clearly does not say.
 
The Bible says 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 all things which now exist were simply called into existence at God's spoken command.
 
Creation was a true miracle. It was not (as some insist) merely a godly oversight of cosmic processes acting on eternal matter, nor was it the gradual appearance and disappearance of matter in a steady-state transformation. Only a poor regard for Scripture, coupled with an overly high regard for current stronomical theory, could interpret Hebrews 11:3 as the explosion of a tiny, super dense "cosmic egg" (that did not "appear," i.e., too small to see), itself the result of a "quantum fluctuation in a vacuum" in a big bang which produced the entire universe.
 
Rather, as implied in the formula, "Let there be . . . and there was" repeated many times in Genesis 1, and as described in our text and elsewhere, all things derive simply from His spoken word. Our response should not be to disbelieve and twist, but to believe and praise. "Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him" (Psalm 33:8). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Sin Not
 
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath." (Ephesians 4:26)
 
There are many occasions when a Christian may be rightly angered by some ugly word or incident and thus be strongly tempted to respond in kind. Our text, however, reminds us that such a reaction for a Christian is sin, and it urges us to get control of our anger before sundown. We are not to let our anger fester until it breaks out in action.
 
A very similar command was given long ago to Old Testament believers also. "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah" (Psalm 4:4). When angry, it is far better to wait and communicate with God about it in bed than to bring recriminations in the street (or, perhaps, in the home) against the ones who have angered us.
 
The Lord Jesus Himself is always our example, "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:23).
 
Anger is often one of the most difficult areas to overcome in the Christian life. As James says, "The tongue can no man tame . . . Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God . . . . My brethren, these things ought not so to be" (James 3:8-10). Nevertheless, what man cannot tame, God can!
 
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20). "Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). Anger may come, but to act in anger is sin. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Angels Round About
 
"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." (Psalm 34:7)
 
Since God's angels are normally unseen, we have little appreciation of how intimately they are involved in our lives. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). As in our text, there may well be a protecting angel embracing and delivering us in times of danger. "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11-12).
 
Angels are sometimes called on to rout the enemies of God and His people. "Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul . . . and let the angel of the LORD chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them" (Psalm 35:4-6).
 
Angels are intensely interested in the salvation and spiritual growth of believers, "which things the angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:12). "For we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men" (1 Corinthians 4:9). There are even occasions when "some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
 
There is "an innumerable company of angels" (Hebrews 12:22), beings of great power and wisdom (2 Kings 19:35; 2 Samuel 14:20). They are not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient, of course, since they--like us--were created by God, simply to obey God. "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word" (Psalm 103:20).
 
Finally, we shall be "carried by the angels" (Luke 16:22) into God's presence. Then we can better understand and thank them for all the many services rendered to us here on earth. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Christ the Creationist
 
"For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be." (Mark 13:19)
 
In predicting a future judgment on the unbelieving world, the Lord Jesus referred to "the beginning of the creation which God created," thus affirming the biblical doctrine of supernatural, sudden creation. In the pagan world of His day, evolutionism was dominant almost everywhere. The Epicureans, for example, were atheistic evolutionists. The Stoics, Gnostics, Platonists, and others, were pantheistic evolutionists. None of the extra-biblical philosophers of His day believed in a God who had created all things, including even the universe itself.
 
But Christ was a creationist, and the much maligned "scientific creationists" of today are following His example and teaching. He even believed in recent creation, for He said (speaking of Adam and Eve) that "from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6). The pagans all believed in an eternal cosmos, but Jesus said it had a beginning, and that man and woman were a part of that beginning creation, following which, "The sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27).
 
He also believed that the "two accounts" of creation (Genesis 1 and 2) were complimentary, not contradictory, for He quoted from both in the same context. "Have ye not read," He said, "that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female |Genesis 1|, And said For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? |Genesis 2|" (Matthew 19:4-6).
 
There may be some Christians who are evolutionists, but there is no such thing as "Christian evolution," for Christ was a creationist! HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The Raging Seas
 
"Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them." (Psalm 89:9)
 
There are few things in nature more fearsome or more uncontrollable by man than a mighty storm at sea. Only the One who created the waters of the sea can really control them. But He can! "For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof . . . . He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still" (Psalm 107:25, 29).
 
One of the most striking demonstrations of the deity of Christ was in a storm on the Sea of Galilee when "he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm" (Luke 8:24). Note also the experience of the mariners sailing to Tarshish when they realized that the storm that was about to destroy them had been sent by the God of heaven because of Jonah. "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging" (Jonah 1:15).
 
The Scriptures also compare opponents of the gospel to a raging sea. "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt" (Isaiah 57:20). Similarly, Jude says that apostate teachers are like "raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame" (Jude 13).
 
Christ used this same figure to prophesy the turmoil of the ungodly nations of the world in the last days. "There shall be . . . upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring" (Luke 21:25). But just as God the Creator can calm the raging waves of the ocean, so God our Savior can speak peace to the nations and calm each troubled soul. As our text assures us, He rules the ragings of every sea and stills them when the waves arise. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

A Credible Lifestyle
 
"And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey." (Mark 1:6)
 
At times we tend to think of John the Baptist as a wild man, one who would have been either an offense or a laughingstock to those he was trying to reach, but in reality quite the opposite was true. He was greatly respected and believed; some even wondered if he should have been worshiped as "that prophet" (i.e., the Messiah) or revered as Elijah (John 1:21). His "preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Luke 3:3) was so effective that not only the common people (Luke 3:10), but also the publicans (v. 12), soldiers (v. 14), priests, and Levites (John 1:19), as well as the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Matthew 3:7), came to hear his teaching. Many repented and were baptized.
 
Far from lacking credibility, John's style was what was expected of a prophet. Indeed his ministry and message were in fulfillment of those of Elijah (Malachi 4:5) who himself "was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins" (2 Kings 1:8). Even false prophets mimicked this style (Zechariah 13:4) to gain credibility.
 
The point is, we should strive to package our timeless message of the gospel of Christ in such a way as to gain the greatest hearing and the most true converts. This is not to say that we should dress as John or Elijah did, for that would be bizarre in today's world. Nor should we flaunt riches, for both styles detract from the message and induce ridicule and blasphemy.
 
Perhaps the principle is to dress and act as the hearers would expect a credible, sober conveyer of truth to behave. Let us be careful to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" (Titus 2:10). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Tragic Ignorance
 
"And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, 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." (Luke 19:41-42)
 
The Lord had finally acknowledged to the Jewish leaders that He was their promised Messiah, riding into the city on a donkey's colt in fulfillment of prophecy (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-7), but they refused to accept Him and prepared to crucify Him. Therefore, Jesus wept over the city, for He knew it would soon be destroyed "because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19:44).
 
There are many other cases of such tragic ignorance in the Bible. For example, "Samson . . . wist not that the Lord was departed from him" (Judges 16:20), and it cost him his great strength and finally his life.
 
The ungodly sinners in the days of Noah "knew not until the flood came, and took them all away" (Matthew 24:39). Of the northern kingdom of Israel, it was said: "Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not" (Hosea 7:9). These "strangers" were the pagan Canaanites who had turned the people away from the true God.
 
Is not this also a real danger facing many church and para-church organizations of the end times, typified by the church at Laodicea? The Lord says to such churches, "I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:16-17).
 
May God deliver each of us from tragic ignorance of our need before Him. We should pray with the psalmist, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

The True Gospel
 
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel." (Galatians 1:6)
 
There is only one true gospel (meaning "good news") in Christianity, but there are many false gospels. Various cults have proposed such concepts as the social gospel, the prosperity gospel, the full gospel, and others, but it is dangerous to attach adjectives or other modifiers to the gospel unless these are specifically attached to it in the Scriptures. There are enough of these, however, to emphasize that the true gospel does have many facets. God's "good news" is always about Christ--His person and work--but His work is from eternity to eternity, and He is both the mighty God and perfect Man. Therefore, with Paul we can say, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16).
 
The gospel is the "everlasting gospel," focusing on Him as the one "that made heaven, and earth" (Revelation 14:6-7). It is also the "gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23), focusing on Him as the coming "King of kings" (Revelation 17:14).
 
It is the wonderful "gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) and "the gospel of your salvation" (Ephesians 1:13). Thus it also is the true "gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15), reconciling man to God.
 
Because Christ is God, this "gospel of Jesus Christ" (Mark 1:1) is surely the one true "gospel of God" (Romans 1:1). This is the gospel which we have been commissioned by Christ to preach "to every creature" (Mark 16:15), so we need no other. And since it is, indeed, "the glorious gospel of the blessed God" (1 Timothy 1:11), we should never desire another. It meets every spiritual need for time and eternity. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Sovereign Grace and Rule
 
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Genesis 6:8)
 
Genesis 3:15 clearly implies that Satan's offspring and the woman's offspring will be at war until Satan is finally and fully crushed. Hence, we would expect to find accounts of battles between the two parties until the final blow is struck. Genesis 6:1-8 is one such account.
 
"Sons of God" (their exact identity is unknown) were producing offspring with the daughters of men (6:1-2). Whatever these reproductive unions were, God was displeased with them: "My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" (6:3). Both the word "striving" and the fact that God limited the existence of that generation to 120 years indicate His disapproval. Why would God have been angry? Shortly after these procreative acts, violence and wickedness were widespread (6:5). In the context of Genesis 3:15, this passage describes Satan's attempt to corrupt the seed of the woman through the procreation of the "sons of God."
 
Satan's schemes almost seemed to work. In response to the world-wide evil, God decided to wipe out the entire human race (6:5-7). Compared to Satan's previous attempt at destroying the seed (Abel) through Cain, this scheme is clever--it turned God on His own creation! Would Satan's plan prevail?
 
Today's verse gives the answer: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." The Flood shows God's glory and power over Satan--against (humanly) impossible odds, God protected His promise by preserving the seed through Noah. "Grace"--there is no doubt that God, not Satan, ruled (and still rules) the destiny of mankind. That's good news for us frail creatures of the King! NTJ

[Soldier4Christ]

Right Now!
 
"Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:10)
 
There are many wonderful things awaiting us in heaven if we have trusted Christ for our salvation. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
 
But there are also many wonderful gifts and privileges we have right now. In the first place, we already have eternal salvation. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). That means also that we are free from any condemnation at the judgment. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
 
We have already been justified--that is, declared righteous with the righteousness of Christ Himself. "Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9). "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested . . . Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:21-22). As our text says: we right "now have obtained mercy" and right now are "the people of God" (1 Peter 2:10).
 
The apostle John confirms this glorious truth in a beautiful passage. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2).
 
Finally, we have the wonderful assurance that our Lord Jesus right now is praying for us. For Christ is entered into heaven itself, "now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24) and there He "ever liveth to make intercession" (Hebrews 7:25) for all those who have placed their faith in Him as their Savior and Lord. HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Deliverance from Fear
 
"I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4)
 
There are many things in such a world as ours that can bring fear into human hearts--fear of want, fear of war, fear of rejection, fear of the dark, and a multitude of others. Some fears are rational, some are foolish, but all are very serious to those who experience them.
 
The good news of the gospel, however, can set us free from every fear. Remember that fear entered the world when sin entered the world. "I was afraid," Adam explained, when God found him hiding in the garden after eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:10). The second reference to fear in the Bible, on the other hand, was when "the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1). The Lord protects us and provides for us; we have His Word and need "fear no evil" (Psalm 23:4).
 
At least 19 times in the New Testament we hear the words "fear not" or "be not afraid" on the lips of Christ. Whenever phobias beset us or fears discourage us, deliverance is ours when we seek the Lord. Then "we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:6). Even if we must sometimes "suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled" (1 Peter 3:14).
 
Perhaps the greatest fear of all is the fear of death, but the Lord delivers us even from this fear, for He has conquered death. In His glorified body, He has said, "Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Revelation 1:17-18). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Recognizing the Son of God
 
"For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (2 Peter 1:17)
 
Most people today consider Jesus Christ to have been a great man, but will not believe He is the unique Son of God. Nevertheless, He is indeed God's only begotten Son.
 
Before His birth, the angel Gabriel predicted it. "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). John the Baptist identified Him: "And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34). His disciples recognized Him. "Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God" (John 1:49). "Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). John said that the very purpose of his gospel was to demonstrate "that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31). After Christ's resurrection, even Thomas exclaimed, "My LORD and my God" (John 20:28).
 
The powers of darkness grudgingly acknowledged who He was: "And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God" (Mark 3:11). Even the centurion who supervised His crucifixion had to confess, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54). Most important of all was the testimony of God the Father from heaven to Christ's Sonship, both at His baptism (e.g., Mark 1:11) and on the Mount of Transfiguration, as Peter records in our text.
 
Therefore it is necessary for our salvation that we also believe this. "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18). HMM

[Soldier4Christ]

Summing up Submission
 
"Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)
 
Although this book was written to Christians during a time of horrible persecution, much of it is concerned with submission. Believers are to submit to the government (2:13-17); slaves to their masters (2:18-20); wives to their husbands (3:1-6); husbands to their wives (3:7); and each one to the other, as in our text, in just the same way Christ submitted to God’s plan for His suffering and death (2:21-25).
 
A summary of this teaching is found in 1 Peter 3:8-12. "Be ye all of one mind" (v. 8), Peter tells us, and live in harmony. Paul taught, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). There are exceptions to the rule (e.g., the primary doctrines of Scripture), but the Christian normally should not be the one to break the peace. He should do everything short of compromise to live in harmony.
 
Continuing (see 1 Peter 3:8), we should have "compassion" for others (such as the rulers, employers, and spouses mentioned). We should "love as brethren" and choose to serve rather than be served. "Pitiful" is usually translated "tenderhearted," and "courteous" implies "humble in spirit."
 
We should return a blessing for a curse instead of replying in kind (1 Peter 3:9). We should choose our words, use our speech carefully (v. 10), and "eschew" (i.e., avoid) evil (v. 11), actively replacing evil behavior with good. Peace must be consciously pursued.
 
There is great reward in such a lifestyle and attitude. In doing so, we will "inherit a blessing" (v. 9) and "see good days" (v. 10). "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil" (v. 12). JDM

[Soldier4Christ]

Christ and the Four Thieves
 
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
 
There were four thieves closely involved in the events surrounding the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first of these was one of His own disciples. "|Judas| was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein" (John 12:6). It was Judas, of course, who betrayed Christ, facilitating His arrest and conviction.
 
The second was not only a thief, but also a revolutionary and a murderer. "Barabbas . . . who had committed murder in the insurrection . . . was a robber" (Mark 15:7; John 18:40). This convicted criminal, appointed to death, was released and Jesus condemned in his stead. Thus, Barabbas benefited temporarily from Christ, receiving an unexpected and undeserved liberty because Christ was willing to go to the cross.
 
"Then were there two thieves crucified with him" (Matthew 27:38). Their names are not given in the Bible, but their attitudes toward Christ, and therefore their ultimate destinies, were diametrically different. One of them berated Christ, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us" (Luke 23:39).
 
The fourth thief, on the other hand, believed Christ, and therefore heard His saving words: "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
 
All were thieves, deserving punishment. One was a betrayer, ending his life in suicide; one was a beneficiary, though only for a time; one was a berater, destined for hell; but one was a believer, receiving salvation and eternal life. Jesus, who received the penalty for thievery, can save even the thief, for He came "that they might have life, and . . . have it more abundantly." HMM