A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

The Lord

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)
 
The title “Lord,” when applied to Christ, is not merely a title of respect but an acknowledgment of relationship. We belong to Him, just as bondservants (slaves) belong to their owners. He owns us, having bought (i.e., “redeemed”) us with His blood, and the distinguishing seal of His purchase is that His servants are expected to “depart from iniquity.”
 
Thus, whenever “Lord” is attached to His name, there is an implied confession of His Lordship in that particular area of life. For example, to be saved, one must “confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus” (i.e., “Jesus as Lord”) and “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 10:9; Acts 16:31). Following that, we are commanded: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Colossians 2:6).
 
Even in the mundane affairs of life, He is our Lord. “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13); “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11). Obedience to the Lordship of Christ is, of course, absolutely essential for a truly Christian and happy family. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. . . . Husbands, love your wives, . . . even as the Lord the church. . . . Children, obey your parents in the Lord. . . . And, ye fathers . . . bring [your children] up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22, 25, 29; 6:1, 4).
 
As our text reminds us, Christ’s Lordship implies holiness and full submission to Him. “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh. . . . For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord” (Romans 13:14; 14:8). HMM

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The Throne of David

“And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:16)
 
No other ordinary human being, not even the greatest of men, was ever given a promise like this promise to David. It can be understood, however, when one realizes that David is a type of Christ and that, in terms of His human genealogy, Christ did indeed inherit the right to David’s throne. As the angel Gabriel told Mary: “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever” (Luke 1:32-33). The coming Messiah is identified as this promised Son of David in the Old Testament prophecies (e.g., Isaiah 9:6-7).
 
Without attempting to discuss the eschatological implications of these great prophecies, it is remarkable just to note the striking typological relation of David to Christ (and, correspondingly, of Saul to Adam). Saul, like Adam, had a wonderful physique and every natural advantage; he was given dominion over a new order of things under God; he received God’s Spirit and his seed would have reigned forever had he not failed by intruding into a forbidden sphere; he was then rejected by God because of his disobedience, and finally the Spirit of God departed from him.
 
David, however, is a beautiful type of the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. Though anointed, he was not accepted by his brethren; he was a shepherd and performed great services for his people before becoming king, but he was rejected and condemned to death. God delivered him, but even then he was only accepted by a few, until suddenly all Israel accepted him and he was promised an eternal kingdom. Christ now claims: “I am the root and the offspring of David”—that is, both Creator and heir of David—“and the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16). HMM

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Water and Blood

“This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” (1 John 5:6)
 
John’s writings are replete with examples and illustrations that focus on the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of John is built around seven great miracles of creation demonstrating the unique power that only the omnipotent Creator God could wield (John 10:25).
 
In his first epistle, John uses the word “know” 28 times to emphasize the behaviors and evidence that assure us that we have a living faith in Jesus Christ and are in truth the sons of God. In today’s text, John lists three “proofs” witnessed in history that verify the incarnation of the God-man Jesus Christ.
 
The water refers to physical birth—the amniotic sac that surrounds and cushions every human child until just before birth. This common experience was used by the Lord Jesus to help Nicodemus understand the necessity of the second (spiritual) birth required to enter the Kingdom of heaven (John 3:5-6).
 
The blood is either a reference to Christ’s death on Calvary “for the remission of sins” (Romans 3:25), or, perhaps, the fulfillment of the many prophecies that this Messiah would be of the lineage of David (Luke 1:32). Either way, this poignant evidence was both visible and verifiable.
 
The “Spirit” witness is obviously the time when the Holy Spirit visibly descended like a dove on the Lord Jesus at His baptism by John the Baptist, and the voice of the heavenly Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (John 1:33; Matthew 3:16-17).
 
There is thus a threefold witness to Christ’s incarnation: human physical birth, royal bloodline with the shedding of innocent blood, and heavenly confirmation. “This is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). HMM III

[Soldier4Christ]

The Valley of Blessing

“And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.” (2 Chronicles 20:26)
 
The name Berachah means “blessing,” and the people of Judah surely had much reason to bless the Lord. The armies of the Moabites and Ammonites, and many others, had invaded their land, and King Jehoshaphat had no forces sufficient to oppose them.
 
But Jehoshaphat had already led his people back to the Lord, and now he prayed for their deliverance, acknowledging that the Lord was “God in heaven . . . so that none is able to withstand thee.” Therefore God replied, through the prophet Jahaziel, that “the battle is not yours, but God’s . . . stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:6, 15, 17). God then set the invading armies against each other, until all were slain, and God’s people were delivered without even lifting a sword. No wonder the people “blessed the LORD”!
 
The Hebrew word berachah (“blessing”) is used some 68 times in the Old Testament, the first being God’s promise to Abraham when he followed the Lord: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). God’s promise to Abraham has been abundantly kept, though there is much more to come. We, like the people in the valley of Berachah, have much for which to bless the Lord, for we also have seen the salvation of God: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).
 
Therefore, “bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1). HMM

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God's Final Word

“The LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” (Zechariah 14:9)
 
God cannot be defeated in His creative purpose for this earth and its people. In the beginning, there was only God. In the ending, there will be one Lord, and His name one.
 
In the meantime, He is working out His great plan of reconciliation, as revealed in His Word. In the magnificent book of Revelation, especially the last two chapters, we are carried forward in the Spirit into the never-ending glories of the renewed earth, with the great Creator and Redeemer dwelling there with His people eternally.
 
But in that final chapter, there are some final words from the Lord to guide and warn us until He returns. There is one final invitation, for example: “And let him that is athirst come” (Revelation 22:17). Then there is a final warning. This completed book of Scripture contains all that man will ever need to know concerning salvation, the Christian life, and God’s great plans, so let no man “add unto these things,” or “take away from the words of the book of this prophecy” (vv. 18-19). There is no salvation, except through His Word.
 
Next, there is a final promise. “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly” (v. 20). Of all the promises of God, there is none more “exceeding great and precious” than this (2 Peter 1:4). In response, there is a final prayer, teaching us that this should be the climax of every believing prayer: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (v. 20). This is our greatest need!
 
Lastly, there is a final benediction, the same as the close of each of Paul’s epistles, and the most wonderful of all the words of a holy, yet loving, Creator, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (v. 21). It is fitting that God’s Word, which began with His creation, should end with His saving grace! HMM

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The New World

“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)
 
The phrase “the new world” as applied to the two American continents is believed to have been coined by the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who claimed to have been the first to sight the actual mainland. This is believed to be the chief reason why “America” was named after him rather than Christopher Columbus, who had “discovered” some of the islands of the West Indies just a few years before. (Actually, some of the Norsemen and possibly others “discovered” this new world several centuries before either one—not to mention the American “Indians” who reached the continent much earlier than any of them.)
 
Columbus himself has many memorials named after him too, of course. Think of the many cities named Columbus or Columbia, as well as the great Columbia River. Even America itself has been called Columbia in a number of songs and poems.
 
But was not a “new world” to God! It has been here all along, and we are thankful to be a part of it today.
 
There is a real new world coming, however! The Old Testament prophet received God’s promise long ago. “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). The New Testament prophet, John, actually described it as seen in a wonderful vision. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth,” he said, and then described some of its beauties (see Revelation 21:1).
 
But the apostle Peter transmitted the most wonderful news of all about this new world when he wrote that “we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). And all of us, who by faith have been made righteous in Christ, shall live there forever! HMM

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The End

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17)
 
As Peter wrote his first epistle, foremost in his mind was a desire to encourage the believers to stand firm in the face of suffering and trial. On four occasions he used the term “the end,” focusing his readers’ attention on the final resolution of all things. A study of these occurrences gives us a glimpse of the tenor of the entire book.
 
The first use followed an explanation of the nature and benefits of the various trials in a believer’s life. The result would be a pure, effective faith now, as well as “receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1:9), the final ultimate deliverance of our whole person.
 
Meanwhile, “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:13). Our minds should be completely (“to the end”) ready for action, sober and expectant, focused on the ultimate resolution of all trials.
 
This ultimate resolution could come at any time: “The end of all things is at hand” (4:7). Our responses should be to “be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” To be sober is to be of sound judgment, making careful decisions, not based on emotion; especially watchful as we pray, with eternity in mind.
 
Our text gives us the last occurrence of “the end.” The time of final judgment on both Christian and non-Christian looms nearer and nearer. But God’s cleansing of His people has already begun, and it at times is not pleasant, although beneficial. His judgment on those outside “the house of God” will be much more severe, with no opportunity for reconciliation. This warning should motivate us in our ministry to the unsaved. JDM

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The Beauty of Holiness, Part 1

“He appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.” (2 Chronicles 20:21)
 
In today’s verse, a key phrase occurs that is easy to miss. Some Bible translations miss it altogether. Literally, the Hebrew reads that Jehoshaphat, Judah’s king, appointed “ones praising the beauty of holiness.”
 
What does this phrase mean? “Holiness” translates the typical Hebrew word used for “holy,” and it carries the concept of being set apart. For example, God made the seventh day of creation holy by setting it apart from the other six (Genesis 2:3). When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He set apart a plot of ground as “holy” (Exodus 3:5). Firstborn children of the nation of Israel were holy in that they were set apart (Exodus 13:2).
 
The Hebrew word for “beauty” in this verse carries the idea of intrinsic beauty and worth, not passing or shallow beauty. Thus, the “beauty of holiness” refers to the intrinsic attractiveness of “set-apart-ness.”
 
Intuitively, we recognize that “set-apart-ness” is beautiful. Consider a rare and expensive diamond. Its rarity sets it apart from the rest of the diamonds. What do we do with such a special diamond? We relish in its beauty by giving it its own display case. We might even put it aside in a special room reserved for this one diamond.
 
However, our example stops there. Some might dispute the beauty of the diamond as a matter of preference. In contrast, the beauty of holiness is not subjective or limited to cultural context. Why? Because Scripture calls holiness intrinsically beautiful. Furthermore, Jehoshaphat commanded people to praise the beauty of holiness. Something this praiseworthy must be overwhelmingly and stunningly beautiful! NTJ

[Soldier4Christ]

The Beauty of Holiness, Part 2

“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)
 
The objective, stunning beauty of holiness (2 Chronicles 20:21) has profound ramifications for theology. Scripture identifies God as supremely holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:16). Therefore, He is gloriously and overwhelmingly beautiful.
 
He is holy and beautiful in His omniscience, since no one else knows all things. His omnipresence and omnipotence are also utterly unique and, therefore, holy and striking. In His freedom, eternality, self-existence, self-sufficiency, justice, mercy, grace, love, forgiveness—in all of His attributes—He is holy and magnificent, since His attributes are set apart from everyone and everything else! God’s holiness—and, therefore, His beauty—extend to every aspect of His being.
 
The beauty of God’s holiness intensifies our condemnation as sinners. Our sinfulness is seen first and foremost in our consistent disobedience to the greatest commandment in Scripture, loving God with our entire being (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37). Many wake up in the morning without giving Him a second thought. The wickedness of this act is magnified in light of the extraordinary and dreadful beauty of God’s holiness. Refusing to love God is not just wrong; it is also horrifically ugly.
 
In the human realm, we recognize how beauty amplifies the evil of an act. What would we think of people who gleefully throw mud at a pure white wedding dress, vandalize classic and precious works of art, or burn copies of Shakespeare’s plays? At best, we label them confused. At worst, we label them perverse.
 
Our refusal to love the beautiful and majestic God—“glorious in holiness” in today’s verse—is a reprehensible and disgraceful travesty. How low and base an activity is sin! How acute our need for a Savior. NTJ

[Soldier4Christ]

The Beauty of Holiness, Part 3

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
 
The beauty of God’s holy attributes should compel us to fall immediately before Him in ceaseless worship and delight. Do we? A close inspection of our behavior reveals the answer.
 
God’s beautiful nature is adored by sinful man . . . when it agrees with his self-interest. Man cries out to God’s omnipotence when he wants to be rescued from the consequences of sin, but he rails against God’s sovereignty when it takes the life of one he loves. Man comforts himself in God’s omniscience when it keeps track of his good deeds; he hates God’s knowledge when it holds him accountable for misbehavior. Man loves God’s omnipresence when he’s fearful; he rejects it when he’s engaged in immorality. Man delights in God’s freedom to do as He pleases—except when it crosses his plans. Man rejoices in God’s perfect justice because it punishes his evil adversaries; he spurns it when he’s committed the crime.
 
Some may object: “Aren’t there attributes of God that all people worship, like His mercy and love?” Yes—when it serves their purposes. Man receives God’s mercy when it’s extended to him; he scorns it when it’s extended to his rivals. Man relishes God’s love when it results in his salvation from hell; he repudiates God’s love when it results in salvation for his mother’s murderer. Man is pleased when God is patient with him; he can’t understand why God would be patient with his atheistic neighbor. It’s perfectly logical that God would be slow to anger with him; it’s unbelievable that God would be slow to anger with dictators.
 
Do you see the problem? Our self-seeking stands in the way of our worship. Hence our need for self-denial, as today’s verse so clearly articulates. NTJ

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The Beauty of Holiness, Part 4

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
 
Slavery to sin is an awful predicament. The filth of sin should repulse us, but we often fall prey to its grip. Why? Sin seduces because sin looks attractive; it appeals to “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
 
The solution? “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).
 
The scriptural revelation of the beauty of moral purity—of holiness—answers the allure of sin. How? First, by its superior beauty. Holiness is so stunning that Israel sang its praises (2 Chronicles 20:21). Sin, by contrast, is filthy and despicable, though we don’t always see it as such.
 
Second, holiness answers the allure of sin by its permanence. Since Scripture describes holiness as intrinsically beautiful, there is no debate over its quality or appeal; it is objectively beautiful. Regardless of what sinners claim, holiness is always striking.
 
On occasion, the gleam of moral purity does shine into our hearts. We are hushed by the beauty of a soldier’s self-denying sacrifice of love and courage. We admire couples who have faithfully kept their marriage vows for decades despite temptations to bitterness or immorality.
 
Yet when it comes to our own personal holiness, the beauty of holiness often doesn’t captivate us. Why not? Holiness is commanded, as today’s verse illustrates, implying that we must make an effort to be captivated by the beauty of holiness. Furthermore, we’re commanded to reflect God’s holiness. Fixing our gaze on His overwhelming beauty keeps our eyes from the deceptive charm of sin. NTJ

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The Father of Lights

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
 
God, Himself, is both author and finisher of everything we have that is good. This, of course, is the testimony concerning His creation in the beginning, which was both “very good” and “finished” (Genesis 1:31; 2:1). The unique name “Father of lights” seems to suggest a remarkable scientific insight. Since light is the most basic form of energy, and yet is equivalent also to all other forms, and since literally everything in the physical universe is energy in some form, it is singularly appropriate to speak of the totality of all God’s good and perfect gifts in creation as “lights.” And, since all these energies are not now being created (only “conserved”), their original source can only be from the Father of lights!
 
There even seems to be a hint of both of the two great laws of science here, energy conservation as well as energy deterioration. The term “variableness,” used only here, means literally “transmutation.” Just as God is immutable, the total amount of His created “lights” is conserved—neither created nor destroyed. The Second Law states that, in all energy conversions (that is, in everything that happens), the entropy of the universe increases. “Entropy” means “in-turning,” coming from two Greek words, en and trope—the second of which is used in this verse. Entropy is a measure of disorganization, and its inexorable increase is a result of God’s curse on the creation following man’s rebellion. Thus, although the total energy of the universe is conserved (by the First Law), the available energy is decreasing (by the Second Law). Nevertheless, God Himself is not bound by this law that He has imposed, for a time, on His creation. With Him is not even a “shadow” of any “turning” (trope). God never changes, and His purposes can never be defeated! HMM

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The Vine

“What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?” (Isaiah 5:4)
 
In Scripture we find many references to vines and vineyards, but there are three major passages that together reveal three aspects concerning the character of God and His love for His people.
 
The first, Isaiah 5:1-7, includes our text. Here we find that God, the owner, planter, and caretaker of the vineyard, cannot contain His disappointment, for despite the loving care showered upon the vine, it has brought forth improper, worthless fruit. In this parable, “the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant” (v. 7), the chosen people who had seen more clearly than anyone else His abundant provision, but who had chosen to reject Him and not bear Him fruit. To them, and to those of us who reject His cultivating grace, He says: “I will lay it waste” (v. 6).
 
Psalm 80:8-19 gives us a picture of the abject desolation of the unfruitful vineyard once it is abandoned by the vinedresser. It is ravaged by enemies, wild animals, and fire, utterly helpless. The “vine” (Israel) may cry for help and restoration, but there are consequences to be paid. What a graphic picture this is, and what a reminder to believers today that we cannot for long ignore His will for our lives.
 
The last and most precious passage is found in John 15:1-16 and concerns fruitbearing. “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” (v. 5). Here are found the secrets of the believer’s growth and fertility in glorious union with Christ.
 
“Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (v. 8). JDM

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Carest Thou Not?

“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38)
 
There are times when we have great problems and God seems to ignore our prayers, and finally we begin to wonder if He cares about us at all. There is no need to wonder. God cares about the sparrow, and He surely cares about His own dear children. If there is not some clear reason why He fails to answer (such as sin in our lives), then perhaps it is simply (as in Job’s case) a test of our faith.
 
When the disciples thought Jesus didn’t care, He rebuked them thus: “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Mary and Martha sent word that their brother Lazarus was deathly ill, but then Jesus “abode two days still in the same place where he was” (John 11:6). When the sisters complained about His delay, He replied: “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).
 
One day a woman of Canaan cried out to Him for mercy on her for her demon-possessed daughter, “but he answered her not a word.” He seemed not to care, but she kept calling on Him and worshipping Him, until He finally said unto her: “O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt” (Matthew 15:23, 28).
 
The disciples and the sisters of Lazarus and the Canaanite woman all wondered at His seeming lack of concern, but He did care. He finally calmed the storm, and raised Lazarus, and healed the daughter. His delay was in order to test and strengthen their faith.
 
Can He not also test us, “that the trial of your faith . . . though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7)? HMM

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Confident Prayer

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)
 
This is the classic conditional promise. Confidence in prayer is tied directly to the qualifier: “If we ask anything according to his will. . . .” It is, therefore, important that we understand “what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17).
 
Many surveys have verified that most people pray. All of those studies, however, note that a good portion of the prayers are directed toward an unknown “higher power.” It may seem obvious, but the first requirement for coming under the will of God is to “believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23). Before God will respond to our “petitions,” we must be “born again” (John 3:3).
 
Jesus was once asked what the greatest command was. His response, quoting from Deuteronomy 6, was: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). That internal and invisible love of the heart is expressed by obedience to the commandments that God has given. John records it this way: “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3).
 
Thus, a simple formula appears. If we obey what God has commanded us (starting with faith in the saving work of Christ), then we are assured that God will hear us when we pray. Once our confidence is secured, we can know that God will respond to what we desired from Him. The psalmist states the formula this way: “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4). HMM III