Daily devotional

Friday June 29 - Lust: a way forward

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. - 1 Timothy 2:22...

Daily devotional

Thursday June 28 - Jesus Christ and our lust

Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. - Ephesia...

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 27 - Lust defined

The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body...Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commi...

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 26 - Lust defined

Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. - ...

Daily devotional

Monday June 25 - Gluttony: a way forward

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. - Matthew 5:6 Scripture reading: Matthew 5:1-20 Eating good food today requires some degree of discipline. We can often eat based solely on an appetite that demands to be instantly and easily satisfied, often with food that lacks nutritional value and the ingredients for long-term health. A pathway to change includes a slow change in our appetite. As we learn to eat healthier foods, to cook with fresher ingredients, we will find our appetites themselves changing, where we develop a desire for something better. Gluttony, as we have defined it, is inordinate desire, particularly for food and drink. Desire is not the problem, for our Maker designed us with desires to be fulfilled. We need to cultivate desires for what is truly meaningful and lasting, for Jesus Christ Himself. C.S. Lewis once wrote: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. Earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only arouse it...If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy...I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country...” Feed on Christ and His Word. Fast while we wait for the Bridegroom to return. Believe Jesus when He said, “I am the Bread of Life.” Come, believe, take the bread and the cup. Suggestions for prayer: “May I seek first Thy kingdom and its righteousness. May I value things in relation to eternity. May my spiritual welfare be my chief solicitude.” – The Valley of Vision; Desires This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Sunday June 24 - Jesus Christ and our gluttony

Jesus said...My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work. – John 4:34 Scripture reading: John 4:1-38 Jesus enjoyed His Father's world, including the blessing of food and drink. We find Him often in homes, enjoying table fellowship with a wide array of folks. However, He never allowed the enjoyment of food and other physical pleasures to distract Him from His calling. At the beginning of His ministry, the Spirit showed Him the self-sacrificial nature of that calling by driving Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus fasts for 40 days to stay sharp, aware, focused as He battled Satan's wiles and deceptions. Every day of His life He fought against the temptation to find His joy in the gifts of His Father, rather than in His Father Himself. To His opponents, His eating and drinking presented a reason to criticize Him: “Look at Him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Matt. 11:19). To those who believe, it is another display of His true identity; He has become like us in every way, sin excepted. He is the Bread of Life. He is the One we hunger and thirst after, that we might be filled. He is the one who, on the eve of His betrayal and crucifixion, ministered to His church: “This is my body, which is given for you...this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Faith in Jesus Christ is the cure for all gluttony after the treasures of this world. Suggestions for prayer: “As the outward elements nourish my body, so may thy indwelling Spirit invigorate my soul, until that day when I hunger and thirst no more, and sit with Jesus at his heavenly feast.” – The Valley of Vision: The Lord's Supper This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Saturday June 23 - Gluttony defined

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has set his seal. – John 6:27 Scripture reading: Psalm 63 Here's a definition of gluttony: an inordinate desire for food and drink. We take God's good gifts and we want them too much. Ultimately we hunger for something more than for God. Gluttony is more about our hearts than our mouths or stomachs. Frederick Buechner once wrote, “A glutton is one who raids the icebox for spiritual malnutrition.” We easily escape into food instead of drawing near to Jesus. We can fill the void in our stomach as a way of masking our desperate need to cry out, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you...My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food” (Psalm 63:1, 5). Is gluttony really that serious? Does it deserve mention alongside pride and lust? If we are not careful, we will lose our appetite for our true home, the place where true satisfaction lies, and for the true bread, the Bread of Life. We will lose our taste for true spiritual pleasures, we will joy in lesser things, we will notice the smell of meat grilling on the BBQ but miss the presence of the Spirit convicting us of sin and calling us to obedience. Be careful: you live in a land full of abundance. You will have to fight hard to find your joy in Christ. “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Suggestions for prayer “Deliver me from every evil habit...everything that dims the brightness of thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in thee.” – The Valley of Vision: Confession This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Friday June 22 - Gluttony defined

Food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. - Psalm 104:14-15 Scripture reading: Psalm 104 The Bible starts with Adam and Eve in a garden full of trees bearing all kinds of good food. The Bible ends with a wedding feast. In between, God rains down food for his people in the form of quails and manna; He appears to enjoy seeing us break bread together! Elijah is discouraged; God sends ravens with food to nourish and comfort him. The sacrificial system and Passover involved eating to the glory of God. Jesus chose to first reveal His power and identity by multiplying wine at a wedding – vats full of the best wine. He saw 5000 hungry and decided to feed them all by multiplying very little. He raises up the daughter of Jairus, and immediately tells them to give her something to eat. Everywhere we look in Scripture we see the affirmation of the aesthetics, the variety, the nourishment, the joy of food and eating. Paul includes the legalistic denial of certain foods as belonging to the “doctrine of demons” - “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (I Timothy 4:4). “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do” (Eccl. 9:7). Suggestions for prayer “I love Thee for giving me clusters of grapes in the wilderness, and drops of heavenly wine that set me longing to have my fill. Apart from Thee I quickly die, bereft of Thee I starve.” – The Valley of Vision: Blessings This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Thursday June 21 – Greed: a way forward

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food...

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 20 - Jesus Christ and our greed

Fool...so is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. – Luke 12:21 Scripture reading: Luke 12:1-21 What could you...

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 19 – Greed defined

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves w...

Daily devotional

Monday June 18 - Greed defined

Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." – Hebrews...

Daily devotional

Sunday June 17 - Sloth: a way forward

“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” – Hebrews 12:1,3 Scripture reading: Hebrews 11 It is clear we can easily underestimate the seriousness of this sin. We fail to notice how deceptively the enemy is lulling us into a sleepy spiritual apathy. But is there a worse diagnosis, that we have lost our awe of the living God? The writer of Hebrews enjoins us to fight and endure like the men and women of Chapter 11. How? Here are a few thoughts (some of this is from Brian Hedges' Hit List). Don't give up and quit. You will be tempted to fall asleep at precisely the moment when vigilance and zeal are most needful. Don't resign yourself to this lifestyle. Meditate on the Scriptures that encourage alertness, endurance, perseverance and hard work. Don't resort to artificial stimulants that often accompany a disinterested and apathetic lifestyle: alcohol, drugs, binging on food or TV, shopping, pornography. Care for those in need: recognize the opportunities that God is presenting in your life; give up your indifference to a broken world. Be earnest in your pursuit of assurance; trust in God's promises, so that you will see yourself as involved in the great purposes of God in this world. “We desire each of you to show the same earnestness, to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promise” (Heb. 6:11-12). Suggestion for prayer “Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in Thee, the divine treasury in whom all fullness dwells” – The Valley of Vision: Grace Active This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Saturday June 16 – Jesus Christ and our sloth

Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2 Scripture reading: Psalm 51 Where does a broken soul go to find cleansing, balm, hope? The foil to the sin of sloth is to turn to Jesus Christ with the kind of open, honest pleading that we hear from David in Psalm 51. Here there is finally not only a sincere repentance, but also an earnest request for joy and gladness, for a clean heart, a right spirit, the power of the Holy Spirit. David wants a clean slate, but also a new kind of life. God the Father is remaking His children in the image of our elder brother, Jesus Christ. Here is a Man full of energy and passion. His heart breaks over the brokenness of the world, weeps over Jerusalem, becomes angry in the temple, embraces children in his arms, engages his imagination in the telling of powerful parables. He is truly “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53). He was fully engaged in His calling, alert and responsive to the Scriptures, never indifferent to people's needs or disinterested in our affairs. This is your Lord and Savior. Look to Him and follow His lead. Suggestions for prayer “If traces of Christ's love-artistry be upon me, may He work on with His divine brush, until the complete image be obtained, and I be made a perfect copy of Him, my Master.” – The Valley of Vision: The Love of Jesus This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Friday June 15 – Sloth defined

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. – Proverbs 19:15 Scripture reading: 2 Samuel 11 I heard that sloths sleep 15-20 hours a day. Physical laziness, a lack of ambition, a faltering imagination, are symptoms of a core lack of interest in God Himself. It is not necessarily a lack of activity; we have so much to do, so many gadgets to fiddle around on, so many TV channels to surf through. William Willamon writes, “Failing to have our attention grabbed by anything of lasting value, our eyes, our minds wander, restlessly roving, failing to alight on anything worth having.” I call it the David vs. Daniel phenomenon. In 2 Samuel 11, we find David growing rather apathetic as his kingdom has grown and his wealth has increased. He is surrounded by distractions and opportunities for pleasure. His lack of zeal and godly energy serve as gateway sins that end with lust, adultery, murder, lying, and much more. Daniel, on the other hand, the teenaged exile in the land of Babylon, one who we might excuse much more for lacking in energy and passion, fights to maintain his grip on God. His refusal to eat the delicacies at the king's table is not ultimately a matter of fidelity to Jewish dietary laws. He works hard to maintain his identity in a pagan, ungodly world. Where is your passion for God's Word, for the kingdom of Jesus Christ? Have you fallen into a spiritual malaise? What's wrong with us when we can spend hours on Facebook but have trouble spending ten minutes of quality time getting to know our Savior more? Have we become bored with God? Suggestion for prayer “Invigorate my love that it may rise worthily to Thee, tightly entwine itself round Thee, be allured by Thee.” – The Valley of Vision: Journeying On This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Thursday June 14 - Sloth defined

I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. - Proverbs 24:30-31 Scripture reading: Proverbs 24 As though answering our confusion about sloth being on this list, Proverbs loves to give us visual pictures of the dangers of this besetting sin (just do a Google search on sloth). It is not just his lawn and garden and grounds that are unkempt and disordered. It is symptomatic of his heart and life. His plans and priorities and energies are skewered with thorns, strewn with nettles, ineffective like a broken stone wall. C.S. Lewis once wrote: “You will say these are very small sins... it does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turning, without milestone, without signposts.” This is sloth, a true slippery slope towards apathy, disinterest, indifference. Dorothy Sayers describes it as: “the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, enjoys nothing, seeks to know nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive only because there is nothing it would die for.” We will encapsulate it this way: sloth is boredom with God. Suggestions for prayer “I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns and thistles; I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away; I live bare and barren as a winter tree...Lord, dost thou have mercy on me?” – The Valley of Vision: Heart Corruptions This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 13 – Anger: a way forward

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. �...

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 12 – Jesus Christ and our anger

Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:29 Scripture re...

Daily devotional

Monday June 11 - Anger defined

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have,...

Daily devotional

Sunday June 10 – Anger defined

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity for the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27 Scripture reading:...

Daily devotional

Saturday June 9 - Envy: a way forward

Now the works of the flesh are evident...envy...but the fruit of the Spirit is love...kindness...goodness... – Galatians 5:19-23 Scripture reading: Galatians 5 Secure in the love of Jesus Christ and our identity as the Father's children, I have no need to envy my brother or sister. I am a recipient of favor and kindness and grace that I could never earn or pay for. There is no higher or better privilege to reach for. Harold Abrams and Eric Liddell were both runners in the Olympic Games. Harold was 'known to have said to his girlfriend before a race, “If I can't win, I won't run at all.” Eric once said, “When I run, I feel God's pleasure” – not when I win, but when I run. The cross of Christ liberates us from envy into a spirit of compassion for one another. Content in what the Father has chosen to give to me, I am now freed up to want the best for you. The next time a friend receives a compliment that you have long desired, pray for the grace to authentically express your joy over his success. When a brother's daughter succeeds, be happy with what the Lord has blessed you with, and be joyful with your brother. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Look for opportunities to do good when no one but God will notice. Drop the need for recognition. Rejoice just in the brazen love of God for you. Suggestions for prayer “Let my happy place be amongst the poor in spirit, my delight the gentle ranks of the meek.” – The Valley of Vision: Christlikeness This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Friday June 8 - Jesus Christ and our envy

Jesus Christ...though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant... – Philippians 2:6-7 Scripture reading: Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus took upon Himself, bore all the way to the cross, our envy. It was certainly not His own sin that caused Him to become accursed on Calvary. His life was one of giving up the highest position possible, considering it of greater joy for Himself and glory to the Godhead, to come down to earth and identify with the lowly. Envy is satisfied only in the lowering of someone who I perceive to be better or better off than me. Our Savior is satisfied only when He is unjustly punished and the guilty go free. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus did not require others to be brought lower to experience His identity as the Son of God and the one sent to die for the sins of the world. He was absolutely secure in His Father's love and will. There is nothing twisted in His approach to us. He is the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine behind and will seek after the one sheep who was lost: “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” This is what He longs after, this is what He rejoices in, the salvation of sinners, sons and daughters rejoicing around the table in His Father's kingdom: “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost!” Suggestions for prayer “Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy, cast off that I might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend.” – The Valley of Vision: Love Lustres at Calvary This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Thursday June 7 - Envy defined

Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands...And Saul eyed David from that day on. – 1 Samuel 18:7-9 Scripture reading: 1 Samuel 18 Envy is similar to jealousy, but it is not strictly a desire for something that someone else has that I want. It is a hatred for the person who has it. In fact, because someone has something that I do not, some advantage over me, I cannot be satisfied or happy until it is taken away from him. Envy rejoices with those who weep and weeps with those who rejoice. In the new top ten hits on the streets of Israel, Saul is praised for his exploits, but he can no longer hear the song because David is praised even more. Envy always says, but what about me? Someone is elected to an office in the church that I desired. A fellow employee is promoted ahead of me. A sister in the church has a personality and warmth that you long for. For the envious, these are not reasons to give thanks to God for his blessings upon others; these are reasons for despair and anger. Look in the church nursery. Little Marie may seem as happy as a clam playing with her favourite toy animal until she sees Little Beth laughing over a princess car. Little Marie, green with envy, now cannot be happy until the car is in her possession and Beth is in tears. Only then will she be satisfied. Envy is the opponent of contentment and gratitude; it is the enemy of joy and love. Suggestions for prayer “I bring my soul to Thee; break it, wound it, bend it, mould it. Unmask to me sin's deformity, that I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it.” – The Valley of Vision: Yet I Sin This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 6 - Envy defined

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. – Proverbs 14:30 Scripture reading: Proverbs 14 As sinful and ruinous as pride is, envy comes along as a worthy competitor on the scales of deadly sins. In the Faerie Queene, envy is depicted as a man with cankered teeth, chewing on a venomous toad, poison running down his jaws. Elsewhere it is compared to an internal gnawing worm, rust of the heart, the malignant shriek of the shriveled soul. Envy roars when someone gets better grades than I do, has more friends, is more likeable, preaches to more congregants, gets the promotion I think I deserved, is better looking, has nicer parents, is more popular, intelligent, respected, successful. Envy is so uniquely depressing, cold and suicidal. In an ancient Jewish tale, an angel visits a shopkeeper known for envying his rival. The angel offers to fulfill one wish, but warns him that his competitor will receive twice as much of whatever he asks for. Momentarily puzzling over this challenging opportunity, the shopkeeper arrives at his request: he asks to be made blind in one eye. “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there will be disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16). Before Cain rose up to murder his brother on that dark day, envy was rotting his bones and his heart. Disorder had invaded paradise. Nothing but grief is gained through envy and all that trails behind her: discontentment and ingratitude. Suggestions for prayer “I can scarce open my eyes, but I envy those above me or despise those below...Am I inferior? How much I grudge others' pre-eminence! Thou knowest that...my greatest snare is myself.” – The Valley of Vision: Self-deprecation This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 5 - Pride: a way forward

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you. – 1 Peter 5:6 Scripture reading: 1 Peter...

Daily devotional

Monday June 4 - Jesus Christ and our pride

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who...being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point...

Daily devotional

Sunday June 3 – Pride defined

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. – James 4:6 Scripture reading: James 4 How would you define pride? Self-promotion, self...

Daily devotional

Saturday June 2 - Pride defined

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look... – Proverbs 6:16-17 Scripture reading: Proverbs 6 It's p...

Daily devotional

Friday June 1 - Introduction to June's devotionals

The origin of what we have come to know as the Seven Deadly Sins goes back at least to the ancient church. You can find it in literature like Dante's Divine Comedy. It is a classic grouping of sins: pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. These are not intended to serve as the top seven in a ranking of the worst sins. Instead, we recognize them as core sins, the sins beneath all other sins. Studying these seven serves as a gateway into every way in which Satan, this world, and our own hearts, twist the good into something evil. Someone compared these seven to military captains commanding entire armies of sins behind them. Our meditations are meant to get us thinking more carefully about the ways in which we dishonour our heavenly Father, add to sufferings of our Savior, and grieve the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Ultimately they should serve as an invitation to seek the grace that is found only in Christ, to repent and believe, to hunger and thirst after the Father and His kingdom. Each suggestion for prayer for this month is from the Banner of Trusts' The The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. This volume is highly recommended for your personal devotions. Introduction My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. – Jeremiah 2:13 Scripture reading: Jeremiah 2 Jeremiah's sermons act like a modern intervention into the life of an addict. He is merciless in exposing the state of our sinful hearts, so that we might look up to God and live. This is our purpose in looking at the seven deadly sins. We seek what the Heidelberg Catechism describes as true repentance or conversion: the dying away of the old self, and the rising-to-life of the new (Lord's Days 88-90). The exposure of our sin puts us in a vulnerable spot: often we retreat in shame and despair. But we must not doubt God's purposes even in our failure. He is a sovereign God, a faithful Savior who has triumphed over the power of Satan and sin. The knowledge of our failures needs to drive us closer to our Savior, not further away, because it is for sinners that He has come, and it is sinners that He loves. Do you see hope in this? To turn away from broken cisterns to the fountain of living waters is to know life, joy, peace, hope. These devotions are for those who want to grow nearer to God in Jesus Christ. It is for those who want to reach a lost world, not only with the truth of the gospel, but also with the humble presentation of a life changed by the power of Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer “Let me learn that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul...that the valley is the place of vision.” – The Valley of Vision: Intro Prayer This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA. ...

Daily devotional

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

Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. – Revelation 15:3 Scripture reading: Revelation 15 The vision John receives in Chapter 15 depicts something of both the worship and the activity in heaven. John is permitted to see the inner area of God’s heavenly dwelling. (cf chapters 4&5). What wonder and glory!! The song sung in verses 3&4 is a rendition of the Song of Moses found in Exodus 15, celebrating the salvation of God’s people. It is a testimony to God’s glory, truth, justice, holiness and His awe-inspiring deeds. God is great and greatly to be praised. How is it possible that His Name not be glorified and feared? A heart in tune with God can’t help but sing His praise May our prayer be: To Thee all angels cry aloud: the heavens and all the powers therein. To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory. The glorious company of the apostles praise Thee. The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee. The noble army of the Martyrs praise Thee. The holy church throughout the world doth acknowledge Thee. The Father of an infinite immeasurable majesty; Thine honourable true and only Son – our redeemer and friend and the Holy Spirit our comforter. – Anglican Prayer Book This month we have considered together just a sampling of questions found in the Bible. It is a deep comfort to know that the questions found in God’s Word also have His answer. Surely who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your Name? Suggestions for prayer Pray with heartfelt thanksgiving acknowledging the glory of our thrice Holy God. Thank Him that the questions found in God’s Word also have His answer. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

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

Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. - Psalm 25:12 Scripture reading: Psalm 25 The question posed in Psalm 25 is answered with a promise. Those who fear the LORD receive the LORD’s instruction. Psalm 25 outlines the desire of one who knows the friendship of the LORD. God’s covenant blessing rests on those whose eyes are ever toward the LORD (vs. 15). What blessing is ours when we fear the LORD in reverence, awe and humble submission. We may and must take deep joy in the faithfulness of God. When we seek and wait upon Him, He will not put us to shame. He will make us to know His ways, leading and teaching us. He is the God of our salvation, the God of pardoning grace canceling our debt. How great is the forgiving love of God! If that be our conviction, then it becomes our prayer ever to know His ways and for the LORD to lead and teach us in His truth (vs. 4&5a). There are those who think the Word of the LORD to be too restrictive. But we are not to argue with the Bible. The Word of God is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joint and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13 cf. also II Corinthians 5:10). Do you desire the Lord to teach you His ways? Suggestions for prayer When you pray, you are never alone. The Father listens; the Holy Spirit helps, and our Saviour is always interceding. Pray that we may grow in the fear of the Lord. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Tuesday May 29 - What fellowship has light with darkness?

For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? – II Corinthians 6:14b-16a Scripture reading: II Corinthians 6-7:1 In the context of our calling to be ambassadors for Christ (5:20), we receive, in chapter 6, the command not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (6:14a), to be a separated people (6:17). Worldliness is a constant temptation. Moral defilement blackens the reputation of a Christ follower. The Bible teaches that believers are the temple of the living God (I Corinthians 6:19; I Peter 2:5). We represent Christ to those God puts on our path. How do we answer such a calling? There are those who believe that they can ‘play both sides of the fence’. But a true Christian desires to please the LORD (5:9) in a life of grateful obedience. God has said, "Be holy, for I am holy." (Leviticus 11:44). And therefore we need to pay attention to what has our attention. What does it mean to be a separate people? How does this apply to our work or our recreational activities? How do we use the ‘weapons of righteousness” as we live in the world day by day? (vs. 7). These are tough questions. And as we seek to answer them, we must do so in the conviction that, "by ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies, the devil, the world and our own flesh never stop attacking us” (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 127). How we need to daily look to Christ, the Cornerstone. Are you busy looking to Christ – for salvation and sanctification in the Holy Spirit? Suggestions for prayer Pray for the grace to be a living testimony of Christ’s work on our behalf. Pray that daily we would be living stones in His temple. Pray for the Lord to uphold us and make us strong with the strength of the Holy Spirit, so that we may resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory. (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 127) This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Monday May 28 - How long?

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? - Psalm 13:1a Scripture reading: Psalm 13 Psalm 13 begins with a fourfold lament of penetratin...

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? - Mark 8:36 Scripture reading: Mark 8: 22-38 In His public ministry, Jesus asked more than several sobering questions. Today’s text is one such example. It is a penetrating question that demands an answer from each one of us. What is it that we aspire to and why? On the day of days, God will demand an accounting from each one of us. If the cost is one’s soul, then whatever is gained – even if it be the whole world – is good for nothing. Sadly, ‘nothing’ is what the vast majority of people strive after – the things of the world. Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction. Calvin argues: “It is fitting for the faithful Christian to rise to a still higher level where Christ calls every disciple to ‘take up his cross.’ For all whom the Lord has chosen and received into the society of His saints ought to prepare themselves for a life that is hard, difficult, laborious and full of countless griefs.” And yet, the Christian life, as marked out by Christ, knows no comparison. Christ gave His life so that we might gain ours. Christ calls us to self-denial so that we might have a life of purpose and passion for the things above. Christ calls us again today to follow after Him even if the road be difficult. Setting our minds on the things of God, thinking God’s thoughts after Him, brings true joy. It is what we were created for. Be encouraged in confessing that God’s ways are best. How is it with your soul? Suggestions for prayer Pray for the ongoing grace to stand firm for the gospel and a gospel life. Ask for strength for a life of self-denial. Thank our Saviour for preparing the way. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

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

If God is for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31b Scripture reading: Romans 8:18-39 Life on this side of glory is hard and, at times, very hard. This world is a broken place. As followers of the Redeemer, we face experiences that test our faith. Our many sinful weaknesses militate against the progress of holiness. Broken relationships leave deep scars. Health issues can immobilize us. Prodigal children make our hearts weep. The loss of a loved one stings. Some Christians face hostility, some to the point of martyrdom. Holding to the promises of God is what is needed, not only for troubling circumstances, but for all of life. Never forget that the Bible speaks with power and practicality to everything you are facing, thinking and feeling. Even though God may seem far, He is always nearby. “Suffering dispels the illusion that we have the strength and competence to rule our own lives” (Tim Keller). When we believe God is for us, then we may sing,"It is well with my soul." He did not spare His own Son in order that Christ’s disciples may receive all that they need to travel through this vale of tears. Yes, we will face difficulties, but for the believer, those complexities will not destroy our faith. The Christian lives with hope that does not disappoint. Christ’s victory on the cross assures Christians that victory is theirs. When darkness fills their soul, they turn again to the testimony of the empty cross. The children of the heavenly Father can never be separated from the love of Christ. Is this your confession? Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for His blessed promises. Rejoice in God’s provision through Christ’s saving work. Acknowledge, before God, the victory of the cross. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

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

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? – Romans 6:1 Scripture reading: Romans 6 The believer rejoices to confess that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. “This is not of our own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9b). When our faith rests in Christ, our sins are forgiven. While the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ. By nature, we are corrupt and totally unable to do any good and, in fact, inclined toward all evil — unless we are born again, by the Spirit of God (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 8). Those who have experienced regeneration are led to a life of repentance and faith and set free from the reign of sin. But the question of Romans 6:1 underscores the tension of remaining sin in a believer’s life. This question is emphatically answered by the forceful expression “By no means!” Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is not an opportunity to live for ourselves. Willful, unrepentant sin in a person’s life makes a mockery of grace and calls into question that person’s salvation (I John 3:6). Sin must not be king in our lives. The LORD calls us to be a slave of righteousness. Yet, we often stumble and fall. Sinless perfection is not possible this side of glory. But Christians, saved by grace, do fight against sin and its far-reaching grasp lest they be ensnared. We are part of a cosmic battle and the enemy’s forces must be resisted. How are you faring in the battle? Suggestions for prayer “Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected” (Jonathan Edwards). Pray to be faithful between glory begun and glory perfected, recognizing there is the race to be run. Pray for ongoing grace to look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (cf Hebrews 12:1-3). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

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

How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? – John 3:4 Scripture Reading: John 3:1-21 It is the work of the Holy Spirit, through the power of the Word proclaimed, to open our hearts to the gospel of grace. Nicodemus is puzzled/mystified when Jesus tells him that, "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (vs. 3). Just as we do not choose to be born, so too we do not choose to be re-born. As our physical birth was our initiation into this world, so our spiritual rebirth is the starting point of our spiritual life. Our Saviour’s teaching emphasizes the sovereignty of God in salvation. The new birth, regeneration, is God’s work opening the way for believers to enter into His Kingdom. Another way to say "being born again" is "being born from above." This helps us understand that without God’s intervention, entering the Kingdom is impossible. Entrance into the Kingdom requires a changed heart and evidence of a new life. Rebirth is God’s divine initiative and is a necessary precondition to entering the Kingdom of God. It is the working of the Holy Spirit – all of beautiful and bountiful grace. The Holy Spirit shines the spotlight on the un-surpassing worth of Jesus Christ and His gospel. The Holy Spirit convicts us of the infallibility and inerrancy of God’s inspired Word. The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit brings to life that which is lifeless. In regeneration, God plants a desire in our hearts for Himself. Is this your experience? Suggestions for prayer Give thanks for God’s divine initiative in salvation. Praise God that the believer may confess that the Holy Spirit has "been given to me personally, so that, by true faith, He makes me share in Christ and all His blessings, comforts me and remains with me forever" (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 53). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Sunday May 20 - What does this mean?

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” – Acts 2:12 Scripture Reading: Acts 1:1-5; 2:1-12 Today,...

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

He said to them “But who do you say that I am?” – Matthew 16:15 Scripture Reading: Matthew 16:13-20 Christ’s question is one of the most important if not the most important question that a person will ever answer. Many answers were offered in the days of His public ministry and still today. But there is only one correct answer. One! In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis addresses the issue of the various understandings concerning the person of Christ: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with a human who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” And how do you answer the question: Who do you say Jesus is? Suggestions for prayer Pray for strengthening grace to remain firm in that faith that trusts Christ as the Son of the living God. Pray for others to come to the same conviction. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Tuesday May 15 - Will you not receive instructions and listen to my words?

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words?" declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 35:13 Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 35 Are you a good listener? In our Scripture lesson, the obedience of the covenant community was compared and contrasted with that of the Rechabites. The descendants of Rechab voluntarily committed themselves to their forefather to lead a nomadic life and to refrain from alcohol. They listened to their earthly father’s wishes for some 300 years! But many of the covenant community refused to listen to the Word of their heavenly Father. As has been said, “The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is a traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s chart. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life; it will be opened in judgment, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.” (Author unknown) Are you a good listener? Suggestions for prayer Pray for a growing desire to honour the will of our heavenly Father. Pray that God may give us a listening heart for His Word. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

Monday May 14 - Is anything too hard for the LORD?

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? – Jeremiah 32:27 Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 32 What perplexing moments have you faced in your life? What has happened to you that left you mystified? In our Scripture lesson, God tells Jeremiah (who had been disowned by his immediate family) that his relative will come to ask him to purchase some property that belongs within the extended family. It makes no sense. By normal standards, it is absurd to buy a field when the whole land is about to be lost. Jeremiah does what is asked and then comes before the LORD to ask for understanding. Notice obedience precedes his prayer for clarity. His prayer begins with a deep sigh — in faith he is seeking understanding. He prays, confessing God’s greatness in both creation (vs. 17) and redemption (vs. 20-22). He acknowledges God’s justice (vs. 19). In short Jeremiah is asking for the ability to see God’s purposes. For the world, seeing is believing. For the Christian, believing is seeing. And the Lord’s answer to Jeremiah, as it is to all His people: Nothing is too hard for the LORD! The remnant will be restored. God will see to it. His promise for His redeemed people holds firm. The same God Who holds the stars in their appointed place in the skies beyond is perfectly able to hold our feet on the ground. Trust Him. Believe that His promises will come to fruition. Every one of them! Believe that Jesus Christ is our guarantee. Is there anything too hard for the LORD? Suggestions for prayer Just as the LORD promised His remnant a return to the promised land, so too those who are in Christ can eagerly anticipate in the inheritance of the Promised Land to come. Pray with rejoicing. Rejoice that His promises do not fail. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

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Saturday June 30 - Conclusion

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Friday June 29 - Lust: a way forward

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Thursday June 28 - Jesus Christ and our lust

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Wednesday June 27 - Lust defined

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Tuesday June 26 - Lust defined

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Monday June 25 - Gluttony: a way forward

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Sunday June 24 - Jesus Christ and our gluttony

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Saturday June 23 - Gluttony defined

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Friday June 22 - Gluttony defined

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Thursday June 21 – Greed: a way forward

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Wednesday June 20 - Jesus Christ and our greed

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Tuesday June 19 – Greed defined

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Monday June 18 - Greed defined

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Sunday June 17 - Sloth: a way forward

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Saturday June 16 – Jesus Christ and our sloth

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Friday June 15 – Sloth defined

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Thursday June 14 - Sloth defined

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Wednesday June 13 – Anger: a way forward

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Tuesday June 12 – Jesus Christ and our anger

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Monday June 11 - Anger defined

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Sunday June 10 – Anger defined

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Saturday June 9 - Envy: a way forward

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Friday June 8 - Jesus Christ and our envy

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Thursday June 7 - Envy defined

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Wednesday June 6 - Envy defined

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