Daily devotional

July 19 - Many counsellors

“Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” - Proverbs 15:22 Scripture reading: Proverbs 15:2...

Daily devotional

July 18 - A backslider and a good man

“The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.” - Proverbs 14:14 Scripture reading: ...

Daily devotional

July 17 - All things for the Lord

“The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.” - Proverbs 16:4 Scripture reading: Proverbs 16:1-9 God made...

Daily devotional

July 16 - A way that seems right

“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” - Proverbs 14:12 Scripture reading: Proverbs 14:1-12 How did ...

Daily devotional

July 15 - Hopes

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” - Proverbs 13:12 Scripture reading: Proverbs 13:12-17 Nobody likes their hopes denied or put off. If you fail your driver’s exam, the girlfriend says no, or the promotion goes to someone else, you are disappointed. But, if you pass your driver’s test, the girlfriend says yes, or you get the promotion, you are delighted, or as the proverb puts it, “It is a tree of life.” All of this suggests we need to be careful about what we hope for. Don’t set your hopes too high. You don’t need riches and the best of everything to be happy. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. You don’t need to be number one or king of the world. Romans 12:3 tells us not to think too highly of ourselves. Have modest hopes and keep them at a level at which you can fulfill them. The problem here is that we are born sinners. We are prone to be too self-centred and self-promoting. We need to listen carefully to Jesus as he tells us, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” This amounts to the death of our old sinful hearts. Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” This sounds demanding, but it comes with the promise of sin forgiven and a new heart. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). That leads to modest desires and “a tree of life.” Suggestions for prayer Ask God that we might all have new hearts and desires that can be fulfilled. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 14 - Idleness and diligence

“The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” - Proverbs 13:4 Scripture reading: Proverbs 13:1-11 The Bible begins with the account of God’s six days of work in creation. Then Genesis 2:1 tells us, “on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work.” God is a worker. So is His Son, Jesus Christ, Who said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” Later from the cross He cried out, “It is finished.” He finished His work. Since God created man in His likeness, man too is to be a worker. At the beginning, God set man in a garden “to tend and keep it.” In Exodus 20:9 man is told, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” God intends for us to be workers. He also intends us to be good workers. Colossians 3:23 teaches us, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” The proverb before us speaks of “diligent” work and warns us against being lazy. Too often we go by our feelings. If we don’t feel like working we slack off, work poorly or perhaps do nothing. The result is that at the end of the day we profit nothing and feel worse. You now have a day ahead of you. Hopefully, you are ready to follow the Scriptures. Use the day well. Give it your best work and when it is over, your soul will be enriched and you will feel good about yourself. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to move many, to become diligent workers so that they may enjoy the richness of soul that it brings. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 13 - Creation and creatures

“A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” - Proverbs 12:10 Scripture reading: Proverbs 12:1-10 In Genesis 1:28 God appoints man as the lord of creation. “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Clearly, man is to rule over creation and its creatures. Much evidence today suggests that man has failed in his task. I have seen comments in the media suggesting that God’s assignment to man was very foolish. The commentator should read further in his Bible. Proverbs 12:10 will tell him that the wise man “regards the life of his animal.” He takes good care of the creatures around him. It is the wicked and the cruel that cause neglect and damage. Man does well to care for the creatures because God himself sets the example. Consider Psalm 145:9, “The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.” This care also appears in the fourth commandment where the ox, donkey, and any cattle are given rest on the Sabbath day as well as man (Deuteronomy 5:14). This indicates that man’s dominion is to be of a caretaker. Man is not free to treat creation and its creatures any way that he pleases. His stewardship of creation will be judged by God. May the Lord give to us all the wisdom we need, to treat and use the creation and its creatures He has given to us, with thoughtful and appropriate care. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God’s people will be joined by many in the responsible care of creation and its creatures. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 12 - Winning souls

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.” - Proverbs 11:30 Scripture reading: Proverbs 11:24-31 The winning of souls to righteousness and Christ is ultimately the work of Christ himself, Who purchased them by His blood. Yet He has also given us, His followers, a part in this ministry. He says to us, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In some situations, souls can be won by a simple explanation of the gospel, but more often than not the process can include a variety of activities. There is a need to win them as friends first. There are a variety of ways this can be done. Exercising hospitality is a very good way to begin. Invite folks into your home. Prepare a tasty meal for them. A wise elder in Philadelphia used to tell me, “You don’t get to know a person until you have had your knees under the same table.” Simply listening to people helps. You can learn much about them, discovering their interests and concerns. Most people like to be listened to and now you can pray for them wisely. Don’t forget to pray. Ministering to peoples’ needs, assisting them in their labours, and demonstrating that you really care for them goes a long way in gathering their attention. Now they will be inclined to listen to what you say and you can tell them about the Saviour we all need so much. Remember Daniel 12:3, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to move many into doing what they can to win souls. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 11 - Mercy

“The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.” - Proverbs 11:17 Scripture reading: Proverbs 11:16...

Daily devotional

July 10 - Trust in the Lord

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”...

Daily devotional

July 9 - Many words

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” - Proverbs 10:19 Scripture reading: Proverbs 10:13-21 ...

Daily devotional

July 8 - Covering sins

“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” - Proverbs 10:12 Scripture reading: Proverbs 10:6-12 The Proverb sets before us the co...

Daily devotional

July 7 - Escaping the snare

“His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin.” - Proverbs 5:22 Scripture reading: Proverbs 5:21-23 This Proverb teaches us that sin is a snare. Once you are caught by sin it is very difficult to escape. From a human point of view it is impossible. You are caught and there is only one escape. Jesus declared, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me… to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18). Only Jesus can rescue you. Turn from sin and embrace Him by faith and He will set you free, But be careful. Don’t get ensnared again. There are things we can do to promote our freedom. Keep God’s law in your thinking (Psalm 119:11). Romans 13:14 tells us to “make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Do not go where you can anticipate temptation. David tells us in Psalm 101:3 “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.” Looking with approval at portrayals of sin can take you where you do not want to go. Learn to keep your distance from such portrayals. Kick sin off the doorstep before it enters your house. It is very possible that in an unguarded moment you will fall into a sin. Be careful not to repeat the error. Repeated sin quickly becomes a habit. It is like having someone tie a light string around your wrists. You can easily break free. Have them keep winding it around your wrists and you can’t break free. It is the same with sin. Keep doing it and you are trapped. Seek the Lord’s pardon any time you fall into sin. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord will help us to keep His law in our minds and to avoid making provision for sinful desires. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 6 - Keeping the heart

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” - Proverbs 4:23 Scripture reading: Proverbs 4:20-27 Heart in the Bible refers to the inner you; where you think, feel with emotion and make decisions about what you will do. It defines who you are because as a man “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). We like to think that we are good-hearted people, but the Bible disagrees. It tells us that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked.” We all need to cry out with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” God does this renewing creative work in us as we turn from sin and look in faith to Jesus (Ezekiel 36:26). Now we can love God and make good decisions. But be careful. Our Proverb urges us to keep our hearts “with all diligence.” Guard them with care and let them direct your life as God intends. We need to know how to do this. The Psalmist leads us in the way when he says that he hides God’s word in his heart “That I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). Then think in harmony with God’s word like the righteous man in Psalm 1 whose “delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” Set your affections on God’s ways and act accordingly. That will keep your heart focused on God and you can say with the Psalmist, “I delight to do Your will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8). Suggestions for prayer Pray for hearts to be renewed and guarded by God’s word. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 5 - A call to humility

“Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.” - Proverbs 3:34 Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:31-35 Scornful people are the opposite of humble people. They think very highly of themselves and look down on others, despising them and pouring scorn upon them. The Lord, ever being just in His judgments, treats them with the scorn they so richly deserve. They lose out on His favour. The story about the humble is entirely different. Upon them the Lord pours His grace and favour. For them He makes room in His heavenly kingdom. In the words of Psalm 149:4, “He will beautify the humble with salvation.” Humility is highly desirable, but how do we attain it? It begins by seeing ourselves as the sinners that we really are. We are all failures in keeping God’s law. Our hearts should be broken and contrite. We have nothing of which to boast. The remedy for sin is to look to Jesus who promptly tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.” Learn humility from Jesus. He will impart His Spirit to you and the better you know Him, the more humble you will be. We find further good advice in Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Be sure to see the best in those around you. See them as better than yourself. Your assignment today is, “Be clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5:5). Suggestions for prayer Ask God to move hearts to seek after humility. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 4 - God’s correction

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” - Proverbs 3:11, 12 Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:11-18 Hardship and affliction are part of our human experience. God brings them our way under His providential rule. It is not a sign of His indifference, but rather an indication that He loves us and cares about us. God is always seeking to move us forward to the goal of our sanctification. As we properly endure affliction, faith is strengthened. Pain leads to gain. It should turn our hearts more towards God and draw us nearer to Him. It is given to correct us when we are tempted or actually go astray. We don’t always listen to God’s law as we should, so God uses affliction to get our attention. If trouble comes when your conscience is being agitated and you are straying, be sure to listen and correct your behaviour accordingly. Don’t let the opportunity go to waste. Hebrews 5:8 tells us that our Lord Jesus, “learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” If affliction was needful for His obedience, you can be sure that it is needful for yours too. Learn from your afflictions. The Psalmist testifies in Psalm 119:67 that he learned from his difficulties. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.” Four verses later he added, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.” May God grant that we all learn from our affliction. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give us all minds and hearts to learn and profit from affliction. Rev. James Reaves served his last congregation, Grace Reformed Church (URCNA), in Kelowna, BC. He retired in 2014 after fifty years of ordained ministry. 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

July 3 - Honour the Lord

“Honour the LORD with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will...

Daily devotional

July 2 - The law

“My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother.” - Proverbs 1:8 Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:8-19 I...

Daily devotional

July 1 - Introduction to Proverbs

During my years of active ministry, I always enjoyed preaching from the book of Proverbs. When I was asked to write the devotions for July 2022, it wa...

Daily devotional

June 30 - Renewing your strength

“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall ...

Daily devotional

June 29 - Wait on the Lord

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:30-31 Scripture reading: Psalm 27:1-14 We usually think of waiting as something unpleasant. No one looks forward to waiting in a doctor’s office. Waiting in line at the grocery store or a border crossing are things we’d rather avoid. But waiting on the Lord is so different. For the Psalmist, it was something he was really willing to do. “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:5). Waiting on the Lord means looking and listening for Him in faith! For the Christian, waiting on God is done with an air of expectancy. There is an eager suspense in this waiting. It’s like waiting for a birthday party or a wedding. It’s not a lazy waiting, but an energetic one which motivates a person to do whatever needs to be done, in order to get ready for whatever is coming. Think of soldiers who at the end of a day may be faint and weary from successfully engaging against the enemy. They are hoping and waiting for the day they can go home to those they love. But their expectant waiting doesn’t paralyze them. In fact, the prospect of victory energizes them each day. Similarly, a waiting that believes in the goodness of God and in a victory through Christ, won’t drain you. It will strengthen you! Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psalm 27:14). Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will strengthen your heart, deliver you from the paralysis of fear and doubt and enable you to wait actively upon Him! Ask Him to give you an exciting and energizing sense of the victory accomplished by and guaranteed to you in Christ! Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 28 - Antidote for fainting

“He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall…” - Isaiah 40:29-30 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 The mighty apostle Paul was not exempt from weakness when he found himself buffeted by a thorn in the flesh. He wrote, “Who is weak, and I am not weak” (2 Corinthians 11:29). Even the strongest Christians know what it’s like to faint and be weary. But why? One of the big reasons is a failure to really hold on to and believe God’s promises. When Israel complained that their way was hidden from the Lord, their just claim was passed over by their God, their complaint was understandable. They were languishing in captivity. God responds by sending Jeremiah with a message of Babylon’s imminent destruction and a blessed promise, “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 33:14). Letting go of God’s promises is draining. Holding on to them gives hope and strength. Are you letting go or holding on? God may be chastising you right now, but ask yourself, has He ever actually gone back on His word to you? You may have failed Him, but has He ever failed you? When you feel faint, refresh your faith by obeying promises like this, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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 11:28). Suggestions for prayer Whatever may be burdening or threatening you in a particular way right now, bring it to the Lord! Remember that He lovingly calls you to be “casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you!” Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 27 - God’s greatness

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.” - Isaiah 40:28 Scripture reading: Psalm 139:1-24 Isaiah dispels our doubts about the Lord’s ability to watch over us by listing four more truths about our God. First, He is the Everlasting God! We are creatures limited by time. From our perspective the present moment looms bigger than everything else. The future is very uncertain to us. But our everlasting God sees our momentary problems from the perspective of eternity! He knows how everything will unfold in our lives. He will make sure that it’s for our good, just like He did in the lives of Job and Joseph. God knows precisely how our disappointments, struggles and losses will fit together for our ultimate good. Second, He is the Creator of the ends of the earth. That means that wherever you find yourself, His power and presence will be there. Rest assured that wherever you go and whatever you face, “Even there, God’s hand shall lead you, And His right hand shall hold you!” Third, God neither faints nor is weary. We spend more than a quarter of our lives sleeping because we need to renew our strength. But God doesn’t have to. He never tires. He is always alert, aware and up to any challenge. Finally, God’s understanding is unsearchable. Just as children don’t need to be second-guessing their mother or father, neither do we need to second-guess God. He is far wiser than us and knows precisely what He is doing with us and where He is taking us. Suggestions for prayer If you feel that you or your just claim is forgotten by God in any way, then bring it to Him in prayer. As you do, ask Him to help you remember that Jesus was forsaken on the cross so that you might never be forsaken or forgotten by Him!! Appeal to His promise to never leave you or forsake you. Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 26 - God neither loses track of the stars nor of you

“Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God?"” - Isaiah 40:26-27 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Our sun is estimated to produce enough power every second to power one billion large cities for a year. Our Milky Way galaxy is believed to contain over 100 billion stars. It is part of a cluster of a few dozen galaxies. Other clusters contain thousands of galaxies. “Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might and the strength of His power: Not one is missing”. Can you imagine the energy of God which powers all the stars in all the galaxies? If God keeps perfect track of all these, how can you imagine that God has ever lost track of you and your situation? How can you think that anything about you could possibly escape His attention or exceed His ability even for a few moments? But it sure seems like our way is hidden from him at times. A child is born missing a chromosome, or with some other lifelong handicap. We unexpectedly face a heart attack, cancer or an increasingly rebellious child. A person we loved deeply has broken off our relationship with them. Then we wonder… Where are you Lord? Aren’t you watching? Like Paul we can beg God to take away our thorn in the flesh, but God doesn't seem to hear. Yet, Paul continued praying. He waited and in time God answered. Paul’s strength was renewed. Yours will be too! God keeps his promises! Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will deliver you from your doubt about whether your way and your needs are known by Him or not. Ask Him to help us to persevere in hope and prayer even in times of deep disappointment and pain. Pray the same for others you know who are going through tough times. Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 25 - Princes and kingdoms brought to nothing

“He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely s...

Daily devotional

June 24 - Consider the heavens

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, A...

Daily devotional

June 23 - Foolishness of idolatry

“To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?” - Isaiah 40:18 Scripture reading: Romans 1:1-24; Isaiah 40:18-22...

Daily devotional

June 22 - Comparing the nations to God

“All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.” - Isaiah 40:17 Scripture reading: Isaia...

Daily devotional

June 21 - Divine wisdom

“Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counsellor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?” - Isaiah 40:13-14 Scripture reading: Proverbs 8:1-36 Who directed the Spirit of the LORD? No One! Who counselled Him? Nobody! Who instructed Him? Not a soul! No being, no force or law outside of Himself ever taught God anything! God never gained understanding because He always had it! From eternity past, before the world or the universe, or you or I, ever existed, God was, God is and God ever shall be: perfect in understanding and wisdom! God never says, “If only I had known that!” or, “If only I had been ready for that!” He is always ready. Nothing takes God by surprise. God never had to say, “Oh, I didn't realize that he would not quite be able to handle that” or, “I totally forgot that she would need extra encouragement today.” When things are tough, it’s easy to doubt whether we can really trust God's wisdom, power and care. Don’t belittle God by such a lack of appreciation for His infinite wisdom. And if you feel like you lack wisdom, then go to Him and ask Him for more! “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Suggestions for prayer: Ask the LORD to forgive you for the times you questioned His ways and wisdom and for the times “I have uttered what I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:3). Thank Him that He is a God Whose wisdom and ways are far superior to ours. Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 20 - Divine Measurement

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?” - Isaiah 40:12 Scripture reading: Psalm 46:1-11 He calculates the dust of the earth in a measure. God knows the exact volume and weight of all the dust of this world! Knowing the number of hairs on your head is a piece of cake in comparison! God never ‘guesstimates’ anything. You and I couldn’t even count the grains of sand in a single handful without losing track. Yet He knows it instantaneously! Years ago, we could view the Canadian Rockies in the distance outside our front window. We also took breathtaking drives through the Cascade mountain range which was even closer by. Yet, as vast and awe-inspiring as the mountains are, our God can pick up the whole Rocky mountain and Cascade range combined and put it on one side of the scale, take up Mount Everest and the entire Himalayan range and place them on the other side, while not straining a single muscle or forming one drop of sweat! God has unlimited power. He has the seas and lakes, mountain ranges, with all their volcanoes and fault lines, in perfect balance. Nothing is ever out of His careful and measured control! This is why it is such a comfort to be able to say, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”Let us, “Be still and know that He is God!” (Psalm 46:1). Suggestions for prayer Thank God His thoughts towards you are more in number than the sand of the seashore. Praise Him for being your powerful Protector and a very present help in trouble! Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 19 - The right approach

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.” - Psalm 119:33 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:33-40 Today, we have the privilege of joyfully worshiping our God and hearing the preaching of His Word! The psalmist’s prayer is, "Teach Me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.”We need to remember it’s not a book of man’s statutes, but of God’s! It has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in it. He purposes that we discover those treasures through the preaching and teaching of the Holy Spirit! Proverbs 2:3-6 (ESV) tells us, “Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Loving God with our whole mind means using it to know God better. It involves listening for the ways God's Word impacts every single facet of our life! Too often we find ourselves sitting in church or reading the Bible without a real hunger for a life impacting experience! If that’s the case, we need to say, "Wait a minute! What am I doing here?” Then pray for God to bless your mind and heart with the truth you are about to hear or to read!" It’s vital to approach worship and God’s Word with a prayerful hunger and thirst for the blessings of salvation and righteousness in Jesus Christ! Suggestions for prayer Proverbs 2:3-6 is really an amazing promise. Quote it in prayer and ask God to fulfill its promise in our lives. Pray also that He would help you to approach both scripture and worship with the right attitude. Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 18 - The father’s hand

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?” - Isaiah 40:12 Scripture reading: John 10:24-30 Your hand is an astounding creation. It is superior to the most advanced robotics engineered by man. You can do a myriad of things with it. One of the things you can do is cup it. A child’s cupped hand might hold a teaspoon. An adult’s hand? Perhaps a tablespoon. Years ago, I had a couple of elders who had milked cows by hand when they were young. Their hands were so huge they probably could have held two tablespoons in each. But now think of your God! He takes all the waters of the oceans, the seas, the lakes, the rivers, the swamps, the vast underground reservoirs and every particle suspended in vapour form and measures it all in the hollow of His hand! A hand span is the measurement from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. It averages 7.5 inches. The largest measured human hand span is 12 inches. Now behold your God! He measures the vastness of the heavens with a span of His hand! Jesus says "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”Is it any wonder that no one can snatch you out of a hand like His? Suggestions for prayer Praise God for His creation. Let the marvels of the body and its ingenious design direct you to the reality and creative genius of your God. (I once even had an unbeliever look at his hand and say, it’s true, just this hand tells me there is a God!) Thank Him for His promise to never allow you to be snatched out of His awesome hand! Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 17 - Tender yet almighty

“Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.” -...

Daily devotional

June 16 - Our gentle shepherd

“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with youn...

Daily devotional

June 15 - He gathers the Lambs

“Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was...

Daily devotional

June 14 - The Lord is my shepherd

“Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He wil...

Daily devotional

June 13 - Behold your God

“O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Tell His people to be ready for His coming! He is coming as King, with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him. Behold His reward is with Him.” - Isaiah 40:9 Scripture reading: Isaiah 40:1-17 In Chapter 40, Isaiah describes how absolutely stunning God is in every facet of His Being! He measures the waters in the hollow of His hand. He weighs the mountains in scales. He doesn’t need to be taught anything… He knows everything! Compared to Him, all the nations are like a drop in the bucket and dust on the scale. This description is not designed to intimidate us. It’s designed to comfort us. God is not just some impersonal unreachable, untouchable force governing everything. He is both our infinitely powerful Creator and our Judge, and yet also our tender Shepherd. He is a compassionate, caring God. He shepherds gather, carries, and gently leads His people. He will tend His flock like a shepherd. The word ‘tend’ represents everything a Shepherd does to care for and protect His sheep. There are bad shepherds and there are good shepherds, but only One is ‘the’ Good Shepherd: “I am ‘the’ Good Shepherd. ‘The’ Good Shepherd lays down His life for the Sheep.” David risked his life defending his sheep from the lion and the bear. Jesus didn’t risk His life. He purposefully gave it to save you from hell and Satan. There is no better place for you or your children than under the protection of the Good Shepherd! Suggestions for prayer Ask God that you will grow in your awareness and appreciation of His stunning power and glory. Thank Him that your fear of Him only needs to be one of reverence and child-like trust, not of terror. Ask God for boldness to lead others to see and know Him as the Good Shepherd Who lays down His life for the sheep. Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 12 - His enduring word

“The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."” - Isaiah 40:7-8 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:189-196 God knew a fallen man could live for hundreds of years; it would not be good. Evil men would have too long to learn and carry out their evil designs. There is reason to take comfort in the fact that God blows on them, and they perish. However, God’s Word has truth, for you will never wither or fade! “Forever O LORD your Word is settled in the heavens!” In the fourth century, the Roman emperors Diocletian and Julian ordered their soldiers to destroy every Christian writing they could find. Marxist regimes, which at one point controlled a third of the world's population, destroyed millions of copies in every nation under their grip. Yet, recently, the United Bible Society alone distributed 184 million full Bibles over five years. God’s Word remains the world’s most widely published book. Two hundred years ago, the Bible was available in just 68 languages. In 2020 this rose to 704, with the New Testament in 1,551 languages and portions of scripture available in an additional 1,160 languages. There is a goal in place to eradicate ‘Bible poverty’ by 2033. His Word has stood the test of time. Since God never changes, His Word doesn’t either! The Word of our God is the Word of the I Am that I Am. He guarantees that the Church that gathers to worship Him today from every nation will always have His Word! Suggestions for prayer As you gather to worship God today, pray that God would impress on His people’s hearts that God’s Word never changes because God doesn’t change. Thank God for preserving His word and truth throughout the millennia and for revealing it to you and your loved ones! Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 11 - The brevity of life

“All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.” - Isaiah 40:6-7 Scripture reading: Psalm 39 In Psalm 39, David contemplates how brief life really is. He prays, “Lord make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.” David even answers his own question when he says, “Certainly every man at his best is but vapour!” What is a vapour? It’s the fog that appears for a little while in the early morning. The sun burns it away and you would never know it was there! It’s the warm breath from our mouth that condenses into thousands of tiny water droplets and then they’re gone. Life is like a vapour! A buddy of mine died just after high school in a tragic accident. Another friend died of very brief sickness just after his marriage. A colleague, ordained shortly after me, died some years ago in a bicycle accident. A minister close to me in age just died a few months ago of Covid19. None reached what we consider ‘old' age. It’s good to keep in mind that God hasn’t guaranteed that you will either. But even if you do, this life will soon be at an end. God keeps us from falling into the trap of living as if this is all there is! May God help us travel lightly, laying up our treasures in heaven instead of here. Let Jesus Christ, Who is seated in heaven be your priceless treasure! Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also! Suggestions for prayer Pray with David that God would, “so teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Pray that you would make the best use of your God-given time this week! Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 10 - How to plan and not to plan

“Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."” - James 4:13-15 Scripture reading: Isaiah 40:6-8 We often have a hard time living a lifestyle in harmony with the belief that God is in control. We tend to think and act as if we hold the reins. We plan as if we can forge our own future. When this illusion takes hold of our hearts, our prayers sink to pathetic levels. Prayer then amounts to little more than asking God to sprinkle His blessing on what we plan and want. If we plough ahead without prayer, acting like the authors of our own destiny, we are coming down with a serious case of sinful pride. To those who plan as if the future hinges on themselves, God says, “But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” God warns us to temper our plans with an awareness of the brief, fragile nature of life. You can fill your barns with plenty. You can carefully follow the market and invest wisely. You can get excited about the house you hope to buy, or the one you plan to build. But never forget that you are totally dependent on the Lord for even the smallest measure of success or blessing! Submit everything to Him in prayer. Don’t forget that material accomplishments are temporary and you are only here for a short time. All flesh is grass. Don’t put all your eggs into the basket of your earthly plans and prospects. The chief end of man is not to complete a bucket list! The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him now and forever! Suggestions for prayer Pray that your plans and prayers would always be prefaced with an attitude that humbly says, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.” Ask Him to help you to remember what your real purpose in life is! Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 9 - Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight

Daily devotional

June 8 - Does God overdo it?

“…For she has received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.” - Isaiah 40:2b Scripture reading: Isaiah 40:1-5 What does this mea...

Daily devotional

June 7 - Speak comfort to Jerusalem

“Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His affli...

Daily devotional

June 6 - Her warfare is ended

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pa...

Daily devotional

June 5 - The Spirit as wind and fire

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:8 Scripture reading: Acts 2:1-21 In Hebrew, the words for breath, wind and Spirit are one and the same. In Greek, the words for wind and Spirit are also identical. ‘Wind’ illustrates the invisible way the Spirit works. You can’t see Him, but the powerful impact He makes on a person’s life is unmistakable. Like the wind, the Spirit’s presence drives away the putrid air of a sinful life and replaces it with the fresh atmosphere of a new life of love for God and neighbour! The 'breath’ of the Spirit is so transforming and powerful it gives new life to the dead. Like fire that warms and illuminates, the Spiritbrightens the souls of men. The oil of the Holy Spirit sets the candlesticks of our hearts aflame and makes us burn like lights in a dark world. As Pentecostal Christians, the wind and fire of the Holy Spirit must be blazing brightly in us for all the world to see! We may not remain cold and dispassionate. We can’t be content to be (theo-) logical but unemotional. We should never ‘notch down’ our zeal and love in order to not draw unwanted attention. If Ukrainian citizens and soldiers are ready to sacrifice everything for earthly freedoms, how can we fail to be willing to sacrifice our all for spiritual freedom? Don’t hesitate to let your faith burn brightly. Let your hearts and tongues be on fire with the message of the cross of Christ and its saving power! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the theological riches and depth of our Reformed faith. Pray that these truths may not just fill our minds but set our hearts aflame. Pray that ‘frozen chosen’ would be furthest from the minds of those who get to know us. Pray that the Spirit may teach us more and more of Christ! Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 4 - A sobering message

“In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the LORD; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” - 2 Chronicles 32:24-26 Scripture reading: Isaiah 39:1-8 In Chapter 38 Hezekiah is severely sick. God sends Isaiah to tell him to prepare to die. But Hezekiah prays fervently that God will spare him from dying so soon. Isaiah comes back to Hezekiah with an amazingly gracious message from God. "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city” (Isa. 38:5-6). The king of Babylon hears what happened to Hezekiah and sends a congratulatory note regarding his miraculous recovery. Hezekiah, in turn, thinks highly of himself. As a result, he is overwhelmed by a desire to impress the messengers and he ends up showing everything he has to them. He leaves nothing out. It’s easy, like Hezekiah, to become inflated with ideas of personal accomplishment when we are especially blessed by God. The apostle Paul had the same problem so God had to give him a thorn in the flesh. God responds by sending Hezekiah a sobering warning that Babylon would soon ruin Israel and bring them into captivity. Hezekiah, in turn, meekly acknowledges God’s undeserved mercy in sparing him further personal suffering. God gives us a good reminder here to not so easily trust those who don’t put their trust in Him. Be thankful that He is a God Who, in grace, works to pierce our inflated views of ourselves so that we can serve Him with humility. Suggestions for prayer God tells us that the prayers of a righteous man avail much. Thank Him for being a God who hears and answers prayers. Pray also for grace to keep you from being inflated with pride on account of God’s blessings and to humble yourself if you are. Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 3 - Serious about sin

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” - Isaiah 1:16-18 Scripture reading: Isaiah 1:1-31 Isaiah chapters 1 - 34 are brimming with judgment against the sin and evil that have taken root in the hearts of God's people. They present a stark picture of God’s righteous anger against sin, reminding His people again and again that God is Holy, Holy, Holy! He is not a God to be recklessly ignored or disobeyed. Chapter 1 itself is nearly all about God’s judgment. Yet in the middle of God’s strong warning you find these verses of forgiveness and hope: “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool” (1:17-18). They form jewels of gospel hope which shine all the more brilliantly against the dark backdrop of Israel's sin and rebellion! You can’t sweep sin under the carpet. Jesus said, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matt. 5:30). You’ve got to learn to be truly serious about sin in the world and in your hearts. But thank God and rejoice that you can do so in the wonderful assurance that, by Christ’s cleansing power, though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool! Suggestions for prayer Pray for a real dying-away of the old self by learning “To be genuinely sorry for sin and more and more to hate and run away from it.” Pray for the rising-to-life of the new self that results in “a love and delight to live according to the will of God by doing every kind of good work.” (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A. 89-90) Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 2 - The call of Isaiah

“And He said, "Go, and tell this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed."” - Isaiah 6:9-10 Scripture reading: Isaiah 6:1-13 In October 2021, a Barna poll among U.S. pastors asked, “Have you given real, serious consideration to quitting full-time ministry within the last year?” Thirty-eight percent of those polled responded that they had! These past few years have not been easy times for anyone in ministry. The unity of churches has been severely tested by recent political and public health controversies. Sadly it’s pretty clear that as Christians we have not all come through “smelling like roses.” Those who consider quitting may be thinking, “This is not what I signed up for!” If so, it’s good to pause and think of the kind of ministry Isaiah was called to. He was called to ‘pastor’ a people whose hearts were dull, their ears heavy and their eyes shut! Yet he obeyed God’s call. On the other hand, as Christians, we need to ask whether we are really taking to heart the words of Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Thankfully chapter 1 ends with this hope: As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump. From the stump of Jesse, Christ would come! This means that in Him you are a holy seed who can not only survive, but also thrive even in tough times! Suggestions for prayer Pray much for your pastor(s). Pray for your elders. Pray that their ministry to you may not be with grief, but with joy. Pastor Maurice Luimes serves as the pastor of the Immanuel Reformed Church (recently relocated to Bolton, ON). 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

June 1 - Introduction to the book of Isaiah

This month we will focus primarily on the riches of Isaiah chapter 40. We’ll begin to refresh our understanding of Isaiah and the nature of his mini...

Daily devotional

May 31 - Living to the praise of his glorious grace!

Daily devotional

May 30 - Growing in grace, knowledge, and gratitude

Daily devotional

May 29 - Gratitude for God’s grace and peace

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 1:3 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; Philippia...

Daily devotional

May 28 - Praise from a grateful heart

“Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!” - 1 Chronicles 16:8-9 Scripture reading: 1 Chronicles 16:1-36 When the ark was returned to Jerusalem, David praised the LORD because the ark represented God’s presence with His people. Tomorrow, wherever God’s people assemble in His presence, all have the same reasons for praise which David had! First, David praised God for the wonders He has done. He wrote, “Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles and the judgments He uttered” (12). David was reflecting on how the ark had been returned to Jerusalem and how God was dwelling with His people. But that verse transcends time to focus us on all the wonders God has done in our lives -wonders of redemption, providence and creation! David goes on to thank God for His faithfulness to the covenant made with Abraham (15-18), which includes wonderful promises of inheriting the land and having the blessings of God (Genesis 17:7-8). Those promises transcend time and bring us into eternity, into the heavenly Canaan. And those promises are ours if by grace we have saving faith in Christ alone, for, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). David also praised God for His protective care for His people through the pilgrimage of life (19-22). God still leads, guides and protects His people. Whether in times of joy or sorrow, He is ever faithful! Considering the wonders God has done, is doing, and will do throughout eternity, our response should mirror the response of David. May that be true today, tomorrow, and forever! Suggestions for prayer Praise God for all His wondrous works: His majesty in creation, His perfect providence, and above all, His redeeming love. Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 27 - Living as grateful adopted children

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.” “…I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” - John 14:16, 18 Scripture reading: Romans 8:12-17 When Jesus spoke to His disciples about His ascension into heaven, they were grieved that He would be leaving them. But He gave them this wonderful promise, “I will not leave you as orphans.” (John 14:18) He was speaking about how after He ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father and the Son in a unique and powerful way. It is by the Holy Spirit’s power that we are given life from above, adopted into the family of God and have been given the privilege of calling, “Abba! Father!” Because we are adopted into God’s family, we are given all the rights of children and become co-heirs with Christ of the immeasurable inheritance of heaven (Romans 8:15-17). J.I. Packer, in his classic book, Knowing God, recounts how the concept of adoption into God’s family has been lost in the church today. He writes: “If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thoughts of being God’s child and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.” May you and I always be grateful that because of Christ, through the Holy Spirit’s power, we are God’s children with access to our gracious heavenly Father, Who is the giver of every good and perfect gift! (James 1:17) Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the blessing of adoption. Acknowledge that your adoption is all by grace and not by works. Pray that God would enable you, as an obedient adopted child, to live a life of gratitude for embracing you into His family. Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 26 - Grateful praise to our ascended Lord!

“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 Did you notice how verse 24 points out that Jesus entered heaven “to appear in the presence of God on our behalf”? That phrase describes an amazing truth concerning the ascension. Jesus ascended into heaven to intercede eternally on the behalf of those who by His grace have saving faith in Him alone “since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). As He intercedes, He does so with great compassion, for He has been tempted in every way as we are, yet is without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He knows the human experience completely. He has experienced hunger, thirst and conflicts from angry people; He has lived under ungodly political rulers. He knows what it is like to live in a fallen world and face the attacks of the evil one. And as the Mediator of the New Covenant, He has shed His blood to cover – propitiate – the sins of His people. Not only does the ascension assure us of our salvation through saving faith in Christ, but it also assures us that just as Jesus ascended bodily into heaven, so will we on the last day when He returns in glory. (1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 3:20, 21). Unfortunately, people today, including many Christians, don't give much thought to the blessings that flow from the ascension. The knowledge of our ascended Saviour should instill within us praise and adoration. Jesus Christ has entered heaven to intercede on our behalf! Our redemption is complete in Him! He is returning again to receive us to Himself! Alleluia! Alleluia! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His perfect life of obedience, His sacrificial death, His resurrection and His ascension into heaven to “appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (v. 24). Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 25 - Gratitude for immeasurable riches

"But God, being rich in mercy…made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places…so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” - Ephesians 2:4-7 Scripture reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 Most things in our world can be measured: the depth of the sea, the highest mountain peaks, the distance to the planets even in their elliptical orbits. But one thing that no one can measure is the depth and the richness of God’s grace given us in Christ Jesus. When God gives a gift, it is a present reality with an eternal guarantee. Did you notice in verse 6 how the Scripture describes the present reality of our relationship with Christ? It is not just in the future that we will be raised up with Christ in the heavenly realms. If by grace you have true saving faith in Jesus Christ today, you are already raised with Him! It is a present reality that will be discovered in its magnitude throughout all eternity. Remarkably, God’s kindness was given to us in Christ while we were “dead in our transgressions and sins” (1), reinforcing the truth that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…” (8). There are so many blessings from God that we are to be grateful for, but no blessing surpasses the incomparable riches of God’s grace expressed through Christ Jesus. May that present reality of being raised with Christ and being seated with Him in the heavenly realms instill profound gratitude in your heart and mine today – as it will throughout all eternity! Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God for blessings often taken for granted: food, water, shelter. But above all thank Him for the gift of salvation, a present reality that will grow in magnitude throughout eternity as God demonstrates “the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (7). Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 24 - Contentment and gratitude

“… I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” - Philippians 4:11 Scripture reading: Psalm 73:1-28 Contentment is crucia...

Daily devotional

May 23 - Gratitude for cleansing

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.” - Luke 17:15 Scripture reading: Luke 17:11-1...

Daily devotional

May 22 - The law and our expression of gratitude

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” - Exodus ...

Daily devotional

May 21 - Living a life of gratitude

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your...

Daily devotional

May 20 - God’s grace: The cause for our gratitude

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” - Romans 11:33 Scripture reading: Romans 11:33-12:2 A principle in philosophy is that every change in nature is produced by a cause. That principle applies not only in philosophy, but also in theology. When, by God’s grace, we begin to understand “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33), we cannot help but be filled with gratitude! When we realize that the eternal, omniscient and omnipotent God, Who is described in Romans 11:33-36, has mercifully saved us from our sin through the giving of His Son, it must have a “cause and effect” result in our lives. The effect is described in Romans 12:1 where the apostle urges us, in view of God’s mercy, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. Meditating on God's mercy instills within us gratitude which leads to a life of worship. Instead of worship being limited to church services on Sunday, worship becomes the focus of each day, keeping us from wanting to be conformed to this world. It instills within us the desire to be increasingly transformed by the renewal of our mind. Then, out of gratitude, we will seek to discern God's will, knowing that it “is good, acceptable, and perfect” (Romans 12:2). As we reflect on our guilt and God's grace, may it cause us to express sincere and joyful gratitude as we are transformed by the mercy and grace of God! Suggestions for prayer Pray with a grateful heart, thanking God for His mercy in saving you from sin. Ask Him to guard you from conformity with the world and to give you a wholehearted commitment to know and to do His will. And if you doubt your salvation, prayerfully seek the Lord in His Word, trusting His promise that “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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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Daily devotional

May 19 - The immeasurable grace of our triune God

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” - 2 Corinthians 13:14 Scripture reading: Galatians 3:23-4:7 Although we see God’s grace in each individual member of the Trinity, we see the pinnacle of grace interwoven through the unity of the Godhead (the Trinity). In Galatians 4 we read how the Father “sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (4, 5). And almost in the same breath we are told of the Spirit’s work, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son (or daughter), then an heir of God through Christ” (6, 7). The Father, Son and Holy Spirit work together in perfect harmony, granting us a trifecta of heavenly grace. Their triune work of redemption reminds us that all things are of the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit. That truth flows from the Benediction which concludes Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. No wonder that before pronouncing the Triune blessing, he wrote about rejoicing and living in peace (2 Corinthians 13:11, 12). If we truly know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, then you and I have great reason to rejoice, making every effort to live in unity and harmony with others, all for the glory of God’s immeasurable grace! Suggestions for prayer Praise the Lord for His harmonious work in your life. Praise Him for His Fatherly love, the redeeming work of Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 18 - The inward yet abiding grace of the Holy Spirit

“…Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour…” - Titus 3:5-6 Scripture reading: Titus 3:1-15 If you have ever checked into a filthy motel room, you know the meaning of disgusting. That experience, unpleasant as it is, in some ways points to the inward, yet abounding, grace of the Holy Spirit. He Who is one with the Father and Son, the true and eternal God, lives within us making our sinful flesh His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). When the Holy Spirit gives us new birth, He also cleanses and transforms our life. Did you notice the description in verse 3 of how we once were? “…Foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” That description doesn't apply just to other people; it is a mirror reflecting the darkness of our heart apart from the regenerating and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Having given us new life, the Holy Spirit cleanses us far more than any maid who cleans a motel room. The cleansing that we have is from Christ, as the Holy Spirit applies the merits of Christ to each one whom the Father has chosen. After describing the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, the apostle describes how we are to devote ourselves to doing good and avoid dissensions and quarrels (v. 8, 9, 14). Instead, we are to live grateful lives of praise for God's saving grace and sanctifying Spirit. May joyful gratitude be reflected in your life and mine – today and always! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for making our sinful and frail bodies His temple, in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to continue to sanctify us, so that we may more fully reflect His grace and cleansing power to others. Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 17 - Grace upon grace through Christ

“For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” - John 1:16-17 Scripture reading: John 1:1-18 Just as there is no timeline for the grace of the Father, so also the love of Christ transcends time, for “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:20). He loved us from all eternity and demonstrated His love for us in that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We see His grace, not only at the cross, but throughout His life on earth. Every leper cleansed, every person who received sight, each one healed from an otherwise incurable disease, and those who were raised back to life, are all witnesses to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is still at the cross where His grace is most evident. It was there that “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). From the cradle to the cross, we clearly see the truth of 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” Throughout eternity we will praise Him who is the Alpha and the Omega, our eternal Saviour and Lord. But if you have experienced God’s grace, through saving faith in Christ alone, then live a life of gratitude and praise here and now, each and every day! Suggestions for prayer Thank God, with awe and wonder, that He has loved us with an eternal love. Pray that in the brevity of our lives we would strive to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – with all that is within us! Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 16 - Our gracious father in heaven

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to chang...

Daily devotional

May 15 - God’s grace in the sacraments

“…for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” - Matthew 26:28 Scripture reading: Matth...

Daily devotional

May 14 - Grace for the chief of sinners

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” - ...

Daily devotional

May 13 - God’s grace sufficient to remove our shame

Daily devotional

May 12 - Grace given us before the beginning of time

“Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” - 2 Timothy 1:9 Scripture reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14 After describing how we are saved and called to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, the apostle makes an amazing statement. He describes how God saved us, “because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” (v. 9). How do we respond to such an awesome statement? How do we respond to the truth that before the Lord formed us in the womb, He knew us (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15) since “He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons (and daughters) through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 1:5)? Verse 8 tells us to respond to the eternal love of God by not being ashamed to testify about our Lord. We truly have treasure in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). What greater treasure is there than knowing the eternal love of God through saving faith in Christ? How eagerly we should testify! We also have full assurance and confidence in our salvation, exclaiming with Paul, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” (v. 12). The salvation that has been entrusted to us is only found through saving faith in Christ, Who is described as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8 NKJV). May your faith and mine always be focused on Christ Jesus and the eternal love of our triune God! Suggestions for prayer Pray that in the brief span of your life you may express true gratitude to God for His eternal love, which will be perfectly experienced in the life to come – forever! Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 11 - Grace far greater than our sin

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” - Luke 5:31-32 Scripture reading: Psalm 32:1-11; Luke 5:27-32 The devil specializes in guilt. He loves to bring up your past; he loves to point to your sins, your transgressions and iniquity. But rather than being overwhelmed by his accusations, you can find great comfort in knowing that Jesus came into the world to call sinners to repentance. It was Thomas Watson who pointed out, “Till sin be bitter; Christ will not be sweet.” It is when we recognize our sin, confess it to the LORD and trust in Christ alone to save us, that we discover the greatness of God's grace. We must come to the point that David describes in Psalm 32: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (v. 5). Another ploy of the evil one is to tempt us to think that our works of righteousness make us acceptable to God. That ploy worked well on the Pharisees, and there are many today who are trusting in their works instead of in Christ, just as there are many who think their guilt is too great for God's grace to cover. But as we see our guilt and confess it, may you and I also rejoice in the grace of our God, trusting the promise of His Word that “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Suggestions for prayer If you have never truly confessed your sins, prayerfully do so with the assurance that Christ came not for the healthy, but those sick – even dead – in their sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1-3). Trust Him and thank Him that His grace is far greater than your sin! Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 10 - “But now…”

“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.” - Romans 3:21-22 Scripture reading: Romans 3:10-31 All the words in the Bible are crucial. But two of the most important words in the Bible are in Romans 3:21. Those two words? “But now.” In the passage leading up to those words, our depravity is examined and exposed in the piercing light of God’s law. We are forcefully reminded that we are guilty of breaking God’s law innumerable times and are, along with the whole world, accountable to Him. It is after the dark portrayal of our guilt and sin that those two words jump off the Biblical page, “But now.” We might expect that now we will come under judgment for our sin, now the proper wrath of God against sin will be pronounced against us. But instead, verse 21 points us to the righteousness of God given through saving faith in Christ alone. The passage goes on to speak about justification, about grace as a gift from God, about redemption through the shed blood of Christ Who covers – propitiates – our sin with His blood. We begin to realize that Christ bore the curse of our sin. In its place, He has imputed – credited – His record of righteous obedience. Although we are guilty sinners, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (23), those who have true saving faith in Christ are forgiven of their sins and granted eternal life. If you recognize your guilt and know God’s grace through saving faith in Christ alone, then live a life of deep and sincere gratitude – always! Suggestions for prayer Sincerely thank God that “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10). Thank Him that instead “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). Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 9 - Your own worst enemy

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” - James 1:14 (NKJV) Scripture reading: Genesis 3:1-24 Blaming someone else is deeply rooted in the human heart. It has been that way ever since the fall when Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent for the disobedience that plunged all humanity into sin. The effort to blame the devil is still popular. We recognize that he does great damage in leading people astray and in attacking Christians, for he is described as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Many people blame the devil for their sin and many others blame God for their troubles. Natural disasters are described by the insurance industry as “acts of God” while a beautiful sunset is attributed to “Mother Nature.” But the Holy Spirit points out that when we fall into sin, we have no one to blame except ourselves because “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed” (James 1:14). It is our desires, springing from our sinful nature, that so often plunge us into sin. Instead of blaming others for our sin, we must recognize that we are often our own worst enemy. Instead of fleeing from sin, we often longingly gaze at sin allowing desire to conceive and give birth to even more sin. The devil, the world and our sinful nature are three sworn enemies that never stop attacking us. We have little control over the world and the devil, but by God’s convicting and comforting Spirit, may we exercise prayerful self-control in the face of temptation. Suggestions for prayer Ask forgiveness for blaming others and pray for a heart of purity and holiness that radiates throughout your life and into the lives of others. Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 8 - The law, our guilt, and God’s grace

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” - Galatians 3:24 (NKJV) Scripture reading: Galati...

Daily devotional

May 7 - Guilt and our conscience

“…Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…” - 1 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV) Scripture reading: Genesis 42:1-2...

Daily devotional

May 6 - Our sinful nature enticed by the law

“For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the comm...

Daily devotional

May 5 - Guilt and our sins of omission

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” - James 4:17 Scripture reading: Matthew 25:14-30 James 4:1...

Daily devotional

May 4 - Sinners and sin

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5 Scripture reading: John 15:1-11 The question is sometimes asked, “Are we sinners because we sin?” or “Do we sin because we are sinners?” The answer to those questions reveals our concept of original sin and our concept of our sinful nature. It is because of our sinful nature that we commit sins. For instance, we might look at someone who sins in an obvious way, perhaps they are guilty of stealing, and we say, “They stole merchandise, so they are sinners.” But the Biblical view has the opposite progression. God looks at us and sees that since we are sinful from the moment of conception (Psalms 51:5), we commit sins. It is because we are sinners that we are prone to swear, steal, cheat and commit adultery, along with all the other transgressions of God’s law. In the analogy of John Donne, our sinful nature is like the trunk of a tree. Just as branches grow from the trunk of a tree, so we sin because sin inevitably grows out of our sinful nature. Consequently, our guilt includes not only the many sins we commit – and the sins of omission – but our sinful nature also declares us guilty from the moment of conception. Yet, as we confess both our sins and our sinful nature, there is comfort through saving faith in Christ. Although our guilt is great, God’s grace is greater! He has grafted His people into the Tree of Life, and by saving faith, we who abide in Christ produce spiritual fruit (v. 5), for His glory and our good! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the atoning work of Christ which cleanses both our sinful nature and our sins. And pray that by abiding in Him we will produce much fruit for His glory! Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 3 - The problem is within

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” - Matthew 15:19 Scripture reading: Matthew 15:1-20 The Pharisees mastered the art of looking good on the outside. Jesus described them as a clean cup on the outside, but insidiously evil inside (Matthew 23:25-28). But unfortunately, apart from saving faith in Christ alone, we are no better than the Pharisees. The true condition of the human heart is described in Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?” And Jesus pointed out that it is from the heart that a multitude of sins flow (Matthew 15:16-20). Decay from the inside out is always the most dangerous and destructive. You can spray your garden plants on the outside to prevent pests from destroying them, but when decay comes from within there is nothing you can do. But God is able to change what is within. In fact, Ezekiel 36:26 gives this promise from the Lord: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.” While God alone, in Sovereign grace, can give us a new heart – a heart of flesh upon which He writes His law – we must guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23), which includes faithfulness both in worship and in personal devotions, as well as guarding the actions springing from our heart, since our heart and actions go hand in hand. As you recognize the condition of your heart, look in saving faith to the only One Who can cleanse and sanctify us by His Spirit, our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ! Suggestions for prayer Pray for the forgiveness of innumerable sins that spring from your heart, but also pray for sanctification, that God would enable all of us to grow in grace, knowledge, obedience, love and service. Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 2 - Guilt, grace, and gratitude intertwined

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” - Psalm 51:12 Scripture reading: Psalm 51:1-19 In David's prayer, we see a picture of ourselves. We see ourselves reflected in Psalm 51 even if we have never committed the act of adultery with our neighbour’s spouse or arranged a murder. Jesus clearly taught that if we have looked in lust, we have committed adultery in our heart. The same goes for unbridled anger without a just cause; it is murder in the heart (Matthew 5:22, 28). We have all broken not just the sixth and seventh commandments, but all God’s commandments. With David we must pray, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love…” And as we recognize our guilt, we also see God’s grace. David’s confession of guilt was intertwined with his knowledge of God’s grace, mercy and love. He prayed, “O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.” He recognized that God’s grace is far greater than our sin! When we realize that God’s grace is greater than our sin, we cannot help but be filled with gratitude. As David concludes the Psalm, he focuses on the desire to tell others about God’s grace (13) and he praises God with a joyful heart (15). May the same be said about you and me! In the sorrow of our sins, may we see the magnitude of God’s grace and then live a life of gratitude, marked by a sincere effort to live in obedience to the very Word which we have so often broken. Suggestions for prayer After confessing your sin, prayerfully praise God that His grace is greater than your sin and ask Him to enable you to live a life of gratitude! Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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

May 1 - An introduction to this month's study on guilt, grace, and gratitude

Three words define the life of every Christian. In the pilgrimage of life, every true Christian experiences guilt, grace and gratitude. Those three words, along with their counterparts of sin, salvation and service are often used to summarize the Heidelberg Catechism, but they also summarize the struggles and joys that every Christian experiences. We all experience guilt because we are all sinners. The dark cloud of our sin, especially recurring sin, drains us of our joy and pierces us with the reality of how dark our hearts really are. But against that dark and stormy background of sin, we see the brilliance of God’s grace. Through saving faith in Christ, we realize that our sin is covered by His precious blood, and amazingly, we see that Christ imputes – credits – His perfect record of righteous obedience to the life of everyone, who by His grace has true saving faith in Him alone. The knowledge of God’s saving grace in Christ Jesus leads inevitably to gratitude. If you and I truly see ourselves as guilty sinners, yet realize with clarity that, “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8), we cannot help but be deeply grateful! Our gratitude leads us to works of service as we endeavour to walk in the good deeds ordained for us (Ephesians 2:10), not to earn our salvation, but to reflect our Saviour and that we are profoundly grateful for what He has done. This month, as we open the Scriptures and see our guilt and God’s grace, may we truly be filled with gratitude, eager to joyfully serve our gracious God, now and forevermore! The best day of the week “How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!” - Psalm 84:1 Scripture reading: Psalm 84:1-12 Arriving home is such a good feeling. Perhaps you have been gone on business, or had a hard day at work, or even a week or two of vacation. As you get close to your home, you have that anticipation of how great it will be just to be home. In this Psalm, we read of the same joyful anticipation of arriving home. We are all on a pilgrimage. We are just passing through this world. The world holds so much trouble and conflict. We need strength to continue on the path, steep and narrow, that leads to our heavenly home. Where do we gain that strength? Verse 5 reminds us that our strength is from the LORD and verse 7 describes how we “go from strength to strength.” On Sunday, as we gather with brothers and sisters in Christ, we are faced with our weakness on the one hand, as we see our sin in the light of God's law. But we also see God’s glorious grace in the gospel and we are strengthened! Through the faithful preaching of God's Word, we are not only strengthened, but given great joy as we sing praises to our God. In the words of verse 2, our “heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” It is no wonder that the Psalmist, as he exalts in joyous praise to the LORD, exclaims, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.” May that be your experience and mine, this Sunday and always! Suggestions for prayer Pray for your local church and the church universal. Pray for your pastor and his family as well as the elders, deacons and congregation. Pray for faithful seminaries to train another generation of ministers who will boldly preach the whole counsel of God. Pastor Ted Gray is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church of North America. 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 30 - A lesson on God’s timing

"But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do….”" - Exodus 6:1 Scripture reading: Exodus 5:21-6:13 Moses’ first encou...

Daily devotional

April 29 - The ploy of false-god pharaoh

“The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hand to kill ...

Daily devotional

April 28 - The ploys of false-god Pharaoh

“The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hand to kill ...

Daily devotional

April 27 - The initial resistance of false-god pharaoh

Daily devotional

April 26 - God further prepares the deliverer

“And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.” - Exodus 4:31 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:27-31 Moses’ meeting with Aaron brings a different encouragement than at his departure from Midian. At Midian he was encouraged in the midst of the unbelief of Pharaoh. Through his meeting with Aaron and working with Aaron, he would be encouraged in the midst of faith. Aaron comes as God promised. Both Aaron and Moses go to the elders and people. A pattern develops: word-deed-faith-word-deed. The people hear (word), see the signs (deed), believe (faith), hear (word) and worship (deed). God told Moses that the elders would believe (3:18). This faith, just like true faith today, leads to the worship of God because the word of redemption that is believed moves people to worship. These people, who had been in bondage so long, now come to know the good news of deliverance by the Lord. How could they not but worship God? What was true back then is still true today! Notice how faith encourages! What a joy to be in the midst of faith! What a joy for a family! What a joy for parents, widows and widowers! What a joy for the persecuted in the Lord! What a joy for the weary and heavy-laden! What a tool of encouragement faith can be! The communion of the saints encourages the faithful as the faithful encourage. Be encouraged by God’s covenant faithfulness, rather than discouraged by man’s faithfulness. Be encouraged by the faithfulness of other Christians too. By God and the Christian faithful, we will be moved to be encouragers ourselves. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His encouraging gospel that moves you to worship, and also for the blessing that He gives you in the communion of the saints, the church of Jesus Christ. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 25 - God further prepares the deliverer

“Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!”” - Exodus 4:25 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:24-26 This story has its puzzles. It is safe to say, however, that Moses underestimated the need to provide the sign of the covenant to his child. Importance is to be tied to the covenant of grace, to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God was remembering His firstborn, His covenant promises to Abraham through whose seed all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, ultimately in Christ. For Christ’s sake, Moses was to view his children covenantally, even as God Himself did. The Lord burned at Moses’ whining before; he was patient then, but not now. Moses considered the covenant lightly. It almost cost him his life. For the sake of our children, the Lord, and our own sake, we ought not to minimize God’s covenant, not in sacramental usage, nor when we remember Whose shed blood fulfilled the covenant of grace. Zipporah cries out, “You are a bridegroom of blood to me.” Spilled blood restores Moses so that he can proceed in his calling. In our relationship to God, blood had to be spilled to spare us. Only then can we be in covenant with God. Realizing that blood no longer needs to be spilled should make us realize how precious Christ’s shed blood is for us. Ultimately it was the blood of Christ that would spare Moses so he could serve the Lord. We must confess that it is only the blood of Christ, the bridegroom, that will spare us for that purpose as well. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to the Lord for the marvels of His covenant mercies to us in Christ. Pray that the covenant relationship that God has established with believers in Christ and their children will be better understood and better appreciated. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 24 - God further prepares the deliverer

“When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.” - Exodus 4:22 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:21-23 God’s upcoming encounter with Pharaoh would show to Pharaoh that God alone was sovereign and worthy of divine worship. On this Lord’s Day of worship, such is a fitting subject. Some might ask, “How could someone like Pharaoh be blamed for hardness, for who resists the will of the sovereign God?” (Romans 9:19). The concern is that God is just using us as puppets. Yet we remember the responsibility of Pharaoh. Because God is sovereign, Pharaoh has responsibility. With us all, Pharaoh has no excuse before God, who clearly reveals Himself. Our problem is not first of all the hardening that comes, but the cold hearts that are there from the start. The Bible reminds us that God, in His justice, hands people over to their own desires (Romans 1:24, 26). People reap what they sow. Unbelief and sin drive people farther from the Lord. Such foolishness is a slippery slope to hell, which only God’s grace can change. God mentions this hardening for Moses’ encouragement, preparing him to serve with joy and confidence. Despite wrongful opposition ahead, everything will work out. People may not see the right way, the gospel or the importance of Christian living; they are hard of heart. But that ought not keep us from being faithful even as our Saviour was, for God will have His way in Egypt, at the cross and in our final deliverance. Don’t let sin and unbelief discourage you. Praise God for His superior faithfulness in Christ. Suggestions for prayer On this Lord’s Day, thank the Lord for His sovereignty over those who oppose Him and thank Him for giving you hope to serve Him well despite such opposition from sin and unbelief. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 23 - God further prepares the deliverer

“And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”” - Exodus 4:19 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:18-20 We often read here the word “return.” Through Moses’ “returning,” he is encouraged in his calling. One confirming encouragement is that family (Jethro) doesn’t become an impediment to his return. More encouraging to Moses is the further revelation that he receives from the Lord. God’s Word is meant to be such an encouragement. Kings come and go, but the Word of the Lord carries on. The desires of men will go with them to the grave, but the desire of the everlasting Lord will be fulfilled. What God says to Moses reminds us of Matthew 2:19, where God tells Joseph to return to Nazareth because he who was trying to take the Christ-child’s life was also dead. Moses pictures the Christ—the truest Deliverer of God’s people. The first Pharaoh of Exodus had not known Joseph, a deliverer of his people, and now the second Pharaoh of Exodus doesn’t know Moses, who will also be a deliverer of his people, just as Jesus would deliver His people under a domain which did not know Him. Evil wanted to deliver Moses to death, but he was not delivered to evil, so that he could be a deliverer from evil. Evil also wanted the Christ-child to be delivered unto death prematurely, but God had superior plans to deliver His people through Christ. God’s superior plans to deliver from evil were meant to encourage Moses; in Christ, they are meant to encourage us in our battle with sin as well. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the deliverance Christ has given you from the penalty and power of sin. Pray that He may continue His deliverance from sin in your life, as you heed the call to live more and more sanctified before Him, with the promise of full deliverance from sin’s power awaiting you in glory filling your heart with Christian hope. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 22 - No reason for reluctance

“But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”” - Exodus 4:13 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:13-16 Moses has run out of excuses w...

Daily devotional

April 21 - No reason for reluctance

“But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent….”” - Exodus 4:10 Scripture reading: Exodus 4:10-12 As we have noticed,...

Daily devotional

April 20 - No reason for reluctance

“Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’”” ...

Daily devotional

April 19 - No reason for reluctance

“God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”” - Exodus 3:14 S...

Daily devotional

April 18 - No reason for reluctance

“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you….”” - Exodus 3:11-12a Scripture reading: Exodus 3:11-12 This is the classic tale of the reluctance of Moses. If you struggle with unwillingness, you are not alone; so did Moses. Yet God drains us of any excuses that would keep us from serving Him. Moses had no reason to say no to God. Neither do we. Consider these excuses, though: Excuse #1 Who am I? Such a statement may seem strangely absent from our modern syntax. Confidence bordering on arrogance abounds today. Maybe Moses is just being humble: “Who am I to face Pharaoh?” This is not humility; it is timidity. Moses fails to rely on the power of God. God replies to him, “You are not going alone; you have Me!” God even gives Moses a sign that points to the future—a day will come when you will all worship Me here. “I will be with you; and great days of worship are ahead. Now go!” Who am I? Who am I to teach my children in the ways of God? To volunteer? To help someone? Who is the church to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel, baptize and teach others? Who are we to do what the Lord has placed in front of us? It’s not about us. It’s about Who is with us and what the future holds—when we will be worshiping with God’s people in resurrected glory one day. If God is calling us, His calling comes with promises of hope. So, go! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the many promises that He has kept and that He will fulfill in your life. Pray that you will take those promises to heart as you consider where He would have you serve Him with strength and courage. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 17 - The God of the living

“But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him.” - Luke 20:37-38 Scripture reading: Exodus 3:1-10; Luke 20:27-40 The burning bush speaks also to the fiery trials God’s people must face—Moses being a case in point. Both Moses and God’s people in general know what it was like to be strangers in a land not their own. Trials from the Lord may be fiery, but they do not consume God’s people. We know that is so because God reminds Moses of who God is, the God of resurrection promise (verse 6; Luke 20:37-38), the God of the living, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God’s inseparable covenant love endures, even in the midst of death. God does not say that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He says that He is. In time God comes down to deliver Israel, foreshadowing Christ’s coming down from heaven to undergo the greatest of fiery trials for His people. Yet even in this trial, His Father would not let His Holy One see decay (Psalm 16:10; Acts. 2:27). Christians are not exempt from fiery trials. Yet the fire doesn’t consume when we know the God of resurrection promise. God sees, hears and knows, about our fiery trials. Even as Christ came down to deliver us from the bondage of sin, so also will He come down again and keep His promise to take us to be where He is in resurrection glory. God has not brought the trials to consume us, but to prepare us for His purposes, His deliverance, His service, and for eternity. Suggestions for prayer On this day when we especially celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, pray that the Lord might renew you by His Spirit to the comforts and joys that Christ’s resurrection bring. Pray that you might be given the spiritual strength to live gratefully and obediently in the power of Christ’s resurrection today and always. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 16 - Enlightened by the burning bush to the calling of God

“Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” - Exodus 3:10 Scripture reading: Exodus 3:1-10 The burning bush not only speaks to the holiness and mercy of God, but also to God’s calling of Moses. The revelation of holiness and mercy, in fact, leads to the revelation of one’s calling. Revere My holiness and mercy as I call you into My service. Revelation readies us for obedience. That happens all the time in everyday life. Think about how many things we do better when we have someone’s backing or when we do so out of respect. God does not tell us to be ready and willing to serve Him without first telling us why. God does not make us guess as to who He is or how He cares for us. He tells it plainly. I am great, holy and powerful; in mercy you can count on Me. So, serve Me; serve Me well. To his shame, Moses was not yet ready to serve the Lord readily and willingly. Thankfully, Jesus never had that problem. “I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7). Jesus knew that when he would do God’s will perfectly, God would not let Him see decay (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27). For Jesus’ sake, we too can serve in God’s kingdom in a spirit that imitates our Saviour. A self-serving world is no motivator to Christian service. What overcomes such a self-serving example are eyes open to the marvels of God’s holiness and mercy to us in Jesus Christ, which spurs a selfless attitude of gratitude to the Lord. Suggestions for prayer Be in prayer thankfully for the marvels God has shown you in Jesus Christ. Pray that the Lord might use those marvels to spur you on to love and good deeds. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 15 - Enlightened by the burning bush to the mercy of God

“He looked and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” - Exodus 3:2 Scripture reading: Exodus 3:1-10 The fiery bush speaks to the holiness of God, but also to the mercy of God. For Moses’ sake and for our sake in Christ, we can be exceedingly glad for this. God is holy and we are not, yet we are not consumed. We can see ourselves in the burning-bush event as unconsumed, celebrating God’s mercy to us through faith in Christ. What made the bush unusual was not that it was burning, but that it was burning and not being consumed. Scripture does indeed speak of God as a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29), but here the fire does not consume. When you think about what Israel and Moses had been enduring, such a bush is a fitting sight. Israel was God’s chosen people, treated differently than other nations so as not to be consumed like other nations, but not because of anything deserving about her. Such a non-consumption is how it is for God’s covenant people, both in the Old Testament days and now in the New Testament days. Hebrews 12 says that kingdoms of the world will not last, but the kingdom of Christ, to which we belong through faith and grace, will not be consumed because of the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ. This is the joy of the gospel, for before the holy face of God, we all deserve to be consumed, but by the wondrous mercy of God through the crucified Christ we can confess that we are not. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to the Lord for the marvellous mercies of God, who consumed your sins in Christ so that you need not be consumed. Pray for an ever-increasing devotion to serve your Saviour well, given the marvels of His grace. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 14 - Enlightened by the burning bush to the holiness of God

Daily devotional

April 13 - Enlightened by the burning bush to the holiness of God

Daily devotional

April 12 - God prepares a deliverer: A lesson from Midian

Daily devotional

April 11 - God prepares a deliverer: Lessons from Egypt

Daily devotional

April 10 - God prepares a deliverer: Lessons from Egypt

“Who made you a prince and a judge over us?” - Exodus 2:14 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:11-25 Another lesson for Moses was to suffer as a deliverer. Moses will get used to rebukes and opposition when he becomes the leader and deliverer of God’s people. Even if Moses went ahead of himself in killing the Egyptian as he did, he was right to intervene to bring peace and order among those who were part of God’s covenant people. But as with this rebuke of Moses, the people of Israel in the future will be quick to speak, slow to listen and quick to become angry with Moses, like a rebellious mob. Such a rebellious, mob-like attitude is what brought Christ to the cross and it is an attitude that prevails today among those who have not come to know the peace of God in their lives. Such a life knows nothing but chaos. Moses came to his own people and they did not receive him—that was not to their advantage. Christ also came to His own and they did not receive Him. Christ comes to people who have grown up in the church and they do not receive Him. No matter who we are, if we don’t receive Christ, our life will be as chaotic as a mob scene. But to those who do receive Christ, who believed on His name, He gave the right to become children of God, born of God (John 1:12). Those who receive Him will know the peace of God and peace with God. Many are missing such peace. Suggestions for prayer On this day of worship—which may be a day where you hear the shouts of hosanna: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” thank God for the coming of His Son and the peace He has brought to your life. Pray that many more may come to a lasting peace with God. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 9 - God prepares the deliverer: Lessons in Egypt

“He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” - Exodus 2:12 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:11-25 In our passage, God is preparing Moses to be the deliverer of His people by what Moses does, whether good or bad. As we are called to be like Christ in our lives, we can be grateful that we can learn from our failings and rely on God all the more. Moses learns many lessons in Egypt. One of them is that the ends do not justify the means. Moses has a compassion for the people to whom he actually belongs. Such compassion is commendable—we can learn from that. Moses wants to fill a need, but he tried to fill it outside of God’s will and timing. Moses is deceptive like Jacob. Such deception does not honour the Lord. Moses is taking the deliverance of God’s people into His own hands, rather than waiting for God’s timing that arrives in verse 23. Taking matters into our own hands is not to be the character of God’s people who were called to use godly means for godly ends. Such was not Christ’s way for His people and such is not to be the way for us. If good things happen to those who wait, certainly this is the case for all of God’s people called to a godly patience today. Don’t go ahead of God and take matters sinfully into your own hands for God will work all to your good when you are in Christ through faith. Suggestions for prayer Pray for pardon if you are not valuing God’s timing in your life. Pray that the Lord might help you to wait patiently and obediently for God to supply your needs in due time. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 8 - God prepares deliverance through an unlikely rescuer

“When opened , she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him…” - Exodus 2:6 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:1-10 God’s deliverance includes an unlikely rescuer. Pharaoh’s daughter delivers baby Moses, the future deliverer. Pharaoh is cruel, but Pharaoh’s daughter shows pity. God often uses the unlikely to accomplish His ends. Some people know it; others do not. Often the ignorant are in lofty positions, like Pharaoh’s daughter who unexpectedly does not follow the cruelty of her father. God often uses the unexpected to declare His greatness and to stress His grace. Those who oppose Him the most, as often depicted, are but means that the Lord uses to accomplish His purposes. Pharaoh is foiled by his own daughter in God’s plans. God has used Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate—the powerful and the influential, to fulfill His plans. They may counsel against God, but God laughs from heaven (Ps. 2:4). God can use many or a few to accomplish His purposes. He can shame the strong with the weak, the wise with the simple. He can make us strongest when we are weakest as we lean on Him. Christ becomes poor for our sake so that we can become rich. He humbles Himself on the road to glory. Christ’s cross of shame becomes the Christian’s glory unto salvation as God displays His power at Golgotha. This is why the gospel is so often foolishness to the Gentile and a stumbling block to the Jew. God uses the unexpected for His purposes. God uses us this way as well by His grace in Jesus Christ. Suggestions for Prayer: Thank the Lord that He is able to use all things, even the most influential to His saving purposes and the good of His people in Christ. Pray that the Lord will help you see His hand at work in the days in which you live, so that you might praise Him all the more. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 7 - God prepares deliverance through a special infancy

“When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.” - Exodus 2:3 Scripture reading: Exodus 2:1-10 The infancy of Moses is also special because Moses is placed in a basket—literally an “ark” lined with pitch and set in the Nile River. Our children know about Noah’s ark, but this is Moses’ ark. The same word that is used in Genesis 7:1 for “ark” is used here. Noah put pitch on his ark (Genesis 6:14), as did Moses’ mother on Moses’ ark. Another allusion to Genesis! God delivers His people through Noah, but Noah must survive a water ordeal for it to happen. Moses also survives a water ordeal; he is drawn from the water. In the end, he delivers God’s people from the waters of death. Also, Moses was laid by “reeds”, the same word that describes the Sea of “Reeds” through which the people went in Exodus 13:18. A remembrance of the past and an anticipation of the future are revealed here. God provides a deliverer who will take them through the waters of death in victory and rest over their enemies. Jesus undergoes death for His people and comes out alive so that He can be their deliverer. When we are in Christ through faith, we are buried with Him, dead to sin, but then made alive to Christ and righteousness. Through Him alone, we are delivered to everlasting rest. The special infancy of Moses led to the deliverance of God’s people. The special infancy of Christ led to a fuller deliverance, one that we can know through faith and await in certain hope. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the great deliverance that Christ has won for you. Pray that the Lord might fill your heart with the hope that the promised fullness of that deliverance provides. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 6 - God prepares deliverance through a special infancy

Daily devotional

April 5 - God prepares deliverance through a special infancy

Daily devotional

April 4 - God prepares deliverance through a special infancy

Daily devotional

April 3 - God’s promises prevail over evil

“But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.” - Exodus 1:17 Scripture rea...

Daily devotional

April 2 - Signs of hope for succeeding generations

“But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.” - Exodus 1:7 Scripture reading: Exodus 1:1-14 Yesterday, we saw that time does not prevail over God’s promises in Christ; God’s promises prevail over our times. Faith and obedience are always contemporary callings from God’s Word. Today we see that God provides signs of hope so that we can trust His promises—even in adversity. One such sign for Israel was the blessing of children—a reminder of God’s covenant promises to bless all the nations of the world through His victory over evil. With every child born came hope for such a future, even in adversity. Pharaoh, who did not know covenant history, imposed slave labor upon the people of God out of fear and jealousy. Nevertheless, children continued to be born to God’s covenant people despite the despotic calling to the midwives to kill the baby boys (Exodus 1:16). Hope for the future flourished through covenant births. Oppression struck God’s people, but the signs of hope continued. For the sake of Christ, the promised deliverer, God blessed with children. For the sake of Christ, God still blesses with children. Births to covenant parents have always been viewed in Scripture as a reason for thanksgiving and hope. They point us to God’s covenant mercies in Christ. With births, Israel learned that despite evil’s power, the seed of the woman would crush evil’s head. God’s promise to bring a deliverer was going to come through the covenant line. Thanks to God’s promises of ultimate victory, hope need not die for the people of God. Good news! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the joy and blessing of covenant children and be in prayer for those children, that by God’s continued grace they might be used mightily for the sake of Christ as they grow and mature. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

April 1 - Introduction to the book of Exodus

This month we reflect on Exodus 1 to Exodus 6:13. These introductory chapters of Exodus can fill our days well with lessons on the relevant truths of God’s covenant promises, God’s prominence, God’s prevalence, God’s power, God’s mercy and God’s justice. The term “Exodus” literally means “the way out.” “Departure” describes “Exodus” well; Exodus reveals the departure of God’s people out of Egypt. People often conclude that the Old Testament Scriptures have little relevance for the New Testament church. However, all Scripture speaks to God’s covenant dealings with His people. Believers in Christ today, as God’s covenant people, can find relevance in all the Scriptures as they point to Christ and the calling to respond in penitence, faith and gratitude to God in Jesus Christ. Exodus is not just a remembrance of past events that carries no significance for the present. Exodus is very contemporary; it is a history lesson for upcoming generations, testifying to the God Whose covenant promises are “Yes” and “Amen” in Jesus Christ. This is a month where we take special time to reflect on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Exodus helps us remember those pillars of the Christian faith. Moses points to the Great Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus Christ, Who becomes the ultimate Passover Lamb so that God can truly be the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—the God of the living. May you be edified by this devotional on Exodus—unto the praise of the covenant God of the living. God's promises prevail throughout the generations “Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly…” - Exodus 1:6-7a Scripture reading: Exodus 1:1-7 Exodus starts with the word “and,” which doesn’t show up in the English translation, but that little word expresses that the covenant plans of God are continuing to unfold. Exodus continues the covenant history of Genesis, deriving covenant-family history from Genesis. Exodus is a history lesson for upcoming generations. What is gleaned from the history of redemption is addressed to the present and the future. History lessons are for the young and for others who can learn about the past of which they are not aware. The first to read about this covenant history would have been those about to enter the promised land. Succeeding generations would also read this book, including our own—which reminds us that Scripture is not merely old or for the old. It speaks to those in the present, called to listen to and learn from the history of God’s covenant plans, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In this family history, we read that new generations arose to take over for the old. As they did, it was their calling to carry on in covenant with God. The God of new generations was not a new God. It was the same God as the God of their spiritual forefathers. The generations had changed, but God’s promises had not. This history was not just to show that someone had a large family, it was to show that time does not prevail over God’s promises; God’s promises prevail over our times—ultimately in Christ. Good news! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His stable Word in unstable times and pray that many might come to appreciate that stability. Rev. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

March 31 - No enemy can stand in the way of our salvation in Christ

“And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan. . . in all, thirty-one kings.” - Joshua 12:7, 24b Scripture reading: Joshua 12:7-24 Joshua 12:7-24 is a who’s who of ancient Canaan. It’s a list of thirty-one kings who challenged Israel, who tried to keep God from giving His people what He had promised them. One by one, Joshua defeated them, took possession of their land and gave it to Israel. That was a picture of Jesus’ victory over our enemies, which Paul records in Colossians 2: He disarmed the rulers and authorities, the demonic powers of hell and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in the cross. At present, says Hebrews 2:8, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But the apostle John saw it in a vision in Revelation 11: then the seventh angel blew his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, Who is and Who was, for You have taken Your great power and begun to reign” (Revelation 11:16-17). Jesus encourages us to live by faith in this promise so that we share in His victory: The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with Me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne (Revelation 3:21). Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the historical record of the conquest of Canaan, knowing that through Joshua, God defeated Israel’s enemies, took their territory and gave it to Israel, because it prophesies the victory of the church, through Jesus Christ. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 30 - No enemy can stand in the way of our salvation in Christ

“Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.” - Joshua 12:6 Scripture reading: Joshua 12:1-6 The chapter starts talking about Sihon and Og, two mighty kings with huge kingdoms on the eastern side of the Jordan outside the land of Canaan. When Israel was on the way to Canaan, they came to the border of their kingdoms and asked politely if they could pass through. But they attacked Israel and Israel defeated them by taking possession of their land. These events might not stand out for us in the history of Israel, but they’re quite prominent in the Bible. Judging by what Rahab and the Gibeonites said, everyone in Canaan was terrified because of what Israel had done to them. In Psalm 136, among all of the reasons why we should give thanks to the LORD, the psalmist mentions how God struck down Sihon and Og, and gave their land to Israel. The victories over Sihon and Og weren’t politically important, in the first place, but spiritually important. It was the offspring of the serpent against the offspring of the woman, trying to keep God from giving His people the inheritance He had promised them. We need to know what God did to Sihon and Og because the offspring of the serpent continues to oppose the offspring of the woman. Those mighty enemies show you that God will never let anyone or anything stand in the way of us receiving the inheritance that Christ has gained for us. We are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to use God’s defeat of Sihon and Og to build up your faith, so that you may wrestle against “the rulers”, “the authorities”, “the cosmic powers over this present darkness” and “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”, in the strength that He provides. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 29 - The Arc de Triomphe

“Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from...

Daily devotional

March 28 - Victory through Joshua

“Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel . . . And the land ...

Daily devotional

March 27 - Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way

Daily devotional

March 26 - Preserving in obedience by faith in the promises

Daily devotional

March 25 - Preserving in obedience by faith in the promises

“Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.” - Joshua 11:18 Scripture reading: Joshua 11:16-20 God didn’t let Israel just walk in and take the land of Canaan. According to verse 18, Joshua made war a long time. Why did Israel have to fight at all? God didn’t need their help. He could have just swept all of those Canaanites out of the way and given Israel the land. Why did God make them fight? We might ask the same question about why God doesn’t just snap His fingers and bring every elect person to faith or why He tells us to go and make disciples. Our business is to believe and, by faith, obey. God said to Israel, I’m going to give you the land in the way of faith and obedience. That’s how we receive the things that He’s prepared for us. And we always have to be asking ourselves, Are we living by faith in the promises? Are we doing what God has commanded us to do? When we set our hearts on what we see, we will live for what we can have here and now, and we will fall away. But when we set our hearts on having what God has promised us, we have our hearts set on doing what God has commanded us to do, and we will persevere. The Holy Spirit is saying, This is how you endure, how you conquer, how you receive all of the wonderful things God has prepared for you: by setting your hearts on what He’s promised and on doing what He has commanded you to do. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to help you set your heart on having what God has promised you and to be committed to living the life God commands you to live. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON...

Daily devotional

March 24 - Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet

“And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.”” - Joshua 10:24 Scripture reading: Joshua 10:16-28 One by one, each of the defeated kings was called out to appear before Joshua. They had hidden in the cave, but when God comes to judge, there’s nowhere to hide. We confess that on the great day of judgement, “…all people, men, women and children, who ever lived, from the beginning of the world to the end will appear in person before Jesus Christ.” Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings” (Joshua 10:24). When archaeologists opened the tomb of Tutankhamun, they found a picture of his throne, with a footstool that had the images of Egypt’s nine traditional enemies engraved on it. Every time Tutankhoman sat on his throne, his feet would be on the necks of his enemies. The meaning is pretty obvious: he was proclaiming total domination over his enemies. It seems a little barbaric to us, but this is the great promise of Psalm 110: The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Paul says in I Corinthians 15, This is where human history is going: Christ is reigning until He makes all His enemies His footstool. And notice that Joshua didn’t put his foot on the necks of these kings; He told the commanders of the army to do that. The LORD defeated these kings, but the people shared in the LORD’s victory because, by faith, they fought against His enemies. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord will help you to believe that Christ is reigning over all things right now and that He is leading world history to the day when He makes all His enemies a footstool. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 23 - There has been no day like it before or since

“There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.” - Joshua 10:14 Scripture reading: Joshua 10:12-15 The destruction of the Amorites is a picture of the great day of judgement. Hail was one of the plagues against Egypt; it is a feature of God’s judgement prophesied in Isaiah 10, Ezekiel 13 and in the book of Revelation. When he commanded the sun to stand still and the moon to stop, Joshua foreshadows Jesus as Saviour and Judge. People insist that it’s not possible. The sun couldn’t stand still; it would have been catastrophic. Therefore they try to come up with explanations that avoid the straightforward meaning of what it says here. But it says that Joshua prayed and God suspended the normal order, the pattern of day and night. The Holy Spirit underlines it: there has been no day like it, before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel. The LORD fought for Israel because Joshua was bringing His judgement on God’s enemies and giving His people their inheritance. One day, the whole world will unite, like these Amorite kings, to attack God’s people (Revelation 20:7-10). On that day, the greater Joshua will come in all His glory and fight for us. Then there will be another day like that one, when the Lord heeds the voice of a Man and will bring an end to the pattern of day and night, of sun and moon. Then Jesus will bring God’s final judgement on His enemies and we will inherit the new heaven and the new earth. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Spirit to help you to live by faith in the promise that the great day of your vindication is coming and pray that soon, we will see Jesus coming with the clouds of heaven. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 22 - The victory that overcomes the world

“And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.” - Joshua 10:10 Scripture reading: Joshua 10:6-11 The Holy Spirit opens our eyes here to the way things are in the conflict between the church and the world. The bottom line, if you want to say it that way, is that though the world attacks us because we are not of the world, the war is actually between God and the world. That’s reflected in the way the Spirit describes the battle. On the one hand, He says Joshua and the army marched all night and came upon the Amorite armies suddenly. At the same time, He says the LORD threw the Amorite armies into a panic. That means that the LORD used what we might call the powers of nature, to terrify the Amorites. (see also e.g. I Samuel 7:10-11, Psalm 77:13-20) And then it says that Israel struck the Amorites with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by way of the ascent of Beth-Horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. But the footnote says that we could also translate this way: He - the LORD - Who struck them and chased them all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. It seems like two contradictory accounts: the LORD did it and Israel did it. But both are true. Israel had to fight, but the LORD was fighting for them. The battle belongs to the LORD, but we must put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), and overcome the world by faith (I John 5:5-6). Suggestions for prayer: Pray that the Holy Spirit will make you fully confident that the battle belongs to the LORD and that He will enable you to fight against the devil, the world and your own flesh in that confidence. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 21 - The Lord’s friend is their enemy

“Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” - Joshua 10:4 Scriptu...

Daily devotional

March 20 - Who shall dwell on God’s holy hill?

“Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right.” - Psalm 15:1b-2a Scripture reading: Psalm 15:1-12 To...

Daily devotional

March 19 - People loved the darkness rather than the light

Daily devotional

March 18 - Every knee shall bow

“But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place th...

Daily devotional

March 17 - Love your enemies and do good

“… the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.”” - Joshua 9:19 Scripture reading: Joshua 9:16-21 In light of this passage, we can make a point about how we need to do what we promise. That’s an encouragement we definitely need to hear. But we can also understand why the people felt like they had plenty of reasons to break their word and wipe out the deceptive Gibeonites. But they had sworn their oath in the Name of the LORD. That was the great issue: the glory of the Name of the LORD. God glorifies His Name in the salvation of His people. He makes us live a new kind of life in the midst of the world. He redeems slaves through the blood of His Son and He puts His Spirit in those slaves, writing His law on our hearts, to show that we are sons of God that we might display the heart and the character of God. We carry God’s Name in the world. The morality and the lifestyle of God’s people are the salt of the earth. It is the light that God sets in the darkness. The congregation wanted to attack Gibeon and wipe them out because they had been cheated; they had been deceived and they wanted to make the Gibeonites pay. That’s natural. We want revenge too when someone cheats us or deceives us. But standing up for your own rights and taking revenge is not the culture of the kingdom. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace and humility to do good to those who hate you, to pray for those who abuse you, to turn the other cheek to those who strike you and to love your enemies. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 16 - When pride comes, then comes disgrace

“So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD.” - Joshua 9:14 Scripture reading: Joshua 9:3-15 The men of Israel who first met the Gibeonites and brought them to Joshua seemed to be suspicious of these people. The Gibeonites, however, appeared to be humble, claiming they wanted to make a covenant because they had heard about what the LORD had done. They showed them their dry bread, their burst wineskins and their worn-out clothes and sandals. But the men who spoke with them didn’t ask counsel from the LORD. That’s a criticism. The Holy Spirit wants to make sure that we recognize the failure of Joshua and the leaders of Israel. We don’t know why Joshua didn’t ask the LORD for counsel, but it sure looks like pride The Holy Spirit is saying to us, Joshua was great, but he isn’t the Joshua that Israel really needs. He didn’t have the wisdom, or the humility, to rely entirely on the help of the LORD. Our Joshua was a wise and humble Saviour. The gospels tell us how frequently and passionately He sought the Father’s help in prayer and submitted Himself to His Father’s will. Notice that the LORD didn’t send any angels to warn Joshua about the mistake he was about to make. He did that for Joseph (Matthew 1:20). But sometimes, when we’re about to make a mistake, the LORD lets us do it. It is as if to say, You know what I told you. You have a choice to make, but you will be held accountable for the choice you make. Suggestions for prayer: Thank the Lord for the faithful and obedient Saviour He provided for you in Jesus Christ. Ask God to give you the humility to simply obey His Word and to follow the Spirit’s direction. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 15 - Deception rather than repentance

“Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan.” - Joshua 9:8b-10a Scripture reading: Joshua 9:1-15 A whole group of Canaanite kings gathered together to fight against Israel because they heard what happened to Jericho and to Ai. When the Gibeonites approached Joshua to ask him to enter into a covenant with them, they didn’t mention Jericho or Ai, but they had certainly heard about what happened to them. That’s what prompted them to make a covenant with Israel. They had undoubtedly heard about Rahab and how Israel treated her. When Rahab, along with everyone in that part of the world, heard what God had done in Egypt and on the other side of the Jordan, she repented and put her faith in Israel’s God. According to their promise, Israel spared her and her family when Jericho was destroyed. That was also known in Canaan. The Gibeonites seemed to realize that there was no hope in fighting Israel. They didn’t want to be destroyed, like Jericho and Ai, but they didn’t want to repent like Rahab, either. So they exploited Israel’s faithfulness and God’s mercy by tricking Joshua into making a covenant with them. We confess that our neighbours may be won for Christ by our godly walk of life and we should pray that they will be. But we shouldn’t be surprised – or discouraged - when sometimes, our neighbours want to share in the benefit of the life Christ has created among us without turning to Him in repentance and faith. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to use your godly walk of life to win your neighbours for Christ and to help you persevere in seeking to lead them to salvation in Him. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 14 - Disguised hatred is still hatred

“…when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning” - Joshua 9:3b,4a Scripture reading: Joshua 9:1-6 The Bible says that God put enmity between the offspring of the serpent and the offspring of the woman; the Lord Jesus told His disciples that the world would hate them as it had hated Him; Paul told Timothy that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. The world hates the church, but its hatred isn’t always shown in open hostility. The opening verses of Joshua 9 tell us that the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel. In other words, those people showed their enmity by getting ready for war. The Gibeonites showed their enmity toward Israel in a different way: when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning. Until recently, the church in the West has not faced open opposition or persecution, but we have nonetheless been under assault from the world in the constant enticement to pursue “the good life” as our culture defines it, the life we receive from the gods of pleasure, power, money, technology and science. The Holy Spirit has told us that the world will hate us and we should believe Him. We should recognize the world’s propaganda for what it is: a cunning strategy to undermine our faith and our commitment to live by faith in the only true God. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to help you believe that the world hates you, to recognize its hatred even when it is disguised and to live only by faith in God’s promises. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 13 - God calls his people to worship him before the world

Daily devotional

March 12 - God calls his people to confess him before the world

Daily devotional

March 11 - God lures his enemies to their destruction

Daily devotional

March 10 - We receive our inheritance in the way of humble faith

Daily devotional

March 9 - Repentance leads to reconciliation

“And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear and do not be dismayed.” - Joshua 8:1a Scripture reading: Joshua 8:1-2 We have a chapter division separating what it says at the end of chapter 7 and what the LORD says at the beginning of chapter 8, but the one comes right after the other. It goes like this: Then the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore, to this day, the name of that place is called the valley of Achor. And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear, and do not be dismayed” (Joshua 8:1). That’s God. When He proclaimed His Name to Moses, the LORD said, I am merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but I will by no means clear the guilty. When Israel broke faith with regard to the devoted things, the LORD said, I will be with you no more unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. When Israel punished Achan, that was an act of national repentance. And as soon as Israel had repented of her sin, God said to Joshua, Do not fear and do not be dismayed. That’s God: when the guilty repent, He does what we find so hard, almost impossible to do: He forgives our sin, and the relationship is restored. We are reconciled to Him. That’s what God has shown us in Jesus Christ. If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O LORD, who could stand? But with You, there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for His mercy and His readiness to forgive you and receive you for the sake of Jesus Christ, as often as you accept the promise of the gospel. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 8 - History that prophesies

“And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.” - Joshua 8:1 Scripture reading: Joshua 8:1-2 When God gave us His Word, the Holy Spirit used many of the kinds of literature that you find in human writing. There’s poetry and wisdom literature; there’s apocalypse, where God reveals the future to us with strange images; there are biographies and letters and there’s history. Those are all human literary forms. But the Bible is God’s inspired Word that proclaims the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ and so these human literary forms have a special character. We would characterize the book of Joshua as history, but the Old Testament church called it prophecy because it doesn’t just tell us facts about things that God and His people did as Israel entered the Promised Land. Old Testament history prophesies: it proclaims and foreshadows God’s work of salvation in Jesus Christ. So as we read what is recorded in Joshua 8, we shouldn’t think that this is here just so that everything turned out alright, because Israel eventually managed to defeat Ai, and they really made them pay for what happened the first time. The story of Israel’s victory at Ai tells us Who God is and how we can expect Him to deal with us. It shows us how we can claim the inheritance of eternal life that He has promised us in Jesus Christ. Our times, our circumstances and our calling are in many ways different from Israel’s. But God is the same. The way of salvation is the same for us as it was for them – by grace and through faith. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what Old Testament history is teaching us about the character and ways of God, how it foreshadows the coming and the saving ministry of Christ, so that you may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 7 - Our God is a consuming fire

“And Joshua said, Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today. And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.” - Joshua 7:25 Scripture reading: Joshua 7:16-26 When Achan finally confessed what he had done, he and his family were stoned to death and their bodies burned. Achan had identified himself with the city that was under God’s curse and so he suffered a cursed death. We want to know why his whole family had to die for Achan’s sin. Does that mean that they knew about the gold and silver and the clothes hidden under their tent? Why would God say that they had to die? And where did they go when they died – did they go to heaven? The Holy Spirit doesn’t really answer our questions. But He lays the story of Rahab and the story of Achan beside each other, and the message of God’s righteousness is clear. Rahab was a pagan, a prostitute, but when she put her faith in Israel’s God, she and her whole family were spared from the judgement that fell on Jericho. They came to share in the inheritance as members of the people of God. Achan and his family were God’s covenant children, heirs of the promise, but when they broke faith with God, they came under the same judgment that Jericho did. John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (I John 2:15,17). Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see and remember that “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life - is not from the Father, but is from the world”, and to help you to love Him with heart, soul and mind. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 6 - The Lord’s throne is in heaven

“The LORD is righteous; He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face.” - Psalm 11:7 Scripture reading: Psalm 11:1-7 We don’t know what situation is reflected in Psalm 11. It sounds like Israel was going through some kind of a crisis and David’s throne and life were in danger. Some of David’s friends and advisors believed that Israel was on the brink of a real disaster. The foundations were being destroyed, and there was nothing the righteous could do; it was time for him to run. In the West, the moral and social foundations are being destroyed. Psalm 11 asks us, How do we respond to what’s going on? Are we anxious, panicked? Or are we comforted by God’s promises? There are times when we need to run away from danger. David ran away when Saul was trying to kill him and when Absalom tried to steal the throne. But this time, for whatever reason, he said, I’m not going to run. And when he was convinced that he couldn’t run away from the danger that he faced at that moment in his life, David found courage to stay by lifting up his eyes and remembering the truth about his life and how things really are: The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven. Sunday is a special blessing for God’s people in these times. In worship, the LORD reminds us that His throne is in heaven! And we are comforted in the knowledge that whatever happens to us, the LORD is upright and the upright shall surely behold His face! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to help you overcome your fears and anxieties by encouraging you to lift up your eyes from what people are doing in your life and in this world, to Him, remembering that nothing can separate you from His love, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

March 5 - Judgement day

“And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.” - Joshua...

Daily devotional

March 4 - God’s wrath on a covenant child

“He who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, an...

Daily devotional

March 3 - Repentance is a condition of fellowship with God

Daily devotional

March 2 - What fellowship has light with darkness?

Daily devotional

March 1 - Introduction to the book of Joshua

How do we approach the book of Joshua, the story of the conquest of the promised land, the story of this great leader of Israel? The book is named after him and his name is on every page. He’s meant to be central in the story. His parents had called him Hoshea. Hoshea means salvation. But when Moses sent him to spy out the land of Canaan at Kadesh-Barnea along with eleven other men, he changed his name to Joshua. Joshua means salvation is from the LORD. That’s a promise; in fact, that’s the gospel. And when the Lord sent His own Son into the world, He told Joseph and Mary to give Him that name, too. We think of Joshua as a history book. But when the people of the old covenant described their Bible, there was no section called history books. For them, it was simply, the Law, or the Law and the Prophets, or maybe the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms, or the Writings. And they put Joshua into the section called the Prophets. That’s how we have to understand the message of Joshua: salvation prophecy. Biblically speaking, prophecy means in the first place, telling the wonderful works of God in saving His people. God’s actions in the past shed light on the future and show how God is going to save His people in Jesus Christ. So this book is the gospel of the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through Joshua, and the gospel of the greater Joshua, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has defeated our enemies and causes us to receive the greater inheritance of a new heaven and a new earth. In July 2019, Rev. Wynia presented meditations based on chapters 1-6 of Joshua; in this devotional, he takes us through chapters 7-12. Breaking faith with the Lord “But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things.” - Joshua 7:1a Scripture reading: Joshua 7:1 The first word of our text comes as a shock. Until this moment, everything that we’ve heard has been positive. Everything was going exactly the way it was supposed to. The LORD told Joshua and Israel exactly what they had to do and they did it, just as the LORD commanded them to. They trusted in His promises and they obeyed His commands. The Jordan River opened up for them; the walls of Jericho fell down. The last thing we read in chapter 6 was, “The LORD was with Joshua and his fame was in all the land.” And then all of a sudden, But. But the people of Israel broke faith with regard to the devoted things. The Spirit is making a point here about Achan’s sin. He’s saying, This isn’t just about stealing or disobeying. Sometimes that’s what we tend to do with our sin. We make it small, you might say that we broke a rule or we did something wrong. We don’t want to look into our hearts, and ask, Why did I do that? And what have I said to God by doing what I did? We need to admit to ourselves and confess to God that whatever our sin may be, stealing, lying, or putting our trust in money, we haven’t just broken some rules. We’ve broken faith with God. The only way to be restored is to confess our sin and seek His forgiveness in Christ. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to your sin, to help you see it for what it is, and to trust the promise that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness. Rev. Dick Wynia is currently the minister of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, ON....

Daily devotional

February 28 - The final words

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."” - Malachi 4:4-6 Scripture reading: Romans 8:1-17 We now come to the end of this book. There will be about 400 years of silence between Malachi and the coming of John the Baptist and Jesus Himself. The book of Malachi shows us a covenant-keeping God Who still loves and pursues His people even though they have not remained faithful to Him. It’s not surprising that the final command in the book is to remember the covenant law of Moses. The word “remember” has the idea of bringing something to mind and acting accordingly. So when God commands His people to remember, He is calling them to be covenant-keeping people who put into practice His revealed will. The LORD says He will send Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. This is another reference to John the Baptist. In this case, the great and awesome day refers to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He finally comes to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Although the text mentions the turning of the hearts of the father to the children, the main idea here is that John’s role is to turn all hearts, fathers and children, to the LORD their God. John had a ministry of repentance and the same word (turn) is used here. The last words of the Old Testament speak of the judgment of God upon those who do not turn to the LORD in repentance and faith. These are sober final words. Make sure Christ is your Saviour today. Suggestions for prayer Praise the LORD that everything He promises to us in His Word has real substance and will come to pass. Thank the LORD that Christ comes to save His people from their sins so that we will not face the judgment to come. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 27 - Judgment and comfort

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” - Malachi 4:1-2 Scripture reading: Malachi 4:1-6 We now come to the final chapter in Malachi. This section will continue to address what was already spoken in 2:17 and again in 3:13-15, that some looked at the seeming prosperity of the wicked and concluded that there is no benefit in serving God. They said that the arrogant seem to be blessed and escape judgment for their evil ways. Where is the God of justice? Is it a waste of time to serve the LORD and to sacrifice for Him? Malachi shows that God remembers and knows the righteous and the wicked. There is no escaping His Justice and the LORD has prepared a coming day, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. There will be no memory of them as they suffer eternal wrath and judgment. There is no terror for those who fear the LORD, as God’s covenant people will be comforted and know joy like leaping calves in the stall. The Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings for you! Here is another reference to Jesus. As the sun takes away the darkness, so Jesus is the light of the world Who dispels the spiritual darkness of evil and sin. Jesus comes with healing, the One Who heals your soul from the disease of sin. Do not ignore this warning that Judgment is coming. Only Jesus can save you and heal you. Only Jesus is the Light that can remove the darkness of your sin. Are you resting in Him by faith? Suggestions for prayer On this day of worship, thank the LORD that Jesus comes as the Light of the world and the Healer of His people. Ask the LORD to help you to trust in Him so that you will know comfort in your life. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 26 - The Lord remembers

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.” - Malachi 3:16-18 Scripture reading: Psalm 25:1-22 This text emphasizes that there was a people who feared the LORD and esteemed His name. “Esteem” means to regard and to set value on something. Malachi shows us these people valued the LORD and His Person (“name”). They spoke to each other about the LORD, they respected and loved Him. This should describe every Christian! When we recognize who we are in Christ and what Christ has done to save us, obviously we value Him, we respect Him, we love Him, and we talk to others about Him. He is the most important Person to us and we esteem His Name. Our text says the LORD paid attention and heard them. The Hebrew word translated “paid attention” means to lift the ears, as an animal does when it hears something. The word “heard” means to draw near and listen, so as not to miss a word. The LORD hears you and remembers your heart's desire to love and serve Him. He says a book of remembrance is made and you are never forgotten. Others can forget, but not the LORD! You are treasured by Him and He will spare you when His judgment comes. Why? Because He views you as His child and just as a father spares his son, so He will spare you. How rich is His grace to us who believe in Christ! Do you fear the LORD? Do you value Christ? Do you speak about Him to others? The LORD remembers those who belong to Him. Suggestions for prayer Pray the LORD will grant you His grace so that you will fear and love Him in Christ. Rejoice in the assurance found in Christ as those who belong to Him. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 25 - Complaining about God?

"Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, 'How have we spoken against you?' You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is ...

Daily devotional

February 24 - The Lord’s rebuke

“I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says th...

Daily devotional

February 23 - The Lord’s challenge

“Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will no...

Daily devotional

February 22 - Bring in the full tithes

“Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.” - Malachi 3:10 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 5:1-14 Notice i...

Daily devotional

February 21 - Robbing yourself?

“You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.” - Malachi 3:9 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-17 The LORD continues to speak to His covenant people and tells them what will happen because they do not give proper tithes and contributions. These are very strong words when the LORD says, you are cursed with a curse. To rob God by not giving a proper tithe means you are really hurting yourself more than anyone else. When the people refused to trust God by giving, He allowed the devourer to come and diminish their crops (3:11). This may refer to locusts or other insects, hail or drought. The LORD wants His people to trust Him and not just with the material things of this world. If we don’t trust God to care for us, whatever we do trust in will prove futile. A long time ago I spoke with an investment planner and he was amazed that I would donate and give to the church. Why waste money and give so much with so little return? You could put that money in a retirement fund and it will be a great investment for you, he told me. I am already investing it actually, I said to him. This is an investment for eternity. The church of Christ and His work is the most important thing that I have the privilege to support. Are you investing in eternity? Are you giving the LORD what you should in your tithes? His work is the most important thing you have the privilege to support. Don’t rob yourself by robbing God. Suggestions for prayer Ask the LORD to help you trust Him by giving to Him your proper tithe and contributions. Pray that you will know the grace and blessings of Christ as you invest in eternity by practically supporting His church. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 20 - Will a man rob God?

“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions.” - Malachi 3:8 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 Today is a day of worship. As you come to church think about this question given here, will a man rob God? The verb for “rob” means to defraud and steal. “Robbing God” means keeping back from God what rightfully belongs to Him, namely our tithes and contributions. A tithe is ten percent of one’s grain, fruit, animals, or money (Leviticus 27:30-34). Tithing is also an act of worship as seen in Abraham giving tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7). Where is giving on your list of priorities? I heard a story of a missionary in Africa who received a knock on the door of his hut one afternoon. Answering, the missionary found a boy holding a large fish in his hands. The boy said, "Reverend, you taught us what tithing is, so here, I've brought you my tithe." As the missionary gratefully took the fish, he questioned the boy. "If this is your tithe, where are the other nine fish?" At this, the boy beamed and said, "Oh, they're still back in the river. I'm going back to catch them now." This boy desired to bring the first fish for the LORD, then had the others for himself. When you make up your budget, do you give to God first or to yourself? What is first on your list? What is your attitude towards giving to Christ? Are your priorities and motives for earning, spending, saving and giving in line with what God desires for you and with His Word? Will a man rob God? Suggestions for prayer Be thankful to spend this day in worship to our covenant God. Ask the LORD to give you a generous heart. Pray the LORD will help you to give your tithes and contributions as He has blessed you. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 19 - Return to me

“From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, 'How shall we return?'” - Malachi 3:7 Scripture reading: 1 John 1:1-10 The LORD tells His people they had turned away from Him and His statutes. Even though the LORD gives a word of disapproval, yet there is always grace. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. This is an imperative, a command from the LORD. It means to make this a priority, to do this immediately, and turn their hearts to the LORD. This command comes with a promise, I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. The LORD is telling them that if they repent and turn from their sin and return in faith and trust, then He will also turn and no longer seek to judge them. This should make us realize that the LORD is pleased to deal with us in grace no matter what mistakes we have made. He is willing to restore us to a right relationship with Him in Christ His Son! What is their response to this command and offer? Is it immediate repentance and faith? But you say, 'How shall we return?' They are in denial and they don’t believe anything is wrong. Why does the LORD come to you and confront you about sin in your life? It is because he loves you, wants to save you, and help you so that you do not continue in sin. Don’t come to Him with denial if you have fallen away from the LORD. Rather, come to Him in repentance and faith because of His grace to you. He is a forgiving God. Suggestions for prayer Praise the LORD that Christ is with us and has cleansed our sin with His own precious blood. Ask the LORD to restore you if you have fallen away from Him. Pray that He will help you live for Christ. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 18 - I do not change

“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” - Malachi 3:6 Scripture reading: Romans 8:28-39 Our world is more subject to change today than it has ever been in human history. More information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 500 years. Smartphones are powerful little computers in your hand! Approximately fifty percent of college graduates are going to jobs that didn’t exist when they were born due to advances in technology. We are living in an incredibly advancing world which can be very overwhelming. One man put it this way: "My great-grandfather rode a horse, but he was afraid of a train. My grandfather rode a train, but he was afraid of a car. My father rode in a car, but he was afraid of an airplane. I ride in an airplane, but I’m afraid of a horse." That’s certainly making a full circle! Despite our ever-changing world, trusting Jesus makes life very certain for us. This is why true fulfillment does not come from a changing world, but rather from our changeless God Who made this world and everything in it. Jesus is the firm foundation for our faith. He never fails, He is never out of the way and He is always in control. He says, For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. What could ever happen to us when we place our trust in the living God? Is there anything that can separate us from Him and His love? Through the circumstances of life, are you fully trusting in the One that does not change? Suggestions for prayer Thank the LORD for the privilege to be called by God in Christ because of His love and mercy. Ask Him to help you to trust Him as your foundation of faith through this changing world. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 17 - He comes in judgment

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely...

Daily devotional

February 16 - He comes to purify

“But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as...

Daily devotional

February 15 - My messenger

“Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger o...

Daily devotional

February 14 - Guard yourself

“Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in yo...

Daily devotional

February 13 - Faithful and committed

“Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.” - Malachi 2:11 Scripture reading: Ephesians 5:1-32 Malachi uses the example of marriage to illustrate how the people had been faithless to the covenant and to God. When it came to their marriages, the men of Israel were taking foreign wives and marrying the “daughters of a foreign god.” In other words, they were marrying women who remained faithful to other gods. Like Solomon, foreign wives had turned their hearts away from the LORD. Because of this, the people corrupted their worship of the LORD with the worship of idols and other deities. Hence, the LORD charges the people with profaning the sanctuary despite their expression of love for it. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 that the relationship between a husband and wife is a picture of Christ and the church. He tells us, Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). How great is the love that Christ has for us that he would give Himself up for us! When people violate the marriage covenant, they are also corrupting the picture of this important covenant relationship Christ has with His people. Malachi is a relevant book for us today. We’ve become a self-centred, individualistic society in which people regularly fail to keep their commitments. And what is happening with marriages in our culture? Unfortunately, they are failing as they are no longer seen as sacred covenantal unions between a man and a woman. In the covenant of marriage, we also show our commitment to be faithful to Christ as the One we ultimately love. Suggestions for prayer Pray the LORD will give you sincerity of heart as you worship today. Pray the LORD will help His people have committed, loving relationships in the covenant of marriage. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 12 - The LORD is faithful to his covenant

“Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?” - Malachi 2:10 Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 7:1-26 Here the people are questioning and they recognize God as their Father, yet they have been faithless and profaned God’s covenant. They received the covenant with the LORD because of grace. This is reaffirmed by the two questions that Malachi asks in vs 10. Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Malachi is not using these questions to teach the universal fatherhood of God. He is making clear that God is the Father and the Creator of His covenant people. And despite their continued rebellion, faithlessness and profaning the covenant, God kept this covenant with them. The fact Israel had returned to the land and worshipped at the rebuilt Temple was certainly evidence that God is faithful to His covenant with them. T. Barnum made a fortune based on his philosophy, “There is a sucker born every minute.” Con artists have always thrived on schemes to bilk unsuspecting people out of their money. Our enemy, Satan, has a con game and he seeks to deceive you. He tells you, God is not good, He is not faithful, and He will let you down if you trust in Him. Is this true? Jesus is not faithful and Satan is so? If you believe this then I have some great swampland in Florida I would like to sell you!! Your heavenly Father is faithful to His covenant and His people. He shows His faithfulness in how He sent His Son to save His people from their sin. Trust in Him and you will not be disappointed. Suggestions for prayer Praise the LORD for His covenant faithfulness and love for us, a love that sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to die for us. Pray that we would respond in faithfulness and love for Him. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB. ...

Daily devotional

February 11 - We are messengers!

“True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” - Malachi 2:6-7 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:1-14 In the time before modern communication, when a king needed to communicate with someone in his kingdom or with a foreign dignitary, he would send his messenger with his message. The messenger was not free to create his own version of the king’s word. Even if he didn’t like the message, he still had to be absolutely accurate when declaring what the king wanted to say. When referring to Levi, the LORD declares that he feared Him and stood in awe of Him. As a result, Levi taught true instruction and no wrong was found on his lips. Our text says he walked with God, lived in peace, uprightness, and was a reliable source for instruction. He was a messenger of the LORD of hosts! This applies to us today as well, doesn’t it? The message of Jesus, the King of kings, is to be declared faithfully and accurately by His servants in all generations. We are also His messengers! We need to have a testimony like that of Levi. Do you fear the LORD and stand in awe of Him? Do you seek to walk with God, live in peace and uprightness before the LORD? Do you seek to declare true Biblical instruction to others? Sound teaching must flow out of a godly life. Only in Christ by His Spirit can we be a true witness to others with the saving message of the gospel. Seek to be a faithful messenger for Christ today. Seek to know the truth so that you can share the truth. Suggestions for prayer Thank the LORD that He saved us in Christ so that we can live godly lives, walk with Him and receive His instruction. Ask the LORD to help you to be His messenger to share His truth to others. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 10 - A covenant of life and peace

“So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name.” - Malachi 2:4-5 Scripture reading: Romans 5:8-21 Life and peace are qualities we all desire. Are you lacking these in your life? How do we obtain true life and peace as mentioned in our text? Through the One Who enters into a covenant relationship with us by our mediator Jesus Christ. When Malachi mentions Levi, he is not just referring to the man, but to the line of priests that descended from him. The LORD chose the tribe of Levi for the care of the tabernacle and the ministry in the sanctuary. He placed them in a special covenant relationship with Himself as part of the ceremonial law. The Levitical priesthood pointed forward to Christ in His mediatorial office as the ultimate High Priest making intercession for His people. There are several ways in which God’s covenant with Levi is described here. The LORD declared that it will stand; it is a covenant of life and peace and a covenant of fear. This Levitical covenant points to the greater covenant of grace we have with Christ, our great High Priest. As a Christian, it is Christ Who gives you life and peace! Outside of Christ, one can never truly know and experience life and peace. The LORD’s covenant is established with us by grace as we have faith in Christ. It also means we fear Him or reverence Him as Levi feared and was in awe of His name. May you know covenantal life and peace as you seek to reverence Him as your God. Suggestions for prayer Praise the LORD that He gives us life and peace and restores us through the intercession of our Great High Priest Jesus Christ. Ask the LORD to help you to reverence Christ as your Saviour and Lord. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 9 - Harsh words?

“Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.” - Malachi ...

Daily devotional

February 8 - Are you listening?

“And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of ho...

Daily devotional

February 7 - A proper attitude toward God

“But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the...

Daily devotional

February 6 - Come with true worship

“But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the...

Daily devotional

February 5 - Our father and master

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.” - Malachi 1:6 Scripture reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 The LORD is a father to Israel. Should the nation which was considered a “firstborn son” of the LORD be less obedient and so careless? This is why God’s question was so sharply declared, If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? These questions show the important relationship we have with the LORD. We are His children and He is our Father, the One Who loves us and provides for us in every way. Is it right then to take His Word lightly and to only listen and obey when it suits us? There is a phenomenon that happens called a sinkhole. A sinkhole occurs when the ground underneath the surface gives way and everything collapses creating a huge hole. Sinkholes can swallow people, cars, even entire buildings. Suddenly everything simply caves in and disappears. Why am I telling you this? The sinkhole happens in a place where there is a weak foundation. You think the ground on which you are standing is solid, but suddenly it is not and everything is gone. Without Christ, we have no real foundation for our beliefs and faith. We may think everything is solid, but then it is not, as if a sinkhole appears and everything is gone. The LORD is our Father and Master through Christ. Your relationship with Him is so vital and important. Do not have sinkhole religion without foundation, but have true faith in Christ as Saviour and Lord. Suggestions for prayer Pray that Jesus will be the foundation of your faith and not some kind of sinkhole religion. Ask the LORD to help you honour, obey and fear Him as your Father and Master. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB. ...

Daily devotional

February 4 - God’s love declared

“"Is not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert."” - Malachi 1:2-3 Scripture reading: 1 John 3:1-24 In referencing Jacob and Esau, the LORD is speaking about the nations that descended from these brothers, Israel and Edom. In His sovereign plan, God determined that the people descending from Jacob, the Jews, would be His chosen people. He loved them in a special way that He did not love other nations including Edom. The LORD is saying I have a relationship with you, Jacob, because I chose you and I do not have a relationship with you, Esau, because I have rejected you. If you are a Christian, recognize you are chosen, greatly loved, and have a relationship with Christ. You are not just a follower of religion. A follower of religion can change his mind to follow some other religion. At no time would I say to my wife, we have been married for almost 26 years, but you just don’t interest me anymore, so let’s go our separate ways. If I was just interested in being married, I could easily leave her for another. But rather, I love this woman and there are no others I could ever love more than her. I love her more each day because we have a relationship together. I would be miserable if we went our separate ways. The LORD loves you and chose you to have this wonderful relationship with Christ to save you. Now I ask you, what is your attitude towards Him? Are you a follower of religion or Christ? Depending on how you answer that question tells you where your heart is today. Suggestions for prayer Pray the LORD helps you to look to Jesus with the eyes of faith even if your present circumstances make it difficult. Ask the LORD to grant you a deep love for Christ knowing that by faith you belong to Him and nothing can separate you from Him. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 3 - How have you loved us?

“"I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have you loved us?"” - Malachi 1:2 Scripture reading: Hebrews 12:1-29 These people, unfortunately, question God’s love and don’t believe Him. Their question reveals a lack of a suitable response to the love the LORD has extended to them. Instead of accepting and rejoicing over His love, they question it. Also understand, these people were not openly rebellious against the LORD. They have returned to the land after the Babylonian captivity. Some of them may have worked with Nehemiah on rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They were outwardly following the Law of Moses and offering sacrifices. If you had asked how they were doing spiritually, they would have said, “We are doing just fine, thanks.” But that’s not what the LORD says! He knew their hearts and desires. As they looked at their circumstances, things were not going as they expected, so they grew discouraged. They were still under the authority of the Persian king and his appointed governor. Their farms were not doing well because of drought (3:10-11). Many of them were probably thinking, if this is love why does it seem like the opposite! Like Israel, we will grow indifferent to God’s great love for us if we focus on our difficult circumstances rather than God’s plan and purpose for us. If we focus on our problems, they will consume us and cause us to lose joy in Christ and His love for us. Have you lost perspective? Are you questioning GOD’s love for you in Christ? Have you allowed something in your life to become greater than God and that consumes you? Suggestions for prayer Pray the LORD will enable you to rest in His great love for you. Ask the LORD to grant you a genuine faith that will stand up to all the trials and sorrows in life, a faith in Christ alone for salvation. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB. ...

Daily devotional

February 2 - I have loved you

“"I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have you loved us?"” - Malachi 1:2 Scripture reading: Romans 5:1-9 The first statement made by the LORD is not a rebuke, that is coming, but a declaration of His love despite the waywardness of His covenant people. This should immediately be comforting to you as well. The LORD declares His love for you even when you do not deserve it. In this one word, “love,” all of GOD’s gracious dealings with His people is realized. Love is the goodness of God whereby He delights in and finds joy in giving Himself to His people. It is an exercise of God’s goodness to sinners whereby He willingly gives His Son to be their Saviour in order to deal with their sin. Remember God’s love is not like our love. His love is unchanging and ever constant. Our love is always changing and fickle. If your heart is indifferent to God’s love, consider the wonder of His great love for you. Paul told us in Romans 5:8-9, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. The LORD did not wait for you to love Him, but He showed the greatness of His love to you and this is while you were a sinner. Christ came to die and save from the wrath that comes on a fallen, rebellious world. The LORD declares His love for you, how do you respond to Him? Suggestions for prayer Ask the LORD to help you to truly understand and see the greatness of His love for you in Christ. Pray that you will respond to Him with faith, love and thankfulness for His love to you. Rev. Michael Jaatinen is the minister of Mount Zion Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Moncton, NB....

Daily devotional

February 1: Introducing the book of Malachi

For February, we will focus on the Old Testament book of Malachi. In the prophecy of Malachi, we find that the LORD was not pleased with His people. T...

Daily devotional

January 31 - All things made new

“Behold, I am making all things new.” - Revelation 21:5b Scripture reading: Revelation 21:1-27 ...

Daily devotional

January 30 - New creatures

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17 ...

Daily devotional

January 29 - A new song

“And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy…” - Revelation 5:9-10 ...

Daily devotional

January 28 - Living the new life

“Give no opportunity to the devil” - Ephesians 4:27 Scripture reading: Ephesians 4:17-32; 5:1-5 Ephesians 4 marks a transition in Paul’s epistle from the foundation of grace to the fruits of grace—from saving grace to serving grace. In our Scripture lesson, we are given much instruction as to the character of a believer’s life, and also a warning to watch out for the devil. The devil is an opportunist. He is our accuser (Revelation 12:10) and adversary (I Peter 5:8). He wants to bring about discord amongst believers. Unity amongst believers is to be highly prized. The devil especially prizes its disruption. We may be tempted to think that the roaring lion in his arsenal of tricks employs scandal and open sin as his prime method. But more often than not, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) employs subtle means to break down the life of the Christian. Paul outlines six concrete ways Christians “put off” their old lives and “put on” life in Christ. The study note in the ESV Reformation Study Bible puts it this way: Turning “from lying to telling the truth (4:25, 26); from uncontrolled anger to self-control (4:26, 27); from stealing to useful labour (4:28); from harmful to helpful speech (4:29, 30); from bitterness to love (4:31-5:2); and from unrestrained sexual desires to a thankful acknowledgement of God’s good gifts (5:3-5).” How well do you understand living the new life? Suggestions for prayer Pray for strengthening grace. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 27 - The world’ smallest but largest trouble maker

“From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not be so.” - James 3:10 Scripture reading: James 3:1-12 Already this year most of us have spoken thousands and thousands of words. What will it be by year’s end? But the LORD knows each word spoken and even the words of our silent thoughts and holds us accountable. Are there words that you wish you could take back? Of course! Our tongue often brings us into sin. We need wisdom in the use of our speech. The ability to speak is a gift, but also a power. James gives us six pictures of the tongue: the horse’s bit; the ship’s rudder; fire; deadly poison; a fountain and a fig tree. The bit and rudder are a picture of the power of words to direct; the fire and poison are a picture of the power of words to destroy; and, the fountain and fig tree are a picture of the power of words to delight. David in Psalm 141:3 prayed “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” The LORD hates a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17). Words can break hearts and destroy reputations; slander is a horrible matter. A Welsh proverb goes, “LORD, remind us often that a gossip’s mouth is the devil’s mailbag”. Be careful, little tongue, what you say! Suggestions for prayer Pray for the positive use of the tongue with wholesome words. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment. ...

Daily devotional

January 26 - Great is thy faithfulness

“But this I call to mind…” - Lamentations 3:21-26 Scripture reading: Lamentations 3:1-27 Yesterday, we reflected with Solomon as he pondered the meaning of life, even to the point of believing there was nothing new under the sun. But we must not lose sight of the fact that for the one made a new creature in Christ, every new day is a day of new mercies. In a chorus of a very familiar hymn, believers sing “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy Hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.” The hymn writer took his cue from Jeremiah. Jeremiah was given the task to announce God’s judgments against a disobedient Old Testament Church. He lamented the fact that his people had exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols (Jeremiah 2:11). The book of Lamentations is filled with his tears. He is filled with grief at Zion’s devastation and degradation. But in the middle of the third chapter, he pauses and calls to mind the memory of God’s devotion to His people. And that brings hope out of hopelessness. He remains confident in God’s promises and compassions. That must be our focus day by day. Are you looking to the LORD for His daily new mercies? Will you remember that for each new day this year? Suggestions for prayer Do you have a hymn book nearby with "Great is Thy Faithfulness" in it? If so, sing that hymn! Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment. ...

Daily devotional

January 25 - Anything new?

“What has been is what will be… and there is nothing new under the sun.” - Ecclesiastes 1:9 Scripture reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 It has been said, the more things change the more they stay the same. As this New Year unfolds, much of the regular routine of life will stay the same. And while regular routine is a blessing from the LORD, brokenness within our routines is not. The book of Ecclesiastes speaks to our brokenness. Life apart from God is vanity and meaningless. Solomon sought to find meaning in his work, in pleasure seeking and in wisdom itself, but came to the same conclusion—that life’s activities when they are not rooted in God’s purposes have no abiding value. With weariness of heart, Solomon observes the effects of the repetitious enduring activity in God’s creation from generation to generation. It is all the same. Nothing is new under the sun and nothing will be remembered. Christians, however, live under the Son. And we are thankful that by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Jesus alone, we are made new creatures. That puts life in perspective. Our routines have a direction as we prepare ourselves for the New Jerusalem to come. Divine blessings are to be enjoyed day by day, but never forget we must all be prepared for divine judgment. How are you preparing? Suggestions for prayer Acknowledge your brokenness and testify to your need. Thank God for routine and ask God to help you keep life in perspective. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment. ...

Daily devotional

January 24 - Ask for the ancient paths

“Thus says the LORD: Stand by the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths…” - Jeremiah 6:16 Scripture reading: Jeremiah 6:1-30 Bef...

Daily devotional

January 24 - Ask for the ancient paths

“Thus says the LORD: Stand by the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths…” - Jeremiah 6:16 Scripture reading: Jeremiah 6:1-30 Bef...

Daily devotional

January 23 - The danger of backsliding

“Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy (backsliding-NKJV) will reprove you…” - Jeremiah 2:19 Scripture read...

Daily devotional

January 22 - Be an ambassador

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,... be reconciled to God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:20 ...

Daily devotional

January 21 - Oh give thanks to the Lord

“Oh give thanks to the LORD” - 1 Chronicles 16:8 Scripture reading: 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 A contemporary catechism asks the following question: Why is prayer necessary for Christians? The answer: Because it is the chief part of the thankfulness which God requires of us and because God will give His grace and Holy Spirit to those only who with hearty sighing unceasingly beg them of Him and thank Him for them. Being thankful means more than simply living with a sense of gratitude. It is more than taking time to recognize and focus on the things we have, instead of the things we wish we had. The Bible takes the idea of thankfulness to a deeper level. The act of giving thanks causes us to recognize the One who provides our blessings (James 1:17). David knew that God was responsible for the safe delivery of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:26). As a result, he penned a song of gratitude that centred on God instead of simply expressing his delight in an important event. David sang, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” (16:8). David’s song went on to rejoice in God’s greatness, highlighting God’s salvation, creative power, and mercy (vv.25-36). Gratitude to God is our natural response to God’s grace and provision. Suggestions for prayer Ask that we might recognize true thanksgiving, emphasizing the Giver first rather than the gifts. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 20 - Praying thy kingdom come

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom…” - Psalm 145:13 Scripture reading: Psalm 145 Jesus taught us to pray: “Thy Kingdom Come”. Praying and living out of our prayers is a gift of God’s grace—it is a high calling, a demanding responsibility. To be called to a life of prayerful service is not our deserving. Who are we that the Lord should set before us His Kingdom glory in Jesus Christ? When we pray for the fullness of the Kingdom, when we in sincerity are asking the LORD to place our desires within the purposes of His kingdom, then our lives will have a particular focus with far-reaching implications. The kingdom testifies to God’s reign and rule in the lives of His people. Our heavenly Father is sovereign over the whole of life and all of history. We have a King and He is our LORD, Lord of lords and King of Kings. As subjects of our King we are called to serve our King and bring our homage. His rule is to be honoured, His Word is to be obeyed. As we look forward to the many activities that the Lord has set before us each day again, we can do so in the conviction that our lives are not lived in vain, for they are lived within the blessed calling of God’s Kingdom. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will be able to see the depth and width of the Kingdom. Pray Maranatha! Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 19 - Waiting

“Wait for the LORD…” - Psalm 27:14 Scripture reading: Psalm 27 By nature we are an impatient people. Waiting for a doctor’s appointment, waiting in a check-out line, waiting for a phone call that may not be coming, even waiting at a stop light can be frustrating for some. But God does put stop lights in our lives that we might learn to wait on Him. Abraham and Sarah had to wait many years before the realization of their promised son. The Old Testament church had to wait many centuries for the fulfillment of the Promised Son, our Redeemer. The New Testament church has waited for many centuries for the return of our Saviour King. In the circumstances of life, when wondering what is coming next, we must learn to wait. We often find ourselves in the middle of the story and we don't know what the next chapter holds. Some, reading this meditation, have experienced a broken heart and wonder how it might be healed. There are parents with prodigal children waiting for their child to return to the LORD. Maybe you feel at the end of your rope and think there is no more rope left. We need to practice our faith no matter where the LORD puts us. As we wait, we ask the LORD to teach us (vs. 11), to protect us (vs. 12) and help us to live in faith knowing that He is our light and salvation. Suggestions for prayer Ask for the grace to patiently wait on the LORD. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 18 - Choose

“Choose this day whom you will serve... but as for me…” - Joshua 24:15 Scripture reading: Joshua 24:1-33 Our Scripture lesson today is important to remember every day of the year. Joshua has led the people into the promised land. He had completed his task. The LORD would soon call him home. In his farewell message, he urges the people to live faithfully before the LORD by choosing obedience. The Israelites had to press on without Joshua. Joshua only foreshadowed a greater One to come. In the meantime, they were to look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promise to send the Saviour Who was perfectly obedient to the entire counsel of God’s will. But as they waited they were not to put a question mark where God had put a period. Every day we make choices. How is it that you make yours? You will be making thousands and thousands of choices this year. What will be your guiding principles? Will you seek the Holy Spirit’s favour? Often we do not realize the non-intended consequences of our decisions. Ravi Zacharias once said, “Consequences are bound to the choices you make. You can have your choice, but you cannot choose your consequence” God is sovereign—He is the Ruler Supreme. But within God’s sovereignty comes human responsibility. That responsibility calls us to serve God, to obey God one choice at a time and to trust Him one circumstance at a time. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the grace to make proper choices. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 17 - Responding to the world

“...the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them (God’s Words) into the fire... until the entire scroll was consumed…” - Jeremiah 3...

Daily devotional

January 16 - Don’t forget to remember

“Take care lest you forget… You shall remember…” - Deuteronomy 8:11, 18 Scripture reading: D...

Daily devotional

January 15 - The joy of the Lord is our strength

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” - Philippians 4:4 Scripture reading: ...

Daily devotional

January 14 - Dealing with our desires

“Desire without knowledge is not good... What is desired in man is steadfast love…” - Proverbs 20:2a & 22a �...

Daily devotional

January 13 - Look to Jesus

“Therefore since we are surrounded... let us also lay aside... let us run... looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith…” - Hebrews 12:1-2 Scripture reading: Hebrews 11:30-12:2 In the previous chapters, the Hebrew believers had been encouraged to see the superiority of Christ. The entire message of the Old Testament had been a preparation for the coming of Christ. Now at the conclusion of this letter/sermon these same believers are called to a living and lively faith. As 11:6 teaches, without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is as Martin Luther once wrote “…a living daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times”. In faith, God’s people are to fix their eyes on Jesus as the object of faith and salvation. This means that while the cloud of Old Testament witnesses may inspire us, it is Jesus, both in His person and work, Who is to both encourage and enable us as we look to our Fatherland. We must rest and rely on His perfect obedience as if it were our own. By the merits of Christ Jesus, we run the race seeking the heavenly Jerusalem. Are you facing a particular temptation? Look to Jesus! Are you distraught! Look to Jesus! Is doubt, complacency, self-absorption your trouble? Look to Jesus! Suggestions for prayer Ask our heavenly Father for grace to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment. ...

Daily devotional

January 12 - Away from the body, at home with the Lord

“So we are always of good courage…” - 2 Corinthians 5:6 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 In the year unfolding before us there may be those whom we love taken from us. Perhaps even someone reading this devotional. This morning (at the time of writing), I received a phone call informing me of the death of one of God’s saints. She at sixty years was relatively young. I was shocked. Why now LORD? What grief for her loved ones and her church community! Our why questions will not always receive answers in this world. For all of us death will be life’s last experience. Our bodies are like tents flapping in the wind. And one day appointed by the LORD, that ‘tent’ will be taken down. The LORD is the giver and taker of life. Blessed be the Name of the LORD. Death remains the final enemy. Death is ugly. Death brings sorrow and even intense pain to loved ones left behind. There is a longing for the fellowship and companionship that is no longer. Death’s bite is hard, often very hard. By grace, believers trust God’s promise. Death’s sting will not last into eternity. They live in the confidence that when we are absent from the body, we are with the LORD. In faith, the Christian testifies to our reconciliation with God. Christ has won the victory over death. Do you believe this? Suggestions for prayer Pray for the certainty of faith. Confess your faith in the resurrected living Christ. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 11 - Do your work

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” - Ecclesiastes 9:10a Scripture reading: Proverbs 23:23-27 Work is a blessing and we pray that we will be blessed with God-pleasing work in 2022. The Bible tells us that as God’s image-bearers we are to “have dominion over . . . every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). It urges us to work with our hands so that we can provide for ourselves and others (Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11). Work, when performed with the right attitude, can be pleasurable and rewarding. Proverbs 27:23-27 portrays the beautiful interplay of diligent work on our part and faithful nurture on God’s. Part of that diligence is to know your present situation well and respond accordingly. In an agrarian society, it was important to know the condition of your flocks and herds. But giving heed to our own particular setting is no less important in whatever calling we have been placed. The proverb calls for diligence, not fear. Since you cannot even see tomorrow, you must trust the God Who holds the future in His hands. Do your reasonable best in your daily labor, and trust the Lord for the rest. Remember, when God puts work into your life, He expects you to put life into your work. Suggestions for prayer “Another year is dawning! Dear Father let it be, in working or in waiting, another year with Thee.” Pray for strength to do our work diligently and gratefully. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 10 - A living hope

“...He has caused us to be born again to a living hope…” - 1 Peter 1:3 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:1-25 The Christian testifies of the blessedness of living with a living hope. Not a "hope so" hope, but a "for sure" hope. We live in a world filled with despair. All around us, we see suffering — some self-inflicted. We ourselves experience struggle and disappointment. Our feeble faith often falters. But our focus must always be our living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In 1524, the Reformer, Martin Luther wrote: Whilst in midst of death we be, Hell’s grim jaws o’er-take us; Who from such distress will free, Who secure will make us? Thou only, Lord, canst do it! It moves Thy tender heart to see our great sin and misery. Into hell’s fierce agony sin doth head-long drive us: Where shall we for succor flee? Who, O, who will hide us? Thou only, blessed Saviour, Thy precious blood was shed to win peace and pardon for our sin. Today as God’s people we celebrate the victory of Christ over death and the tyranny of the devil. We live in anticipation of an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven”. We rejoice that by “God’s power we are being guarded through faith for a salvation, through faith ready to be revealed in the last time”. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for a living hope in Jesus Christ! Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 9 - Devote yourself

“Until I come, devote yourself to…” - 1 Timothy 4:13 Scripture reading: 1 Timothy 4:1-16 The letters to Timothy were written to encourage hi...

Daily devotional

January 8 - A good soldier of Jesus Christ

“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier…” - 2Timothy 2:3-4a Sc...

Daily devotional

January 7 - Faith is a good fight

“Fight the good fight of faith” - 1 Timothy 6:12a Scripture reading: 1 Timothy 6:1-21 Our Scripture med...

Daily devotional

January 6 - This will be a year of battle

“…wage the good warfare.” - 1 Timothy 1:18 Scripture reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-20 Our calling in this year...

Daily devotional

January 5 - He calls me by name

“...and I know you by name” - Exodus 33:17 Scripture reading: Exodus 33:1-23 In the days prepared before us, we will be called to face a variety of circumstances of which some will seem beyond our ability to endure. In our Scripture lesson today, the LORD commands Moses to lead the people into the promised land. Moses found that task beyond his ability. How does the LORD respond to Moses’ doubts? The Lord reassures Moses that He knows him by name! The Lord promises His care for His servants and does so by name! Our names carry meaning; they also serve to shape our identity. While in a crowd we may be just another figure, seemingly insignificant, no Christian is anonymous to God. For the One who made heaven and earth, knowing a few billion people is not a problem. God loves you immensely (John 3:16), He thinks about you all the time (Psalm 139:17-18), and He calls His sheep by name (John 10:3). Moses was a picture of a greater One to come. His Name is Jesus—the One who delivers us from our sins. How well do you know His name? His is the Name above all names (Philippians 2:9). “How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.” Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord that He knows us by name. Praise the Name of Jesus. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 4 - Exalt the name of the Lord

“Oh magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.” - Psalm 34:3 Scripture reading: Psalm 34:1-22 Life calls us to set priorities. How have you set yours? Psalm 34 helps us set our priorities aright. Always, our great calling remains to magnify the LORD and to exalt His name and to do that with and alongside fellow believers. Think of the magnifying glass—it brings everything into sharper focus. So too for us, when we set our priorities aright. Two days ago, we in freedom could be together in the Lord’s house of praise, prayer and proclamation to testify to the greatness of our God and the great things He has done, is doing, and will yet do. David in magnifying the LORD bears witness to the happiness of those who trust in God. He writes out of conviction and experience after being delivered from his fears, saved out of his troubles. And that continues to be the experience of the believer to this very day. God is near the broken-hearted and saves those experiencing a heavy spirit. He hears the believer’s cry for help. Praise to God sets the tone for all that we are called to be and do. Will you make praise one of your priorities this year? Suggestions for prayer Ask our heavenly Father to help set our priorities aright in such a way that praise would be a top priority. Thank the LORD for our deliverance in Jesus Christ. Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

Daily devotional

January 3 - Pay attention to God’s Word

“Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.” - Jeremiah 18:18b Scripture reading: Jeremiah 18:1-23 If we are to truly experience a blessed year of our LORD 2022, we must pay close attention to the Word of God. As Psalm 119:105 teaches, God’s Word is to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In our Scripture lesson today, we read of a people who lived in dead formalism and who were determined to follow their own plans and act according to the stubbornness of their own evil hearts (vs.12). The people who were called to live in covenant fellowship with the LORD spurned His covenant Word. Jeremiah was called to bring a word of reproof and correction, but that Word of wise counsel was rejected. With their own words they would strike the Word-bearer sent by God (and in the future Christ). They had murderous intentions and later Jeremiah would experience being thrown alive into a deep pit on account of God’s Word. What will it be for us this year? Will we heed the whole counsel of God? Or, will we pick and choose according to our own liking? Each day, we who are a willful people by nature must turn to God’s Word to direct us according to His will. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord for a pliable heart. Ask for a heart that is united to fear God’s Name (Psalm 86:11b) Rev. Peter Vellenga is presently serving as itinerant preacher waiting upon Lord for continued assignment....

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Daily devotional

July 20 - Pride

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July 19 - Many counsellors

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July 18 - A backslider and a good man

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July 17 - All things for the Lord

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July 16 - A way that seems right

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July 15 - Hopes

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July 14 - Idleness and diligence

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July 13 - Creation and creatures

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July 12 - Winning souls

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July 11 - Mercy

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July 10 - Trust in the Lord

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July 9 - Many words

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July 8 - Covering sins

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July 7 - Escaping the snare

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July 6 - Keeping the heart

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July 5 - A call to humility

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July 4 - God’s correction

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July 3 - Honour the Lord

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July 2 - The law

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July 1 - Introduction to Proverbs

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June 30 - Renewing your strength

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June 29 - Wait on the Lord

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June 28 - Antidote for fainting

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June 27 - God’s greatness

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June 26 - God neither loses track of the stars nor of you

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June 25 - Princes and kingdoms brought to nothing

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June 24 - Consider the heavens

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June 23 - Foolishness of idolatry

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June 22 - Comparing the nations to God

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June 21 - Divine wisdom

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