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Daily devotional

April 24 - The fruit of the Spirit - Faithfulness

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

Scripture reading: 1 John 1:1-10

The seventh fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness. This fruit pertains to loyalty, trustworthiness and dependability. Today we will focus on the faithfulness of God, and then later discuss this fruit in the believer.

I’m sure you’ve read and heard 1 John 1:9 many times. As a pastor I refer to this passage often to comfort and assure the congregation that in Christ, their sins are forgiven. Have you thought about why John says that God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins”? We can be assured of forgiveness because of the faithfulness and justice of God. But what does this mean?

God had promised to forgive sins. To sinful Israel and Judah, whom God called a “sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity” (Is. 1:4), God said, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Is. 1:18). Later, Isaiah will prophecy of the coming Suffering Servant: “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities…the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:4-6).

So when John says that God is “faithful” to forgive us our sins, he is pointing out that what God had promised, from Adam and Eve and on throughout history, God has fulfilled. He is trustworthy and dependable. As Paul had said, “All the promises of God find their yes in Him.” (II Corinthians 1:20).

God is faithful. Oh, praise Him.

Suggestions for prayer

Give thanks today for the faithfulness of God. Be assured that because God is faithful, your sins are forgiven.

Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.

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Daily devotional

April 23 - The fruit of the Spirit - Goodness

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April 22 - The fruit of the Spirit - Kindness

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…” - Colossians 3:12 Sc...

Daily devotional

April 21 - The fruit of the Spirit - Patience

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord…” - James 5:7 Scripture reading: James 5:7-11 Patience is one of the attrib...

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April 20 - The fruit of the Spirit - Patience

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28 ...

Daily devotional

April 19 - The fruit of the Spirit - Peace

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” - Isaiah 26:3 Scripture reading: Isaiah 26:1-9 Isaiah 26 prophesies that a song will be sung “in that day,” which is the day of God’s salvation, and the song is a song of praise and joy. The coming of Jesus and His salvation is the fulfillment of this prophecy, and that salvation comes to all who believe in Him. As we noted yesterday, in Christ we have been reconciled to God and are now at peace with Him. But this reconciliation, this objective peace leads to an internal peace. It is a peace, a calm, an inward tranquility believers have because they know they are in the family of God, and their heavenly Father is for them, not against them. It is this blessed fruit of the Holy Spirit that compelled Horatio Spafford to write the hymn “It is Well with My Soul” after learning that his four daughters had been killed in a tragic accident. And this sense of peace, this “shalom,” also affects our relationships. The peaceful believer is inclined to be a peacemaker. Paul tells us in Romans 12:18, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Our natural, sinful inclination can incline us to seek conflict and dwell on disagreements, but the Holy Spirit works in our minds and hearts to live peaceably with all. And this blessed fruit of the Spirit, this peace, “which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Suggestions for prayer Pray for that inward, calming peace that only the Spirit can give. Ask forgiveness for the weak faith that causes anxiety and fear. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 18 - The fruit of the Spirit - Peace

"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." - Romans 5:10 Scripture reading: Romans 5:1-11 The third fruit of the Spirit is peace. This peace is both the objective peace we have with God and the subjective sense of wellness the believer has while sojourning in this world. And the former is necessary before the latter can be truly experienced. Paul begins Romans 5 by saying, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This means that all those who are not in Christ are at enmity with God and in rebellion against His Lordship. Paul had made this point in the first three chapters of Romans. And in Psalm 7, David writes: “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; He has bent and readied His bow” (vv. 11, 12). Jonathan Edward’s great sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” very graphically brought out the reality of this enmity and God’s inevitable judgment. But the good news is that God sent His only begotten Son to bear the penalty of our sins on Himself, to be our righteousness, and so turn away the just wrath of God that we deserved. In Christ, we have been reconciled to God. Instead of enemies, we are now children of God, in a relationship of harmony. We have peace with God. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks that God, in Christ, has saved you. Give thanks for the Holy Spirit, who applies what Christ has done to and for you. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 17 - The fruit of the Spirit - Joy

“I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” - Habakkuk 3:18b Scripture reading: Habakkuk 3:1-19 When the Bible speaks of our joy, we discover that it is the Christian’s response to all the blessings we have from God. But the wellspring, the fount of joy is our salvation in Jesus Christ. For example, James instructs us to “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” (James 1:2). But we cannot be joyful in our trials apart from our salvation in Christ. In Psalm 119, the Psalmist says that he delights in God’s Word, in God’s commands, and in God’s testimonies. But we cannot find joy in God’s revelation without being in Christ. And at the end of Luke’s gospel, just after Jesus’ ascension, we read that His disciples “worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52). But we cannot worship joyfully apart from being in Christ. Habakkuk was a prophet during very difficult days. In the short, Old Testament book of Habakkuk, the prophet raises complaints to God about the sorry state of affairs in Judah. He is burdened because God seems to be indifferent to the appalling spiritual condition of His people (Habakkuk 1:2-4). But after God answers his complaints, Habakkuk responds with those beautiful words, “I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” Is that your joy? God sent His only begotten Son to save you. He is the God of your salvation. Do you take joy in Him? Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Holy Spirit would impress on you His great love for you. So great is the Father’s love that He gave Jesus to be your salvation. Pray that your joy would be evident and recognized by others. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 16 - The fruit of the Spirit - Joy

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” - Romans 3:21-23 Scripture reading: Romans 3:9-26 I don’t know anybody who doesn’t want to be joyful. Yesterday we saw that Jesus is the source of true joy, and that we will bear much fruit, including the fruit of joy, if we abide in Him. But what does this mean? The Heidelberg Catechism is a summary of biblical teaching and begins by asking the question, “What is your only comfort in life and in death?” The answer can be summarized: “That I belong to Jesus.” But notice what the second question asks: “What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?” Then it lists three things. That is, if you desire (as I do) to live in joy and to die in joy, you need to know and understand these things: First, that I am a sinner. And not only am I a sinner, but I have no hope of earning or meriting God’s favour on my own. Because I am a sinner, I deserve only God’s punishment. Second, that God in love sent His only begotten Son to save sinners like me. There is no other Saviour but Jesus Christ and I am trusting in His salvation. Third, that my gratitude is the inevitable response to God’s grace in Christ. This gratitude is not only a feeling but shows itself in a life of obedience to God’s will. When you know, understand and believe those three things, you will have joy. Suggestions for prayer Pray for a deeper appreciation for the gospel. Pray that the gospel will be the pillar and foundation of your church’s ministry. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 15 - The fruit of the Spirit - Joy

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” - John 15:11 Scripture reading: John 15:1-11 ...

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April 14 - The fruit of the Spirit - Love

“Love is patient and kind…” - 1 Corinthians 13:4 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 As you study the fruit of the Spirit, you’ll n...

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April 13 - The fruit of the Spirit - Love

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will kno...

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April 12 - The fruit of the Spirit - Love

“We love because He first loved us.” - I John 4:19 Scripture reading: 1 John 4:7-21 When you understand that the summary of God’s law is...

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April 11 - The fruit of the Holy Spirit

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:25 Scripture reading: Galatians 5:16-26 We’ve seen that the Holy Spirit is necessary not only for our justification, but also our sanctification. He is renewing us after God’s image and leading us to live in accord with God’s will. And as the Heidelberg Catechism says, “in this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments.” (Lord’s Day 44, Q&A 114) The Holy Spirit does this by changing how we think, realigning our minds, thoughts and affections to align with God’s. And this change in the believer’s life starts to make him look very different from unbelievers. In Galatians 5, Paul describes this contrast by distinguishing what he calls “the works of the flesh” from “the fruit of the Spirit.” Paul uses the term “flesh” here to describe the sinful human nature in which the Holy Spirit does not dwell. It is the unregenerate mind and soul that results in a life of “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” That is quite a nasty and disagreeable list. In contrast, the fruit growing in one in whom the Holy Spirit dwells is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,self-control.” This is, as John the Baptist had said to the Pharisees, “fruit in keeping with repentance (metanoia).” We’ll spend the rest of this month looking at these fruits more closely. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would “walk by the Spirit” and “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Pray that you would not gratify the desires of the flesh, which are against the Spirit. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 10 - The Holy Spirit brings repentance

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” - Matthew 3:8 Scripture reading: Matthew 3:1-10 Metanoia is the Greek word that we translate “repentance.” It literally means, “changing one’s mind” and when used in Scripture means a change in one’s thoughts and way of life resulting from penitence. John the Baptist was telling the Pharisees and Sadducees that metanoia is what they needed. He was saying that their “righteousness” was mere outward conformity to the law, but lacking an inner, heartfelt repentance. Jesus would later repeat this criticism, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Metanoia as a change of mind and heart that results in a life of righteousness and obedience. It is something internal that the Holy Spirit does in a believer. Metanoia isn’t simply being sorry for sin, nor does it result in a cold, teeth-clenching obedience. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh, so that we recognize our sin, agree that our sin is grievous and an affront to God, are truly sorry for our sin, and so endeavour to turn away from sin and toward God and His ways. If you covet your neighbour’s house, the Holy Spirit doesn’t sanctify you by removing the house. He changes how you think, and what you love. He will give you contentment and gratitude for what God has given you so that your desire for your neighbour’s house diminishes and goes away. The Holy Spirit works metanoia from the inside out. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Spirit of God would grant you and your loved ones true repentance / metanoia. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 9 - The Holy Spirit sanctifies

“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” - II Thessalonians 2:13 Scripture reading: II Thessalonians 2:13-17 As Christians, we love God and desire to live for Him, but if we’re honest with ourselves we see that our love is lacking. We want to obey Him, but often we disobey. As Luther would say, we are simul justus et peccator, which is Latin and means, “at the same time justified and a sinner.” We’re justified, saved, born again, belonging to Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit and have everlasting life. And even though that is true, we also covet, lie, lust, hate, and treat God lightly. This is every Christian’s struggle and reality in this world. Only death or Jesus’ second coming will put an end to our sinning. But you ought not to despair. The Holy Spirit does indeed dwell in you and shines the light on Christ’s atoning work for you, reminding you that you need the gospel every day. But He is also at work in you sanctifying you and conforming you to the image of Jesus. Lord’s Day 44 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks why God wants the Ten Commandments preached so pointedly. It answers in part, “so that we may never stop striving and never stop praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be renewed more and more after God’s image, until after this life we reach our goal: perfection.” Suggestions for prayer Pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to renew you more and more after God’s image. And pray, “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.” Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 8 - The Holy Spirit regenerates

“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” - Romans 8:10 Scripture reading: Romans 8:1-11 I recall one of my professors in Seminary repeatedly saying, “Regeneration precedes faith.” He was driving home the truth that apart from the initial work of the Holy Spirit, no one would or could have faith in Christ. Jesus Himself said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44). And the way the Father draws is by the Word and Spirit. The consistent teaching of Scripture is that apart from Christ, sinful humanity is spiritually dead. Paul makes this point in the early chapters of Romans, and also in Ephesians where he says, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins…” (Ephesians 2:1). His point is, what can dead people do? The spiritually dead cannot do anything. They cannot mourn over their sins and repent. They cannot breathe life into themselves. They are in an impossible situation. But with God all things are possible, and by grace alone His Spirit enters a dead corpse and breathes life into it. Only after that can that newly revived, regenerated person sense how great is their sin and misery and flee to Christ in faith. The Spirit is life! And “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:3). Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins to the Lord and praise Him for His amazing grace in your life. Give thanks that the Holy Spirit is life, both now and forevermore. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 7 - The Holy Spirit reveals Christ

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the father, he will bear witness about m...

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April 6 - The Holy Spirit will convict

“And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” - John 16:8 Scripture reading: John 16:1-15 ...

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April 5 - The Holy Spirit is a teacher

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have s...

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April 4 - Who is the Holy Spirit?

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…” - John 14:16-17a Script...

Daily devotional

April 3 - The necessity of the ascension

“It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go I will send him to you.” - John 16:7 Scripture reading: John 16:1-15 If the incarnate Jesus had not ascended into heaven, but stayed with His disciples, He would have been located only in that particular part of the world. His bodily presence could only be at one place at a time. He undoubtedly would have been a blessing to the people in Jerusalem and Judea, and Samaria, but what about the rest of the world? This is why Jesus, speaking words of comfort to His disciples in the upper room, tells of the Comforter to come. Jesus’ imminent departure, though painful, will not be an evil thing, but good. It will not be a loss for His followers, but gain. His bodily absence from them would actually be more useful than His bodily presence. Because in God’s wise and perfect plan, Jesus’ ascension and session at the Father’s right hand were necessary for Pentecost to happen. As we confess in the Nicene Creed, the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son.” This is good and to our advantage. Jesus understood that the Holy Spirit would bestow power and gifts to the church, not just in one localized area, but throughout the world. The Spirit would fill every place where believers are. As Christians we can be assured that whether we’re alone, with family and friends, or with our church family in worship, the Holy Spirit is always there. What a blessing! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for Pentecost and that it is for your good that the Spirit dwells in you personally, and in all believers. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 2 - The Spirit is life

“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” - Romans 8:10 Scripture reading: Romans 8:9-11 Yesterday, we saw that Jesus’ resurrection was no hoax. Everything, including your salvation – justification, sanctification and glorification – depends upon the resurrection of Jesus. In Him our sins are forgiven, and our faith is valid and worthwhile. Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven, and then ten days after that, He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit upon the church at Pentecost. Speaking of this to His disciples in the upper room, Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go I will send him to you” (John 16:7). This means that if you’re a Christian, the living Christ has given you His life-giving Spirit. You are a regenerate person because the Spirit of Christ dwells in you and has given you life. The Holy Spirit has made you His dwelling place. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. And this gracious work of the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, changes you. The Holy Spirit is not dormant, but is at work sanctifying you and conforming you to the image of Christ. This month, we will be focusing on the Holy Spirit and what He means to you. Suggestions for Prayer Thank the Father for raising Christ from the dead and giving you the Holy Spirit of life. Pray for the Spirit’s sanctifying work in your life. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

April 1 - Introduction to the Holy Spirit

I Corinthians 12:3 tells us that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” This means that if you have sincerely professed your faith in Christ, this can only be because the Holy Spirit has moved you to do so. In fact, the Holy Spirit has made His home in you. You are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But, who is the Holy Spirit and what else does He do? I recently heard a pastor say, “Many people see the Father as the angry God, the Son as the loving God, and the Holy Spirit as the weird God.” Such a sentiment is sadly mistaken and contrary to what God’s Word teaches. But still, the Holy Spirit can be difficult to grasp. We understand “fatherhood” and are familiar with “sonship.” But “Spirit” or “Ghost” are concepts that are harder for us to fathom. And so this month we will focus on the Holy Spirit. We’ll see that He was sent by the Father and the Son at Pentecost; that He is true and eternal God; that He is one of the three persons of the trinity; and that He is essential for our salvation. But we’ll also see that He is essential for our sanctification and we will then focus on what Paul calls, “the Fruit of the Spirit. No April fools “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’”” - Matthew 28:13 Scripture reading: Matthew 28:11-15 My calendar doesn’t acknowledge it, but today is April Fools’ Day. There doesn’t seem to be agreement on how this all got started, but it has become a day when you can do pranks, practical jokes and hoaxes on others and then call out, “April Fools.” It’s usually quite innocent and all involved, the prankster and the pranked, have a good laugh. It’s rare, though, that April Fools’ Day is the day after Easter, and there couldn’t be a greater contrast. And yet, when the guards told the chief priests about the resurrection of Jesus, these spiritual leaders decided to play a hoax on the people. They instructed the guards to say that the disciples came at night and stole the body. They instructed the guards to tell a lie. Yes, yesterday was Resurrection Sunday. After His death and burial, on Sunday morning, Jesus rose from the grave and conquered death. This really happened. It was no hoax. Jesus’ body was not stolen. In I Corinthians 15, Paul makes the point that Christ’s resurrection was not a hoax. It was prophesied in the Old Testament, He was seen alive by the disciples, by 500 other people, and then by Paul himself. He even goes on to say, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins;” and that “we are of all people most to be pitied.” (vv. 17-19) But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead!! This is no April Fools. Suggestions for Prayer Give thanks that God’s plan of salvation is accomplished because of Christ’s atoning death and resurrection. Rev. Derrick Vander Meulen was born and raised in California and has been an ordained minister of the Gospel for nearly 33 years. He is now serving as pastor of Coram Deo Reformation Church (URC) near Denver, Colorado. He is also the General Editor of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 31 - The worship of the Victor

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!” - Revelation 5:12 Scripture reading: Matthew 28:1-20 When the disciples saw the resurrected Christ on the mountain, “they worshiped him” (Matthew 28:17). This makes sense because the resurrection of the Lord Jesus was the public display of His victory. He is the One to Whom all authority in heaven and on earth had been given (Matthew 28:18). He had, by His death, defeated the devil (Hebrews 2:14), and as the Conqueror He is worthy to be praised. Our worship on earth enters the worship of heaven. We join our voices with the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12). We worship the One Who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, Who has conquered (Revelation 5:5). We worship the One Who by His blood ransomed people for God from every tribe and nation (Revelation 5:9). We worship the One Who rides a white horse and Who has “King of kings and Lord of lords” written on His robe and on His thigh (Revelation 19:16). Isn’t that a most wonderful thought, the thought that we are joining heaven’s worship of the triumphant Lamb? Doesn’t this make the first day of the week, the day of resurrection gladness, the best of all days? And shouldn’t our worship today make us long for the return of the glorious Christ? “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” Suggestions for prayer Praise God for the victory of the Lamb and His glorious resurrection. Thank God for the weekly celebration of His victory. Pray for the return of Christ in glory. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 30 - Cross purposes: Victory!

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the rule of this world be cast out.” - John 12:31 Scripture reading: John 12:20-36 We don’t...

Daily devotional

March 29 - Cross purposes: Reconciliation

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his lif...

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March 28 - Cross purposes: Propitiation

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:9 Scripture reading: Hebr...

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March 27 - Cross purposes: Sacrifice

“He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal...

Daily devotional

March 26 - Cross purposes: Redemption

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” - Revelation 1:5b-6 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:13-21 Martin Luther King Jr. ended his August 28, 1963, speech envisioning all Americans singing, ‘Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.’ That is the song Christians can sing with gusto because one of the cross purposes is redemption. Peter speaks about ransom (1 Peter 1:18). Ransom has an Old Testament background. A person could redeem another from slavery for a price. As sinners, we are enslaved to sin’s guilt and power. There is no way we can release ourselves from it. The chains binding us to sin are too strong. All the perishable things such as silver or gold cannot pay the ransom. Indeed, wealth cannot even keep people alive. The graves of the wealthiest are with us today. And if wealth can’t rescue a person from the death of his body, how could it ransom a soul from bondage to sin? But Christ can and does. He was chosen before the foundation of the world to be the ransom price for sin. He takes our sin. The price He pays to God for our freedom is His own life. The Son of Man gave His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). He must be the acceptable redemption price. God would never have put His Son through the ordeal of the cross if He could ransom sinners with wealth. Do you know the redemption of God paid on Golgotha’s cross? Then sing it out, ‘Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, I’m free at last!’ Suggestions for prayer Praise God that the Son of God loved us and gave Himself for us. Ask God to give us a hatred for sin and its enslaving power. Pray that the Spirit would make the blood of our Lord Jesus precious to us. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 25 - Christ’s return

“This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:11 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 When special guests arrive at your home you don’t want to miss their arrival! A concern the Thessalonian Christians had was that their deceased fellow believers would miss out on Christ’s return. It was enthusiastically anticipated. They were waiting for God’s Son from heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:10). And so should we. We don’t know when our Lord will return. But we know that He will return and what a glorious day that will be. It will mark the end of the suffering and hardship for the people of God. The returning Christ will come with power to vanquish the enemies of the Church of God (Revelation 19:11-21). He will usher the new heavens and the new earth when God’s dwelling place will be with man and they will live in perfect happiness for eternity. For the believer, the return of Christ will be a welcome sight, so we cry, ‘Come, Lord Jesus!’ (Revelation 22:20). But for those who do not know Christ as their personal Saviour, that day will be terrifying. They will call upon the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16). But now there is still time. In the first coming of Christ, He comes with grace and mercy. He invites sinners to flee from the coming wrath by coming to Him for grace. The next time, mercy will no longer be extended. He will come in judgment against all those who have rejected His offer of grace. Do not be one of those. Suggestions for prayer Join with the Church of all ages and pray that the Lord Jesus would come soon. Pray for grace to trust in the Lord Jesus so that His coming will be eagerly anticipated not dreadfully expected. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 24 - Christ, our minister

“I will tell of your name to my brothers.” - Hebrews 2:12 Scripture reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 The Lord Jesus is at the heart of Christian worship. He is our worship leader Who presents us to the Father, Who sings together with us, and Who preaches to us. In Scotland, if a little girl, upon entering our church building, didn’t see me, she would ask her father, “Where is God?” Of course, the Minister is not God. However, the little girl was recognizing something intuitively. She had somehow grasped that when the Word of God was being preached, God Himself was speaking to her. She was on good ground in thinking this. Jesus told His disciples that He had other sheep who would come into the fold after His death and that they would listen to His voice (John 10:16). The Apostle Paul says that Christ preached peace to the Ephesians (Ephesians 2:17) even though the Lord had never ventured to Asia Minor. Paul writes that people need to hear Christ if they are to believe in Him (See ESV footnote on Romans 10:14) and that faith comes through hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). When ministers and missionaries faithfully proclaim the Word of God, people are hearing the voice of Christ. As the author of Hebrews reminds us in Hebrews 2:12, Christ tells of God’s name to His brothers in the midst of the congregation. That means we should listen carefully to the preaching of the Word. As the Father said on the Mount of Transfiguration, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35). Suggestions for prayer Pray for Ministers and Missionaries that they might faithfully preach the Word. Ask God to give you grace to listen with submission to the voice of the Good Shepherd as you sit under the ministry of the Word today. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 23 - Christ’s spirit

“Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” - Acts 2:33 Scripture reading: John 15:26-16:15 When Jesus went up, the Spirit came down. What blessing it is to have the Spirit. Our Lord tells His disciples that it is to their advantage that He goes away because when He goes, the Spirit comes. When the Spirit comes, He will guide the apostles into truth. Our Lord was speaking of the Spirit’s guidance in their lives. Through them, we are blessed to have the truth of God written for us in the Bible, inspired by the Spirit. It is to our advantage that Jesus goes. When the Spirit comes, He will glorify Christ. The Spirit is the divine matchmaker, introducing needy sinners to the Lord Jesus, that they might be married to Christ for their eternal salvation. Without the Spirit convicting us of our sin and showing us the glory of the Lord Jesus, we would be forever lost. It is to our advantage that Jesus goes. When the Spirit comes, Jesus comes. He speaks about the Holy Spirit as another Helper, that is, another like Himself. So closely connected are the Son and the Spirit that Paul says the Lord is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). That means that when the Lord Jesus goes, He does not leave us as orphans, but comes to us (John 14:18). In His humanity, Christ could only be in one place at a time. But, by His Spirit, He can always be with His people. Through the Spirit, He can make His home with believers (John 14:23). It is to our advantage that Jesus goes. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for our Lord Jesus’s tender care for us in that He sent His Holy Spirit to be with us. Ask God for grace that we might walk in the Spirit and be conformed to the image of Christ. Pray for Christ’s heralds as they preach tomorrow. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 22 - Christ’s ascension

“And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into...

Daily devotional

March 21 - Christ our King (II)

“For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.”- Isaiah 33:22 Scripture reading: Exodus 20:1-17...

Daily devotional

March 20 - Christ our King (I)

“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen...

Daily devotional

March 19 - Christ our Priest (III)

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” - L...

Daily devotional

March 18 - Christ our priest (II)

“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” - Hebrews 9:24 Scripture reading: Hebrews 9:11-28 The Old Testament sacrificial ritual took place in two places. One was in the court where the animals were sacrificed. Then the High Priest would enter into the Most Holy Place and sprinkle the animals’ blood on the mercy seat. Similarly, the work of Christ our High Priest took place in two places. On earth He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sinners. Then, Hebrews tells us, Christ, by His own blood, passed through the heavens, and entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). There He sat down at the right hand of the Father. This sitting signifies something important. The tabernacle and temple had no chair upon which the priests could sit. They had to stand daily, without sitting, because their work was never completed. Sins were never really atoned for. But Christ doesn’t stand in heaven. Because of the perfection of His sacrifice which has taken away His people’s sins, Christ was able to sit down. Nothing more needed to be done. No more sacrifices needed to be made. And His sitting at the Father’s right hand is a perpetual reminder that on the basis of Christ’s work, the Judge of all the earth can grant forgiveness to guilty sinners who trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus. As Charitie Bancroft so wonderfully wrote, “Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free; for God, the just, is satisfied to look on him and pardon me.” Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give us confidence in the completed, perfect work of His Son so that we might have a clear conscience and may enjoy the assurance of sins forgiven. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 17 - Singing with Christ

“For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.” - Psalm 18:49-50 Scripture reading: Romans 15:8-13 Singing is a large part of our worship services. We lift our voices in praise of the Triune God. It is a wonderful privilege to sing with our brothers and sisters. More than that, we are commanded to ‘praise him in the midst of the throng’ (Psalm 109:30), that is, in gathered worship. The privilege is so great we don’t even mind if some of our brothers and sisters sing somewhat off-tune! What a joy to respond to the summons, “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” (Psalm 95:1). In our passage, Paul quotes from Psalm 18:49 which speaks of Christ’s praise of God among the nations and His singing to God’s name. That is, when we worship the Lord in song, the Lord Jesus sings with us. Listen to His declaration in Psalm 22:22 “n the midst of the congregation I will sing praise.” I suppose we don’t often think about the worship that Jesus, our brother, brings with us to our God. Yet, that is what Paul says. The Lord Jesus became a servant to the circumcised so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, and Jesus joins them in the praise of God. In fact, the common theme of our songs, both Jesus and ours, is that God has rescued us from our enemies. Think about why you are singing and Who you are singing with the next time you are in corporate worship. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to teach us to sing with Jesus with joy and gladness. Pray that God would raise up ministers and missionaries to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel of life so that the nations might glorify God for His mercy. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 16 - Christ our priest (I)

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. . . . And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all.” - Hebrews 10:4, 10 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:13-21 The Old Testament gives an elaborate ritual, symbolizing the need for the shedding of blood for the remission of sins. Already in the Garden, after Adam and Eve’s sin, God killed animals to clothe them with skins. The necessity of death and blood for forgiveness was pictured in the sacrificial system. On the annual Day of Atonement, recorded in Leviticus 16, the High Priest would kill a bull as a sin offering for himself and his house. Then he would kill the goat of the sin offering for the people. The blood of the bull and goat would be sprinkled on the mercy seat in the Holy Place. Then he would lay his hands on the head of another goat and confess the sins of the people of Israel. That goat would be sent into the wilderness. All this symbolized the Lamb of God Who would come to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Christ is the lamb without blemish and His blood is precious (1 Peter 1:19). But Christ is not only the sacrifice. He is also the priest who offers up Himself, not for His own sins (He had none), but for the sins of His people (Hebrews 7:27). This our Lord Jesus did for us on the cross of Golgotha. He bore our sins on the tree (1 Peter 1:24) as the substitute for sinners. He bore the punishment sin deserved, eternal death, so that all who believe in Him might be forgiven and have eternal life. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for His indescribable gift. Give thanks that the Lord Jesus was willing to be our substitute and take the curse we deserved so that we might have His blessing. Pray for the ministers of the gospel as they proclaim the words of life tomorrow. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 15 - Christ our prophet (II)

“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.” - Ephesians 2:17 Scripture reading: John 10:1-18 Although Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father, He hasn’t stopped carrying out His prophetic office in His state of exaltation. How does He serve us now? First, He teaches through the Bible. He promised His disciples He would give them the Spirit Who would guide them to the truth (John 16:13). They, in turn, wrote the New Testament. All Scriptures, inspired by the Spirit of Christ, are the words of our prophet. In that sense, the whole of the Bible is a red-letter edition, not just the words the Lord Jesus explicitly spoke. Second, when the Word of God is preached, we hear the voice of Jesus. The apostle Paul told the Ephesians that the Lord Jesus preached peace to them even though He had never been in Ephesus (Ephesians 2:17). In the voice of Christ’s ambassadors, apostles and pastors, who faithfully proclaim His word, we hear the voice of our Good Shepherd (John 10:16). As Paul writes to the Romans, ‘So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ’ (Romans 10:17). Finally, when our Lord Jesus ascended to glory, He poured out His Spirit upon the Church. Without the Spirit, the things of God are unintelligible to us (1 Corinthians 2:12). Hearing the voice of Christ in the reading and preaching of Scripture will be of no value to us unless the Holy Spirit illuminates our minds and hearts. Christ, by His word and Spirit, teaches us. Our obligation is to listen to Him. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord that He has not left us to find our own way, but has given us a great prophet Who by His word and Spirit teaches us. Pray that we would listen to Him. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 14 - Christ our prophet (I)

“and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”” - Matthew 17:5 Scripture reading: ...

Daily devotional

March 13 - Christ’s miracles

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him i...

Daily devotional

March 12 - Christ’s compassion

“. . . a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles ...

Daily devotional

March 11- Christ’s temptations

“For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive....

Daily devotional

March 10 - Presented by Christ

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” - Hebrews 4:14-16 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 2:1-10 How can we as sinners even think about entering the presence of God in corporate worship? Certainly, it is the height of folly to think He would receive us. Yes, if we come on our own. No, if we come through a mediator. Jesus is the mediator of our worship. He is the One Who presents us to the Father in worship as He says, “Behold, I and the children God has given me” (Hebrews 2:13). He is the One Who has passed through the heavens into God’s Most Holy Place (Hebrews 4:14) and through Him we too may enter the presence of the living God. What’s more, we may approach the throne of the Majesty without cowering, indeed, even with confidence. And through the same mediator we offer our worship. We are not so self-confident are we, to think that our songs and prayers and listening are acceptable as they come from us? We are aware of our wanderings, our coldness of heart, and our lethargy. We sometimes honour God with our lips while our heart is far from Him (Mark 7:6). Whatever worship we offer must be purified by the blood of the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. Through our mediator Jesus Christ, the spiritual sacrifices we offer as the spiritual house and priesthood of God, are acceptable to a holy God. Thankfully, through the Lord Jesus, we may proclaim the excellencies of our Saviour and know that those praises delight Him. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Ask God to help you to worship Him with joy as those called out of darkness into His marvellous light. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 9 - Christ, the warrior

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” - Genesis 3:15 Scripture reading: 1 John 3:1-10 Ask most Christians why Christ came into the world and their answer will be in terms of the forgiveness of sins. And they’re correct. As John himself says in our passage: ‘You know that he appeared in order to take away sins’ (v. 5). But that’s not all the Bible says about the ministry of the Lord Jesus. In fact, the first gospel promise in Genesis 3:15 is couched, not in the language of forgiveness, but in the language of conquest. The Israelites sang on the shores of the Red Sea, ‘The Lord is a man of war’ (Exodus 15:3). The Lord Jesus came into this world to destroy Satan (Mark 1:24), to drive him out (John 12:31), or, as John says, ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil’ (v. 8). It is no surprise that before Jesus’s public ministry He encountered Satan in the wilderness, nor that the first miracle recorded in Mark’s gospel is the freeing of the man with the unclean spirit. Jesus has come to defeat our enemy, to crush the head of the serpent. How does He do that? Satan’s power over us is our sin, but if the Lord Jesus can deal effectively with sin’s condemning and enslaving power, Satan’s authority is broken. This our Lord did in His death on the cross. He paid the penalty sin deserved and, in so doing, He takes away our sins and destroys the works of the devil. Thanks be to our Champion! Suggestions for prayer Thank God that Jesus Christ has delivered us from the tyranny of the devil. Pray that by the Spirit we would not give in to our defeated enemy’s temptations. Pray for listening ears and receptive hearts as we listen to the voice of our Saviour tomorrow. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 8 - Christ, empowered by the Spirit

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” - Matthew 12:28 Scripture reading: Matthew 12:15-32 How did Jesus carry out His ministry? We can explore this by considering how Jesus did miracles. To perform them, did He dip into His divinity? We might be tempted to say, ‘Of course, after all, He was God.’ But we need to be careful here. After all, other prophets like Moses and Elijah could do miracles too and they certainly weren’t God. Our Bible passage points the way for us. Isaiah prophesied that God would put His Spirit upon His chosen servant, the Lord Jesus. At the commencement of His ministry, at His baptism, this happened. The Spirit of God descended like a dove upon our Lord (Matthew 3:16). Then, led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). He returned to Galilee ‘in the power of the Spirit’ (Luke 4:14) and in the synagogue, He quotes from Isaiah 61 alerting His hearers that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him (Luke 4:18). Jesus tells His opponents that He has cast out demons, not by Beelzebul, but by the Spirit of God (Matthew 12:28). If He cast out demons by the Spirit of God, we can be sure that He did all His miracles in the Spirit’s power. Jesus was a faithful servant of God; He was obedient as man. It was the Holy Spirit operating upon our Lord’s humanity, Who enabled Him to perform miracles and to carry out His ministry in faithfulness to His Father’s will and for the blessing of His people. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that the same Holy Spirit Who was upon our Lord, is upon all of God’s people, enabling us to serve our heavenly Father. Ask for grace that we would not quench, resist, or grieve the Spirit of God. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 7 - Christ, the God-man

“And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” - Psalm 130:8 Scripture reading: Matthew 1:18-25 The two names given to the child in these verses, Jesus and Immanuel, point us to the unique nature of our Lord. Jesus points to His humanity. He is in the womb of a human mother. He is given a human name, Jesus, the equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua. And Joseph is given the right to name Jesus. That is a sort of adoption ceremony whereby Jesus is adopted into a human family, particularly, into the lineage of David. He is truly man. But there is more going on here. He is in His mother’s womb, but He is not there in an ordinary way. We are told in verse 25 that Joseph and Mary had no sexual relations before she gave birth to the baby. Gabriel told Mary in Luke 1 that the child would be called the Son of the Most High, and that the coming of the Holy Spirit upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowing her, would ensure that the child born would be the Son of God (Luke 1:32, 35). You also see His divine nature in the names given. Even Jesus, which points to His humanity, highlights His divinity. Joshua, the Old Testament equivalent, means the Lord saves. If Jesus is going to save His people from their sins, He must be the Lord. This is confirmed when we’re told that He would also be called Emmanuel, which means, God, with us (v. 23). Jesus Immanuel, the God-man, fully human, fully divine and our Saviour. Suggestions for prayer Pray that we would grasp the wonder of God becoming man while remaining God. Thank the Lord Jesus for His willingness to become like us. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 6 - The word became flesh (II)

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh,..” - 1 Timothy 3:16 Scripture reading: John 1:14-18 ...

Daily devotional

March 5 - The word became flesh (1)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” - John 1:1 Scripture reading: John 1:1-13 We have alread...

Daily devotional

March 4 - Christ and creation

“all things were created through him and for him.” - Colossians 1:16 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:15-20 It is a wonderful truth that the ...

Daily devotional

March 3 - The worship of Christ

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in ...

Daily devotional

March 2 - The eternal plan

“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’” - Psalm 40:7 Scripture reading: Hebrews 10:1-10 In Hebrews 10:5-7, we are eavesdropping on a conversation between the Father and the Son. We overhear the eternal Son telling the Father that Old Testament sacrifices were not fit for His ultimate purpose. In terms of taking away sins they were not desired, and God took no pleasure in them. Not that God didn’t want a sacrifice but the sacrifice He wanted was the sacrifice of His Son. That is why the Father prepared a body for Him. Christ was going to be the final and only effective sacrifice for sins. Then the Son tells the Father that He has come to do God’s will, that is, He has come to reconcile sinners to God. The Son knew that meant suffering, rejection and crucifixion for Him. Yet, He was committed to doing His Father’s will. There is one more thing the Son tells the Father. Jesus’s coming has been written in the scroll of the book. Some think that refers to the pages of the Old Testament. It is better thought of as the eternal plan agreed upon in the council amongst the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christ was appointed to be the unblemished Lamb Who would take away sin. Christ accepted that appointment freely. He came down from heaven, not to do His own will, but the will of Him who sent Him (John 6:38). When He does come into the world, He reminds His Father of that: I am only doing what We agreed I would do for the salvation of sinners. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that He desired the salvation of His own. Thank the Lord Jesus for His willingness to do the Father’s will even when it meant His own sacrificial death. Pray for all of Christ’s servants as they declare the mystery of Christ tomorrow. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

March 1 - Introduction to the characteristics of Christ

Although we might not know much about Richard of Chichester who was elected Bishop of Chichester in 1244 and died in 1253, we are probably familiar with a prayer written by him. It reads in part: “Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou has borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend, and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day.” That’s a good prayer and this month’s devotional is written to get us thinking more about our Lord Jesus so that we may increasingly know Him, love Him, and follow Him. From ancient days “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” - John 8:58 Scripture reading: Micah 5:1-5a We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem just over 2000 years ago. But His conception did not mark the beginning of His existence. It marked the beginning of Jesus existing as a perfect man, but that’s not the whole truth of His being, as Micah’s prophecy reminds us. Israel was in trouble because of their incessant sinning against God. God judges Israel through Assyria and Babylon. Micah already sees the siege laid against the city, but God promises deliverance that will come from someone out of Bethlehem. The deliverer is going to be a man, born on earth and of royal birth who will rule Israel. But that’s not all that can be said about this ruler. His coming forth is from Bethlehem and His ‘coming forth is from of old, from ancient days’ (Micah 5:2). That tells us something significant about our Lord Jesus. He is from Bethlehem and from of old, from ancient days. He is from a point in time, and He is from eternity. He had a beginning as a man and He had no beginning as He is divine. John also tells us about the Lord Jesus. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’ (John 1:1). Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Jesus existed as God and with God. He is eternal. As Jesus Himself confessed, ‘Before Abraham was, I am.’ There never was a time when Jesus did not exist. He is eternal and He is God. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that when our trouble was severe, God Himself came to bring deliverance. Ask God to teach us throughout this month by the Holy Spirit so that we might understand our Lord Jesus better and worship Him. Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 29 - God’s grace to us in healing righteousness

“But to you who fear My Name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” - Malachi 4:2 Scripture reading: Malachi 4:1-6 We have traversed the Old Testament and discovered incredible stores of the grace of God for us from Jesus Christ. Indeed, from Genesis to Malachi, the grace of God is the primary theme. His ‘covenant faithfulness and love’ (hesed) is a key ingredient to His covenant. We are very used to calling this, God’s ‘covenant of grace.’ Now, four hundred years before the incarnation and virgin birth, the promise of the Light of the gospel blazes in the darkness (cf., Matthew 4:16, John 1:4). For all who are in awe of God and live in fear of His Name, the healing of righteousness is promised. That healing is what we need the most! The church has received grace sufficient for the needs we have in our day. God provides to each of us more than enough. Our calling is to “search the Scriptures” and see that it is true. Each Old Testament account is full of hints, clues, or outright statements of the gracious act of God on behalf of His sinful covenant people. So, read! Take up the Scriptures and study. Memorize key passages and be so familiar with the longer narratives that you can summarize and explain them to your children and grandchildren. Know the Bible to know the richness of the grace of God for us in Jesus Christ. Read, beloved, and discover His grace! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to show you more of the treasure of His grace for you in Jesus Christ. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 28 - The Spirit of grace to see messianic promises

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me Whom they pierced.” - Zechariah 12:10 Scripture reading: Zechariah 12:1-14 We live in the age of full revelation. The saints in the Old Testament had an incomplete picture. There was a lot that remained unclear to them. Yet as we see here, God the Holy Spirit was at work. Jesus says (Mark 12:36) that David spoke by the Holy Spirit in bringing Psalm 110. We believe the Spirit brought forth all of revelation, including what the Prophets said (2 Peter 1:21). And that means God the Holy Spirit inspired (breathed out) Zechariah’s prophecy, including verse 12, that it would be God the Holy Spirit Who enabled people to “…look on Me Whom they pierced.” Amazing! The Spirit of grace will give the grace necessary to understand truths about the Messiah. This is also true today. When we study the Bible or hear biblical sermons (and through other means) we are led by the Spirit of grace to a knowledge of the truth, especially about the One Who gave Himself for us. We should have great confidence about our ability to come to know more about Jesus Christ, being led by the Spirit of grace. Here in Zechariah, that was exactly the promise. The Spirit would be poured out so that the people would be able to look knowledgeably at the One to be pierced. Grace enables a correct understanding of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to strengthen your confidence in being able to learn about Jesus Christ, being led by the Holy Spirit. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 27 - God’s grace brings new obedience!

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the...

Daily devotional

February 26 - God’s grace for righteousness in an unrighteousness age

Daily devotional

February 24 - The grace of God in purification

“He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.” - 2 Chronicles 34:5 Scripture reading: 2 Chronic...

Daily devotional

February 25 - The grace of God’s reviving work

“O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wr...

Daily devotional

February 23 - God’s grace of a righteous ruler

“He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.” - 2 Kings 18:5 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 18:1-8 When we look at the local, national and international political scene, things can look grim. As I am writing this devotional (on October 27, 2023) Israel and her enemies are ramping up to what seems like another bloody war. We long for righteousness to be seen in our communities and around the world. We know that complete righteousness only comes in glory, but it is right to look for the best situation we can in the fallen world. That’s what it seemed like in Judah during the reign of king Hezekiah. Why? He trusted the LORD and obeyed Him. “Trust and obey for there’s no other way…” And in our text we see many proofs that Hezekiah put the LORD and His Word first. Hezekiah steadfastly obeyed God’s commandments, ripped out all the vestiges of idolatry, and even destroyed that once useful bronze serpent of Moses’s day – which had become a relic to be worshiped. We would rejoice today to have a president like King Hezekiah who would put the LORD and His Word front and centre in steadfast obedience. We must demand our elders and pastors emulate the worldview of Hezekiah in all that happens in our churches. We are especially thankful for our King, Jesus Christ, Who was the perfect law-keeper and our righteous King! Rejoice today that we have the promise of everlasting righteousness in that world to come. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for kings like Hezekiah, preview of the Perfect King Jesus! Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 22 - God’s grace shows us the terror of pride

“And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the LORD had struck him.” - 2 Chronicles 26:20 Scripture reading: 2 Chronicles 26:16-23 Uzziah - the mighty has fallen. His fall and the reason for it are gracious lessons for the rest of us. Have you ever met a person so ‘full of themselves’ that almost immediately you knew you could not be around them? Pride is such an ugly sin, especially because the very nature of it is to deny that it is sinful. So it was with the great and mighty Uzziah. He became so full of himself that he usurped the office of the high priest. He went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense. He was in gross violation of God’s law. Azariah the priest took eighty priests with him and confronted Uzziah. When the King’s anger burned against the priests, the Lord’s anger burned against Uzziah and He struck him with leprosy. This was the beginning of the end for the prideful king. Uzziah went from strong and mighty for God’s covenant people, to wickedly prideful and leprous. How far the mighty have fallen. We need the gracious counsel given by God here. “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time…” (1 Peter 5:6), “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Uzziah shows the necessity of humility. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to bring you daily to a humble view of yourself. Plead for a Christ-like humility (Philippians 2:5-11). Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 21 - God’s grace seen in a man’s might and power

“God helped him against the Philistines, against the Arabians, who lived in Gur Baal, and against the Meunites. Also, the Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt, for he became exceedingly strong.” - 2 Chronicles 26:7, 8 Scripture reading: 2 Chronicles 26:1-15 We are going to examine the grace of God as seen in the life of Uzziah. What’s very helpful about Uzziah is that we get to see two radically different situations with him in the same chapter of the Bible. We will take two different devotionals to work through this. Our passage for today reveals Uzziah, strong and mighty. How was he that way? Verse seven tells us, “God helped him…” The grace of God made Uzziah strong and mighty, and great was his strength and might. Four nations (at least!) had a hearty fear of Uzziah. He put up strong military structures, both in the city and out in the wilderness. The army of Uzziah was a well-oiled machine of more than three hundred thousand fighters. Uzziah was wise enough to have weapons and armament prepared for his army and he was a leader in things “high-tech.” He had advanced, cutting-edge weapons created so that he would entirely overwhelm any enemy. He was a man of might and power. The first 15 verses of this chapter are striking. By His grace God is able to bring about great power and might through His people. He can use you to do great things – truly! Trust the God of grace to use you to do mighty things in His Name. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to give you grace to do mighty things for His glory. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 20 - The grace of God’s secret work

“So he was hidden with her in the house of the LORD for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.” - 2 Kings 11:3 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 11:1-3 The speed at which time seems to pass by gets faster as we age. Children can hardly wait two months from Reformation day until Christmas – it takes so long! Adults, especially parents of those children, can hardly believe how fast that time flies by! So how long is six years for you? Have you had to wait for something for six years? Some of us have. But have we ever realized that something which just happened to us was six years in the making and we didn’t know anything about it during that time? God often works in our lives in such a way that we had no idea He was at work until, all of a sudden, His blessing breaks like huge drops of grace upon our heads. Most of God’s covenant people in Judah had no idea that for six years Joash was the king in waiting. He had been hidden away. God sometimes provides grace in ways we don’t immediately see. But He also sometimes uses His “secret agents” to accomplish His plan. I don’t know any covenant parent who named their daughter Jehosheba, but that name would be a badge of honour. This woman was a powerful servant of His for good. Through her courageous action the nation got a great king. God is very wise to sustain us by His grace even when we are unaware. Suggestions for Prayer Thank the Lord for His grace given even when we don’t realize it. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 19 - The grace of knowing God hears our prayers

Daily devotional

February 18 - The grace of being allowed to worship a holy God

Daily devotional

February 17 - The grace of giving all to God

“But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the LORD a...

Daily devotional

February 16 - The grace of dark providence

“Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” - Ruth 1:21b Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:...

Daily devotional

February 15 - The grace of a surprising deliverance

“But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”” - Judges 6:31 Scripture reading: Judges 6:11-35 This is a text full of surprises. To understand why, let’s see what’s going on. Joash is Gideon’s father but was an avowed idolater. This reminds us of Terah, father of Abram. God commanded Gideon to tear down his dad’s Baal altar and sacrifice one of dad’s young bulls to the True and Living God. Once Gideon did this the town leaders wanted Gideon dead. Keep in mind that Joash was THE leader of that clan! But when the other town leaders come for Gideon’s head, Joash stands up for his son and for the God of heaven and earth! Was Joash converted? We’re not sure, but it sounds that way. In any case God used this former idolater to save Gideon from certain death. Gideon would go on to be a powerful Judge over Israel, used by the Lord to save the covenant people, but only after being saved himself. God surprised Gideon by using his dad. How has God surprised you? We should be surprised that God has given us any grace at all. Receiving saving grace through Jesus Christ should stun us. But then we think of all the other ways God surprises us. He has promised that, along with Jesus Christ, He would also “…freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32). We are surely richly cared for by our God and today will be no different. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to show you today some of the surprising ways He cares for you. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 14 - Grace for courage

“And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!” So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.” - Judges 4:8, 9 Scripture reading: Judges 4:1- 5:31 Deborah was not prophesying about herself when she said “…for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, would be pegged by God for the task of killing Sisera. Still, when it comes to courage, both Deborah and Jael had received ample supply from God. Deborah had to hold the hand of timid Barak to wage war against the Canaanites of Jabin. Jael would hold a tent peg to the temple of Sisera and hammer him to the earth. Neither woman, it seems, had been pining for a fight. Yet, when the moment of need arrived, both received grace from God equal to the task. The bigger picture of this text is God’s delight when His people willingly offer themselves in His service (read chapter 5 carefully). This both Deborah and Jael did, but the courage to fight was given to them from the Lord. It is never by might nor by power, but always by His Spirit. The point should be obvious – God can grant us courage equal to the task. We are probably not tasked to fight Canaanites or drive a tent peg into a person’s head (gross), but our task might seem to us too hard to deal with. Remember Deborah! Remember Jael! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to give you courage for the hard tasks you face. Remember those who lived by faith before you and seek help from God. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 13 - Grace of the knowledge of God

“So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.” - Exodus 17:10, 11 Scripture reading: Exodus 17:8-16 Here is where we meet Joshua for the first time (verse 9). He is a man who will experience amazing things, but who will also need from God amazing grace. In this text, the grace he received was learning that Israel depends completely on God. If you know that about yourself and your situation, you have received grace that is very helpful. Joshua was tasked by Moses to fight with Amalek, a warring nomadic people. Joshua needed grace so that he could fight. Moses said he would go to the top of a hill with the “…rod of God in my hand.” Moses had held that rod as God caused the plagues of Egypt. Moses raised that rod over the waters which God parted to allow Israel safe passage and collapsed back over Pharaoh and the armies of Egypt. Now Moses will hold the rod up so that Joshua will be able to defeat Amalek. The rod has no power itself, but it is a visible sign and seal of God at work to save His people. When Moses’ arms drooped, Amalek prevailed. Why? Because the visual of God’s power disappeared from Joshua’s (and Israel’s) sight. What mattered most was to gain the knowledge that “salvation is of the Lord.” This truth needs to be imprinted on our hearts. God alone is our deliverance. Do you know that none can save you but God alone? Suggestions for prayer Ask God to strengthen your knowledge in His sovereign power to save. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 12 - The grace of continuing

“And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: “Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the LORD, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy.”” - Leviticus 10:12 Scripture reading: Leviticus 10:1-13 How would you react if two of your brothers had just been burned alive? Nadab and Abihu had failed to regard the LORD as holy when they went in before Him. Their brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar surely saw what happened and smelled the results. Fear must have gripped their hearts. And then, after words of admonishment and caution (10:6-11), come again words of grace and kindness. The LORD tells Aaron and his remaining sons to eat the blessing He has provided for them. God tells them to continue. God’s people sometimes find it hard to continue. Life in the fallen world can be exhaustive and distressing. Often, we are one catastrophe away from complete collapse. But God grants us the grace to continue. Sometimes things are not at ‘near collapse’, but we are weary, worn, frazzled and tired of the forward march. But God can give us grace to continue. Have you known His grace to you when you didn’t really want to continue? Our process in these devotionals is to go from a specific act of God’s grace in the lives of His covenant people, extract biblical principles, and apply these today. But that requires we each “take note.” We can learn these lessons and discover the application, but we need to be ready to see these truths for ourselves in how God is at work in our lives. Take note. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to give you grace to continue after hard providences have befallen you. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 11 - Grace for service in the worship of God

Daily devotional

February 10 - A “wall” of grace

“You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever to...

Daily devotional

February 9 - Grace as relief from struggles

“Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” And the name of the sec...

Daily devotional

February 8 - Grace in time of sinful competition

Daily devotional

February 7 - Grace in life’s messes

“May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you be an assembly of peoples;” - Genesis 28:3 Scripture reading: Genesis 28:1-9 Jacob was crafty. By that we do not mean that he knew how to use Mod Podge or craft a quilt. Jacob deceived his father Isaac and stole a blessing from Esau. But God was working behind these actions of Jacob. Here is the mystery of why God allows the shenanigans we read about in the Bible. Yet, He also puts up with many nasty things from us. After Jacob ‘secured’ the blessing, Issac sent him to find a wife. Where? Where Isaac went to find Rebekah–Haran. God intends to bless Jacob and make an assembly of peoples out of him. Abraham needed Sarah. For Isaac it was Rebekah. But for Jacob it will be Rachel plus. Maybe it would be better to say Leah plus, for Judah will be born to Leah. The back and forth of the birthing history between Leah and Rachel is legendary. Through those turbulent waters comes the nation. Jacob had earlier made Isaac quiver with anger by deceiving him (Genesis 27:33), but then got a full quiver from his two wives, the twelve tribes in seed form. Finally, he reverts to causing man to quiver when he acts unwisely toward his uncle Laban. We must see God’s hand in all of this to bring about His plan of grace. So too with us. Is your life a mess? Trust God and follow Him. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to show you more grace when you make a mess out of your life. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 6 - Amazing grace in answered prayer

“Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing comes from the LORD: We cannot speak to you either bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.”” - Genesis 24:50, 51 Scripture reading: Genesis 24:1-67 What should we pray for? When might our prayers be answered? Do we need to use exactly the right words for God to hear and answer our prayers? These and other questions and doubts impede what E.M. Bounds called “The Power of Prayer.” What we need to remember first about prayer is the amazing fact that God listens to us at all. I’m sure we’ll talk more about that another time. But it is clear in our reading that God did hear the prayer of Abraham’s servant. Abraham told his servant to go take a wife from Abraham’s people. He was sending him on a ‘dangerous journey’. The servant wanted some wiggle room. What if she won’t come? The servant went anyway. Gloriously, when the servant arrived in Haran, he prayed. He asked God to be God. And God was indeed sovereign in this wife hunt. As Rebekah’s brother and father would soon say – this thing comes from the LORD. One truth about prayer we learn later in life is that God moves us to pray about things He plans to answer. This way we learn to pray with more boldness. It is truly amazing that God answers our prayers, and His answer is always gracious help given to needy sinners. So, as James would say, we should ask in faith, with no doubting. Our God is gracious and will answer our prayers. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to cause you to pray about that major issue in your life. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 5 - Uprooted and transplanted by God’s goodness

“Now the LORD had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you…So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him…” - Genesis 12:1, 4 Scripture reading: Genesis 11:27 – 12:4 By the time Abram and Sarai had moved as directed by the LORD (Genesis 11:27 to 13:1), they had covered over 1500 miles. That’s about the distance between New York and Dallas. Yet the distance of religious reality they covered was far greater. As Joshua is reviewing covenant history, he retells that Abram and his father Terah had worshiped false gods in their ancient city of Ur. Ur was home to the moon god, Nanna (or, Sin). Since Ur was a wealthy city on a major trade route, the people there probably considered the proper worship of the moon god very important to their financial strength. ‘Long live Nanna of the Ur-ites!’ God had a different plan for Abram and Sarai. Grace leads. By moving dad, Terah, to Haran and then Abram and Sarai into the region that Israel would later inherit, God was showing how He can deliver His people. The travelogue of these two was a journey by grace. God commanded Abram in the way he needed to go to depart out of idolatry. And as we probably know, God was at work to bring Abraham into a covenant relationship of grace with Himself. Through Abraham and Sarah, God would create a nation for His glory. Through their Heir, Jesus Christ, God would make a people for Himself, for His glory. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to remind you how He brought you to Himself. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 4 - The glory of Babel’s reversal

“We hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” - Acts 2:11 Scripture reading: Acts 2:1-13 What occurred at Babel, recorded in Genesis 11 was done by God, for the good of the church, and could rightly be called an act of His grace in discipline. Acts 2 tells us about the reversal of Babel because of the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross and through the empty tomb. What do we read of in Acts 2? “…we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God!” What glorious grace God poured out! In the forward to his masterful summary of the Christian faith, Herman Bavinck writes that the name of his book (The Wonderful Works of God) is, “…borrowed from Acts 2:11.” Bavinck explains: “The Spirit was poured out precisely so that the church would come to know these works of God, to glory in them, and to thank and praise God for them.” As the church was gathered by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, so are we gathered together on the Lord’s day to hear God speaking in His gospel language. The Lord Jesus Christ will see the fruit of His work on Sunday. His people, drawn by His Holy Spirit, come to church to offer Him thanks and praise. The gathering of His people to worship on the Lord’s day is a portion of the Lord’s reward. It is also the proof of the reversal of Babel, a sign of God’s grace. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to give you joy about the privilege of corporate worship. Rev. Harold Miller graduated from Mid-America Reformed Seminary in 2001 and has served churches in Wellsburg, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri before arriving at Oak Lawn, Illinois in 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

February 3 - The grace of discipline

“And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scatte...

Daily devotional

February 2 - A colourful sign of given grace

“And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual genera...

Daily devotional

February 1 - Introduction to grace

The devotional for February will be a journey through the Old Testament in search of grace. What do you think? Will we find an ample supply? How often...

Daily devotional

January 31 - Iniquity forgiven

“And no inhabitant will say, "I am sick"; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.” - Isaiah 33:24 Scripture reading: Levi...

Daily devotional

January 30 - Powerless enemy

“Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey.” - Isaiah 33:23 Scripture reading: Romans 8:31-39 Isaiah returns with a final description of the Assyrians. It is a final rebuke against the pride of man. Like sailors vainly attempting to re-position the mast of a ship against forceful winds, so the Assyrians will attempt to withstand the judgments of God in vain. By contrast, God's people will divide abundant “spoil.” Whatever treasures would be aboard that “ship” would be plundered, and plundered easily. The Assyrians will be left so helpless and destitute that even the lame will be able to limp in, take their treasures and safely limp away. In another analogy with a similar meaning, Jesus speaks of “binding the strong man”; that is, in His earthly ministry He was taking spoil from the kingdom of Satan. All His teaching and healing was proving the powerlessness of the enemy. God's people were being healed and delivered! The message to us once again is: do not be afraid. Because of Christ and His blood shed for you, God is for you and not against you. No enemy is more powerful than God's love for you in Christ, because Christ is the One Who died and Who was raised, and is at God's right hand interceding for you! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His great love in Jesus Christ. Praise God for His wisdom and power in defeating the powers through the weakness of the cross of Christ. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 29 - The Lord our judge

“For the Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our Lawgiver; the Lord is our King; He will save us.” - Isaiah 33:22 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Because He is the King, the Lord is the only just and righteous Judge and Lawgiver. The Lord alone keeps His just law and judges with righteousness. He is the King of kings and He alone. The Lord is our deliverer and administers justice for His glory and our well-being. This is another promise of the Messiah to come. The Messiah was promised to God's people as their Redeemer, but also the One who would rule with a “sceptre from Judah” (Genesis 49:10). Jesus' work for our salvation consisted not only in our redemption, but also His fulfillment of all of God's justice and righteousness, even bearing the curse of the law that we deserved. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the new heavens and the new earth, Jesus will continue to rule as our King. There will be no sin, but He will still be Judge and Lawgiver; because, in all of the new creation, God's Law will be perfectly upheld. Therefore, living in Christ's Kingdom now, yield to His rule and authority. Listen to His voice and obey Him. We have been delivered from the condemnation of the Law and made new in Christ, that we may walk in newness of life. Obey the Word of your King; it is for service that He saves you. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord for help to obey His commandments. Give thanks that Christ by His Word and Spirit has made you a new creation in Christ. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 28 - Forever safe

“But there the Lord in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor majestic ship can pass.” - Isaiah 33:21 Scripture reading: Revelation 22:1-5 Isaiah's vision of a fully protected, fully sanctified, filled Church continues here. Not only will God's people feast in joy and peace because God is with them, but there will be ample supply forever. Broad rivers and streams carry with them the promise of fertile land, bountiful harvests, luscious vegetation and productive trees and vines. What is more, is that even though these rivers and streams will be broad and flowing, no passage will be given to any invaders coming by ship. Nautical raiders will not be permitted to pass through and threaten God's people. These rivers and streams will only bring life. In Revelation, the New Jerusalem is pictured as having the “water of life” running through its midst, proceeding from the throne of the Lamb. There is life there, and much fruitfulness. Notice that in both Revelation 22 and here in Isaiah 33 that this life-giving water has Jesus Christ as its source! Life is not life without Jesus; He is the Life! So all life and all joyful blessedness will come from Jesus Christ, even as life came into being through Him (Colossians 1:15-20). Believe in Jesus Christ and be enlivened in His saving grace and righteousness! May you have a foretaste on this Lord's Day of the eternal rest Christ holds for us. May you have that longing to be at home with the Lord where Christ will give us life and rest eternally! Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for Christ's eternal salvation and that by His life we may have life. Pray for faith to be hopeful for resurrection on that Day. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 27 - Jerusalem untroubled and immovable

“Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.” - Isaiah 33:20 Scripture reading: Psalm 48:1-14 Here is God's promise to restore the Church. He will not only deliver it from its enemies, but also establish the Church in favour and prosperity. The Church is here called “Zion” as throughout the Psalms and Prophets. It is identified primarily as the people of God who assemble for “appointed feasts.” It was in the feasts that salvation was proclaimed through symbols and signs, the law of the Lord kept and the covenant renewed. What Isaiah promises here, by way of God establishing His Church, is an eternal promise. We see it in shadows yet today. Tomorrow, God's people are called once again to “assemble.” The Word of God gives us the basis and direction for all of our worship. Christ is central in the preaching and the sacraments—so once again God's salvation in Christ is proclaimed promiscuously! The law of the Lord is kept in keeping the Sabbath day holy, reading His law and being instructed in it. And the Lord graciously renews His covenant with us as He speaks His promises through His Word and we respond humbly with thankful praise, prayers, and offerings. Without God's grace and patience with us, we'll never be untroubled. We would be a tent blown about in the wilderness winds. Nothing would tie us down. We are covenant-breakers who need God's covenant renewal. He restores us and establishes us in Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Rejoice in the privilege of assembling for the festive Day of Rest and seek the Lord's help to be prepared in heart and mind and body for the Lord's Day. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 26 - Insolent people of obscure speech

‘You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot unders...

Daily devotional

January 25 - Making all things new

“Your heart will muse on the terror: "Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers?"” - Isaiah...

Daily devotional

January 24 - As far as the eye can see

“They will see a land that stretches afar.” - Isaiah 33:17b Scripture reading: Matthew 13:31-33 Even though wickedness spreads, seemingly ...

Daily devotional

January 23 - The King in his beauty

“Behold, your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches far.” - Isaiah 33:17 Scripture reading: Psalm 45: ...

Daily devotional

January 22 - Impenetrable defense

“He will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.” - Isaiah 33:16 Scripture reading: Revelation 7:9-17 Because this Man, Jesus Christ, is righteous, He has a secure place with the Lord. Such a place “on the heights” and a “place of defense” evokes the image of a fortified tower high above the reach of enemies, or a naturally rocky crag atop cliffs that cannot be scaled. With such an impenetrable fortress, “What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11). The strategic risk of dwelling in such a fortress, especially one up high, is being able to gather food and drink. If a people has protected itself within a strong city wall, an army laying siege will attempt to cut off the food and water supply. God will provide here as well. Food and water will be constantly available. God will never fail, nor will this Man diminish. There is eternal security here. This is the hope we have as Christians: eternal security by faith in Jesus Christ, where no enemies will threaten. We will lack nothing for our daily needs or supplies. These are rich gifts of grace in Christ! As it says in Revelation 7:16: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” So we must always trust God to provide for all our needs and be content with what He provides. Suggestions for prayer Pray these petitions of the Lord's Prayer: for your daily bread, deliverance from the evil one. Praise the Lord that His is the Kingdom and the power and the glory. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 21 - Christ walks and speaks righteously

“He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hand, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil…” - Isaiah 33:15 Scripture reading: Matthew 4:1-11 Only this Man can enter the new Zion and dwell in the presence of God's holy fire. It is noteworthy that the verbs in this verse refer to a singular, individual man. Jesus Christ is this Man of righteousness. His walk is righteous; surely Jesus Christ kept God's will, never straying to the left or the right. He came to do His Father's will and He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17) that He had accomplished that work. Jesus' speech was righteous; He proclaimed God's glory and God's Word. Jesus knew what was in the heart of man, but did not shrink from proclaiming the whole counsel of God. He said to Satan, “It is written”; He would not allow Satan to twist and stretch God's Word of truth. Jesus was tempted and bribed by the devil in Matthew 4 when the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness. Satan offered Jesus food, personal safety and the kingdoms of the world. Jesus rejected these temptations and did not sin. If Jesus had failed the temptations in the wilderness, bloodshed is what would have ensued, for that is what Satan wanted: the eternal condemnation of all people. Jesus' righteousness was necessary to save us. Finally, Jesus never sinned through His eyes. Rather, Hebrews 12:2 calls Jesus “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to the Lord that even though Jesus was tempted as Adam was, He did not sin. Praise the Lord for the last Adam Who is our life-giving spirit. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 20 - Who then is worthy?

“Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?” - Isaiah 33:14b Scripture reading: Hebrews 10:11-25 This is another thematic verse in this chapter: a confession of our unworthiness to enter God's holy presence because we are sinful. Psalm 130:3: “If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” If you follow the description of the worthy person who could stand in the Lord's judgment on his own or her own, you will quickly see it is not a description of you. Except for Jesus Christ! We will see how Jesus in His righteousness fulfills the requirements in the following verses. Christ's sacrifice for sin was “once-for-all.” We cannot escape God's consuming fire. When offerings were burned before God, it showed the people that His wrath is all-consuming. Jesus' sacrifice is better. Those other sacrifices “can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12-13). He sat down because His saving work was complete; “It is finished,” He said. Only by faith in Jesus Christ can we enter God's holy presence. We “have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20). Tomorrow, you will enter God's holy presence with the assembly of God's people. Christ's righteousness and atoning blood cover you that you may enter with fear of God's consuming fire, but enter in the joy of Christ's salvation. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to the Lord that He joyfully welcomes us into His presence because of Christ's sacrifice and righteousness. Give thanks to the Lord that we can know Him through Christ. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 19 - Judgment at the household of God

“The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless…” - Isaiah 33:14a Scripture reading: 1 Peter 4:12-19 With this prophecy of such vivid descriptions of Assyria's destruction, Judah might be tempted to respond with smugness, rather than humility. There's a little bit of the Pharisees in us all. We think we're better than “them.” That smugness is usually accompanied by a second course: hubris. Hubris is a false sense of security, and over-confidence, which is based on the past. In Judah, it would have sounded like this: “Assyria is going to get it; we in Judah are secure because we're Judah.” What both Peter and Isaiah say is jarring to this false sense of security. We forget what we were in our sins: “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We were God's enemies, but still, Christ died for us. We're not better than “them”; we're not better than anyone! We're sinners, saved only by grace in Christ! So when judgment comes against God's people, those who have put their trust in themselves and their privileges, will surely tremble. Their faith is not in God. This is what God's judgment upon the church does: it purifies the church of false confessors. Hypocrites are exposed. Pharisees are rattled. Rather than smugness or hubris, respond to Isaiah 33 with repentance. Acknowledge that your own sins deserve the same destructive condemnation. God spares His people because He did not spare His own Son, but “gave Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins to the Lord and thank Him for giving His only-begotten Son for your salvation. Ask for forgiveness for the pride that believes we are better than other people. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 18 - Acknowledge God’s might

“Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might.” - Isaiah 33:13 Scripture reading: Psalm 71:1-24 T...

Daily devotional

January 17 - God is a consuming fire

“And the peoples will be burned as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.” - Isaiah 33:12 Scripture reading: H...

Daily devotional

January 16 - Conceiving chaff

“You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you.” - Isaiah 33:11 Scripture reading: James 4:1-12 ...

Daily devotional

January 15 – The Lord will arise

“Now I will arise," says the Lord, "now I will lift Myself up; now I will be exalted.” – Isaiah 33:10 Scripture reading: Ps. 42:1-11 We d...

Daily devotional

January 14 - The Lord lifted up

“Now I will lift Myself up; now I will be exalted.” - Isaiah 33:10b Scripture reading: Acts 17:22-34 The kingdom of man has exalted itself and spread itself over the world since the Fall. God bides His time; these “times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). He tells Judah that He is ready to act, to encourage and comfort them. God's actions are not haphazard, but determined and then carried out according to His holy will. God's people see that all other helpers are no help at all, but we must wait patiently for the Lord to deliver. God is no greater exalted than through Jesus Christ. Isaiah will later proclaim the exaltation of the Servant of the Lord in 52:13. Jesus Christ is exalted because of His “wisdom”, but also because “He was despised and rejected by men; a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief...” (v. 3a). Would you bow humbly to Jesus Christ, exalted at God's right hand? Would you repent of your pride and confess your need for His mercy? When the kingdom of man gets proud with God, He declares, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations...” (Psalm 46:10a). Let us not be proud and foolish like the nations, but with humble faith bow to Christ. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for delivering you from the foolishness of unbelief and giving you saving faith in Jesus Christ. Exalt the Lord of glory for His glorious works. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 13 - Even the land mourns

“The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.” - Isaiah 33:9 Scripture reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-18 This language is not to be taken literally, even though Sennacherib and his army did march down the forests of Lebanon (see 37:24), and did pass through Sharon (see Isaiah 36). This figurative description means that even the land mourns with the people; everywhere you could look, there was a sense of fading, diminishing, or “languishing.” Life, as it were, had gone out of the land. This is used as a picture of the sad condition that the coming of the Assyrians had brought on the land and its people. Lebanon, known for its stately cedars, is now browned out; its leaves have fallen and Lebanon is ashamed. Sharon was also known for beautiful blossoms, but is now a desert region. Bashan and Carmel had verdant trees that were not only bare, but had lost their leaves early. The fear of Assyria has gripped the land; all stands still, cold and lifeless in the grip of dread terror. How can we press on in our present spiritual battle? Fear and dread easily grip us when the present enemies flex and strut. Our weakness in putting sin to death sometimes gives us the same cold and lifeless chill. But “God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Jesus Christ gave His Spirit to fill us with power and courage and strength, that we might persevere and not wither, even when the enemies seem so close and so powerful. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ so that by His Spirit you might not languish, but press on in this spiritual battle. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 12 - The fear of man

“The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken; cities are despised; there is no regard for man.” - Isaiah 33:8 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 18:19-37 This is related to the “bitter weeping” of verse 7. The rejection of the tribute is not only a shot against hopefulness, but a breaking of a covenant. The tribute was commanded, with the promise of withdrawal. Not only did Sennacherib refuse to withdraw his forces, but he pressed further, sending his announcers to taunt the Jews. He pressed against the cities and crushed them with little effort. So the highways lie in waste and no one travels out of fear. Here is an enemy who does not care about human life. Here is an enemy who has no honour. There appear to be no limits to his wicked cruelty. We should not live our lives in fear of our great enemies. We should not fear man (Proverbs 29:25). True, our enemies have no regard for man either. But if we fear the Lord, we will fear nothing else. We will continue to worship, work, and enjoy God and His creation, no matter the threats of the enemies. Have you stopped short of serving the Lord in fear of how unbelievers might react? If we give in to the fear of man, it will stifle our God-glorifying service. Christ has given you a spirit of power, not fear. Trust Him to protect you. Suggestions for prayer Pray for courage from the Lord to continue serving Him despite the pressures of the fear of man. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 11 - In whom do you now trust?

“Behold, their heroes cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly.” - Isaiah 33:7 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 18:13-18 True peace with an enemy is not made by appeasing that enemy. Hezekiah sent envoys with “three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold” (2 Kings 18:14) that he took from the house of the Lord to make the plea bargain. It was not enough. The hope was that this tribute to Sennacherib would pacify him. If there was a ray of hope, that moment passed when Rabshakeh, retorted, “Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?” (2 Kings 18:20). Peace with such enemies is only achieved through true power. Such power is not the power of Egypt, or of any chariots, horses, or soldiers. It is not the power of money. Such are the powers of the world. The Kingdom of God is of another power: divine, sovereign, wise power. It is hopeless for us to believe that peace can be made with our enemies: our sin, the devil, or the world. They must be defeated by the power of Jesus Christ. His is not the power of earthly might, but of life through death; victory through suffering; strength through weakness. Our trust must not be in princes or wealth. Our trust must be in the Lord. Peace has been made between us and God through the blood of Jesus Christ and He will also achieve peace for His church by destroying His enemies by the Word of His power. Suggestions for prayer Praise the Lord for His powerful Word and Spirit, and Christ's power to defeat our enemies. Confess to the Lord the things in which you have trusted more than Him. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 10 - The fear of the Lord: Christ’s treasure

Daily devotional

January 9 - Treasuring the fear of the Lord

“The fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.” - Isaiah 33:6b Scripture reading: Psalm 128:1-6 “The fear of the Lord” is thematic througho...

Daily devotional

January 8 - The stability of your times

“And He will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.” - Isaiah 33:6...

Daily devotional

January 7 - Christ’s justice and righteousness for Zion

Daily devotional

January 6 - The eminent and imminent Lord

“The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness…” - Isaiah 33:5 Scripture reading: Psalm 115 It is the Lord Himself who reveals His majesty—a wonder that we cannot comprehend. Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that pleases Him.” The same exaltation is proclaimed with respect to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:3: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the Word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...” Unbelievers vainly imagine that God is not present. They foolishly say, “Where is their God?” (Psalm 115:2b). Perhaps the Assyrians vainly imagined that God was far away, distant and aloof with respect to His creation and His people. Their destruction at God's judgment will give evidence of His greatness. But His exalted majesty does not depend on that judgment. The Lord is exalted (eminent), for He dwells on high! Yet, our God is also very near (imminent). He fills Zion. His presence with His people is personal and powerful, and no more so than when Jesus Christ “dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus Christ “made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-8). In Jesus Christ, our Saviour, the Lord is most exalted and most present with us in justice and righteousness. Suggestions for prayer Praise the Lord who is exalted on high and thank the Lord for sending Jesus Christ to “dwell among us” for our salvation and comfort. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 5 - Leaping locusts

“And your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.” - Isaiah 33:4 Scripture reading: Nahum 3:1-19 Here Isaiah uses the imagery of devouring pests to illustrate how short-lived the Assyrian power would be. Assyria had conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and dispossessed it. Concerning Nineveh, the Assyrian capital city, Nahum also proclaims: “There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust...There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?” (3:15, 19). All they plundered would be taken back. Their destruction would be worse than the oppression they had unleashed on other nations. We are no wiser than the Assyrians when we behave as if we boast in ourselves. It is so easy for us to believe we are invincible because of our strength or what we possess. God can strike our possessions and our livelihoods with the same speed and efficiency as grasshoppers tearing through a plump crop. Let us also not be afraid of those instruments of wrath that God takes in His hand to punish and restrain evil in this present age. If the battle belongs to the Lord, so does the spoil of war. He will work His will and protect His church with His rod of discipline and He will also take care of the results. Suggestions for prayer Repent of any trust you have misplaced in yourself, your possessions, or your strength. Thank the Lord for all you have and seek His help to use your gifts for His glory. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 4 - Scattering the enemies

“At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when You lift Yourself up, nations are scattered…” - Isaiah 33:3 Scripture reading: Psalm 68:1-14 So certain is the Lord's deliverance, that here He tells Israel to live as if the deliverance has already happened. There can be no doubt in our hearts that when the Lord arises to bring justice, it will happen. This was always to be Israel's hope for the coming Messiah: though Christ's coming might be far off into the future, His coming was certain. This is our hope, too: Christ is coming as He promised. The “tumultuous noise” is perhaps a reference to the wailing sound of the Assyrians as the angel of the Lord destroyed 185,000 of their soldiers. This noise is filled with fear and dread at the awful judgment of the Lord. It recalls Revelation 6:16-17, where the unbelievers call out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” You might also recall the angel of the Lord killing the firstborn sons of Egypt. Only by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, can we be spared from this wrath, this tumultuous noise and fear of God's judgment! These words summon us to repent of our sins and to put our faith in Christ alone! In God's judgment, the nations are scattered. He arises in His might and the nations tremble. Suggestions for prayer Pray with thanksgiving for the blood of Jesus Christ that saves us from the wrath of God and with hopeful expectation for Christ's coming. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 3 - Our arm of salvation

“O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” - Isaiah 33:2 Scripture reading: Hebrews 4:14-16 God's faithful promises result in the prayer of faith. We must pray earnestly at the “throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Our enemies are cruel, be gracious to us, O Lord! We deserve God's wrath for our sins, but we pray, “Remember David's Son!” And we remember Christ's propitiation for our sins; God's wrath is turned away from us and we are blessed in His gracious favour. God is always with us with His arm of strength and power. Is your trust in the Lord each morning and each day? If you are depending on your strength, your abilities, your past accomplishments, your intelligence, or your reputation, you are not glorifying God. Are we not also in “the time of trouble”? We need salvation! Jesus Christ is the Saviour, who laid down His life for us as the perfect and once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. Yet, the troubling warfare in our hearts continues as we put to death our sins in the power of the Holy Spirit. Praise God, we have such a Great High Priest; He knows all our weaknesses and sympathizes with them. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ who has “passed through the heavens”! (Hebrews 4:14). This is why we confess our faith on the basis of God's promises. We believe what God has done through Jesus Christ and continues to do through Him. Jesus Christ is our arm and salvation! Suggestions for prayer Confess your dependence on God's strong arm of salvation, your need for help in your troubles and ask for God's grace in Jesus Christ. Rev. Todd De Rooy currently serves in Redeemer URC, in Orange City, Iowa. He has served there since being ordained in 2008. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

January 2 - Prayer against God’s enemies

“When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betraying, they will betray you.” - Isaiah 33:1b Scriptur...

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January 1 - Introduction to the fear of the Lord

Daily devotional

December 31 - Behold, the lamb of God!

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”” - John 1:29 Script...

Daily devotional

December 30 - John the Baptizer bears witness to the light

Daily devotional

December 29 - Christ: The genuine light

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:4-5 Scripture reading: John 1:1-12 The Apostle John contrasts the Saviour with the darkness of the fallen world and Satan’s dark kingdom. Speaking of Christ, John calls Him “the Light.” Light is a fitting metaphor or name to use to refer to God because God is light and in Him there is no darkness. The Psalmist sang: “The Lord is my light and my salvation.” God dwells in an unapproachable light. But the Son of God, the Word, is the Light in a unique sense. In Christ, the glory of God shines forth. He reveals something of the glory of God to humanity. Light is a picture of truth and purity. Satan’s dark kingdom is characterized by ignorance and filthiness. The Son of God is the Light in two senses. First, the Son of God plays an important role in the general illumination of humanity. This is what the Apostle John is talking about in John 1:9 when he writes that the Light “enlightens everyone.” The Son of God uses the beauty of the sky to declare and reveal the deity, glory, and power of God. The result is that even wicked men know that God exists. In a second sense, the Word is the Light because He reveals truth and purity to His people. By His Spirit He illuminates the minds of elect sinners so that they can perceive spiritual realities. Christ reveals the truth about how sinners can be transferred into the kingdom of light. His royal law illuminates the path on which we should walk. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would have a sense of the glory of God when you go outside and look at God’s beautiful world. Pray that you would walk in the light since you are not a child of darkness. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 28 - The twelve-year-old Jesus: The God who knows

“And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” - Luke 2:47 Scripture reading: Luke 2:41-52 When Jesus was a twelve-year-old, Joseph and Mary took Him along to the Passover Feast in Jerusalem. Afterwards, Joseph and Mary left for home, thinking that Jesus was in their company. But the boy stayed behind. I have seen parents leave their children behind at church; this can provide some comedy. But Joseph and Mary were not amused when they discovered that Jesus was missing. They had traveled for an entire day. Joseph and Mary spent a day walking back to Jerusalem. After three days, Mary finds Jesus in the Temple. He was sitting among learned biblical scholars, answering them, and asking His own questions. The doctors of the law were astonished at the precocious answers of the young boy. All who heard the twelve-year-old were astounded at His understanding of Scripture and theology. The young Jesus astonished His contemporaries because He is the God who Knows. He is the Son of God in human flesh. Nathaniel, an early disciple of Jesus, would be surprised by Jesus’ omniscience. Somehow Jesus knew that he had been sitting under a fig tree. Jesus confessed His deity to His mother when she asked what he was doing. He said: “Do you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Mary knew that Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father. Jesus affirms that He is the unique Son of God. He is the only begotten Son. Mary had been told that her son would be the “Son of the Highest.” Jesus is the Word and Wisdom of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would have a deeper understanding of the trinitarian splendour of the one true God. Pray that you would give praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Who are coequal in glory and honour. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 27 - Skeletons in the genealogical closet

“Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar….Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.” - Matthew 1:3-6 Scripture reading: Matthew 1:1-17 The genealogies of Joseph and Mary reveal two things. First, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Second, Christ came to save not only elect Jews, but also elect Gentiles. Among Jesus’ sinful ancestors were Judah and Tamar. The genealogies of Mary (in Luke) and Joseph (in Matthew) trace both of their ancestries back to Jewish sinners like Judah and Tamar. Tamar was Judah’s daughter-in-law. Judah had given birth to two wicked sons (Er and Onan) whom God killed. Each had been married to Tamar. Judah delayed in marrying Tamar to his younger son, Shelah. This led to Tamar dressing like a prostitute and soliciting Judah to sleep with her. The startling result was that the line of Christ would go back to Perez, who was the fruit of this fornication. Christ came from ancestors who needed to be washed with His blood. Since two Gentile women were ancestors of Jesus, the genealogies also remind us that Christ had gentile DNA and came to save elect Gentiles. The genealogies tell us that a man from the tribe of Judah named Salmon married Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho. God justified Rahab by faith and then transformed her moral condition so that she became the sexually pure wife of her covenant husband. She became the mother of Boaz, who also married a Gentile woman, Ruth the Moabite. The result was that Jesus was not 100% of Jewish parentage. This signals that He will redeem an elect church made up of both Jewish and Gentile sinners. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that Jesus came to save elect sinners in both the Old and New Testaments. Praise God for His wisdom in gathering a New Testament church made up of elect Jews and Gentiles. Pray that elect Gentiles appreciate the covenant grace given to them. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 26 - The newborn King fulfills prophecy

“And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”” - Matthew 2:23 Scripture reading: Matthew 2:13-23 Matthew presents numerous events connected to Jesus’ birth and early childhood as fulfillment of ancient prophecies. In Matthew 2:13-23, Matthew tells us that Jesus fulfilled three different prophecies. First, Matthew writes that the flight of the holy family to Egypt and their return to Israel involved a fulfillment of a prophecy in Hosea 11:1 that spoke of God calling His Son out of Egypt. The prophecy in Hosea 11:1 reveals that the people of God and their deliverance from Egypt was typical of how the Messiah would also be called out of Egypt. Second, Matthew identifies King Herod’s brutal murder of the Bethlehem infants as a fulfillment of a prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15. Rachel, the beloved wife of the patriarch Jacob, is pictured as mourning for her massacred descendants. This mourning was a type of how Bethlehem’s mothers mourned the death of their infant boys at the hands of Herod’s troops. Third, an ancient prophecy predicted that Jesus would be called a “Nazarene.” Since Joseph was too scared to live in Bethlehem, he moved the family to Nazareth. Matthew states that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. The apparent difficulty with understanding this prophecy is that we cannot find it in the Old Testament. It is possible that this was a verbal prophecy that had never been written down. Others think that the fact that Jesus lived in a despised town like Nazareth involved Him fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:3 that said that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected of men.” Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord would help you to see Jesus Christ in types and shadows in the Old Testament. Pray that you would be willing to suffer shame for the name of Christ. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 25 - Wise gentiles worship the King of the Jews

Daily devotional

December 24 - Elderly Anna’s urban witness

“And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” - L...

Daily devotional

December 23 - God’s Christmas gift

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” - 2 Corinthians 9:15 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 Jesus was a gift from God. If th...

Daily devotional

December 22 - Mary ponders the incarnation

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” - Luke 2:19 Scripture reading: Luke 2:8-21 Even though Mary was young...

Daily devotional, Uncategorised

December 21 - Jesus’ birth announced to the shepherds

“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” - Luke 2:12 Scripture reading: Luke 2:8-14 The first people to receive a birth announcement about the messianic king are shepherds on the outskirts of Bethlehem. They alone received an announcement for two reasons. First, God is reminding us that David, the ancestor of Jesus, was a shepherd in Bethlehem. Second, the shepherds had a low status in society, and God is reminding us that He often chooses to save the weak and the lowly. With a bright flash, an angel appears to the shepherds. Perhaps this was Gabriel. But this was also a theophany, an appearance of the glory of God. We are told that “the glory of the Lord shone around” the shepherds. This glory is a visible token of the presence of God. The shepherds, who are sinners, are frightened by this dazzling splendour. The angel tells the shepherds: “Fear not” (vs. 10). He came with joyful news. The Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord, has been born in town. Once the angel makes his announcement, an entire angel army descends: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God” (vs. 13). A myriad of angels stretch across the night sky. R. Kent Hughes wrote: “I like to imagine that they radiated golds, pinks, electric blue, hyacinth, and ultraviolet—maybe some were even sparkling.” Such is the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ that His birth was announced in person by mighty angels. Then the angels left. The glory faded. The constellations reappeared. And the shepherds ran to find the baby. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would believe that God sends angels to protect us from our enemies. Pray that you would have the necessary spiritual insight so that you would acknowledge the threat that Satan and his demons pose to you. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 20 - Born into poverty

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” - 2 Corinthians 8:9 Scripture reading: Luke 9:57-62 Mary and Joseph did not have the money or prestige to find a decent place for the baby to be born. Jesus’ birth is symbolic of the poverty into which He came. Mary’s baby is born in a stable. The scene in Bethlehem’s stable speaks of the poverty and humiliation of Jesus Christ. Mary lacks a bed on which to give birth. When the baby is born, they lack a cradle. The room was not sanitary. Jesus was not clothed in expensive baby clothes. Poverty defined Jesus’ life. He later spoke about how He did not have a home. He said that the foxes have holes and birds have nests, but He had no place to lay His head. The Apostle Paul provided a commentary of sorts on the Christmas story when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:9 that Christ became poor for our sakes. He states that through Jesus’ poverty it is possible for us to be rich. The grace of the Son of God towards us is evident in that He willingly gave up the glory that He enjoyed with the Father prior to the incarnation. The Son of God voluntarily became a poor man. Jesus became poor by taking over the debt we incurred by our sins. Jesus was born into poverty to free us from the debt of our sins and to merit the riches of grace that are found in Him and the wealth to be enjoyed in the New World. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would not be caught up with the love of money. Pray that you would comprehend the riches that you possess in Jesus Christ and that you will enjoy those riches in the new world. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 19 - No room in the inn

Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Scripture reading: Luke 2:1-7 Joseph talked to the innkeeper. The innkeeper claimed that there were no open rooms in the inn in Bethlehem. Can the innkeeper be charged with cruelty? Maybe Roman officials and guests were in town and had filled the inn to overflowing. Joseph was desperate. He has no relatives in town who can show hospitality to him and his very pregnant wife. And there is no room in the inn. There is no room for Christ in the hearts of fallen men. It was predicted that the Messiah would be rejected by men. Joseph leads his pregnant wife to a cave that is a stable on the edge of town. In such unsanitary conditions, Mary begins to give birth to the Desire of the nations. Are animals present? If so, in addition to the sound of animals, there is soon also the shrill voice of a crying baby boy. The new mother smiles weakly at her healthy baby boy. Attempts are made to romanticize the stable. But it is all shameful. This is the first step in the Messiah’s state of humiliation. He is in the legal state of being guilty for the sins of His people. The first step in His state of humiliation is that He endures the shame of being born in a crude stable. Jesus will be the suffering Servant of the Lord. It is fitting that at the two extremes of Jesus’ life are a stable and a cross. He was born in a barn and would die on an accursed tree. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would be willing to identify with and suffer with a Saviour Who is despised by the cultured elite. Celebrate that God has made room for us in Paradise. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 18 - His name is ‘Jesus’

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:21 Scripture reading: Matthew 1:18-25 The names and titles of Jesus Christ are significant: they are revelatory of His person, natures, and work. God the Father told Joseph what to name Mary’s child. What a beautiful name the Saviour was given: the name of ‘Jesus’. Charles Spurgeon said: “So inexpressibly fragrant is the name of Jesus that it imparts a delicious perfume to everything which comes in connection with it.” Why is it such a beautiful and fragrant name? The name of Jesus is a beautiful name because it reveals that the Messiah is Jehovah God incarnate. The first part of this name is a shortened form of Jehovah or Yahweh. It is revelatory of the fact that God is the I AM WHO I AM. He shows an unchanging covenant faithfulness to His people. Jesus, in controversy with His Jewish opponents, would say: “Before Abraham was, I AM.” The unbelieving Jews must have thought that the ground shook under their feet, when a young, bearded, Jewish man of around 30 years of age said: “Before Abraham was, I AM.” The name “Jesus” is beautiful because it reveals that the Saviour is divine. And only God can save. The second part of Jesus’ name is beautiful because it reveals that He is Saviour. In the Old Testament, Joshua had the same name. The name meant “Jehovah salvation” or “Jehovah saves.” Therefore, Jesus’ name reveals that He is the One Who will save His people from the guilt of their sin and the power of the Devil. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would have a deep sense of the truth that you can do nothing to save yourself and that Jesus is the only and complete Saviour of sinners. Pray that your children and grandchildren would trust in Jesus alone for deliverance from sin and Satan. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 17 - Magnifying the Lord with your soul

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.”” - Luke 1:46 Scripture reading: Luke 1:46-56 M...

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December 16 - The sign of Immanuel’s virgin mother

Daily devotional

December 15 - Mary’s cheerful self-surrender

“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” - Luke 1:38 ...

Daily devotional

December 14 - God raising up a horn of salvation

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servan...

Daily devotional

December 13 - A childless couple produces the forerunner

“But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”” - Luke 1:13 Scripture reading: Luke 1:5-25 It was a tragic situation: Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless. Years ago, a woman wrote in a Reformed magazine: “I am a barren woman. A barren woman nearly past the age where I must forever give up the hope of bringing forth God’s covenant seed and the joy of ever holding in my arms my very own baby. Barren—a word full of emptiness. Empty arms, empty home, empty heart. Barren—a lonely word, full of longing for what can never be.” The gospel of Luke begins with the message that God has remembered His people. The end-time Elijah will be born. John the Baptist will be a zealous prophet, who in the spirit of Elijah, will call Israel to repentance. The Holy Spirit inspired Dr. Luke to record the personal story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were a righteous couple who prayed for a child. God intervenes to answer their prayers—years after the last prayer for a baby was uttered. The couple has grown old. The Angel Gabriel shocks and surprises Zechariah in the temple. The priest is laying incense on the hot coals in the Holy Place. He recoils in fear from the glorious angel. Gabriel announces that the aged couple will have a son. They must name him “John.” Even though he is an aged priest, Zechariah does not believe the message. But he will. And when his tongue is loosed, he will bless God. He will celebrate that his child “will go before the Lord to prepare his ways” (Luke 1:76b). Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would live a daily repentant life, because the king has come. Pray for any childless couples who wish to have children. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 12 - Christ: the refiner of the sons of Levi

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.” - Malachi 3:3 Scripture reading: Malachi 3:1-5 In the Chronicles of Narnia, a boy confronts the lion, Aslan, for the first time. The child is terrified by the great lion. About Aslan it is said: “He is not a tame lion.” At Christmas the world acts like Jesus is impotent and safe; they do not perceive that He is like a refiner’s fire. Unrepentant sinners have reason to fear the Lion of the tribe of Judah. In Malachi, it was predicted that Christ’s coming would be a dreadful and fearsome thing. He would destroy the wicked and purify His people. In Malachi’s day the covenant people needed refining. Men had divorced their covenant wives to marry pagan women. Even the priests of God had become corrupt; they offered blind, lame and sick animals. The sons of Levi needed to be purified. Christ is like the hot, burning fire of a refiner. He is also like a refiner who heats metals to separate the dross and impurities from precious metals. Malachi warns that when Christ comes, He will apply heat to His covenant people. He will burn up the proud and self-righteous. He will purify the poor in spirit. The unbelieving Jews could not abide the day of Christ’s coming. Jesus judged the covenant people in A.D. 70 when the third temple was destroyed. Nevertheless, Jesus redeemed and purified an elect remnant. Since New Testament Christians need to be a holy priesthood, the Saviour also needs to purify us so that we would worship Him in spirit and in truth. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord would use trials to purify you. Pray that the Lord would apply sufficient heat during afflictions and chastisements so that your pet sins, which so closely adhere to you, might be burned away. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 11 - The ruler from Bethlehem

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” - Micah 5:2 Scripture reading: Micah 5:1-6 Most of us are a bit unfamiliar with the prophecy of Micah. This minor prophecy is a little-known portion of God’s Word. Although Micah is little known, our text is not. This is the one famous passage in this small book. Micah predicted that the Messiah would be born in the little town of Bethlehem. We are familiar with Micah 5:2 from the Christmas story. When the Magi came to Jerusalem seeking the king of the Jews, King Herod asked the high priests and scribes where the Christ was to be born. They answered by quoting Micah 5:2. The Messiah would come forth from a little town. Bethlehem is a symbol of God’s sovereign, selecting love. God chooses a little town so that no big town might boast that the Messiah was born in her. The great ruler will come from a little town where the youngest son of Jesse was born and raised. God often elects the lowly and common so that no man should glory in His presence. David was the youngest son. Bethlehem was “little”. God loves to save the lowly and weak, so that no one will boast in His presence. God uses youngest sons, slingshots, and little towns in His infinite wisdom so that we would not boast in ourselves, but in God alone. In contrast to the lowliness of Bethlehem is the grandeur and majesty of the Ruler who came from there. Although born in a little town, Jesus now reigns over the universe. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would recognize King Jesus’ rule in your daily life. Pray that you would submit to His royal law. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 10 - A man of sorrows

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” - Isaiah 53:3 Scripture reading: Isaiah 53:1-12 Jesus was despised by men. He would experience painful rejection in His hometown. The congregation in Nazareth became furious when Jesus told them that He was the promised Messiah and that God was sovereign in showing mercy to whomever He willed. Jesus mentioned God’s sovereignty in showing mercy to a Gentile widow in Sidon during the ministry of Elijah the prophet. He also mentioned how God only chose to show mercy to one leper during the ministry of Elisha the prophet, and the healed leper was a Syrian (Naaman). Dr. Luke records how the people in Nazareth rejected Jesus: “And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff” (Luke 4:29). Jesus was a man of sorrows, as if sorrows were part of His nature. He was not just sorrowful, but the king of those who sorrow. He had a double portion of grief. The cup that He drank was bitter. His baptism was deeper than any baptism that His disciples would experience. The word “sorrows” is in the plural. Jesus had numerous sorrows. The crowning sorrow of Jesus’ life was His cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we are told that Jesus was “exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.” He suffered all His life long, with increasing vehemence. His greatest grief came as He hung on the cross and was forsaken by God the Father. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would appreciate Christ as a Man of sorrows. Thank God that you do not need to suffer the sorrows of Hell or have the grief of being forsaken by God the Father. Thank the Lord Jesus for suffering such grief on your behalf. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

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December 9 - The servant offering himself to the smiters and spitters

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December 8 - The gentle Redeemer of elect Jew and Gentile

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December 7 - Isaiah’s prophecy of the lame leaping

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December 6 - The nations rallying to the root of Jesse

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December 5 - The wonderful counselor

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” - Isaiah 9:6 Scripture reading: Isaiah 9:1-7 All these titles of the future Messiah have connotations of deity. In the book of Judges, we find Samson’s father, Manoah, asking the Angel of Jehovah what His name is. The Angel of the LORD responds that his name “is wonderful” (Judges 13:18). That Jesus is the ‘Counsellor’ implies that He has no need for a cabinet to give advice because He is the Wisdom of God. The title “Mighty God” contains the widely used name for God which is “Elohim”, a name that points to His mighty power. Christ uses His power to fight for His people. It is remarkable that the second person of the holy Trinity is called the “Everlasting Father”. This title communicates that He is the divine creator of all creatures. Even the final title, “Prince of Peace,” has connotations of deity. The word “prince” is the same word used back in Joshua 5:14 when Joshua meets a man standing with a drawn sword by Jericho. Joshua asks: “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” (Joshua 5:13b). The person responds: “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD” (Joshua 5:14a). Joshua then worshipped the commander. The word for “commander” is the same as the word for “prince” in Isaiah 9:6. So all these titles point to the deity and majesty of the coming Saviour. A very human child would be born. But this child would have such high titles because He would be God in human flesh. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would meditate on the various titles of Christ during the Christmas season to appreciate the greatness of Christ and the variety of His works. Ask for grace to worship Jesus, just like Joshua fell on the ground before the pre-incarnate Son of God. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 4 - The lady who saved Christmas

“But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death.” - 2 Kings 11:2 Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 11:1-25 Jehosheba is not a household name. But she is the lady who saved Christmas. God used her hiding of her nephew, Joash, to preserve the royal line of King David. Jesus’ adoptive father Joseph was a descendent of this rescued boy. Jehosheba was a princess, a daughter of wicked King Jehoram. When Jehu seized power in the northern kingdom of Israel, he killed King Ahaziah of Judah. The dead king’s mother, Athaliah, seized power in Judah. She was the daughter of wicked King Ahab. King Jehoshaphat never should have arranged a marriage between his son, Jehoram, and Ahab’s daughter. This sweet grandmother decides that she will kill all her grandsons so that no one will challenge her right to rule. Queen Athaliah’s soldiers search the palace and murder her grandchildren. Aunt Jehosheba rescues her nephew, Joash. With her husband, Jehoiada, she hides the boy for six years. Then Jehoiada arranges for the seven-year-old boy to be crowned king. And Athaliah is executed. Thus, the royal line of David continued. Hundreds of years later Jesus would have a right to the throne of David through His adoptive father, Joseph. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for protecting the royal line of David. Praise God for raising up Jesus as the King of kings. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 3 - The sceptre not departing from Judah

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” - Genesis 49:10 Scripture reading: Genesis 49:1-12 In his blessing of the tribe of Judah, Moses stated that Judah would be the kingly tribe. Future kings would come from this tribe. The sceptre would not depart from Judah. A sceptre was an ornamented staff carried by ancient kings on ceremonial occasions which were a symbol of their sovereignty. Descendants of Judah would exercise royal authority. Historically, Genesis 49:10 has been interpreted as containing a reference to King Jesus as Shiloh. The KJV translates the third clause as “until Shiloh come.” The ESV translated the Hebrew text here as “until tribute comes to him.” “Shiloh” has been understood as a reference to the coming Messiah. The word “Shiloh” is a transliteration of the Hebrew word. The ESV does provide the following alternate translations for the phrase in question: “until he comes to whom it belongs,” “until Shiloh comes,” or “until he comes to Shiloh.” The NIV translates the phrase as “until he to whom it belongs”, implying that the reference could be to Christ to whom the royal sceptre would rightfully belong. Through his adoptive father Joseph, Jesus would have a right to the throne of David. If this passage is looking ahead to the Saviour as “Shiloh”, then the idea is that Christ will be the final and preeminent king from the tribe of Judah. It was predicted that the people would be obedient to the coming king. Christ has forgiven and redeemed us so that we would be obedient subjects. God chose us in Christ to be holy and obedient. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would submit to the Lordship of Christ and not act like the kingdom of God is a democracy where you have just as much say as King Jesus about how things should go. Pray that you would be as obedient to King Jesus as the angels are in Heaven. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 2 - The singular seed was Christ

“Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.” - Galatians 3:16 Scripture reading: Galatians 3:10-18 When God established His covenant of grace with Abraham, He stated that this covenant was made with Abraham’s seed. The Hebrew word “seed” is translated as “offspring” in the ESV. In Genesis 12:7, God tells Abraham, “To your offspring I will give this land.” In His statement of the covenant of grace in Genesis 17:7, God tells Abraham: “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” God tells Abraham that the covenant promises are given not only to Abraham, but to his seed. In Galatians 3:16, the Apostle Paul makes the exegetical point that the word “seed” is singular. Translations like the NKJV translate the singular word as the plural “descendants”: “to be God to you and your descendants after you.” Paul clarifies that the original word was singular, referring to Jesus. Fundamentally, the covenant of grace was established with Christ and all His elect. Paul teaches that all the covenantal promises of God find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The promises that God made to Christ, the singular Seed of Abraham, were kept. God also keeps the promises made to all who would be united to Christ by faith. Gentiles receive this promise by faith, not works. God promised Abraham that the covenant promises were for elect Gentiles as well. He told Abraham that “in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14). Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would have a deep sense of your sinfulness so that you would celebrate that you have received the promises due to the grace of God alone and by faith in Christ alone. Pray that you would reject the idea of doing good works to be justified. Rev. Nathan Brummel is Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament at Divine Hope Reformed Bible Seminary, and an associate pastor at Immanuel United Reformed Church in DeMotte, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

December 1 - Introduction to the incarnation

In the month of December, we reflect on the miracle of miracles, the wonder of the incarnation of the Son of God. Isn’t it wonderful that the Holy S...

Daily devotional

November 30 - He who calls you is faithful

“He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 Paul now draws the l...

Daily devotional

November 29 - Avoiding appearance of evil

“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 Scripture ...

Daily devotional

November 28 - Test the spirits

“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 Scriptur...

Daily devotional

November 27 - On despising prophecy

“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good” - 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 Scripture reading: Psalm 27:1-14 The Holy Spirit had blessed the early New Testament church with certain “special gifts” or “charismata”. Among these gifts were: the ability to perform miracles of healing, speaking in tongues and prophesying. The church, in its infancy, had no complete Bible, nor did it have libraries stocked with volumes of Christian literature and reference material. They were surrounded by hostility to the gospel and in that condition, because of their lack of resources, the Holy Spirit endowed the church with these “special” gifts until the time would come when they were no longer needed. Among those gifts was that of “prophesying”. The type of prophesying Paul refers to here in text was not so much that of foretelling the future as the Old Testament prophets had done, but Paul is speaking of the special gifts given to some to explain and apply the word of God to the congregation. It was a gift given to some, for the edification and instruction of the entire congregation. Although this gift of prophecy was one of the greatest gifts to the church, ranking even greater than “tongue speaking”, yet it seems that such instruction was held in low esteem by certain members. It has always been so, even yet today. Whenever and wherever God plants wheat, Satan sows his tares. How is it now with us today? Preaching is the God ordained means of creating and strengthening faith, yet, often so many pews are left vacant, especially during the second service. How about you? Do you long for the expounding of the Word every week again? Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to create in your heart a hunger and thirsting for the Word of God. Thank Him for faithful preaching and preachers the world over. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 26 - Respect for office-bearers

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:12 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 As you go to the House of God today, think about how your church is blessed by having elders and deacons. The reports about the spiritual health of the Thessalonian congregation brought by Timothy to Paul had for the most part been very positive. However, not all of the news had been favourable. In chapters four and five, it is suggested that there existed some disorderly members in the congregation. It seems that some were loath to submit to those who had oversight. We know that the Thessalonian church had responsible leaders since Luke mentions some of them by name, but we are not told what prompted Paul to issue the admonition of verse twelve. The context suggests that there were certain people who disrespected the church leaders. There may not be a spirit of disrespect for the office bearers of any congregation. It is the will of the Lord that church leaders, especially elders, should be held in high esteem for their work’s sake. These men preach, teach, warn, admonish, encourage and comfort God’s people. They are gifts from God who are given the responsibility for the nurturing of the souls of God’s people. It is through their authority that God chooses to provide order, governance and spiritual nurture for the flock. They exist to help us on our road to God and will be held accountable to God for every soul under their care. It is an awesome responsibility and God requires that we respect, honour and submit to them; we are to hold them in high esteem. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you develop a deep love for the church and her leaders. Unless they should require of you something unscriptural, ask Him to help you to submit willingly and cheerfully to their authority. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 25 - Salvation through Christ’s death

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Scripture reading: John 19:22-30 All of God’s people press on in this life, claiming God’s promise of eternal life. All of their lives, they keep their eyes on the prize and at the end of their days, they are able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness...” Of course, it could be no other way. They have been chosen by God and appointed to eternal life. Their names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Christ died for them and when Jesus cried out, “It is finished”, on Calvary’s hill, He signalled that every sin of every believer had been washed in His atoning blood and therefore, heavens portals are open wide, waiting to receive all those who have sought their hope in Him. The head of the serpent has been crushed. The powers of Satan have been overcome. The ultimate price for the sins of the church, collectively and individually as believers has been paid, by the precious blood of Jesus. Paul glories only in the cross. All of man’s work is excluded from God’s beautiful plan of redemption. All of our good works are counted as rubbish. All that was needed to save us from eternal destruction has been earned for us in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Our blessedness for time and eternity is a consequence of God’s electing love in Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria! All glory to God alone! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for that gift of so great a salvation. Ask Him to help you express your gratitude for that free gift, every waking moment of your day in the way in which you live. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 24 - Spiritual watchfulness

“So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:6-10 Paul has taught the Thessalonians that they and all other Christians are sons of light and not of darkness. They belong to the day, not to the night and therefore Paul exhorts them not to sleep, but to remain watchful and sober. To sleep, in this context means to live as if there will be no tomorrow or never be a day of judgment. Paul is warning against spiritual and moral lethargy. To be watchful is to live a sanctified life, conscious of the coming Judgment Day. The watchful individual has his lamp burning and his loins girded and in that spirit, he looks forward to the return of the Bridegroom. Christians need to be awake and sober. Paul contrasts the soberness of the Christian with the drunkenness of the worldling. The world stumbles around in drunkenness and darkness, but the Christian walks soberly and expectantly in the light. But for the Christian, watchfulness does not mean simply being passive while waiting. That was Paul’s point to the Thessalonians. They had become passive in their waiting and watching and now Paul stirs them up to intense activity. Paul tells them that their calling as children of the light is to carry the light into the world. They were to fight the good fight of faith and conquer the darkness with the light of the gospel. The question Paul presses upon us today is this: to which kingdom do you belong, light or darkness? Are you still asleep or awake? Has the light of Jesus Christ shone upon you? Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to strengthen your faith so that the light of Christ may shine ever more bright in you. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 23 - Children of the light

“For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:5 Scripture reading: ...

Daily devotional

November 22 - Like a thief in the night

“While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman,...

Daily devotional

November 21 - Encouraging one another

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul was not telling...

Daily devotional

November 20 - Our daily labour

“1 Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Scripture re...

Daily devotional

November 19 - Concerning love to the brothers

“Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:9 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 Today is Sunday. Today we go to church to experience the communion of the saints. In verse 8, Paul has just taught the Thessalonians that the Holy Spirit had been given to the church in Thessalonica. He now adds that the indwelling Spirit has already taught them to love one another. We would think it unnecessary to repeat himself. Paul was a skilled, competent teacher, but he was also a compassionate pastor. He loved the people of God as a mother loves her child. Here we see that Paul was probably one of the most effective and tactful missionaries of all times. He wants to avoid giving any offence which might hinder the advance of the gospel and he wants to give credit where credit is due. The Lord had instructed the Thessalonian congregation. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit there is no true biblical love for one another, but authentic brotherly love was evident in the congregation. By telling them that he sees evidence of that, he skilfully opens the door to further instruct them in some other deficiencies. He wants them to know that although he thanks God for the blessing upon His work among them, at the same time he wants them to know that the love among the brothers needs to grow. That is still true for us today. With the Holy Spirit in our born-again hearts, brotherly love reaches out to our brothers and sisters sitting in the pew with us and beyond. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the work of the Holy Spirit in the church and your heart and then ask God to instill in you genuine love for the brothers and sisters of your congregation. Ask him to provide opportunities for you to give expression to that love. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 18 - God’s Holy Spirit is in you

“Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:8 Scripture reading: Romans 8:1-7 Paul has taught the Thessalonians that rules and regulations for living are for the world, but not for Christians since they are motivated by a different ethic. Christian ethics arise out of the doctrine of God. The natural man behaves as he does because he does not know God. Christians, however, must behave radically differently from unbelievers because they do know God. A child of God knows God to be a holy God; he knows Him to be his God and he wants to please Him. Pleasing God is not something the unbeliever is concerned about. But that is different for those who know God. Those who have been called by God to be in this world, yet not of this world have been set aside (consecrated) to holiness. God has given them His Holy Spirit, spurring them on to a life of sanctification, a life of submission to God’s holy commandments. Being filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the Christian is able to distinguish between sacred (holy) and secular living. His chief delight is to live in accordance with all of God’s commandments in all areas of his life. Because of their recent conversion out of darkness, many church members were not yet that concerned about Christian ethics, in their marriages or in their business practices. Tragically, not much has changed over the centuries. Sexual immorality and dishonest business practices are still found, even within the church community. Such immorality grieves the Holy Spirit of God, which was given to us for a life of sanctification and holiness. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to create in you a deeper and richer knowledge and understanding of His Law and then ask Him to help you to know how to apply them in principle and precept to every part of your life. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 17 - A life pleasing to God

“But we urge you, brothers, …to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 Scripture reading: Colossians 3: 5-17 Having given instructions with regards to human sexuality, Paul now turns to the Christian’s obligation in society. In essence, Paul is saying to the Thessalonians, “You have come to know Christ, now evidence that also in your life in the world”. Paul has some valuable instruction for employers, employees and to all who are involved in business and commerce. He is even speaking to the ordinary “blue-collar” worker. The desire to increase in possessions, lives in the heart of each of us and the sin of exploitation and cheating are an ever present danger. But we notice that Paul doesn’t present to the congregation a long list of rules for them to follow as they live and work in the community during the days of the week. He did not try to restrain dishonesty in business with a list of laws, rules or regulations. Paul didn’t rely on contracts and auditors to keep everyone accountable and honest. Those rules and regulations are important, but they are only important for the world! Christians should be motivated by a different spirit. Christians should be honest in business because it is God’s will for them that they lead sanctified lives, in all areas, even in business. When Christians are more concerned about honouring God in the workplace than about increasing riches, they will experience God’s blessing. Christians need to remember that, “This is the will of God, your sanctification …. That no man transgress or wrong his brother” (1 Thessalonians 4:6). Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you live a life that is pleasing to him in all areas. Ask him to conduct your activity in the workplace in such a way that God is glorified first of all. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 16 - Living moral lives

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Scripture reading: Matthew 5:27-32 Paul begins where we would like to stop. We think that once we have been regenerated, we have reached our goal, but the Bible teaches us that once having been reborn, we are only getting started. A long, fearsome road of struggling against the world, the devil and our own flesh begins after rebirth. God wants us to be sanctified! In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 Paul tells the Thessalonians what is involved in sanctification. He mentions that their sanctification must first be worked out in the area of marriage. Even in their marriages, they must make it obvious that they are a changed, converted people. It is easy to see why Paul would mention the need for sanctified marriages when we remember that these people had only recently been converted from paganism. They had only recently become Christians, but they had come from and were still living in a heathen environment. It would not have been easy for them to break from their heathen customs and practices. Paul teaches them that marriage was ordained by God for God’s glory and for man’s benefit and enjoyment. It was to be a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman. What God had joined together may not be broken by man. Paul still speaks to the church today. We too live amidst a pagan culture where marriage is no longer sacred or honoured. Tragically even among church members we see so much brokenness and sin in the area of marriage and human sexuality. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would help us to live morally pure lives. Ask Him to help us to love, honour and cherish our marriage partners. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 15 - Pleasing God in our walk

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you a...

Daily devotional

November 14 - Abounding in love

“…And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 3:12 Scripture re...

Daily devotional

November 13 - We have been comforted about you through your faith

Daily devotional

November 12 - Being moved by afflictions

“…that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.” - 1 Thessalonians 3:3 Scripture readin...

Daily devotional

November 11 - For you are our glory and joy

“For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20 The Apostle Paul rejoices in the fruit borne by his work among the Thessalonians. The Lord blessed Paul’s preaching by His accompanying power of the Holy Spirit and dead hearts were made alive in Christ. The Lord had broken the power of Satan that had held the hearts of men and women in Thessalonica captive. God had used Paul’s preaching to open the eyes and ears of men and women who had been dead in sin and trespass. He had revealed Christ to them and they had joyfully responded in faith and repentance to the preaching and in that, Paul rejoiced. Paul preached and the Holy Spirit was active. Men and women were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of Christ in Whom they now had redemption and forgiveness of sin (Colossians 1:13,14). Paul’s response was to give God all the glory and he thanks God for the new creations in the Thessalonian congregation. Paul repeatedly makes it clear that men and women are to glory only in the cross and he is not contradicting himself here. He is not giving himself the glory for the conversion of the Thessalonians, but what he says is that his joy in this world and his glory in the future are tied up with the Thessalonians, whom Christ had transformed through the ministry of his preaching. How has the preaching affected you? Would Paul rejoice over your faith? It's an important question. It’s a matter of life and death. Suggestions for prayer If you are not yet intimately aware of Christ as your Saviour and Lord, go to Him yet today. Ask Him to open your heart to the preaching of the gospel. If you know Christ, thank God for that miracle of rebirth He has granted you. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 10 - You received the Word of God

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:13 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 Paul praises God that the Thessalonians received his preaching as the Word of God and he could say that because he saw evidence of the Word bearing fruit among them. The Word of God was at work in their lives. How do we receive the Word when it comes to us from the pulpit each Lord’s Day again? The preached Word comes to us through the human agency of preachers, but it is God Himself speaking to us and every time we hear Him, He demands a response. Isaiah reminds us that the Word never returns empty or void; it will accomplish the purpose for which God has sent it (Isaiah 55:11). God’s purpose in preaching is to call men and women out of darkness, into His marvellous light. Our souls are rescued for all eternity through the preaching of the Word. It is the instrument of the Holy Spirit to create faith in the hearts of God’s elect, but because the Word “works”, it can also have a devastating effect. The preached Word softens the heart of the child of God, but it also further hardens the heart of him who refuses to hear and respond in faith and repentance. That lays a tremendous burden upon preachers, but no less does it place an obligation upon the pew sitter. The Thessalonians could be at ease; they received the gospel with joy. How about us? How about you? What is your attitude toward the preached Word on Sundays? Suggestions for prayer Ask God to open your heart to joyfully, gratefully receive His Word. Thank Him for regenerating your heart, enabling you to respond favourably to the preached Word. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 9 - Working night and day

“For you remember, brothers, our labour and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:9 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 In addition to preaching the gospel among the Thessalonians, Paul also worked to provide for himself financially. We know his trade was “tent-making” and it would seem that in addition to being a full-time preacher and missionary, he also did manual labour. Ordinarily he would have relied on the church to meet his needs, but not in Thessalonica. We do not know why he took that approach in this congregation. To rely on the church to provide for him would have been legitimate. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 9:14, Paul himself teaches that the Lord commands that “those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel”. Why he expected that from other churches but not in Thessalonica is not revealed to us, but in this case, it may well have been that the Macedonian churches were poor, so he did not want to burden them. If the church was struggling, having to finance the mission work would have been an added burden for them. The apostles loved the flock and wanted to avoid any possible obstacle which might hinder the advance of the gospel among them, so they did manual labour to provide for themselves. John Calvin observes, “All good shepherds must take care that they be not only diligent in their ministry but they must also, as much as it lies with them, remove all obstacles to their service”. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to make you a cheerful giver. Ask Him to show you how you need to use your gifts, talents and treasure to finance the advance of the kingdom. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 8 - But we were gentle among you

“But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” – 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Scripture reading: 2 Timothy 2:19–26 In 2 Tim. 2:24, we read, “And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone.” Paul demonstrated that gentle spirit in his interaction with potential converts during his missionary journeys. He was kind and gentle towards them. He describes the necessary spirit of missionary workers by comparing himself to being a mother towards the Thessalonian church members. He says, “We conducted ourselves as a nursing mother, taking care of her own children”. As a missionary, Paul acted in the spirit of the Good Shepherd. He tells his audience he was ready to share not only the gospel with them, but he was willing to give himself wholly to them because they had become very dear to him (vs.8). Paul uses the metaphor of a nursing mother towards her child. A mother will sacrifice herself for her child because of her indescribable love for the nursing infant. No task is too great. A mother is kind and gentle towards her children because of her intense love for them. We see in the example of the apostles the great love of Christ toward His children. His love for them is so intense that not only is He kind and gentle, but He sacrificed His life on the cross of Golgotha in order that His children may have life. May we demonstrate that same spirit of the apostles in our interaction with those who do not yet know Him. Suggestions for prayer Ask God not only for more opportunity to witness, but also that He would make you into a humble servant of the Lord, demonstrating a kind, gentle and loving spirit towards the unconverted. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 7 - Not seeking the praise of men

“Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.” - 1 Thessalonians 2...

Daily devotional

November 6 - We had already suffered

“But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of...

Daily devotional

November 5 - Turning away from idols

“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true ...

Daily devotional

November 4 - God has chosen you

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:1-12 It doesn’t matte...

Daily devotional

November 3 - We give thanks to God for you

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:2 Scripture reading: Psalm 65:1-14 Although there were various things and various teachings within the congregation that needed to be addressed and corrected by the apostles, Paul opens his letter to them with thanksgiving. He had many reasons to give thanks. You see, Paul thanks God for the spiritual condition of the members of the church at Thessalonica. His preaching has borne fruit. He gives himself no credit for that, but gives all the credit and glory to God. Paul was well aware that the Lord gives rebirth, conversion and faith, according to His own good pleasure and he knew that preachers (himself included), could bring the preached Word no further than to the human ear. Paul was well aware that in order for the word to take root and bear fruit the Lord has to apply it to the heart of those He has called to receive it. Paul had planted and watered and the Lord had given increase. For that blessing of rebirth, he thanks God. For the blessing of rebirth in the hearts of the members of the church in Thessalonica, Paul gives thanks. We notice that Paul brought individuals of the congregation to mind, one by one. He says he gives thanks to God always, for all of you. He thanks God that there was evidence in Thessalonica that the congregation translated faith into action. They worked in love and persevered through hope. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that He has and continues to provide the means of grace for you and your family. Pray that your heart may be open and responsive to that word every time it comes to you. Pray that the church may give thanks to God for you. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 2 - Grace to you and peace

“To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Although Paul’s prayer for blessing includes a request of God’s grace upon all earthly needs, it is first of all a prayer for God’s blessing in the spiritual realm. All that God gives, spiritually and materially, is of grace. The Thessalonians had not deserved such blessings, but they had received them as consequence of Christ’s obedient life and sacrificial death in their stead. That is still true for us today. Everything given us by God is a gift of grace. All we have deserved is eternal destruction, yet what we experience is the heavenly goodness of God. Along with grace, Paul also pronounces peace upon the members of the congregation. That is also an amazing gift of God’s grace. You will remember the tragedy of the fall in Paradise when man set himself against God, but God, in love, grace and mercy, sent the Prince of Peace to earth to bring about reconciliation between God and man and also among men themselves. God’s frowning face is changed to a smiling face of God’s providence and love for His people. The peace that we now experience is a consequence of belonging to Christ and it has only a small beginning on this earth. It will culminate in an eternal peace in heavenly glory. God the Father is the source of all good and Christ has achieved that peace for His church on Golgotha. Suggestions for Prayer: Give thanks to God for all of your spiritual and material blessings. Ask him for the peace that passes all understanding in your own heart. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

November 1 - Introduction to Thessalonians

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians opens a window onto a newly planted church in the middle of the first century AD. It tells us how it came into being, what the apostle taught it, what were its strengths and weaknesses, its theological and moral problems, and how it was spreading the gospel. Paul shows how the church is created and given shape by the gospel and once established, the church then goes out and spreads the gospel. To the church of the Thessalonians “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Scripture reading: Acts 17:1-9 On his second missionary journey Paul, along with his fellow servants, Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy, arrive in Thessalonica. They had come from Philippi where they had been met with animosity and persecution. They spent three weeks preaching the Gospel and God blessed that work. Paul, as was his custom, entered the Jewish synagogue and reasoned to the Jews from Scripture and then we read that Jews, along with a great multitude of devout Greeks and a number of women, responded favourably to the preaching. What we see happening there in Thessalonica is people from different social and economic backgrounds coming together in faith. We see a powerful expression of Christian unity in the face of persecution. These Jews and Greeks were called out of darkness into God’s marvellous light, in response to the preaching. We see conversion and regeneration. We see men and women turning from their false gods to the only true God. We see spiritually dead men and women coming alive in Jesus Christ. The all-inclusive question now for you and me is: Has the preaching of the Gospel borne fruit in our heart and life? Have we turned from our earthly idols and turned to serving the Lord? To bring it even closer to home, the question is: Have I personally become a new creation in Jesus Christ? Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you to tear your idols out of your life so that you will turn more and more to the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Rev. Mark Zylstra is an emeritus minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America. He and his wife Corrie, live in Smithville ON and their home church is Wellandport, ON URC. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 31 - Heavenly citizenship

“Since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” - Hebrews 11:40 Scripture reading: Philippians 3:12-21 Blessed Reformation Day to you! Over 500 years ago, Martin Luther nailed ninety-five theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This sparked the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation spread through Germany and into France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, etc. Now, some 500 years later, we are citizens of the US or Canada or wherever as sons and daughters of the Reformation. However, from our Scripture reading, in Philippians 3:20, we see that our citizenship is in heaven. We live here on earth and might have a nice life. Maybe you thoroughly enjoy life and you are experiencing good health, a strong faith, etc. Maybe not. In either situation, the words of Hebrews 11:40 must be taken to heart, “God had planned something better for us…” We also have a spiritual life, faith, devotion to the Lord, watchfulness unto Christ’s return, and sanctification in the Spirit. On this Reformation Day, thank God for the recovery of the Word, so that we do not have to live in the shadow of the Latin Vulgate (Medieval Bible), but that we may read the Word of life and place this central in our homes and lives. We have a great advantage over all the saints found in Hebrews 11; none of them had the complete Word of God. We see more promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ than the Old Testament saints could see, but even now, we look ahead to the culmination of all things in the Lord Jesus Christ. On this Reformation Day let us pray “Maranatha, Lord Jesus, come quickly.” Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the Protestant Reformation. Ask the Lord to sanctify His Word in our hearts that we might walk in its light. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 30 - Commended for their faith

“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,” - Hebrews 11:39 Scripture reading: I Corinthians 10...

Daily devotional

October 29 - The faith of the martyrs

“…of whom the world was not worthy (NKJV).” - Hebrews 11:38a Scripture reading: II Kings 2:1-18 All men are conceived and born in sin an...

Daily devotional

October 28 - The faith of the martyrs

“They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.” - Hebrews 11:37a Scripture Reading: Acts 7:1-60 (shorter reading ...

Daily devotional

October 27 - Resurrection hope

“Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.” ...

Daily devotional

October 26 - By faith the weak become strong

“…were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” - Hebrews 11:34b Scripture reading: Judges 16:23-31; Hebrews 11:32-34 In Hebrews 11:32-34, we could tie in many narratives of God’s powerful dealings with His people through the faith of His servants. The one we read about from Judges 16 is yet another sinner saved by grace. Samson, the powerful destroyer of the Philistines, was tricked by his crafty wife, Delilah. His hair was cut, he was captured, blinded and bound in chains for life. His supernatural strength was removed. He was just an ordinary man. At a party with all the big-wigs of the city, they brought the disgraced Samson out to mock him. Samson found the two load-bearing pillars of the house and pushed them and he killed more in his death than he did in his life. How was he able to do this? Because, by faith he prayed to God, it says in Judges 16, and the Lord granted his prayer for strength. Why did God grant that request? The request for strength from the weak Samson was not unto Samson’s glory or honour. After all, if the Lord answered his prayer, which he did, Samson would be dead. It was unto the glory of God and the destruction of the enemies of the church that the Lord granted this strength. This is how the Lord works. He did so with Samson and, as Hebrews 11:32 says, “Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets." When we recognize how weak we are, then we can also recognize how strong the Lord is. Glory to God alone. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord for strength when you are weak. Pray for humility to receive whatever the Lord may give. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 25 - Rahab’s faith

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” - Hebrews 11:31 Scripture reading: Joshua 2:1-24 Rahab is mentioned seven times in the Bible. Five of those times, her sinful occupation of prostitute is connected with her name. We do not know when she turned from her sinful lifestyle, but in Joshua 2:9-11 we read something of a profession of faith. Nevertheless, this woman hid the two Israelite spies who were checking out the city of Jericho. She lied to the soldiers searching for them. Rahab knew that God was on the side of Israel and she chose the Lord to be her God. When the walls of Jericho fell down and the city was routed, Rahab and her family were saved. In fact, they were welcomed into the covenant life of God’s people. In Matthew 1:5, we find Rahab in Jesus’ genealogy. She had a son named Boaz. This Gentile woman was not merely spared her life when the wicked people of Jericho were destroyed, but she is forever remembered, for by God’s mysterious and wonderful plan, she is part of the line of promise leading to the Messiah. Rahab went from following false gods to following the only true God. She became the great-great grandmother of King David. The Lord uses the small, weak and sinful in themselves and he changes them. He uses them. Behind that term, “by faith” is the understanding that as Ephesians 2 explains, faith is a gift from God. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for faith. Ask for strength to trust in God and not in the “things” of this world (e.g. money, work, popularity, etc.) Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 24 - Jericho’s destruction

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” - Hebrews 11:30 Scripture Reading: Joshua 6:1-27 How can an army penetrate a fortified city? Will its walls fall after marching and shouting? Yes, if the Lord says so. This narrative of Jericho is loved and remembered by children. Israel crossed the Jordan miraculously, made an altar to the Lord and now they are ready to possess the land. The first city they come to is the powerful Jericho. After two spies from Israel are helped by Rahab, Joshua receives orders to march around the city for seven days. The conclusion of the narrative is that the walls fall, the city is routed and burned and all of its wealth goes into the Lord’s treasury (except that which Achan stole). What were the Israelites thinking as day after day passed and they marched around the city? Hebrews 11 attributes it to faith. God had done the seemingly impossible before and he could do it again. For, with God, all things are possible. Sometimes, it is easier for children than for adults to confess that God is almighty and there is nothing that God cannot do. As we come to God in prayer, do we believe God is able to accomplish all that we ask? God might not grant what we ask in faith in the way that we want Him to, but the Lord can in His way. These “heroes of faith” are remembered in Hebrews 11, but we could just as well remember that this is not merely the “by faith” chapter, it is the “by grace” chapter. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His powerful attributes. Ask for faith to pray that the Lord would do mighty things in your life. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 23 - Walk by faith

“By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land…” - Hebrews 11:29a Scripture reading: Exodus 13:17-14:31 Pharaoh changed his mind. After letting the people go, he realized his labor force was headed East. He decided to force them back. However, the Lord protected the people. The pillar of cloud and fire that led the people moved. Now, it separated the Israelites from the Egyptians, making it dark on one side of the cloud and light for Israel. They crossed the Red Sea which the Lord had miraculously parted. When the Egyptians tried to cross, the Lord let the waters return and the Egyptians were drowned. By faith, God’s people crossed the Red Sea. This becomes a picture of salvation, as mentioned in our baptism form. The same path which gave life to some, was the occasion of death for the others. Through water, Israel received life; by water, Egypt received death. The same waters of baptism which picture Christ’s blood washing away all of our sins, will be the same waters that picture death, if the salvation pictured is rejected. By faith, God’s people crossed the Red Sea because they trusted the promises of God. We also are called to walk by faith and not by sight. What do you think an Israelite child thought as he looked at the wall of water around him? His parents surely would have told him that the Lord is our protector. Grab hold of your baptism and say, “Yes, I believe those promises are mine.” Then walk the route the Lord has opened to you in His Word. Suggestions for Prayer Ask God for mercy to walk the path He calls us to walk. Praise God for His grace amidst judgment. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 22 - The faith of Moses

“By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.” - Hebrews 11:28 Scripture...

Daily devotional

October 21 - The faith of Moses

“By faith…he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” - Hebrews 11:27 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:1-17 In Exodus 4, Moses makes three mo...

Daily devotional

October 20 - The faith of Moses

“By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” - Hebrews 11:27 Scripture...

Daily devotional

October 19 - The faith of Moses

“choosing…the people of God…” - Hebrews 11:25 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:11-15; Hebrews 11:24-28 Over the next few days we will talk ab...

Daily devotional

October 18 - Disobeying pharaoh by faith

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.” - Hebrews 11:23 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:1-10 Pharaoh saw that the Israelites were growing numerous in the land. He was afraid that if foreign invaders came, the Israelites would side with them. So, Pharaoh, much like Herod 1500 years later, made an edict to kill the baby boys. When Moses was born, his mother saw that he was a “fine child” (Exodus 2:2) and hid him. Is this what Hebrews 11:23 means by, “no ordinary child”? It could mean that, or God could have revealed Himself to Moses’ parents. Nevertheless, they decided to disobey Pharaoh. Moses’ parents (Amram and Jochebed) risked their lives to save their son. It is good that they did, because it is that son, who 80 years later would stand before a new Pharaoh and say on behalf of God, “Let my people go.” The days may be coming and have been here in the past, that to obey God might mean to disobey a wicked leader. There are questions about the fifth commandment here, but God’s Word is clear that we must obey God rather than man. Jesus was pressured by the religious elite to be quiet. He was preaching the gospel of the kingdom. He was attesting to Himself as the God-Man. They killed Him for it, but like the situation with Moses before, it is not the wisdom of man, but the power of God that delivers His people. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. Ask God for strength to stand upon His Word even if the world/government pressures you to do otherwise. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 17 - Joseph’s bones

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.” - Hebrews 11:22 Scripture Reading: Genesis 50:22-26 Does it matter what happens to your body when you die? Yes, it does. To Joseph, it was his dying wish. Certainly in the history of the church there have been many saints who have died the death of martyrs and their bones were burned or ground to dust or ash and then scattered in an attempt to add further humiliation to the believer. For Joseph, why would it have been important to have his bones carried out of Egypt when the people left? After all, that would be a long trip to carry someone’s bones. We know that in Genesis 17, God had told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved for 400 years. Then, they would inherit the land promised to him. So, why is this verse in Hebrews 11? Because Joseph believed the promise of God. Joseph trusted that God would do exactly what He said He would do, namely, bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land of promise. Bones might not seem like a big deal, but when we think of them in light of the promise of God, the resurrection comes to mind. The weak and fragile corrupted bones of today, upon the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, will be raised incorruptible. We are not awaiting a spiritual resurrection (that happens when we believe); we are awaiting a physical resurrection where our bodies and souls will be reunited and transformed like Christ’s glorified body. That promise keeps the Christian on his knees in prayer. Suggestions for Prayer Thank God for the promise of the great “land of promise” with the Lord. Ask God for the spirit that you may stand steadfast unto the day of Christ’s appearing. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 16 - Jacob’s blessing

“By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” - Hebrews 11:21 Scripture reading: Genesis 48:1-21 Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were Jacob’s grandsons. Nevertheless, Jacob blessed them as his own, thereby adopting them so that they would be as “Reuben and Simeon”. Jacob gave the greater blessing to Ephraim even though he was younger. This was because he would be greater than his brother. This is just another example of the sovereign God carrying out the glorious plan of redemption. In Genesis 48, Jacob tells Joseph that he thought he would never see him again and now, lo and behold, he sees Joseph’s sons. By faith, Jacob spoke of things to come and this is the theme we see repeated in Hebrews 11. It is a looking back in order to look ahead. The Christian concept of hope is foreign to the world around us. But to the child of God, it makes him able to live and die in the comfort of belonging to Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ, that great enemy of death has been defeated. By faith, Jacob could lean on the top of his staff at the very end of his life, as he was about to breathe his last and speak about what was to come. By faith, we can do the same when we look to the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a beautiful joy and peace when a believer dies. Though the pain is real and the tears may flow, Jesus has risen from the dead and so will we. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the privilege to live and die with peace and comfort. Ask God to give you strength to look back in order to hope for what is to come. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 15 - Isaac’s blessing

“By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.” - Hebrews 11:20 Scripture reading: Genesis 27:1-40 This is an interesting verse, because it deals with a situation where Isaac was deceived. Jacob pretended and lied saying that he was the older son, Esau. Yet, when Isaac found out, he did not take the blessing back, but kept it, for he knew it was the will of the Lord. The promise of the covenant would flow through Isaac to Jacob. The fact that Jacob, who was younger, is mentioned first, is likely either in that order because he was blessed first, or probably because of the covenant prominence as being elect. Jacob and Esau are used later in Scripture in Romans 9 as an example of God’s electing grace. It is not by the will of man, but by the power of God. Isaac believed the Lord, but it was the Lord who used Isaac in his old age, unable to see, to give the promise first given to Abraham; and the church on earth, through God’s redemption, continues to grow. The battle belongs to the Lord. Moses had to learn this, Gideon had to learn this and we have to continue to remember this. We are called to work and pray, but it is God who ultimately accomplishes His good purposes. Hebrews 11:20 mentions Jacob and Esau’s future. This is what it comes down to…what will the future hold? Flee to Christ and receive the assurance of an everlasting inheritance from the Lord. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His mighty hand in saving sinners. Ask the Lord to give you a future-oriented heart as you live in the present. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 14 - Isaac resurrected

“He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” - Hebrews 11:19 ...

Daily devotional

October 13 - Abraham and Isaac

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,” - Hebrews 11:17 Scripture reading: Genesis 22:1-19 Year after year, Abraham and ...

Daily devotional

October 12 - God’s city

“Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” - Hebrews 11:16b Scripture reading: Genesis 19:1-...

Daily devotional

October 11 - Pilgrims on earth

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that the...

Daily devotional

October 10 - Stars and sand

“…descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” - Hebrews 11:12b Scripture reading: Genesis 18:1-15 and Gen. 21:1-7 In our Scripture reading from Genesis 18, we see Sarah, Abraham’s wife, laugh at the news that she would have a child. She was already an old woman. But, as the Lord says to Abraham in Genesis 18:13, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer is "No." Isaac was born in Genesis 21, when Abraham was 100 years old. Many more will come. In fact, millions upon millions will come from him. An impactful way to say or explain this, is to go to the beach and grab a handful of sand. Begin to count how many grains of sand there are in your hand. Then look at the beach and think of all the beaches in the world. Once again, when we see Hebrews 11 use the phrase, “by faith”, we must recognize this as a faith that is tested by the Lord. Will Abraham really be the father of a great nation? Will Jesus really be able to purchase a people for Himself with His own precious blood? Will we, though sinful, be able to persevere unto the last day? The answer to all kinds of questions like this is, "No, but for the grace of God." God will always accomplish His will and if that will is to give Abraham descendants as numerous as stars and sand, then it will be so. With man this is impossible, but not with God. We are weak and He is strong. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord that you are a spiritual descendent of Abraham. Ask the Lord to strengthen your faith, especially in times when you are weak. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 9 - The land of promise

“For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” - Hebrews 11:10 Scripture reading: Genesis 13:1-18 and Hebrews 11:8-10 In Genesis 12, Abraham arrives at Shechem, in the Eastern part of Canaan. It was there that Joshua, in Joshua 24 would renew the covenant with the Lord. It became an important place because of its redemptive history. That land would be the land of Abraham’s descendants. As the Hebrews endured slavery in Egypt, it was the promise to Abraham that was reiterated to Moses. However, even a land that they could call their own was not the ultimate goal. Even possession of the land of promise in this life was still a shakable reality. After all, Babylon and Assyria are remembered in the Scriptures for exiling God’s people from that land. But, Hebrews 11:10, speaks of a different city -not Shechem, not Jerusalem, but rather, Jerusalem the Golden. It is not a city built by the Canaanites or even the Israelites, but rather by God. Our Scripture passage says that God is the Architect and Builder. This Architect drew the blueprint for that city long before Abraham was called by God. From before the foundations of the world this city was planned. Abraham looked and waited for it and we do as well. We are called to be stewards in the world, but, as Philippians 3:20 reminds us, our citizenship is in heaven. Jerusalem will be our dwelling place, by grace through faith, and Hebrews is not talking about Jerusalem in war-torn Palestine. Can you see that city, by the sea of crystal? So did Abraham. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the promise of a city not of this world. Ask the Lord for patience and diligence as we await its appearing. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

October 8 - Abraham believed

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” - Hebrews 11:8 Scripture reading: Genesis 12:1-9 Abraham obeyed and went where God told him. As we read Genesis 12:1, the natural human response would be, “No.” In the ancient world, it was most desirable to be settled. Even today, moving is not easy. It takes much planning, work and emotional energy, along with the fact that you often have to say good-bye to loved ones. In Abraham’s day, to move anywhere was a tremendous task. But even more, he didn’t know where he was going. He went where God told him to go. Abraham, the father of all believers, is held out as an example of a man who walked by faith. As we continue to see in Hebrews 11, the saints described all received a promise which was not realized or accomplished for a time. In the meantime, whether it was Noah waiting for a flood, or Abraham camping and moving, their faith would have been tested. Then, when Abraham arrived in Shechem, the land of promise was filled with Canaanites. There is no such thing as an untested faith. Think of Noah, Abraham, Moses (see Exodus 5:21-22), the Lord Jesus Christ, and us. The comforting truth is that the testing of our faith is for the strengthening of our faith (read I Peter 1:6, 7; James 1:2-4). Jesus calls us to follow Him. The path will not be easy, but we do not have to walk alone. Suggestions for prayer Confess your doubts to the Lord and ask Him for a greater assurance of faith. Ask for strength to go wherever the Lord may call. Rev. Steve Swets was born and raised in NW Indiana. He graduated from Mid America Reformed Seminary in 2007, and he is currently the minister at Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

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April 20 - The fruit of the Spirit - Patience

Daily devotional

April 19 - The fruit of the Spirit - Peace

Daily devotional

April 18 - The fruit of the Spirit - Peace

Daily devotional

April 17 - The fruit of the Spirit - Joy

Daily devotional

April 16 - The fruit of the Spirit - Joy

Daily devotional

April 15 - The fruit of the Spirit - Joy

Daily devotional

April 14 - The fruit of the Spirit - Love

Daily devotional

April 13 - The fruit of the Spirit - Love

Daily devotional

April 12 - The fruit of the Spirit - Love

Daily devotional

April 11 - The fruit of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

April 10 - The Holy Spirit brings repentance

Daily devotional

April 9 - The Holy Spirit sanctifies

Daily devotional

April 8 - The Holy Spirit regenerates

Daily devotional

April 7 - The Holy Spirit reveals Christ

Daily devotional

April 6 - The Holy Spirit will convict

Daily devotional

April 5 - The Holy Spirit is a teacher

Daily devotional

April 4 - Who is the Holy Spirit?

Daily devotional

April 3 - The necessity of the ascension

Daily devotional

April 2 - The Spirit is life

Daily devotional

April 1 - Introduction to the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

March 31 - The worship of the Victor

Daily devotional

March 30 - Cross purposes: Victory!

Daily devotional

March 29 - Cross purposes: Reconciliation