Daily devotional

Thursday July 12 - "Be silent and come out of him!"

Daily devotional

Wednesday July 11 - No prophet is acceptable in his hometown

Daily devotional

Tuesday July 10 - The temptation of Jesus: “All these I will give you…”

Daily devotional

Saturday June 30 - Conclusion

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one to save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love. – Zephaniah 3:17 ...

Daily devotional

Friday June 29 - Lust: a way forward

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. - 1 Timothy 2:22 Scripture reading: 1 Timothy 2 The writer of Proverbs would agree with Paul: the answer to lust is to run hard in the opposite direction. A serious Christian response would be to recognize the gateways in our lives that tend to allure us to lust and provide a strong defense. Walking is not enough; we are called to run and flee. When I reported smelling gas in our house foyer, the gas company came the same day. Their first response was not to search for a leak: it was to shut off the gas at the source. There are practical steps we can take, including internet filters and accountability programs for ourselves and our children. But we need to go deeper. Sexual sin is by its nature selfish, it turns in on itself. Surely part of the solution is to look on my neighbour with respect, to pursue meaningful relationships, especially in the church, and to look outside of myself to ways in which I can serve others. This cannot remain a lonely battle. We need to help one another and pray for each other. It is an issue facing the entire church and we need to stand up to it together. It will not be enough to avoid sexual sin. We must pursue something better, develop an appetite for real love, real pleasure in God's good gifts, and ultimately real joy in Jesus Christ Himself. Suggestions for prayer “I long for nothing but Thyself, nothing but holiness, nothing but union with Thy will. Thou hast given me these desires, and Thou alone canst give me the thing desired.” – The Valley of Vision: Longings After God This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Thursday June 28 - Jesus Christ and our lust

Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. - Ephesians 5:25-26 Scripture reading: Ephesians 5 There is no sin that puts us beyond the reach of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Martin Luther once said, “We are not to look upon our sins as insignificant trifles. On the other hand, we are not to regard them as so terrible that we must despair.” Preach the good news to your own broken heart 100 times a day. Do not turn away from Christ, but towards Him in solemn repentance and fervent hope. The Song of Solomon is most definitely a marvelous picture of human love in all of its realms; its description of holy sexual love is not easy dinnertime reading. But it also serves as a picture of Christ's love and affection for His church. The entire Bible can be seen as the Heavenly Bridegroom's pursuit of His Bride. Do you see His love for her, His desire for her welfare, His pleasure in her response, His devotion to her joy and future? Sexual sin is partnered with shame and thus is often left in the shadows, where it feels like there is no help or hope. But Jesus Christ pursued death on the cross for sexual sinners, to remove shame and guilt, to break the hold that lust has on so many. This is the great hope for all of us, and the hope we hold out to a world that is so broken. Suggestions for prayer “May I never forget that Thou hast my heart in Thy hands. Apply to it the merits of Christ's atoning blood whenever I sin. Let Thy mercies draw me to Thyself.” – The Valley of Vision: Penitence This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 27 - Lust defined

The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body...Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. - 1 Corinthians 6:13, 18 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 6 Lust is disordered desire, for we were made to desire within the covenant between a man and a woman. Lust is wanting too much, unbridled desire, foolish desire. Lust is also wanting too little, satisfied with pleasure and relief rather than the superior satisfaction of trusting God and engaging in the hard work of a lifelong relationship with another person. Jesus said in Matthew 15, “Out of the heart proceed adulteries, fornications, sexual immorality – these are what defile a man...” Someone once wrote, “lust is a problem with the heart above your belt before it is a problem with the heat below.” Lust is a rival to the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, one that is seeking to destroy us. It fits in well with today's consumer attitude: my paramount demand is that my demands are met. Lust is a party for one. When we lust our world closes in; it feels like we are quenching a natural thirst, but we are entering a world without real water. Jesus Christ said, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.” Suggestions for prayer “My every sense is a snare to me...If I behold beauty it is a bait to lust...Keep me ever mindful of my natural state, but let me not forget my heavenly title, or the grace that can deal with every sin.” – The Valley of Vision: Self-Deprecation This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 26 - Lust defined

Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. - Proverbs 7:25-26 Scripture reading: Proverbs 7 In his Confessions, Augustine compares his struggles with lust to slavery: “The truth is that disordered lust springs from a perverted will; when lust is pandered to, a habit is formed; when habit is not checked, it hardens into compulsion.” It would be difficult to overemphasize the problem with lust in our culture and how that has affected the church of Jesus Christ. The writer of Proverbs pictures Wisdom as a Person crying out in the streets for all to be heard. The Folly of lust is right there as well and, for many, they are so compromised that they can no longer hear Wisdom, loud as she may be. The father of Proverbs takes his son on a tour of the city to view the dangers of lust and expose its emptiness and slavery. We live in a world that seeks to fulfill every base and debauched thirst. It is a world that feels more lost and unsatisfied every day. It is actively preying on our children. Sexual lust of every kind attacks and maims, damages relationships and marriages and future marriages. It fills our hearts with shame and guilt. It sucks the energy out of gospel courage and confidence, leadership in the home and church. Nowhere else do we find such a need for gospel light and a church motivated to help. “Say to Wisdom: You are my sister, and call insight your intimate friend” (Prov 7:4). Suggestions for prayer “Subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my soul into subjection, but do thou rule over me in liberty and power.” – The Valley of Vision: Confession and Petition This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Monday June 25 - Gluttony: a way forward

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. - Matthew 5:6 Scripture reading: Matthew 5:1-20 Eatin...

Daily devotional

Sunday June 24 - Jesus Christ and our gluttony

Jesus said...My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work. – John 4:34 Scripture reading: John 4:1-38 Jesus enjoye...

Daily devotional

Saturday June 23 - Gluttony defined

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father h...

Daily devotional

Friday June 22 - Gluttony defined

Food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. - Psalm 104:14-15 Script...

Daily devotional

Thursday June 21 – Greed: a way forward

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. - 1 Timothy 6:6-8 Scripture reading: Philippians 4 How often do you feel content with the circumstances, gifts, possessions, people, that the Lord has given to you? You feel very strongly that this is a prize you seem to be chasing your entire life. It can be so elusive. When Paul speaks of experiencing both sides, having little and having plenty, he tells us that he learned to be content (Phil. 4:11-12). During a teaching and preaching trip in India, I noticed that each of the pastors I visited had at least one parent living with them. When I inquired into this, I discovered how normal this was. Parents did not save for their retirement because they had invested their lives in their children and knew they could depend on them for support in their later years. This struck me as a helpful foil to greed and the dream of future financial prosperity. Do not bow to the idolatry of money, to the consumerist plague of our time. Resolve to treat your resources as God's gift to you to be used for His glory. Give away as much as you are able. Live simply but share greatly. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing; do not be anxious. “You know that you yourselves have a better possession and an abiding one” (Heb. 10:34). Suggestions for prayer “Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ's nature be seen in me day by day.” – The Valley of Vision: Heart Corruptions This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 20 - Jesus Christ and our greed

Fool...so is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. – Luke 12:21 Scripture reading: Luke 12:1-21 What could you buy on the streets of Jerusalem? I'm not sure exactly, but I do know that it pales in comparison to the options we have today. And yet, the worship of money, greed for stuff, is one of Jesus' favourite topics. The Son of God came down to earth and was appalled at how much people were captivated by what they could acquire and at how little they were captivated by His Father and His plan of redemption. Their love of money had blinded them to their need for Him. Jesus came to expose the empty claims to joy that greed believes in. Feel his sadness as the rich young ruler walks away from the Hope of the world because his money and possessions owned him. He has come to break the power of greed in our lives. And how far he has come: “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 Cor. 8:9). His life was filled with giving away what He had, denying His own rights, putting aside the glory He deserved. His was a life of giving, not taking: “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again” (John 10:17). Suggestions for prayer “Give me a holy avarice (greed) to redeem the time, to awake at every call to charity and piety. Let me live a life of self-distrust and dependence on Thyself.” – The Valley of Vision: The Infinite and the Finite This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 19 – Greed defined

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. – 1 Timothy 6:10 Scripture reading: 1 Timothy 6 A 19th century author wrote about his successful life and the large amount of wealth he was able to amass for himself. His last penned words were his own epitaph: “I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing.” Being a steward over the good gifts of God, including money and possessions, is a trust, an honour, an opportunity. Any amount of worship of those good things, though, will be ultimately disappointing and disastrous. Imagine the Preacher of Ecclesiastes on your right shoulder, reminding you, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, a chasing after the wind.” The stats don't lie; North Americans are addicted to wanting more and wanting it now. We may be entirely content until someone tells us about their new car or we see an advertisement for a sweater or burger that we suddenly cannot do without. Greed is a cousin of envy because we compare ourselves with others and compete with our wallets and credit cards. We feel free, independent and in control. But we are easily ensnared. John Piper once said, “The contentment that the heart should be getting from God – greed starts to get from something else.” Suggestions for prayer “Turn by heart from vanity, from dissatisfactions, from uncertainties of the present state, to an eternal interest in Christ.” – The Valley of Vision: The Infinite and the Finite This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Monday June 18 - Greed defined

Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." – Hebrews 13:5 Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13 I remember a co-worker I had as a teenager. We called him Devo. Slow times allowed us to talk a lot. One of his favourite topics was the amount of credit he had through his credit cards. It filled him with a sense of power and control to know that he could go out that weekend and spend $35000 and no one could stop him. It was an early wakeup call for me. Making a priority out of trusting and serving Jesus Christ was going to be challenged by the allure of trusting and serving money and what money could buy. The world is not the way it is supposed to be. Sin is a perversion of all that God called very good at creation. We experience its pollution, its corruption, at every level. Sin is a parasite. The devil cannot create anything good but only twist what God has made. So it is with greed. Greed is good desire gone wrong, taking the good gifts and good opportunities that God has given us and making them ultimate. Interesting, isn't it, that the writer to the Hebrews ends his masterpiece on the person and work of Jesus Christ with an exhortation about money. That should tell us something about our vulnerability here: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Suggestions for prayer “When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them, and set my affection on some beloved object – children, friends, wealth, honour; Cleanse this spiritual adultery...close my heart to all but Thee” – The Valley of Vision: A Cry for Deliverance This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Sunday June 17 - Sloth: a way forward

“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… Consider Him w...

Daily devotional

Saturday June 16 – Jesus Christ and our sloth

Look to 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 a...

Daily devotional

Friday June 15 – Sloth defined

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. – Proverbs 19:15 Scripture reading: 2 Samuel 11 I heard that sl...

Daily devotional

Thursday June 14 - Sloth defined

I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with...

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 13 – Anger: a way forward

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. – James 1:19-20 Scripture reading: James 1 Anger serves as a helpful whistleblower in our lives. Follow your anger to the passions and desires you have and you will find what you are actually in love with. Pray to the Spirit to thus reveal the idols of your heart and allow you to reorient your love in the direction of Christ and His kingdom. This broken world is full of anger; sprinkle the salt of kindness, gentleness, patience and mercy for all to see. “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” (Eccl. 7:9). Practice humble forgiveness for those who have done you wrong. Embrace mercy towards others with the type of earnest passion that Jesus demonstrated towards others. Be slow to speak and to judge another person; take your time and listen. Get angry at the right things: your own sin and failures, as well as the broken world and the broken hearts all around you. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger...be put away from you...Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:31-32). Suggestions for prayer “I bless Thee for the discoveries, invitations, promises of the gospel, for in them is pardon for rebels, liberty for captives, health for the sick, salvation for the lost.” – The Valley of Vision: Living for Jesus This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 12 – Jesus Christ and our anger

Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:29 Scripture reading: Matthew 11 This is true love. The Lord of Glory, the Word, the Alpha and the Omega left the joy and glory of heaven to dwell with sinful man in this broken world. The good news is that He did not treat us as we deserve; He did not pour out just wrath on sinful mankind in an act of sudden and permanent judgment. Instead, He bore the wrath of the Father on an accursed tree to set us free. His spirit, even while suffering on the cross, was one of patience and forgiveness (Luke 23:34). This knowledge of our Savior is the starting and ending point of all struggle against the sin of anger. In Mark 3, Jesus heals a man with a deformed hand on the Sabbath. Some religious leaders balked at his carefree attitude towards the law. We read of Jesus in verse 5, “He looked around at them in anger and in deep distress at their stubborn hearts.” You can feel the love of Christ for sinners, even in his anger and distress. We instinctively look to defend and attack, but “as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth” (Is. 53:7). Watch as Jesus exerts His energy and passion against all that threatens the church that He loves. This is how much pleasure He takes in you. He is worthy of every ounce of your faith. Suggestions for prayer “My love is frost and cold, ice and snow; let His love warm me, lighten my burden, be my heaven.” – The Valley of Vision: The Love of Jesus This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Monday June 11 - Anger defined

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. – James 4:1-2 Scripture reading: Genesis 27 So anger is all about what you love. Sinful anger involves loving all the wrong things. We get angry to protect the things we love. If we love and highly value comfort, we may yell at our children when they disturb it. When I feel that respect due to me is threatened, I may react with anger against the person challenging my reputation. This is why we are so often blind to our anger: we are simply protecting what we love and feel deeply about. The more we invest in what we love, the harder we will fight to protect it. Be careful that you do not underestimate just how dangerous anger is. Because anger will often feel incredibly empowering. Rebekah said to Jacob, “Your brother Esau comforts himself with the thought of killing you” (Gen. 27:42). Anger is so destructive, to ourselves and to those around us. Frederick Buechner once wrote: “Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances lost past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come...in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.” Suggestions for prayer “I am troubled for my sin of passion, for the shame and horror of it as an evil; Lord God, I know that my sudden anger arises when things cross me, and I desire to please only myself, not Christ.” – The Valley of Vision: Passion This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Sunday June 10 – Anger defined

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity for the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27 Scripture reading: Ephesians 4 Envy, pride, lust, greed: there is something so ordinary about the seven deadly sins, something so basic to the heart of mankind lost in sin, broken and corrupt. There is an extra ingredient in the next in our list: anger. The Bible actually has some pretty positive things to say about anger; above all, God Himself is said to be angry (Ps. 7:11). You see, anger is really about what and how you love. God loves holiness, righteousness, wholeness, light. And the more you love something, the angrier you are when it is threatened, when it is in danger. There is a beauty then in God's anger which is marvelous to see. His love for this world, for those made in His image, for His plan, are so deep and so constant, that He will hate and oppose and pour out His wrath against any opposition. On the same theme, a wife's anger over her husband's infidelity is not only understandable, it is holy. The problem is, our anger is, at the best, mixed with all kinds of sins and, at the worst, actually not righteous or holy at all, but is just concerned with standing up for our own rights. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Anger is the fluid that love bleeds when you cut it.” But what about anger as a deadly sin? Sinful anger is also about love, but love in the wrong direction. Suggestions for prayer “O Holy Trinity, three Persons and one God, inhabit me, a temple consecrated to Thy glory. When thou art present, evil cannot abide; in thy fellowship is fullness of joy.” – The Valley of Vision: The Great God This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Saturday June 9 - Envy: a way forward

Now the works of the flesh are evident...envy...but the fruit of the Spirit is love...kindness...goodness... – Galatians 5:19-23 Scripture readi...

Daily devotional

Friday June 8 - Jesus Christ and our envy

Jesus Christ...though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a s...

Daily devotional

Thursday June 7 - Envy defined

Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands...And Saul eyed David from that day on. – 1 Samuel 18:7-9 Scripture reading: 1 S...

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 6 - Envy defined

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. – Proverbs 14:30 Scripture reading: Proverbs 14 As sinful and ruinou...

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 5 - Pride: a way forward

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you. – 1 Peter 5:6 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 5 We need our pride opposed by God, we need to be humbled by His Word, His Spirit, and the circumstances that He brings into our lives. We need to give up our demand for what we deserve, for what we deserve is judgment and death. Jesus taught His disciples that, “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus practiced this without fail in His own life and death and sets it as a pattern for His church. Think about this carefully: what people in your life will benefit from your humble servanthood? As you come to be more like your humble Savior, who will be affected? Think of everyday conversations and interactions. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less.” Have you been humbled recently? Feeling weak is the best garden for the flowering of dependence upon God's sufficient grace. Allow the superior satisfaction in God to overpower your self-preoccupation. Ultimately the Father is remaking us in His Son's image. We must be willing to be humiliated as He was. Let us say, with Paul, “...far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” – Galatians 6:14 Suggestions for prayer “Holy Spirit, Make me the lowest of the lowly, that my spiritual riches may exceedingly abound. Keep me humble, meek, lowly.” – The Valley of Vision: Pride This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Monday June 4 - Jesus Christ and our pride

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who...being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5, 8 Scripture reading: Philippians 2 The greatest foil to pride in our lives is to come to know our humble Savior, the Lord Jesus, deeper and deeper. Watch as the highest becomes the lowest: in His birth, life, suffering, death and burial. He did not need to lower Himself one inch towards us, and yet He voluntarily bent Himself in submission to His Father's will to accomplish what only He could accomplish. He allows Himself to be baptized – Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God! Confess Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant, in the face of every ounce of pride remaining in your heart. For your Savior was ridiculed, misunderstood, mocked, spat upon, struck, bargained over, pierced with thorns and nails, brutally crucified, killed, all while bearing the unthinkable weight of the sins of the world upon Himself. John Flavel once wrote, “Was not this astonishing self-denial? That He, who from eternity, had His Father's smiles and honours, He that from the creation was adored, and worshiped by angels, as their God, must now become a footstool for every miscreant to tread on.” Suggestions for prayer “Dearest Savior, when I am tempted to think highly of myself, grant me to see the wily power of my spiritual enemy; Help me to stand with wary eye on the watch-tower of faith, and to cling with determined grasp to my humble Lord” – The Valley of Vision: Pride This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA. ...

Daily devotional

Sunday June 3 – Pride defined

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. – James 4:6 Scripture reading: James 4 How would you define pride? Self-promotion, self-absorption, self-exaltation? When things are going well, pride takes the credit; I worked hard, I dieted well, I scored a hat-trick. When things are going poorly, pride plays the blame game; things are not fair, I deserve better. Pride wants to be the center of attention. There is even a false humility that craves sympathy – look at me, feel sorry for me, praise me, notice me. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Pride wants to keep away from everything that will make it feel small.” It's true; our sinful pride makes us feel threatened by others, by their skills, accomplishments, jobs, children, appearance, car, etc. We compare ourselves to others and build our identity based on how we match up to those we consider to be above or below us. Someone else said that the proud person thinks a lot about herself and also a lot of herself. Pride ultimately is the creature made in God's image contending for glory with God Himself. Therefore, it cannot be anything but self-destructive. Jeremiah 9 offers this gracious instruction: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me.” Suggestions for prayer “Gracious God, Help me to see myself in Thy sight, then pride must wither, decay, die, perish. Humble my heart before Thee, and replenish it with Thy choicest gifts.” – The Valley of Vision: Pride This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Saturday June 2 - Pride defined

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look... – Proverbs 6:16-17 Scripture reading: Proverbs 6 It's probably not surprising to you to find pride at the top of the list of the seven deadly sins. We know pride is a problem. But how much of a problem? Someone once said, “To say that we are a speck of dust, in the context of the enormity of space out there, is an insult to a speck of dust.” We are creatures made in the image of an infinite Creator. And yet we are consumed with ourselves. Worse, we are carelessly unaware of how deep an issue pride is. Daniel chapter four is a personal favourite, partially because it shows the end of pride. Just picture great King Nebuchadnezzar revelling in all his perceived glory. Listen to the voice of Almighty God from heaven. Watch the king's transformation into a lawn-munching beast. Such is the insanity of our pride in the world belonging to Almighty God. The insanity has infested our hearts in so many different ways. Thank God He hates pride as an abomination and is determined to eradicate it. Suggestions for prayer “Heavenly Father, Every faculty of mind and body is Thy undeserved gift. Low as I am as a creature, I am lower as a sinner; how can I flaunt myself proudly?” – The Valley of Vision: Pride This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Friday June 1 - Introduction to June's devotionals

Daily devotional

Thursday May 31 – Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name?

Daily devotional

Wednesday May 30 - Who is the man that fears the Lord?

Daily devotional

Tuesday May 29 - What fellowship has light with darkness?

Daily devotional

Monday May 28 - How long?

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? - Psalm 13:1a Scripture reading: Psalm 13 Psalm 13 begins with a fourfold lament of penetrating questions all prefaced by the cry, how long? (Verses 1&2, please read again). David is lamenting with expressions of despair and anguish. He is more than down in the dumps. He is initially paralyzed, unable to deal with the realities of his enemies. Are you discouraged? Do you feel like God has forgotten you? Is your heart clouded by sorrow? Are the tests, trials and even tribulations in your life almost too much to handle? Are you overwhelmed by the turbulence in your life? Do you in your situation cry out, how long, O LORD? David is praying and as he pours out his heart, he moves from despair to a plea for God’s answer (Verses 3&4, please read again). We hear his desire for God’s answer. And then in the final two verses (Verses 5&6, please read again), we hear a complete turnaround. David gives expression to the confidence that belongs to him, in faith. He takes strength in the steadfast love of God. He confesses that God, in covenant love, has bound Himself to His people. Psalm 13 moves from despair, to desire, to delight. Prayer is a rich gift. Bring your heart cries to the Sovereign LORD. Be comforted in His promises. Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Believer, when you are on your knees, remember you are going to a king. Let your petitions be large.” Do you trust God to be at your side no matter what the circumstance? Suggestions for prayer Approach God’s throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). Pray, trusting God to uphold us in times of turbulence. Remember “...faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” – Martin Luther This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Sunday May 27 - Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? - Psalm 15:1 Scripture Reading: Psalm 15 Today, in freedom, we may attend the house of the Lord, seeking His face to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. In the place of worship, we come as guests. Psalm 15 is very clear as to who are invited guests. Psalm 15 outlines the character of worshippers. They are, by God’s grace, people of integrity. Integrity can be defined as "steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code; the quality or condition of being whole or undivided." Integrity is seeking to be true to God’s standards. Honesty and sincerity are hallmarks of integrity. A person who lacks integrity is someone who says one thing and does another – and that person is a hypocrite. Who can reach such a standard? Thankfully, we do not come to the Lord’s house of praise, prayer and proclamation in our own name or by our own merit. We come before the LORD in the Name of the One Who perfectly fulfilled God’s standards, Jesus Christ. And it is in His Name that we seek to honour our heavenly Father with a heart washed in the blood of our Redeemer. In God’s grace, we present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices. We confess the wonder of God’s wonder-working love for needy sinners. As said by another: "We are saved by the gospel of God, in order to worship the God of the gospel." Today again is a day of glorious opportunity. Will you self-consciously offer yourself this Lord’s Day for His honour? Suggestions for prayer Integrity is essential if any believer is to represent God and Christ in this world. Pray for Christ-like integrity as outlined in Psalm 15. Give thanks for our multiple provisions in Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Saturday May 26 - If the foundations are destroyed...

If the foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do? - Psalm 11:3 Scripture Reading: Psalm 11 It is no secret that hostility against the truth of Scripture and the God of Scripture is on the increase. To be sure, each age, in turn, has had its own hostilities and we must be very careful that we do not fall into the trap that believes there was once a golden age. Nevertheless, our present age is marked by gathering storm clouds. Society wishes to do away with absolutes and assert that man is the measure of all things. What is one to do in a world where the foundations established by God are ridiculed? The sanctity of life is mocked. Babies are murdered in their own mother’s womb. There are those who consider the elderly to be expendable. Confusion exists with respect to gender. And the list goes on. Outside the confession of God’s sovereignty, we would be left in a daze. Thankfully, believers recognize "that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet." Psalm 11 is a psalm of refuge. With David of long ago, our confidence must always rest in God and His covenant promises. Life is much bigger than our cranky computers, our erstwhile projects, earning a living, struggling marriages, prodigal children, defiant unbelievers and the many troubles of this world. Nothing surprises God; His all-seeing eye is never closed. He will test His people, but He will never forsake them. In faith, believers rest in both the confidence and the comfort that our times are in His hands. Do you? Suggestions for prayer Pray in that joy that confesses: “This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King, let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Friday May 25 - Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows Him his counsel? –Isaiah 40:13 (cf. Romans 11:33-36; I Corinthians 2:16) Scripture reading: Isaiah 40 Isaiah 40 teaches us something of the great greatness of God. When you read this chapter thoughtfully, you can not help but be amazed. God has no comparison. God is not subject to the limits of space and time. He has everything, everywhere always before His mind. God’s perfections are unchangeable. God is infinite. We are finite comparable to grasshoppers (v. 22.) He knows all there is to know; God’s ways are beyond us; His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8); they are often past finding out. The immensity of God is awe-inspiring. We are limited in our understanding. "The ways of the LORD are right" (Hosea 14:9). With the Belgic Confession, Article 13, Reformed believers confess: “As to what God does surpassing human understanding, we will not curiously inquire into farther than our capacity will admit of; but with the greatest humility and reverence adore the righteous judgments of God, which are hid from us, contenting ourselves that we are pupils of Christ, to learn only those things which He has revealed to us in His Word, without transgressing these limits." Let us content ourselves in the wonder of God’s mind, recognizing that His understanding is unsearchable. The thought of God staggers our mind, but to know Him satisfies the heart. Take comfort in the fact God, in His grace, chooses to reveal Himself to His people in Jesus Christ. Delight to know our awesome God and press on in the calling to enjoy Him forever. Will you do so today? Suggestions for prayer In prayer, praise God for His glory. Express thanksgiving for particular attributes. Be specific. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Thursday May 24 - What good is it for one to gain the whole world...

Daily devotional

Wednesday May 23 - If God is for us, who can be against us?

Daily devotional

Tuesday May 22 – Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

Daily devotional

Monday May 21 - How can someone be born when they are old?

Daily devotional

Sunday May 20 - What does this mean?

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” – Acts 2:12 Scripture Reading: Acts 1:1-5; 2:1-12 Today, as the body of Christ, we gather for worship. It is, as congregations, our greatest privilege and highest responsibility. And on this Lord’s Day, we mark another once for all event in salvation history. On the first Pentecost Sunday (10 days after Christ’s Ascension; 50 days following His Resurrection), now almost two thousand years ago, there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, divided tongues as of fire resting on the apostles’ heads and the speaking of languages/tongues which were spoken in all parts of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Rome to Persia. All of this astounded those who witnessed these three signs and, humanly speaking, no wonder they were filled with wonder. What can this mean? The wind testifies to the power and presence of the Spirit; fire speaks to the Spirit’s cleansing and judging power and the languages of the gospel to be proclaimed to all nations – every tribe and every tongue. These signs confirmed what Jesus had earlier promised. In the gospel of John, Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to be their Advocate, their Helper and Comforter (14:16-17), their Teacher (14:26), testifying/bearing witness to Jesus, guiding them into all truth (16:13). On Pentecost Sunday, Christ’s promise was confirmed and the sheep of the sheepfold live out of the fruit of that promise day by day. The Church of all ages, scattered across the face of the globe, takes strength and joy in the working of the Holy Spirit. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks for the work of the Holy Spirit. Pray that you might grow in the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Picture is Raphael's "St. Paul Preaching" standing in, of course, for Peter preaching on Pentecost....

Daily devotional

Saturday May 19 – What must I do to inherit eternal life?

“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" – Luke 18:18 Scripture: Luke 18:18-30 No one can possibly go forward in the gracious strength of the LORD until he has first learned to stand still in his own helplessness. The rich ruler did not know his own helplessness. He relied on his own "merits" rather than the merits of Christ. He assumed that his deeds would earn him eternal life. And when challenged and confronted with a choice, he chose his possessions rather than putting God first. We must never forget that we can be right with God only by true faith in Jesus Christ. We must recognize that even though our conscience accuses us of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though we are still inclined toward all evil. Nevertheless, without our deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to believers the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ, as if the believer had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if the believer had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for His sheep. The believer must simply accept this gift of God with a believing heart (cf Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60). Jesus knew that materialism and greed were preventing his questioner from truly seeking salvation. The rich ruler did not know his own sin and thus he did not know his need for a Saviour. As the question of the life to come confronts you (as it does every day) how will you answer? Suggestions for prayer Confessing your great need can only be answered in Christ and the power of His washing blood. Praise God for His justifying grace. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Friday May 18 – My God, why has thou forsaken me?

“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” –Mark 15:34b (cf. Psalm 22:1) Scripture reading: Mark 15:21-41 This haunting question from the heart of Jesus ought to send shivers down our spine and pierce our soul. The sinless One hangs suspended between heaven and earth. In utter darkness, the Redeemer experiences a depth of suffering we will never understand. He is forsaken by the heavenly Father. It is true that during His whole life on earth, Christ sustained, in body and soul, the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race. But especially at the end, oh, how He suffered. This He did in order that, by His suffering as the only atoning sacrifice, He might set believers free, body and soul, from eternal condemnation. And in turn, this suffering gains for the true Christian, God’s grace, righteousness and eternal life. He suffered to free believers from the severe judgment of God that we rightly deserve. He went all the way to the death because God’s justice and truth demand it. By the power of His divinity, He bore the weight of God’s anger in His humanity and earned and restored righteousness and life to all those who have been set free in Christ. Our Saviour shouldered the curse which rightfully belongs to all of us. Death by crucifixion was accursed by God (cf. Heidelberg Catechism Q&As 17, 37, 39, 40). The birth of Christ brought God to man; the cross of Christ brought man to God. The wonder of it all cannot be comprehended. Will you dedicate yourself as an offering of gratitude to Him? (cf Q&A 43; Psalm 116:12-14). Suggestions for prayer Give praise to God: Christ, in love, experienced the horror of hell – suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul – so that His disciples, through all ages, would be delivered from the anguish and torment of hell. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Thursday May 17 – What shall I do then with Jesus?

Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” – Matthew 27:22 Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:11-31 Pilate was in a quandary as he backed himself into a corner of his own making. What to do with Jesus? He knew Jesus to be innocent, but he was also a political opportunist. Ultimately, he chose to yield to the crowd. One day the fickle crowd had shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD” (Matthew 21:9). A few days later it became, “Crucify Him!” In every age, there have been those who have misunderstood the mission and the person of Jesus Christ. A little peer pressure can lead to great error. There is a great deal of so-called Christianity that is quite Christ-less. “Do those who look for their salvation and security in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere, really believe in the only Saviour Jesus? No. Although they boast of being His, by their deeds they deny the only Saviour and deliverer, Jesus. Either Jesus is not a perfect Saviour, or those who in true faith accept this Saviour have in Him all they need for their salvation." – Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 30 For the believer, it is imperative that there be no misunderstanding. Life is to be lived according to the most holy faith as outlined in Scripture. What we think of Jesus shows in how we relate to Him. Trust Him. Believe His promises. Adore Him. Serve Him. Ultimately there is no one who can escape the question asked by Pilate: “What then should I do with Jesus?” Suggestions for prayer Both in prayer and daily life confess Jesus as the Christ. Ask for strength to confess His Name aright, to present yourself as a living sacrifice of thanks and to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Wednesday May 16 – Who do you say that I am?

He said to them “But who do you say that I am?” – Matthew 16:15 Scripture Reading: Matthew 16:13-20 Christ’s question is one of the mos...

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Daily devotional

Friday July 13 – Jesus cleanses a leper: "I will; be clean!"

Daily devotional

Thursday July 12 - "Be silent and come out of him!"

Daily devotional

Wednesday July 11 - No prophet is acceptable in his hometown

Daily devotional

Tuesday July 10 - The temptation of Jesus: “All these I will give you…”

Daily devotional

Saturday June 30 - Conclusion

Daily devotional

Friday June 29 - Lust: a way forward

Daily devotional

Thursday June 28 - Jesus Christ and our lust

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 27 - Lust defined

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 26 - Lust defined

Daily devotional

Monday June 25 - Gluttony: a way forward

Daily devotional

Sunday June 24 - Jesus Christ and our gluttony

Daily devotional

Saturday June 23 - Gluttony defined

Daily devotional

Friday June 22 - Gluttony defined

Daily devotional

Thursday June 21 – Greed: a way forward

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 20 - Jesus Christ and our greed

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 19 – Greed defined

Daily devotional

Monday June 18 - Greed defined

Daily devotional

Sunday June 17 - Sloth: a way forward

Daily devotional

Saturday June 16 – Jesus Christ and our sloth

Daily devotional

Friday June 15 – Sloth defined

Daily devotional

Thursday June 14 - Sloth defined

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 13 – Anger: a way forward

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 12 – Jesus Christ and our anger

Daily devotional

Monday June 11 - Anger defined

Daily devotional

Sunday June 10 – Anger defined

Daily devotional

Saturday June 9 - Envy: a way forward

Daily devotional

Friday June 8 - Jesus Christ and our envy

Daily devotional

Thursday June 7 - Envy defined

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 6 - Envy defined

Daily devotional