Daily devotional

March 6 – The Sunday as a sign of the goal of God’s creation

Daily devotional

March 5 – The Sabbath day as a sign of the goal of God’s Creation

Daily devotional

March 4 – Entering God’s rest

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the s...

Daily devotional

March 3 – God’s glory and God’s rest

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” – Genesis...

Daily devotional

March 2 – God created for His glory

“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” – Revelation 21:23 Scripture reading: Revelation 21:9-22 Why did God create the world? God created for His glory so that human beings and creation would praise Him. However, the glory of God also means His life-giving, light-giving, and loving presence. Thus, God not only created the world so that human beings and creation would praise Him, but also so that human beings and creation would live in His loving presence and reflect this by participating in His life, light and love. However, when we look at the end of Scripture, we see that the end is better than the beginning. The beginning of creation is only the beginning of the life of glory while the new heaven and new earth are the perfection or consummation of the life of glory. In other words, there is room for growth to the perfection and fullness of living in God’s life-giving, light-giving and loving presence. You see this, for instance, in the fact that in the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, there were sun, moon and stars. But in the end, with the new heaven and the new earth, there will be no sun, moon, or stars, for creation and humanity will bask directly in the light of the glory of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is even more. While Adam and Eve could sin and die in the beginning, in the end, God’s new humanity will not be able to sin and die. We will be incorruptible and immortal just like God. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to enable you to live not only so that people will praise Him, but also so that you reflect His life-giving, light-giving and loving presence. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC. He and his wife Elsina have five children and 14 grandchildren....

Daily devotional

March 1 – Introduction to God’s mission for His glory

This month’s meditations will be about God’s mission for His glory. God created the world for His glory, that humanity and creation would reflect His life-giving, light-giving, and loving presence by being people and places where heaven and earth meet. As such, God would be praised by both humanity and creation. Because this changed with the fall into sin, God embarks on a mission to make all things new in a world where His people and His creation would once again abide in His loving presence and be people and places where heaven and earth meet (Genesis 3:15). However, from the end of Scripture, we know that that the end is better than the beginning. The beginning of creation is only the beginning of the life of glory, while the new heaven and new earth are the perfection or consummation of the life of glory. In other words, right from the beginning of God’s good creation there was room for growth to reach the perfection and fullness of living in God’s life-giving, light-giving, and loving presence. The biblical covenants made or cut in Scripture are designed with a view to advancing and guaranteeing God’s commitment to His goal for creation and to having His people participate with Him in the achievement of this goal. Covenants regulate an existing relationship. Covenants often deal with a problem that causes uncertainty in this relationship. A new covenant often updates an earlier one to the new situation that the new covenant is facing. Because of space restrictions, these mediations only focus on the biblical covenants mentioned in the book of Genesis. That’s why I have entitled these meditations: God’s Mission for His Glory and His Covenants with Noah, Creation, and Abraham. I look forward to continuing this series some time in the future and deal with God’s mission for His glory and His covenants with Israel, His covenant with David and the promise of a new covenant. But that will have to wait for some other time. I enjoyed writing these meditations. I was edified in doing so. I hope and pray that you will be too. **** “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’" – Revelation 21:3. Scripture reading: Revelation 21:1-8 In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived in the loving presence of God. As such, they participated in His life, light and love and reflected this to one another and throughout the Garden. This made Adam and Eve people where heaven and earth meet. And it made the Garden of Eden a place where heaven and earth meet. As such, Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden reflected the glory of God, His life-giving, light-giving and loving presence. With the fall into sin, all of this changed. Because Adam and Eve lived outside the Garden of Eden, they no longer lived in God’s loving presence nor participated in His life, light, and love as they once used to. Moreover, they no longer lived in a place, nor were they people where heaven and earth met, who could give each other and those around them an encounter with God’s presence, His glory. However, God had no intention of leaving things this way. He immediately declared His intent to embark on a mission for His glory. All things would be made new, where His people and His world would once again dwell in His loving presence and be people and places where heaven and earth meet (Genesis 3:15). Throughout Scripture we encounter God on this mission for His glory. At the end of Scripture, we see that God achieves the goal of this mission for His glory. What a beautiful and encouraging mission this is! Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to show you how He is on a mission for His glory in your life. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC. He and his wife Elsina have five children and 14 grandchildren....

Daily devotional

February 29 – Taw

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” – Psalm 119:176 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:169-176 This Psalm ends with an appeal to God to seek the servant who has strayed. He is talking about himself. He ends this great psalm with the confession that he still is so unworthy of God’s favor and blessing. That’s hard to imagine given all we’ve heard and learn about his love for the law. Yes, he desires blessing. Yes, he understands that the one who lives according to the will of God in all good works will be happy. Yes, he knows that the man whose way is blameless, who walks in the law of the LORD, will be blessed (Psalm 119:1). But that’s just his point. He desires a blessing, a gift from a merciful God. No one deserves God’s presence. No one deserves to be truly and forever happy. For we all like sheep have gone astray. Thank God that He sent His only Son to be the good Shepherd of the sheep. He came to be our protector from all harm –from Satan who prowls around like a roaring lion. In doing so, He was willing to sacrifice Himself and be the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Thank God that He sends His Spirit, working faith, working renewal, so that we desire life and we desire obedience to God’s law. Thank God that He gives us a new nature so we desire to give our whole life, A to Z, to God. Suggestions for prayer Praise God for the law which He has given us, His Word to guide and lead us in our lives. Ask Him to work in us a true and full love for His law, forever. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 28 – Sin and shin (2): Shalom!

“Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” – Psalm 119:165 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:161-168 There isn’t just one well-known word in this stanza (seven). There are two! The other is one of the most famous words of all in Hebrew – a word that has basically become an English word too. This is the word shalom. Peace. At this point in his acrostic song about God’s law, how could the psalmist not come up with this household word? To love the law of God and to obey His commandments brings great peace in our lives. Understand this is not an outward peace or a prosperity gospel, even though it is true that obedience to God’s law in all of life does lead to much blessing, security and peace amongst family, friends and neighbors. Who doesn’t enjoy being in the presence of a person who is content, peaceful, certain, confident, positive and happy? People who love God and love His law are generally people like that. But no, shalom is most of all an inner peace, an inner confidence and contentment, in all circumstances, including times of stress, suffering, sickness and persecution. This same peace filled the followers of Jesus Christ who were facing the enemy in the Roman amphitheater about to die by wild animals, or who were being burned at the stake for defending the faith, or who were losing their property because of their faith. Nothing could make them stumble. Nothing could rob them of their peace. Jesus Christ is our Peace. He, Himself, is the pioneer of peaceful faith and obedience. He willingly subjected Himself to the terror of the cross in order to obey perfectly His heavenly Father. Suggestions for prayer Pray that your heavenly Father will give you this peace in your heart. Pray for the true and living faith which means nothing can rob you of that peace. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 27 – Sin and shin (1): Perfection

“Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.” – Psalm 119:164 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:161-168 One of the very well-known...

Daily devotional

February 26 – Resh: Look, consider, and act

“Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!” – Ps...

Daily devotional

February 25 – Qoph: Reliance

“Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life.” – Psalm 119:149 Scripture reading: Psalm 11...

Daily devotional

February 24 – Tsadhe (2): Righteous by faith

“My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words…Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.” – Psal...

Daily devotional

February 23 – Tsadhe (1): Righteousness

“Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules…Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true.” – Psalm 119:137, 142 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:137-144 This is one of the letters the psalmist has been eagerly waiting for as he writes this psalm. It begins one of the greatest words of Scripture: righteousness. Three of the eight verses in this stanza begin with this letter, and it is found two more times as well. The theme of this stanza speaks for itself! God is righteous! That’s how the stanza begins. His law is righteous forever (144). That’s how it ends. His righteousness is righteous forever (142)! What else could it be? In the book of Revelation the holy God is revealed as righteous and just, Who exacts His holy wrath and vengeance against evil and the evil one. God pours out the bowls of His wrath against His enemies and the enemy of His church (Revelation 16:5,7). God’s wrath is pure and right. He judges the wicked righteously (Revelation 19:2). When you go to church today, realize what is happening…or better yet, what is allowed to happen! We sinners are being invited into the presence of the holy and just God! Since God is righteous, that should never be allowed. But it is, because God sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus’ payment covers God’s wrath. Jesus Christ bore the fullness of God’s wrath for His people, so that we may become righteous and holy, and enjoy God’s presence and blessing forever! As we are justified through faith, let us also seek to grow in sanctified living. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks that it is possible to be in the presence of our holy and righteous God. Pray earnestly for the forgiveness of your sins. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 22 – Pe: Revelation

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple…Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes.” – Psalm 119:130, 135 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:129-136 In giving His law, God revealed Himself to us. He is being intimate with us, so that whenever we read the Bible, or listen to His law, we discover something about God. We know Him more. We know His holiness, justice, majesty, power, etc., filling us with awe. “Your testimonies are wonderful” (129). Though He is great and we are small, yet God has created us in His image and seeks to intimately commune with us in covenant relationship. Equally amazing is the revelation that God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He turns His face toward us in tender compassion. “Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name” (132). “Make your face shine upon your servant” (135). We are reminded of the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). God is blessing us when He gives His law. “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (130). How sad when God looks down upon mankind and sees unbelief and disobedience! “My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law” (136). It is spiritual adultery. Ultimately, God has revealed His love for us by sending His Son, Who died on the cross because He loved those whom God had given. He looked on us with compassion, saying, “Father, forgive them.” Are we not amazed at the tender love of our God? Does not His intimacy cause us to “open our mouths” (131) in responsive praise to God? Suggestions for prayer Pray that God reveals Himself to you through His law and Word. Ask that you respond with whole-hearted affection and love for Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 21 – Ayin: Action

“I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors…It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken.” – Psalm 119:121, 126 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:121-128 Three times the same word comes up in this section, using the stanza letter, shaping the stanza’s theme. It can be translated “act.” God is a God of action. Ultimately, He has reached out to mankind with the promise of salvation. Graciously, He promised a Saviour and God has followed through by sending the Redeemer. His covenant actions mean salvation. As a covenant child, the psalmist has sought to obey God’s commandments and followed the covenant demands. He loves God and his neighbor not just in words, but also in deeds. He has sought the Lord in his times of need. His responsive actions indicate faithful thankfulness. So, why then does the psalmist continue to experience oppression and hatred from God’s enemies? Why doesn’t God seem to deal with his servant according to His steadfast love? The psalmist cries out his complaint. Isn’t it a valid complaint? Why do we suffer at times? Why doesn’t God vindicate us now, today, against that which or the one who afflicts us? In some ways, the questions are left unanswered and the complaints go unheeded. But the psalmist, in the end, trusts His heavenly Father. Things may not go well all the time, things may be unfair on occasion, but God is sovereign, true and faithful always. The psalmist rightfully complains, but he also rightfully trusts and patiently waits. The psalmist will stay true to God in every circumstance, knowing that God is all-wise and perfectly just. God will act exactly according to His plan. Suggestions for prayer In true faith and humility, do not be afraid to bring your complaints to God. At the same time, pray for trust and patience in all circumstances. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 20 – Samekh (2): Justice

“You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies.” – Psalm 119:118-119 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:113-120 God is not only merciful; He is also just. He is also holy and righteous. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). “For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30,31). Sin against God and His law, therefore, provokes God’s holy and righteous wrath. It is because of His wrath against sin that God promised and sent a Saviour. He sent His only Son to deal with His righteous wrath against sin, by placing it on Jesus in our place. Therefore, to live in God’s sight while not depending on His mercy is to invoke and invite His wrath. God “will spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain” (118). “All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross” (119). All evildoers will “depart” (115) from God and His holiness and His holy people. There is no place for disobedience in God’s sight. This is also true for the hypocrite, the actor, the play-Christian. In line with Psalm 139, the psalmist expresses his hatred for those whom God also hates. “I hate the double-minded” (113). God is holy. The appropriate response to God’s majesty and holiness is holy fear. “My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments” (120). When that holy fear of God is combined with respectful obedience and living thankfulness, there you have a living Christian. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God gives you a balanced understanding of His mercy and wrath, so that you live each day in humble thankfulness, holy fear and respectful obedience. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 19 – Samekh (1): Mercy

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word...Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually!” – P...

Daily devotional

February 18 – Nun (2): Resolve

“I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.” – Psalm 119:112 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:105-112 The psalmist is ...

Daily devotional

February 17 – Nun (1): A lamp for my feet

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105 Scripture reading: Psalm 19 Today we live in an age of light. W...

Daily devotional

February 16 – Mem: Praise for the God of the book

Daily devotional

February 15 – Lamedh: God has the whole world in his hands

“You have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.” – Psalm 119:90b-92 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:89-96 Without God’s help, the psalmist would have perished in his affliction. The difference between life and death is the contrast between God and man. God is in control of all things. Man is part of what is controlled. God is limitless. Man is limited. “I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.” This contrast is accentuated in the two parts of the stanza, the word “forever” starting both parts. “Forever your word is fixed,” and “Forever I will not forget.” This contrast is emphasized further in the chiastic structure describing God’s Word: The vastness of its scope (89-91) and what it has done for me (92), then, what it has done for me (93-95) and the vastness of its scope (96). Thankfully, everything in the universe is fixed according to God’s decree. “For all things are your servants” (91). That all things serve God has a comforting spin-off for us. The Word that sustains the structure of the universe and the processes of history is the same Word that comforts and guides us, God’s servants. It’s the same Word that directed the eternal Son to become like one of us and die for our sins. It’s the same Word that sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts, working faith and preserving His saints to the end. Whatever is of this world is limited and finite. But following God’s commandments brings us beyond those limitations. If we only serve God as all things already do, we would find perfect freedom and life. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you keep looking outside of yourself to Jesus Christ and God the Father. Ask God to help you see the contrast between Himself and you, so trusting that He is in full control. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 14 – Kaph: Longing

“My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise; I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’” – Psalm 119:81, 82 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:81-88 This stanza picks up on a recurring theme in the Psalms, the Scriptures and our lives: the longing for God to save and deliver us, to come to our aid and help. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2). “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD” (Psalm 84:1-2). Longing implies we are often going through experiences in life in which we don’t have what we naturally should have. Longing indicates we are living in a broken and fallen world. Particularly, longing reveals that the communion between God and man is severed because of sin. We long for God’s presence and comfort. Sin and sinfulness have led to all sorts of difficulty and ugliness in the lives of God’s believers. There is suffering, sickness, straying, sinning, persecutions, etc. “I have become like a wineskin in smoke” (83). Life is fraught with trouble and danger. In this brokenness, there is one thing we can cling to, one hope that we have: God’s certain Word. He has especially fulfilled His greatest word of all – to send His Son into this world to die for our sins, to restore us to Himself forever and to redeem all of creation. Therefore, our souls are consoled. In God’s steadfast love we have life! Let us, every day, find endurance and strength in God’s written Word and promises. Suggestions for prayer Long for God to save you and deliver you from your troubles. Tell God that you trust His Word and pray for comfort in His steadfast love. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 13 – Yodh: Fear God and keep his commandments

“Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.” – Psalm 119:79 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:73-80 In the Bible “fear” means several things. It can refer to the terror or dread a person feels in a frightening situation. It can also point to the respect a servant has toward his master and so serves him faithfully. Finally, it can indicate the reverence and awe a person experiences in the presence of greatness. The fear of the Lord is a combination of all these. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Fearing God is in many ways the same as knowing God. Reading, learning, meditating and obeying God’s revealed Word and law leads us to that knowledge and fear of God, which in turn makes us truly wise. The fear of God is foundational to true wisdom. In this section, the psalmist desires that his fear of God, evident in his obedience, will in turn spur on others who likewise fear God. He wants others, just like him, to serve God according to His Word. He wants his actions to promote his neighbor’s life before God, not take away from it. Do you know God? By studying God’s Word and commandments you understand that He is holy and all-knowing. You learn that His Son, Jesus Christ, is Lord and Master of all and knows your works (Revelation 11:17). Those who fear the Lord have a continual awareness of Him, a deep reverence for Him and a sincere commitment to obey Him. “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will truly come to know God through the study of His Word and thus have a fear of Him, so that fearing Him, you will become wise, and that those who see your good works will also praise God and fear Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 12 – Teth: God is good

“You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word…You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” – Psalm 119:65, 68 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:65-72 God is good, no matter what happens. God turns everything to my benefit. Working with the letter “teth” the psalmist has latched on to words in Hebrew like well, good, and better. These occur frequently in this section and emphasize that God is good and that His Word and law are good too. The key is to trust and obey the Lord in every circumstance. For example, it was affliction that helped the psalmist come into a better relationship with God. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (67). “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (71). Trouble and hardship have driven the believer to turn to God’s Word and promises and therefore trust in God even more! Ultimately, God’s revealed His goodness by handing over His only Son to the affliction that takes away our sins. Therefore, our response to negative events should be calm and peace. We learn to make good judgments and expound good knowledge. We open God’s Word daily and consider His will in every circumstance and seek to live by it. We rejoice always! “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (72). About God’s commandments David said, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). We confess, “Father, You have dealt well with me. It is well with my soul.” Suggestions for prayer Pray that God uses every circumstance in your life for good. Ask Him to open your eyes, so that you also see God’s goodness in your afflictions. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 11 – Heth: Permanence

“The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words…The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes.” – Psalm 119:...

Daily devotional

February 10 – Zayin: Living and active comfort

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” – Psalm 119:50 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:49-56 “Remember”...

Daily devotional

February 9 – Waw: Walking and talking

“And I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame...

Daily devotional

February 8 – He: Put on the new self

“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” –...

Daily devotional

February 7 – Daleth: Give me life

“My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!...My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!” – Psalm 119:25, 28 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:25-32 The Psalmist bemoans the fact that often his soul “clings to the dust” (25). He intensely describes how he often experiences a dying spirit. He means the same when he mentions “my ways” (26), or his “false ways” (29), or being “put to shame” (31). With similar intensity, the psalmist indicates that at times his “soul melts away for sorrow” (28). Sometimes a believer feels nothing at all. Don’t we all, at times, know those feelings? It’s important in these moments to remember that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, came to this earth for us. His strength was dried up like a potsherd, His tongue stuck to His jaws and He was laid in the dust of death (Psalm 22:15). Knowing God as Saviour, then, the psalmist prays, “Give me life” (25). His desire is that God “enlarge” his heart (32). He wants to experience the “way of faithfulness” (30). He pleads that he might “run in the way of commandments”(32). He wants to know that he is spiritually alive! Don’t we all want that too? Look to the psalmist. He knows that the way out of feeling nothing is by way of submitting to God’s will. These are two contrasting experiences. They are the consequences of two ways of living. Either we follow our ways and cling to the dust, or we cling to God’s testimonies (31), running in the way of His commandments, serving Jesus Christ, relying on His Spirit. The second way leads to brighter days and a happier life. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to give you life and to enlarge your heart by way of obedience to His commandments. Thank God for Jesus Christ, Who felt nothing at all in our place. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 6 – Gimel: Open my eyes

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” – Psalm 119:18 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 3:14-18; Psalm 119:17-24 The psalmist asks God to open his eyes so that he sees how wonderful God is, how wonderful His law is and how wonderful are God’s blessings upon those who fear and obey Him. He is asking for the eyes of faith. As Paul explains to the Corinthians, without knowing and believing Jesus Christ, it’s like there’s a veil over our eyes. We may read and know of many Biblical facts. We may even follow God’s commands. But without the Spirit’s help and without faith in Christ, we will know, but not understand, we will see, but remain blind. We will not be filled with a wonder of God and His Word; we will not understand the glory of Christ. “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed…and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” Today’s verse has inspired Clara Scott’s hymn Open My Eyes, That I May See: Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine! May the Lord open our eyes to see the truth of Jesus, open our ears to hear the gospel, open our mouths to spread the good news and open our hearts to love God always! Suggestions for prayer Pray that God opens your eyes of faith to see the truth. Pray that when you read and meditate on God’s Word, you will see with clarity God’s grace and demands for your life. Ask that you will see the wonder and delight of His law, as well as the beauty and glory of God Himself, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 5 – Beth: Pure living

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” – Psalm 119:9 Scripture reading: Psalm 119:9-16 This second stanza is about being cleansed and washed in the Holy Spirit through a living faith. How can we be cleansed and washed in such a way? How will our young people be that? By being in God’s Word every day. The psalmist makes use of the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, beth, in an interesting way. In most of the eight verses he uses the letter in a preposition meaning “in,” “on,” or “with.” We read: with my whole heart, in my heart, with my lips, in the way, on your precepts, in your statutes. Do you see the pattern? The way to holiness and purity is to envelop our whole lives with, to give our whole hearts to and to bathe ourselves completely in seeking to do God’s will. We must dedicate our mouths, ears, eyes, minds and hearts to God and His ways. That leads to blessed purity and holiness! It means looking to our Lord Jesus Christ. First, He is the ground of our righteousness and purity through His death on the cross. Second, He is our example to follow, showing us the way of delightful obedience. In Christ’s blood, we are made pure and in Christ’s Spirit, we make our way pure. Looking to Jesus, searching the Scriptures for Him, listening to God’s law, acting on it, we are led to pure living. O Lord, perfect us in Your love, so that we are cleansed and conformed unto Your will. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you really devote yourself every day to being enveloped and bathed in God’s Word and law, thus seeking His will. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 4 – Aleph (4): I will praise you

“I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!” – Psalm 119:7, 8 Scripture reading: Psalm 103 The Psalmist commits to praising God through word and deed. The idea here is to throw the hand out or point out with the hand. He will throw himself completely into learning and living God’s commandments. He will praise God with his whole body! His thanksgiving and praise will be in body and soul. This is the response of the true believer who understands God’s blessings, and yes, also the blessing of the law. The meaning is this: as God blesses us, we, in turn, bless Him! Do you see here the “back and forth” of covenant blessing going on? God blesses us with His love, His salvation and His indwelling Spirit. In turn, we through faith respond with thanksgiving, holiness and obedience. We praise God (bless God) with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are reminded of the psalmist’s conscious desire in Psalm 103:1, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Today, let’s remember that God has forgiven us all our sins and granted us newness of life through His only Son, Jesus Christ. Let’s not forget all His benefits. Let’s call to mind that His steadfast love “is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments” (Psalm 103:17,18). As He has blessed us in this way, let’s also bless His holy name! Today, in all we do, let’s throw ourselves completely into praising God! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you live responsibly, that is, responsively. Pray that your whole life is an act of covenant worship and praise to God. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. James Slaa is pastor of the Smithers Canadian Reformed Church in British Columbia, Canada....

Daily devotional

February 3 – Aleph (3): Blessed

“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways.” – Psalm 119:2,3 ...

Daily devotional

February 2 – Aleph (2): Delighting in Torah

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!” – Psalm 119:1 Scripture reading: Psalm 1 Oh, blessed day whic...

Daily devotional

Introduction to the month of February – Aleph (1): Torah

Daily devotional

January 31 – Proverbs on the home

“The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just.” Scripture reading: Proverbs 17:1-6 A home is n...

Daily devotional

January 30 – Proverbs on prayer

“The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” – Proverbs 15:29 Scripture reading: Proverbs 28:9-13 Prayer is the means God has ordained to give you the things that are necessary for you to do the work He has called you to do. God delights to hear the prayer of the upright. In Proverbs 15:8 He tells us, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” Who can say this? Who delights to have people ask him for things? Only God! But if God delights in the prayer of the upright, how does one become upright? One can only become upright when the righteousness of Jesus is counted as his own. So there is no prayer without sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus. This means the non-Christian cannot pray. His prayers go into the air, not to God. There are things that hinder your prayer (proof that prayer by itself is not magical). First, Solomon warned that God will not answer your prayer if you neglect His law and refuse to be obedient. Proverbs 28:9 says: “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” In fact, without proper ground for prayer, your prayer can become the cause of judgment. It is trying to get something to which you are not entitled. Second, if you are secretly living in sin, your prayers are dead. Proverbs 28:13 says: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Suggestions for prayer May you always pray through Jesus Christ and pray often for things that are good in doing God’s work. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 29 – Proverbs on money

“The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” – Proverbs 10:22 Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:9-10 You’ve probably heard that money makes the world go round! Is that really true? Is survival and progress in this world dependent on how much money you have? It seems so when you see how obsessed people are about accumulating wealth. Many things are sacrificed on the altar of wealth. Now don’t misunderstand, wealth by itself is not sinful. Solomon, a rich man, wanted you to remember a few things. Earn your money honestly, for wealth gained by fraud disappears. Earn your money without abusing others. Honor the Lord with your wealth by giving back a tithe to Him. Share your wealth with the needy. Don’t trust in your money or it will be your downfall. Concurrent with these instructions, know there are many things better than riches – a good name, for instance. Proverbs 22:1 says: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.” And do not become preoccupied with wealth. Wealth does not profit anything on Judgment Day. Even in this life, your wealth is stolen, misused by the civil authorities, and of course, stolen by civil authorities by inflation. Don’t forget your greatest riches are gained through Jesus Christ and no one can take them away. Moreover, your good works are riches that you can store up in heaven. Have you considered how much time you spend storing up treasures that you will have for eternity? Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will love the riches you have in Jesus Christ and that you will be thankful for earthly wealth and use it according to the Giver’s decrees. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 28 – Proverbs on violence

“The violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do justice.” – Proverbs 21:7 Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:10-19 There is no question that there are times when violence is necessary: in war, self-defense and just punishment. But like in the days of Solomon, we are often surrounded by violence, especially if we live in cities. Some make their living with violence and they plot and plan. Others use violence on the spur of the moment because they lack self-control. Either way, this type of violence is wrong and you have to learn how to deal with it. Solomon describes violence as a fruit that the wicked produce. Why do men commit violence so much? Proverbs 29:10 says: “The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, But the upright seek his well-being.” No one is violent with the one he loves! Violence is rooted in hate! You must avoid situations that cause or promote violence. If you have rowdy friends or visit a rowdy bar, for example, the potential for violence increases. Proverbs 24:1-2 tells us: “Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; For their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of troublemaking.” Further, deal with the issue of contentment. You have your contentment in Jesus. Don’t envy. It is a common cause of violence. As Proverbs 3:30-31 says: “Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm. Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways…” So don’t be violent. Love your enemies. When violent people are around you, move. Have friends who encourage you in Christian living. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will hate and avoid violence and that you will love and promote peace and encourage justice on those who are violent. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 27 – Proverbs on mockers

“A proud and haughty man —"Scoffer" is his name; he acts with arrogant pride.” – Proverbs 21:24 Scripture reading: Proverbs 14:6-9 If you believe in abstinence until marriage, or you take your children out of public schools, or you believe in the biblical grounds for divorce, you are seen, at the very least, as a prude, if not weird. Movie stars, politicians and judges loudly proclaim this. Christians are mocked and viewed as hindrances to progress. This is not abnormal. Christians have often been seen this way in history. What happens to mockers? Proverbs 19:29 tells us “Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools.” How are you to react when you are mocked? Don’t take mocking personally. It is God whom they are mocking. Avoid the scoffer. Proverbs 22:10 says: “Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; yes, strife and reproach will cease.” Chase him away because he is not interested in learning. Proverbs 15:12 adds: “A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise.” As tough as it may be to do, leave him. Go far away. Proverbs 9:7-8 instructs: "He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.” What makes you able to react this way? Your time belongs to the Lord (Psalm 90) and He wants you to use your time wisely. If an activity will not lead to the salvation or sanctification of the soul, it is not worthwhile. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will not take mocking of your faith personally and that you will persist in faithful obedience to the Saviour. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 26 – Proverbs on honesty

“Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD, and dishonest scales are not good.” – Proverbs 20:23 Scripture reading: Proverbs 20:5-10 ...

Daily devotional

January 25 – Proverbs on the duty of the mothers

Daily devotional

January 24 – Proverbs on justice

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” – Proverbs 21:3 Scripture reading: Proverbs 24:23-26 Ha...

Daily devotional

January 23 – Proverbs on adultery

“Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; For she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were s...

Daily devotional

January 22 – Proverbs on stewardship

“Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds; For riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.” – Proverbs 27:23-24 Scripture reading: Proverbs 22:1-4 A good preacher will warn you to take care of your soul; he will warn you to take care of your body and he will warn you to take care of your possessions. Your possessions may be of less value than your soul and body, but your possessions are also God’s gifts and you have an obligation to care for them. So learn from Solomon how to spend your money, including how to care for your car and your new iPhone. We call this stewardship. You get things in two ways, either by hard work or by inheritance (from people who worked hard for it). “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich…” (Prov. 10:4). When you get things you are to care for them (but not make idols of them). You are required to make good investments. This is why lotteries are inappropriate. And yet, you must not overwork. “Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven” (Proverbs 23:4-5). Money can become mist. As Christ’s child, thank God for your wealth. You are a mere steward. Don’t take credit for whatever you achieve. “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4). Don’t hold too tightly to wealth. Remember what you have received from Jesus! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for your wealth and talents. Pray that you take care of them and use them for good, not hoarding or wasting. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 21 – Proverbs on giving

“He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.” – Proverbs 22:9 Scripture reading: Proverbs 19:14-17 Most Christians accept that they should tithe and give to the poor, but giving goes beyond those things, to other causes. First, why give? Solomon said God says so. But there is more. Giving shows you are thankful for God’s love for you. Giving shows your love for your brother. Giving brings rewards. You start giving by giving to those closer to you: God, your family, relatives, and friends. Give to strangers also. Give to proper needs. This means you must investigate. Don’t simply give because others are giving to an organization. Check them out. Find out how much money goes to administration and to the main cause. Remember, the money is not yours, but the Lord’s. You are merely stewards of those gifts. And don’t boast about giving. “Whoever falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and wind without rain” (Prov. 25:14). You must give much more than money. Money is relatively easy to give. Getting your hands down and dirty is much more difficult. Isn’t that true? It is easy to give $4.50 to Scott’s Mission downtown Toronto for a Thanksgiving meal for the homeless, but would you go and help feed the homeless, especially on Thanksgiving Day? Speak for the poor. “Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:9). Give of your talents. If able, give advice on personal life, marriage and finances. Give training to a youth. Give of your time. Give support to struggling businesses. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will help without expecting anything back and that you will be generous and not hoard. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 20 – Proverbs on the future

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day; For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” – Proverbs 23:17-18 Scripture reading: Proverbs 24:19-20 Who likes to have to wait for blessings? But deferring blessings is like using small fish to catch bigger fish. You might have to wait longer, but you will get more in the future. This is why Solomon urged you to wait for your future blessings. You have a rosy future that is much more than 100 years. It is for eternity! Your future blessings will come because you are a child of God, saved through Jesus Christ. Moreover, even the minutest area of your life, God knows and controls. So whether you live or die in the next year, you can be sure your future is in God’s hands. As Proverbs 10:28 says, “The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” Remember, the righteous are only made righteous through Jesus Christ. So be patient for your blessings to come. Expect tough times, but be confident of the future. While some have abandoned serving the Lord because they don’t want to wait for blessings, you must not! At the same time, don’t forget there are great blessings in this world now that you should appreciate! As you wait, work hard and save up more future blessings. And in order to wait, feed daily on God’s Word and His promises. The more you eat, the stronger you will get. Eventually, heaven will come. Proverbs 13:12 teaches: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will give you patience when things don’t go well and that you will learn to rest in the promises of a secured future through Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 19 – Proverbs on dealing with fools

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:7 Scripture reading: Proverbs 14:7-9 Is it reasonable to call someone a fool who carelessly drives into your lane and causes an accident? Maybe! But biblically speaking, the greatest fool is the one who does not believe in God or one who rejects God. The fool has contempt for true knowledge and wisdom. “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words” (Proverbs 23:9). The fool loves his own ideas more than anyone else’s (Proverbs 14:16). In Prov. 17:16 Solomon said the fool has no heart for wisdom (Wisdom is a picture of Jesus). Proverbs 28:26 tells us “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool…” A foolish son is one who rejects his father’s instruction. And Proverbs 15:5 teaches: “A fool despises his father’s instruction, but he who receives correction is prudent.” A fool loves his own opinion (Proverbs 10:10). The fool brings trouble on his own head. “Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools” (Proverbs 19:29). The fool even brings eternal judgment on himself (Proverbs 1:32). And he brings destruction on others who follow him (Proverbs 13:20). Fools also bring grief to their parents (Proverbs 17:25). You respond to fools by avoiding close relations with them. They will lead you astray. Proverbs 17:12 warns: “Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.” You must call fools to faith and repentance and tell them how to get them (Proverbs 8:5-6). Fools need faith! Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will learn to recognize and deal with foolish people in a way that honors the Lord and pray that your children will not be foolish, but fear God instead. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 18 – Proverbs on women

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.” – Proverbs 31:30 Scripture reading: Prove...

Daily devotional

January 17 – Proverbs on work

“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.” – Proverbs 22:29 Scripture rea...

Daily devotional

January 16 – Proverbs on wicked people

“The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will come through trouble.” – Proverbs 12:13 Scripture reading: P...

Daily devotional

January 15 – Proverbs on divine protection

“Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” – Proverbs 30:5 Scripture reading: Proverbs 2:1-8 You pro...

Daily devotional

January 14 – Proverbs on politics and politicians

“Mercy and truth preserve the king…” – Proverbs 20:28 Scripture reading: Proverbs 16:12-13 Most people, when they hear of politicians, want to hold their noses in disgust because politicians often put their own welfare above others’ welfare, take bribes and forget the promises they made before their election. Because of these sinful practices in politicians, Christians have avoided being involved in politics altogether. But what did Solomon teach about politicians? A politician must be qualified. He said a slave with no experience is not able to lead others (Proverbs 19:10). A politician must love righteousness, knowing righteousness brings blessings on nations (Proverbs 14:34). This means a politician must know God’s truth which teaches that his job is to protect the godly and punish the wicked. It is not his job to show empathy or redistribute wealth. Why do politicians compromise? Because many politicians begin to love power more than God, they try to preserve their power at all costs, even compromising the truth. When politicians are wicked, the nation suffers and either tyranny or anarchy becomes law. Tyranny can come in the form of over-taxation in order to provide for those who would vote for that politician. Anarchy can come when the politician has no interest in public safety (only in his advancement) so criminals run rampant. But whether it is tyranny or anarchy, under these circumstances the kingdom of Jesus Christ cannot expand. Remind politicians they will have to give an account to God for whatever they do. Pray for them. Be active politically if you are able. Redeem the culture and promote God’s truth. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will not hate politicians. Pray for them and for their removal from office if they refuse to do well. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 13 – Proverbs on the unchangeable Scripture

“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.” – Proverbs 4:13 Scripture reading: Proverbs 30:1-6 It didn’t take long for Nintendo GameCube to be tossed aside for a new and better version, and then another and another. But there is no such worry about the Scriptures. God’s truth never changes. God’s truth is perfect and that means it can never be improved. You need truth. Truth shows the danger you are in without Christ. (Truth is used figuratively by Solomon to refer to Jesus. Jesus described Himself as the Truth.) Truth shows you the way to return and remain in a right relationship with your heavenly Father. As we read in Proverbs 4:4: “He also taught me, and said to me: 'Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live.'” God’s truth shows God’s love. What about those who are trying to reinterpret God’s Word, or water it down to make it more acceptable? Look at one example. Some don’t like only men as elders, so they reinterpret the Scriptures to allow women elders. In reality they are changing God’s Word. The Lord warns what would happen to anyone who changes one jot or tittle of his Word. So read Christ’s Word, hide it in your heart and work to see it established in your life, in your family’s life, in the church and in the world. Teach God’s Word, starting in your home, and note that the Lord puts the focus especially on fathers to do this. Keep your children alive! As it says in Proverbs 4:6: “Do not forsake her , and she will preserve you…” Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will be diligent in reading, meditating on and promoting the Holy Scriptures and that you will rely on God’s Word to guide in all areas of your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 12 – Proverbs on lying

“He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit.” – Proverbs 12:17 Scripture reading: Proverbs 6:12-19 The tongue, which was created as an instrument to praise God, can instead be the source of great hurt, great, great hurt, when it tells lies. What happens when you lie? When you lie there is chaos in society. Proverbs 20:28 tells us “Mercy and truth preserve the king, and by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.” But when you lie, families and churches are destroyed. Consider some examples: A mother who lies to protect her children from discipline destroys godly order. Those children lose a sense of what the truth is and would not be able to trust the Bible and its doctrines. A State that teaches that abortions are not murders, or a civil court that says that spanking a child is mentally destructive, is undermining societal structure and robs God of honor. As we learn in Proverbs 26:28: “A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” Moreover, lying in court can send an innocent man to his death. No wonder lying lips are compared to poisonous snakes. Ultimately, lying lips send people to hell. How then are you enabled to speak the truth and help to maintain order and bring honor to the Lord? When you are filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus, Who is the personification of truth in you, you will speak the truth. There is no other way! Proverbs 8:7 says: “For my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.” Invest in truth. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will know the truth, speak the truth and train your children to do so and that you will support the speaking of truth in every area of society. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 11 – Proverbs on love

“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” – Proverbs 10:12 Scripture reading: Proverbs 17:9-14 Love is not the excited feeling you sometimes get around a girlfriend or wife. That may be a response to love, but it isn’t love. Solomon described love quite differently. Love is not a feeling. Love is an act. Love is shown and seen. You are commanded to love all men, but your love must be stronger for those who are closer to you. So love your wife more than you love your neighbor. Never allow your children to doubt your love. Love them by exercising discipline, as we read in Proverbs 13:24: “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” Love will make you confront sin in the lives of others as it says in Proverbs 27:5-6: “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Love even your enemies, as we we are taught in Proverbs 25:21: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink…” Remember, love is not a popularity contest (done to be loved back). Love is work! You are only able to love the way God commands after you experience God’s love in Jesus Christ. So only the Christian can truly love. That’s the truth! Be warned then not to intermarry with non-believers because they can’t truly love. They don’t know true love. Are there benefits in love? God promises to bless those who love. Also, others may love you back and you will find contentment. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will grow in your sanctification by learning how to love and that you will die to selfishness and reflect more on God’s Love Letter. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 10 – Proverbs on giving and receiving honor

Daily devotional

January 9 – Proverbs on friends and neighbors

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17 Scripture reading: Proverbs 19:1-6 It is very sad w...

Daily devotional

January 8 – Proverbs on discipline of children

“Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction.” – Proverbs 19:18 Scripture reading: Proverbs 13:22-24 ...

Daily devotional

January 7 – Proverbs on taking advice

“By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.” – Proverbs 13:10 Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:25-27 Some people...

Daily devotional

January 6 – Proverbs on alcohol

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” – Proverbs 20:1 Scripture reading: Proverbs 23:29-35 God gave alcohol as a blessing to man, not a curse. Jesus personally made barrels of fine wine for people to enjoy at a wedding. Christians drank wine at fellowship feasts. So wine is not sinful. The trouble comes when this gift of God is abused, when it is consumed in inordinate amounts, or when it is consumed by those who should not use it. But just as you may not blame food for being fat, you must not blame alcohol for drunkenness. The abuse of a gift doesn’t make it a bad gift. What are the consequences of drunkenness? Poverty. Spousal abuse. Murder. Consider Solomon’s direct words from Proverbs 23:19-21, Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty… Yes, the abuse of alcohol does bite like a viper, but ultimately, the greatest consequence of alcohol abuse is hell. How can you prevent drunkenness? First, if you do drink alcohol, make sure it is in moderation. And you will have to stand before God and account for “moderation.” Second, remember that you don’t need to drown your troubles or escape reality with alcohol. The Lord will help you through your trials. You are His. Third, remember your sufficiency is in Christ. He meets the greatest needs of your life. Learn to be satisfied in Him. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you will guard against drunkenness in your life and that you will not use alcohol to avoid dealing with troubles in your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 5 – Proverbs on the poor

“He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given.” – Proverbs 19:17 Scripture reading: Proverbs 28:19-22 Poor people are all around. You see them on the streets asking for help. You see their images on TV at Christmas time and you hear the pleas to help them. There are also the poor among the people of God who need help and they must be your first priority. You start with helping at home! (By the way, those who teach that Christians who are poor are only poor because they lack faith are unkind and wrong. God may providentially want some to be poor so they can empathize with other poor people and help them. God may also ordain people to be poor in order that the rich could learn to care for them.) In order to help the poor in the church, God appointed deacons. Along with deacons, God wants you to be merciful to the poor and help them. But you are not only to help the poor by giving them money. In fact, money may not be their greatest need. They may need a rebuke and they may need advice on how to spend money. They may need encouragement to be patient in poverty. You may help the poor by speaking up for them if someone is abusing them. Your motivation to show kindness is in the fact that Jesus showed love to you and enriched you. As a result, you would want to help His people, especially the poor ones. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will show you those who are truly needy and that you will be generous and reflect on how rich you are in Jesus. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 4 – Proverbs on food

“Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit.” – Proverbs 25:16 Scripture reading: Proverbs 23:19-21 The average North American eats more than 150 pounds of sugar per year. No wonder North America is the fattest continent in the world. But the misuse of food is not new. It occurred many, many times in the Bible. Now, Solomon enjoyed food, even exotic, tasty food. Food is God’s gift. But because of abuse of food, which hinders our sanctification, Solomon was compelled to address the issue of food abuse, or rather, body abuse. What did he teach? Enjoy your food, but don’t be a glutton. Being a glutton is acting as if God couldn’t provide for you tomorrow and you must eat all today. It is also an abuse of the body. Many diseases are caused by overeating. Enjoy your food, but learn to share with those who do not have, especially with those who are from the same blood, the blood of Jesus. Remember, the reason you have more food is not because you are better than Christians in Africa, but because God is pleased to bless you. A suggestion might be to miss one meal a week and give that money to the needy. (That might be good for your health as well!) Enjoy your food, but don’t waste it. Save up for hard times. Learn from Solomon’s ants (Proverbs 30:25). It seems that ants even store up more food when they sense a famine coming. Not being a glutton and not hoarding is evidence that you are growing in Jesus. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will teach you to live a balanced life and that you will share of your abundance and be satisfied with God’s gifts. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 3 – Proverbs on anger

“A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.” – Proverbs 15:18 Scripture reading: Proverbs 22:24-25 Good anger is a God-given emotion that every Christian must use properly. So be angry when your God is blasphemed and when His people are attacked. Be angry when babies are killed by abortions, when the family is attacked by the state and when covenant youths sin against the Lord. Then respond in the right way, knowing that even good anger can become sinful if your response is improper. For instance, if you are angry, but do nothing when you see Christian young people doing wrong, breaking the Sabbath, for instance, your anger becomes sinful. But there is also anger that is sinful. Sinful anger has resulted in wives being abused, people being killed in motor vehicle accidents, divorces, broken friendships and destroyed congregations. Men and women can become like volcanoes and blow up, even as Moses, who struck the rock instead of speaking to it for water for Israel. Other people bottle things up until their anger finally explodes. So when you are properly angry, react properly. Pray, speak and act if you can. When you are sinfully angry, ask God for the cure for sinful anger. Ask Him to make you patient with others in their weaknesses. If you ask anything in Christ’s name, He will give it to you. God has obligated Himself to do so. So stop saying you can’t control your anger. Sin is not able to reign in your body unless you let it. Suggestions for prayer Pray that you might learn to control your anger and be patient and kind with others. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mitchell Persaud is pastor of New Horizon URC in Scarborough, ON, a mission church under the oversight of Cornerstone URC in London, ON. He was born in Guyana, South America, into a Hindu home, baptized Roman Catholic, raised Pentecostal and then became Reformed....

Daily devotional

January 2 - Proverbs on fear

"The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe." – Proverbs 29:25 Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:24-26 Everyo...

Daily devotional

Introduction to the month of January

We do not preach a lot of sermons from Proverbs, but it is not Solomon’s fault. He was inspired by God to write these proverbs and God preserved t...

Daily devotional

December 31 – The return of the King: Enjoying paradise forever!

Daily devotional

December 30 – The character of the King’s return

Daily devotional

December 29 – The timing of the King’s return

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – Matthew 25:13 Scripture reading: Matthew 25:1-13 As our thoughts turn toward the end of the year, it is natural for our thoughts to also turn to the end of time and the beginning of eternity. We know that this year ends in three days and that the year 2020 will end 366 days after it begins. But we don't know when Jesus will return to bring the world as we know it to an end and cause a recreated world to begin. Jesus tells us, “No one knows about that day or hour. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matthew 24:36,44). He then tells a parable to teach us to always be ready for His return. The ten bridesmaids are part of a wedding party. They are awaiting the bridegroom to arrive, but he is delayed. The delay is not the problem. Unpreparedness is. Five of the bridesmaids did not bring extra oil. When their lamps burn out, they have to head back to town to buy more oil. Tragically, the bridegroom returns while they are away. He takes with him those who are ready, but leaves behind those who were unprepared. This reminds us that Christianity is not a one-time decision for Christ, nor an insurance policy to be renewed on an annual basis. It is a moment-by-moment lifestyle of repentance and trust. We get ready and remain ready for His return by continually confessing our sins, and by continually trusting that His blood cleanses us and His righteousness clothes us. Jesus will return. Are you ready? Will you stay ready? Suggestions for prayer Thank God that the oil of forgiveness is continually and freely available through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Ask for help to live in a constant state of readiness by continually confessing sin and by continually trusting in the cleansing power of Jesus' blood. 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 28 – Departure & arrival announcements

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” – John 14:3 Scripture reading: Mark 8:31-33; John 13:33-36; 14:1-4 Jesus, the Saviour, had finally come. For three years He captivated the crowds by teaching, healing and feeding them – all free of charge! Excitement was surging. Then, when Jesus mounted a donkey and rode into Jerusalem, the crowds were ecstatic. He was entering the capital city, and doing so in kingly fashion! The crowds knew what this meant. This was exactly what they had been waiting for. Jesus was going to seat Himself on the throne of David in the city of David! As Messiah, He would depose depraved King Herod, overthrow the Roman overlords, and gain complete independence for the Jews. This would be heaven on earth! That's how most Jews thought the story would go. But that's not at all how the story actually goes. It actually goes exactly the way Jesus said it would go: He suffered, died, rose, and departed. Jesus had explained this sequence of events to His disciples. But like a child who tunes out when a parent starts saying something she doesn't want to hear, the disciples tuned out when Jesus began to talk about His suffering and death. They didn't listen long enough to hear the word 'rise.' The disappointment caused by His death soon gave way to delight as He rose on the third day. Then disillusionment set in again as Jesus announced His departure. But it shouldn't have, for in the very same breath, He announced His return. And because Jesus came the first time, as God promised, you can be sure He will come a second time. He promised! Suggestions for prayer Thank Jesus for the promise of His return and for the joy of knowing that when He returns, He will welcome all who trust in Him into the new creation over which He will reign as eternal King. 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 27 – Enjoying the Savior’s presence: blessings flow far as the curse is found

“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” – Matthew 11:5 Scripture reading: Mark 1:14-34 The Gospels quickly move from Jesus as a baby in a manger and boy in the temple to Jesus as a powerful Preacher and a marvelous miracle-working Man. His teaching amazed people because He taught with a calm, compassionate, kind, confident authority they had never heard before. All the other prophets spoke about God, but Jesus spoke as if He was God. And His miracles provided abundant proof that He was indeed God. With words, Jesus not only communicated ideas, but controlled creatures and creation alike. At His command, demons departed, leprosy left and fevers fled. Lame limbs were restored to life, sight was restored to the blind, speech returned to the mute, sound was again heard by the deaf. At His word, raging winds ceased, surging waves were stilled. Most amazing of all, when He spoke, the dead would hear His powerful voice and walk right out of their tomb (John 11:43-44)! If Jesus could do all this by speaking a word, you can be sure people's sins were forgiven too when He said they were. No wonder people came in droves when Jesus came to town. The whole world was going after this Doctor who healed both soul and body (John 12:19). What an exciting time! Through the miracles He performed, Jesus gave a glimpse of what life in His kingdom would be like: No more would sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground because He came to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found. Suggestions for prayer Thank Jesus for the cosmic scope of salvation He brings. He saves not only our souls, but also our bodies which He promises to raise and restore, transforming them and making them 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 26 – Celebrating the Savior’s coming (2) with gentile Wise Men

“And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:10-11 Scripture reading: Matthew 2:1-12 On the night Jesus was born, an angelic choir announced His birth to Jewish shepherds who then hurried off to worship Him. Some time later, a special star announced to Gentile astrologers from the east that a Jewish king had been born. Guided by a special star, they arrived in the Jewish capital of Jerusalem. Guided the rest of the way by Micah's prophecy, they headed ten kilometers south to Bethlehem. There they found the King and worshiped Him. Notice that Jesus certainly is King of the Jews, but He is not King of only the Jews. The angel had told the Jewish shepherds that the birth of the Saviour was good news for all people. Now Gentile astrologers from the east travel from afar to worship King Jesus and pay homage with lavish gifts to celebrate this joyous event in a festal way. Just being a member of a church, having Christian parents, or setting up a Christmas tree doesn't mean you worship King Jesus. The Jews of Jesus' day had their church membership, Jewish parents, and customary clothes and religious rituals. But Herod, the religious leaders, and many common folk, wanted nothing to do with Jesus. In contrast, these wise Gentile men did! Though they worshiped Him with the limited knowledge they had, they worshiped Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords. In so doing, they foreshadow the worship that is now and ever will be offered to Jesus by Gentiles from all nations, tribes and tongues. Suggestions for prayer Thank God that He redeems the rich and poor, shepherds and sages, Jews and Gentiles, and is building a Church that consists of people from every tribe, tongue and nation. 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 25 – Celebrating the Savior’s coming (1) with Jewish Shepherds

Daily devotional

December 24 – A frequently forgotten advent figure: John the Baptist

Daily devotional

December 23 – Prophets promise Christ’s coming (2): A backwater birthplace

Daily devotional

December 22 – Prophets promise Christ’s coming (1): A Christmas stump

Daily devotional

December 21 – The exile: The end?

“Thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: ‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you . . . and I will punish you for all your abominations.’” – Ezekiel 7:2-3 Scripture reading: 2 Kings 17:5-23 Under Joshua's leadership the Israelites defeated the Canaanites and took possession of the Promised Land. By King Solomon's day “Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy” (1 Kings 4:20). God certainly fulfilled His promise to multiply Abraham's descendants and give them land. Tragically, just when things were as good as could be, they got worse than can be imagined. Solomon married foreign women, worshiped false gods and set Israel on a deadly path of disobedience. God sent one prophet after another to call His rebellious people to repent, but they refused to listen. God had to punish them. Ounce by ounce, the gold was stripped from the temple. Piece by piece the temple furnishings were carted away. Group by group, God's people were carried far away from His presence. They became foreigners in a foreign land with foreign gods. Why were they dispossessed so soon? Had God broken His promise? Certainly not. God reminded His people that He had not broken His promise, but they certainly had broken His commands. It seemed like this was the end of the story, and that Israel was history. But God's promise to send a Saviour was a “No ifs, ands, or buts” kind of promise. Through the very same prophets who prophesied punishment through exile, God promised that a remnant would return, and He restated His promise that the Saviour, Jesus Christ, would come. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you take sin seriously, and thank Jesus that He was exiled from the presence of God while on the cross so that we can forever be in the presence of God in Paradise. 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 20 – Picture #6: The Promised Land

“On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands.” – Ezekiel 20:6b Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 8:7-9; Joshua 21:43-44 Although God was with His people while they wandered in the wilderness, the journey was no picnic in the park. The Israelites had food and water. But that was about it. The wilderness was a wasteland. What a contrast to the Promised Land of Canaan, “a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands” (Ezekiel 20:6b). Milk and honey might not seem like anything special to us, but they represent all that is most desirable and delightful. If you think about it, the most expensive drinks at your local cafe are still the lattes. And who doesn't like whipped cream, cream cheese and ice cream? As for honey, it represents all that is sweet. In the Promised Land, the Israelites would enjoy wheat and wine, barley and bread, grapes and olives, figs and pomegranates, not to mention the minerals and precious metals that could be mined from the ground. The land would be flowing with these good gifts; available in unending supply, like a river that never runs dry. What a contrast to their meager diet as slaves in Egypt! What a change from the monotonous manna! If the wilderness was a picture of hardship, danger and God's displeasure, Canaan was a picture of prosperity, peace and pleasure. More importantly, the Promised Land was a picture of Paradise itself. Joshua led the people into a beautiful land that pictured Paradise. But Jesus leads us into the eternal Paradise, the Promised Land of the new heavens and renewed earth. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the cosmic scope of His saving work. He is redeeming not just our souls and bodies, but this creation itself (Romans 8:19-21). 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 19 – Picture #5: The Tabernacle

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tented, tabernacled) among us.” – John 1:14 Scripture reading: Exodus 26:1,6-7,14; 29:43-46; 40:33-35 Pictures of Jesus were plentiful for the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness: the Passover Lamb, thirst-quenching water, daily bread, a bronze serpent. But there was yet another picture of Jesus moving with them wherever they wandered in the wilderness. That picture was a large, elaborate tent-like structure called the tabernacle. This tent was God's home or the street address of His earthly dwelling. The tabernacle consisted of wooden poles covered with colorful curtains embroidered with intricate designs. Their beauty could be viewed from inside the tent. Covering these colourful interior curtains were three more curtain-like layers. All three were made of animal skin: the first layer was goatskin; the second, ram skin; and the third, another kind of durable leather (Exodus 26:1,6-7,14). Skin, skin, skin! God lived in a tent made of three layers of animal skin! Move into the New Testament and we find the human body described as a tent. Call it a tent of human skin. That's exactly what Jesus dwelt in when He came to earth. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus coming to earth and dwelling not in a tent of animal skin, but in a tent of human skin! This is precisely what John 1:14 describes. Jesus is the Word; flesh is a reference to the human body He took on; and 'dwelt' literally means 'tented' or 'tabernacled.' Christmas is the celebration of Jesus coming to tabernacle in a tent of human skin! Never had God's presence been nearer or clearer. Suggestions for prayer Thank Jesus that He is both the tabernacle and the sacrifice required to enter into the tabernacle, both the presence of God and the means by which we enter into the presence of God. 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 18 – Picture #4: A snake

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15 Scripture reading: Numbers 21:1-9 By blessing the Israelites with bread and water every day, God made it good and clear that He could and would keep His people alive in the barren wilderness. And He did! After bringing them safely to the border of the Promised Land, twelve men went in and explored. They returned with a glowing report about the land, but a grim report about the people living there: “We can't attack those people. They are far bigger and stronger than we are” (Numbers 13:23-27, 31-33). What unbelievable unbelief! God got them out of Egypt. Surely He could get them into the Promised Land? Yes, He could! But their unbelief earned them forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Fast-forward forty years. Had their behavior improved? Not really. They were again complaining about the lack of water and moaning about the monotonous manna. So God sent venomous snakes to inflict death-inducing bites. Many died. Had God's grace run out? No! When His children confessed their sin, He gave yet another picture of Jesus: a snake on a pole. By looking in faith at the serpent, the poisoned person was cured. Shocking, isn't it? Serpents are cursed symbols of sin and Satan. How could this be a picture of Jesus? While suspended on the cross, God laid on Jesus all our sin and rebellion, making Him a symbol of all that is heinous and evil. And there, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of eternal death by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). Suggestions for prayer Thank God that just as the Israelites who looked to the bronze serpent were saved from physical death, so all who look to Jesus as the sin-bearer are saved from eternal death. 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 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....

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March 6 – The Sunday as a sign of the goal of God’s creation

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March 4 – Entering God’s rest

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March 3 – God’s glory and God’s rest

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February 22 – Pe: Revelation

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