Daily devotional

December 17 – Picture #3: Bread

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh which I will give for ...

Daily devotional

December 16 – Picture #2: Water

“Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water w...

Daily devotional

December 15 – Picture daily #1: The Last Supper, the first Passover

Daily devotional

December 14 – The deliverer: Moses

“Then the LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry....And I have come down to deliver ...

Daily devotional

December 13 – Jacob’s son Judah: A lion to look forward to

“Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?” – Genesis 49:9 Scripture Reading: Genesis 49:1-2,8-12; Numbers 24:8-9; Ezekiel 19:1-7 God promised Abraham that his descendants would become numerous enough to form a nation. That promise came true. Abraham's son Isaac had a son named Jacob who had twelve sons. Jacob's twelve sons became the heads of twelve tribes. Those twelve tribes formed a nation named Israel. God had also promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. However, that promise had not yet come true. Two hundred years later, Canaan was still inhabited by powerful pagan peoples. These nations were far bigger than Israel. Their military technology was far better. Would Abraham's descendants ever possess the promised land? Absolutely! God had promised. And to help Abraham's descendants believe the promise given long before to their forefather, God gave them yet another promise. Through the prophetic words spoken by Jacob while blessing his sons, God promised that Judah would be a lion's cub. This meant the tribe of Judah would bear and raise lion-like-leaders who would pounce upon the pagan peoples who possessed the promised land and devour them as a lion devours its prey (Numbers 24:8-9). Think of David who not only killed lions, but also lion-like giants like Goliath. Jesus came as the ultimate lion-like leader. It might not have seemed so when, like a Lamb, He went silently to the cross. But with a great roar of victory, He rose from the dead showing He was indeed the Lion of the tribe of Judah — a Lion who defeated the greatest enemies: death and Satan (Revelation 5:5-6). Suggestions for prayer Praise God for Jesus Who is both the Passover Lamb slain for our sins and the powerful Lion Who defeated the last enemy, death, by rising from the dead. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 12 – Abraham (2): Looking forward from Mount Moriah

“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: Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:17-19 God promised to give Abraham a multitude of descendants, but at the age of eighty-six, he was still the father of none. Not much to look forward to, it seemed. Abraham and Sarah eventually doubted God's promise. Thinking God might need their help to make His promise come true, Abraham slept with his wife's household servant and received a son. They figured Jesus could descend from Abraham and Hagar's son, Ishmael. But no! God had promised to give Abraham a son through his wife, Sarah (Genesis 17:16; 18:10). And God keeps His promises! When Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety, Isaac was born to them. Now there was hope! But then God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. Suddenly, all hope vanished. How could God's promise come true if Isaac was dead? Jesus was to descend from Isaac's seed. Despite the extreme difficulty of the test, Abraham obeyed God's command. But through this test, God presented a picture of Abraham's greater Son, Jesus. The picture is painted by numerous parallels. Both sons are dearly loved and only sons. Both are sacrificed by their fathers. Both carry the wood upon which they will be sacrificed. Both are sacrificed in the same location: Isaac on the temple mount where daily sacrifices for sin would be offered; Jesus just east on Mount Calvary. But there is one major difference. A substitute was provided to die instead of Isaac, but no substitute was provided for Jesus. He died to pay for our sin. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for being willing to offer His Son as a sacrifice for your sin. Thank Jesus that He was willing to be the sacrifice by dying in your place so as to remove the righteous wrath of God against your sin. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 11 – Abraham (1): Looking forward from Ur

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”– Galatians 3:8 Scripture reading: Genesis 12:1-7; Galatians 3:8 The judgment and renewal brought about by the flood wiped wickedness from the face of the earth, but it did not remove wickedness from the human heart (Genesis 8:21). The seed of drunkenness soon sprouted as the world's first vintner (Noah), became the first drunk (Genesis 9:21). The weed of rebellion grew as people refused to scatter across the face of the earth, instead gathering together to build a gigantic tower so as to make a great name for themselves. The tower must not have been that big, though, because God had to come down just to see it (Genesis 11:5). He put a stop-work order on the project by confusing peoples' languages. This caused them to scatter, as He had commanded them to do. Then things got worse. Instead of building big towers, people built false gods (Joshua 24:2-3,15). It seemed everyone was on Satan's side. Where would the serpent-crushing Seed of the woman come from? Was anyone on God's side? Maybe not. But God called Abraham to cross the fault-line and come to His side (Genesis 12:1). Abraham obeyed. God also promised that Abraham's descendants would be numerous enough to form a nation (Genesis 12:2), that they would live in the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:7) and that Jesus would be born from among his descendants while living in the promised land of Canaan. Through Jesus all people from all nations are blessed with the gift of salvation. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that long before Jesus came, He preached the Good News about His coming to Abraham. Praise God for the width, length, height and depth of His love which extends to all people from all nations. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 10 – Noah: Cleansing of creation through watery judgment

“Behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth....Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.” – Genesis 6:17-18 Scripture reading: Genesis 6 Support for Satan's side surged during the days of Enoch's great-grandson Noah. The sexual sin that began with Lamech's bigamy soon reached unprecedented levels of perversion. Violence and corruption filled the earth and subdued it. Every inclination of the thoughts of peoples' hearts were only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5). The whole human race, except for Noah and his family, had sided with Satan. Was there anything to look forward to? Yes! Noah looked forward to the restoration of creation. But restoration began with the catastrophic waters of a cleansing judgment. Most people did not believe such a judgment would come. But it did. And it cleansed the earth of evil by burying all evildoers in a watery grave. Only Noah and his family were saved. They trusted God's word about the coming judgment and obeyed God's command to build an ark. This lifeboat saved them. And they stepped out safely onto the green grass of a cleansed and renewed creation. The watery judgment of Noah's day pictures the fiery judgment that will fall when Jesus returns. It will be a cosmic, cleansing judgment that burns away all evil and purifies all good (2 Peter 3:6-7,10). It hasn't happened yet, but it will. Maybe this sounds more like something to fear than something to look forward to. But evil must be removed before creation can be renewed. Enter by faith into Jesus. He is your ark. He will protect you from the fiery judgment and place you safely on the green grass of God's new creation. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that just as He provided an ark to save Noah from the watery cleansing judgment, so He provides Jesus to save us from the fiery cleansing judgment that is yet to come. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 9 – Enoch & Lamech: where loyalty leads

Daily devotional

December 8 – Cain & Abel: Two lines, two heads, the first quake

Daily devotional

December 7 – One fault line, two lines of loyalty

Daily devotional

December 6 – Promise in paradise (2): Through a new set of clothing

Daily devotional

December 5 – Promise in paradise (1): Through a curse on the serpent

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” – Genesis 3:15 Scripture reading: Genesis 3:14-15; Romans 16:20; Galatians 3:15-16 Paradise was lost. But all hope was not lost. Before banishing Adam and Eve from Paradise, He graciously gave them promises that filled them with hope. One promise was embedded in the curse God pronounced upon Satan: “You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15). What hope for humanity is found in this curse! God broke the bonds of loyalty that bound Adam and Eve to Satan by placing enmity (enemy-likeness) between them and their respective descendants. God made them enemies, rather than friends, of Satan. God also condemned the serpent to crawl on his belly and eat dust all the days of his life. This symbolized Satan's subjugation, defeat and ultimate doom at the hands of a descendant of Eve. Galatians 3:16 tells us that this serpent-crushing descendant or seed is Jesus. He is the promised Saviour who would reverse the curse and rescue humanity from sin and death. What hope is found in God's words of curse upon Satan! They contain the first promise of Christ's coming, making this day in the Garden of Eden the very first day of Advent! God would keep repeating this same Advent promise in many different ways until Jesus came to ensure His people could keep looking forward to Christ's coming. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you hate Satan and all that is evil; pray for strength to love and cling to what is good. Thank God that He will soon crush Satan completely (Romans 16:20a). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 4 – Punishment

“The wages of sin is death.” – Romans 6:23a “Sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” – James 1:15b Scripture reading: Genesis 2:16-17; 3:8-24 God liberally provided for Adam and Eve. They had permission to freely eat from all the trees in Paradise. Only one was off-limits. But the penalty for eating from the prohibited tree was death. God warned, “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17b). Sadly, Adam and Eve ate. And they died. Immediately. Death is not just about hearts that stop beating or brains that stop functioning. Death is the separation of that which belongs together. Adam and Eve immediately experienced separation from God by trying to hide from His sight in a bunch of bushes. Separation from God climaxed when they were banished from Paradise and barred from re-entry. Separation from each other began as the formerly naked couple hid their nakedness from each other's view. Emotional separation was experienced as the blame-game began. Relational separation started as Eve soon resented her subordinate role as helper and as Adam soon abused his role as leader. Lastly, on that very day their immortal bodies became mortal. A process of decay was now underway. They were destined to return to the dust from which they were made and physical death would eventually separate body from soul. From marvelous to marred, from beautiful to broken, from endless life to decay and death, paradise was lost. Such were the tragic results of defying a good and generous God. But before banishing Adam and Eve from the garden, God made promises that filled them with hope. Suggestions for prayer Rejoice that in Christ's resurrection, death has been defeated and we can look forward to eternal life with Him in transformed bodies that will be like His glorious body. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 3 – Problems begin

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” – Genesis 3:6 Scripture reading: Genesis 3:1-7 How long did the world stay picture-perfect? Not long. The third chapter in the Bible explains how this perfect Paradise was soon perplexed by a plethora of problems. When Satan tempted Eve to eat the fruit, she said to him, “Of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die'” (Genesis 3:3). Eve remembered both the prohibition and the penalty, and she clearly communicated both to Satan. This means the act of eating the forbidden fruit was not an accident or the result of forgetfulness. Nor was it an act of desperation due to being deprived of food. It was a conscious decision to disobey God. This was defiance. Rebellion. High treason against the good and generous king of the universe! What a tragic day. Adam and Eve's relationship with God was fractured. That day a fault-line was formed. Not a fault-line that divided the earth's crust into two tectonic plates, but a fault-line that divided humanity into two sides: those loyal to Satan and those loyal to God. This fault-line would run the length of the human race. As Adam and Eve moved forward with their lives, they looked back with sadness. They regretted the choice they had made and the consequences they had to live with. But that is not the end of the story. God continued to be good and soon showed them undeserved favor, which the Bible calls grace. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give you a discerning spirit that enables you to know right from wrong, and pray for the desire and the strength to do what is right when you are tempted to do wrong. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 2 – Permission & prohibition

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’”– Genesis 2:16-17 Scripture reading: Genesis 2:16-25 Picture-perfect. That's how the world really was when God first created it. And Adam and Eve could have lived in this perfect state forever if they obeyed God's command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Was God being miserly and restrictive by prohibiting this one tree? No! God gave Adam and Eve permission to eat from any and all of the multitude of trees in the garden. They had a buffet-sized selection of food to sustain and satisfy them. Only one was off-limits. This tells us something about God. He is not miserly nor stingy. Not at all! He is generous. He delights to bless His children with an abundance of good gifts. Consider how He lavishly provided Adam and Eve with a Paradise full of pleasures to enjoy: food, drink, fellowship, friendship, and the pleasures of sight, smell, sound, taste and touch, too! Would they delight in the abundance God had provided for them? Would they willingly obey His command? If so, they would continue to enjoy this state of peace, tranquility and harmony with God and with each other. Paradise would be theirs. Theirs forever! But if they disobeyed, Paradise would be lost. And they would surely die. God continues to bestow many blessings upon us each day. His mercies are new every morning. Will we accept the blessings He gives and find pleasure in them? Or will we look for pleasure in that which is forbidden? Suggestions for prayer Every good thing you have is ultimately a generous gift given to you by God (James 1:17). Name some of these gifts, thank God for them, and pray that you would delight in them. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Brian Zegers has been serving the Lord by working with Word of Life Ministry as home missionary to the Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario since 2015....

Daily devotional

December 1 – “Looking forward to the coming of Christ” series

Daily devotional

November 30 – A certain knowledge

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

Daily devotional

November 29 – The Tree of Life

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1 Scripture reading: Romans 8 Romans 8 has been cal...

Daily devotional

November 28 – A new nature

“Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, ...

Daily devotional

November 27 – A twofold life

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” – Romans 7:15–19 Scripture reading: Romans 7 Notice the two “I’s” in these verses: one “I” is my renewed self and the other is my old self. The one “I” hates the other. The Christian hates his sinful life because it is evil. What is the greatest evil? Death, which is where all sin leads. What is the greatest evil ever? The death of Christ, which is where our sin led Jesus. Here is why we hate evil: it is not only our enemy, we are its servants. We are the culprits that killed our Savior. Our sin led Christ to the cross which now saves us. Delivered, we no longer want to trample under our foot this grace of God. We hate that we try to keep Christ on the cross. We hate evil because it killed our Savior. We hate evil because we love Christ more, Who died for our sins. Here we see the difference between unbelief and believers hatred of evil. Unbelievers hate evil deeds because it upsets their best life now. We hate evil because we have the best promise now – Christ became sin for us so that we might be the righteousness of God. Once you truly accept that by faith, you will learn more and more to hate sin. Suggestions for prayer Augustine said, “our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” Pray that you would rest in God’s grace and from there seek to live for Him more and more. Pray that you would put to death your old self. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 26 – Compelled by love

“For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” – Romans 7:5-6 Scripture reading: Romans 7 Sin is an attempt to be a better god. The deception of sin is this, “I am powerful.” Our flesh loves the law because we think the power to overcome resides in our hearts. This “power trip” leads many to invent even more laws, which God has not made. What is the power of temptation? “You can be like God.” Behind sin is self and the fruit of self is death. Why do we love the gospel so much? Because it is the power of God unto sanctification. The gospel strengthens us to serve. Paul begins “But now” (vs.6). This is a famous Pauline “but now.” It is his way of contrasting our pre-Christian life with our Christian life. In that old life we were enslaved to the law, but now “in Christ” we are free. We are free not to do what we want, but to serve God. Paul contrasts freedom with bondage, the old life was bondage. Notice, we still serve. We are enslaved to righteousness. Just because the law is powerless does not mean it has no place in Christianity. It has a place, not of power but of leading. The gospel sets us free and the law then shows us the way. The gospel leads the Christian in sanctification. Christian obedience follows Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray the Lord would expose your secret and hidden sins that you might with godly sorrow turn more and more away from sin and love God more and more instead. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 25 – Enslaved to love

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:20–23 Scripture reading: Romans 6 “Christ Jesus our Lord” is the last word in salvation. What can we do for such a great Savior? Only what God requires. We are enslaved to thankfulness. We do not obey God out of compulsion, fear, or greed. That would mean we hate sin and fear God only because we fear hell or because we want something – we want our best life now in return. That is enslavement to selfishness. That is not the fruit of justification. Those justified want to be enslaved to righteousness because Christ Jesus our Lord died for us sinners. We want to be enslaved because the Father chose us in Christ Jesus and because the Holy Spirit has sealed us into Christ Jesus. Why do we want to be enslaved to righteousness? Because God first loved us. We are enslaved to the gospel, enslaved to Christ Jesus our Lord, Who suffered and died not only for others but for us also. Heis greater than my shame. What else can I do, but offer my life as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. I am enslaved to righteousness and willingly and joyfully submit to God’s everlasting love and care in Christ Jesus my Lord. Amen. Suggestions for prayer Fix your eyes on Christ as your only hope and make it your aim in prayer to please Him all the days of your life. The highest praise is reserved for His great deeds of redemption that Christ has worked in us poor sinners. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 24 – Devoted to grace

“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” – Romans 6:15–16 Scripture reading: Romans 6 Amazing grace might tempt the flesh to think grace leads to freedom to sin (cf. Rom 6:1). The answer is obvious. While we cherish God’s mercy, we don’t cheapen it by thinking we should sin to get more. That would mean we sin because of grace. Just because grace guts the law of its power, does not mean we are free to do whatever we want. There is a greater purpose behind justification—justified to become slaves of righteousness. We don’t cheapen grace, no, we devote ourselves to it. Jesus said where your treasure is, there your heart will follow. Well, there is no greater treasure on earth than grace. It is greater in every way. In the ancient Greco-Roman world, needy people often sold themselves into slavery as a way to avoid financial danger. These were voluntary submissions and often wise choices. Masters promised to provide all that the slaves needed if the slaves devoted themselves completely to their masters. The masters then devoted themselves to the slaves’ care. We are likewise bound either devoted to the master of death or to the Lord of life. You must serve someone and there is no third-party option. If you do your own thing, you are serving the master of death. You want to be slaves of righteousness because there is no hope without it. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you and your church would be devoted to God’s grace that works in us together with a love for God and one another. May our love for one another show the watching world the greatness of grace. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 23 – Baptism saves

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism ...

Daily devotional

November 22 – The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” – Romans 6:...

Daily devotional

November 21 – Total love

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

Daily devotional

November 20 – Justification

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” – Romans 5:9 Scripture...

Daily devotional

November 19 – True love

“…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8 Scripture reading: Romans 5 In case we fail to see the greatness of God’s love for us, Paul spells it out. Paul compares the greatness of God’s love by the smallness of man’s love. It is indeed rare to find someone willing to die for another, but it happens. It happens on the battlefield when an unknown hero becomes known to all by diving on the grenade to save his troops. We’ve all heard the story of the man risking is life, even giving his life to run into the burning building or jumping in the frozen lake. There are exceptional men and women in the world; total depravity does not rule that out. Yet as loving as that may be, rarer indeed, perhaps unheard of, is the one who dies for someone who hates him. You don’t hear of the hero jumping on the grenade for the enemy. Yet this is exactly what Christ has done. In contrast to the very best of human love is God’s love. God sent His Son to die for a people who hated Him. God loves the unlovely. This dying “for us” is proof. Christ never dies for us in Scripture apart from the Father’s first loving us. The Father never loves us apart from Christ’s dying on the cross. God’s love is active, it moves to remove sin. It loves by preparing, protecting, and providing for us all we need in life and death. It is a sacrificial love. Christ died not for Himself but for us. He was our Substitute. He suffered in our place. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the abundance of His loving-kindness, Who has sustained us with every spiritual blessing by giving us His grace. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church( URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 18 – Made by love

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die.” – Romans 5:6–7 Scripture reading: Romans 5 In ourselves, we have no access to God. We are sinners “while we were” in this lost state, God provided a solution. While we were unlovely and weak, “Christ died for” sinners. The solution is Christ’s love for undeserving sinners. We call this grace; grace is the self-caused love of God. Self-caused, He doesn’t love us because of some worth in us. We are unworthy. His love actually confers worth upon us. This means grace is greater than our sin. God makes us worthy of the kingdom of God. His love makes us. Who belongs to the Kingdom of God? Those who do not deserve it. So, contrary to popular opinion, Christ did not die on the cross to “help those who help themselves.” Grace does not wait for us to start helping ourselves. That is not grace. It is works. Salvation by grace, in Christ, without any merits of our own says, “God sent His Son to die for us while our life was off track.” Christ died for us while we were ungodly, while we were altogether helpless. Who belongs to the Kingdom of God? Christians who now remain in themselves completely sinners, yet by grace in the eyes of God are completely righteous. Who belongs? Those who put away their good works that they might have grace instead. Faith is not another good work among many. No, faith is the alternative to good works. Faith is access to the Kingdom of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord would sustain all yesterday’s new converts to the faith around the world. Pray for the unity of our faith and love. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 17 – Spiritual glory

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:2–5 Scripture reading: Romans 5 Our glory now is spiritual, and not earthly prosperity, for we rejoice “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our praise follows the cross and as our Lord faced affliction in this sad age, so shall we. As His suffering brought us peace, so too through our affliction we continue to find more and more peace. Affliction is our race to run. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 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…” – Hebrews 12:1 This is our pilgrim life on our way to Celestial City, yet tested on the way, nevertheless, in rejoicing through adversity we find ourselves strengthened on the way. We will reach the end of the line. Hope, like a muscle, must be used or it becomes weak. Suffering then makes us stronger. So the Lord allows us to be tried by adversity so that we might endure. This sad age is our gym, it is the means of strength so that we will come into the age to be victorious. Already we are more than conquerors, justified, yet being made more and more victorious in our sanctification until our glorification. The Kingdom of God is the consummation, when it will become evident that it has not been I who live, but Christ in me. To the watching world, we seem weak and vulnerable, yet when Hereturns “we shall be like Him” and will reign with Him forever over all creation. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the sick and spiritually distressed that God would continually care for us in such a way that all things would work together for our good. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church(URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 16 – A new standing

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1 Scripture reading: Romans 5 To be justified means to be declared righteous. Justified, we stand in righteousness. Now you might ask, “When do I start standing in righteousness? I would like that much indeed because I still sin and struggle with failure.” We feel the way of death all around us. Now this verb “have been justified” is past tense, from Paul’s perspective. Heand the saints in the church in Rome were justified in the past. Justification is a past act because it happens only once. The moment you first believed you were declared innocent of all charges brought against you who “sin and fall short of the glory of God.”Why? Because we have a King and a powerful One at that, Who loses no one. The moment you first believed, from then on, nothing can stand against you, nothing can separate you from His righteousness: not death (5:12–21), not sin (ch6), not the law (ch7),—nothing! (ch8). The result of justification is peace. We have a new life of peace. In the OT, the prophets spoke about this peace, the shalom that God would bring about in the last days. This is our day. By faith we scale the heavens to quietly enjoy its blessings now. By faith, Thy Kingdom comes on earth. By faith we have entered the peace of Paradise. Suggestions for prayer Pray for church tomorrow, that we sinners, unworthy in ourselves, would be partakers of the new life in Christ. Pray that God would further sanctify us by His Holy Spirit that we would stand in grace. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 15 – The law of faith

“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is jus...

Daily devotional

November 14 – The life of faith

“…the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:” – Romans 3:22 Scripture reading...

Daily devotional

November 13 – But now

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it…” – Romans 3:21 ...

Daily devotional

November 12 – Faith alone

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” – Romans 1:17 ...

Daily devotional

November 11 – The Gospel’s power

“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 to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16–17 Scripture reading: Romans 1 The righteousness of God makes the gospel so powerful. There is debate surrounding this righteousness. The medieval age had turned it into the righteousness God accepts. The medieval scheme was grace plus cooperation, “God helps those who help themselves.” This made faith a meritorious cause – faithfulness. It was salvation by our blood, sweat, and tears; salvation by fear and trembling. Fear and trembling described Luther’s life before the Reformation. Luther rightly understood God’s holy demands. He tried to satisfy them with his good works, but one thing stood in the way, his sin. “How can I stand before the holiness of my Judge with works polluted in their very source?”Luther said, “If God will not be merciful towards me for the love of Christ and grant me a happy departure when I must quit this world, I shall never with the aid of all my vows and all my good works stand before Him. I must perish.”The thought of divine righteousness terrified Luther. Yet He found that the righteousness needed before a Holy God is not ours. He saw that the righteousness from God depends on faith. It is a free gift of God so that no one may boast. Luther understood that this righteousness, which comes through faith in Christ, is the righteousness from God. It is a righteousness God gives through the gospel. God makes the gospel powerful, and faith makes it my own. Suggestions for prayer Pray that many around the world would hear the gospel and receive, by faith, the righteousness of God. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church(URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 10 – The power of God

“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 to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” –Romans 1:16-17 Scripture reading: Romans 1 This verse has been called “the theme of the epistle” and the “very essence of Christianity.” In these words we find what it means to be a Christian, that is, how sinners are made right with God. This might shock our modern ears, but we don’t make ourselves right with God. Rather, we are evil, born in sin and God’s wrath is being revealed against all sin. So what do we do? There is nothing we can do. It is far too late for that. Yet here in our text, Paul tells us that God has done something, actually, God has done everything that needs to be done. It's called the gospel and the gospel is God’s almighty power for saving sinners. The gospel is almighty, for in it, God provides all we need. It is gospel because it saves sinners. Finally, it is powerful, so we receive it, not by doing righteous things, but by faith alone. The gospel is God’s almighty power for saving sinners. The gospel is not a power, one of many, as if there are other saving powers. Paul was not eager to preach the best of all the powers of God. No, Hewas overjoyed in the power. God has given to the church one power. We call it the Word of God. It accomplishes one thing – salvation. The gospel is God’s almighty saving power. Because the gospel is so almighty, so too is salvation. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the power of God in your church. Pray for the pure preaching of the Word of God; may it accomplish salvation this day here and around the world. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 9 – A powerful word

“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you – that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” – Romans 1:9–12 Scripture reading: Romans 1 We have been chosen in Christ to bear fruit. Christians do bear fruit, but not in their own power. God gives the increase (cf. 1 Cor 3:6). He does so through the means of grace. What is the means of grace? What strengthens our faith? It’s why Paul was so anxious to visit Rome. The means of grace is the preaching of the gospel. Therefore, it must be freely offered to all. Paul was compelled to preach to all Gentiles, to as many as would believe. The means of grace is for the wise. There is enough wisdom in the gospel to hold the attention of the brightest among us. It is simple enough for the least unlearned to grasp. It is the power of God for all people, therefore it is administered through preaching. Paul wasn’t eager to play the guitar for Rome. He wasn’t excited to watch some media about the life of Christ or to give them marching orders. One thing compelled his ministry – preaching Christ and Him crucified. The message of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is the means of grace. Do you long for peace? Joy? To be loved by God? Then receive the means of grace, a grace greater than your sin. That is, trust the finished work of Christ, Who died for your sins and was raised for your justification. The promise is for you and your children – no more condemnation. Suggestions for prayer Pray that in church tomorrow the means of grace would be administered freely and that God would empower His preached Word. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 8 – The means of faith

“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you – that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” – Romans 1:9–12 Scripture reading: Romans 1 The word serve is also translated worship. The gospel is our worship. The gospel causes our worship. Worship then affects our service. The Reformed had this saying, “the way of worship is the way of life.” Worship, the means of grace, affects how we live. Proper devotion, through proper means, leads to true discipleship. The power of Paul’s service was found in the gospel, a gospel that empowered him to serve the church. Paul was gospeled through and through. It was the content of his service, it was the power behind his service. Prayer is not a means of grace, but a chief part of thankfulness for the means of grace. The means of grace is a gift from God that keeps on giving. That gift is faith. The word “gift” is the noun charisma. Paul longed to visit Rome that he might give them charisma. Did he want to make them Pentecostal? No, it was a gift that strengthened. Paul was called by God to dispense the means of strength. What kind of strength? The means of grace strengthens faith. Now we can better understand Paul’s “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” The means of grace is a spiritual gift that strengthens us spiritually. The all things is the strengthening of our faith and obedience. Suggestions for prayer Pray for strength and obedience to God’s Word. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 7 – A new tongue

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve w...

Daily devotional

November 6 – A new love

“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Rom...

Daily devotional

November 5 – A new belong

“…including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ…” – Romans 1:6 Scripture reading: Romans 1 Great leaders, like Paul, are c...

Daily devotional

November 4 – A new creation

“…through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations…” �...

Daily devotional

November 3 – A new life

“…and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord…” – Romans 1:4 Scripture reading: Romans 1 Redemptive history comes to an end at the resurrection. The gospel of God was accomplished by the Son of God. In theological jargon, we call this the historia salutis (history of salvation). What is the gospel of God? It is rooted in history. It was accomplished by Christ. What is the gospel of God? It is finished! What happens when something is finished? The project is over. The work is complete. You get paid or you sit back and enjoy the results. So too is our redemption. The Father promised it and the Son has done it. This means our salvation is complete. It means we add nothing. It means we are eternally secure, we are given the righteousness of Christ as if we had been perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for us. The gospel of God makes saints. The gospel of God is finished. Does this mean that we don’t do anything? No, for the gospel of God also makes servants. By the resurrection, the history of resurrection has given us a new history. We are no longer dead in our sins and trespasses; we are raised up to a new life. This is also the promise of the Old Testament, a new life, a new day, all because of the New Covenant. It is ours today, the Sabbath, a time to rest in the gospel of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the new week, that in rest, you and your family would serve God this week. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 2 – An Old Testament gospel

“…which He promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures…” – Romans 1:2 Scripture reading: Romans 1 Everyone has a family history. So does the family of God. Our history takes us back to “the gospel of God” which is the promise in the Old Testament. The gospel is an Old Testament truth. This is important to believe today. It was important for Paul that Jesus was promised in the Old Testament. It was important to the early church as they witnessed to the Jews to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. It was important during the Reformation to show that our salvation belongs to the eternal purpose of God. It is important for our assurance to know that God has chosen us before the foundation of the world. We must know that salvation is finished. “…concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord…” – Romans 1:3–4 The gospel is redemptive history. You need to learn your family history. What must you know? A King accomplished salvation, for Jesus was “descended from David.” As King, the Old Testament promised that He would destroy the prince of the air. We see this destruction in the New Testament. Having defeated death, the Father appointed Him the Son of God. Jesus is the King of kings. You must know that Christ has all power in heaven and on earth. All power and authority belong to the gospel of God. Only in Christ are we safe from sin and wrath. Only in Christ are we the righteousness of God for only Christ has finished the work of redemption. Suggestions for prayer Pray that in church tomorrow, unbelievers would hear the message of the gospel and submit their lives to Christ the King. If you know unbelievers, I know you do, pray for them specifically. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

November 1 – Introduction to Rev. Jared Beairdis' series on Romans 1-8

The Epistle to the Romans is a letter for the Christian mind. Luther said, “Every Christian should know it by heart.” It is a weighty book. It is the longest epistle and the most systematic. Paul wrote it to churches he wasn’t so sure he would meet. So, he wrote it to make sure their theology was sound – to make sure they understood the gospel. He wrote it for the understanding of our reasonable faith. While we are to have a Christian life, it’s not to the exclusion of the Christian mind; rather knowledge is key to the Christian life; “truth,” Christ said, “sanctifies.” Our life must be controlled by a mind saturated with truth. So God has given us books like Romans, a systematic study of the Christian faith. We will need to put on our thinking caps as we make our way through this important letter, matter of fact, don’t ever take it off. Christianity is the precondition for the intelligibility of human experience. You need a Christian mind, for ideas have consequences and Christian ideas have the greatest end – “to be loved by God and called saints.” The consequence of the “gospel of God” is belonging. The good news of God is that we belong to God and there is no higher truth to know. 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 Paul’s entire ministry concerned “the gospel of God.” Romans is a theology of this gospel and its news gives us our purpose in life. By the gospel of God, Paul was not his own. He belonged body and soul, in life and in death to his faithful Savior Christ Jesus. By His faithfulness, we too are set apart for the gospel. Paul calls himself a servant, which in his day was very counter-cultural. Greeks found pride in freedom, that they were their own. Paul, however, affirmed his captivity to Christ. If you want to be counter-cultural, you don’t need tattoos and pink hair. We have something better – complete devotion to Christ. There is nothing more counter-cultural than serving Christ Jesus. Complete devotion to God is our purpose in life. We are called to forsake the purposes of the world for God’s instead – complete devotion to God because in God we find the source of our salvation. We are righteous before God only by the gospel, that is, by the righteousness of Christ. We are free from the tyranny of the devil, only because Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead. In this gospel, we are free to live for the glory of God. This is the “goodness” of the gospel—that I am not my own but belong body and soul to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. Knowing our deliverance we have become slaves of gratitude to our Deliverer. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for bringing us into the new life of grace. Pray that we avoid the temptation to purpose our life according to the world. May we live according to His Word alone. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Jared Beairdis the church planter and pastor of Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, Montana, USA....

Daily devotional

October 31 – Preserving grace

But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. – Jude 1:20-21 Scripture reading: Jude You might have noticed in yesterday's reading that Jude bookends his short letter by reassurances that Christians are kept (Jude 1) and that God will keep Christians (Jude 24). That's God's preserving grace. But then in verse 21, Jude surprises us by pressing upon the believers the need to keep themselves in the love of God. What's Jude doing here? He's reminding them of what the Holy Spirit reminds Christians of everywhere in the Bible. Christians must persevere in the Christian life. God will finish the work He has begun, and Christians must complete the race they started to run. Christians must work out their salvation with fear and trembling. Or as we see in our reading today, God's power guards us through faith (1 Pet. 1:5). God has prepared an inheritance for His people. It will be revealed when Christ returns in glory. But will we be faithful to the end so as to receive what has been prepared? This is an especially poignant question in light of the various trials we face. The Bible answers that we must. The writer to the Hebrews warns us not to shrink back but to live by faith lest we throw away our confidence (Hebrews 10:37). The Bible also answers that we will be faithful. God enables us. God guards us, and He guards us through faith. Oh, how we must have Christ continually placarded before our eyes that we might always put our trust and confidence in Him Who is faithful. Suggestions for prayer Praise God that the light of the gospel was recaptured in the Reformation during the 1500s. Pray that God would enable us to be faithful with the deposit that we have been given and that we would continue to cling to Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and man. Ask God to enable your pastor to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 30 – Preserving grace

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of ...

Daily devotional

October 29 – Unstoppable grace

“...his dominion is an everlasting dominion. . . He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and n...

Daily devotional

October 28 – Christ’s successful death

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of w...

Daily devotional

October 27 – Chosen, not choice

..."For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peopl...

Daily devotional

October 26 – Very, very bad

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.– Genesis 6:5 Scripture reading: Romans 3:9-20 As sinners, we are very, very bad. Sadly, the proof that we are by nature lost sinners is self-evident, even if everywhere disputed. God didn't create us this way, but we have become this by our fall into sin with the first Adam. Created good, we are, untouched by grace, incapable of doing any good at all, of any kind. By nature, we hate both God and our neighbor. In fact, we are so bad we are even unable to rescue ourselves from this self-inflicted mess. There is no spark of goodness in us that, given the right conditions, we could fan into flame and become Christians. We are dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). We are both unable and unwilling to come to Christ that we might have Life. Won’t this teaching put off unbelievers from pursuing Christ? If you tell them they can't believe, isn’t it more likely that they won't? I don't think so. It is actually the sense of our total depravity that spurs us to seek the mercy of God in Christ to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We are very, very bad. But Christ is very, very good. Thanks be to God that in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, not only are our sins forgiven, but the devastating spiritual deadness is destroyed, so that by the Spirit of the ascended Christ we are made alive with Him. It is, after all, by grace that we have been saved. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Spirit of God might, through the preaching of his Word tomorrow, bring the dead to life for the praise of God’s glorious grace. Pray that God would give us a sense of our sinfulness that we might glory all the more in the gospel of free and sovereign grace. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 25 – Ascension and succession again

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. – 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 2:15-18 It isn't exactly clear what was behind the request of the sons of the prophets when they pressed Elisha to allow them to seek Elijah. It is clear, however, that it was not Elijah they should have been seeking. Like Elisha, they should have been asking, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” (v. 14) That should be our concern too: Where is the Lord Who can do mighty things for the honor of His name and the blessing of His people? Elisha is Elijah’s successor. So are we. We can see this by looking back and forward from the story. If you look back you will find another tag team that wrestles with the forces of darkness, namely, Moses and Joshua. Elijah is the new Moses and Elisha the new Joshua. Looking ahead we see that John the Baptist is the new Elijah (Matt. 17:11-13) which makes Jesus the new Elisha. Joshua, Elisha, and Jesus have names that mean the same, begin their ministries at the Jordan, and all receive the Spirit for ministry. Jesus is unique, of course. He is the only Saviour Who reconciles sinners to God. And He is also the only One Who gives the Spirit to His own to carry on His mission of bringing all things under His Lordship. We do that through missions and evangelism, but also by bringing our lives as churches, families, and individuals in subjection to His authority. Do you see areas of your life where you need to wield the sword of the Spirit that you might better please our sovereign? Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to enable you to examine your lives so that we might better please our God and Redeemer. Pray that He would empower us by the Spirit so that we might have the courage and conviction to work for Christ’s honour in every sphere of our lives. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 24 – Ascension and succession

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." – Luke 24:46-49 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 2:1-14 There's no doubt that Elijah’s leaving would leave a big hole. He had been God's "army" on Israel’s behalf. His loss will be devastating. But God will provide for His work. He has a succession plan in place. In his farewell tour, Elijah visits the school of the prophets, probably to encourage them to continue their fearless promotion of God's claims on His people. There's also Elisha. He had served with Elijah for some years and now it was time for Elisha to fly solo. Elijah tests him by suggesting that he abandon Elijah on his final tour. Elisha refuses to bail. That's the kind of people that the kingdom of God needs, people who will not turn back even when the future is unnerving. And then the final moment arrives. Elisha asked for something that Elijah is unable to give, a double portion of his spirit. How wise that Elisha recognizes that he cannot minister in his own strength. However, Elijah promises his successor that, if he sees him being taken, he shall receive the double portion. Elisha does see the glory of God – God coming down in chariots and horses of fire and therefore receives the promised Spirit. Leaving the Jordan in the power of the Spirit, Elisha does Elijah's farewell tour in reverse, across the Jordan, to Jericho and Bethel, before returning to Samaria. That succession is complete but the succession of the servants of God continues and what we need is what Elisha needed: a vision of God’s glory and the outpouring of God’s Spirit. And God delights to grant both. Suggestions for prayer Pray with Moses, “Please show me your glory.” Confess that our help is in the name of the Lord and ask for the Spirit to be poured out on us so that we may be faithful and effective servants of the Lord. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 23 – Our God is a consuming fire

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. – Psalm 2:10-12 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 1:9-18 Evidently, Ahaziah wasn't keen on the prognosis. But God's announcements of judgment are often conditional. If he had done what Nineveh would later do, that is, repent, we can be confident the Lord would have had mercy and healed him.But Ahaziah doesn't respond this way. With arrogance, he declares hostility against Elijah and his God and demands Elijah come down. The Lord doesn't take kindly to such defiance against His servants and twice sends down fire to consume the king's messengers. The third captain sees what a jealous God has unleashed against His comrades and falls on his knees begging Elijah for mercy. Expectedly, the Lord spares his life when the poor man called and saved him from his troubles (Psa. 34:6). Here is a model response for Ahaziah and us all. In wrath, God remembers mercy. In the New Testament (Luke 9:51-56) Jesus is traveling through an unwelcoming Samaritan town. James and John asked if He wanted them to call fire down to destroy them. Jesus rebuked them, in part, because now was a time of grace. If fire was going to fall anywhere, it was going to fall on Him on Calvary just like the fire fell on the altar on Carmel. The story in 2 Kings falls between Carmel and Calvary and reminds us that, if the fire doesn't fall on the God-appointed sacrifice, it will fall on the sinner, if not on Christ for us, then on us. Another hair clad prophet with a leather belt around his waist preaching repentance (Mark 1:4) reminds us of what we ought to do. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the grace of repentance that we might know the blessing of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Rejoice that Christ willingly became the sacrifice for sinners to reconcile us to God. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 22 – Living like an atheist

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, ...

Daily devotional

October 21 – Does the Lord not see?

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my count...

Daily devotional

October 20 – Does the Lord not see?

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering- since in...

Daily devotional

October 19 – The righteous sufferer

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear th...

Daily devotional

October 18 – From desire to death

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. – James 1:13-15 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 21:1-16 This story and every sin’s saga begins with a desire. Not all desires are evil, of course. Some we should have, like the desire to be a better Christian. Some we may have, like the desire for children, though even here we must be careful if God in His grace and wisdom withholds from us what we legitimately may desire. Some desires we may not have. We may not crave what God forbids. There is no nuance here. Ahab had the wrong kind of desire. He may have had a green thumb, but he also had a green heart. He envied Naboth's vineyard so he could turn it into a vegetable garden closer to the palace. And that desire led to death. When righteous Naboth turns down the offer, Ahab goes home and sulks like a petulant child. By the way, how we respond to thwarted desires often can reveal whether our desires are godly. Wicked Jezebel is no help. Had she been godly, she could have encouraged him to applaud Naboth for his righteousness and to be thankful that God didn’t let him have what he sinfully desired. It is a blessing to marry well. Instead ,Jezebel uses forgery, blasphemy, and perjury to steal the vineyard from Naboth. Ahab got what he wanted but he got more. His desire led to death. Naboth's. But his own too. What a warning to us to kill sin before it kills us. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to show us where we have ungodly desires so that by His Spirit we may put them to death. Pray that we would rejoice in the blessings of God to others and be content with His kindness to us. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 17 – Carrying the cross for Christ

And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life." – Luke 18:29-30 Scripture reading: Luke 14:25-33 Clearly our Lord Jesus calls us for a whole-souled commitment. He demands that we reorder our loves (v. 26), release our lives (v. 26), recount the costs (vv. 28-32), and relinquish our grip on our possessions (v. 33). This is what it means to be his disciple. Have we done that? Have we given up our cherished desires, even for legitimate things, for the sake of Christ? Are we willing to give up time and money and energy and reputation and comfort to serve our Redeemer? Are you ever uncomfortable for the gospel’s sake? Christ is not necessarily asking us to sell everything and go to Nepal as a missionary. Though it would be great if we sent out more missionaries! But he is asking us to give more of our time for prayer and our money for missions. He’s asking us to forego visiting with family some Sundays so we can be a blessing to those in the congregation who are unlike ourselves. He’s asking us to show hospitality, to visit the elderly, and to witness to unbelievers despite our discomfort. He wants you to speak to the visitor at church even though you are quiet and introverted. He is calling children to serve their parents and siblings. He is calling us to be uncomfortable for Him. Sound restrictive? Not if you see it as service to the Saviour. At the end of a long life of suffering for the Lord Jesus, the great missionary, David Livingstone, said his hardships were ‘nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.’ Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to teach us where we might serve Him as Christ’s disciples. Pray that God would raise up ministers and missionaries to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel of life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 16 – Joyfully serving Christ

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. – Titus 2:11-14 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 19:19-21 Well, that was a surprise! Elisha is plowing on his family's farm and suddenly Elijah throws his cloak on him. Somehow Elisha knew what that meant and joyfully responds. He runs after Elijah, eager to do God's work. He bids farewell to his parents, kissing them goodbye. He slaughters his oxen and burns the yokes, indicating that he was making a complete break both with his former work and future inheritance. And he celebrates his call to service with his friends. Elisha eagerly responds to God’s call. That's a good word for us, isn't it? Our service to God is too often bare duty. We serve in Church office because the congregation elected us. We care for our elderly parents because it is the right thing to do. We attend worship because God calls us to. We resist sin because it is against God’s law. It is right to do things because our Master places these obligations upon us, but shouldn’t there also be delight in our doing? These obligations are opportunities to do something for Christ. And shouldn’t joy saturate our service? It wasn’t going to be easy for Elisha. He was leaving a large farm and an affectionate family. Farming was just becoming fun again now that the drought was over. And the life he was going to lacked security and promised hardship. And notice, he was called to be Elijah’s assistant. Hardly glamorous. By the grace of God, he heeded God's call. Should not Christ’s service to us win our service to Him? Shouldn’t the grace of God make us zealous for good works? Suggestions for prayer Ask that God would forgive us for our, at times, begrudging obedience. Pray that the Holy Spirit might conform us to the image of Christ who said, ‘I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.’ This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 15 – The Voice of grace and judgment

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. – Matthew 25:41 Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” – Matthew 11:28-30 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 19:9-18 So what does God think of Elijah's accusations? He agrees. Israel deserves judgment. When Moses was on the mount (Exodus 34) God passed by him giving Moses a revelation of Himself. Here in the mount, God reveals Himself to Elijah with four different manifestations: wind, earthquake, fire, and a low whisper. Notice that the first three are destructive, the last one is calm. What does this mean? The three correspond to the three judgments that God will unleash on His people through Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha (verses 15-17). But judgement is not God's only Word. Seven thousand will be reserved as true worshippers. Nor is judgement God's preferred Word. I get this from the contrast between the three and the one. He was not in the three, but He was in the one. That is, though God will bring judgement, he delights to show mercy. Some years later we find Elijah on another mountain with Moses and Jesus (Luke 9:28-36) discussing Jesus’ departure, His coming death, which was God’s Word of judgement against Jesus. Weren’t there also rocks splitting and an earthquake at Jesus’ death? His death was for His people’s failure to keep covenant and to worship God faithfully. And then a cloud enveloped them and a voice spoke. Was it a low whisper? The voice said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him.” Jesus is the voice we must listen to. Today His voice speaks grace and invites us to come. One day it will speak judgement and will command us to depart. Listen to Him! Now. Suggestions for prayer Adore God that the Lord Jesus was willing to take our judgement so that we might hear His voice of grace. Pray that through our personal evangelism and the ministry of Christ’s Church many would come to Jesus instead of bowing knees to idols and kissing false gods. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 14 – Covenant prosecution

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and ...

Daily devotional

October 13 – Discouraged

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to th...

Daily devotional

October 12 – Effective prayer

...I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of ...

Daily devotional

October 11 – Showers of blessing

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not...

Daily devotional

October 10 – The contest

I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. – Isaiah 42:8 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 18:19-40 You might think that the contest is between Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal. But it isn’t. It is between God and Baal. For too long the people have been giving their allegiance to Baal. Now God was challenging Baal to a duel to demonstrate who was really deserving of devotion. He did this as a kindness to His people so that they would know Him and their hearts would be turned back to Him. Baal, the storm god, was a fertility god. For three years he had been impotent and before God was going to send rain, He wanted to display publicly Baal’s weakness and His own glory. The contest was in Baal’s area of expertise. Baal had more backers, 450 prophets and they had the first choice of the bull. Elijah was alone, the altar of God was in ruins, and the rebuilt altar was soaked. Certainly, Baal would answer by fire and win. But Baal didn’t answer that day. God does because, unlike Baal, He exists. And the people declare devotion to Him. This story highlights God’s judgement on the wicked. Notice the slaughter of the prophets of Baal. But you shouldn’t miss the mercy. The fire could have fallen on the people. They deserved it. But it fell on the altar instead. It had done that before in Israel’s history (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:26-27) and it would do so again on the cross when the fire of the Lord falls on the Lord Jesus so that it would not fall on those who bow before Christ and say, “My Lord and my God!” Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would demonstrate His glory in His Church and our nation so that people might confess Christ as Lord to the glory of the Father. Thank the Lord for the mercy displayed in the cross of our Lord Jesus so that believers would be spared the wrath of God. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 9 – Divided hearts

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. – Matthew 6:24 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 18:17-22 Ahab pulls one of the most common tricks guilty people use. He tries to shift blame. “Not I,” said Adam, “but you, God, and Eve are to blame.” “Not I,” says Ahab, “but you, Elijah, you are the troubler of Israel.” Elijah rebukes him. He had simply announced God’s judgment; Ahab’s abandonment of God had earned it. Israel was experiencing God’s promise for disobedient people (see Deuteronomy 28:15, 23). And notice Ahab’s response. Not an outright rejection of the Word of God. He obeys Elijah and summons the prophets to Carmel. Having confronted the king, Elijah addresses the people and asks them why they will not give wholehearted devotion to their covenant God. They are wavering. They do not want to forget the Lord nor do they wish to reject Baal. They want both. This is a temptation we all face. For a variety of reasons – fear, peer pressure, boredom – we don’t give unwavering devotion to Christ. But he calls us to. If we confess the Lord is God, which we unfailingly do, then we must follow Him. We must let nothing – money, pleasure, reputation – capture our affections. A jealous God is looking for exclusive devotion. The Bible tells us the people did not answer Elijah’s confrontation though it doesn’t tell us why. What is your response to this call to commitment? Only the conviction of both the futility of other gods and the destruction of those who serve them and the surpassing greatness of having Jesus Christ as Lord will compel us to respond with, ‘We will take up our cross and follow Christ.’ Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord would teach us His way that we may walk in His truth, that He would unite our hearts to fear His name (Psalm 86:11). Ask that God, by His Word and Spirit, might capture our affections by showing us the Prince of Glory so that we would gladly give our souls, our lives, our all. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 8 – The King and his servants

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. – Mark 10:43-45 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 18:1-18 Ahab and Jezebel are opposed to God and His Church. Jezebel, aggressively so. That wicked woman cuts off the prophets of the Lord as she seeks to eradicate God’s worship. We wouldn’t do that, of course, but we need to guard against a more sophisticated way of killing the Lord’s prophets, like listening to preaching without submitting to it. Then there is King Ahab. He ignores the plight of his people, but cares for his animals of war, trusting in them for victory rather than in the Lord. He also ignores his soul. He pursues grass and not the grace that would remove God’s wrath and bring blessing to his parched soul and realm. Too many within the church imitate him, giving their best energy to pursue what will wither rather than God’s enduring blessings. They care more about grass than grace. And how stubborn Ahab is! Repentance would bring blessing to him, his people, and his animals. But how the human heart resists repentance. God has His own amidst the apostasy of His Church. There is Elijah and at least 100 other prophets hidden by God’s faithful servant Obadiah. Rather than suggesting that Obadiah compromised to be employed by an enemy of the Church, the passage highlights his devotion to the Lord. Admittedly, Obadiah does hesitate to go public with his devotion but finally agrees when Elijah reminds him of the big God they serve, the Lord of hosts. Aren’t you grateful that Christ cares more for His subjects than Ahab did and is willing to bear God’s wrath for their blessing? And doesn’t this spur you on to serve Him faithfully, whatever the cost? Suggestions for prayer Give thanks for our servant King, the Lord Jesus and ask God that by His Spirit we would be faithful servants of Christ and not exhibit the characteristics of the enemies of the gospel. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 7 – Resurrection life

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... – 1 Peter 1:3 Scripture reading: Luke 7:11-17 When hundreds of years after Elijah you read of a prophet raising a dead son to life and giving him back to his mother, who is a widow, you are encouraged to link Elijah’s miracle with that story. Though written by many writers the Bible has one divine Author and through the similarities between the stories, the Holy Spirit is alerting us that 1 Kings isn’t just about Elijah but about a greater than Elijah, the great Prophet Who has arisen among us, God, Who has visited His people. That is, the Old Testament is about Jesus Christ. So, in reading about Elijah, we should learn about Jesus. In this New Testament counterpart to yesterday’s reading, we learn of Jesus’ compassion for the needy. He is willing to enter enemy territory. By touching the bier, Jesus demonstrates that He shares our uncleanness. He bears our sins and enters our death by experiencing God’s curse on the cross. He engages in conflict with the devil and triumphs. The risen Christ is the victor over sin, death, hell, and Satan. His resurrection life revives our spiritually dead souls and He takes us and presents us to the Father, saying, “See, Your son/daughter lives.” If they glorified God in Nain because they saw the Lord Jesus’ miracle as an evidence of God’s visitation, how much more ought we to glorify God for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Himself and His resurrection power that raises the spiritually dead. Surely, God has visited us. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would visit us and bring to life the spiritually dead in our church and nation and praise Him that He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 6 – Revive us again

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 17:17-24 How painful! It isn...

Daily devotional

October 5 – Marvelling at His grace

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindn...

Daily devotional

October 4 – Not by bread alone

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man d...

Daily devotional

October 3 – God’s gracious judgement

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? �...

Daily devotional

October 2 – God’s man

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” – 1 Kings 17:1 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 1 Kings 17:1-5 No scholar seems able to tell us about Tishbe. Neither do we know much about Elijah’s parents except what is most important: in a day of rampant unbelief they confess their faith in the covenant Lord by naming their son Elijah, meaning, My God is the Lord. God’s chosen servant’s beginnings are clouded in obscurity yet Elijah’s character explodes in this introduction. Elijah is a man of courage, addressing the king of Israel, one who is no friend of God’s prophets. What emboldened him? First, conviction that God lives, in contrast to Baal, who according to pagan mythology, annually died. Second, consciousness of God. God was not simply one before Whom he stood but before Whom he stands. To Elijah, the colossal figure of the King towers above the king. Third, confidence in God’s promise to punish idolatrous people (Deuteronomy 28:15, 23-24). Elijah is also a committed man. He is told to go and he goes (vv. 2, 5). It doesn’t seem that significant except that people like that were scarce in his day and also in ours. But it should be common among Christians. Whatever God calls me to do, I will do. Whatever He forbids, I will forgo. This is the man Elijah. He was like Christ, the greater Prophet, who was chosen from obscurity, courageous before men, and committed to serving His God unstintingly. The Spirit upon Christ is the Spirit upon Elijah and is the Spirit upon us to shape us to be that kind of Christian. Suggestions for prayer Ask that God would pour out His Holy Spirit upon us to conform us to the image of Christ so that we might fearlessly serve Him in his Church and our nation. Pray that God would make your Minister a man of courage and commitment. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

October 1 – Introduction

The word of God is living and active. It is not only something we study, it studies us. As the Bible reveals truths about itself, it also, simultaneously, reveals truths about us. That's what you will discover as we work our way through the sacred account of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, Elijah. From his sudden appearance before Ahab to his surprising disappearance before Elisha, his successor, these studies will highlight the astonishing grace of God to his people in his Son, Jesus Christ, the greatest of all prophets and the final Word of God. In the lead up to Reformation Day, and in light of the 400th anniversary of the Synod of Dort, we will end the month looking at the five main points of doctrine in dispute in the Netherlands in the early 1600s, not so much for disputation, as for celebration. Hope in the dark days ...according to the word of the Lord – 1 Kings 16:34 Scripture reading: 1 Kings 16:29-34 There were dark days in Israel when Ahab came to the throne and they only became darker. It was bad enough that Ahab sanctioned the breaking of the second commandment by worshipping God through the golden calves. He also promoted the worship of Baal, the nature god of the Canaanites. Ahab bears responsibility for this because, contrary to God’s gracious command, he married the pagan Jezebel who had an evangelistic zeal to supplant the Lord‘s worship with Baal’s. Ahab further demonstrated his contempt for God’s Word by rebuilding Jericho, the ruins of which were a monument to God’s grace and judgment. Ahab wants to worship God and Baal. Would to God that this sin of syncretism, attempting to serve two masters, were only a past malady in Christ’s Church. Alas, we see those same Ahabian tendencies when we limit the Lordship of Christ to specific areas of our lives. Christ is Lord, we confess, but I will marry whom I will. I will not let that confession interfere in maximizing profits in my business or His Lordship dictate what will entertain me. He is as Lord as I make Him Lord. Syncretism. But if the sons of Hiel die according to the Word of the Lord (Joshua 6:26) doesn’t that encourage us to believe that other promises of God will be fulfilled too, including the promises to destroy the serpent, to forgive syncretistic sinners, and to sanctify His people? Indeed it does! Suggestions for prayer Ask that God would unite your heart to fear His name (Psalm 68:11) and praise Him that none of His promises fail, neither His promises of judgment nor of blessing. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. John van Eyk is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta. ...

Daily devotional

September 30 – One last consideration

Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! – Psalm 144:15 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 It has been a pleasure to write these devotionals and very helpful for my walk with Christ. With you, I have looked at this Psalm from a variety of angles, and verse by verse, asking those two most important questions: Who is God; who am I? We have grown in His Word. So how do we continue? How are we to remain “in such a state,” happy in God? Well, by staying in His Word. By repetition. When we read Scripture regularly and with careful attention to the context in which each word appears, we are trusting God the Holy Spirit Who authored this Word to lead us into all truth. This is what we each and the entire church needs in these trying times. God is faithful; His Word never fails. When you are sensing that you are entering into a trial, run to His Word and fall on your knees in prayer. Run with expectation to the house of the Lord on the Lord’s Day, knowing that the better you come to know your God the deeper will be your faith. Above all, trust that He holds you. We will mature in the Christian faith, but never beyond being a child of our Father in heaven. He says this, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”Amen. That’s Who He is – Father. And all our days, we are His beloved children. Rest well in Him. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to show you, each day this week, how great is His love for you in Jesus Christ. Ask Him to teach you how rich is His mercy and forgiveness to sinners in Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 29 – Happy in God, because of God

Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! – Psalm 144:15 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 In our Psalm, David began by extolling the LORD. He ends exactly the same way. Through the twists and turns of the Psalm, as in life, there were challenges discussed and blessings rejoiced in. The constant through it all is the blessedness of our God and of the people who serve and follow Him. This is again the day to lift up praise to God for Who He is! The Lord’s Day is the day every reason for happiness comes together to be focused on praise to the “Father of lights” (James 1:17) Who is the giver of every good and perfect gift. Are you joyful today? God is the source of your joy. He is God, the LORD! Given who David was, it should not have surprised us that he thought a lot about war. But so should we. We struggle against evil enemies in this life. Knowing Who God is, we should be even less surprised that the Psalm is ending with praise. We are blessed with eternal life and none can take away what the Lord has given. This, then, is our “state.” We have been endowed with eternal blessing and joy from God through Jesus Christ. The knowledge of God, by His Word, works to remind us that He is “…eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good”! Happy are the people who know Him – we are so blessed. Shout His praise this day! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to make this a Lord’s Day to remember His goodness and to find joy in His faithfulness. Ask Him, He is able! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 28 – Walking in agreement with life and peace

Daily devotional

September 27 – God creates civilization

That our oxen may be well-laden; That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets. – Psalm 144:14 Scripture read...

Daily devotional

September 26 – Handling the blessing

That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands, And ten thousands in our fields; – Psalm 144:1...

Daily devotional

September 25 – God of food and finance

That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands, And ten thousands in our fields; – Psalm 144:1...

Daily devotional

September 24 – Erecting trees and pillars

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style; – Psalm 144:12 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Have you ever been inclined to say “let go and let God” about a situation in your life? It is sometimes very tempting to take that advice. Yet, even well-intended, that sentiment is bad advice. If you were racing down a steep hill on your bicycle and tried that, I fear it would not end well. I doubt many of us would agree to try that approach with parenting. Why not? Well, because we know ourselves. When you were a teenager, did you do something that later you hoped (and prayed!) would never be known by your parents? Prayer and parenting are not opposed, but are two sides of one coin. This is also that (well-known) secret of the Christian life, we pray and do. The request for deliverance in verse 11 was made with a mind to this “domestic tranquility” which only the Christian family may fully and richly enjoy. The Christian family enjoys this domestic tranquility (not perfectly, though) by applying scriptural truth to all actions within the home and family. Behind all this parenting is prayer to the God Who gives sons as trees (Psalm 1) and daughters looking as majestic temple pillars, full of beauty and might. Yet, along with that praying, we work hard to see them raised as ones who desire to glorify God in all they do (Colossians 3:17). Covenant parenting is part and parcel of the warfare of this Psalm. May He strengthen us for the battle! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to show you the precious gift our children are, and the commitment to do all needed to raise them as covenant children in Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 23 – God’s victory in covenant

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style; – Psalm 144:12 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 How well do we know God? What do we mean when we call Him “Father”? Are we confident that God, in Christ loves us? Are we sure He will give us all we need, when we need it? These are the kinds of questions that can rattle around in our heart and head when we are looking at a verse like this one. The statements, or requests by the Psalmist, begun in this verse, are very brave – almost daring! Why that, why daring? Because of what is being asked. The requests begin with the home, the family, and goes out from there. But daring, especially in that what the Psalmist actually asks for is a perfect life! Who has a perfect life? Which parents, father or mother, reading this verse has only stout, healthy sons and beautiful, stately daughters? Do any? But we need to go back to that primary question: How well do you know God? Who is He? Is it His intention and plan, in His covenant power and faithfulness to give us beautiful, godly children? Yes, of course it is. Yes. Yes! Beauty and godliness are words which describe God and He is remaking our children, by the mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be men and woman who portray Him. Do you believe that? Whether you do makes all the difference in how you will raise those covenant children. What joy and help it is to know Who God is as we raise our children in His Name! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to convince you that He is generous in giving you children who grow up to be godly men and women. Ask God to do all that is needed to preserve those covenant children. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 22 – Delivered by God from the worst attacks

Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood – Psalm 144:11 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 You may have noticed one word changed in the title of the devotional from yesterday to today. Jesus Christ was delivered by His Father to these sufferings for us so that today, the Lord’s Day we can rejoice that we are delivered from such attacks. We are coming to know Who our God is. But what about us? Do we know why this category of attack can be so destructive? David laments the attack of words and deception. These wounds can hurt far more than the blow of sword or financial collapse. The attack of words, lies and deception strike a blow to our heart, our inner man. Paul prayed that we would be… "strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16) because that is where we are the most vulnerable. Strike a blow in the inner man and recovery is difficult and tenuous. Perhaps you know how hurtful these wounds are. In our Christian culture, we still don’t give depression and mental illness their proper place. We tend to think like we can wave a wand and these griefs will wisp away. Yet, David prays earnestly for rescue from just such a trial – one that is internal, rather than external. We usually can’t see the wound that brought depression, but its sad fruits are quite evident. Rejoice today, believer, that the Lord’s Day is the day to know the shadow of His wings (Psalm 57:1) He will keep you safe from every attack. Trust Him. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you rejoice in the shadow of His wings and to keep you safe from every attack. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 21 – Delivered by God to the worst attacks

Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood – Psalm 144:11 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 A few days ago we saw that these exact words (with one difference – see September 13) appear twice in this Psalm. While repetition in the Old Testament Hebrew is normal, repetition of a negative appeal is not. This devotional exercise has been a practice of repetition because God repeats in the Bible what He wants emphasized. These words are important to Him. He knows we need to have these words pressed into our hearts. This is what a kind and loving Father does. Knowing what we most need, He brings it to our attention twice. Take note of this. God wants us to know how He feels about what will happen to His beloved Son that day of His unjust trial and crucifixion. Those who will cast votes and cause nails to pierce His perfect Son will speak lying words and will be the epitome of falsehood. God wants us to know this. There is another reason we need to know this and we will look at that tomorrow, but first, know God. What we can learn about God today is that He wants you to know His love by what His Son endured for us. The shame and agony of the cross were but one aspect of His suffering – He also was betrayed, even by His closest friends. How He suffered, how terrible His grief. We are so blessed to be able to know Him well, for this is the Father’s desire – that we know and love His Son. Praise Him! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to show you something of Jesus Christ in your Bible reading every day. He is the finest gold and richest treasure we can ever mine in the pages of Scripture. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 20 – I need to be saved

The One Who gives salvation to kings, Who delivers David His servant from the deadly sword.– Psalm 144:10 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 What do...

Daily devotional

September 19 – God saves

The One Who gives salvation to kings, Who delivers David His servant from the deadly sword.– Psalm 144:10 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Do you ...

Daily devotional

September 18 – So why sing?

I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, – Psalm 144:9 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 David is...

Daily devotional

September 17 – The God worthy of song

I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, – Psalm 144:9 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Martin L...

Daily devotional

September 16 – Living with liars

Whose mouth speaks vain words, And whose right hand is a hand of falsehood. – Psalm 144:8 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 The Lord’s Day was a blessing – and we needed it. Perhaps you heard exactly what you needed to hear, sang a song your heart really needed, or maybe your experience of God’s grace in a sacrament nourished your heart. But now it’s Monday. Great, back to the land of liars. Oh, is that too harsh? So, the Bible is wrong? Man has “progressed” as the liberals and evolutionists want us to believe? We know the Bible is not wrong and we know that we go back to work among those who are not guilt-stricken when they lie or break a promise. Now what? Now we are in the day of opportunity! We know it’s wrong to lie, we know God would have us tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth….and that means we get to tell them of Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life! Monday is evangelism day. Monday is “tell the truth day.” Try these three ideas: First, tell them, truthfully, that you actually do care about them and their troubles. Most unbelievers will be shocked out of their socks to hear someone does love them. Second, tell them that the whole Bible is true. Don’t argue, just tell. The Holy Spirit will do His work. Third, tell them that you will pray for them. The truth will win out over all lies and we are blessed to be the people of the truth. Speak truth in love. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give you love and concern for your unbelieving neighbor. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 15 – God contra mundum

Whose mouth speaks vain words, And whose right hand is a hand of falsehood. – Psalm 144:8 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 You have now read this Psalm 15 times. Since that is the case, you might have noticed that the last part of verse 7 and verse 8 are largely repeated in verse 11. That is very significant in a way we will discuss at verse 11. For now, do take note, on the Lord’s Day, that the complaint King David has here is about lying and a double-cross. He trusted another human and that person has destroyed David’s confidence by a lie. God is not like the world (1 John 2:15-17). God is truth while all in the world will lie to us. “Let God be true and every man a liar!” (Romans 3:4). God intends for you to find assurance in His promises today. The Lord’s Day is when the church gathers together in a particular place and is reminded and taught that God tells the truth. He speaks only Words of Truth and when He makes a promise, He keeps it. Someone might get baptized today. The most significant thing about that baptism is that God makes a promise, His covenant, to that child or adult. He keeps His Word. We are covenant Christians. Our hope and certainty are built on God’s Word – He keeps His promises. What a blessing and what joy for us to know that all is well with my soul because God does all He promises. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to show you how His truth has already changed your life in many different ways. Ask Him to use this Lord’s Day to give you ever deeper assurance in His promises. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 14 – I can’t even lift my arm to say I need to be saved

Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners, – Psalm 144:7 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Tomorrow is the Lord’s day. Do you have for yourself and your family a pattern of preparing on Saturday for the Lord’s day upcoming? It was once very common in historic, reformed churches that prior to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper there was a preparatory service. This was excellent! Maybe the sermon had a special emphasis on preparing – but what about preparing to worship Him every Lord’s Day? This verse can be of great help to us in preparing to worship God corporately tomorrow. Okay, how? Well, this verse reminds us that had not God reached into this world to save us we would be utterly lost. Tomorrow would have been golf or shopping or overtime at work, but not worship. In thinking carefully about this verse it should occur to us that we never even raised our hand to say “help” until God had first given us spiritual life to know we needed to be rescued. Regeneration precedes conversion. God needed to give us eyes to see before we saw that we were naked and without any spiritual funds at all. When you wake tomorrow, thank Him. Praise Him that you get to worship Him because He entered to deliver us out of death. Remember, the battle is the Lord’s and He fought in Jesus Christ to save you, to give you life everlasting. Praise God! So, do you have a plan of how to prepare today to worship tomorrow? Suggestions for prayer Ask God to settle your heart, mind and hands by the end of this day that you might worship Him fully and freely in spirit and truth tomorrow. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 13 – Divine activity

Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners, – Psalm 144:7 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 There is an ancient heresy which has plagued regular Christians for ages. This heresy espoused by high-brow academics, who are sure they know better, is also sometimes accepted by us regular Christians, where it would be termed an error. There is an issue we get wrong about how God acts. This very old teaching is called Deism. Deism says that God made all things and then decided to stay “out of our business.” He is sovereign, but totally uninvolved in the affairs of “we the people.” But sometimes we Christians act like that old lie is the truth. This verse is a comforting correction to that ancient error. God acts! God reaches down from above and pulls us out of the mess in which we find ourselves. He enters our world of trouble. God must or we are doomed! Into the quiet of Bethlehem, the heavens above were torn open and the angelic army choir poured into our world, singing of the arrival of the promised messianic Babe. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace! What kind of peace do you need today? His hand is there. Do you need to be delivered out of “great waters”? Are you drowning in sorrow, in debt, in self-pity? God is still able to take hold of you because He decided to involve Himself in our affairs. Praise Him today for Jesus Christ Who entered to save. O, how God must come down. Then we are saved! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to reveal to you how important and significant to your daily sanctification is the fact that He involves Himself in your day to day choices. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 12 – Learning to be a child again

Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them. – Psalm 144:6 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Once upon a time yo...

Daily devotional

September 11 – Asking God to fight our battles

Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them. – Psalm 144:6 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Things are serious ...

Daily devotional

September 10 – Will we be consumed?

Bow down Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. – Psalm 144:5 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 This verse...

Daily devotional

September 9 – The blaze of His glory

Bow down Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. – Psalm 144:5 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 I believe ...

Daily devotional

September 8 – Day of rest for those passing on

Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow. – Psalm 144:4 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 “The Sabbath was made for man…” (Mark 2:27). Have you ever asked why? Let’s answer that question in terms of what we know already from our study of Psalm 144. We have carefully studied the first four verses. What we know so far is that God trains us for warfare. This spiritual warfare which Paul mentions in Ephesians 6 is difficult. We grow weary. We understand verse 4 better as we age and feel our once strong bodies getting weak and easily tired. Yet spiritually, we learn how much we lack strength. How do you feel if, by a sad situation, you have to miss attending worship on a Lord’s Day? Even more tired, right? We are like a breath and we easily get out of breath, spiritually! We are like a passing shadow and we feel time rushing past us. We need a day of FULL STOP. Today is that day. Praise God that He gives you the opportunity to step aside from all the regular challenges and trials, and hear of the perfect rest Christ has provided you. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). You are like a breath and you need rest. Your life is passing away quickly and you need to enter into that place and time of eternal things to be reminded that God is eternal in the heavens. As you attend worship today remember your need and His full supply! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to restore to you the joy of His salvation on this glorious day of rest! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 7 – God is not like us

Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow. – Psalm 144:4 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Well, it is good that God is the opposite! Have we given enough thought to how “other” God is? This is hard for us because we live gasping for each breath, scraping for every next dollar, praying for each new day. But this verse of our Psalm is telling us who we are so that we would remember this is exactly Who God is NOT! God is not like a breath. He is firm, rock-solid, unchangeable. He is permanent and eternal. If you live near mountains you might be tempted to think those rocks are forever. That mountain range will disappear someday. God is forever. In this devotional study of Psalm 144 we are learning Who God is. What have you learned so far? Actually, this verse uses two related concepts to show how frail man is, all to teach us how reliable God is. This verse mentions “breath” and “a passing shadow.” Breath has to do with substance. Man is like a mist (James 4:14). Man is impermanent, even though we think we are pretty sturdy and can handle quite a bit. Man is also like a passing shadow. As the sun moves across the sky, so our life passes along quickly. God is solid and timeless. What a blessing to know these things about our God! We are not helped by worry, but are strengthened by faith – in Who God is! For the rest of this day (passing shadow!) set your mind on God’s stable Being. Be encouraged! Suggestions for prayer Try praying for longer than you ever have before. When you are done, check how long you prayed, then remember that God has been listening to the prayers of His people for thousands of years. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 6 – Putting ourselves in place

LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man that You are mindful of him? – Psalm 144:3 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Reading the Bible can be a very encouraging practice. There is so much to know about Who God is in His gracious ways to us in Jesus Christ. The promises of Scripture bring us comfort, bring us hope and bring us joy. But just who is the “us” we are thinking about? This is the second great thing we want to know by the end of this study of Psalm 144 and by the end of this month: Just who am I as a human? That’s the question of verse 3. Who are we? What are humans like? The assumption of the writing of the verse is that we humans are not “all that.” We are not all we think ourselves to be and certainly not as great and powerful, wise and wealthy as Hollywood makes us out to be. Compared to God, we are specks of dust riding on the eyelashes of microscopic dust mites. But that is exactly the point, isn’t it? Have you ever met someone or can you think of a person you remember in your past who thought he was really “the cat’s meow?” This person was convinced he was really special or important. Did he annoy most everyone else around him? Yet, we are all a little like that from time to time and maybe more often than we realize. The answer expected in this verse humbles us. We really are not that important. Yet God sent His Son for folks just like us! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to remind you that He loves you even though it is true that you are not lovely in yourself. Ask Him to show you how rich is His grace in Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 5 – The condescending mercy of God

LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man that You are mindful of him? – Psalm 144:3 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 There is a perfect contrast displayed in this verse. This contrast is unlike any other contrast in all of creation. This is the contrast between the Creator and the creature. Every other contrast you could mention has less “distance” to cross, less difference to wrestle with than the Creator-creature contrast. God, the LORD has no need for anything. Man the creature is completely needy. God is entirely complete in Himself, we are fully dependent on Him for everything we have. In this verse the Psalmist asks why does the God Who needs nothing spend any effort, time or resource on us humans. This is an excellent question! Mercy is the answer. God is merciful. Do you remember from the introduction to this devotional that we are striving to know well two things: Who God is and who we are? This verse tells us by a question that seems to have no good answer, that God is merciful. Otherwise, what possible answer could we expect to the question of this verse? Since God is everything, what is man? Man is nothing, that’s what. Since God has all power, what power do we humans have? None. Since all life comes from God’s work and good pleasure, what life do we humans have on our own? None. Since salvation from sins comes from God’s plan in sending His Son to save us, what claim and authority over our salvation do we have? None. What is God like? He is merciful. Believe. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give you greater clarity and trust in Who He says He is in the Bible. Ask Him to give you a greater interest in knowing Him each time you read the Bible. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Harold Miller is the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) of Kansas City, Missouri....

Daily devotional

September 4 - Taking possession of what God gives

My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. – Ps...

Daily devotional

September 3 – My powerful fortress of safety

My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. – Ps...

Daily devotional

September 2 - My hands?

Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle – Psalm 144:1 Scripture reading: Psalm 144 Sometimes we re...

Daily devotional

September 1 – Introduction to Psalm 144

Repetition. If you have lived for a few years, you have already learned the value of repetition. God has placed repetition into the Bible as a very he...

Daily devotional

August 31 – Choose you this day

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 Scripture reading: Joshua 24:1-28 As the book closes, Joshua calls all Israel to him to again ratify God’s covenant. They must publicly pledge to follow their mighty, majestic and merciful God. First, Joshua reminds Israel that the Patriarch, Abraham, was mercifully drawn out of paganism by the Lord (vs. 2). If even Abraham needed God’s divine intervention, how much more do we also! Then God’s continued covenantal faithfulness is expounded upon by Joshua (verses 3-13), reminding them that salvation is always and only the work of Almighty God. Next, Joshua challenges the people to properly respond to God’s grace. Will they serve the Lord in gratitude and thanksgiving, or will they side with the gods their fathers served or the idols of the pagans around them (vs. 15)? The people promise to serve the Lord, but Joshua questions their commitment (verses 19-20). The people insist, however, so Joshua confronts them about the nature of the God they say they will follow. He will accept no half-hearted followers, no half-baked commitments. So choose you – very carefully – whom you will serve. This challenge is for us today. Because God is holy and jealous, He demands perfection and righteousness from us. But we too fail in our covenantal obedience. We need the loving sacrifice and the holy righteousness of Jesus. He alone keeps covenant perfectly for us. He alone stands in our place and turns aside the Father’s wrath. God does for us what we can never do for ourselves. Find your eternal rest in Christ alone. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for pulling you out of unbelief and sin. Thank Him for His great show of divine grace as seen in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to make that grace known to even more people around the world, until the full number of His elect are saved. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 30 – A witness between you and us

“Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifice, but that it may be a witness between you and us and our generations after us.” – Joshua 22:26-27 Scripture reading: Joshua 22:10-34 Our passage today reveals how a miscommunication nearly turns into a massacre! How what one side did, intending it to be a deed of faithfulness to God, was misconstrued to be a deed of rebellion against God. Out of a zeal for the honour of the Lord, the tribes on the West side of the Jordan prepare themselves to do battle with the tribes on the East side of the River. This zeal was not misplaced. With the building of this “alternate altar,” it appeared that God’s Word was being called into question and God’s honour was being threatened. So Israel was willing to go to war against their brothers. This teaches us that God’s name is worth more than our ease, that God’s honour is more valuable than our family, that God’s Word is to be kept even if it means offending friends. Thankfully, because of the open conversation held between the offending parties, the misunderstanding was resolved. Honest dialogue prevented disaster. The alter was not built as a substitute for proper worship, but for a memorial for all to see that the Jordan did not separate God’s people. As a witness to the next generation, the memorial is erected. God’s church today also has a memorial for all to see, a witness to future generations: the Cross of Jesus Christ. May we not fear open conversations and honest dialogue with those around us as we preach Christ and Him crucified. May Jesus be our Witness to the world. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give you godly, humble zeal for His Name. Ask Him to guide you to those who need to hear the honest truth about themselves and about the Good News of the Gospel. Ask Him for wisdom to deal openly with the misunderstandings in your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 29 – Take careful heed

“But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you.” – Joshua 22:5 Scripture reading: Joshua 22:1-9 In the last chapters of the book, Joshua calls all the people of Israel together so that he can challenge them about their proper response of gratitude that they are to live out for the Lord. Israel’s leader knows how important this emphasis is, especially now that the people are being released to go and enjoy their promised rest and begin a new life in their inheritance. It is important for them to serve the Lord now in times of peace, just as they did in times of war. For it is exactly in times of peace that we are most tempted to forget about the Lord. When a trial overtakes us, or a hardship overwhelms us, we find it easy to cry out to God in prayer. We open His Word to discern His will. We enter His church in order to find comfort. But what happens to this zeal when life is fine and things are easy? That is usually when the Bible stays closed, when church seems boring and our prayers wither on the vine. Joshua knew this would be true for Israel also. They did great when they were fighting giants. But what would they do with God now, when their biggest concern was what to make for dinner? How is your life today? May we always remember all that Jesus has done for us in saving our soul. For then, in both hard times and in ease, whole-hearted devotion will overflow from us. Suggestions for prayer Dwell on and praise God for his amazing grace shown to you. Praise Him for His might, His majesty, His mercy. Ask Him for even more strength to put off the old man and to be filled with the new. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 28 – Divine faithfulness

“Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” – Joshua 21:45 Scripture reading: Joshua 21:43-45 One commentator called the three verses of our passage today “the jugular vein for the book of Joshua.” So important are these truths! Here is the theological heart of the Book of Joshua. Verse 43 mentions the land. It nicely summarizes chapters 13 through 21 of this book. God had promised Abraham that one day his descendants would inherit all the land of Canaan. This verse testifies that God has kept His promise to the patriarch. Verse 44 speaks of Israel’s enemies. It summarizes chapters 1 through 12 and all the battles and conflicts found there. God had promised Joshua in Chapter 1 that not one of the occupants of Canaan would be able to stand against them and this verse testifies that God has kept that promise as well. Then verse 45 reassures Israel that as they settle into this new land they can trust in the Lord to keep His promise to watch over them and to bless them. Because Israel’s God has proven Himself to be persistent in keeping His promises, they can walk forward confidently into the future with Him. Because He is mighty, majestic and merciful“not a word failed” of what He had said in the past, and so, therefore “all will come to pass” in the future as well. This is the same message that we must hold to today. God’s Word is truth. As you too settle into life, or face conflicts and battles, never forget that your mighty, majestic and merciful God is walking with you and seeing you through. We have Jesus Christ, THE Commander of the Lord’s army who has fought the battle for us and has proven Himself victorious. Trust in Him. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for being mighty, majestic and merciful. Thank Him for being faithful to His covenant promises. Express your gratitude to Christ for His finished work in your salvation. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 27 – divine sojourners

“So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their common-lands.” – J...

Daily devotional

August 26 – Divine justice

“The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: “Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to ...

Daily devotional

August 25 – The deceitfulness of sin

“And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.” – ...

Daily devotional

August 24 – Wholly following the Lord

“Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.” – Joshua 6:8 Scriptu...

Daily devotional

August 23 – As the Lord had commanded

“As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.” – Joshua 14:5 Scripture reading: Joshua 14:1-5 Repetition is used in the Old Testament to emphasize the main point that is being expressed. In our passage today the phrase “as the Lord had commanded” is repeated twice, signifying that we must notice this truth. Joshua begins his work as God’s “Registrar of Deeds.” With Eleazar the high priest, he casts lots in order to determine which tribe of Israel receives which part of the Promised Land. Both verse 2 and verse 5 emphasize that they do this “as the Lord had commanded.” It would be easy for us to read over this repetition, but it is here for a reason. You might think, “All they are doing is dividing up the land. Why is it so important who lives here and who lives there?” What is important is not what they are doing, but how they are doing it! “As the Lord had commanded” them – That is the point being stressed. This underscores the truth that God cares about ALL that we do, how He wants us to be faithful in even the small things of life, just as much as in the big things of life. The Lord considers Joshua’s work as “Registrar of Deeds” just as important as him exterminating Canaanites. So too in your life today. No command from God is small. No work done for the Lord is “insignificant.” Whether you are a CEO or are doing another load of laundry; do it faithfully, with all your heart, for His honour and glory. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the work that He has given you to do. Ask Him for the strength and diligence to do it well. Ask Him to use you today for His honour and glory. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 22 – An ominous warning

“Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.” – Joshua 13:13 Scripture reading: Joshua 13:8-14 Because of the Lord’s righteous judgment against sin, the Israelites were to exterminate all of the Canaanites from the Promised Land. This was a foreshadowing of what will happen at the end of time when God’s eternal judgment is brought upon the whole earth. In our passage today, we see the first occurrence of what will quickly become a common pattern with Israel: a failure to walk by faith and to trust in the Lord. Even though they have God’s specific promise to lead them, they fail to do as He commands. Pagans are allowed to live in Israel. Our tendency is to read this and not see anything too threatening. This is not much to get worked up over, is it? A couple of minor Canaanite tribes? Whom we have never even heard of before? Whose names we can’t even pronounce? Is this really such a big deal? After all, Israel has been through a lot already. They have been very faithful in the big tests given them against those massive coalitions of pagan kings! So they deserve a break, don’t they? Maybe later they can take care of these last few stragglers. But “later” never comes. Israel too easily lives with sin. They become comfortable with pagans in their midst. And within one generation these pagans have taken over God’s people (see Judges 2:7-10). This is how easily sin infects our heart. Do not live with it. Fight it! Trust in Jesus, and He will strengthen you for this battle. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to reveal and root out sin from your life. Ask the Spirit to increase your spiritual fervour. Ask Christ to work within you in powerful new ways. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 21 – The divine promise

“Them I will drive out from before the children of Israel.” – Joshua 13:6 Scripture reading: Joshua 13:1-7 With Joshua 13, a very different section of the book begins, the division of the now conquered Promised Land. One Bible commentator described the difference between the first half and the second half of this book as the difference between watching an action-packed war movie and going to the register of deeds office to read through the descriptions of land surveys! Yet even here in the division of the land, we can learn much from God’s Word. With this chapter, Joshua’s work for the Lord takes a much different turn. His role as Israel’s military general is finished and his role as the Lord’s “Registrar of Deeds” begins. The boundaries for the 12 tribes within the Promised Land need to be settled because there are still small pockets of Canaanite resistance left which need to be eliminated. All the main fortified cities have been destroyed. The coalitions of pagan kings have been eliminated, so there is no need for the whole army of Israel to remain together. But each tribe needs to eliminate the small enclaves of pagan people that yet remain within their borders. It is about these last remnants of unbelievers that God gives His promise, “Them I will drive out from before the children of Israel.” What reassuring words for His people to hear. In the power of this promise, Israel can move forward confidently. May this promise give you confidence as you go forth in your life. God has promised. He is faithful. He will watch over your life. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for His faithfulness shown to each new generation. Praise Him for His watchful eye shown to you. Ask Him to use you mightily for Him this day. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois. This picture adapted from one adapted by Malus Catulus and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license....

Daily devotional

August 20 – He left nothing undone

“As the LORD had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.” – Joshua 11:15 Scripture reading: Joshua 11:1-15 Because they forget that the Bible is God’s one account of His history of redemption, many view the Book of Joshua only as a tale of gruesome battles. We must see instead the sovereign Lord preparing for His Messiah: preparing an earthly place and a human line through which His Son can enter into time and space to redeem the elect. Joshua 11 records the battles leading to the complete conquest of the Promised Land, ensuring that God’s covenant of redemption can be fulfilled. This time, the pagan kings of the northern half of the land of Canaan assemble to fight against the Lord. Once again the Lord proves that the seed of the Serpent cannot stand against the Seed of the Woman. Four times, in verses 8 through 14, the complete annihilation of the Canaanites is emphasized (verses 8, 11, 12, and 14). Many consider this to be unnecessary, unloving and intolerant. This attitude reveals our ignorance of the Battle between Good and Evil that rages all around us. It shows we do not understand the holiness of God or our own sinfulness. This extermination of evil has nothing to do with love or tolerance, but with Divine justice against human sin. Joshua dispensed this justice and “left nothing undone.” As such he foreshadows the true Warrior King of Israel, Jesus Christ. He too “left nothing undone” when on the Cross He fought the final Battle with sin. Look in faith to this warrior King Who has fought so completely for you. Suggestions for prayer Pray for humility as you boldly enter God’s throne room of grace. Thank Him that you are part of His covenant of redemption. Praise Him for both His mercy and His justice. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 19 – The sun stood still

“The LORD heeded the voice of a man.” – Joshua 10:14 Scripture reading: Joshua 10:12-15 When they come to this passage, liberal Bible scho...

Daily devotional

August 18 – The battle belongs to the Lord

“And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.’” – Jos...

Daily devotional

August 17 – The Gibeonite deception

“Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.” – Joshua 9:14 Scripture reading: Joshua 9 ...

Daily devotional

August 16 – From conquest to covenant

“...and afterward read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.�...

Daily devotional

August 15 – The Church in the hands of an angry God

“So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger.” – Joshua 7:26 Scripture reading: Joshua 7 God’s wrath against sin plays the central role of this chapter. The anger of the LORD is mentioned at the beginning and the end (verse 1 and 26) of this account, with a chilling declaration by God to Israel in between, “Neither will I be with you anymore” (verse 12). This is the opposite of what the Lord had promised in chapter 1:5, “I will be with you. I will not leave you, nor forsake you.” So what has happened? What made the difference between what God promised in chapter 1 and what He now declares in chapter 7? The difference is sin; purposeful, unconfessed sin. God takes sin seriously. In fact, He hates it! We may not, but He does. We may grow accustomed to it, but God does not. Because of sin in their midst, God’s covenant people find themselves in the same situation as the pagans around them: devoted to destruction! They have broken covenant with God and so they are worthy of judgment. “Unless!” Don’t miss the glimmer of grace held out at the end of verse 12, “unless you destroy the accursed from among you.” Here is propitiation, the turning aside of God’s wrath. When Israel identifies and destroys Achan, his family and all his belongings, God’s wrath is turned away and propitiation occurs. This is a foreshadowing of the finished work of Christ; a picture of the Cross of Calvary. The only begotten Son, crushed by the Father, that we could be accepted by Him. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for propitiation. Confess any and all sin to Him, hiding none. State out loud that your hope, your righteousness, your life is found in Jesus Christ alone. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 14 – The Lord fought the battle of Jericho! – Part 2

“So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpets, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat.” – Joshua 6:20 Scripture reading: Joshua 6:6-27 The ark of the covenant of the LORD once again plays a central role in the Book of Joshua, this time in the defeat of Jericho. Remember that in the Ark, God Himself is represented on earth! For six straight days God – in the presence of the Ark – confronts the unbelievers behind the walls of Jericho. With the priests carrying the Ark, God’s holiness is presented to them. With the soldiers going in front of and behind the Ark, God’s judgment is presented to them. For six days God graciously withheld His judgment. The people behind the wall should have responded to this mighty and majestic God of Israel by surrendering. They should have “come out with their hands up” throwing themselves upon the mercy of Israel’s God. But they hide behind their high wall and strong gates in the vain hope that these earthly things might save them. They love their sin too much. So on the seventh day, after the seventh pass around the city, God unleashes His judgment. The time for mercy is over. The day of grace has passed. These rebellious unbelievers experience how mighty and majestic the true God of all Heaven and Earth really is. Today is still the day of grace for us. Today is the day of salvation. Do not hide behind earthly things. Do not cling to your sin. Come with a submissive heart to the mighty, majestic and merciful God of Heaven and Earth. Confess your sin and trust in Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Ask God the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and reveal any vain things upon which you are trusting. Thank God for this day of grace. Thank Him for sending Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 13 – The Lord fought the battle of Jericho! – Part 1

“And the LORD said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.’” – Joshua 6:2 Scripture reading: Joshua 6:1-5 Joshua has never yet fought a battle like this. How is his army supposed to take this fortified city with its strong gates and thick walls? Build battering rams for the gates? A siege ramp to scale the walls? Or maybe just surround the city and starve them into submission? It looks so hopeless. God tells him: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand!” What an odd thing for the Commander of the LORD’s army to say, because Joshua doesn’t see a defeated Jericho. All he sees is a powerful, fortified city, with strong, locked gates and high, thick walls! Joshua sees an impenetrable fortress that even if his army does succeed in taking, he is going to lose many good men doing it. That is what Joshua “sees.” So the Lord encourages Joshua to look with the eyes of faith and see that it is not him or his army who is going to fight this battle. It is the LORD! Jericho will be taken, but in the way that God determines. And the rest is history. Whatever “battle” you may be facing in life, the Lord calls for you to “See!” Do not dwell on outward appearances. Look instead with the eye of faith to what God can do. Find your hope in how He has promised to care for you, fight for you, love you. Humanly, your situation may seem hopeless, but “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give you the eyes of faith. Ask Him to work powerfully even in the midst of your hopeless situation. Ask Him to give you even more grace to find your rest in Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 12 – Judgment begins

“Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” – Joshua 5:15 Scripture reading: Joshua 5:13-15 This second main section of Joshua emphasizes judgment, destruction and death; this troubles many modern readers. Yet, it is a section that rings out with praise to Almighty God! Yes, God is praised even in the destruction of these pagan tribes. Such judgment shocks us today only because we have lost sight of God’s holiness and the sinfulness of sin. Eternal punishment testifies to God’s holiness and how much He hates sin. We prefer a “kinder, gentler” god, one more like a soft and sweet marshmallow who wouldn’t hurt a flea. But that is not the God of Holy Scripture. As Biblical Christians, we are to understand the judgment and destruction seen in Joshua as a foreshadowing of the LORD’s promised final judgment that awaits this earth at the end of time. We must remember how God promises to send to eternal destruction all who reject Him, while He also promises to welcome into eternal glory all who respond to Him in faith and repentance. This is why “the Commander of the LORD’s army” reveals Himself to Joshua, to remind Joshua Who he ultimately serves. This “Commander” is none other than Jesus in pre-incarnate form. He tells Joshua, “The place where you stand is holy.” What makes a place on earth “holy,” but that this “Man” Who is standing there with Joshua is Himself holy! This reminds us that the Lord goes with us too as we go out into the world. Go in His strength and serve your holy God today. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for His holiness. Ask Him to reveal to you even more of your own sinfulness. Ask the Lord to help you serve Him with all your heart. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 11 – Covenant renewal

“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’” – Joshua 5:9 Scripture reading: Joshua 5:1-...

Daily devotional

August 10 – A sign among you

“That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’” – Joshua 4:6 Scri...

Daily devotional

August 9 – The marvelous miracle

"The waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away." – Joshua 3:16 Scripture reading: Joshua 3:14-17 Thre...

Daily devotional

August 8 – The glory of God

“The waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.” – Joshua 3:13 Scripture...

Daily devotional

August 7 – The ark of the covenant

“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.” – Joshua 3:3 Scripture reading: Joshua 3:1-6 In the camp of Israel, the ark represented God Himself residing with His people. The ark was emblematic of God’s promise to never leave them nor forsake them. So wherever the ark was, there God’s people were to be as well. However, the presence of God also comes with a warning. The people must stay at least 2,000 cubits away from the ark (vs. 4). This is over one-half mile away (or just under one kilometre)! This is to teach Israel that they cannot just come and approach God anyway and anytime that they feel like it. No, God sets the rules for how sinners can approach Him. You might think that 2,000 cubits sounds excessive. Wouldn’t 1,000 cubits be good enough? Or 500? No! What a typically human and sinful response! The Lord is never content with our “good enough.” Our fallen hearts always think little of God’s holiness and our own sinfulness. We so easily convince ourselves that we are not as bad as God says we are. The Bible tells us that God is holy, pure and absolutely righteous; and we are not! This is exactly why He had to send His only begotten Son into this world as the Mediator between God’s holiness and us as sinners. Jesus Christ is our righteousness. Through faith in Christ, we are made as holy as God Himself. In Christ we can “go after” God and serve Him with all our heart in this world. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for His holiness and majesty. Confess your sin before Him. Ask Him for the leading of His Holy Spirit to draw you closer to your Saviour, and that you may find your rest in Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 6 – The profession of a prostitute – Part 2

“And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted: neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” – Joshua 2:11 Scripture reading: Joshua 2:8-24 In verses 10-13, we see that the Holy Spirit has been active in Rahab’s heart, for this pagan prostitute makes three key statements that every believer in the Lord must make. First, in verse 10, Rahab confesses the might of the Lord. She mentions how “the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea,” and how the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, were “utterly destroyed.” Second, in verse 11, Rahab confesses the majesty of the Lord when she states, “The LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” Third, in verse 12, Rahab confesses the mercy of the Lord. Twice in that verse, she uses the Hebrew word hesed, a word used regularly throughout the Old Testament. Yet, it is a concept that is difficult to put into English. Different English translations use words like lovingkindness, mercy, covenantal faithfulness, and so on. It is important to notice that with her request for divine hesed, Rahab is expressing genuine faith! For true faith is never content with only expressing intellectual truths, such as God being majestic and mighty. Those truths must also reach down and transform the heart. True faith, after confessing truth about God, then seeks to take refuge in God! Rahab not only states correct beliefs, but she also confesses her desperate need. Who else but God the Holy Spirit could have planted such a faith in such an unbeliever? Here is sovereign, divine grace in action. Here is God’s hesed. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for His might. Confess His majesty. Thank Him for His mercy. Express your gratitude to Him for the amazing grace that He has shown to you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 5 – The profession of a prostitute – Part 1

“So went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.” – Joshua 2:1 Scripture reading: Joshua 2:1-7 The late James Montgomery Boice in his commentary on Joshua states, “It is interesting that the first character described for us in this great book of Joshua – other than Joshua himself – is this woman Rahab, and that the first real historical account told us is her account.” This is interesting and important because most Christians would say that Joshua is basically about wars and battles. Even conservative theologians would describe the book as God’s divine judgment against human sin, using the nation of Israel to punish whole people groups because of their rebellion against the LORD. Now it is true that war and judgment play a major role in this book. Yet we must not miss the fact that the Book of Joshua essentially begins, as Boice puts it, with “a story of God’s mercy rather than of His wrath." Think about that. Divine mercy and grace begin this account, not divine wrath and judgment. This must be the presupposition that guides us as we read through this historical record; namely, that yes, our God is holy and just and He will punish sin, but God is also merciful and gracious, long-suffering and filled with lovingkindness. And in this we find our hope! God’s grace is seen today in the blood-stained cross of Calvary. There perfect and full propitiation occurred. Through the instrument of faith, our sin is imputed to Christ and Jesus’ perfect righteousness is imputed to us. The “great exchange.” Trust in Christ and find your hope in Him. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His mercy and grace. Thank Him that He did not leave you in your sin as you deserved, but that He sent His only Begotten Son “to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 4 – Turning promise into possession

“Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, “Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.” - Joshua 1:11 Scripture reading: Joshua 1:10-18 Finally, God is delivering on His promise made years earlier to Abraham, to give the land of Palestine to Abraham’s descendants. Because “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1), Palestine can be given and taken as God sees fit. Canaan does not belong to the pagan tribes who now reside there any more than it does to the tribes of Israel who will soon reside there. For now, God has decided to give this land as His gift to Israel. Yet the LORD does not just drop this gift into Israel’s lap! Rather, He commands His people to cross over and lay hold of His promise. They are to fight for this land! Work to claim God’s gift. The people are expected to turn promise into possession. Notice the commands given them in verse 11: “prepare provisions,” “cross over,” “go in to possess.” God’s promises often come with expectations. You may have observed this in church today. In the sacraments, God’s great covenantal promise is put before us in picture form. The water of baptism and the bread and wine of communion picture for us the promised salvation of Jesus Christ. Yet, with that promise comes expectations. We must “cross over the Jordan”, as it were, and take possession of the promise. For water, bread and wine do not save. Only Jesus saves! God commands us to respond in repentance and faith to the promise pictured in the sacramental elements, for salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the salvation found in Jesus Christ. Repent of all your sins. Ask the Lord for a greater measure of His Holy Spirit so that you would look in faith to Jesus Christ alone. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Ed Marcusse is the pastor of the Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois....

Daily devotional

August 3 – Prophetic foreshadowing

“Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” – J...

Daily devotional

August 2 – Divine assurances

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” �...

Daily devotional

August 1 – Introduction

For many churchgoers today, the Old Testament Book of Joshua is only about ancient battles and bloodshed. Sure the walls of Jericho fell down flat, bu...

Daily devotional

July 31 – The way to victory

“As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up int...

Daily devotional

July 30 – Doing the work of faith

“And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.’” – Joshua 6:2, 3 Scripture reading: Joshua 6:1-7 Joshua means, salvation is from the LORD. That’s the promise of the gospel, and we receive salvation from the LORD as a free gift simply by believing the promise.The promise is absolutely sure. Our salvation is accomplished by God’s sovereign grace. God has decreed it, and He will do it. The history of salvation recorded in Scripture proves that beyond the shadow of a doubt. In I Corinthians 2:9, Paul makes it very clear that this kind of salvation is absolutely different from every kind of salvation that people have ever invented or imagined. We’re not saved by what we do. God does all the work because God wants all the glory (Ephesians 2:9). But God has work for us to do, by faith. Paul said, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12,13). This is how we have to understand the work to which the LORD called Israel, as He gave the city of Jericho into their hands. Marching around the city, no matter how many times, and blowing trumpets, no matter how loudly, couldn’t bring down the walls of Jericho. That was the work of faith. Israel earned nothing, and received everything, by doing what God commanded. God commands us to pray and worship, and to meditate on His Word. We earn nothing, but we receive everything, by doing what He commands. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for the free gift of salvation, and pray that the Holy Spirit will give you a deep sense of thankfulness, and help you to do the work of faith. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 29 – Coming to judge the living and the dead

“…he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped.” – Joshua 5:14a Scripture reading: Joshua 5:13-15 Who is this man with the sword that Joshua met at Jericho? Joshua worshipped Him. And he said to Joshua what the LORD had said to Moses by the burning bush: Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy. This person isn’t a man, or even an angel. It’s the LORD Himself, the Son of God, coming to judge His enemies and to save His people, hundreds of years before He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. This scene foreshadows one that we will see, one day. This is how the Lord Jesus shows Himself to us in Revelation 19: Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. Come, Lord Jesus! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to remember and to fix your hope on the promise of Christ’s return to judge the living and the dead, when your faith in Him will be vindicated, and His enemies will be destroyed forever. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 28 – Humbled by God’s grace

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God Who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them.” – Deuteronomy 7:9-10a Scripture reading: Joshua 5:13-15 God had marked the conquest of Canaan on His calendar long before Israel crossed the Jordan. He told Abraham, Your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs . . . And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete.(Genesis 15:13,14) That’s what the commander of the army of the LORD was saying: I’m not here for Israel’s benefit, in the first place, but to carry out God’s righteous judgment because the sin of the Amorites is complete. And this is the gospel for you: in His sovereign grace and His divine wisdom, God has decided to glorify Himself by saving you, even while He judges Canaan. There’s a warning there for Israel, and for us. Moses said to Israel in Deuteronomy 7: The LORD your God has chosen you . . . because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers. . . . Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God Who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate Him, by destroying them. . . . You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today. Knowing that we are God’s people by sovereign grace alone should make us humble, thankful, and obedient. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will never allow you to forget His mercy, or to become proud or thankless, but that you will always walk with Him and with your neighbor in genuine humility. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 27 – Whose side are you on, anyway?

“Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.’” – Joshua 5:13b, 14a Scripture reading: Joshua 5:13-15 The night before the conquest of Jericho, Joshua was alone, and at a certain moment, he was startled by a man standing before him, with his drawn sword in his hand. Joshua asked him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries? The man said, No. It’s a strange answer. He is obviously ready to fight. So he must be for Israel or for Jericho. One or the other. But he says, No; in other words, I’m not on either side. I am the commander of the army of the LORD. It will become very clear that this man is the LORD Himself, and Israel is His people, and they were there to take possession of the land that He had promised them. So why didn’t he say, “I’m on your side, Joshua?” Maybe it sounds strange to say it this way, but we always have to remember that the LORD isn’t on our side. The Bible says in lots of places that God is with us and for us. But, He’s not on our side, in the sense that He takes up our agenda, that He’ll always make sure things always work out the way we want them to. God is sovereign, and He’s working on His agenda. And that’s good news, because His agenda is infinitely more wonderful than ours. He has decided to glorify Himself not by doing what we want Him to do, but by saving us from our sin by grace through faith in Christ. Suggestions for prayer Glorify God for taking you up in His sovereign purpose, so that you receive the indescribable blessing as He vindicates the honor of His Name. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 26 – It’s all about God

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand.” – Jo...

Daily devotional

July 25 – Taste the goodness of the Lord

“And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the...

Daily devotional

July 24 – Remember and believe, so that you can stand firm in faith

Daily devotional

July 23 – Trust, and obey, for there’s no other way

Daily devotional

July 22 – He has rolled away the reproach of Egypt

“And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’” – Joshua 5:9 Scripture reading: Joshua 5:1-9 The LORD explained in verse 9 why He had commanded the Israelites to circumcise their sons at Gilgal: Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. What is the reproach of Egypt? Remember how Moses prayed to the LORD after Israel worshipped the golden calf. He said: “O Lord God, do not destroy Your people . . . lest the land from which You brought us say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land that He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness. For they are Your people and your heritage, whom You brought out by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 9:26-29). The unbelief and rebellion of Israel constantly brought God’s work of salvation into question. How can people like this be saved? How can people like this be God’s people, God’s beloved children? Our sin puts a question mark behind God’s promises. But God erases that question mark with the gospel: God saves sinners for the glory of His Name (Ephesians 1:3-14), and He has exalted His Name and His Word above all things (Psalm 138:2). Israel’s arrival in Canaan was never really in doubt. God vindicated His Name when He brought Israel through the Jordan on dry ground. He has staked the glory of His Name on your salvation; believe that He will bring you to Himself, through the saving work of Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Thank and praise God that He has chosen to glorify His Name in your salvation, and rejoice in the certainty that that gives you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 21 – First things first

“At that time the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.’” – Joshua 5:2 Scripture reading: Joshua 5:1-9 If the people of Jericho could have seen what was going on in the Israelite camp, they would have been utterly confused. Because at that time the LORD said to Joshua, Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time. Why in the world would the LORD give that command at that time and place? The Holy Spirit says that for some reason, after the fiasco at Kadesh Barnea, when the people refused to enter the Promised Land, they stopped circumcising their sons. That was the fathers’ responsibility, but they had not done their duty. In verses 5-7, the Holy Spirit keeps talking about the old generation that had come out of Egypt. They were all circumcised. But it seems like God wants to convey the idea that the people who were camped there on the plains of Jericho were a new generation, or even, a new Israel, that God raised up in place of the generation that had come out of Egypt. Circumcision was a seal of the covenant and of the righteousness of faith. Israel had been changed, had been reborn, and had entered the promised land. As they began their new life, God commanded them to circumcise their sons, as a confirmation of His promises, of their identity as His holy people, and of their commitment to live in covenant fellowship with Him. In baptism, God still calls you as His holy people, to live in fellowship with Him by faith in His promises. Suggestions for prayer As you gather with God’s people to worship Him today, ask God to help you believe and to remember and live every day according to the holy identity that He has given you in Christ, that He signified and sealed to you in your baptism. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 20 – Brought from death to life

“About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho.” – Joshua 4:13 Scripture reading: Joshua 4:10b-14 By faith in the gospel that Joshua proclaimed, the people followed the ark of the LORD into the river, into death, and God brought them up out of the river, into the land of rest. Our Joshua says, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. That’s the gospel: by faith, you died, and you rose again, with Christ. That is what God promised you in your baptism, and what He says to you when you eat the bread and drink the wine of the Lord’s Supper. Do you not know, asks Paul in Romans 6, that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried, therefore, with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Israel passed over the Jordan, prepared for war, to claim the inheritance that God had given them. Paul says that’s what you have to do: consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus . . . present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life . . . sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace. That is God’s promise to you in Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the Spirit’s help to live by faith in Jesus Christ, so that in your behavior, it becomes evident to God, to your neighbor and to yourself that you have died and been raised to life with Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 19 – A monument at Gilgal

“…the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” – Joshua 4:23, 24 Scripture reading: Joshua 4:19-24 Israel crossed the Jordan and encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. Joshua set up the twelve stones which they had taken out of the Jordan as a monument at Gilgal. And throughout the generations, parents would point at those stones, and explain the meaning of the stones. Pay careful attention to the way the parents had to explain to each new generation, what those twelve stones were all about. They had to tell them that the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever – as if the children had been there that day. In the unity of faith, they shared in the great miracle of salvation that God performed that day. What God did for Israel that day was a picture of what He has done for us in Jesus Christ, our Joshua. Just as the LORD went ahead of Israel into the river, He has gone ahead of us, into death and the grave. And when He raised Him from the dead, He exalted our Saviour in our eyes. He showed us, and all the peoples of the world, that Jesus is the only One Who saves from sin and death. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to keep your faith fixed on Jesus Christ, living in the knowledge that He has already won the victory by His death and resurrection. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 18 – The last enemy to be defeated

“… the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down ...

Daily devotional

July 17 – All things must work together for your salvation

Daily devotional

July 16 – Consecrate yourselves

“Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.’” – Joshua 3:5 Scripture readin...

Daily devotional

July 15 – Keep your eye on the ark

“As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and ...

Daily devotional

July 14 – Do not fear; only believe

“Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.” – Joshua 3:1 Scripture reading: Joshua 3:1-6 The morning after he got the report from the spies who had gone to Jericho, Joshua got up early, and the people set out from Shittim. In other words, he was in a hurry to get going. But when they came to the Jordan, they camped there for three days. Why would they do that? Why get up and get started early in the morning, and then camp for three days beside the Jordan? It was springtime; the snow in the mountains had melted, and the river was running high and fast. And God let them sit there for three days, with that river standing between them and the promised land, because He wanted every man, woman and child in Israel to see that with all those people, young and old and weak and strong, with their cattle and all their possessions, they were never going to get across the river. So that every one of them would have been wondering, How in the world are we ever going to do this? The raging river was an obstacle that stood between them and the promised land, barring the way. There was only one way they would ever cross that river: by grace, through faith. They had to look up and pray for the salvation that God had promised them. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) God’s word to Israel, and to us is, “Do not fear; only believe.” (Luke 8:50) Suggestions for prayer Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen your faith in the things that are unseen and eternal, so that you are not intimidated or discouraged by the brokenness and injustice that you see in this world. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 13 – Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone

“…as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” – Joshua 2:11-13 Scripture reading: Joshua 2:8-21 The whole story of Rahab glows with one theme: salvation is from the LORD. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Martin Luther’s eyes were opened when he recognized that, in the words of Galatians 3:11: The righteous shall live by faith. That’s the message that shines from the story of Rahab. She was as lost as a person can be. Most of us would never have spoken a word to her, never had a thought or a care about her. But God knew her. And she belonged to Him. At a certain moment, there in the city of Jericho in the land of Canaan, He called her. She heard the gospel of Yahweh in those reports about what He did at the Red Sea, and what He did to Sihon and Og. She repented and believed. Christ gathered her with His people; Matthew tells us that she became one of His mothers. And she serves, for Israel then and still for us today, as a testimony to the sovereign grace and saving power of God. If she can be saved, anyone can be saved. Even you; even me. There is no one whose sin is too great to be forgiven, whose sin is too great to be forgiven by grace, through faith, in Christ. That’s the gospel to us, in our sin. That’s the gospel that we can proclaim to our children, and to our neighbors. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would open the hearts of your co-workers, neighbors and unbelieving family members, so that they would be ready to hear and believe the gospel when you speak with them about life in Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 12 – The scarlet cord

“And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.” – Joshua 2:21 Scripture reading: Joshua 2:8-21 People wonder about the meaning of that scarlet cord that Rahab hung out of her window. The Holy Spirit mentions the colour, so it has to mean something. But what does it mean? Some say, Scarlet is the colour of blood, so it must be a symbol of the blood of Christ. And it means that Rahab was saved by the blood of Christ. But in the Bible, scarlet is also the colour of sin (Isaiah 1:18). And scarlet is also associated with prostitution (Jeremiah 4:30; Revelation 17:3,4). Apparently, in those days and in that part of the world, prostitutes would hang a scarlet cord out of their window, so that the men who passed by would know where to find them. Rahab used to hang that scarlet cord out the front window of her house; it identified her as a prostitute. It was a symbol of her shameful life. But after she professed faith in Israel’s God, the spies told her, Take that scarlet cord, that used to identify you as a prostitute, and hang it out the back window, as a testimony to your new identity in Christ. Hang it out the back window, and let it serve now as your public profession of faith in our God. That’s what she did. And the scarlet cord which had once testified to her lostness and her shame was transformed; it became a sign of her righteousness and salvation. And a great encouragement to the people of Israel. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for His sovereign love and grace, extended to you, even though you are completely undeserving. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 11 – The battle belongs to the Lord

“…we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” – Joshua 2:10, 11 Scripture reading: Joshua 2:8-14 Paul says in Romans 10, Faith comes from what is heard. Rahab heard what Yahweh had done, and she believed in Him. She called Him, Yahweh. That’s the covenant Name of God. She said, I know that Yahweh has given you the land. In fact, Rahab said, Everyone in Jericho, everyone in Canaan, is afraid of you. Because we’ve heard what your God has done for you. It’s all anyone can talk about. Think about her faith, and Canaan’s fear of God, and compare it to the way Israel behaved. Israel saw what God had done, but they grumbled and complained and doubted. Rahab and the Canaanites had heard what God had done, and they knew what He could do. Rahab said, As soon as we heard about what you did to Sihon and Og, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. This is the gospel of the conquest of the Promised Land. Before a single soldier had set foot in the land, before a single Israelite arrow was shot or spear was thrown, God had given the land of Canaan to Israel. And this is the gospel of our inheritance. Yes, there are enemies, and you have to fight; you have to stand. But in Christ, the LORD has gone before us and defeated our enemies. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you to believe that your sworn enemies – the devil, the world and your own flesh – are defeated in Christ, and pray that His victory would be displayed clearly in your confession and life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 10 – Rahab the prostitute

“And she said, ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went ...

Daily devotional

July 9 – Commitment to exercise Church discipline

Daily devotional

July 8 – Commitment to the unity of faith

“And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, ‘Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded y...

Daily devotional

Sunday July 7 – Only believe

“Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go...

Daily devotional

July 6 – Israel’s savior was careful to do what God commanded him

“And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’” – Joshua 1:10-11 Scripture reading: Joshua 1:10-18 God told Joshua that Israel’s salvation depended on his obedience (Joshua 1:7-8). And the Holy Spirit wants us to know that Joshua was obedient. Right after He recorded the charge that Joshua received from the LORD, He tells us that Joshua commanded the officers of the people to tell Israel to get ready to enter Canaan. It says that Joshua told Israel that they were going to pass over the Jordan and take possession of the land within three days. But when you compare that with the story of the spies that Joshua sent to Canaan, in the next chapter, you’ll recognize that Joshua probably sent the spies to Jericho before he gave Israel the command to get ready. What do we make of that? Is it a mistake in the Bible? Is the Holy Spirit misleading us? We have to remember that the book of Joshua is prophecy. The purpose of this book is to tell the story of God’s work for the salvation of His people. God had made it clear that Israel would only inherit the land if Joshua was obedient. And the Spirit says, Praise God! Joshua, the instrument of Israel’s salvation, was careful to do exactly what God commanded him to do! The Holy Spirit has given us the New Testament gospels for the very same reason: they are the record of our Savior’s perfect obedience, and they are the foundation of our faith in Him to be our perfect Savior. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His Word, and in particular, for the gospels’ record of Christ’s obedience, and ask the Holy Spirit to encourage you in faith through His Word. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 5 – Salvation through the obedience of the Savior

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:7-8 Scripture reading: Joshua 1:1-9 Three times, the LORD told Joshua to be strong and courageous. In verses 7 and 8, He followed that charge with a command, to obey the law and to meditate on it day and night. He used the word, torah, which means, instruction. It includes the law, but it also includes covenant history. God joined His promise to His commands: Then you will make your way prosperous and you will have good success. When Joshua faced the fortified cities of Canaan, he would be tempted to believe that victory depended on his strategy, or on Israel’s military power. So God commanded him to meditate on His torah, to bolster his faith. In effect, He said, Read My Word with deep concentration; read it to yourself; and believe that it is for you. Then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. In other words, The salvation of My people depends on your faith and your obedience, Joshua. This is what He demanded of our Savior. And this is the gospel: He was perfectly obedient. “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Yeshua, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11) Suggestions for prayer Praise God for the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ, Who lived a righteous life in your place, and poured out His blood to pay for your sin. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 4 – Only be strong and courageous

Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous. – Joshua 1:6-7a Scripture reading: Joshua 1:1-9 God gave Joshua an impossible task: “...you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.” Joshua’s experience as Moses’ assistant had equipped him for this tremendous responsibility. He had become a wise leader and a skillful general. But the heart of Joshua’s preparation to be Israel’s savior was witnessing first-hand how the LORD was with Moses and empowered him to win victories, to bring plagues, to open the Red Sea, to give the people manna and water from the rock. The LORD called Joshua to lead Israel in war. He was their general. But the LORD didn’t say, Study the geography; make sure you know all the strengths and the weaknesses of the nations that you’re going to go up against. He said, Joshua, this is My promise: You shall cause this people to inherit this land. Yes, this weak and fearful and thankless people! And those fortified cities that you see out there, and those giants that you saw when you spied out the land forty years ago, will not be able to stand against you. God only put one condition on His promise, the condition of faith and obedience: Only be strong and courageous. This is the heart of his responsibility and the key to his success as Israel’s savior. Just like it was for our Joshua, Who by His faith and obedience caused us to inherit the land and the life God has sworn to give us. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God that by grace, through faith, you are a child of God for Christ’s sake and a fellow heir with Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 3 – Immanuel is our comfort

“Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” – Joshua 1:2b-5 Scripture reading: Joshua 1:1-9 It sounds as if the LORD was standing with Joshua, at a place where the whole land was spread out before them. And the LORD says, It’s all yours: every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you. God says it three times, in verses 2, 3 and 6. There it is. You only have to go and take it. Moses says in Deuteronomy 8 that Canaan was a paradise. There was plenty of water, wheat and barley, vines and fig trees and pomegranates and olive trees; there would be honey, and they would eat bread without scarcity. They would lack nothing. The stones were iron, and they could dig copper out of its hills. But the Jordan was at flood stage, running high and fast, overflowing its banks. And Joshua remembered the fortified cities and giants that were waiting for them. So, the promise was wonderful, but the idea of entering Canaan was intimidating. The LORD knew that Joshua needed encouragement. He said, “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave or forsake you.”That’s how we know that we will receive the inheritance that God has promised us: we have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it (Ephesians 1:13,14). Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the presence of the Holy Spirit in you, and pray that more and more, by His work, you may be confident of your inheritance in Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Wynia is the pastor of the Vineyard Canadian Reformed Church in Beamsville, Ontario....

Daily devotional

July 2 – Not even Moses could save them

“Moses My servant is dead.” – Joshua 1:2 Scripture reading: Joshua 1:1-9 Moses’ name is mentioned three times in the first sentence of t...

Daily devotional

July 1 - Introduction

How do we approach the book of Joshua, the story of the conquest of the promised land, the story of this great leader of Israel? The book is named af...

Daily devotional

June 30 – You shall not live by bread alone

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man ...

Daily devotional

June 29 – Elected unto victory

And when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with ...

Daily devotional

June 28 – Elected unto obedience

You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today. – Deut. 7:11 Scripture reading: Deut. 7:6-16 God, Who elected us is faithful. If Israel had no reason to doubt God’s favor, we certainly do not need to doubt it. He has shown us favor by giving us the gift of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Not only this, but He gives us the Holy Spirit who awakens us so that we might work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The unending faithfulness and love of God should teach us to respond to God’s election of us with thanksgiving for such an immeasurable grace. He has chosen us as His holy people to be holy. If God has chosen us to do good, then He will also enable us to do good. However, our remaining sin troubles us. Then we need to remember why God elected us. It isn’t because of who we are or how good we are, but because of God’s good pleasure. We can be confident that we will ultimately overcome and remain faithful. Because He is a faithful God, He has given us a way of righteousness. Christ’s victory and the Spirit He sends to us, gives us the strength to do good. In this way, God’s election is fulfilled in our lives. The Holy Spirit helps us fight against our old sinful nature. It is the doctrine of election that gives us certainty in our war against sin. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will continue to give strength in our war against indwelling sin. Pray for the assurance that comes from the Holy Spirit. Thank Him for the fullness of His almighty and powerful gift in Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 27 – Election and God's character

The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. – Deut. 7:8 Scripture reading: Deut. 7:1-11 In telling us of his decree of election, God reveals His character. He is full of love and compassion. He is faithful and keeps His promises. He is just and will hold the guilty responsible for their offence against a Holy God. Because of His character God has chosen a people for Himself, a treasured possession. They have extreme value to God because of His covenant. Their value does not come from themselves, but is based on God’s own faithfulness and love. God gives them their value. He has not chosen them because they were greater and mightier than other nations. Absolutely not. They were slaves in Egypt after all, and are entering a land where there are seven nations greater and mightier than they are. The basis for Israel’s election is not in any value that they have. God chose them on the basis of His good pleasure. God chooses us according to His plan, based on His good and holy will. His plan may seem arbitrary, but we cannot know the ways of God. We do know how He has revealed Himself to us in the Scriptures, a just, holy and compassionate God. He has revealed the glorious doctrine of election so that we might have confidence that He will do what is necessary to bring His sons to glory. That gives us confidence as we live out our lives with fear and trembling. Our God is for us. Our response should be total thanksgiving and total devotion to our glorious God. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the assurance He gives us through revealing the doctrine of election. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 26 – Covenantal allegiance

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. – Deut. 6:7 Scripture reading: Deut. 6:20-25 In verse seven, the move from a call to live according to the love of God, to the call to educate one’s children may be a bit jarring. This call is not merely the “evangelization” of one’s children, but it is connected to the call for all covenant people to fear Him. God is working with Israel so that, “You may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son”(v.2). You are to teach your children because the promise belongs to them as much as to you. There is a sense of a new creation here. God placed Adam and Eve in the garden so he could commune with them. He brought Israel through the baptism of the Red Sea for the same purpose. He brought a people out of Egypt and put them in a new garden, the Promised Land, so that He may dwell among them. In the same way, God brings us through the baptism of Christ, or the death and resurrection of Christ, so that He may create a new people. As Paul says, “You are a new creation.” and Peter, “You are a holy nation.” Just as children belonged to the holy nation of Israel, so children belong to the holy nation that is the church today. But we cannot presume our children’s salvation any more than we can presume our own. They need the regeneration of God. God has given them His promises and we are obligated to train our children up in the fear of the Lord. Suggestions for prayer Pray for your children and pray that God may give you all that you need in raising them in the fear of the Lord. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveldis the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 25 – Centered on God

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. – Deut. 6:5-6 Scripture reading: Deut. 6:4-9 God is one. He has one law, one Christ, one Spirit and one Bible. God calls us to worship Him in Spirit and Truth and to love His mercy and His justice. He calls us to love Him with heart, soul, and mind. With our heart: Our heart is our center; all things we do come from the heart, so it needs to be set on God. We can think of our heart as a compass. For accurate direction, the needle must be set toward the north. Our heart must always be directed toward God. We should be immersed in the Scriptures, the revelation of God, always seeking to obey it. With our soul: The soul refers to the whole animating force of the body and to all bodily action. To love God with our soul is to love Him with everything we do, to love God in the very way that we use our bodies. For example, when we stand at the beginning and end of worship, we honor God as we enter and leave His presence. With our mind: God teaches our hearts through the mind. We use our mind to contemplate God’s Word, to apply it to our lives, to judge those who live in disobedience to God and to judge those who teach heresy and error. In the freedom that Christ brings in the Spirit, the mind grows even more important in using the wisdom that comes from above to apply God’s Word. This is the way of flourishing. Suggestions for prayer Acknowledge your failure in loving God. We have all fallen short of God’s commands. We have only a small beginning of obedience to this, the greatest of all commands in this life. Seek God’s help in calibrating your life toward His righteousness. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveldis the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 24 – The only Holy God

Hear, Oh Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. – Deut. 6:4 Scripture reading: Deut. 6:1-6 There is more in these words than the assertion...

Daily devotional

June 23 – God's prayer

Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments that it might go well with them and with their descendants fo...

Daily devotional

June 22 – Israel's prayer

For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire as we have and has still lived? – Deu...

Daily devotional

June 21 – The unveiled word

These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; an...

Daily devotional

June 20 – Trust and obey

Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today… – Deut. 4:39-40a Scripture reading: Deut. 4:32-40 Israel can learn from the works that God has done. “Know therefore that the Lord is God and there is no other.” The implied command is “Trust in Him.” God has revealed Himself to you and given you the way of salvation. What is left to do – but acknowledge Him as your Lord? You want this God on your side – not against you. He has proven that He is a good God and cares about you. Don’t ignore Him. This is the first half of the command “trust and obey.” Here is your God, Who you can trust and Who will reward your trust with good things. This is faith. And it is only by faith that you can fulfill the second part: obedience. Obedience springs naturally from trust in God. If you believe that what He says is true then you will obey Him. “Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today.” Moses uses the word “keep.” It has the sense of both guarding and watching with close attention. Israel is to use the law as a guard to keep herself from sin, so that she might prosper. Think of the “happy man” of Psalm 1. The law is a source of life to him because he trusts the Giver of the law. We have the same instruction, “Trust and obey.” This sums up the central command of Scripture. This is also your call: submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Suggestions for prayer Seek the Lord in prayer for the Spirit who works in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveldis the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 19 – Knowing God and the discipline of God

Out of heaven He let you hear his voice, that He might discipline you. And on earth He let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. – Deut. 4:35 Scripture reading: Deut. 4:32-40 Deuteronomy notes two different ways that God made Himself known to Israel: through the mountain where He spoke to her through fire and through the works that He did in rescuing her from Egypt. He shows her that He is the one true God. He shows Israel His faithfulness and love so that He might discipline her and train her to have the same love He has. God speaks in the midst of the fire, or in verse 36, “out of heaven” so that He might discipline Israel. God’s self-revelation in the law is a boundary to teach His people how to live in relationship with Him. The revelation of God here is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Just as God spoke in the fire, God spoke through Christ. You can even see the same response of fear that Israel had toward the fire of God on Mt. Sinai in the Disciples of Christ when they see the works of Christ. The coming of Christ disciplines his Disciples. God continues to discipline us as Sons in Christ. It’s easy to respond to the discipline of God with anger and fear like Israel did. Let us respond to the discipline of God by seeking Him. We know that the Son is better than the law, for He sends His enlivening Spirit of wisdom to help us obey His law. Seek Christ, through the Spirit, by learning what He desires in the Scriptures. Seek Him by looking to the love that Christ demonstrated in His life on earth. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that we have the discipline of the Spirit. Pray that through His Spirit you may grow in knowing His desires for your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveldis the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 18 – Going deep into history

For ask now of the days that are past which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. – Deut. 4:32 Scripture reading: Deut. 4:32-40 Our faith is a historical faith. The mighty acts of God are a foundation for our faith. God has revealed himself to us through Abraham, Moses, David and ultimately, Jesus. Deut. 4 is a call for Israel to remember her history so that she might live in faithful obedience to God. God calls Israel to remember what happened when she sinned at Baal Peor and to remember that she did not see any form or image at Mt. Sinai. God calls Israel to dig deep into history to see if anything has happened to other people like what has happened to her. Christians are a people of history. They are the only people who understand that the uniting theme of history is the work God is doing so that He may have a people who glorify Him. God is bringing many sons to glory so that He may delight in and enjoy communion with His people. We can look into our past, two thousand years of Christianity and another four thousand since the earth was created, and see the hand of God through it all, leading and guiding His people. The calls of Deut. 4 are just as much a call for us to search into the history God gives here as it was for the Israelites of that time. It is our history and it reveals the glory of our God which is the history given in Scripture. In this way, know the only God Who has given us His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray for a knowledge of the wonders that God has done. Thank God for His gifts, especially for the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 17 – A fading glory

Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. – Deut. 3:27 Scripture reading: Deut. 3:23-29, 2 Corinthians 3 The covenant that God established through Moses was glorious. We read about the glory of God in Moses’ face in 2 Corinthians 3. When Moses descended from Mt. Sinai after talking to God, his face shone so brightly that the people could not look at him and he had to veil his face. The glory that Moses had at the foot of the mountain faded away. He would not live forever and would not continue to stand as a mediator between Israel and God. Even as the glory faded from Moses, so it faded from the people. They eventually rebelled against God and not long after Moses and Joshua died, the people began to fade again. Flesh decays and is corrupt. It cannot be overcome unless a new principle of life can be found to overcome it. What can be done about this problem? God gives glory in the Old Covenant, but it fades away under the weight of the sin of the people. Moses eventually died and stayed dead. He sent a successor into the Promised Land: Joshua. Joshua had a short-lived glory. He died and the people failed to take the rest of the Promised Land successfully. Therefore, his death could not take care of sin. But the ministry of the law of Moses, or as Paul calls it, the ministry of condemnation, has been replaced by the ministry of the Spirit through the righteousness of Jesus. Christ died. Through Him, death becomes an entrance into the Promised Land. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the great glory that is given in Jesus Christ. Pray that we may live by the Spirit in all that we do. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 16 – Punished in order to picture Christ

But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. – Deut. 3:26 Scripture reading: Deut. 3:23-29, Romans 4:16-25 The Fa...

Daily devotional

June 15 – The prayer of a righteous man

Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon. – Deut. 3:25 Scripture reading: Deut. 3:23-29,...

Daily devotional

June 14 – United in rest

All your men of valour shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel… until the Lord gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and...

Daily devotional

June 13 – God overflows with good things

Jair the Manassite took all the region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called the villages ...

Daily devotional

June 12 – Trembling at God's judgment

This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you. – Deut. 2:25 Scripture reading: Deut. 2:26-3:11 Christ’s death and resurrection are the greatest moments of judgment in history. On the day of Pentecost, Peter used that judgment to put the fear of God on the Jews that had gathered in Jerusalem. When God the Holy Spirit came down in fire on His people, the commotion drew others from all over the city. Peter’s sermon convicted them about what they had done to Jesus, and they feared God. Today, the world continues to be reminded of God’s judgment in raising Christ from the dead through the ministry of the church. Since Christ has come, we don’t need the destruction of physical enemies to cause the nations to tremble. We’ve graduated to more powerful enemies, principalities and powers. We battle against these through the preaching of the Word of God. We declare our victory in Christ when we baptize babies, demonstrating God’s claim on us from birth to death and again when we assemble around the Lord’s Table, proclaiming a victory won on the cross of Christ. The faithful preaching of the Word and administration of the sacraments make the principalities of this world tremble. Why do our modern unbelieving leaders, animated by the false philosophies of this world, first attack speech? They threaten the claims of Christianity by attacking its claims about nature, sin and sex. They undermine the content of the Word because they are afraid. We should not be afraid. Remember Christ’s promise, “The gates of hell will not prevail against you.” God will use the church to take the gates of hell by storm. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God may continue to provide His church with the necessary means to obey His commands to baptize and disciple the nations. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 11 – So that the nations might fear God

This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you. – Deut. 2:25 Scripture reading: Deut. 2:26-3:11 God tells Israel why He is giving them victory. It is 40 years since God showed His mighty acts in Egypt. He wants to refresh the memories of the nations and show them that He is the same God who brought Israel out of Egypt. He is fighting psychological warfare. When Israel enters into the land, all the nations are hiding in their cities. They are afraid. Whereas Sihon and Og came out against them, Israel now has to attack the wJune11alls of the city of Jericho. This is not the only type of fear that God is looking for. Fear can cause us to run away from God, or it can teach us to run to God. We know His greatness. We know He is our Creator. So, instead of running away from God, we take the way of forgiveness He has given us, that we may fear Him properly. God uses the cross of Jesus Christ in the same way. When the world wonders at the death of Christ, God wants the world to wonder at the love that He showed. In the Gospel of John, Christ tells us, “I will be lifted up before the world.” The world will see the righteousness of God and the wrath that sin deserves. In the Gospel of Mark, the Roman centurion sees the darkness God sends on the world at the crucifixion of Jesus. He hears Jesus’ words on the cross. God strikes the centurion’s heart. He cries out, “Surely this is the Son of God.” He is struck with the fear of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God may continue to work through His church so that the nations might fear God. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 10 – Rise up and take the salvation God has given

Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle. – Deut. 2:24 Scripture reading: Deut. 2:26-3:11 Reformed scholastics makes a distinction between receiving salvation and taking hold of salvation. In the conquest of Palestine, we see something of what that means. The people of God are commanded to make war on the seven nations of the Canaanites. To encourage his people, Moses reminds them of two victories on the east side of the Jordan, against Sihon and Og. These battles are templates for what will happen in the Promised Land. The people of Israel have left Moab and crossed over into the territory of Sihon. Having warned them to refrain from attacking Ammon, God promises Israel that He will give them the land of Sihon. Verse 24 gives a number of commands, “Rise up! Set out! Go over! Behold! Look! Begin! Take Possession! Contend with him in battle!" God has already promised to give the land to Israel. He has ordained the outcome. Israel is called to take this gift through faith. This is no less true in Christ. God says to us “Rise up and cast down the arguments of those principalities and powers that I have already placed under the feet of Christ.” In terms of our struggle with sin, Paul tells us that Christ has conquered the power of sin. According to Romans 6, we are freed from sin, so we are to “present our members to God as instruments for righteousness.” That means our hands, our feet, our heart, our eyes should be doing righteousness. We are to work out the salvation God has already won. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for the victory He has won. Acknowledge your complete inability to do any good apart from His life-giving Spirit. Plead for His strength as you seek to walk in the way of righteousness. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 9 – A greater purpose

And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession. – Deut. 2:19 Scripture reading: Deut. 2:1-23 God ensures that every life on earth works out according to His plan. Acts 17 states, “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” This is suggestive of what is going on in Deut. 2. God gives a place to Esau and a place to the sons of Lot. He arranges the nations around Israel so they may see His great works and how He is bringing salvation to the world. God has set up Israel’s relatives along her border. They have first row seats for the coming of Christ. God gives the same gift to the Philistines. Later in Scripture, we read how God uses the Israelites for His glory in Tyre. God is using Israel to draw the nations to Himself. God continues to guide the affairs of the world today. In North America, we live in a moment where God is bringing thousands upon thousands of immigrants into our cities. Even if there are some legitimate concerns about immigration, that is an opportunity for the church of North America. Our job is to lift the cross of Christ so that seekers can hear the call of Christ through His Word and Spirit and come to Him by faith. We trust that God has put us here for His purposes. If we do not take hold of that purpose, the church will fail in North America. Let us take hold of that purpose. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the opportunities he has given us in the way he has shaped the course of history. Pray that the church may be bold in showing Christ to her neighbors. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveldis the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 8 – A failure in holy war

The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen...

Daily devotional

June 7 – Self-deception

And you murmured in your tents and said, “Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amor...

Daily devotional

June 6 – You have the anointing of the Holy One

And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My Lord Moses, stop them.” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for ...

Daily devotional

June 5 – Moses’ inability

At that time I said to you, “I am not able to bear you by myself.” – Deut. 1:9 Scripture reading: Deut. 1:9-18 Moses tells his audience th...

Daily devotional

June 4 – Authority comes from God

Choose from your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads. – Deut. 1:13 Scripture reading: Deut. 1:9-18 Moses needs help in ruling over Israel. Two stories in Exodus and Numbers help us understand this. In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, encourages Moses to appoint elders to help him. In Numbers 11, God shares the Spirit He has given to Moses with the elders of Israel. Deut. 1 summarizes both stories. Notice how Deut. 1:13 is written. First, the tribes choose men who are wise, understanding and experienced. Then Moses appoints them over the people of Israel. God, through Moses, recognizes the natural authority that belongs to certain individuals, men who have a reputation for wisdom, whom others would come to for advice. On top of their natural authority, God gives these men the authority to judge others with regards to God’s law. Even though we see human action today in electing men to office in the church, it is not the congregation that gives elders authority. It is God. This is applicable to civic authority as well. We know this from Romans 13, where we are told that civil servants are God’s servants. Both church governors and civil governors serve God. Is this good news? Does God sanction every action of our rulers? Absolutely not! Everyone who is in authority over you, everyone whom God has appointed, is first and foremost responsible to God. If local authorities misuse their office in relation to you, God will vindicate you on the final day. God holds our leaders responsible. Our hope for justice finds realization in Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray for your ecclesiastical and civic leaders. Remember and give thanksgiving that God has established true righteousness, by placing our Lord Jesus Christ on His throne in heaven. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 3 – Who defeated Sihon and Og?

Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei. – Deut. 1:3b-4 Scripture reading: Deut. 1:1-8 In verse four, the Spirit does something interesting through the grammar of the text, teaching what God’s grace looks like in our lives. The subject of the word “defeated” is ambiguous. “He” could refer to the Lord or to Moses. Are we told that Moses defeated Sihon and Og or that the Lord defeated Sihon and Og? We know that it is ultimately the Lord who wins the battles of Israel. Later in Deut. 2, we are told that the Lord gave Sihon over to Moses. However, we know that Moses is also acting here. He obeys the command of God to “rise up and attack. "Moses can say, “I attacked Sihon and Og,” with the understanding that he only did that by the strength of God. This ambiguity is instructive for us as we look back at the goodness of God in our own lives. From one perspective, our lives can look very human. We make choices and we receive the consequences. But when we examine the evidence, we have to say that there is no boasting. We know our hearts are full of corruption. If we depended on ourselves, we would accomplish nothing. It is God who is at work in our prayers, our tears and our desire to do good works. We realize the victory God has given in our own lives. It is amazing how God uses little moments in the grammar of the sentences of Scripture to teach us deep truths about His works. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His work in your life and meditate on the ways God has worked within you and those around you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

Daily devotional

June 2 – Sin and grace at the boundary

It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-Barnea. – Deut. 1:2 Scripture reading: Deut. 1: 1-8 Just as the boundary is an opportunity for reflection on God's instruction, so it is an opportunity for reflection on sin and grace. The first generation of Israel had forgotten the grace of God. They had walked through the Red Sea, eaten manna and heard the very voice of God at Mt. Sinai. Despite this, Israel rebelled against God at Kadesh-Barnea. They were afraid of the giants in the land. Moses’ statement that it only takes 11 days to journey from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea is a reminder that, due to their sin, it took Israel 40 years to enter Palestine instead of a couple of weeks. Now Israel is there. Her new position is a testament to the grace of God. We are the same, forgetting God’s mercies and lapsing into apathy. This can produce long periods of failure: our wilderness. These sins have consequences in our families and our churches that sometimes can last over generations. Despite our folly, God is gracious. Even before Israel was ready to enter the Promised Land, God was beginning to give her victories. God destroyed Sihon and Og through Israel. If we look back at our wilderness, we will see that God has already been working in our times of wandering. Boundaries are an opportunity for us to remember lost opportunities and failures, to remind us to watch and pray, to guard our hearts and to remember we are here by God’s grace. When we remember that and turn to God, He provides. He will renew and strengthen you. Suggestions for prayer Meditate on how God has worked in your life. Thank Him for how He has shown His grace. Express your confidence in His work as you look to the future. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Zekveld is the pastor of the Ambassador Canadian Reformed Church In Niverville, MB....

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Search CATEGORY: Daily devotional

Daily devotional

December 18 – Picture #4: A snake

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December 16 – Picture #2: Water

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December 9 – Enoch & Lamech: where loyalty leads

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December 7 – One fault line, two lines of loyalty

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December 6 – Promise in paradise (2): Through a new set of clothing

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December 5 – Promise in paradise (1): Through a curse on the serpent

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December 4 – Punishment

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December 3 – Problems begin

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December 2 – Permission & prohibition

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December 1 – “Looking forward to the coming of Christ” series

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November 30 – A certain knowledge

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November 29 – The Tree of Life

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November 28 – A new nature

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November 27 – A twofold life

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November 26 – Compelled by love

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November 25 – Enslaved to love

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November 24 – Devoted to grace

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November 23 – Baptism saves

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November 22 – The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

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November 21 – Total love