A Daily Devotional

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Trust in Him

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” (Hebrews 6:18-19)

As children of God, we possess everything we need, from an invincible refuge from the enemy to a certain hope for eternity with our heavenly Father. The third verse of the hymn “Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him” reminds us that our trust in Him is well placed.

Trust in Him, ye saints, forever;
He is faithful, changing never;
Neither force nor guile can sever
Those He loves from Him.

Trust in something or someone would be worth much less if the object of our trust might change his mind. Thankfully, our Savior never changes. His love for us is constant. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11). As long as we are with Him, we are safe and secure.

Consider that we are safe in Christ’s hand, as He is secure in the Father’s hand. All believers are further sealed by the Holy Spirit. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). Who or what could break such a bond?

We have no need to fear. We are safe and secure in Him. JDM

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The Joy That Is Promised

“But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

The fourth verse of the hymn “Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him” reminds us of our responsibility to be faithful to our calling. At our new birth we were fully granted eternal life, a standing we have now. Yet we must strive to prove our love by obedience and holiness and maintain the sweet relationship with God.

Keep us, Lord, O, keep us cleaving
To Thyself and still believing,
Till the hour of our receiving
Promised joys with Thee.

While He doesn’t need our help in accomplishing His will, we are granted the privilege of serving Him. And we must never come to the place of unbelief. Doubts sometimes come, placed there by the Tempter, but they should drive us to further study, deeper growth, and the eventual resolution of doubt. Doubt must never be allowed to fester into disbelief.

There will come the day when our belief is complete, as faith passes into sight. Unknowable joy will be ours, He promises: “God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:3-5). JDM

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Then, Oh Then

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:1-2)

The hymn “Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him” was written in the more formal early 1800s, yet it has an almost whimsical approach to its clever rhymes and cadence. A delight to sing, one might at first think it somewhat trivial, but a more careful look finds many rich insights into doctrinal truth. The final verse reflects the promise that one day “we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Then we shall be where we would be,
Then we shall be what we should be;
Things which are not now, nor could be,
Soon shall be our own.

We can scarcely imagine the joys in store for us in glory. The apostle Paul had similar difficulty, yet he prayed that we might “be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19).

As we anticipate what is to come, we can rest in the certain knowledge that all is secure, for He has promised this. Ephesians concludes with this benediction: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). JDM

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Scripture and the Christian Life

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” (Psalm 19:7-9)

Most Christians spend little time in the Word of the Lord, and this is a great tragedy. It is the necessary food for health and joy in our spiritual lives. “The sincere milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2) is for “newborn babes,” and the “strong meat” is for those who are not “unskilful in the word of righteousness” (Hebrews 5:12-13). “Thy words” are also “honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:103), and “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD” is the very bread by which “doth man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Not only are the Scriptures basic in salvation (2 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 1:23) but also in sanctification and cleansing day by day: “That he might sanctify and cleanse [the church] with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26).

The Scriptures also provide daily guidance for those who will use their directions: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Every Christian must be a seed-sowing witness for Christ, and “the seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). In the Christian’s armor, the sole offensive weapon is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), and this means a victorious life and testimony for the Christian who uses it.

The wonderful testimony of David in our text is the Old Testament equivalent of the great assertion by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” HMM

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Melted Mountains

“For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.” (Deuteronomy 32:22)

Here in the Song of Moses we find a mention of the foundations of Earth’s mountains being set on fire. Micah picks up and expands on this theme, saying, “Hearken, O earth…the mountains shall be molten under him.…For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel” (Micah 1:2, 4-5). What does the Lord mean by describing such a terrifying scene?

If Earth’s mountains literally melt, then surely nothing would remain of this place. Such descriptions match others of judgment day. For example, Jesus said, “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world” (Matthew 13:40). But would the Lord burn up the whole world’s mountains merely for Israel’s sins?

Isaiah suggests an answer. He wrote, “Let the earth hear, and all that is therein.…For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations.…Their slain also shall be cast out; and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood” (Isaiah 34:1-3). Here the Lord melts mountains because of the wicked nations. God’s patience with both rebellious Jews and rebellious Gentiles will reach its limit.

“The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10), but the good news is that anyone can escape such judgment. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Jesus endured the heat of God’s wrath toward sinners so that anyone who trusts in Him can receive everlasting life. BDT

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In Christ, Believers Triumph

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

The word “triumph” is a military term for the parade-like celebration following a victory or successful campaign. It was the highest honor any Roman general and his troops could receive.

But there were prerequisites for receiving a triumph. The general had to be physically on the battlefield, and the military campaign must have furthered Rome’s worldwide reach. After meeting these requirements, the celebration could begin!

Imagine what this might have looked like. With mobs cheering and streets garlanded with flowers, the procession proudly marches to the capitol. Rome’s political leadership leads the way, and musicians and singers follow, heralding the coming entourage. Next, spoils are presented. The white bull comes for a sacrifice. The pagan priests then pass by, swinging censors with the sweet-smelling incense of victory. Walking with heads bowed, war captives are led before the screaming crowds. The exalted commanding general finally passes, clad in a purple tunic embroidered with gold and riding in a chariot drawn by four stately steeds. Even his relatives proudly parade after him. Finally, his soldiers march past, colored with the ribbons of victory and shouting in unison, “Triumph! Triumph! Triumph!”

Paul uses “triumph” again in Colossians 2:15, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is the conquering Commander. Believers will join His triumphal parade. No matter how hard life may be right now, believer, envision yourself proudly marching in the ranks of those who serve our sovereign Lord and reigning King. CCM

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Beware of False Teachers

“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.” (2 Peter 3:17) 

Peter’s final epistle, especially chapters 2 and 3, is the classic New Testament passage on the false teachers that would plague the church in the “last days” (v. 3). In addition to the characteristics listed in the introductory verse, 2:1 (e.g., slipping in surreptitiously heretical teachings and denying the redemptive work and lordship of Christ), a number of their attributes are predicted for our guidance.

They will “wrest the scriptures” (3:16), distorting their meaning to conform to their own philosophical preferences. This involves using “feigned words” (2:3)—that is, plastic words, with devious meanings to make them say what their users wish to convey. They may well be very eloquent and seductive in their speech “when they speak great swelling words of vanity” (2:18).

They will deny the doctrine of special creation and the judgment of the worldwide Flood (3:5-6), teaching instead that “all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (v. 4), and will scoff at the second coming. They “despise government” and are “presumptuous” and “selfwilled...not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (2:10).

They both practice and defend immoral acts, “having eyes full of adultery” (v. 14). Yet they maintain their religious ties because they have hearts “exercised with covetous practices” (v. 14), seeing nothing evil in taking money for personal gain from those whose faith they seek to undermine.

This is, indeed, a fitting description of many modern liberal theologians, religious bureaucrats in the big denominations, “New Age” preachers, college teachers of religion, etc. Although this is not a pleasant subject, Christians urgently need to awaken to what is happening and “beware”! HMM

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Jesus and Jonah

“Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17)

The Bible’s most famous “fish story” has been the target of skeptics for hundreds of years, but it was confirmed by none other than the one who Himself prepared the great fish: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).

Jonah might actually have died and gone to “hell.” “Out of the belly of hell [Hebrew Sheol] cried I,” said Jonah, “and thou heardest my voice” (Jonah 2:2). The testimony of Jesus was similar: “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [i.e., Sheol]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10; also Acts 2:27). Jonah also prayed: “Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God” (Jonah 2:6). His prayer ended: “Salvation is of the LORD” (v. 9), and this is the very meaning of the name “Jesus.”

Thus, 900 years before Christ died and rose again, Jonah might have died and risen again, a remarkable prophetic type of the mighty miracle that the Lord would accomplish one day to bring salvation and life to a world dead in sin. Only the power of God could direct a prepared fish to save Jonah, then three days later allow him to preach repentance and salvation to the lost souls in Nineveh. Then, finally God Himself, in Christ, died on a cross for the sins of the world, and it took the infinite power that created the very universe itself to bring His own soul back from hell and, three days later, to rise again. This is “the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20). Truly, “a greater than Jonas is here” (Matthew 12:41). HMM

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The Power of the Comforter

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” (John 16:7)

The privilege of declaring the gospel to the unsaved becomes a delightful use of the “power of God” (Romans 1:16), speaking the words of God to a heart that has been prepared by the trifold ministry of the Holy Spirit, who will “reprove the world” (John 16:8) of the following things.

“Of sin because they believe not on me” (v. 9). All sin of every person can be forgiven (1 John 2:2). The only sin that irrevocably condemns is unbelief (John 3:19), or more accurately stated, conscious rebellion against the ministry of the Holy Spirit as He convicts men of their need for salvation through Christ. Rejecting that message is “blasphemy” and is unforgivable (Matthew 12:31).

“Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more” (John 16:10). Now that the Lord Jesus has gone up to heaven, there is “none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10) on Earth—including you and me. The Holy Spirit must convince men that righteousness does exist. Otherwise, there would be no possibility of understanding why we need to be saved.

“Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:11). Some have suggested that the “prince” is Satan. I think not. There is no need to convince us that evil Lucifer needs to be condemned. However, that the sinless Son of God was condemned on Calvary for your sin and mine, now that needs supernatural convincing. HMM III

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Strength Through Weakness

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Here is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian life. How could the apostle Paul actually find pleasure in being persecuted or reproached, in being placed in distressing situations, and having to endure bodily pain or weakness? There could be no pleasure at all in such things were it not “for Christ’s sake.”

Paul was a great man of faith and prayer, and he prayed earnestly that God would remove what he called a “thorn in the flesh” (v. 7), evidently some painful infirmity that he felt was hindering his ministry. God answered his prayer, however, by saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9).

Somehow, one of the most powerful testimonies to the truth of Christianity is given when Christians exhibit patience and joy and fruitfulness in the midst of suffering—whether that suffering be due to illness, persecution, loss, or any of a hundred situations that could be unbearable apart from Christ. In Paul’s case, he said that his “thorn” could not be removed “lest I should be exalted above measure” (v. 7) because of the great experiences God had given him as a Christian.

“Grace groweth best in the winter,” and we can testify with the psalmist, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes” (Psalm 119:71). One thinks, for example, of Fanny Crosby, blind since early childhood yet enabled to write 8,000 beautiful hymns in her 95 years.

The struggling church at Philadelphia was assured of an open door because it had “little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). It is precisely when we recognize our own weakness in the flesh that we can become strong in Christ. HMM

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Thanks Be Unto God

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

There are innumerable things for which we could—and should—give thanks to God. But there are three notable gifts mentioned by Paul in his letters to the Corinthians in which he was led to use this particular exclamation: “Thanks be to God.” We shall do well to look at these great blessings and then—like Paul—pour out our own thanks to God for them!

The first is in our text above, giving thanks for God’s gift of victory. And what victory is that? “Death is swallowed up in victory” (v. 54), and death has lost its terrible sting for the believer, for Christ conquered death forever when He died for our sins and rose again.

The second is similar yet goes beyond even the first gift: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). We are not only blessed by victory over death but also victory in life! By the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ, we are enabled to triumph over circumstances and “shew forth the praises of him who hath called [us] out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

But the greatest gift of all is Christ Himself! Therefore, we join with the apostle Paul as he exclaims, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The value of this gift is beyond language to describe, “unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). The Lord Jesus Christ is both our Creator and Savior, giving us triumphant peace and joy in life and eternal victory over death. Thanks be unto God! HMM

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Sing and Give Thanks

“Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” (Psalm 30:4)

When we remember God’s holiness, then remember how the mighty seraphim in the heavenly temple are continually crying out “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3), then further remember the prophet’s prayer acknowledging to God that: “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:13), and then still further remember that, as Paul said: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18), we can only marvel at the infinite mercy and grace of God. He has not only forgiven our sins, saved our souls, and promised us eternal life, but He also “daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation” (Psalm 68:19). What can we do except to perpetually “sing unto the LORD,...and give thanks,” as David exhorts us in our text for today.

But how can this be that a God who is too pure and holy even to “look on iniquity” promises unworthy creatures such as us that “goodness and mercy shall follow [us] all the days of [our lives]: and [we] will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalm 23:6)? How can that be?

This could not be, of course, were it not for the incredible love of God in Christ, who “hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). “The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Therefore, “Be ye thankful....singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:15-17). HMM

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In Everything Give Thanks

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herds in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

It is easy to be happy and cheerful in times of prosperity, when one has all the comforts of an affluent lifestyle and everything seems to be going well. The testing times come, however, when these material comforts are somehow taken away, and one feels defeated and all alone.

Except for God! Whatever else may fail, God “will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Since we still have the Lord (assuming we have trusted Him for forgiveness and salvation through Christ), we can always “rejoice in the LORD,...in the God of my salvation.”

Job, for example, lost all his possessions, then his children, and finally his health. Even his wife turned against him. Yet he could say: “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

God has commanded the Christian: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)—not for everything, but in everything!

This has always been one of the greatest testimonies a Christian can give to an unbeliever—the testimony of a life rejoicing in God’s salvation even in the midst of trouble. This was the example of Christ Himself, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). HMM

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The Real and the Unreal World

“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.” (1 Samuel 2:8)

The above text contains the first reference in the Bible to God’s world. The “pillars” upon which it is set are, literally, “firm summits” (not “columns”), speaking of its permanence, “established that it shall not be moved” through the eternal ages when “the LORD reigneth” (Psalm 96:10).

That is the real world, where all who have been “raised up” by the Lord through faith in His Word will “inherit the throne of glory” and reign with Him forever. But that real world has, for a time, become “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4), often mistakenly represented by its worldly inhabitants as their “real” world. In reality, this present world is very ephemeral, for “the world passeth away” (1 John 2:17).

This present unreal world has become the domain of Satan, “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), for “the whole world lieth in wickedness [or ‘the wicked one’]” (1 John 5:19). Consequently, it is essential for believers now living in the world to heed the Lord’s warning: “I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19).

The “world” includes its inhabitants and the world system they have developed. This present world, because of sin, has become so unreal that it no longer even knows its Creator. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (John 1:10). Nevertheless, “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). We can defeat this present evil world and prepare for our eternal service in the real world to come. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). HMM

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The Law for Today

“And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:8)

God has never dealt with any nation as closely and fully as He has with Israel, but He nevertheless is directly concerned with every nation as a national entity. He has actually established each nation Himself (Deuteronomy 32:8), even determining the geographical boundaries of each and the time when each rises and falls (Acts 17:26).

Every nation has a purpose in history, but Israel had the highest calling of all. God personally gave them (through Moses) the finest governmental and legal system any nation ever had (Deuteronomy 4:5-8), and modern governments would therefore do well to emulate these as much as possible. In fact, it is amazing that this Mosaic legal code has since served effectively as the basic legal code for all the greatest nations in modern history. This in itself is clear testimony to its divine origin and is therefore justification for retaining and implementing it wherever possible, even today.

Sadly, however, modern political and judicial practices are departing further and further from this divine standard. The philosophies of evolution and relativism dominate our schools of law today, and the concept of absolute principles of righteousness and justice, rooted in the nature of God as Creator and in His revelation, are largely being replaced by legislation based on evolving social policies and preferences. Even the Ten Commandments are banned from our schools, despite the fact that they are engraved in the Supreme Court building itself.

It is sobering to consider that God did not even spare His beloved nation Israel when His people departed from His law. Nor will He spare America if our growing rebellion against His Word goes on much longer. HMM