A Daily Devotional

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Naught Changeth Thee


“For all flesh is like grass, and the glory of men as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever” (I Peter 1:24,25).

What comparison can be made between the unchanging, eternal, Creator of life and frail, temporal man? Verse three of the beautiful hymn, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise,” makes such a comparison, or rather, such a contrast.

To all, life thou givest to both great and small; In all life thou livest, the true life of all; We blossom and flourish as leaves on a tree, And wither and perish—but naught changeth thee.

As in nature today, life comes only from life, and in the beginning, the living Creator imparted life to otherwise inanimate chemicals. To the plants and non-conscious animals, He gave only biological life; but to the creatures, from the smallest to the greatest, He gave true life (i.e., breath, blood, and consciousness); and to men, His image. As Creator, He needs nothing from His creation: “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). Furthermore, “In Him we live, and move, and have our being” (v.28).

But the creation was distorted by sin, and now death reigns over all life, “like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth” (Psalm 90:5,6).

But God lasts forever. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2). He doesn’t change. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:. And, as we see in our text, neither does His Word change.

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Father Of Glory, Father Of Lights


“I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face. . . . And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:1–3).

The fourth and concluding verse of the hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise,” continues to recognize the majesty of our great God. His splendor is so great that even the angels must hide their eyes from the brightness, as we see in our text, while they adoringly praise His purity.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight; All praise we would render; O help us to see ’Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!

All light and life, as well as all good things, come from God. “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).

He is not only the “Father of lights,” dispelling each “shadow,” He is the “Father of glory.” Paul prayed for you and me: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Ephesians 1:17,18). As with the hymn writer, we need His help to fully see and praise Him.

Thus in one hymn, we are reminded that God is immortal, invisible, wise, light, blessed, glorious, the Ancient of Days, almighty, victorious, unresting, unhasting, unwanting, not wasteful, mighty, just, life, unchangeable, the Father of glory, the Father of light, and adored by angels. Furthermore, He dwells in splendor, deserves our praise, rules in might, provides goodness and love, gives life, and enlightens our understanding.

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Sowing And Sleeping


“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption” (I Corinthians 15:42).

When a believer’s soul and spirit leave the body and return to the Lord, it is significant that the New Testament Scriptures speak of the body, not as dead, but as sleeping. For example, Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep” (John 11:11). This state is not “soul sleep,” as some teach, for “to be absent from the body (is) to be present with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:. The body is sleeping—not the soul.

Similarly, when the believer’s body is laid in a grave, Paul speaks of this act not as a burial, but as sowing! “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body” (I Corinthians 15:35–38).

Just as a buried grain of wheat brings forth a fruitful plant, so the old, sin-corrupted, aching body of human flesh, sown in the ground, will some day come forth “fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21), in which “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4).

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (I Corinthians 15:42–44). When a believer’s body is sown in the ground, God will soon reap from it a body of glory.

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Never Too Late


“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42,43).

One of the two thieves on the cross continued in unbelief right up until the time he died (Luke 23:39), but the second repented and believed unto salvation. The one assures us that no one need despair, since it is always possible to accept Christ at any time before death. The other warns us, on the other hand, that no one should presume. Long-continued rebellion against God is likely to become so fixed in one’s character that sincere repentance may become impossible.

The repentant thief, beholding Christ and hearing the first of the seven so-called “words from the cross” (Luke 23:34), came to believe that Jesus truly was Lord and that He could, indeed, grant forgiveness and salvation.

The penitent thief had no opportunity to be baptized, to change his life style, or to do anything whatever except repent, believe on Christ, and confess his faith (Romans 10:9,10). And that was sufficient! Both thieves would die that day, and the soul of the unrepentant thief would soon descend into Hades, there to await condemnation at the future judgment day. The other, because of his trust in Christ, would go with Him to Paradise.

The tragedy is that far too many people, assuring themselves that it is never too late, keep waiting until it becomes forever too late! “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). The overwhelming majority of people who come to trust in Christ for salvation do so when they are young. Very few come to the Lord when they are old or about to die. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2).

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My Lord And My God


“And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Thomas has been called “doubting Thomas” because of his initial reluctance to believe in the Lord’s resurrection, but neither the Lord nor the other disciples ever viewed him in such a light. His later ministry, as the first missionary/martyr to India, speaks clearly of his great faith.

It is only in John’s gospel that we have any specific insight into Thomas' character. When the other disciples sought to dissuade Jesus from returning to Jerusalem, it was Thomas who urged, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16). Thomas understood the dangers awaiting them, but was ready to go wherever Jesus desired him to go. In the upper room, when Jesus spoke of going away, Thomas, still willing to go with Him anywhere, was the only one to ask: “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Then, just a few hours later, the Lord had been crucified, and soon “the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19) as they hid themselves in the upper room.

But Thomas was not hiding! The Scriptures do not say where he was when Jesus appeared in their midst, but he was not hiding there like the others. He may well have been out working or witnessing, doing whatever he could to follow the Lord, but he (like the others) had failed to understand Jesus' promise that He would rise again.

When the other disciples reported that they had seen the resurrected Lord, Thomas, realizing the tremendous significance of such a miracle if it were true, insisted he must see the proof first hand. Then, when he saw the Lord, he showed a higher comprehension of what had taken place than any of the others, as he whispered in awe: “My Lord, and my God!”

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When . . . Then


“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Moses knew Israel would tend to succumb to various temptations in the promised land, and encouraged them not only to obey God’s Law, but to use temptations as an opportunity for growth in character. Standing on the border, he proposed three “when . . . then” situations and exhorted the people to decide in advance how they would react.

“When the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land . . . to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not, . . . then beware lest thou forget the LORD” (6:10–12). Moses knew that a satisfied people, recipients of easy wealth, would forget the Lord. The remedy: “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve Him, and shalt swear by His name” (v.13), and “ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God” (v.17).

Next, “When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies . . . which the LORD our God hath commanded you?” (v.20), the fathers were to instruct them with: “The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand” (v.21). “And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive” (v.24).

God also knows our tendencies to compromise, and “when the LORD thy God. . . hath cast out many nations before thee, . . . thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them: . . . Neither shalt thou make marriages with them. . . . For they will turn away thy son from following me” (7:1–4).

In these and other situations, we would do well to follow Moses' exhortation and decide before hand how we will react.

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In The Midst


“And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you” (John 20:26).

Jesus, in His earthly life, was often “in the midst” of things. At the age of twelve, He was found in the Temple, “sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46). Then, early in His adult ministry, His hometown enemies at Nazareth attempted to kill Him, “but He passing through the midst of them went His way” (Luke 4:30). Later, in Jerusalem, a group of Pharisees sought to stone Him, but He simply went “through the midst of them, and so passed by” (John 8:59).

Finally, however, they were able to put Him to death, and as a bitter testimony of their hatred, they had Him crucified with two common criminals, “on either side one, and Jesus in the midst” (John 19:18). Three days later, the tomb was emptied, and He would never again be in the midst of enemies. Instead, He met His disciples in the upper room.

There, “when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you” (John 20:19). Eight days later, with Thomas present, Jesus once again appeared in their midst and greeted them with words of peace.

Though now in heaven, His presence still speaks peace to us through His Holy Spirit, for He promised: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Even in the ages to come, He will be in our midst, for John says, describing that scene: “In the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it has been slain,” and then all creation will sing “unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Revelation 5:6,13).

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The Spiritual Rock


“And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (I Corinthians 10:4).

One of the most amazing miracles recorded in the Bible occurred when Moses smote the rock on Mount Horeb and water came forth, sufficient to satisfy all the multitude there in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6). In describing this great event, the psalmist later sang: “He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers” (Psalm 78:15,16).

In our text above, Paul indicates that the miracle had great symbolic significance as well. “That Rock was Christ.” The Greek word used here for “Rock” is petra, the same word used by Christ when He said that “upon this Rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Christ is the one foundation upon which the church is built (I Corinthians 3:11). He is also symbolized by the “living water,” the “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:10,14).

The actual rock from which the waters burst forth in the wilderness did not literally “follow them,” of course, but “that spiritual Rock” did follow them, for Christ was there with them through all their years of wandering.

The literal water followed them too, keeping them alive for forty years. When Moses struck the rock, God opened a mighty spring “out of the great depths,” evidently tapping a deep pressurized aquifer from which waters emerged to form “streams also out of the rock.” These streams flowed continually in the desert for forty years, so the children of Israel could march and camp beside them as long as they were in the wilderness. Christ still today is our Spiritual Rock, continually yielding the spiritual waters of everlasting life.

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I Corinthians 13

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (I John 4:.

True love, God’s kind of love, is defined in the great love chapter, I Corinthians 13. Thus, it is instructive to see how He exhibited the love He expects us to show.

“Charity suffereth long” (13:4). “The Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). “And is kind” (13:4). “I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24). “Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” (13:4). God has no need to boast. What He is and Who He is boasts itself: “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:. “Seeketh not her own” (13:5). Jesus also said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me” (John 6:38). “Is not easily provoked” (13:5). “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 103:. “Thinketh no evil” (13:5). “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). “Rejoiceth not in iniquity” (13:6). “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness” (Psalm 5:4).

“Beareth all things” (13:7). “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). “Endureth all things” (13:7). “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (I Peter 2:21). “Charity never faileth” (13:. “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).

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The Soul Exchange

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36,37).

The lives of many people revolve almost completely around the stock exchange, and they never stop to realize that it easily may become a soul exchange, where they exchange their very souls for the imagined blessings of the great god, Mammon. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:10).

Similarly, many are greatly exercised about their monthly profit-and-loss statements. But the Lord Jesus asks whether there is really a profit, even if one acquires the wealth of the whole world at the cost of his soul, and the answer to such a rhetorical question has to be: “No!” For “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (I John 2:17).

Furthermore, the words “life” in verse 35 and “soul” in our text are actually the same word (psuche) in the Greek original. That is, to lose one’s soul is to lose one’s very life, for they are inseparable. A life centered around money is not only a soul lost, but a life wasted, as well. On the other hand, if we lose our lives in Christ, then we find true life, eternal life, beginning here and now, and continuing forever. This is a good exchange!

God may well bless a Christian with material wealth, but this should not be his motivation. “Charge them that are rich in this world” Paul says, “that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate (i.e., share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (I Timothy 6:17,18,19).

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Gospel Apologetics


“Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace” (Philippians 1:7).

This testimony of the apostle Paul was followed by another: “I am set for the defense of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17). In both, he is stressing the vital importance of defending the gospel. In the one, he states his firm determination to defend the gospel; in the other, he reminds his fellow Christians that they also are participants in its defense.

These facts are sufficient to show that the gospel does need defending. The word “defense” is the Greek apologia, from which we derive our word “apologetics.” It is a courtroom term, referring to the formal, carefully structured defense presented on behalf of a defendant by an attorney. In context, it speaks of a careful, scientific presentation of arguments defending the gospel from its enemies.

The saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, encompassing His great works of creation, incarnation, atoning death, victorious resurrection, and coming kingdom, was under serious attack in Paul’s day, as it is today. We urgently need to be prepared to give an effective apologetic wherever and whenever needed.

Peter also urged the importance of such preparedness: “Be ready always to give an answer (same word, apologia) to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15).

This is a command, not an opinion! “Be ready always to give a logical (the Greek word here for ‘reason’ is logos, from which we derive ‘logic’) apologetic for your Christian faith.” It behooves us, therefore, to study and use Christian evidences diligently in our Christian witness.

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God's Husbandry; God's Building


“For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” (I Corinthians 3:9).

Labor Day was established as a national holiday in this country in 1894 in order to celebrate the important part played by workers in the development of the nation. The first labor laws were passed only in 1802 and the first labor unions formed only in 1825, both being in England.

But God has been working since the beginning. After finishing His work of creating and making all things (Genesis 2:1–3), He has ever since been “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Furthermore, although God “rested” from His work of creation, He very soon began His great work of reconciliation, and both His work of conservation and His work of reconciliation still continue today. Jesus said, therefore: “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17).

It is in this great work of reconciliation that we have the high privilege of being “laborers together with God.” Paul has reminded us that God “hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:18).

As farm laborers have worked in the fields and vineyards of the world to sow and water and reap, and as construction laborers have worked to build the structures and machinery of the world, so we who belong to Christ have the responsibility to produce spiritual fruit in our lives and the lives of others (John 15:16) and to add spiritual building blocks to God’s “holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21).

Instead of the primeval curse, therefore, our “labor in the Lord” (Romans 16:12) becomes a blessing when we “do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). And Christ promises, when He comes again, “to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).

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A Model Church


“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father” (I Thessalonians 1:3).

Paul had begun the work at Thessalonica, and when forced to leave, he maintained an active interest in and contact with the Thessalonian believers. The book of I Thessalonians contains both encouragement and commendation for these believers. In the context of our text, he mentions some of their strengths, and it would behoove us to take note and apply these strengths to our churches.

Paul mentions the triad of faith, love, and hope so common in New Testament writings. The “work of faith,” that past work of salvation in the believer’s life, is amplified in verses 4–6, where we see that God has chosen to work His work of grace in them through the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit (v.5). There, reception of the Word had been with both affliction and joy (v.6).

Next, Paul commends their “labor of love.” They were committed to both outreach and missions, as we see in verses 7 and 8. Their testimony had not only affected the local area, but was “spread abroad.” Moreover, they had entered into proper worship of God, maintaining purity of doctrine (v.9). The “labor of love” to others will inevitably follow as a means of serving God.

Lastly, Paul commends their “patience of hope”—their expectant joyful outlook on the future, waiting for Christ’s return (v.10). May our own churches have this same perspective on the past, present, and future work of Christ. May our own lives give attention to the same details, and have the same goals and outlook as the Thessalonian church. Purity in doctrine and a life of service is the best way to wait for our Lord’s return.

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Bruising The Devil

“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (Romans 16:20).

This is an intriguing promise, suggesting that believers can somehow inflict bruises on the devil, who is perpetually seeking to “devour” them (I Peter 5:. This promise is a clear allusion to the primeval assurance of Genesis 3:15, when God promised that the unique “Seed” of “the Woman” would eventually “bruise” (actually “crush”) the head of the old serpent, the devil. This prophecy will finally be fulfilled in Christ’s ultimate victory, when Satan first will be bound for a thousand years in the bottomless pit and then confined forever in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:2,10).

In the meantime believers, who also in a sense are the woman’s spiritual “seed” (Revelation 12:17), can repeatedly achieve local and temporary victories over Satan and his wiles by resisting him “steadfast in the faith” (I Peter 5:9). If we resist him as Jesus did, with relevant Scripture, then God promises that he will “flee from you” (James 4:7). Such local victories can be obtained over these dangerous teachers whom Satan is using (note Romans 16:17–19, just preceding our text) “shortly” in this manner, but we need to be continually alert against his recurrent attacks. The ultimate victory over Satan, of course, will be won only by the Lord Jesus when He returns, and we must “be sober, be vigilant” (I Peter 5: until that time.

Whether we are aware of it or not, we must perpetually “wrestle” against “the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesians 6:12), who will be casting “fiery darts” (Ephesians 6:16) against each believer. Finally, with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), we can even, by God’s grace, inflict spiritual wounds on Satan himself!

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Christ The King


“Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15).

Of the many descriptive titles of the Lord Jesus Christ, perhaps the most significant is that of King, because this speaks of His universal dominion. The day is coming when “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:10).

First of all, since He created all things, He is the King of Creation. “For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land” (Psalm 95:3–5).

In a special sense, of course, He is the King of the Jews. “He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33). He is also our King of redemption, having set us free from the kingdom of the wicked one. He “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13,14).

There is a day coming in which all the kings of the earth shall unite against Him. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). “And out of His 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 hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:15,16). Until then, let us serve Him as King, and submit to Him as Lord.