Daily devotional

Thursday February 7 – The debt paid

...even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. – Matthew 20:28 Scripture reading: 2 Kin...

Daily devotional

Wednesday February 6 – Three kings and God’s prophet

Daily devotional

Tuesday February 5 – God’s use of the insignificant

Daily devotional

Monday February 4 – Bethel or Beth-Aven?

So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. – Genesis 35:15 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 2:23-25; Genesis 28:10-22 ...

Daily devotional

Sunday February 3 – Living water in Jericho

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. – Luke 19:10b Scripture reading: 2 Kings 2:19-22; Luke 19:1-10 Polluted water is like sin; it has a pervasive, detrimental effect on everyone as it permeates and destroys everything in its path. Although salt seemed to be a strange remedy, it symbolizes God’s covenant with us. Salt was required on all grain offerings and is described in Leviticus 2:13, as the salt of the covenant with your God. The cleansing of water in Jericho foreshadowed the work of Christ. Jesus also went to Jericho to do a work of cleansing. He went to the home of Zacchaeus, a tax collector who was known as a great sinner. The people said, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” But Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:9,10). In that sense, Jesus is still in Jericho because by His Word and Spirit the Son of Man still seeks and saves those who are lost. AsHe does so, He goes to the source, cleansing the heart of sinners, just as the polluted water was cleansed at the source, at the spring (v.21). The same One who cleansed the waters of Jericho so long ago can cleanse your heart and mine. He does so first by giving us saving faith in Christ as we are justified. And then, having begun that good work in us, He carries it on to completion as He sanctifies us by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that just as the water in Jericho was permanently cleansed (vs.21, 22), so are we when we believe in Christ, knowing, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ted Gray has served as pastor of First United Reformed Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois for the last 15 years....

Daily devotional

Saturday February 2 – Taken into glory

Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. – Acts 1:11 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 2:9-18; Acts 1:1-11 The company of prophets saw that the spirit of Elijah was resting on Elisha, but their eyes were blinded to the reality of Elijah’s ascension into heaven. Unless the Lord in sovereign grace gives us spiritual eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to respond, we will not understand our need for the ascended Christ. As 1 Corinthians 2:14 points out: The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. By God’s grace, by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, do you see the spiritual truths of God’s Word? Do you see that Elijah’s ascension was but a foreshadow of the ascension of Jesus Christ? Do you see that Christ sacrificed Himself for you before ascending into the glory of heaven so that one day you, too, may ascend into glory by His merits and not yours? Do you see that He will return in glory, bodily, not to bear sin but to judge the living and the dead? Do you eagerly await His return and the unveiling of the new heavens and the new earth? If so, then look for every opportunity to serve Him with gratitude and joy, just as Elisha did so long ago, as he served as Elijah’s attendant! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for revealing His Son to us through the types and shadows of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament testimonies of His redeeming love. And thank Him that we too will ascend into glory as He will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself (Philippians 3:21). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ted Gray has served as pastor of First United Reformed Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois for the last 15 years....

Daily devotional

February 1 – Introduction, and our dependence on God alone

On the road to Emmaus, two disciples walked with the resurrected Lord Jesus. Luke describes how beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:27). It is little wonder that after He left them, they said to one another, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:31). All of Scripture reveals Christ to us. He is written about in the Old Testament as well as the New, and in the Old Testament there are many types and foreshadows of Christ. Among those who were a type or foreshadow of Christ was the unique prophet, Elisha. He pointed to the ministry of Christ as he cleansed lepers, provided for widows, fed the hungry, raised the dead as well as foreshadowing the ministry of Christ in many other ways. As we look at Elisha’s life, it is my prayer that we see the One whom he foreshadowed, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our dependence on God alone Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. – John 15:4 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 2:1-14; John 15:1-11 Elisha was called by God to take on the ministry that Elijah had begun. It was an enormous task. Elijah had proved the power of God on Mount Carmel as fire from heaven ignited a water doused altar. Elijah was the one who confronted wicked King Ahab head on. The Lord had even given Elijah power to raise a widow’s son from death. What would Elisha need to fill such a high calling? Would it be imperative for him to be a great orator calling Israel back to the Lord? Would the success of his ministry rely on his ability to be witty and clever, winning the Israelites over with his personality? Not at all. Instead, he recognized his dependence on God alone. He asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. By asking for that blessing, Elisha showed his complete dependence upon the Lord. By asking for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, Elisha was acknowledging his own emptiness and his need to be filled with God’s Spirit for the work that lay before him. The same is true for you and for me. We need the blessing of God’s Spirit within us. By the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power, we believe in Jesus Christ. He is the true vine; we are the branches. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, but through faith in Him, we have salvation from sin, eternal life and daily strength! Suggestions for prayer Instead of asking for material blessings, ask the Lord for spiritual growth and ask Him for wisdom in living out the truths of His Word in your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ted Gray has served as pastor of First United Reformed Church in Oak Lawn, Illinois for the last 15 years....

Daily devotional

Thursday January 31 – The feast of booths

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. – Numbers 29:12 Scripture reading: Numbers 29:12-38 We end the devotions of this month with the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. In chapter 29, we find instructions for several feasts. Redemption is a joyful reality. These feasts were a way to remember the work of God in the past. The Feast of Booths was one of the most joyful feasts. Israel celebrated the care of the LORD when He led them through the wilderness. As we read in Deuteronomy 29:5, no piece of garment wore out, no shoes needed to be replaced. The LORD provided food and drink. God will provide; He daily bears us up (Psalm 68:19). We need to know this too as we travel on. The Feast of Booths is marked by many sacrifices, indicating the thankfulness of the people. Each sacrifice came at a cost. But there is more. Throughout the feast, blood had to flow. The LORD reminds His people that His care for them is the result of redemption. This is emphasized also by the fact that this feast was a week after the Day of Atonement. God’s care is a result of the shedding of blood. Our food and drink, all material possessions, are gifts of God. We receive them not because we deserve them or earn them, but only out of grace. A child’s prayer sums it up so well: “Lord, bless this food and drink, for Jesus sake.” We are on the way to the eternal rest. Let us travel in joy, in confidence and in obedience. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His provisions. Pray that we may remain focussed on Him in our traveling. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College...

Daily devotional

Wednesday January 30 – Strive side by side

…we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. – Numbers 32:17 Scripture reading: N...

Daily devotional

Tuesday January 29 – Joshua – the new leader

And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and he laid his hands...

Daily devotional

Monday January 28 – The daughters of Zelophehad

The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers and transfer the inheritance of ...

Daily devotional

Sunday January 27 – The second counting

Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. - Numbers 26:53 Scripture reading: Numbers 26:1-4; 52-56; ...

Daily devotional

Saturday January 26 – Baal Peor

Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. – Numbers 25:11 Scripture reading: Numbers 25 From the wonderful heights of Balaam’s defeat, we now go to the terrible depths of Israel’s immorality. The women of Moab invite the men of Israel to a feast for their gods. It involved sacrifices to the dead, sexual immorality and idolatry. The men fall for it. The anger of the LORD is kindled. A plague breaks out. The invitation to participate in sexual immorality was the brainchild of Balaam (Numbers 31:16). He could not change the blessing into a curse. But he knows that the people of Israel themselves could do this if they would insult the holiness of the LORD. So, he suggests the Moabites tempt Israel with idolatry and immorality. The enemy cannot stop God's blessings by force, nor can he get in between the Lord and His people. He can try to tempt God’s people so that they will incur His covenant wrath. The situation is saved by the zeal of Phinehas. He kills an Israelite man and Midianite woman who blatantly defy the holiness of the LORD. Phinehas is praised for it. How can we resist the temptations of the evil one? Are we any better than the Israelites? We have a High Priest Who has satisfied the anger of the LORD, our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we fall into sin too, but in His mercy, God imputes to us the righteousness and holiness of Christ. It is ours by faith in God’s promises. Therefore we can and must pray, lead us not into temptation. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the righteousness and holiness of Christ. Pray for strength not to be led into temptation. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Friday January 25 – Balaam: prophet against his own will

“… but speak only the word that I tell you.” – Numbers 22:35 Scripture reading: Numbers 22:22-37 Having seen what Israel had done with Sihon and Og, King Balak realizes that there is something special about this people, they are blessed. Conventional warfare will not stop them. If somehow he can take the blessing away or change it into a curse, then he can stop them. He turns to the expert in this field: Balaam. Balaam had the reputation of being connected to the spiritual world and his words were powerful. However, Balaam had to recognize that when the LORD blesses Israel, Balaam cannot change this. Balaam can only say what the LORD allows. This message is driven home to him by what happens on the journey. The donkey sees the Angel of the LORD and saves Balaam’s life three times. The donkey saw more than Balaam who was the expert in spiritual matters! What an irony! He admits he is no match for the LORD God. In the chapters that follow we find some of the most beautiful prophecies about God’s faithfulness coming from the mouth of Balaam. The LORD will fulfill His promises and no evil spirit can stop Him. First, the enemy tried to stop Israel with force. The next attempt is by demonic powers. The LORD shows that demonic powers are under His control. We are involved in a battle with forces in the air. We need not be overwhelmed by it. Christ has disarmed the demons on the cross (Colossians 2:15). Therefore, they cannot separate us from God’s love in Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord that Christ is King and that the demonic powers cannot stop His work. Pray that we are not intimidated by Satan’s power, but be strong in the Lord and His might. Pray that we may use the whole armor of God. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Thursday January 24 – Many nations He struck down

...and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel. – Psalm 135:12 Scripture reading: Numbers 21:21-35 The defeat of Sihon and Og is mentioned in Psalm 135 and 136. In both, it is in the context of the LORD showing His power and steadfast love. The LORD is leading His people to the Promised Land. The enemy of the LORD will do everything to try to stop this. He tries it in the first instance with intimidation. Israel is facing powerful enemies. The first one is the powerful nation of the Amorites under the kingship of Sihon. Israel asks to pass peacefully through their territory, but the king refuses and instead comes out with his army. The LORD gives the victory. The second opponent was Og, King of Bashan. He comes out with his powerful army. The LORD also gives him into the hand of Israel. Deuteronomy 3:4 says that 60 cities now are in Israel’s possession. Israel already controls the land east of the Jordan. The people faced these battles before entering the land. The LORD shows that their strength lies in trusting in Him. It is not Israel’s might, but the power of the LORD. What an encouragement before entering the land! For us too. The enemy may seem powerful, but he cannot stop the progress of God’s Kingdom. He tries to intimidate the church with power. "Our fighting would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing." This Man is Christ Jesus, He must win the battle. “Your exalted name, O LORD, will stand firm for evermore.” Suggestions for prayer Thank the LORD for giving us the right Man on our side. Pray for strength in the battle against the powers that intimidate the church. Pray for the believers who face persecution. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Wednesday January 23 – Inheriting the land is by faith alone

And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. – Numbers 21:9 Scripture reading: Numbers 21:1-9 The people of Israel are back at Kadesh and the first encounter with the Canaanites does not go very well. Israel suffers a defeat. But Israel dedicates itself to the LORD. The LORD gives a victory. Victory is by faith alone. Instead of going directly into the land they have to make a detour (see chapter 20). The new route leads through difficult terrain. The people grumble against the LORD and Moses. They accuse Moses of evil motives: he led them in this wilderness to kill them. They want to go back to Egypt. As a punishment, the LORD sends poisonous serpents. This discipline hurts the people and they confess they have sinned. As a remedy to the bites of the serpents, Moses has to make a bronze serpent and anyone who looks at the serpent will live. This is a remarkable way of dealing with the people. The serpents are not taken away, but as people are bitten, they have to look at this symbol and they will live. Why would they? The only reason is that the LORD had said so. Israel has to trust the word of the LORD. There is nothing magic in the bronze serpent. Looking at it is the expression of their faith in God’s promises. The Lord Jesus referred to this incident in His discussion with Nicodemus (John 3). As looking at the serpent gave healing and life, so believing in Jesus Christ gives life. Entering the Promised Land is by faith alone. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His grace in Jesus Christ. Pray for the strengthening of your faith. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Tuesday January 22 – The Lord shows Himself holy at the waters of Meribah

Daily devotional

Monday January 21 – Made clean to serve

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how...

Daily devotional

Sunday January 20 – Provide for the support of God's servants

Daily devotional

Saturday January 19 – How can we come near to God?

Daily devotional

Friday January 18 – The high priest stops death and gives life

And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” – Numbers 17:10 Scripture reading: Numbers 16:41-17:11 You would think what had happened to the rebels was enough for the grumblings to stop. It was not. The very next day the people accuse Moses and Aaron of killing the people of the LORD! The LORD is ready to destroy Israel. In fact, He is already doing it. A plague has started. There is no time for Moses to intercede, as in previous instances. Quickly Moses gives instructions to Aaron. He has to take a censer with coals from the altar and go among the people. That was something to order! The High Priest was holy and thus not allowed to come in contact with death. But Aaron goes and when the plague comes to where he stands with his censer, it stops. The intercession of this High Priest stops the power of death. Following these events, the LORD wants to make it clear that He appoints leaders. He uses the staff of Aaron as a visual proof, because, unlike all the others, it has sprouted, put forth buds, produced blossoms and bore ripe almonds. These are the same buds and blossoms as on the lampstand! The staff of Aaron becomes a symbol of life. The LORD gives life through the High Priest appointed by Him. It is not difficult to see how Aaron here foreshadows Christ, our High Priest. Christ by His death and resurrection broke the power of death. In Christ alone is true life. How rich we are in Christ and His intercession. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for what we have received in our High Priest, Jesus Christ. Ask for His grace and Spirit to fight the powers of sin and live new lives. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Thursday January 17 – Jealousy is the root of rebellion

Therefore it is against the LORD that you and all your company have gathered together. – Numbers 16:11 Scripture reading: Numbers 16:1-35 Again the people rebel. As Psalm 106:16 shows, it is fuelled by jealousy. There are actually two movements that find each other in a common goal: to get rid of Moses and Aaron. The first group is Korah and his followers. They resent that Aaron alone can be the high priest. They feel that they should be able to take that position as well. Their reasoning: all in the congregation are holy. The other group is led by Dathan and Abiram, who are from the tribe of Reuben. They oppose Moses as leader. Isn’t Reuben the oldest son of Jacob? Moses recognizes that two groups are involved. He tries to reason with Korah and his followers. Consider how privileged you are already as priests. Why are you not satisfied with what you have? When it comes to Dathan and Abiram, Moses summons them, but they refuse to recognize his authority. Moses then refers the judgement to the LORD. Korah and his followers have to appear before the LORD in the tabernacle. As they do, fire comes down and consumes them. With regard to Dathan and Abiram, Moses orders the people to withdraw from them. The earth opens up and swallows them alive. The LORD confirms that Moses and Aaron are appointed by Him. Let’s not think that we are immune to jealousy. The Spirit warns us not to follow Korah (Jude 11) and perish as he did. Instead, the Lord calls us to obey our leaders and submit to them (Heb 13:17). Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the leaders He gives. Ask for His grace to obey and submit to them. Pray for those who are charged with oversight over our lives. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Wednesday January 16 – How to live as God's people in God's land

When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you… – Numbers 15:1 Scripture reading: Numbers 15:1-10; 37-41 This chapter may seem out of place. It is about sacrifices and not about Israel’s travels. However, it is in place! The journey through the wilderness is also a time of learning. In fact, there is something very amazing about this chapter. In the previous chapters, we read about Israel’s rebellion, God’s punishment and Moses’ intercession. Now, look at how this chapter opens: “When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you,” Isn’t that amazing? Doesn’t this speak of God’s willingness to forgive? He seems to have forgotten about the previous rebellion. He has thrown Israel’s sin behind His back. He will bring them in, but they certainly need to learn how to live with a holy God. This chapter points to several aspects to be kept in mind. The regulations about sacrifices stress the need to be totally dedicated to the LORD. The laws about unintentional sins highlight the urgent call to repent. Yes, we fall into sin, but we should not continue to live in sin but return to the LORD and ask for mercy. The law about breaking the Sabbath reminds them that they have to observe the day of the Lord and keep it holy. The tassels in their garments teach the people that every aspect of their lives is to be ruled by the commandments of the LORD. What a gift that God forgives our sins in Christ. Now He calls us to a life of thankful service. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord that He removes our sin as far as the east is removed from the west. Pray for His grace to serve Him in thankful obedience. Ask for the Spirit to help us serve God in all aspects of our lives. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Tuesday January 15 – Two reports

Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread to us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them. – Numbers 14:9 Scripture reading: Numbers 13:25–14:10 The events of these chapters mark a turning point in the travels of Israel. Israel has to turn around and go back into the wilderness. She will have to spend 40 years in the wilderness. A whole generation will die; they will not be allowed to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Hebrews 3 uses this as a warning, lest we think that we can enter without showing faith! Israel has come to the border of Canaan. Twelve men are sent to inspect the land. The LORD allows His people a foretaste of what is to come. However, instead of making the people more eager to go in, it causes a rebellion and subsequent punishment. What is the case? There are two reports, one by ten spies and the other by two. Both reports agree that the land is good, that the produce is amazing and that the people are powerful. But they come to opposite conclusions. The majority report says: we cannot do it. These giants are too much for us. Doesn’t this sound realistic? The minority report says: we can do it. It will be possible. These giants are a piece of cake. Does this not sound unrealistic? What is the difference between these reports? The majority report looked at the fact from a human perspective. The minority report saw the fact in light of God’s promises. Which of the two reports was realistic? Facts have to be judged in the light of God’s promises. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for giving His promises. Ask for wisdom to judge facts in the light of these promises. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Monday January 14 – Put away all envy

Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? – Numbers 12:8 Scripture reading: Numbers 12 “So put away all malice and all dec...

Daily devotional

Sunday January 13 – Is the Lord’s hand shortened?

Daily devotional

Saturday January 12 – God shall arise and by His might put all His enemies to flight

Daily devotional

Friday January 11 – The trumpet shall sound

They shall be a reminder of you before the LORD. – Numbers 10:10 Scripture reading: Numbers 10:1-10 The LORD commands Moses to make two silver...

Daily devotional

Thursday January 10 – The Lord leads his people

At the command of the LORD the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the LORD they camped. – Numbers 9:18 Scripture reading: Numbers 9:15-23 The journey through the wilderness will not be easy. The LORD makes sure His people know that He leads the way. He does this by the cloud of glory. It had filled the tabernacle after it had been set up (Exodus 40). The cloud is the assurance that the LORD Himself is present in His glory. When the cloud lifts, the people have to break up camp. When the cloud settles down the people have to camp. The LORD leads the way, knows the way and He will provide on the way. This means the people need not worry. Yes, the journey will have its challenges, but the LORD is leading. They will not get lost. Not only do the people have to trust in the LORD, they also have to obey Him. They may not travel to the Promised Land finding their own way, but have to follow the LORD wherever He leads them. They have to keep in step with Him. The coming chapters will show that both, trusting and obeying, do not come naturally. As we travel, we too need to know we are not alone. God’s glory is now revealed in Jesus Christ. He has promised that He will never leave us. His Word and Spirit are with us. This gives us confidence as we travel. He knows the way, He is the Way. We have to follow Him, that is, we have to obey Him. Follow the Lamb wherever He leads us. Trust and obey! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for leading His people. Pray for His grace so that we trust and obey, also when the path may seem difficult or we see no end in sight. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Wednesday January 9 – The first anniversary

Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. – Numbers 9:2 Scripture reading: Numbers 9:1-14 One year has passed since the people left Egypt. It is time to celebrate the first anniversary, to rejoice in the power of God’s redemption. In fact, the LORD wants it to be celebrated every year. The memory of His redemption has to be kept alive. The people need to be reminded of the reason why they are traveling. This applies to us as well. Do we know why we are sojourners? Each time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, the Lord reminds us of the start of the journey as well as the destination. The call to celebrate the Passover leads to problems. Some Israelites cannot join the celebration because they are unclean. It is important to note that the situation was caused by things beyond their control and not by unwillingness. Moses brings the matter to the LORD. The LORD recognizes the problem and responds to it. He allows for a second celebration a month later. The LORD realizes that we live in a broken world. At the same time, this is not an excuse for an easy way out. If they would not celebrate during the second month, they will be cut off from the people. Excuses may not be used as a cover-up for unwillingness! How do we apply God’s commands in a broken world? We read in Philippians 1:9: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent.” Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the gift of redemption and wisdom. Pray that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Tuesday January 8 – Walk in the light of life

When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand. – Numbers 8:2 Scripture reading: Numbers 8:1-4; Exodus 25:31-40 Among the various preparations for traveling onward, we come across an instruction about the lampstand. It is connected to the consecration of the Levites since they are the ones to care for the lampstand. The lampstand resembled a blossoming tree and symbolized the tree of life. The Tabernacle signifies the gracious restoration of Paradise. The lamp was also a source of light, thus representing the blessing that in the darkness of this sinful world, the LORD continues to give light, His revelation. In Exodus 25 and 37, you can find instructions on how to make the lampstand. In Numbers 8, the emphasis is on the use of this lampstand. It was placed on the north side of the Holy Place opposite the table of showbread. The priests would go between these two on their way from the main altar to the altar of incense. They needed light to be able to see as they walked to the altar and back to the people. Thus, the lamp was essential for the functioning of the priests, for the functioning of the covenant of grace. As the people are getting ready to move on, the LORD reminds them that they can travel onward, when the priests are able to walk in the Holy Place. The Lord Jesus fulfills the lampstand. He is the light (John 1:4), for He reveals the glory of God. We can only journey onward when we walk in the light of His grace. Let him who has an ear, hear! Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the life and light we receive in Christ. Pray that we may walk in the light of His face, with our ears open to His Word. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Monday January 7 – Regular voluntary contributions

…and the chiefs offered their offerings before the altar. – Numbers 7:10 Scripture reading: Numbers 7:1-11; 84-89 Not only is this a long chapter, but it is also repetitious. All the leaders of the tribes offer gifts and they all give the same. Do not take the repetition as a lack of originality. It reflects the thankfulness of the leaders for the ministry of atonement and their desire that it can continue. The description of these gifts, though it may seem repetitious, shows the overflowing thankfulness of the people for God’s grace. The whole nation is involved. We learn that the giving was done willingly. It was, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8:7, an act of grace. In addition to this, the contributing was done with a purpose. All the gifts were useful for the service of the LORD so that the people could travel onward with the LORD in their midst. Note the way the chapter ends, the covenant fellowship can continue. Contributing is essential to God’s people. It is a result of the grace given us in Christ. We were bought, not with gold and silver, but with His precious blood. When we give, we do so out of thankfulness that He Who was rich became poor for us (2 Corinthians 8:9). When we give regularly it shows that the LORD is part of our lives. It is voluntary, for the Lord loves the cheerful giver. We give so that God’s work may continue. We may give according to the measure in which He has blessed us. Do we excel in this work of grace? Suggestion for prayer Thank the Lord for His gifts of redemption in Christ. Pray that we may excel in this act of grace. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Sunday January 6 – Threefold blessing

So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them. – Numbers 6:27 Scripture reading: Numbers 6:22-27 These words are ...

Daily devotional

Saturday January 5 – The vow of the Nazarite

Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. – Numbers 6:5 Scripture reading: Numbers 6:1-21 An Isra...

Daily devotional

Friday January 4 – How to deal with sin?

…that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell. – Numbers 5:3 Scripture reading: Numbers 5 The holy God is pleased to d...

Daily devotional

Thursday January 3 – You are a holy nation

They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. - Numbers 3:...

Daily devotional

Wednesday January 2 – Decently and in good order

The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. – Numbers 2:2 Scripture reading: Numbers 2 Would it not be wonderful to have a bird’s eye view of the camp of Israel? Numbers 2 describes the specific directions the LORD gives for the arrangement of the camp of Israel. Each tribe and clan receives its designated place. Yes, there is a place for everyone. Because they are God’s people, the camp has to reflect His character. He is a God of order. For this reason, both the setting up of the camp as well as the breaking up of it is to be done orderly. This is one of the reasons why Reformed churches value order in the church (see Belgic Confession, Article 32). Another element that stands out when overlooking the camp is that all the tribes are located around the Tent of Meeting. This tent represents the presence of the LORD. Israel is set apart from other nations because the LORD God dwells among them. Isn’t this the blessing of God’s covenant? This blessing has become even richer in the New Testament church with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Lord dwells among us with His Word and Spirit. This is the miracle of His grace! The Lord is the center of the church. We live from God, He is the fount of every blessing. Everything we do is because of Him and for Him. Where He dwells, things ought to be done decently and in good order. The church can only remain church when the Lord is in the center. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His willingness to dwell among us. Ask that as churches we remain faithful to the Lord and His Word. Pray that the order of the church may be used to promote harmony and unity. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelphand also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Tuesday January 1 – Introduction, and the LORD counts Israel

The Book of Numbers describes the travels of the People of Israel from Sinai to the Promised Land. The LORD is bringing His people into His land, the land already promised to Abraham. The book does not mention all the events of this time period, but rather offers a selection. These 40 years are formative years for the people. As Israel travels, it learns, grows and develops. This explains the combination of historical material and ceremonial laws. As the LORD is leading them, He is also teaching them, teaching them how to live as His people in His land. The title “Numbers” is derived from that fact that people were counted twice. The first counting is in the first chapter of the book and another one is at the end of the book, chapter 26. These two countings represent two generations. The first involves the generation that left Egypt but was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief (see Hebrews 3 & 4). The second represents the new generation who will be allowed to enter Canaan. The Book of Numbers speaks of God’s covenant faithfulness in spite of man’s disobedience. Numbers is very relevant for us today. The New Testament uses the image of traveling or sojourning, to describe the life of the church in this world. We are called sojourners in 1 Peter 2:11. Also in Hebrews 3 and 4, a direct connection is made between Israel in the wilderness and the church in the New Testament. Redeemed by the blood of Christ, we are on the way to the Promised Land, the New Jerusalem. God’s people can only go forward when they trust and obey the LORD. May the devotions of this month encourage us in our travels. The LORD counts His people All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. – Numbers 1:45 Scripture reading: Numbers 1:1-19; 44-46 The Book of Numbers begins with the LORD instructing Moses to count the men twenty years and older. The total number is 603,550. This may not seem the most exciting way to start a book. Yet, this chapter is important in the context of God’s work. Note the following: The counting: Parents tend to count their children when they go on an outing. It shows their concern that all are included and cared for. The LORD, having redeemed His children by His grace, makes sure they are all accounted for. The number: It describes the wonders of God’s faithfulness. His promises to Abraham are being fulfilled; these are all Abraham’s descendants. The organization: God’s nation is an organized people. The census goes according to fathers’ houses, clans and tribes. God’s covenant continues from generation to generation. The age: The fact that men 20 years and older were counted points to an army. The expression “those able to go to war” shows this too. This nation is the army of the LORD, enlisted in His battle. Our LORD is King. These elements are important for us as well. Our King, the Lord Jesus, is leading us in 2019. He counts us, making sure not one stays behind. He is faithful to His promises and uses our families in His gathering work. He calls us all to put on the whole armor of God. He, Who counts the stars and knows their names, knows us by name and leads us onward. Suggestions for prayer As we look back, we thank the LORD for His unfailing love and care over His people and over our lives. Looking ahead, we pray for strength to serve the mighty King of kings in the New Year. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Douwe G. J. Agema is currently minister of Living Word Canadian Reformed Church in Guelph and also teaches several courses at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers’ College....

Daily devotional

Monday December 31 – The joy of living with, and for, God

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. – Psalm 84:10b Scripture reading: Psalm 84 One of the driving forces in each human heart is a desire to be at home, to be at peace in a special place that will never fail us. Many strive for this in all the wrong places. At the end of a year, the world looks to things to bring them joy and contentment. At times we can be distracted by the comforts and desires of this fallen world. For 2019, where will your true home be? Where will you find contentment and comfort? The writer of Psalm 84 reminds us that the real and lasting home is with God. The Psalmist yearned to be in the special place with God because he knew that this is what would truly satisfy him. He points out that sinful people like you and me can only be in this special place with God because of the sacrificial system that God put in place. We do not have altars to make sacrifices on anymore, but the altar the Psalmist loved to be near pointed to the one great sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Christ’s sacrifice was so sufficient that it ended the need for all other sacrifices. Do you see that the greatest blessing that Jesus brought us was to bring us home with God? This was the psalmist's greatest joy and confidence. It caused him to say that he would rather be a door-keeper in the house of God than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of the world. A good door-keeper is one who guards, but also welcomes. May we be those who welcome people to confess their sins and enjoy the great blessings of being with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer That we would enter this new year not seeking the things of this world but seeking to be that door-keeper. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Sunday December 30 – The power of the Holy Spirit

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. – Acts 1:8 Scripture reading: Acts 1:1-11 Although Jesus had already commissioned His disciples in the passage we went over yesterday, we can see from this passage that they were not yet ready to take on the commission of being his witnesses. They were not yet ready to represent Him, proclaiming Him as Lord and Saviour to the fallen world. They were not super humans, but weak like us and could not take on the task Jesus called them to do without the power of God in them. We must remember that the Holy Spirit did not just enter the twelve Apostles, but He was poured out into Christ’s Church. All those who believe in and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour receive the same Holy Spirit, not only to be preserved in their faith, but to carry on the great commission Jesus gave to His church. The Apostles were the foundation of the church and so were both examples and special leaders inChrist’s church. However, it was the church as a whole that carried out this great commission. When a great persecution broke out in the church after the death of Stephen, those who fled proclaimed Christ wherever they went. When the Thessalonians later heard and received the Word of God in true faith, Paul tells us that all those in their province and the neighboring provinces heard about Jesus Christ. The same Holy Spirit who powerfully worked in Christ’s church then is still with His people today, not only to enliven our faith but to empower us to proclaim His name lovingly and boldly in our communities. To do otherwise is to deny the power of the Holy Spirit in us. Suggestions for prayer That the Holy Spirit would enliven our faith and empower us to proclaim the wonderful name of Jesus in our neighborhoods. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Saturday December 29 – Making disciples of the nations

Daily devotional

Friday December 28 – Conversation full of grace and seasoned with salt

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Thursday December 27 – Following Jesus and shining like stars

Daily devotional

Wednesday December 26 – Keeping the joy of Jesus coming

Daily devotional

Tuesday December 25 – Remembering why Jesus came into the world

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! – Luke 2:14 Scripture reading: Luke 2:1-20 Special concerts are often held to celebrate special events of the present or the past. That is why the Christmas season has so many concerts. During the Christmas season, one can go to a variety of concerts telling the story of the Messiah. This tradition actually started outside Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. Those shepherds had the great privilege of hearing the angels sing, but it did not last long. It was a simple and powerful message, not only for them but also for us. Their words spoke of the two great things the birth of Jesus Christ brought about. Jesus' birth primarily brought glory to God. Jesus mentions in John 17:4 that He brought glory to His Father by completing the work He gave Him to do on earth. This glorified His Father because God the Father had promised He would send someone to save mankind throughout the whole Old Testament. In becoming a baby, the Son of God fulfilled His Father’s words. The second thing that Jesus' birth brought about was true and lasting peace between God and man. He did this by giving His life as a sacrificial offering for all those on whom His favor rests. This is something to sing about and celebrate, but also something to proclaim to others. The only way your neighbors can know if God’s favor rests on them is if they hear about Jesus in a meaningful way. May this Christmas be a great time of celebrating, but may it also be a great time of letting others know of our great Saviour. Suggestions for prayer That as we celebrate Christ's birth, we show in our words and actions that we want others to join us in celebrating His birth and saving work. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Monday December 24 – Remembering how Jesus came into the world

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. – Matthew 1:21 Scripture reading: Matthew 1:18-25 Even before Jesus was born, His coming to this world caused hardship. Mary was looked at as a sinful woman and Jesus was seen as an unwanted baby. This aptly foreshadowed the life Jesus would live. But God still sent His Son knowing this would be the case. Only through great hardship and suffering would Jesus save His people from their sins. This hardship would not only be for Jesus, but it would also be for His people. Jesus would not only save His people then but use His people in every generation as instruments in His hands so others would be saved. But this ongoing saving work of God would also involve suffering by Christ’s body, the church. Jesus once said, "If they do this to Me, they will also do it to My people." Why is this the case? The devil is still roaming this world seeking whom he may devour. He does not want people to be saved. But the incredible thing is that even through the actions of the devil, God brings forth His plan to save His people. For example, the devil's influence was behind Jesus going to the cross, but His death brought about our salvation! The devil is still roaming the earth. He seeks to influence us in a way that causes us to feel foolish talking about our faith. Remember, Jesus was willing to look bad and be rejected and as one of His people, we should be willing to look foolish in our desire for others to be saved. Suggestions for prayer That we would not fall to the devil’s schemes and threats, but would speak to people around us of Jesus, trusting that He saved us and is still saving people through His Word and Spirit. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Sunday December 23 – Living out of God’s great love for the world

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 Scripture reading: John 3:14-21 Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and no doubt many are preparing in a variety of ways, getting presents for loved ones, baking for family and friends, etc. We can easily be so affected by the world’s ways of celebrating this season that we can gloss over the wonderful Present, the Bread of Life, that has already been given. The greatest wonder that has ever happened to this world is God the Father sending His Son to die for sinners like you and me so that we can have eternal life. The wonder is magnified in the fact that the Father sent His Son even though we did not deserve it. Jesus came to a world that hated Him and would kill Him, yet He came to die for this world because He loved it. But in rejoicing in this wonderful news, we must also see that this news is not just for us. It is for whoever believes in this wonderful Child and what He did on the cross. This passage should not only cause us to be joyful in the great gift of God’s Son, but it should also compel us to want those around us to hear this wonderful news. For the news is for the world, for all people, including those in your neighborhood and city. May our celebration this Christmas include telling others, maybe that neighbor or co-worker, the true meaning of Christmas. Suggestions for prayer That we would see that we have the greatest gift in Jesus Christ and ask for opportunities to tell others of this great gift. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Saturday December 22 – Setting apart Christ in our hearts and lives

But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you… – 1 Peter 3:15 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 3:8-22 The Christians to whom Peter first wrote this letter lived in a hostile world that thought their faith was crazy. Although we do not deal with the same persecution they faced, many people today see our faith as crazy. Everyone looks to Christmas as a nice time for the family to get together and celebrate, but most think the story of Jesus’ virgin birth is foolishness. For many, it is like believing in Santa Claus. However, in the midst of this world, we are called to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts. The things of this world can easily fill our hearts with wonder and joy, but we are called to put Christ first, above all. This can only happen when we continue to think and ponder on who Jesus is and what He has done for us. As we constantly think and ponder the wonder of who Jesus is, we will be able to both handle the ridiculing of our world and do what Peter calls us to do: to live for Jesus with such hope and joy that others will ask us the reason for our hope and joy. Although the world around us ridicules Jesus, we are called to look for ways to speak to them of Jesus, because knowing Him is the only way anyone can have lasting hope and joy in the fallen world. Suggestions for prayer That Jesus would increasingly be the joy and hope of our hearts; that we would show this hope and joy to all; that we would be able to explain our hope and joy to those still needing it. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Friday December 21 – The example of Thessalonians

Daily devotional

Thursday December 20 – Going out with confidence with the Word of God

Daily devotional

Wednesday December 19 – Taking our stand for the battle

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Tuesday December 18– Seeking more workers for the harvest

Daily devotional

Monday December 17 – Ambassadors for Christ

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. – 2 Corinthians 5:20a Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 In the broader context, Paul tells us that Jesus died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again. As those who have died and risen with Jesus, we are part of a new creation. And as those who are part of this new creation, we have been commissioned as His people to proclaim a message to the world: that anyone can be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ. This is what it means to be Christ’s ambassadors. Paul and the other apostles were the foundation of this message, but it is really the church’s message to the world. And as members of Christ’s church, we all have the responsibility of being ambassadors for Christ. So when you are speaking to your neighbour or co-worker or a fellow student who does not believe, God wants you to see that you are His representative to that person. God wants you to see that He is speaking to people that you interact with, through you. This means that God has given to His church the special privilege and responsibility to speak to the world on His behalf. Jesus was born, crucified and risen again, not only that we would be reconciled to God, but that we would be ambassadors of that reconciliation. Jesus accomplished this reconciliation at the cross, but He continues to accomplish this reconciliation by His Word and Spirit through the ministry of His church. Suggestions for prayer That you see you are no longer your own, but belong to Jesus Christ as His ambassadors, making Christ’s appeal to the world. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Sunday December 16 – Being a salt and light to the world

You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. – Matthew 5:13-14 Scripture reading: Matthew 5:1-16 When Jesus addressed His disciples as salt and light, He was saying this to men who constantly argued about who was the greatest, to men who would run from Him when He was in trouble. How could Jesus call these men the salt and light of the world? If the disciples were honest, they must have thought, "How can we be what Jesus says we are?" We can easily have the same feelings today. How can we be the salt and light in the world we live in? However, Jesus came to this earth so that those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn because of this fallen world, those who are meek and hunger and thirst for righteousness will be blessed; in turn, they can be merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers and willing to be persecuted for righteousness' sake. If you hold to what Jesus says, you are truly blessed. This means you are approved of by Jesus Christ no matter what your background or natural state. Only in this new blessed state could the disciples be salt and light to the world in their time. When we truly believe we are blessed by Jesus, we can go forward as salt and light to bring lasting change to our world. For only when Jesus’ blessed words sink deep into our hearts and minds will we be able to rub shoulders with those around us in such a way that they will be confronted with the gospel from our mouths and touched by the gospel with the actions of our hands. Suggestions for prayer That we would truly believe we are blessed by Jesus and so be a salt and light to our generation. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Saturday December 15 – Declaring God’s glory to the world

Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! – Psalm 96:2,3 Scripture reading: Psalm 96 In reading this Psalm, you can see that God was calling His people not only to praise Him out of the joy of salvation but also to proclaim a special message to the world. The only way the people of the Old Testament could truly know His salvation was to admit their guilt and rely on the sacrificial system God had set up for them. Only from the joy of receiving this salvation out of grace could they declare God’s glory among the nations and His marvelous deeds among all peoples. Although God’s Old Testament people had reason to celebrate and proclaim His salvation day after day, we have more reason today. We live after the finished work of Jesus Christ. They did not know that those Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the fact that salvation could come to all people. But we do. We know that God Himself took on human flesh and lived among us so that He could die on a cross and bring salvation even to us. This should cause us to celebrate His salvation day after day and cause us to glorify God wherever we live and work. But this salvation should also cause us to delight in telling the marvelous things Jesus did to bring salvation to sinners. God always wanted His people not only to praise Him in the joy of salvation but also to tell the world of His deeds so that many would join in praising Him in salvation. Suggestions for prayer: That we would grow in the wonder of His gracious salvation and so praise His name and share the wonders of God’s saving work with others. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Friday December 14 – Desiring others to join the family of God

And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”; for the Most High himself will establish her. – Psalm 87:5 Scripture reading: Psalm 87 When the people of God in the Old Testament sang this Psalm, they were yearning for our days, the days after Jesus died, rose, ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit upon His church. Old Testament people sang this Psalm with eager expectation for the day when Zion, the church, would be a place in which people, who used to be enemies of God, would rejoice in being part of the people of God. We live on the other side of the great works of Jesus that made this possible. The difference between us and the Old Testament people of God is that we can now sing this song about ourselves. We sing that God has made it possible for us to be part of the people of God. But we are also called to sing this Psalm yearning for others to be added to Christ’s church. For God’s Old Testament people to truly sing this Psalm, they had to live their lives promoting the coming of the day, the great day when the Lord would fulfill this prophecy by preserving the nation of Israel. When we sing this Psalm, we are called to promote the ongoing fulfillment of this prophecy. We are not just to sing this Psalm, but live our lives seeking for our unbelieving neighbours to hear about our Lord and be born again through a living faith in Jesus Christ, so they can also 'be born in Zion'. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would have an increasing desire to live in such way that those around you would hear the gospel from you and see it in you so that many others would also say they were born in Zion. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Thursday December 13 – Going forward with the joy of God’s shining face on us

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Wednesday December 12 – Taking the gospel to others with optimism

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Tuesday December 11 – Attracting people to our Lord

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Monday December 10 – Being blessed to be a blessing

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Sunday December 9 - Refined to be a blessing

I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. - Ezekiel 37:26 Scripture reading: Ezekiel 37:15-28 Sometimes when God punishes us, we wonder if God still cares or if He can still use us. The Bible has wonderful accounts of God showing He cares for His people, even though He punishes them. When God sent His people out of the promised land and exiled them to Babylon, He was punishing them; however, at the same time, He was refining them so that He could bless them and make them a blessing to the world. In the early chapters of Ezekiel, God tells His people that He would allow the temple to be destroyed and, in a way, temporarily abandon them because of their wickedness. Yet, God said He would make an everlasting covenant of peace with them. God was promising that, from their suffering, He would raise them up in order to bless them and fulfill His promises through them. He would do this in order that they would be a blessing to the world and increase in number. In this way, the nation of Israel foreshadowed what Jesus would do in His earthly ministry. God punished His Son with death on the cross and raised Him up so that through Him people from all over the world would be blessed. If you believe that Jesus died and was raised for you, you have peace with God. Ezekiel’s prophecy has also been fulfilled in you. But God is not finished fulfilling this promise; He is still increasing the numbers through His people. Therefore, you are to have an urgency to work for the increase of His Kingdom by being a salt and light in your community. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you would be used to spread the gospel so that the great harvest would continue to be gathered in. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Saturday December 8 - Trusting that there is power in the Word of God

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. – Isaiah 55:11 Scripture reading: Isaiah 55; Luke 12:47-48 Have you ever wondered, "Why would I tell this person about Jesus when he doesn't seem interested?" Isaiah must have thought this at times. He must have wondered about the people of Israel and what God’s Word would do to their hardened hearts. God had even said that they would not listen. But God told Isaiah back then and tells us today, "Trust Me. Your job is to spread the Word and I, the Lord, will bring about my purposes with My Word for blessing or for punishment." I remember one man who was always disruptive when he came to Bible studies and Sunday services. I often hoped he would not come. I did not fully trust God the way I should have. But in a little over a year, the Lord changed that man into a loving, godly man who lived in the joy of salvation. For another man to whom I brought the gospel for years, I never saw a change. After reading Isaiah 55, I remember telling him that God would bring glory to His Name either in his salvation or in his condemnation. This caused him to be unsettled, but I do not know if he ever became a Christian. With these two men, I came to see that the words of Isaiah 55:11 gives us reason to bring His Word to the world around us no matter what. When you are wondering if you are to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ, remember you are called to bring it with confidence, trusting that God will not let His Word return to Him empty, but that it will bring about His purposes. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will have confidence in telling others about Jesus Christ, trusting that God will bring about His purposes with the gospel message. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Friday December 7 - Being an active member of Christ's kingdom

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it. – Isaiah 2:2 Scripture reading: Isaiah 2; 1 Timothy 3:14-17 In the time of Isaiah, God’s people were rebellious. God said He would punish them, yet God still promised that He would make them into something great. That great thing was fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus and “the last days” Isaiah was referring to, are our days, the days after Jesus conquered the devil, sin, and death for His people. During these last days, Isaiah prophesied that God’s people would be like a mountaintop to which people from all over the world would come in order to learn about the wonders of the one true God and His ways. God had set the people of Israel apart so that this would one day be a reality. In setting Israel apart, God was making things ready for His Son to come into the world and make things right so people from all over the world could come and know the one true God, His ways and His loving forgiveness. Another amazing thing about this is that when people come to this mountain and find the Lord, they can see themselves as part of the mountain that draws people to come and know the Lord God and His ways. That mountain is really Christ’s Church. To be a living member of this church is to be part of this mountain drawing people to God through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Are you being an active member of this mountain in drawing people to God and His loving forgiveness? Suggestions for prayer That we as a church community would more and more be what God said we would be through the prophecy of Isaiah. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Thursday December 6 - Being instruments in God's hands shows that God cares

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city. ..? – Jonah 4:11a Scripture reading: Jonah 4 One of the hard things Jesus calls us to do, as His disciples, is to show love to our enemies. This was and is not a new command. God had asked Jonah to do this many years before Jesus walked through the land of Israel. The people of Nineveh were great enemies of the people of Israel. The Ninevites liked hurting, killing, and causing great fear in the hearts of their enemies, including God’s people. Jonah ran from bringing a message to Nineveh the first time because he wanted God to destroy this city and not show pity to them. God redirected Jonah back to Nineveh because He cared for this wicked, rebellious, idol-worshiping people. Jonah knew that his own people, the people of Israel, were also wicked, but thought they deserved God’s mercy instead of those wicked Ninevites. In sending Jonah to Nineveh, God sought to teach Jonah and all His people three great lessons. The first lesson has to do with who we are. If our hearts have been changed and we are part of God’s people, it is not because we are so good. The second lesson is that if we are God’s people, we are not to see ourselves as trophies to sit and be proud of who we are. We are to see ourselves as instruments in God’s hands to show that God does care for people like the Ninevites and people in our communities. Thirdly, God can change the heart of anyone to repent, so we should be willing to bring God’s words to anyone. Suggestions for prayer That we would have the heart of God and care for the people around us and so be willing to get to know people in our communities to tell them the good news of Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life. The painting is "Jonas and the whale" (circa 1552) author unknown....

Daily devotional

Wednesday December 5 – Being a kingdom of priests

Daily devotional

Tuesday December 4 - God can change and use anyone to fulfill His promises

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Monday December 3 – Sacrificial service comes from true faith

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Sunday December 2 – God uses sinful people to bring forward his promise

Daily devotional

Saturday December 1 – Introduction

For the month of December, we will be looking at a number of passages in the Old and NewTestaments that speak of the coming and work of Jesus Christ. In doing this, we will see how God has always communicated that He had a plan to rescue people from all over the world so that they could be part of His redeemed family. We will also see that God not only had a plan to rescue people, but He also desires to use His people as instruments in His hands to bring His saving work to others. In the Old Testament passages, we will see how God gathered His people and preserved them so that they would be a light to the world. We will also see that this light to the world would only truly be fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Yet, God not only saved His Old Testament church, but also used its people so that through them the Saviour would come. In the New Testament passages, we will see what fulfilling God’s promises meant for God’s people. Not only was the sacrificial system of the Old Testament not needed anymore, but the nation of Israel no longer was to be seen as the isolated people of God. God’s people would be people from every nation. But we will also see that God not only saves people from all tribes and nations to be his Church, He also uses His church to continue to bring the Saviour Jesus Christ to the world. Lastly, we will see that Jesus is not only the founder and perfecter of the faith, but also challenges us, His people, to be witnesses of this faith in how we live and what we say to the world around us so that others can be brought into the family of God. The mother of all promises I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. - Genesis 3:15 Scripture reading: Genesis 3 When we get discouraged with this fallen world, we can easily think God does not care or that He is indifferent to our struggles. But the words of Genesis 3:15 should remind us that God does care for sinful people in this fallen world. Right after Adam and Eve rebelled against God and sided with the devil, God showed them and us that God still cares. When Adam and Eve were hiding from each other and from God and were in a hopeless, self-inflicted turmoil, God came and told them and us that He still cares. God promised to separate a people to Himself and promised to deliver these people by sending Someone to conquer the devil and to free people from the clutches of the devil. God made this promise even though Adam and Eve did not have the ability to plead for forgiveness. When God said that He would separate a people to Himself from fallen humanity, He did not say who those people would be. He not only wants us to believe that we could be included in that special group, but He also wants us to have such a love for our neighbours that we would want them to be part of this group. God made that promise to Adam and Eve because He has a mission to bring people who are dead in their sins into a saving relationship with Himself. That is why He promised to send His Son. In order for us to be part of God’s people, we ought to have the heart of God, desiring that other sinners be brought into the family of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray that this passage will give you comfort, but also motivation to tell others that God does care for sinful people in this fallen world. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Richard Bultjes is pastor at a church plant in Niagara Falls, Ontario, called River of Life....

Daily devotional

Friday November 30 – Conclusion: Blessed to be a blessing

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! – Psalm 67:3 Scripture reading: Psalm 67 We end where we began, with the story of the Bible as summed up by Jesus: "Then he said to them, 'These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, 'Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.'"(v. 45-47). The whole Bible is about the mission of God to save the nations: the promise given to Abraham, the calling given to Israel, the identity fulfilled in Jesus and then given to us. And so the song of Psalm 67 is our song: "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations" (Ps 67:1–2). We pray for God’s blessing, not for our own sake, but so that His ways will be known on earth. Let us believe the good news that Jesus is the light of the world. Let us believe Him that we are now the light of the world. And then let us live faithfully as His witnesses in all of life. Suggestions for prayer That God would make us faithful missional people for His glory and for the sake of the nations. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Thursday November 29 –The Church's mission (7): Fighting idolatry

Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. – Psalm 115:8 Scripture reading: Romans 1:18-32 We have seen that Matthew 5 and 1 Peter 2 both expect the church to be different from the world in such a way as to be visible and appealing. How can we do that? Is it simply by following different (or more!) rules? Will that be appealing? One of the main ways Scripture gives us to be different in an appealing way is by fighting idolatry. In Romans 1, Paul summarizes sin as a matter of idolatry and defines idolatry in this way: "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" (Romans 1:25). Idolatry is worshipping the creation instead of the Creator, taking good things that God has made and treating them as ultimate in place of God. When we do this, we inevitably distort and twist the good things God has made, since they are not meant to be worshipped. Those idols enslave, consume and destroy. When we follow Jesus by faith, we are freed from worshipping those idols and that life of freedom is meant to be appealing, for it is life as God made it to be. Instead of being destructively enslaved to things like money, sex and power, we can use them rightly, for God’s glory and that way of life is given to be light in a dark world. Suggestions for prayer That God would help us recognize our idols, be freed from them and live for His glory so that we might use His good creation rightly, for the sake of those around us. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Wednesday November 28 – The Church's mission (6): Life together, for the sake of the world

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. – Acts 2:47b Scripture reading: Acts 2:42-47 (again) Look back at our outline of Acts 2 from yesterday. What was the church doing that resulted in people being saved each day? They were simply being the church, doing so with a sense of missional purpose. We have been wrestling with this idea throughout this month: mission isn’t just something we do, it’s who we are. But at the same time, it affects and shapes everything we do. Acts 2 describes the church’s life together as being fruitful for mission. But we so often do the opposite: we justify our community life together as a way of putting up walls, excluding others, defining insiders and outsiders. Acts 2 suggests, however, and the entire story of God’s mission throughout the Bible makes very clear, that we are called to be the church for the sake of the nations. God blesses us with community life so that we will be a blessing. We must ask ourselves - as individuals, families and churches: what is our sense of identity and purpose? Why are we here? Is our fellowship eager to welcome others? Is our life together infused with the sense of being for the sake of others? Is our community ready, willing and able to include those who need the gospel, whose lives are messy and broken, who are drawn to the good news we proclaim? Or do we think of our churches as existing largely to meet our own needs? All of this is how the story of God’s mission must challenge us today. Suggestions for prayer That God would infuse our fellowship with a sense of being other-oriented and that He would make our churches welcoming places for those who need the gospel of Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho...

Daily devotional

Tuesday November 27 – The Church's mission (5): Life together

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Monday November 26 - The Church's mission (4): In all of life

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Sunday November 25 - The Church's mission (3): The preaching of the Word

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Saturday November 24 - The Church's mission (2): To the end of the earth

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Friday November 23 – The Church's mission (1): True children of Abraham

Go... so that you will be a blessing. – Genesis 12:1a, 2b Scripture reading: Genesis 12:1-9 (one more time!) We arrive today at a point of transition in our study. Up until now,we have done three main things: We have seen God’s promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing to the nations. We have seen how Jesus fulfilled the promise and calling of Israel. We have seen how God’s promises for the future include the complete fulfillment of that promise at the return of Christ. What we must do now is locate our lives in the midst of that great story. We live between the first coming of Jesus and His return, and that is the time of mission. All who share the faith of Abraham are children of Abraham and that means we share in his calling and mission. As Michael Goheen points out in his book Light to the Nations, just as God said to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-2 “Go... so that you will be a blessing,” so He says to His church in Matthew “Go... and make disciples.” It is this story that gives us our mission and purpose as a church. We, like Abraham, are called to be a “so that” people. We are blessed, not to keep that blessing to ourselves, but blessed so that we will be a blessing to others. This begins, not with a list of things to do, but with a sense of identity in Christ. Mission is not just something we do, but it is who we are. Suggestions for prayer That God would help us grow in our sense of identity as the true children of Abraham in Christ, blessed so that we will be a blessing. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Thursday November 22 – The future of our mission (2): A new creation

By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. – Revelation 21:24 Scripture reading: Revelation 21 The story of God’s mission to save the nations of the world spans from Genesis to Revelation, from the beginning of the story to its end. The Bible begins, not with sin and the need for a Saviour, but with God’s good creation. Likewise, the Bible ends, not simply with individual souls being saved, but with a new creation, new heavens and a new earth. God will not abandon His good creation, but promises to set it right, eradicating all that is cursed and twisted and broken: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). When He does this at the return of Jesus, it will be in fulfillment of the promises that He gave to Abraham and Israel, the promises He fulfilled in Jesus as the faithful Israelite and the true Son of Abraham, and so it will be for the benefit of the nations: "By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day — and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations" (Revelation 21:24–26). That is the future God has promised, the future we are living for as we carry out the mission God has given us. Suggestions for prayer That God would fill us with faith in His promised future, especially of the world being set right, of every tear wiped away and perfect fellowship with Him in His new creation. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Wednesday November 21 – The future of our mission (1): The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered

By your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. – Revelation 5:9 Scripture reading: Revelation 5 One of the things that the book of Revelation makes abundantly clear for the church today is that the church’s mission will be successful. That is what God promised in Daniel 2: that the stone that defeated the kingdoms of the world would grow into a mountain that filled the whole earth. Likewise, when Jesus gave His commission to His church in Matthew 28, He was clear that “all authority in heaven and on earth” has been given to Him. As Revelation 5 says, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered by dying as a Lamb and rising again from the dead. That victory over death guarantees the success of the church's mission. It may not always look like success in the eyes of the world: the Lion conquered by dying after all, but the mission will nevertheless be successful. And so Revelation 5 gives us the beautiful song to sing of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham so long ago that he would be a blessing to the nations: "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). That glorious song is our confidence as we carry out the mission God has given to us. Suggestions for prayer That we would be encouraged by the promised success of the church's mission and that such encouragement would make us faithful in response to God’s promises. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Tuesday November 20 - Jesus fulfills Israel's mission (5): Go, make disciples!

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. - Matthew 28:19a Scripture reading: Matthew 28:16-20 Until He returns, Jesus has given His church the identity of being a light to the nations. This is not, first of all, something we do, but a matter of who we are. Missions is not simply a category of the church's life; rather, the mission God has given us is our identity, our very reason for existing as His people in this world. In Matthew 28, Jesus describes the reasons and purpose for which we are in the world: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt 28:19–20). This is not a matter of having missions and evangelism as a part of the church’s life. It is, rather, the whole reason we exist: to disciple the nations. This task does not end the moment someone becomes a Christian. Rather, the task of learning to be a disciple, to follow Jesus faithfully, lasts one’s entire life. And the work is not done until all people, all nations, all communities have heard the good news and the call to follow Jesus. This is why we are here; this is who we are; this is our purpose until Jesus returns. We are to disciple the nations, because that is what God promised Abraham, what He fulfilled in Jesus, and that is the mission He now gives to us. Suggestions for prayer That God would help our sense of identity as God’s missional people to grow and flourish and that our mission would be fruitful for His kingdom. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Monday November 19 - Jesus fulfills Israel's mission (4): You are the light of world

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Sunday November 18 – Jesus fulfills Israel's mission (3): " I am the light of the world"

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Saturday November 17 – Jesus fulfills Israel's mission (2): The true son of Abraham

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Friday November 16 - Jesus fulfills Israel's mission (1): The Good News of the Kingdom

Daily devotional

Thursday November 15 - A promised Kingdom

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. – Daniel 2:44a Scripture reading: Daniel 2:31-45 In Daniel 2, during Israel’s exile, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar dreams about a statue crushed by a rock, which grows into a mountain that fills the earth. Daniel interprets the dream and explains the rock: "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever” (v. 44). This is one of the main promises that lived in the hearts of Israel during the exile as they awaited the coming of the Messiah. They waited for the One who would bring the Kingdom of God. And it was this promise that Jesus spoke of at the beginning of His ministry in Israel. For the sake of learning about our mission, the important thing is the answer to this question: What did the stone do after it crushed the statue? Did it disappear? Did it hide? “But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (v. 35b). That verse spoke of the church’s mission today. We live after the coming of the Messiah, after the coming of the Kingdom, in the time in which that Kingdom is growing to fill the whole earth, the kingdom that shall stand forever. That promise - and its fulfillment in Jesus - is what motivates our mission as the church today. Suggestions for prayer That God’s Kingdom would continue to grow, and that we would live faithfully as citizens of that Kingdom. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Wednesday November 14 – Singing of mission (4): The Lord says to my Lord

Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power. – Psalm 110:3 Scripture reading: Psalm 110 Psalm 110 is one of the many Psalms that the New Testament explicitly tells us is fulfilled by the resurrection, ascension, and reign of Jesus as King. The first two verses speak clearly of Jesus’ ascension to God’s right hand to reign over all the world: "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.' The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty sceptre. Rule in the midst of your enemies!” (v. 1-2). Psalms like this are essential to remember when we think about our mission as the church. When we think about being witnesses in all of our living, about proclaiming the gospel to all nations, we can be tempted to feel overwhelmed and helpless. But the New Testament tells us that these words have already been fulfilled in Jesus, that He is king over all and that therefore His mission will be successful. That is why we need to sing Psalms like this that speak so clearly of evil. But such language of victory has in view not only the defeat of God’s enemies, but also of the success of His mission to be a blessing: “He will execute judgment among the nations” (v. 6). To execute judgment doesn’t just mean to punish evil. It means to set things right, to make things be as they ought to be. That is what Jesus has done, is doing and will one day do fully at His return. And that is good news for all nations! Suggestions for prayer That we would believe and rest in the good news that Jesus is King, and that we would boldly embrace our mission as a result. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Tuesday November 13 - Singing of mission (3): Christ shall have dominion

May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! – Psalm 72:8 Scripture reading: Psalm 72 Psalm 72 is another example of a psalm in which Israel sang about the coming of the Messiah, and about the implications He would have for all the nations of the earth. Israel sang for and about the faithful Son of David: “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!” (v. 1). Israel’s expectation was that a faithful son of David would have dominion over the whole earth. Though they did not see this with their eyes, they sang of it by faith: “May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!” (v. 8). And most strikingly, this was not just about conquering or subduing the nations, though that theme is present in the Psalm and many Israelites probably emphasized that theme. It was also about being a blessing to the nations: “May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!” (v. 17). Israel sang of the nations of the world being “blessed in him.” These were the sorts of promises that shaped Israel’s hopes as they awaited the Messiah, the promises that Jesus fulfilled, the promises that now give us our mission as the church. Our goal is to see all the nations - including our own communities and cities - “call him blessed.” Suggestions for prayer Praise God for the good news that we have found blessing in Jesus as the faithful Son of David and pray that we would love and embrace our calling to be witnesses to that same good news. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Monday November 12 - Singing of mission (2): Blessed to be a blessing

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. – Psalm 67:4 Scripture reading: Psalm 67 The next Psalm we turn to is Psalm 67. It begins with familiar words, reminding us of the Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us” (v. 1). This is a prayer for blessing, a prayer for the blessing that most specifically belongs to Israel in particular. The Aaronic benediction was something that belonged to and was proclaimed for Israel as God’s special covenant people. It was their special blessing. That makes the next verse all the more striking: “That your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations” (v. 2). The particular blessing that was for Israel was ultimately not just for Israel. Israel was to seek blessing from the Lord so that the nations would come to know God’s ways. Israel was tempted to think the blessing was just for them. This psalm challenged them to remember that they were blessed to be a blessing. The same thing is true for the church today. When God blesses us, it is not so we can keep that blessing for ourselves, but so that we can be a blessing to those around us. In Christ, we are the true children of Abraham and that means that the calling of Israel to be a light to the nations is being fulfilled in the church today. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for blessing Israel in such a way that we have received blessings in Christ and then pray that we would continue to be a blessing to others. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Sunday November 11 - Singing of mission (1): Why do the nations rage?

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Saturday November 10 - Israel's mission (7): It shall come to pass in latter days

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Friday November 9 - Israel's mission (6): The failure of Israel

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Thursday November 8 - Israel's mission (5): In the sight of the peoples

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Wednesday November 7 – Israel's mission (4): All the Earth is mine

Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. – Exodus 19:5 Scripture reading: Exodus 19:1-9 In Genesis 12, God called Abraham to be a blessing to the nations: “I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing” (v.2). In his book, Light to the Nations, Michael Goheen sums up the identity and mission of Israel with this idea, that Israel was called to be a “so that” people, blessed by God so that they would be a blessing. This is the identity that God emphasizes for Israel in Exodus 19. They are God’s treasured possession, not instead of all the nations, but among all peoples. God chose them in order to put them on display, to show what He would one day do for all nations. He blessed Israel as part of His plan to be a blessing to all the families of the earth. “And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Israel was to be a kingdom of priests. What priests did for Israel, Israel was to do for the nations. Priests represented God to the people and represented the people before God. That is what Israel was called to do: to represent who God was, the promises He gave, the grace He showed, and the life to which He calls us. Israel thought God's promises were all for them. But God was clear: “All the earth is mine.” And because God so loved the world, He would one day send His Son, born to Israel’s family, for all the nations. Suggestions for prayer That we would remember, like Israel, we are blessed so that we will be a blessing, and that our lives would be fruitful for the good of those around us. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Tuesday November 6 - Israel's mission (3): The Gospel beforehand

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed.” - Galatians 3:8 Scripture reading: Galatians 3:1-9 God promised Abraham in Genesis 12, that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. This promise drives the whole rest of the story of the Bible. Perhaps you are wondering if that is a bit too strong a claim. That is why we turn to Galatians 3 today. In Galatians 3, Paul is arguing against those who are suggesting that faith in Jesus isn’t enough for salvation, that something else needs to be added. In response to such a claim, Paul uses Abraham as an example of what God has been doing all along: justifying His people, not by their works, but by their faith: “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Gal. 3:6). Despite that clear example, Jewish Christians were tempted to think that all this salvation and righteousness was just for the Jewish people and that Gentile Christians needed to become Jewish in order to be saved. To answer that question, Paul then quotes from Genesis 12: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.’” Paul says that it was always God’s intention to include the Gentile nations as Gentiles and when God gave that promise to Abraham in Genesis 12, He was proclaiming the gospel! This is the gospel that drives our mission today: that through Abraham’s family, in Jesus, all the families of the earth would be blessed. Suggestions for prayer That we would believe and love this good news and that we would live lives shaped by it, seeking that same blessing for those who have not yet known it. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Monday November 5 – Israel's mission(2): The call of Abram

...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.– Genesis 12:3b Scripture reading: Genesis 12:1-9 The call of Abram in Genesis 12 marks the beginning of the story of Israel as God’s special covenant people. The promises that God gives to Abram are the promises that drive the whole rest of the story. God had promised in Genesis 3:15 that He would defeat the serpent, that He would defeat sin and death, and in Genesis 12, He proclaims that He will do that through Abram’s family. God gave Abram the promise of land, the promise that would guide so much of Israel’s story: the Exodus, the conquest of Canaan, the time of the Judges, the exile and the return. He gave the promise of descendants, the promise that would motivate the hopes and dreams of Isaac and Jacob, of Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel. As a result of both of these promises, Israel was tempted to think everything was about and for them. They were tempted to forget the third promise, the promises that actually gave the reason for all of this: “and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3b). This is the promise that would drive the rest of the story, that through Abram’s family, God would bless all the families of the earth. In that promise, we hear God’s heart for His lost world. In that promise, we hear the mission of God. Suggestions for prayer That we would receive the good news that God had desired from the beginning to bless all the nations of the world and that we would love and serve Him in return. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Sunday November 4 – Israel's mission (1): Genesis 12 comes after Genesis 1-11

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1 Scripture reading: Genesis 12:1; Genesis 1 Yesterday we saw how Jesus summarized the story of the Bible: as being about Him - fulfilled in His death and resurrection - and as being about the mission of God to bring salvation to the nations. That mission begins with the call of Abram in Genesis 12. But it is important to remember that Genesis 12 comes after Genesis 1-11. Genesis 1-11 tells a story, not of Israel in particular, but of the whole world. It tells of Creation in Genesis 1-2 and then of the Fall in Genesis 3. And think of the rest of the stories in chapters 4-11 – Cain and Abel, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, what do they have in common? They make it clear that the world is messed up by sin. When God called Abram, Israelites were tempted to think God was rejecting the rest of the world in favor of Abram’s family. That cannot be because God is the One who made the world. “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). Israel needed to remember – and we must remember – that God created the world, that He declared it very good, that He loves the world and will not abandon it to sin and death. That is where God’s mission begins: with the goodness of Creation and His promise to defeat sin and death (see Genesis 3:15). Suggestions for prayer That we would remember God’s love for the world He has made and that our love for the lost would reflect God’s love. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

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Saturday November 3 - The big picture (3): To all nations

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Friday November 2 – The big picture (2): Everything written about Me

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Thursday November 1 – The big picture (1): Jesus on the road to Emmaus

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Wednesday October 31 - Contending for the faith

I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. - Jude 3b Scripture reading...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 30 - The Word of Life

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. - 1 John 1:1 Scripture reading: 1 John 1:1–10 During Paul’s missionary work, he warned the churches of the danger from legalism. Having preached that salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, he discovered some converts had reverted to legalism due to the influence of false teachers who proclaimed another “gospel.” John was the only living apostle after the martyrdom of Peter and Paul. He had settled in Ephesus during the last thirty years of the first century. He was not spared persecution since for part of those years, he lived as an exile on the Isle of Patmos. He authored the Gospel known by his name, three Letters and the Book of Revelation. The Church was now threatened by a heresy, known as Gnosticism. The basic teaching of this cult was that evil resided in the material world and that freedom came through a special gnosis, a Greek word for a specific knowledge or enlightenment. In response to the threat of Gnosticism, John emphasized the reality of the Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Saviour possessed a real human body; He could be seen, heard and touched. Christ’s mission was a redemptive one; it was to be accomplished by His vicarious sufferings and death on the Cross as an expiation for the sins of the world. That was necessary since there was no other way to deal with man’s sinfulness. Nowadays, Christians encounter various heresies; it’s extremely necessary for the Church to proclaim the clear and unchanging message taught by the apostle John. Suggestions for prayer Ask God for discernment so that the Church would stand on the supreme and final authority of the Bible to withstand every attack! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Monday October 29 - Pay much closer attention

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. - Hebrews 2:1 Scripture reading: Hebrews 2:1–4 There are ten “Therefore” in Hebrews; the first is in Chapter 2. It warns against “drifting” from the Gospel. The recipients of this Letter possessed the Old Testament, as the New Testament was in the process of formation. So, for about a century, the Gospel message was transmitted orally by men like Paul, Peter, John and their assistants, as well as by the testimony of converts. During His earthly ministry, Christ had begun the proclamation of His “great salvation.” Nowadays, we have the Bible available to us in print, on the internet and on our smartphones; for English-speaking people, they can read it in several versions. We possess the heritage of the Church summarized in Creeds, Confessions of Faith and in Catechisms. It’s beautifully expressed in hymns, oratorios and cantatas. There is no excuse for drifting away from the faith. Why is this strong warning about apostasy in this Letter? Doesn’t the Bible teach the “Perseverance of the Saints?” Yes, but these warnings are the means the Lord uses to enable us to persevere in the faith! Neglecting the “means of grace” is to court spiritual disaster. One of my saddest recollections is the story of a young man I once knew who was preparing for the ministry. After ordination, he became a foreign missionary and first did very well. Years later, I learned that he had fallen into grievous sins, wrecked his family life and was drifting aimlessly! Scriptural warnings are very necessary to keep us from drifting! Suggestions for prayer Pray for pastors, missionaries, leaders in church and state, that they take heed to themselves, walking on the Narrow Way that leads to life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Sunday October 28 - Making purification for sins

After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high... - Hebrews 1:3b Scripture reading: Hebrews 1:1–4 The author of Hebrews would first state a doctrinal truth, then use the word “Therefore” to apply that truth in the life of the Church. In Chapter 1, he contrasted God’s revelation during the Old Testament times, with the revelation in the New Testament era. Old Testament revelation was accomplished through the prophets; God’s final revelation was by His Son. Old Testament revelation was partial and preparatory; New Testament revelation was total and final. In describing the nature and attributes of the Son of God, Hebrews 1 reminds us of John 1. The focus of this Introduction is on Redemption, stated in these significant words: “After making purification for sins.” The Prophets handed down the messages delivered by God’s Spirit; the core of their message was God’s promise in Genesis 3:15, when He said to the serpent: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Man’s sinfulness could only be overcome by a redemptive act of God. The Old Testament sacrificial system portrayed that redemption, but could not accomplish it. Only the Incarnate Son of God did that by His vicarious death on the cross. During Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, He revealed God both in His preaching and in His actions. The leaders of Israel should have welcomed the work of the Messiah as the sacrifice for sin; however, they rejected the only One who was to make “purifications for sins.” Suggestions for prayer Praise the Lord for His wonderful provision of “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1: 29b). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Saturday October 27 - For the sake of the elect

Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. - 2 Timothy 2:10 Scripture reading: 2 Timothy 2:8–13 Having assured Timothy that the proclamation of the Word of God could not be stopped, Paul mentioned his readiness to endure every hardship, so that the elect would become partakers of the salvation accomplished by Christ. Here is an important lesson in mission work. The elect will be saved, but they will be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Earlier this month, we learned during our meditation on First Corinthians, that God ordained that people are saved through the preaching of the Gospel. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 10:17, states, “So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The role that preaching the Good News plays in reaching the elect is inestimable. It enabled me to embark on a radio and literature ministry to the Arab world for 36 years. Most Arabic-speaking people are Muslims. Their sacred texts, the Qur’an, Hadith and Life of Muhammad, deny every fundamental truth of the Bible. Belief in the Holy Trinity is considered as idolatry; the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, His resurrection and ascension are denied. The sinfulness of man is regarded as a mere ignorance that can be overcome by obedience to the commands of Allah. It would have been impossible for me to persist in this work had I not believed in the doctrine of election. At the same time, I was convinced of the necessity of proclaiming the Word of God in order to bring in the elect from every part of the vast Arab world. Suggestions for prayer Pray for pastors, missionaries and church members, that they keep in mind both Divine sovereignty and human responsibility, as the Bible teaches! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Friday October 26 - The Word of God is not bound

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a crimina...

Daily devotional

Thursday October 25 - The Spirit of Wisdom

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him. – Ephesian...

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 24 - Chosen before the foundation of the world

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 23 - No other Gospel

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. - Galatians 1:8 ...

Daily devotional

Monday October 22 - Removing the veil

Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. – 2 Corinthians 3:15-16 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 The Bible has played an important role in the mission of the Church. When Paul began his missionary work, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint, had been in existence for at least two hundred years. It was used in the synagogues of the Jews in the Dispersion. In Palestine, the Hebrew text was employed, while the preaching was done in Aramaic, the language of the Jews, after their return from the Babylonian Captivity. Paul’s preached to the Jews that the promises of God in the Old Testament, about the Messiah, had been fulfilled in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Some believed Paul’s preaching and became the nucleus of the Church in the Mediterranean world. Others refused to receive the Good News and became persecutors of Christians. In Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthian Church, he wrote about the veil that lay over the hearts of the Jews who had refused the offer of salvation. He mentioned this principle, “When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” God in His mercy ordained the exposition of the Gospel as a means for lifting that veil. Even though Jews looked at the cross as a stumbling block and the Gentiles, as nonsense, yet, as Paul wrote in his First Letter: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach, to save those who believe.” Suggestions for prayer Plead with the Lord of the Harvest to lift the veil over the hearts of people everywhere through the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Sunday October 21 - Holding fast to the Word

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. – 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 In our devotional for October 8, we meditated on Paul’s message to the wise men of Athens. Near the end of his speech, he referred to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were shocked upon hearing of the resurrection of the dead. That contradicted their philosophy; immortality of the soul was acceptable, but not the resurrection of the body! There were members of the Corinthian Church who entertained doubts about this Christian belief. So, Paul had to remind them of the basic tenets of the Christian faith that he had proclaimed upon his arrival at their city and of the necessity of holding fast to these truths. The Apostle wrote: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." As a theologian once put it, “The Gospel is not simply that Christ died, but that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” He meant to emphasize that the historical fact about the death of Christ, as interpreted by God, formed the very essence of the Christian message. It is necessary to hold fast to this truth since the uniqueness of the Christian faith is questioned by some Western theologians, who propagate the notion of the equal validity of all religious faiths. They deny the need for the redemptive work of Christ, as expounded in the Bible. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would help us to remain “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Saturday October 20 - The message, not the method

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. – 1 Corinthians 2:2 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 The Corinthian Church needed to learn this fundamental truth: the integrity of the message is extremely important. Some members of the church wanted the message to be constructed in accordance with the standards of Greek culture. Paul, however, reminded them that the Gospel should be proclaimed without embellishment or alteration. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” Paul’s emphasis on the message, “Jesus Christ and him crucified,” is crucial today. Believing in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, as an atonement for our sins, reveals the power and wisdom of God in planning our redemption and by enabling us to believe the Good News. This Biblical truth must be maintained at all costs as we are surrounded by theories which are radically opposed to the authority of the Word of God and to sound doctrine as summarized in the Nicene Creed. To succumb to such views, would nullify the power and effectiveness of Christian missions. This happens often when men teach unbiblical theories in missions. Suggestions for prayer Pray fervently for all those commissioned by the Lord to proclaim the Gospel, to do their work boldly, fully convinced that their labors will not be in vain. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Friday October 19 - The wisdom of God

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach, to save those who believe. – 1 Corinthians 1:21 Scripture reading: I Corinthians 1:18-31 Paul spent eighteen months in Corinth preaching the Gospel and organizing the Church. He wrote his First Letter to deal with several problems that had been disturbing the health and unity of the congregation there. The Corinthians were not as sophisticated as the Athenians; still, they were attracted by “form” rather than “substance.” They had not grown spiritually since they leveled several criticisms at Paul and his preaching. Paul had to remind them that God, in His sovereignty, had ordained the preaching of the Gospel as the means of salvation. The phrase “what we preach” is a translation of the Greek, “Kerugmatos,” a specific word that refers to the content of Paul’s preaching. In other words, every message proclaimed from a pulpit must conform to the Biblical Gospel. Paul took notice of the Greek’s love of wisdom. But Greek wisdom was the very antithesis of God’s wisdom since they regarded the message of a crucified and risen Saviour as utter foolishness. It didn’t matter that the Greeks described Paul’s preaching as foolishness; he did not accommodate his message to make it acceptable to his audience. Throughout all his missionary career, Paul was convinced that the Gospel of Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (NKJ). The Church hasn’t always proclaimed and defended this Biblical faith. In our days, several denominations have surrendered to the “wisdom” of man. We need another Reformation like the one launched by Martin Luther 500 years ago. Suggestions for prayer Plead with the Lord to grant our ministers and missionaries to boldly proclaim the “whole counsel of God” as Paul did in his ministry. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Thursday October 18 - The word of the cross

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. – I Corinthians 1:18 Script...

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 17 - A living sacrifice

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 sp...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 16 - The future salvation of Israel

Daily devotional

Monday October 15 - Faith comes from hearing

For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Ro...

Daily devotional

Sunday October 14 - Paul's great anguish

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. – Romans 10:9-10 Scripture reading: Romans 10:1-13 In Romans 1, Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek.” In his missionary journeys, Paul first went to the synagogues, to proclaim the Good News of the coming of the Messiah. Some Jews welcomed the message, but many opposed it vehemently. Having finished the exposition of the Gospel in Chapter 8, he devoted Chapters 9 to 11, to a discussion of both the failure of Israel and their ultimate salvation. First, he expressed his anguish over their hardheartedness. In Chapter ten, he explained the reason for their negative attitude: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.” Anyone attempting to win God’s favor, by his own efforts, is rejecting the Gospel of grace. Quoting Deuteronomy 30:12-24, where Moses had emphasized that God had not kept His plan of salvation hidden, Paul applied them to the situation at hand, by stating: “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). This functions as a concise Confession of Faith. It implies a public profession of faith, coupled with a hearty belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Nowadays, we seldom hear about Missions to the Jewish people. Plead with the Lord to call the Church to assume this responsibility This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Saturday October 13 - The Christian hope

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. – Romans 8:24-25 Scripture reading: Romans 8:18–25 Recently, I translated the story of a young Egyptian Muslim who was converted to the Christian faith through the testimony of a Christian girlfriend at school. She found peace with God that she could not find in the Allah of Islam. As soon as her parents discovered her conversion, her ordeal began. She was dragged to the police authorities where she was interrogated and beaten. As she refused to return to Islam, she was thrown out of her home! Eventually, she managed to leave Egypt and lead a new life. Her experience has been duplicated many times throughout history. It illustrates what Paul teaches as he reached the end of his exposition of the Gospel. He referred to the sufferings of this age, balancing them with the glories that will be revealed at the return of Jesus Christ. It is in this sense that we understand: “For in this hope we were saved.” The full benefits of our salvation will be realized in the future; in the meantime, we must wait patiently for that Day. Any attempt to deny that the fullness of the Kingdom of God awaits the Second Advent leads to the secularization of the Gospel. In the past century, several Protestant Churches succumbed to this temptation by adopting the “Social Gospel.” It caused divisions among these churches. It was disastrous in the mission fields, as I experienced in Syria. Mission schools promoted a secularized “gospel” which led to the weakening of the young Protestant Churches! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord of the Church to enable ministers and church leaders “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Friday October 12 - The righteousness of God

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 3:21,22a Scripture reading: Romans 3:21–31 Unlike the rest of world religions, Christianity is a redemptive faith. This means that in Adam’s Fall, all of humanity became incapable of rescuing itself from the bondage of sin. It’s important to remember that the Judaism of Paul’s days did not reflect the faith of the Old Testament Prophets. During the 400 years between Malachi and John the Baptist, a legalistic form of Judaism developed. A person could be put right with God by doing the demands of the Law. Over against this “Rabbinical Judaism,” Paul explained: “but now, the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law … the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. … For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God…. And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The legalism of Judaism is like the belief of Muslims. Having confessed their faith in Allah and in Muhammad as his prophet, Muslims must accomplish various duties to gain a place in Paradise. This deprives them of assurance about their eternal state. Fear surrounds their life journey! Now that Muslims have moved in great numbers to the West, Christians have a responsibility to share the Biblical Gospel with their Muslim neighbors. While Muslims reject all the basic teachings of the Scriptures, yet, “the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes;” this includes Muslims and Jews as well! Suggestions for prayer Plead with the Lord of the Harvest to grant us boldness in our witness to our non-Christian neighbors. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Thursday October 11 - Unashamed of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek. – Romans 1:16 Scripture reading: Romans 1:16-17 When Paul was in Athens, he presented the Gospel of the crucified and risen Lord to everyone he encountered. Some, who were followers of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, looked down on him, claiming he was uttering nonsense! As he began expounding the Gospel to the Church in Rome, he was fully aware of the negative attitude of many Jewish and Gentile people in the city. So he set forth, in the clearest manner, his absolute confidence in the message entrusted to him by God. Unlike the vain speculations of Athens’s philosophers, Paul pointed to the fact that the Gospel he proclaimed served as a means for the salvation of everyone who believed, both Jews and Greeks. This was manifested in a changed life that centered on the love of God and of fellow human beings. Even though the Jews had received the Promise of the coming Messiah and could read about it in their Scriptures, yet, they were disappointed in Him because He didn’t liberate them from Rome. As to the Gentiles, often called Greeks, since the educated ones knew Greek as well as Latin, they considered the Gospel message as “foolishness,” as it contradicted their views of man’s basic needs. The Gospel provides the diagnosis and the cure for mankind’s sinfulness. It explains how to obtain a right relationship with God. As Paul put it, “For in it a righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to equip His ministers and missionaries with boldness and clarity to proclaim the saving message of the Gospel. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 10 – The Gospel of God

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. – Romans 1:1 Scripture reading: Romans 1:1-17 W...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 9 - Many are my people

For I have many in this city who are my people. – Acts 18:10b Scripture reading: Acts 18:5-11 Leaving Athens, Paul came to the port city of C...

Daily devotional

Monday October 8 – Times of ignorance

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. - Acts 17:30 Scripture reading: Acts 17:22–34 Pau...

Daily devotional

Sunday October 7 – He was baptized for His family

Daily devotional

Saturday October 6 - The Macedonian Call

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” – Acts 16:9 Scripture reading: Acts 16:6-10 In yesterday’s devotions, we read about Paul and Barnabas reporting to the church in Antioch about how God had opened “a door of faith to the Gentiles.” The Church had to decide whether Gentile converts must observe the Mosaic Law. The matter was settled at the Council of Jerusalem. The following letter was sent to the Church in Antioch: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell” (Acts: 15:28,29). Now Paul was ready to begin his Second Missionary Journey. For a time, Paul and his companions worked in Western Asia; but the Holy Spirit led them to Troas, where Paul had the vision of a Macedonian appealing for help. “And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Paul, Silas, and Timothy crossed over to Macedonia, stopping at Philippi. The missionary team met with a group of women gathered for worship on the Sabbath. Paul presented the message, resulting in the conversion of Lydia, a merchant from Thyatira. She prevailed on Paul and his friends to stay at her home. Both she and her household were baptized, thus becoming the nucleus of the Christian Church in Philippi! Suggestions for prayer The presence of migrants in the West is a “Macedonian Call” for the Church. The Lord is calling us to help them, both materially and spiritually! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Friday October 5 - World missions

The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. – Acts 13:2b-3 Scripture reading: Acts 13:1-3 On Pentecost, the converts to Christianity were mostly Jews from the Dispersion. They returned home and announced the Good News among their communities. In Antioch, a major cosmopolitan centre for more than 300 years, it was natural for Christians to share the Gospel with their Gentile neighbors. Both Barnabas and Saul were familiar with Greek and Hebrew and the Old Testament Scriptures. The Holy Spirit instructed the Church to commission them “for the work to which He had called them.” The call comes from God; the Church confirms the call by ordaining and sending Paul and Barnabas out as missionaries. Leaders at the church in Antioch, after fasting and praying, “laid their hands on them and sent them off.” That marked the beginning of the First Missionary Journey, recorded in Chapters 13 and 14 of Acts. Saul and Barnabas labored first on the island of Cyprus and continued their mission in the mainland of Asia Minor. “From Attalia, they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:26,27). In Paul’s days, the mission field was mostly situated within the Roman Empire; Roman roads and Roman Peace facilitated travel. Nowadays, the entire world has become our mission field! Where freedom is curtailed, we transcend the obstacle, through the Internet. Suggestions for prayer Missionaries laboring in many parts of the world face many obstacles; ask the Lord to protect them and enable them to continue in their service of the One Who has “All authority in heaven and on earth.” This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Thursday October 4 – Ananias and the persecutor

And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized. – Acts 9:18 Scripture reading: Acts 9:17-19 The conversion of Saul of Tarsus is one of the most dramatic stories of the New Testament. Luke tells us that this zealous young man couldn’t tolerate the followers of the Messiah. He consented to the murder of Stephen. When he met the glorified Messiah on the Damascus Road, he was ordered to go to a Christian disciple in Damascus, the very one he had planned to harm! Luke has supplied us with vivid details of the encounter. I would like to draw attention to a phenomenon that played a major role in the rapid growth of the Christian Church: the existence of Christian communities with no information about how the Gospel got to them. This applies to Damascus. Paul went to Ananias' home; his sight was restored and he was baptized. This implies the prior existence of the Church. It must have been that some of the 3,000 who were converted in Jerusalem on Pentecost, belonged to the Jewish community in Damascus. Their conversion experience enabled them to go back to their homes and tell the marvelous account of the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the life and person of Jesus Christ. Their testimony was spontaneous and joyful; it led to the conversion of Ananias and several others. In our reflections on similar accounts in Acts, the existence of Christian communities like the one in Damascus will be noted. Behind all of them, we must consider two major facts: the Jewish Dispersion and the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. Suggestions for prayer Let us pray that all members of the Church may reclaim the spontaneity that marked the witness of the Early Church. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 3 – Repent and be baptized

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. – Acts 2:39 Scripture reading: Acts 2:37–41 Peter’s sermon quoted Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus Christ and culminated with the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, to inaugurate the New Testament Age. The hearers, “were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.'” Christian missions include the command to “repent,” a basic condition for entry into the Church. Since those who heard Peter’s message were adults, their baptism followed their confession. But Peter didn’t stop; he declared that the “Promise” (the Gospel) was for them, their children and for all people who were included in God’s eternal plan of salvation. This fact encourages and sustains missionaries in their work, realizing that their labors will not be in vain! Reading Acts and the Epistles, we discover the way God works in missions. One missionary plants the seed of the Word and later another one builds upon it. Finally, God gives the increase as He sovereignly determines. And the phenomenal growth of the New Testament Church is the witness to His mighty acts at the very beginning of the church’s life. Early in the fourth century, the number of Christians in the Roman Empire had become substantial. Paganism was declining, while the followers of Jesus Christ showed by word and deed, the renewing power of the faith. Suggestions for prayer Pray for your missionaries asking the Lord to grant them patience and hope. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany hasserved as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 2 – The promise of the Spirit

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ...

Daily devotional

Monday October 1 - Introduction

During this month, we will be studying “Christian Missions” as they are described in the New Testament. In his Gospel, John tells us of God’s lo...

Daily devotional

Sunday September 30 – The presence of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

Saturday September 29 – Preaching and the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

Friday September 28 – The Word and the Spirit

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion…” – Hebrews 3:7-8 Scripture reading: Hebrews 3:7-19 Often, in the Heidelberg Catechism, there is a pairing of the Word of God with the Holy Spirit, but never with the sense that the Word of God and the Holy Spirit are in contradiction. We find Jesus Christ “governs by His Word and Spirit” (Q. 31) and that Christ gathers His church “by His Word and Spirit” (Q. 54). (See also Q. 21 and 123). We are tempted to believe that God’s Spirit and Word can be at odds and that following the Word is “legalistic,” lacking spirituality. The temptation to reject the Word and substitute it with what we “feel” is right is very real. Our passage, calling us to listen to the voice of the gospel Word, begins its quotation of Scripture by stating that it is the Holy Spirit that is speaking in the Word — certainly not in contradiction with the Word. The blessing of the Spirit is never uncoupled from a believing appreciation for the Word of God as the sole standard for Christian faith and living. We cannot find ourselves spiritual without being Scriptural. Suggestions for prayer In light of God’s grace to you in Christ, pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to conform you more and more to His will as directed in God’s Word. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Thursday September 27 - The divinity of the Holy Spirit

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? – 1 Corinthians 6:19 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Considering how remarkable the Holy Spirit is and acts, He could not be so were He not divine. The Christian confession about the Holy Spirit starts this way: “First, He as well as the Father and the Son, is eternal God” (Heidelberg Catechism, Question 53). Scripture speaks to the Spirit’s divinity. The Holy Spirit creates (Genesis 1:1-2). He knows the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:11), and He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14). As our passage instructs us, our physical bodies are the residences of the divine in Christ, becoming temples of the Spirit. The Spirit is not some impersonal and fickle Force; instead, He is the personal God, worthy of our worship and worthy of a life of purity. We sinful creatures can be known, physically, as temples of the Holy Spirit! The more we appreciate that truth, the more our gratitude will mount in praise to God and the more holy our lives will be as reflections of the Holy Spirit Who resides within us. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord for a greater appreciation of the wonder of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life, so that your praise of God and your life might be affected for the good. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Wednesday September 26 – The strength of the Holy Spirit

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 Scripture reading: 1 John 4:1-5 The last petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” is defined by the Heidelberg Catechism: “Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of Your Holy Spirit…” (Q. 127). Scripture conveys the gospel in superior tones. We hear the comforting words of Elisha conveyed to his servant in trial: “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16), and the servant’s eyes of faith are opened to God’s power. The devil prowls like a roaring lion seeking those he might devour, yet Scripture calls us to resist him (1 Peter 5:8-9) — not in our own strength, but because “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” It is a blessing for us to know that when we have been made new by Christ’s Spirit, we need not fall for the devil’s deceit. When we do not, it goes to show that the Spirit of truth is at work in us. When God is with us, who can be against us? Suggestions for prayer Pray daily for the Lord’s supply of His Spirit to empower you to serve Him well. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Tuesday September 25 – The sacraments and the sealing Spirit of Christ

… is the guarantee of our inheritance…. – Ephesians 1:14 Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:11-14 The Holy Spirit regenerates, but He also supplies assurance for our faith. When we know Christ as our Saviour and Lord, we confess that “Christ by His Holy Spirit assures us of eternal life” (Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1). The Spirit’s very presence that enables us to make the good confession of Christ is an assurance to us of better things to come as Ephesians 1:13-14 remind us—the Holy Spirit is a seal and guarantee. The Spirit assures us in various ways, but one of them is through the sacraments. Christians confess that the Holy Spirit “confirms through our use of the holy sacraments” (Heidelberg Catechism, Question 65). While “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 8:17), the Spirit uses the signs and seals of the sacraments to bolster the trustworthy word of God so that we might serve our God and Saviour with an assurance that contrasts the world of uncertainty. God gives us two sacraments which are sufficient for the Spirit to assure us that the gospel is not just for us, but for all those He has called. Suggestions for prayer Pray with thanks to the Lord that you can live under the assurance of His grace, an assurance that the Holy Spirit promotes by the use of the sacraments in your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Monday September 24 – The renewing of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

Sunday September 23 – Unity in the one Spirit

For through we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. – Ephesians 2:18 Scripture reading: Ephesians 2:12-22 Christ not only ...

Daily devotional

Saturday September 22 – The governance of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

Friday September 21 – The anointing of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

Thursday September 20 - The new birth of the Spirit

Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again." – John 3:7 Scripture reading: John 3:1-15 Scripture talks to us about the proclamation of Christ crucified as a “stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). It is that way because “we are so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and are inclined toward all evil” (Heidelberg Catechism Question 8), “unless we are born again, by the Spirit of God” (Answer 8). The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, but apart from the Spirit of God, that purpose escapes us. The creation declares the glory of God, but the un-regenerate never see it. It sobers us as Christians when we long for transformation in people’s lives and that change does not come. We cannot compel people to be born again, but we can continue to compel others to be reconciled to God, praying for the Spirit to be at work with His gospel. It is a joy to see people walking in the gospel truth. It would be a joy to find you as one of those believers today, thanks to the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit! Suggestions for prayer: Be in prayer for a world without Christ, that God might work mightily in the spreading of His gospel to bring new life to many in Jesus Christ by way of His Holy Spirit. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Wednesday September 19 – The assurance of the Spirit

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…. – Romans 8:16 Scripture reading: Romans 8:12-16 In the final third of this month, we will consider references from the Heidelberg Catechism to the Holy Spirit. The first reference in the Catechism says, “Christ by His Holy Spirit assures us of eternal life” (Question 1). Many copies of the Heidelberg Catechism refer us here to Romans 8:16, where we read that along with the Holy Spirit’s ability to make us God’s children, He works with our spirit to make us aware that we are indeed God’s children. The Christian confession is always outward with the mouth, but first established inwardly in the heart: “With the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:10). False professions leave many with false assurances about their relationship with God. However, when the Holy Spirit testifies with the human spirit, a double testimony results within the human heart that leads to an outward, true and assured profession of Christ. God, by His mercy, continues to provide assurances to us as Christians that we are His children in Jesus Christ. Only with such assurances can we be ready and willing to live for Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord that your life might be lived, not as someone who hopes to be a child of God, but as one who is assured that it is so. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Tuesday September 18 – The fruit of the Spirit: SELF-CONTROL (5)

The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Christian self-control bears with it many virtuous conclusions: Self-control has long-term goals of pleasing God and values imperishable prizes. Paul says that the athlete devotes himself to self-control to win a perishable prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Paul says that those who know that the imperishable crown of Christ is ahead will run a spiritual race greater than the temperate athlete. Self-control avoids abuses and excesses, lest it loses control. Too much alcohol and you lose control; too many wrong words and you devour one another. Blessing is found in the Spirit, not in excesses. Self-control is a sign of order in our lives. Proverbs 16:23 says: “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Refusing to over-react shows that we know Who has our times in His hands. We can be more in control of our lives in a temperate way when we know Who really is in control of our lives, the Spirit of Christ. He shows us, like no other, what it means to be loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. Suggestions for prayer Pray thankfully for God’s fruitful virtues at work in your life in Christ. Pray that the fruit of the Spirit may be born in increasing fashion in your life with each new day. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Monday September 17 – The fruit of the Spirit: SELF-CONTROL (4)

The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23 Scripture reading: Matthew 26:47-56 Self-control flows from gentleness and meekness. Being gentle and self-controlled go together. It takes the power of the Spirit to be gentle; it takes the same power to control ourselves. Self-control is a reflection of God and His Christ. God describes Himself as “slow to anger” (Ex. 34:6). Were God quick to anger, He could not pardon our sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. We see the self-control of Christ in the temptations of Matthew 4. In Matthew 26:53-54 we find even greater self-control: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53-54). Christ’s greatest display of self-control was to remain on the cross. Jesus never ran ahead of God. For the joys that were set before Him, He endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). His example is why we are called to self-control, called to keep our eyes on Christ in the short-term trials now and not give up on the long-term plans that God has for us in Christ. Those truths will lead us into one more set of conclusions on self-control tomorrow. Suggestions for prayer Ponder the restraint of God and His Christ and pray that the Lord will help you to appreciate God’s restraint in your life, and to reflect all the more Christ’s restraint for you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Sunday September 16 – The fruit of the Spirit: SELF-CONTROL (3)

Daily devotional

Saturday September 15 – The fruit of the Spirit: SELF-CONTROL (2)

Daily devotional

Friday September 14 – The fruit of the Spirit: SELF-CONTROL (1)

Daily devotional

Thursday September 13 – The fruit of the Spirit: GENTLENESS (3)

Daily devotional

Wednesday September 12 – The fruit of the Spirit: GENTLENESS (2)

The fruit of the Spirit is…gentleness…. – Galatians 5:22-23 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 3:1-6 Paul’s teaching that the fruit of the Spirit included gentleness was appropriate. Paul was in need of re-sowing gospel seeds at Galatia where many believed that they were to take pride in their goodness to make themselves right with God. Paul corrects: “If gospel seeds are planted in your hearts by the Spirit, then a character change finds its way into your life.” It is the change to humility. As Paul would say elsewhere: “By the grace of God I am what I am and His grace to me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15:10). God’s lavish grace makes the works of the flesh pointless. We find examples of such a humble spirit in Scripture. John the Baptist said that he was not worthy of untying the sandal of his Saviour (John 1:27), and Peter counsels Christian wives to gentleness in our passage. Gentleness promotes peace because it need not promote self, as bitter jealousy does. In His grace, God takes care of our needs. Gentleness promotes peace because its spirit is at peace. With gentleness, room is left to esteem others more than ourselves, which was the spirit of Christ. Suggestions for prayer As you ponder how God has taken care of your needs, pray that the peace this gives your spirit may be shown in gentleness that promotes peace with others in your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Tuesday September 11 – The fruit of the Spirit: GENTLENESS (1)

The fruit of the Spirit is…gentleness…. – Galatians 5:22-23 Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Gentleness connects with faithfulness. In order to be faithful, we need the spirit of gentleness. Faithfulness requires us to swallow sinful pride, for if we do not, it will be very difficult to be faithful where God has called us to be. Gentleness does not arise from our spirit first, but by the Spirit of Christ, Who knows what it means to be gentle. Christian gentleness arises from those who identify themselves by the grace of God. The Canons of Dort say that “the sense of certainty of God’s election affords to the children of God additional matter for daily humiliation” (Canons, I, Article 13), and that the perseverance of saints “is so far from exciting in the saints a sense of pride…that on the contrary, it is the real source of humility” (Canons, V, Article 12). The gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to have this humbling impact on believers, so important for all our relationships; it is most certainly so in the relationship that we are to have with each other in Christ’s church. We will talk more about this gentle spirit next time. Suggestion for prayer As you focus on the sovereign grace of God for you in Jesus Christ, pray that the Lord will bless you by His Spirit with a spirit of gentility and humility in increasing fashion unto God’s praise. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Monday September 10 - The fruit of the Spirit: FAITHFULNESS (3)

The fruit of the Spirit is…faithfulness…. – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: Matthew 24:45-51 Christian faithfulness is to be God-directed, but it is also to be shown to others. We can be loyal in the wrong ways, as when our work comes before our families or our families come before our relationship to God. Our faithfulness to others can be a beautiful thing even though the world doesn’t understand true faithfulness. You might wonder why you cannot count on some people when the chips are down. Concentrate more on whether people can count on you as you can count on Christ. Not all marriages work out like they ought, but ask yourself, “What keeps a marriage together — mine perhaps?” It is going to be the fruit of faithfulness. The works of the flesh include immorality, but the fruitfulness of a Christian marriage will be found in emulating the faithfulness of Christ. Be a faithful worker to your Master in heaven and to your employer. The hallmark of the employee is not what he can get, but his ability to be a dependable worker. Ask not how others might be faithful to you; ask how you can be faithful to others as God has been to you in Christ and His Spirit. Suggestions for prayer Ask for pardon when you have let others down. Ask for the Lord’s grace to help you be someone on whom others can depend in faithfulness. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Sunday September 9 – The fruit of the Spirit: FAITHFULNESS (2)

The fruit of the Spirit is… faithfulness…. – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: Psalm 34:1-10 As we mentioned yesterday, faithfulness is meant to be directed both to God and to those whom God has placed in our path. Believers in Galatia needed a reminder to be faithful to God. Some had become bewitched, thinking that justification was somehow based on the law. The apostle calls the Galatians back to a loyalty for the gospel truth, trusting in God for justification in Christ, not in themselves. Faithfulness to God includes faithful worship. Worshipping God regularly is a sign of our faithfulness to God. God’s faithfulness in Christ is a basis for faithful worship. God’s faithfulness to His people never dries up; they can always count on God; this is why God expects faithful worship from them. Worship does not quit because God’s faithfulness never quits; Christians are faithful worshippers. Our world is shouting at us to worship less or quit worship altogether—all for illegitimate reasons. Yet, worship is never an exercise in futility when we remember that the faithfulness of the Lord is great and new every moment; with the psalmist, then, “His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Tomorrow, let’s see how the fruit of faithfulness can be shown to others. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord that your response to God’s call to worship will be based initially on God’s faithfulness to you in Christ, rather than some secondary reason. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Saturday September 8 - The fruit of the Spirit: FAITHFULNESS (1)

Daily devotional

Friday September 7 – The fruit of the Spirit: GOODNESS

Daily devotional

Thursday September 6 - The fruit of the Spirit: KINDNESS

Daily devotional

Wedenesday September 5 - The fruit of the Spirit: PATIENCE

Daily devotional

Tuesday September 4 – The fruit of the Spirit: PEACE

The fruit of the Spirit is…peace…. – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: Romans 15:1-13 If Christian joy is a residual of Christian love, then Christian peace is a residual of both Christian love and joy. When love is at work, then factions start to be erased, for joy takes the place of jealousy, and with that joy comes the blessings of peace. When we do good things for Christ’s sake because of His love for us, He brings us a satisfaction and peace that can only come from Him. The fruit of peace stems from the knowledge that God has restored order in our relationship with Him. As those who belong to and benefit from the Prince of Peace, it should not be surprising that it is a peace that the Christian seeks to promote in all facets of his life as far as it depends on him. Christians may not be endowed with every gift of the Spirit, but all Christians know the love, joy and peace of Christ in their hearts. These blessings from God move every Christian to be blessings of love, joy and peace to others, first of all to fellow Christians, so that the household of faith might be a peaceful witness to the world. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord might use you in gracious ways within the household of faith, so that you might be able to live at peace with your fellow-Christians as far as it depends on you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Monday September 3 – The fruit of the Spirit: JOY

The fruit of the Spirit is…joy... – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: Hebrews 12:1-3 Christian joy is deeper than the laughter from a good joke; it also carries us through times that are not humorous. Rejoicing in the Lord always doesn’t mean we will never shed a tear, but it does mean that we can take to heart that God works all things for our good. Christian joy remembers God’s constant blessings upon us as those belonging to Christ in life and in death. Joy follows love; it includes the outflow of love in one’s life to others. While hatred can lead to envy, which brings no joy, love accomplishes the opposite. Where love arrives, joy is near, for true love is expressed in joy and results in joy. We can only really enjoy life when we live in obedience to God showing the world that His love motivates us. Joy is tied both to love and hope. Jesus Christ saw that for the joy that was set before Him, he could endure the cross. May God grant to us the joy of what He has in store for us, as well as a joyful memory of what we have already in Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will sanctify your heart so that you will labour for the Lord with a joy that results in further joy for others. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Sunday September 2 - The fruit of the Spirit: LOVE

But the fruit of the Spirit is love…. – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: Galatians 5:16-26 The gifts of the Spirit are sometimes talked about more by Christians than the actual fruit of the Spirit that is shown. Yet, while not all the gifts of the Spirit belong to every Christian, the fruit of the Spirit are to be evident in all Christians. We can understand why the fruit of the Spirit starts with love. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God and a second like it is to love your neighbor. All the other virtues of spiritual fruit flow from love. Love comes first because it directs our attention to God, Who is love. Love is productive. When we are loving, we are giving — to our families, our churches, and others in need. Above all, love gives to God the glory due to His name, which we give especially in worship on the Lord’s Day. We know love best when we know Christ’s love, Who gave His life for us. Not surprisingly, the way in which we, first of all, bear the fruit of the Spirit is by the very way that God has treated us in Christ. Suggestions for prayer As you meditate on God’s unfailing love to you in Christ, pray that, on this Lord’s Day, the Lord might grant you the grace of His Holy Spirit to respond to His love with loving worship. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Saturday September 1 – Introduction

The September devotions focus on the Holy Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is covered first, followed by references to the Holy Spirit in the Heidelberg Catechism. We conclude with a devotional of assurance to Christians on the Holy Spirit’s presence. Reformed Christians often are accused of ignoring the Holy Spirit in the life and teaching of the church. However, when we realize that the believer could never make a confession of Jesus as Lord without the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3), and when we realize that it is the calling of every Christian to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), ignoring the Holy Spirit is impossible. If anyone is ignoring the Holy Spirit, it may be those who think they could make the profession of Christ without the Spirit of God, or it may be those who think that they should sin all the more so grace can abound. Those who ignore the Spirit ignore the Spirit’s word as those who have ears but do not hear. If Reformed teaching is accused of ignoring the Spirit, the accusation is a false one. The ignoring of the Spirit does occur; however, when our praise, our profession, our prayers and our practice does not display the impact that the Spirit of Christ has on a person’s life. By the grace of the Spirit, may this month’s devotional direct our lives to the need and praise of the Holy Spirit, whom any true Christian will not ignore. FRUITFUL LIVING IN THE SPIRIT If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. – Galatians 5:26 Scripture reading: Galatians 5:16-26 The call to be fruitful is nothing new from God. From the outset the Lord has called us, as human beings, not to be destructive, but to be productive in all facets of our lives. Before the fall, the Lord called humanity to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). The works of the flesh go against this cultural mandate from the Lord. It need not be this way for us when, by grace and through faith, we know we are saved from such a destructive way of life by Christ. When we are saved by Christ, the fruit of the Spirit begins to bear in all the relationships to which we are called. We discover that how we live in Christ matters. If the gospel of Jesus Christ and His precious blood mean anything to us, we will live like those who believe that how we behave in this world does matter. We will not allow our Christian freedom to be an opportunity for the flesh, but an opportunity to be fruitful in God’s vineyard. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord that for each new day He gives, you might use that day to be productive in His kingdom by the power of His Holy Spirit and in service to Christ your Saviour. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Friday August 31 - Wisely making the best use of the time

Daily devotional

Thursday August 30 - Praying for the appearance of the Lord Jesus

Daily devotional

Wednesday August 29 - Employers and employees

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters . . . Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also ha...

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 28 - Parents and children

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. - Colossia...

Daily devotional

Monday August 27 - Husbands and wives

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. - Colossians 3:18-19 Scripture reading: Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:15, 17 Members of the body of Christ have put off the old self with its practices and put on the new self that is being renewed after the image of its Creator. Their commitment to Christ is now all that matters since it is no longer they who live, but Christ Jesus who lives in them. What does this look like in Christian marriages? The wife will acknowledge the authority of her husband and submit to him, not because she is inferior, but because God has instituted a hierarchy where the wife follows her husband, as Paul writes: “For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives should be subject to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:23-24). A wife who has put on the Lord Jesus Christ and lives in Him will accept her subordinate place in this hierarchy as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, who have put on the Lord Jesus Christ, will love their wives. They will care for the wellbeing of their wives in a sacrificial manner like Christ did this for His body, His church. They will not become bitter and angry with their wives because they are not everything they had hoped they would be. Instead, they will let the peace of Christ rule their hearts (Col. 3:15) and give thanks to God the Father for all the good they have received in their wives (Col. 3:17). Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father that all husbands and wives would be given the grace to live as is fitting in the Lord. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Sunday August 26 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. - Colossians 3:16 Scripture reading: Ephesians 4:15-16 Does the Word of Christ dwell in you and among your congregation? In the light of verse 16, take a test. First, what place does reading, meditating and studying the Bible have in your life and the life of the congregation? The more we do this, the more the Word will dwell in every part of our being, our thoughts, feelings and desires, being a living force in our lives, encouraging us to daily die with Christ and rise with Him to a new life so that He is all and in all. The second test is: what place does teaching and admonishing one another with the Word have in your marriage, family and congregation? By nature, we love ourselves more than our neighbour. That’s why we need to teach and admonish one another with the Word and others need to do this to us so that our love can be conformed to the image of Christ. This is not easy and needs to be done with wisdom. When we do this, the Word of Christ will dwell in us and among us and the body of Christ will build itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16). The third test is: what place does singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness have in your life and the life of the congregation? Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ involves feelings and desires. Music influences our feelings and desires. The more we sing Christian songs and listen to them, the more the Word of Christ will dwell in our hearts. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to enable you to make a good use of the means of grace He has given you to have the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Saturday August 25 - Love that binds together in perfect harmony

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. - Colossians 3:14 Scripture reading: John 13:34-35 The Lord Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment. He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” When He said that the Law and the Prophets depend upon the twofold commandment of love, the Lord Jesus meant that the Christian life was about learning how to love God and your neighbor. Before He ascended into heaven, He repeated this commandment and added that love for each other would be the mark of identification of the Christian church. Paul writes that love binds all things together in perfect harmony in a twofold way. First, love binds all the virtues he had just listed together. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness are all manifestations of love. In his letter to the Galatians, he wrote that the fruit of the Spirit is love and then follow eight manifestations of love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Love binds all its different manifestations together in perfect harmony. But love not only binds its different manifestations together, it also binds the congregation together in perfect harmony. Without love, the congregation falls apart. Without love, the world will not recognize the church as the body of Christ, the new man! With love, all men will know that we are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord Jesus to clothe you with Himself so that His love shines in and through you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Friday August 24 - Wearing the clothing that fits our new self

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience ... – Colossians 3:12-13 Scripture reading: Philippians 2:1-5 Members of the body of Christ, the church, have put off the old self with its practices and put on the new self that is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Racial, religious, cultural and social barriers no longer separate them because Christ is all and in all. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is like putting on new clothing so that Christ is all around us and can be recognized in and through us. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we become people with compassionate hearts like the Good Samaritan who saw a person in need, was moved with compassion and did something. We become kind and generous like God has been kind and generous towards us. We become humble, considering others better than ourselves and their interests more important than ours. We become meek and gentle, considerate, willing to give up our rights and willing to be injured rather than asserting ourselves and injuring others. We become patient in the face of wrongdoing and irritating behaviour, not lashing out in anger, but patiently enduring, like God. We bear with one another, persevering in the relationship when someone does not live up to our expectations. If someone offends us, we take the initiative and forgive like God did with us. This is why God chose us, set us apart, loved us and gave us new clothing in the Lord Jesus Christ. He did this so that we would spread the life of Eden and win others for the Lord Jesus Christ and this life in Him and His church. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord Jesus to clothe you with Himself so that His compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience shine in and through you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Thursday August 23 - Christ is all and in all

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. - Colossians 3:11 ...

Daily devotional

Wednesday August 22 - Put to death what is earthly in you

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 21 - Seeking the things that are above

Daily devotional

Monday August 20 - Hidden with Christ in God

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. - Colossians 3:3 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:1-4 When the Lord Jesus Christ ...

Daily devotional

Sunday August 19 - Guard your freedom in Christ

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations? - Colossians 2:20 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:16-23 Most like the song In Christ Alone. “In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song. This Cornerstone, this solid ground... This is the power of Christ in me.” How firm is your confession of Christ alone in your life? Do you allow yourself to be judged by others as if Christ is not sufficient for you? Do you judge others as if Christ is not sufficient for them? You want them, or others want you to believe in Christ plus some regulation. Do you allow yourself to be disqualified by others as if Christ is not sufficient for you? Do you disqualify others as if Christ is not sufficient for them? You want them, or others want you to believe in some rule in addition to Christ. This is happening to the Colossians. Others were judging them in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival, a new moon or a Sabbath. Others were disqualifying them, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, and going on about visions. They were forgetting that because they had died with Christ to these regulations, they should no longer submit to them. In doing so, they were not living in the freedom in which Christ had placed them. When we are judged or disqualified by others or when we judge and disqualify others because we want them to submit to Christ plus some regulation, we are also not living in the freedom Christ has placed us or allowing others to live in this freedom. Suggestions for prayer Thank your heavenly Father for the freedom you have in Christ and live in this freedom through faith, allowing others to do the same. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Saturday August 18 - Disarming the rulers and authorities

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. - Colossians 2:15 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:13-15 Baptism not only reminds us of our burial and resurrection with the Lord Jesus Christ, it also reminds us that God, with the Flood, drowned the whole known world except Noah and his family, and with the waters of the Red Sea, drowned the obstinate Pharaoh and his army. Baptism was signified by these two events showing us that it is both a violent and a gracious event; violent because it shows us we need to die to our old nature because we are conceived and born in sin and by nature children of wrath and cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless we die, like the people of the Flood and Pharaoh with his army, and are born again. It is a gracious event because it shows that, just like God saved Noah and his family and led Israel through the Red Sea, so our old nature has been buried with Christ and raised to newness of life in Him. Paul reminds the Colossians of the violence and grace in their baptism, stating that it not only is a sign and seal of their having died and risen with Christ, but also a sign and seal of God having disarmed the rulers and authorities by triumphing over them in Christ. With His death on the cross, He defeated all earthly and demonic powers that want to hold us captive and triumphed over them as His resurrection and ascension demonstrated. Baptism is a powerful illustration that we are included in this violent and gracious victory. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to help you remember that your baptism is an illustration that you have been freed in Christ from enslaving powers. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Friday August 17 - Raised with Christ in baptism

.... in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. - Colossians 2:12b Scripture reading: Romans 6:1-11 The Form for the Baptism of Infants explains being baptized into the name of God the Son as follows: “The Son seals unto us that He washes us in His blood from all our sins, incorporating us into the fellowship of His death and resurrection, so that we are freed from our sins and accounted righteous before God.” Those who are baptized into the name of the Son have the washing of their sins and the daily renewing of their lives in Christ. But what we have in Christ needs to be imparted to us through the Holy Spirit as we take ownership of our baptism. Therefore, at the close of each baptism of infants, we pray that God would govern these children with His Holy Spirit so that they may be nurtured in the Christian faith. When, by the grace of God, this happens, children are not only in Christ, but Christ is also in them, so they can say it is no longer they who live, but Christ Jesus who lives in them (Galatians 2:20). When unbelievers become Christians and are baptized, being in Christ and having Christ often occur at the same time. For their children who are baptized, however, there is almost always a time gap between the two. Sometimes, —Christ being in them—never happens. For the Colossians, it did and Paul describes this miracle of grace as a being raised with Christ. The power of God that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead also spiritually raised them from the dead and now lives in them. Suggestions for prayer Thank your heavenly Father that the risen Christ also lives in you. If not, ask for this miracle of grace to take place. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Thursday August 16 - Buried with Christ in baptism

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism... – Colossians 2:11-12a Scripture reading: Exodus 28:6-21 Baptism is an identity marker reminding us we are not our own, but belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, not only because we are baptized in His name, but also because we were buried with Him in baptism. To understand our being in Christ, it is helpful to remind ourselves of Old Testament Israel being in the high priest. On each of his shoulders he had a stone engraved with the names of six of the tribes of Israel. In the breast piece of judgment, he had four rows of three stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus, when he was wearing his official robes, Israel went with him, so to speak, because as their representative he acted for them and as their substitute he acted in their place. The Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of the Old Testament high priest. He functioned as the representative and substitute of New Testament Israel, the church, His body. When He died, the members of His body died with him. Baptism is a sign and seal of our having died and been buried with Christ. Because, in the Old Testament, circumcision made with hands was an identity marker that members of the church had been cut off from the life of the flesh in the world—the old order—and had been placed in the church—the new order. Paul calls our being buried with Christ, in baptism, the circumcision of Christ, made without hands. It is a sign and seal that, in Christ, we have died to the life of the flesh in the world. Suggestions for prayer Thank your heavenly Father that in Christ you have died to the life of the flesh in the world and have been placed in the new order of life in the church. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Wednesday August 15 - Baptism as an identity marker

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 14 - Filled with the fullness of God

Daily devotional

Monday August 13 - Maturing in Christ

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, ab...

Daily devotional

Sunday August 12 - Maturity in Christ and spiritual warfare

Daily devotional

Saturday August 11 - Maturity in Christ

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. - Colossians 1:29 Scripture reading: Ephesians 4:11-16 Why do ministers preach and visit the members of the congregation? Why do elders make pastoral visits? Why do you busy yourself with the Scriptures? Why are you a member of the body of Christ? According to our Scripture reading, ministry in the church is about attaining the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, as we grow up into Him. That is why the Lord Jesus is gathering, defending and preserving His church. That is why He gives the church pastors, elders, and deacons. That is why He wants you to be an active and living member of His body: maturing in Christ and helping others mature in Christ. Because this is what being church is about, Paul toils and teaches with all his energy that God powerfully works within him to present everyone mature in Christ. Paul had written that the goal of God reconciling His people to Himself was to present them to Himself as holy, blameless and irreproachable living sacrifices for approval on the Day of Judgment (Col. 1:22). Working to present everyone mature in Christ is saying the same thing in regard to their maturity in Christ. This is what Paul strives for as he writes elsewhere that he has been crucified with Christ and it is no longer he who lives, but Christ who lives in him (Galatians 2:20). This is also what he strives for everyone else as he writes that he is in anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in the members of the congregation (Galatians 4:19). Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to help you keep the goal of maturity in Christ foremost in your mind when it concerns being a member of the church. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Friday August 10 - The mystery: Christ in us, the hope of glory

... the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. - Colossians 1:26 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:24-29 Paul suffered for the sake of Christ because God called him to make the Word of God fully known, especially to the Gentiles. He refers to this Word of God as the mystery hidden for ages, but now revealed to His saints. After Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, God promised that He would send a Messiah Who would defeat evil at its source, rescuing people from sin and transforming them into His image (Genesis 3:15). Moreover, He also promised that the Gentiles would be included in this work of rescue from sin and transformation into His image (Genesis 12:3). Israel knew this good news about the Messiah, but it had not been revealed to the Gentiles. Because they did not know this good news, Paul refers to it as a mystery. When Paul began to preach about the Messiah, the Gentiles became aware of the mystery that Christ was also working in them with the powers of rescue from sin and transformation into God’s image. They became aware that they are included in the body of the Messiah, the church, on the same basis as the Jews: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What makes this magnificent is that it includes the hope of glory. One day, both Jews and Gentiles who have put on Christ through faith and led a life worthy of being in Him because it is no longer they who live, but Christ who lives in them, will be glorified with the Messiah and rule a new earth with Him. Suggestions for prayer Thank your heavenly Father that He has made you a member of the church and is working in you with the powers of rescue from sin and transformation into His image. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Thursday August 9 - Rejoicing in your suffering for Christ

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. - Colossians 1:24 Scripture reading: Psalm 2 Living a life worthy of being in Christ costs Paul a lot of suffering. Yet, that he rejoices in this should not surprise us for earlier in his letter he prayed that the Father of the Lord Jesus would strengthen the Colossians with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy (1:11). What he prayed for them, he had experienced and was still experiencing himself! God was strengthening Paul in his sufferings for the sake of Christ by reminding him that in his sufferings he was filling up what was lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body. Now, only Christ could and did bear this suffering. As a result, there is nothing lacking in this suffering for our sin. But there is another kind of suffering the Lord Jesus endured while on earth. Psalm 2 speaks about the nations raging, the peoples plotting in vain and the kings of the earth rebelling and the rulers taking counsel together against the LORD and His anointed. As the Anointed of the LORD, Christ experienced the affliction of this opposition. While Christ is in heaven, He continues to experience opposition in His body, His church. Thus, when Paul and other Christians experience opposition to living a life worthy of being in Christ, they fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for these will not be over until the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Paul considers it an honour and joy to fill up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to enable you to rejoice in your sufferings for Christ because you are filling up what is lacking in His sufferings for the sake of His body. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Wednesday August 8 - The cost of discipleship

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. - Colossians 1:24 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 11:21b-29 What does it cost you to live a life worthy of being in Christ, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every kind of good work and increasing in the knowledge of God? If we were to ask Paul, we know what he would say. Living a life worthy of being in Christ costs him a lot of suffering. The Lord Jesus Christ had warned the people of His day that this would be the case when He said: “Whoever does not bear His own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). The Lord Jesus appeared to Ananias in a vision and told him to tell Saul (Paul) that He would show him just how much he was going to have to suffer for the sake of His name (Acts 9:16). In our Scripture reading Paul shares with the Corinthians how much he has indeed suffered for Christ. Paul had just urged the Colossians to persevere in the Christian faith, being steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which had been proclaimed in all creation and of which he had become a minister. While he had written this, he was in prison in Caesarea, waiting to be transferred to Rome. Who knows what further suffering awaited him for living a life worthy of being in Christ, bearing fruit in every kind of good work and increasing in the knowledge of God? What does it cost you to live a life worthy of being in Christ? Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to be willing to count the cost for following the Lord Jesus and then to grant you the strength for doing so. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 7 - Persevering in the faith

... if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard... - Colossians 1:23a Scrip...

Daily devotional

Monday August 6 - The Mediator of re-creation

...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. - Colossians 1:20 Sc...

Daily devotional

Sunday August 5 - The Mediator of Creation

For in him all things were created, . . . all things were created through him and for him and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 16 and ...

Daily devotional

Saturday August 4 - Living in a manner worthy of the Lord

Daily devotional

Friday August 3 - The fruit of hope

... because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. - Colossians 1:5 Scripture reading: Romans 8:18-25 Why do you continue to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and participate in His ministry of love? According to Paul, we do this because as members of the body of Christ, we have the hope that all things will be made new when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Then we will no longer groan because of the brokenness of our human condition, but we will receive glorified bodies. Creation will also no longer groan because of its bondage to corruption, but share in our glorified state by being glorified itself. We wait for the fulfillment of this hope with patience, while creation waits with eager longing for the fulfillment of our hope. Because we have this hope, we continue to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that only through being joined to Him, through faith, will we experience the fulfillment of this hope. Anyone who does not abide in the Lord Jesus Christ is thrown into the fire and burned. Having this hope, we continue to love because we know that even if we have faith that can remove mountains, but have not love, we are nothing. Moreover, we want to give others a foretaste of the life of the new heaven and earth by participating in Jesus’ ministry of love today. When people hear that you are a Christian, is this what they hear about you: you are a person of faith, hope and love? When they hear that you belong to a Christian congregation, is this what they hear about your congregation: your congregation is a congregation of faith, hope and love? Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to make you and your congregation known to your environment as people of faith, love and hope. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Thursday August 2 - The fruit of faith

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints... - Colossians 1:3-4 Scripture reading: John 15:1-11 Faith unites us to the Lord Jesus Christ so that we share in His fellowship of love with His Father. When we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for our rescue from the power, pollution, partition and penalty of sin, we take hold of Him and put Him on, so that we are no longer clothed in our unrighteousness, but clothed in Him and His righteousness. We are no longer our own, but belong to Him and share in His fellowship of love with His Father. We are adopted into the Father’s family and are loved with the same love with which the Father loves the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith also unites us to the Lord Jesus Christ so that we share in His ministry of love from His Father that He carries out through His body, His church. The Lord Jesus speaks about this with the metaphor of the vine and the branches, saying that if we want to bear the fruit of love, we need to abide in Him through faith. When we do, the mystery of love will take place in our lives much like the mystery of grapes growing on a vine. As we live in Christ through faith, the Lord Jesus Christ transforms us into His image as He reproduces His life in our lives through His Holy Spirit so that we become His eyes, ears and mouth, His hands and feet in this world. This is what it means to be His body on earth. Paul had heard about this fruit of faith of the Colossians. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to unite you to His Son through faith so that it is no longer you who live, but Christ Jesus who lives in you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Wednesday August 1 - Introduction, and the fruit of love

This month’s meditations will focus on Paul’s epistle to the Colossians. When the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, He withdrew Himself from our three-dimensional experience of reality and ascended into another dimension of God’s created reality known as heaven. While the disciples saw the Lord Jesus ascend, they did not see him enter into heaven for the cloud of God’s glory took Him out of their sight. Since His ascension, the Lord Jesus Christ is hidden in the glory of His Father and glorified together with Him. However, the Lord Jesus Christ is not only hidden in the glory of the Father, Christians are also hidden with Christ in the glory of the Father (3:3). As the expression “in Christ” so also the expression “with Christ” shows that we participate in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We participate in what He did in the past, what He is doing in the present and what He will do in the future. We died and arose with Him, we ascended with Him in glory and we will appear with Him in glory. This participation with Christ is a hidden reality, as is the reality of our life being hidden with Christ in the glory of the Father. That the source of our life is hidden with Christ in the Father is not visible to others. It is also not visible to ourselves. We need to believe this. In a sense, Colossians is all about the different facets of the hidden reality of our real life and true existence: our life being hidden with Christ in the glory of the Father. That’s why I have entitled the series Hidden with Christ in God. I enjoyed writing these meditations. I was edified in doing so. I hope and pray that you will be too. ***** We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints... – Colossians 1:3-4 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 13 When people hear that you are a Christian, what do they hear about you? When they hear that you belong to a Christian congregation, what do they hear about your congregation? If we were to ask Paul this question about the church of Colossae, what would he say? What had he heard about its members? What had he heard about the congregation? Paul had not planted this church. Epaphras had planted it. At the moment of writing, Paul is in prison in Caesarea. What did he hear about the church in Colossae while he is waiting to be transferred to Rome? What set this congregation and its members apart from its pagan environment? Paul had heard about their love for each other. The pagan world in which the members of the congregation lived was marked by lust, anger and lies that split up families and other communities. The Christian church, however, was marked by love that united families and the church community. Even major differences, such as race, social background and culture no longer drove a wedge between the members of the church. This did not mean that everyone had good feelings toward one another. They may have. But it meant that when others were rude, they were kind. When others offended them, they forgave. When others rejected them, they accepted them. This is ultimately what the Christian faith is about, as the summary of the law the Lord Jesus taught us. If we do not have this love, we are really nothing according to 1 Corinthians 13. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to pour out His love in you through His Holy Spirit so that others may experience His love in and through you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Tuesday July 31 - Christ's ascension

Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven… - Luke 24:50-53 Scripture reading: Acts 1:1-11 By faith, we are united with the Lord Jesus, also when He ascends into heaven and returns to be with God the Father. That’s where He lives and that’s where our house will be also. Just as the High Priest left when entering the Holy of Holies, bearing the names of God’s people on his breastplate, the ephod, so Jesus enters the heavenly dwelling place of God, bearing on His heart the names of those the Father had given Him. And just as the High Priest would bless the LORD’s people after having made atonement for their sins, so the Lord Jesus ascends into heaven blessing His disciples, the apostles and foundation of His Christian Church. This ascension happened in a field near Bethany to signify that now the whole earth was forecourt of the heavenly sanctuary. Heaven and earth were united in Jesus Christ the High Priest, Lord of lords and King of kings! Upon His return from heaven, He will cleanse the earth from everything unholy! In anticipation of this return, we now continue in our service to Him, wherever our place, whatever our calling. Over all His children and over every work in His service, we may see His blessing hands. Meanwhile, He will guide us from heaven and will gather, defend and preserve His Church by His Spirit and Word, sending us into service under the weekly blessing of His High Priestly Blessing as commanded in Numbers 6:22-27! With the disciples, therefore, we too may leave our worship service to Him, rejoicing! Suggestions for prayer Pray to Christ, our Intercessor, in every situation of your life, for every need in your service, thanking Him for His blessings! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Monday July 30 - Jesus and the beloved apostle

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them… When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?" - John 21:2...

Daily devotional

Sunday July 29 - Peter's restoration in office

“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” he said to Him, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs....

Daily devotional

Saturday July 28 - The report of the guard

Tell people, "His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep." And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him an...

Daily devotional

Friday July 27 - Remember His words: "Christ has risen!"

Daily devotional

Thursday July 26 - The graves were opened

The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised… – Matthew 27:52-53 Scripture reading: Matthew 27:45-56 Christ’s death on the cross was an earth-quaking event, shaking the foundations of the earth, but also breaking up the old effects of sin, even making an end to death. We can see the significance of the moment Christ yielded up His spirit! In the temple, the veil was rent from top to bottom, God making an end to Old Testament worship and establishing New Testament communion with those who seek their life in Christ. God was going to make all things new! He also signified this by the resurrection of those who had died and appeared in the city as evidence of Christ’s resurrection and its powerful effect of the restoration of life! Not everyone was raised, not even all the saints; yet, there were those, who belonged to Jesus before their death, who were raised to announce the beginnings of new life and of the resurrection from the dead of those who belonged to Jesus! They were a living testimony that Jesus, with His death, had conquered death. Christ was the first-born of the dead and their resurrection was a fruit of Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s death was not only earth quaking, it also shook up the realm of the dead. Those who belong to Jesus will live, though they still have to die (to sin); they will live and reign with Christ forever. They share in the first resurrection, even though their bodies are resting in the earth. What great incentive for our sanctification today, for the renewal of life, as the beginning of eternal life! Suggestions for prayer Pray for a new heart, a new life and for the help of the Holy Spirit in our daily sanctification. Ask for comfort and strength if you are living with the empty place of a loved one who has died. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Wednesday July 25 – "Not one of His bones will be broken"

For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.” - John 19:36 Scripture reading: John 19:28-37 God was working toward the eternal Sabbath when He restored the day of rest. On the day of Passover, God established the rest which Israel could enjoy once they arrived in Canaan. This rest was obtained by the Passover lamb, initially, and would be fulfilled by the Lamb of God, the Messiah. On the Sabbath that came after that Good Friday of Golgotha, the Jews did not accept the fulfillment of this promised rest in the death of the Lamb of God. They were focussed on the Man on the cross Whose body they had to remove so their Sabbath would not be defiled. Hence, they asked Pilate if this death could be hastened. If only they had listened closely to God’s Passover requirements for the proper Lamb; namely that His bones should not be broken! If only they had made the connection with Jesus as the Lamb of God, Whose bones did not need to be broken since He had died already (surprisingly!). If only they had seen God in the fulfilment of His Word in Psalm 34, they would have shared in the rest He had established! They did not believe and were blinded by their hatred of Him and their unbelief in God’s promises. Those who do believe will enjoy the rest, the peace with God, thanks to Christ’s sacrifice. Today, we may be reminded of the fulfilment of God’s Word as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, eating of the one bread, signifying one body, so that we may share in this one rest for everyone who believes! Suggestions for prayer Pray for the rest in Christ, a foretaste of the eternal Sabbath. Thank God for the constant reminder of the rest Christ established as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Tuesday July 24 – "Today you will be with me in Paradise"

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly…" – Luke 23:39-43 Scripture reading: Luke 23:33-43 Two criminals were crucified with Jesus, one at either side. They both deserved their punishment. Both addressed Jesus with a last petition. The one spoke to Him in a challenging, mocking way: “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” Only if Christ would get him and Himself out of this terrible predicament, would he believe that He was the Christ. Like many people, they will accept God if and when they’re rescued from their earthly trouble and distress, but otherwise… they’ll ignore and reject Him. Jesus did not respond to this man’s petition. The other criminal, however, knew his sin and guilt and confessed the justice of God in the punishment he suffered at the cross. He also knew that Jesus was hanging there innocently, that He was hanging there for the sins of others. Thus he pleads with Jesus if He could also bear his sin and guilt and remember him for a place in God’s kingdom instead of in the hellish forsakenness that he deserved! This criminal probably knew Jesus, was raised with the Scriptures and the promises of the Messiah. He recognized in Jesus the Redeemer and he remembered God’s grace with His sinful people, Israel, again and again. Hence he prays for mercy, for forgiveness and for the fulfillment of God’s promises. His prayer was heard when Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Suggestions for prayer Pray in awareness of sin and guilt. Ask in humbleness of heart for forgiveness. And thank God for His grace and mercy which Christ obtained for us on the cross by bearing our sins. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

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