Daily devotional

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

Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. – Exodus 19:5

Scripture reading: Exodus 19:1-9

In Genesis 12, God called Abraham to be a blessing to the nations: “I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing” (v.2). In his book, Light to the Nations, Michael Goheen sums up the identity and mission of Israel with this idea, that Israel was called to be a “so that” people, blessed by God so that they would be a blessing.

This is the identity that God emphasizes for Israel in Exodus 19. They are God’s treasured possession, not instead of all the nations, but among all peoples. God chose them in order to put them on display, to show what He would one day do for all nations. He blessed Israel as part of His plan to be a blessing to all the families of the earth. “And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6).

Israel was to be a kingdom of priests. What priests did for Israel, Israel was to do for the nations. Priests represented God to the people and represented the people before God. That is what Israel was called to do: to represent who God was, the promises He gave, the grace He showed, and the life to which He calls us. Israel thought God's promises were all for them. But God was clear: “All the earth is mine.” And because God so loved the world, He would one day send His Son, born to Israel’s family, for all the nations.

Suggestions for prayer

That we would remember, like Israel, we are blessed so that we will be a blessing, and that our lives would be fruitful for the good of those around us.

This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho.

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Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. – Luke 24:46 Scripture reading: Luke 24:36-49 After appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to the rest of the disciples in Jerusalem. He allowed them to touch Him (v.39) and He ate with them (v.43), all demonstrating that His resurrection was a real bodily resurrection. He was not a spirit, having abandoned His body (v.39). Instead, the tomb was empty and His body was raised. All of this is glorious good news, for the Apostle Paul says we will share in a resurrection like Christ’s (Romans 6:5). But our main focus is on the words of Jesus after all of this: Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (Lk 24:44–46). Jesus again says that the whole Bible is about Him. By referring to “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms,” He spoke of the three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jewish Christians would have understood the point clearly: The Hebrew Scriptures spoke of Jesus! And this was the case, not simply by way of promises fulfilled, but by way of telling the story that Jesus completes. Suggestions for prayer That we would rejoice and take comfort in the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and that we would grow in loving the Bible as one story, fulfilled in Jesus. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

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

This month we will be asking and answering the question of our mission as the church of Jesus Christ. Why do we exist as churches? What is our purpose? To answer that question, we will be walking through the story of the Bible as a whole, from Genesis to Revelation, tracing the theme of God’s mission to bless the nations through Abraham’s family, fulfilled in Jesus as the Light of the world. It is this theme of the mission of God that gives the church her mission. We’ll do this in several parts, after introducing the theme with the words of Jesus in Luke 24: We will trace the theme of God’s mission in the story of Israel We will see how Jesus fulfills that mission in His death and resurrection We will see God’s promises for the future of our mission We will be challenged by how this story gives us our mission as the church We will look at several ways we can be challenged to carry out that mission Many of the ideas in this devotional were inspired by lectures given by Michael Goheen, largely based on his book A Light to the Nations. For those who would like to dig deeper, that book is highly recommended, together with The Mission of God by Christopher Wright. ***** And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:27 Scripture reading: Luke 24:13-35 This month, we are going to ask the question of the mission of the church by looking at the story of the Bible as a whole, from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible is one large book that tells one story and so it is helpful to get an orientation to the “big picture” of the whole story before diving in at the beginning. To get that big picture of what the Bible is about, we begin with the words of Jesus when He appears to the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. The story begins immediately after the resurrection of Jesus (in fact, it might be helpful to read verses 1-12 as context). When Jesus appears to the disciples, they are sad because they know Jesus died and they do not recognize Him. Their sadness is understandable: if the One they thought was the Messiah is dead, then He must not have been the Messiah! But Jesus tells them they should have expected the death and resurrection of the Messiah and He tells them why: “And he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!'" (v. 25). Jesus says that the whole Old Testament “beginning with Moses and all the prophets” spoke of Him! This is the key to reading the Bible: the whole book is about Jesus, promising and proclaiming Him. That is the beauty of Scripture and the glory of Christ. Suggestions for prayer That God would give us the wisdom to see Christ in all of Scripture and that in seeing Christ we would grow to love and trust Him more. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Nick Smith is pastor of the United Reformed Church of Nampa, Idaho....

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 31 - Contending for the faith

I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. - Jude 3b Scripture reading: Jude 1–7 On this date last year, we celebrated the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. It wasn’t easy for Martin Luther to make his stand for the doctrine of Justification by Faith as taught in Holy Scripture. In fact, he had to hide for his life since both Church and State had sought his death. He was aware that before him others had sought to reform the Church and were martyred in “contending for the faith.” One was Savonarola, a Dominican monk in Florence, the other John Huss, a Czech reformer, who had been greatly influenced by Wycliffe. Both were burned at the stake! The basic reforms were about the doctrines of Salvation and Church offices. The basis for the reformers’ stand was the Supreme and Final Authority of the Bible. The task we face today is more daunting as every article of the Christian faith is under attack. Biblical authority and the Uniqueness and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ are being contested by doctrinal pluralism that advocates the equal validity of all religions, universalism that preaches all people will be saved, regardless of their beliefs, and strong attacks on Christian ethical standards that seek to overthrow the Biblical view of marriage. Luther responded to the opposition of Church and State by the spiritual arms of the Bible and his publications made possible through the invention of the printing press. We possess the press and the internet for the defense of the Faith and its spread in many languages, all over the world! Suggestions for prayer “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all-time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24). This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 30 - The Word of Life

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

Daily devotional

Monday October 29 - Pay much closer attention

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. - Hebrews 2:1 Scripture reading: Hebrews 2:1–4 ...

Daily devotional

Sunday October 28 - Making purification for sins

After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high... - Hebrews 1:3b Scripture reading: Hebrews 1:1–4 ...

Daily devotional

Saturday October 27 - For the sake of the elect

Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. - 2 Timo...

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Friday October 26 - The Word of God is not bound

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

Daily devotional

Thursday October 25 - The Spirit of Wisdom

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him. – Ephesians 1:17 Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:15–23 Paul assured the believers in Ephesus that they had been chosen in Christ before the creation of the world. He prayed that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom. The Christian life is not one of passive existence, but of an active exercising of God’s gifts to become aware of Christ’s Lordship of history and His headship of the Church. The Ephesian Christians lived under difficult circumstances. Their witness against the idolatry and immorality of the worship of Artemis was not appreciated. They faced the Roman authorities’ hostility to the Gospel. They needed wisdom in the conduct of their lives. In the face of opposition, they had to hold fast to their faith and not lose heart, keeping in mind that Jesus Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father, in firm control of history’s march and the welfare of the Church. Christ rules His Church, “which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” In chapter 4, Paul would list various gifts that Christ apportions to church members; here he gives us the principle that must be observed: All authority in the Church belongs to Him and He delegates specific roles to different members of the Church. Details of the various church functions are listed in the Letters of Paul. Sadly, the growth of hierarchy in the Church became a hindrance to its life and mission. While the Reformation restored the Biblical teaching about the Church, the battle against hierarchical structures must continue! Suggestions for prayer Pray for the leadership of the Church, that they may adhere to the New Testament teachings about their role as servants of Jesus Christ, laboring for the welfare of the congregation. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 24 - Chosen before the foundation of the world

In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. – Ephesians 1:4b-5 Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:1-14 Luke informs us in Acts 19:10, that Paul came to Ephesus and spent two years preaching the Gospel, “so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” “Asia,” in this text, referred to Asia Minor where Ephesus was situated near the Mediterranean Sea. The city was a large commercial and political centre; the Temple of the goddess Artemis attracted many people from the area to her worship. Paul sent this letter to Ephesus and to the churches around it. We learn about them in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation. This letter has important lessons for the church, especially in areas of the world where believers suffer persecution. The opening words are a wonderful doxology praising God the Father for choosing believers before the foundation of the world. It is a very powerful teaching that assures Christians that they were the objects of God’s electing love, before their birth! What a comforting thought! Christians are adopted through Jesus Christ, Who redeemed them by shedding His blood for the forgiveness of their sins. To become aware of God’s plan and receive this unbelievable gift, requires the preaching of the Gospel. “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory“ (Eph. 1:13,14). Suggestions for prayer Pray for expressions of gratitude to rise from us to our Triune God for His wonderful loving election; may our lives exhibit this thankfulness. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 23 - No other Gospel

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. - Galatians 1:8 Scripture reading: Galatians 1:1–9 Paul had gone to the region of Galatia, located now in northwestern Turkey, to preach the Gospel. The Lord blessed his ministry and a Church was born based on the proclamation of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. After Paul’s departure, some false teachers came to the Galatian churches claiming that Paul’s work was unfinished and that church members still needed to observe the requirements of the Mosaic Law. When the news of these “Judaizers” reached Paul, he was greatly displeased since the very heart of the Gospel was denied. This led the Apostle to write a very strong condemnation of the heretical teachers. There is only one Gospel and it cannot be amended or revised, not even by an angel from heaven! The teachings of the Old Testament and of the Lord Jesus Christ clearly testified that the justification of the sinner was a gift of God; it cannot be earned or merited by man’s so-called “good works.” Unfortunately, throughout the history of the Church, the pure Gospel of Christ was distorted. God raised Reformers like Savonarola, John Huss and Wycliffe, who called the Church to reaffirm the Biblical Gospel. In October of 2017, we celebrated the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation that was launched by Martin Luther. As we contemplate the state of the Church, we see the need for another Reformation that would reaffirm the supreme and final authority of the Bible and God’s sovereign grace in the salvation of sinful men and women. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would raise Reformers who would boldly proclaim the “Whole Counsel of God” as Paul did in his missionary career! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Monday October 22 - Removing the veil

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

Daily devotional

Sunday October 21 - Holding fast to the Word

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you h...

Daily devotional

Saturday October 20 - The message, not the method

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. – 1 Corinthians 2:2 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ...

Daily devotional

Friday October 19 - The wisdom of God

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach, to save those who beli...

Daily devotional

Thursday October 18 - The word of the cross

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

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 17 - A living sacrifice

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. – Romans 12:1 Scripture reading: Romans 12:1-2 Paul followed this pattern in his Letters to the Churches. After expounding the Gospel, he turned to its application in the life of the believers. While justification by faith in Jesus Christ is a once-for-all event, sanctification, that is the practice of the faith and the working out of God-centered living, is a life-long process. Paul followed the order of the Great Commission, as given by the risen Christ prior to His Ascension: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19,20). It wasn’t only Paul that mentioned the importance of the Christian’s walk during his earthly pilgrimage. The same emphasis exists in the New Testament Letters of Hebrews, James, I and II Peter, I, II, and III, John and Jude. Followers of world religions have objections to Christian beliefs, but are impressed by the Christian life. Having grown up in the Middle East where Muslims who regarded Christians as unbelievers, still couldn’t help but admire the life of their Christian neighbors. One of their sayings was, “A Christian doesn’t lie.” My father used to relay this anecdote that Muslims, who had plans to travel, used to “deposit” some of their money for safe-keeping at the home of missionaries whose conduct in life exemplified honesty and integrity! Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord will enable us to manifest the Christian Mind in all our dealings with others! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 16 - The future salvation of Israel

I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved. – Romans 11:25b–26a Scripture reading: Romans 11:25–36 During the last 2000 years, there have been few Jewish conversions to the Gospel. The 19th century did have two noteworthy exceptions; Alfred Edersheim, the author of The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, and the composer Felix Mendelssohn who has enriched us with his Oratorios Elijah, St. Paul and the Reformation Symphony. Paul warned us not to forecast the future of Israel by simply focusing on the past. “I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved” (11:25, 26a). Some Bible commentators interpret “all Israel will be saved” as referring to the “elect” in general and not to the Jews. But we should not forget that Paul was dealing with the Fall and Ultimate Salvation of the Jews. His teaching about election is found in Romans 8 and in Ephesians 1. Would the Apostle have burst into this doxology, if he were not thinking of Israel? “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (11:33–36). Suggestions for prayer Plead with the Lord of the Harvest to hasten the day when this prophecy would come to pass! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Monday October 15 - Faith comes from hearing

For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:16b-17 Scripture reading: Romans 10:9-17 Confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection are both necessary for salvation. But how does one obtain the faith to do this? The Holy Spirit is the Author of faith and He uses the preaching of the Word of Christ to create that faith. During the early years of the Church, the believers possessed the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and its Greek translation, the Septuagint. By the middle of the second century, the Canon (official list) of the New Testament was fixed. Now the books of the OT and the NT formed the Bible. For centuries, it was in manuscript form. Thanks to Gutenberg’s invention of moveable type and the Reformation’s emphasis on the translation of the Bible, the laity could read Scripture in their native languages. A great gift of the Modern Missionary Enterprise to the peoples of Asia and Africa has been the translation of the Bible into their local languages. In some instances, missionaries had to provide the alphabet for many nations before they could engage in their translation work. Having the printed copy of the Word of God does not dispense with the preaching of the Gospel. The greatest periods in Church history were marked by powerful Biblical preaching. For example, the Patriarch of Constantinople (349–407), John Chrysostom, was known as the Golden-mouth for his eloquent and bold preaching. Among many noteworthy preachers of the 18th Century, George Whitefield (1714–1770) greatly influenced the Church in both Britain and America. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord will equip His ministers with boldness as they proclaim His Word, thus walking in the footsteps of those men who preceded them in this calling. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Sunday October 14 - Paul's great anguish

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

Daily devotional

Saturday October 13 - The Christian hope

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for ...

Daily devotional

Friday October 12 - The righteousness of God

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of G...

Daily devotional

Thursday October 11 - Unashamed of the Gospel

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek. – Roman...

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 10 – The Gospel of God

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

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 9 - Many are my people

For I have many in this city who are my people. – Acts 18:10b Scripture reading: Acts 18:5-11 Leaving Athens, Paul came to the port city of Corinth where he met Aquila and Priscilla and joined them in the business of tent-making. He first went to the synagogue of the Jews and proclaimed the Gospel. The majority did not welcome his message, but the ruler of the synagogue believed and his entire household. Many of the Gentile population believed and were baptized. The Lord encouraged Paul in a vision, telling him: “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” The Lord’s comforting words remind us of the doctrine of election that is summarized in Lord’s Day 21, of the Heidelberg Catechism: “What do you believe concerning ‘the holy catholic church? I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects, and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community I am and always will be a living member.” My belief in election, enabled me to persevere during thirty-six years of broadcasting the Gospel to the Arabic-speaking world. Most of the audience were Muslims, “immunized” by their sacred texts, against the reception of the Christian message. Some believed, since they had been among the elect, known to God from eternity! Suggestions for prayer Missionaries laboring in difficult areas need our prayers that God would remind them their labors will not be in vain! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Monday October 8 – Times of ignorance

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. - Acts 17:30 Scripture reading: Acts 17:22–34 Paul arrives at Athens, the Capital of the intellectuals, which had produced famous philosophers including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Those philosophers had dazzled the ancient world with their wisdom. And yet, Athens was filled with idols, one even erected “To the unknown god.” Paul proclaimed the Gospel to the cultural elite by stressing the fact that the Creator did not need the works of men’s hands, since He was Himself the author of life, as even some of their prophets had said. Paul explained that in the past God had allowed Greeks and other nations to live in “the times of ignorance,” since He had not given them His special revelation that was given to the Jews. But now, in this New Testament Age, God’s universal Good News is broadcast everywhere. With this fact in mind, Paul added, “but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this, he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” The audience was shocked upon hearing of the resurrection of the dead. That contradicted their philosophy; immortality of the soul was acceptable, but not the resurrection of the body! Paul left the assembly, “some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.” Suggestions for prayer Pray that ministers and missionaries would not be ashamed of the Gospel when they face modern sophisticated unbelievers or followers of other religions! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Sunday October 7 – He was baptized for His family

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” – Acts 16:31 Scripture reading: Acts 16:25-34 Most Reformed Christians confess the Biblical doctrine of the Covenant, which includes parents and their children. Reformed Baptists and other Evangelicals have different views of the covenant and claim that only adults who confess their faith in Jesus Christ, may be baptized. Acts and the Epistles witness that when adults confessed their faith, they were baptized as well as the members of their household. The former believe their practice of infant baptism is proved in this text and in I Corinthians 1, where Paul mentions, along with the two adults he had baptized, Crispus and Gaius, that he baptized the household of Stephanas. We are not told exactly what they sang. Could it have been Psalm 67? It is likely; since it manifests the desire of God’s people to see “all nations” come to a saving knowledge of the true God. In one hymnbook, this Psalm is sung to the tune of “Missionary Hymn.” “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let all the peoples praise, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him.” Suggestions for prayer “Shall we, whose souls are lighted with wisdom from on high? Shall we to men benighted, The Lamp of life deny? Salvation! Oh salvation! The joyful sound proclaim, till earth’s remotest nation, has learned Messiah’s name.” – Reginald Heber This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Saturday October 6 - The Macedonian Call

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

Daily devotional

Friday October 5 - World missions

The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid thei...

Daily devotional

Thursday October 4 – Ananias and the persecutor

And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized. – Acts 9:18 Scripture reading:...

Daily devotional

Wednesday October 3 – Repent and be baptized

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. – Acts 2:39 Script...

Daily devotional

Tuesday October 2 – The promise of the Spirit

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

Daily devotional

Monday October 1 - Introduction

During this month, we will be studying “Christian Missions” as they are described in the New Testament. In his Gospel, John tells us of God’s love for the world, manifested in sending His Only-begotten Son to save whoever would believe in Him. When Christ had accomplished His redemptive work, He gave the disciples “The Great Commission.” As missions expert Rodney Stark put it in his book The Triumph of Christianity, while it was given in the “imperative,” in the early church, it functioned in the “indicative." In other words, Christians spontaneously shared the Good News with their neighbors. This explains how the number of Christians climbed from 3,000 on Pentecost, to 6 million by 300 AD and to 30 million by 350 AD. The Third Millennium has ushered in the Age of Globalization. Millions of people from Asia and Africa have settled in the West, the majority from a non-Christian background. The “Mission Field” is now next door. We have unprecedented opportunities to spread the Christian faith, by word and deed, through personal contact and the Internet. It is my hope and prayer, that these meditations will re-acquaint us with Biblical principles of missions, guarding us against certain questionable approaches that promise numerical success at the expense of sound doctrine. The goal of Christian missions should be the organization of churches that confess Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. THE GREAT COMMISSION Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. – Matthew 28:19 Scripture reading: Matthew 28:16-20 Our devotions for this month deal with Christian Missions. The Lord Jesus Christ prefaced the Great Commission with these words: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” These words assure the Church that, notwithstanding the obstacles that would arise in the way of the Gospel, Christ’s omnipotence guarantees the success of the missionary enterprise. The goal is to “make disciples of all nations,” which implies instructing converts with the basics of the Christian faith. During the Apostolic Age, the Apostles and their assistants expounded the Messianic passages of the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. This tradition is of great importance for us today, since not all Christian missionary work reflects a faithful adherence to the Great Commission. Some teach that baptism, followed by membership in the church, is not necessary. Others, add a political dimension to the Gospel, such as the realization of “Social Justice” in the here-and-now. However, a careful reading of the Book of Acts reveals that the Gospel proclaimed, “repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21b). The Greek word for repentance is “metanoia,” i.e. a change of mind, resulting in submission to the authority of the Bible. The Internet has become a wonderful tool to spread the Gospel worldwide. This is especially important for Muslims who live in lands that prohibit missionaries. We praise the Lord for this new avenue of service. Suggestions for prayer Pray for Christian missionaries that they may be faithful to the Gospel, realizing that they represent Jesus Christ Whose sovereignty is universal and Whose plan for the gathering of the elect, will be accomplished. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Bassam Michael Madany has served as a missionary in Syria, and in 1958 he began a 36-year radio and literature ministry to the Arab world. After retirement Bassam & his wife Shirley began an Internet ministry, Middle East Resources, to provide a “Christian Response to the Global Challenge of Islam.”...

Daily devotional

Sunday September 30 – The presence of the Holy Spirit

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. - 1 Peter 4:14 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 4:12-19 We conclude by addressing the sufferings of Christians, particularly their suffering for being Christians. Many have had to suffer for their wrongs; they have reaped what they have sown. Others have suffered for the right — particularly Christians — because they care about what is right. It takes no effort to be careless; but in order to be faithful to the Lord, it takes a Spirit-led effort. It takes effort to care about what is right, but it can also hurt to do so. When we care for Jesus’ sake, Peter reminds us that we are blessed by God, for we would not care apart from the Spirit. Such divine presence is always our consolation as Christians. Such consolation is especially vital in times of suffering. We may suffer as Christians, but what is more important in our suffering is to know that God is with us. May the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Suggestions for prayer Seek the Lord’s favor that in worship today you might view your circumstances, through the Spirit-breathed Word of God, as times where the Spirit is with you, despite the trying times. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Saturday September 29 – Preaching and the Holy Spirit

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:17 Scripture reading: Romans 10:5-17 The Christian confession states that the Holy Spirit is teaching us by way of the gospel of Jesus Christ: “The Holy Spirit produces by the preaching of the holy gospel” (Q. 65, see also Q. 67). The Christian is convicted that the preaching of the holy gospel is considered one of the keys of the kingdom (Q. 83) and that it is the primary means by which God conveys His salvation (Q. 65). Christian preaching, as it is used by the Holy Spirit, addresses everything that a person must hear to live in the comfort and joy of belonging to Christ: one’s sinfulness, one’s need for Christ and one’s calling to live for the Saviour. Often people are poorly motivated to worship. Even professing Christians are finding themselves often worshipping less and not more. Perhaps we might find the athletic exploits of people more worthy of our attention, but they do not compare to what God the Holy Spirit does with the preaching of the Word. Faithful preaching is worthy of our attention; keep that in mind tomorrow. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord that you might see the preaching of the Word as a tool of the Spirit of God to change lives to the glory of Christ, so that you might appreciate gospel preaching more, especially at Christian worship. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Friday September 28 – The Word and the Spirit

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

Daily devotional

Thursday September 27 - The divinity of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

Wednesday September 26 – The strength of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

Monday September 24 – The renewing of the Holy Spirit

Daily devotional

Sunday September 23 – Unity in the one Spirit

For through we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. – Ephesians 2:18 Scripture reading: Ephesians 2:12-22 Christ not only governs as eternal King by His Word and Spirit, He also saves through His Word and Spirit a community united in true faith (Heidelberg Catechism, Question 54). When we speak of the holy catholic church, we can be consoled to know that the unity of the church is realized, not by us, but by the grace of God: “Through we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). In response, we can find it so much easier to promote church unity when we remember that no matter who we are, the reason that we belong to the church of Jesus Christ as a living member is not because of who we are, but because of what the Holy Spirit has done for us. One Spirit makes us all members of His church; the more we appreciate that, the more we will treat each other like brothers and sisters in the family of God and promote the unity of the church that is realized by Jesus Christ, Who by one Spirit gives to us access to the Father in heaven. Suggestions for prayer As you go to worship the Lord with others today, pray that God may grant you the ability to be a promoter of true Christian unity with others who worship with you in Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Saturday September 22 – The governance of the Holy Spirit

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…. – John 14:16-17a Scripture reading: John 14:15-17 The reign of the ascended Lord Jesus Christ allows for the descent of the Holy Spirit. The governing of the Spirit is described in the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 12, as connected with the royalty of Christ, Who “governs us by His Word and Spirit.” The governing of Christ, by His Spirit, is never detached from Christ’s ruling word that is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yet, people have perverted Christ’s rule in the Spirit by viewing the work of Christ’s Spirit as chaotic. They view the truly “spiritual person” as the one who is out of his natural mind — yet, he is the envy of all ordinary Christians. Being governed by the Spirit, however, should be viewed by Christians as the Spirit’s power enabling us to live in self-controlled obedience and gratitude to God. Reverential living may seem ordinary, but in a sin-cursed world, it is not; it is the extraordinary work of Christ, Who governs us by His Word and Spirit. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord with gratitude when Christian virtues of faith, hope and love have been made evident in your life by the Spirit. Pray that such virtues may continue to be born in you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Friday September 21 – The anointing of the Holy Spirit

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. – Isaiah 61:1 Scripture reading: Luke 4:14-21 Anointing is not a modern practice. In Bible days, anointing was more common, but yet special. Scripture gives sufficient examples of those anointed as prophets, priests and kings. Anointing symbolized God’s authorization by way of His Holy Spirit. Those anointed were consecrated to special work within the covenant community—proclamation, intercession, or acts of dominion. Rarely would those offices be combined; however, in the coming of Jesus Christ, we find these offices united in the Word of God, Who would become the Royal Priest of His people, even as Jesus quotes and expounds from Isaiah 61 in Luke 4. In the aftermath of the triumph of Christ, the followers of Christ come to be known as Christians (Acts 11:26), and are endowed with a united anointing of their own (1 John 2:20, 27) which reflects the unique anointing of Christ. As Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit, so are Christians, to confess Christ (prophet), to be living sacrifices (priests) and to strive against sin (royalty, Lord’s Day 12). It is a special calling to reflect Christ; be mindful of this special calling daily! Suggestions for prayer Pray to God that the He might use you mightily to serve in the Christian offices in which He has placed you by His Spirit. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Thursday September 20 - The new birth of the Spirit

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

Daily devotional

Wednesday September 19 – The assurance of the Spirit

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control – Galatians 5:22-23 Scripture reading: Titus 2:1-14 When we find ourselves controlling our tongue, appetites and tempers, we are in control of our lives as God designed. One of the ways that we can view the Spirit at work in us is if we find ourselves more and more in control of ourselves. If we are, we're showing ourselves to be living a sanctified life, where the fruit and presence of the Spirit are evident in our lives. We share a few more ways that Christian self-control is edifying: Self-control respects marriage, the family and the individual. Self-control is more than sexual, but it is certainly that. 1 Corinthians 7:9 says, “But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.” Part of the antonyms of self-control in Galatians 5 includes immorality, impurity and indecency. When we do not exercise self-control sexually, we disrespect marriage, families of those over whom we might lust, and we disrespect the one who is not our spouse. Self-control gets a boost when we remember that marriage is a sanctified institution established by God. Marriage is to be honoured because we honour God who established it. In the same way, we honour the families that God has established in His supreme wisdom. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to help you appreciate the sanctity of marriage so that the fruit of self-control might bear greatly in your life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

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

The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control. – Galatians 5:22-23 Scripture reading: Titus 2:1-14 Most of us have heard the saying, “business before pleasure.” Duty calls! Pleasures can be a blessing, but we should also be pleased to prioritize the responsibilities that God has placed before us. To put our business before pleasure requires us to exercise self-control. Self-control puts the pleasure of the Lord and neighbour before our own; it rounds out nicely with the fruit of the Spirit that begins with God's love toward us in order that we can practice this self-control. It might be obvious to say that being out of control is not a fruit or gift of the Spirit. Yet the impression left by some is that if one is truly empowered with the Spirit of God, one undergoes an out-of-control experience because, supposedly, God is in control, not you. Yet, the Spirit of God has come into the lives of His people so that they might exercise control. The word that is used for self-control literally means “having power over” someone or something. The Christian has had his once-chaotic life replaced with an orderly one. That leads to other good conclusions that we can take up in our next two devotionals. Suggestions for prayer Pray today and often that the Lord will bring increasing order to your life since you have been made a new creation in Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

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

The fruit of the Spirit is…gentleness…. – Galatians 5:22-23 Scripture reading: Philippians 4:10-20 It is not natural to have the gracious spirit of gentleness. It is not natural for us to want to praise others; what is natural is to see others as a threat to our own praise. Yet, gentleness grows with faith that God has graciously supplied in Christ; and supply He will. It believes that God has not shortchanged us — nor that He will. He will graciously supply what we need in accordance with His glorious riches in Christ (Philippians 4:19). Gentleness, then, need not be self-absorbed; rather, it is self-sacrificial like God and His Christ. Galatians 6:1 commands that if we are “spiritual” we “should restore in a spirit of gentleness.” This is the way of Christ to us; this is the way we are to be with others. Gentleness remembers that we are not treated as our sins deserve as we come before God and come before other people. When we are true believers in Christ, we cannot help but testify: “How gentle God has been to us in Christ!” May that gentle impact be found in us more and more for the peace of the church and for the praise of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord would provide you with the gentility to restore those who have sinned against you and the humility to rejoice with others whom God has richly blessed. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

Friday September 7 – The fruit of the Spirit: GOODNESS

The fruit of the Spirit is…goodness…. – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: Psalm 37:1-9 Goodness is a reflection of God, Who is good. From the outset in Scripture, God is revealed as good and as One Who creates what is good. The world accuses God of evil, but such accusations are contrary to God’s Word. In fact, God works all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). Our calling to be good is to give glory to God according to His standards in our relationship to Him and to others. As we have opportunity, we are to do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). Goodness is to live an honourable life, where honour is given to God Who is good, by pleasing God and blessing others. Goodness plants seeds of goodness. God’s goodness to us plants seeds of doing good to others. It is easy to let the evil deeds done to us be the seeds we plant in others. Yet, dwelling on God’s prevailing goodness toward us must dictate how we treat others. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord with thanks for His goodness to you each day; with such a spirit of thanksgiving, ask that He might also enable you, by the Spirit, to reflect His goodness all the more. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Thursday September 6 - The fruit of the Spirit: KINDNESS

The fruit of the Spirit is…kindness…. – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Kindness does not follow patience arbitrarily, any more than its pairing with patience elsewhere in Scripture, the most familiar being 1 Corinthians 13:4: “Love is patient. Love is kind.” Kindness is a quality of mercy on the positive side and a refusal to be rude on the negative side. It is one thing to suffer, it is another to respond so someone suffers in return. Kindness avoids vengeance. Kindness is the benevolent reaction of God to us. Ephesians 2:7 speaks of God’s immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Recipients of God’s kindness know that no one has suffered longer than God and His Christ have suffered for us, who are sinners. Yet, no one has responded better to suffering than God, Who in His loving kindness has displayed His benevolence in Christ. God calls us, then, to display the same kind of demeanour among those with whom we must suffer long, with a kindness that reflects the kindness of God in Christ. Our calling is to reflect the loving kindness of our Saviour by showing loving kindness to our fellow-man. Suggestions for prayer Pray to the Lord that He might grant you the sort of kindness that reflects the greatness of His kindness to you in Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Wedenesday September 5 - The fruit of the Spirit: PATIENCE

The fruit of the Spirit is…patience…. – Galatians 5:22 Scripture reading: Matthew 18:21-35 Christian patience is an attribute of the peace-loving follower of Christ. The word for patience is actually a compound word, macro-thumia, long-suffering. This virtue reminds us of the kind of person God is and the kind of people Christians become. One day we will not have to suffer at all anymore—when God calls us to Himself in glory. However, in these days, we have to bear with the sins of others and they have to bear with ours. Fruit takes time to bear in the household of faith, as those called to love one another. When we realize that God is still working on His people, bearing with others’ specks is a sign of a fruitful heart. Patience is more than putting up; it seeks to pardon those who seek it. Matthew 18:21-35, the parable of the unforgiving servant calls us to patience (macrothumia) with others. Our long-suffering not only suffers for wrongs, but also pardons them as God does us. Without God’s patience in Christ, we would know eternal wrath. Patience, then, carries graciousness, as it remembers, not the sin of others, but the graciousness of God. Suggestions for prayer Petition the Lord that He may enable you, by His Spirit, to dwell on the gracious Spirit of God to you in Christ, not just so that you might be thankful to God, but that you might reflect Him as well. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. John Vermeer is the pastor of Doon United Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa....

Daily devotional

Tuesday September 4 – The fruit of the Spirit: PEACE

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

Daily devotional

Monday September 3 – The fruit of the Spirit: JOY

Daily devotional

Sunday September 2 - The fruit of the Spirit: LOVE

Daily devotional

Saturday September 1 – Introduction

The September devotions focus on the Holy Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is covered first, followed by references to the Holy Spirit in the Heidelber...

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. – Colossians 4:2 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:2-4 How watchful are you for the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you praying for His appearance? Are you praying for an open door for the gospel? All of history is heading for the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now is the time of repentance for everyone. To be watchful for the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to persevere in prayer for His appearance, for prayer is a spiritual discipline, meant to sanctify us and keep our lives oriented towards why we are here and where we are going. Thus, the more we pray for the appearance of the Lord Jesus, the more being ready for His appearance will be on our minds. When we pray with thankfulness that our lives are hidden with Christ in the glory of the Father, we will pray more for the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, for we will then appear in glory with Him (Col. 3:3-4). To be watchful for the Lord Jesus Christ, we also need to pray for an open door for the proclamation of the Word. God called Paul to proclaim that Christ was also working among the Gentiles, including them into His body, the church, on the basis of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for an open door for the proclamation of this mystery of Christ. Because we are concerned not only about our own salvation, but also about the salvation of others, we need to daily pray for an open door for the proclamation of the mystery of Christ. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to enable you to persevere in praying for the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ as well as an open door for the gospel. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Wednesday August 29 - Employers and employees

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters . . . Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. - Colossians 3:22, Colossians 4:1 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:22-4:1 What does having put off the old self and being renewed look like for Christian masters and bondservants, or employers and employees? What implications does Christ being all and in all have for them as members of the body of Christ? Bondservants are to submit to the authority of their earthly masters in everything, unless, of course, they are asked to do something against God’s will. They are to do so with sincerity of heart, as if they were actually doing their work for the Lord Jesus Christ, keeping in mind that He will give them a salary that is of far more value than any earthly salary. Moreover, if the master has wronged him, he will be repaid by God on the Day of Judgment and if the bondservant has done wrong, he too will be repaid for there is no preferential treatment with God. Masters who have put off their old self and are being renewed in knowledge after the image of God are to treat their bondservants justly, giving them what they are entitled to, with the same rights as if they were not bondservants. Slavery, through debt, in the Old Testament could last no longer than six years. For the New Testament congregation this meant that slavery could not go on forever. Furthermore, masters are to remember that as they demanded obedience from their bondservants so their heavenly master demanded obedience from them. In other words, they are to give them the wages and social/political equality they are entitled to. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father that all employers and employees would be given the grace to serve each other as if they were serving the Lord Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 28 - Parents and children

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. - Colossians 3:20-21 Scripture reading: Proverbs 6:20-23 What does having put off the old self and being renewed after the image of God look like for fathers and children? What implications do Christ being all and in all have for them as members of the body of Christ? Children are to obey their parents, accept their authority, listen to them and do what they are asked to do in everything. They are always to obey, unless what they are being asked to do is against God’s Word. This obedience should be natural for children because without their parents they would not exist. Moreover, parents daily provide them with the necessities of life. But while obedience to parents should be natural for children, they should also obey because God has invested authority in their parents. They are one of God’s primary means to teach them how to be wise in life, beginning with the fear of the LORD. When children obey their parents, this is pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ because this is what having put off your old self and being renewed in knowledge after the image of God looks like in your life. Fathers (and mothers) are not to provoke their children by demanding too much of them. They are called to be patient with them, bear with them and forgive them. When parents fail to do this, their children run the risk of becoming resentful and angry. The result can be that children give up on obeying their parents because their spirits are broken. No matter how hard they try, it is never good enough. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father that all parents and children would be given the grace to please the Lord Jesus Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Monday August 27 - Husbands and wives

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

Daily devotional

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

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Saturday August 25 - Love that binds together in perfect harmony

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

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Thursday August 23 - Christ is all and in all

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

Daily devotional

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

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. - Colossians 3:5 Scripture reading: Romans 13:11-14; Colossians 3:5-11 How are you dealing with what is earthly in you: your sinful thoughts, your greed, your anger, your gossip and slander? Some people were trying to influence the members of the church in Colossae to deal with what was earthly in them by way of self-made religion, asceticism and severe treatment of the body: do not handle, do not taste, do not touch. While this had the appearance of wisdom, it ultimately was of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. This power only lies in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is now hidden in the glory of the Father (Col. 3:3). Because we participated in the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus and are joined to Him, by faith, through the bond of the Holy Spirit, our life is also hidden with the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory of the Father. We should not set our minds on things that are on the earth – self-made religion that has the appearance of wisdom – but on things that are above. When, by the grace of God, we do, we will experience that having died to what is sinful and having arisen to what is holy will increasingly begin to manifest itself in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. How do we deal with what is earthly in us? By putting on Christ, through faith, every day again and living, remaining and maturing in Him. In this way, He will do in us what He has done for us (Romans 13:14). Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to enable you to experience the mystery of dying to sin as you put on Christ through faith and live in Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 21 - Seeking the things that are above

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. - Colossians 3:1 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:16-3:4 As Christians, we are on a journey to the new heaven and earth. On this journey, we all long for certainty. Will we reach our destination? Will we be provided for on our journey? What is the road that leads to our destination? Will it be safe? There is nothing wrong in looking for certainty because we are broken people who travel in a broken world. Moreover, as members of the body of Christ, we are engaged in a cosmic spiritual warfare where demonic powers are doing their utmost to hinder us from reaching our destination. While there is nothing wrong in looking for certainty on our journey, it is wrong to look for it in what is visible on this earth because the form of this world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31) and thus does not offer us the lasting support we desire. The Colossians were also tempted to seek their security in things that were visible and transient, such as philosophy and empty deceit (Col. 2:8) and regulations, such as do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, according to human teachings (Col. 2:21-22). Instead, we should seek our security in Christ with Whom our life is hidden in the glory of the Father. This will not be easy because this security is hidden and thus will require the certainty of faith. But because it is faith that joins us to our risen and ascended Saviour with Whom we are hidden in the glory of the Father, it is the only lasting security we need. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to help you seek and experience that your life is secure in Christ with Whom you are hidden in the glory of the Father. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Monday August 20 - Hidden with Christ in God

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. - Colossians 3:3 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:1-4 When the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, He withdrew from three-dimensional reality and ascended into another dimension of God’s created reality. The disciples did not see Him enter heaven, for the cloud of God’s glory took Him out of sight. Since His ascension, He is hidden in the glory of His Father and glorified with Him. However, the Lord Jesus Christ is not only hidden in the glory of the Father, Christians are also hidden with Him. Paul wrote that we were buried with Christ in baptism and also raised with Him (Col. 2:12). He asked that if we died with Christ, why do we submit to regulations competing with His place in our lives (Col. 2:20). Now, he writes that our life is hidden with Christ in God and will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:3-4). The expressions “in Christ” and “with Christ” show that we participate in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We participate in what He did in the past, what He is doing in the present and what He will do in the future. We died and arose with Him, we ascended with Him in glory and we will appear with Him in glory. This participation with Christ is a hidden reality. The source of our life is hidden, is not visible to others, or to ourselves. We need to believe this. Moreover, our life being hidden with Christ in the Father also makes our life safe and untouchable. It is eternally secure. Suggestions for prayer Thank your heavenly Father that your life is hidden with Christ in the glory of the Father. Ask Him to help you believe this and be encouraged by it. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Sunday August 19 - Guard your freedom in Christ

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

Daily devotional

Saturday August 18 - Disarming the rulers and authorities

Daily devotional

Friday August 17 - Raised with Christ in baptism

.... in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. - Colossians 2:12b Scriptu...

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Thursday August 16 - Buried with Christ in baptism

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Wednesday August 15 - Baptism as an identity marker

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 14 - Filled with the fullness of God

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. - Colossians 2:9-10 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:8-10 If you google “the grass is greener on the other side,” you will be confronted with an image of a cow, kneeling to eat grass on the other side of a barbed wire fence. It has lots of grass in its own field, but it thinks the grass on the other side of the fence is better. What is true for a cow is also true for humans. We too often think the grass is greener on the other side because we are not satisfied with what God has given us. Belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ with body and soul, in life and in death, sometimes is not enough for us. We long to belong to things or people in addition to the Lord Jesus Christ. Earlier we saw that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. These cosmic demons deceive us into not being satisfied with what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ and tempt us into seeking greener grass outside of Him. Paul warns the Colossians not to allow themselves to be taken captive by these demons who do their deceptive work through so-called human wisdom and false teachings. They should not do this because in Christ the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily and they have been filled in Him. Because Christ is the image of the invisible God, all the fullness of God dwells in Him. Thus, we have all that we need by being in Him, through faith. Suggestions for prayer When you think that the grass is greener on the other side, ask God to make you content and satisfied by being in Christ and having Christ in you. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Monday August 13 - Maturing in Christ

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. - Colossians 2:6-7 Scripture Reading: Psalm 1 If you ask a fish what it means to swim in water, it would say it means living and moving and having its being in water, surrendering and submitting to the laws of water and finding its nourishment there, because it was created for this. Human beings are created to live and move and have their being in Christ, surrendering and submitting to the laws of Christ and finding their nourishment in Him, for they were created for this. When human beings have received the Lord Jesus Christ by committing their lives to Him, they ought to thankfully walk in Him, i.e. live and move and have their being in Him, through faith. In doing so, they will mature in Christ. This is what the psalmist writes in Psalm 1 about living and moving and having your being in the Word of God. The more we make the Scriptures the element of our lives, like a fish makes water the element of its life, the more God will use the Scriptures to nourish and strengthen us, because these Scriptures will unite us more and more to the Lord Jesus Christ, the essence of the Scriptures. We will be firmly rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ and established in the faith as we increasingly mature in Him. We will be like those trees planted by streams of water that yield their fruit in their season, and whose leaves do not wither. They prosper in all that they do. How are you maturing in the Lord Jesus Christ? Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to enable you to mature in Christ by living and moving and having your being in Him through faith. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Sunday August 12 - Maturity in Christ and spiritual warfare

... God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. - Colossians 2:3 Scripture reading: Ephesians 6:10-13; Colossians 2:1-5 Members of the body of Christ are in a spiritual warfare in which the devil does his utmost to undermine the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing us to maturity in Him. Because Paul is aware of this, he toils with all his energy that God powerfully works within him to present everyone mature in Christ. That’s why he writes to the Colossians that no one would delude them with arguments that would draw their attention away from maturing in the Lord Jesus Christ to teachings that undermine the centrality of their union with Christ, through faith. That’s why he shares with them how great a struggle he has for them and the church in Laodicea to have their hearts reach the riches of full assurance of understanding of God's mystery, which is Christ, in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. When Paul had written about Christ being the Mediator of creation, he had written that this included that Christ holds all things together (1:17). When it concerns being the Mediator of re-creation, this is also true. As the Head of the church, He holds the church and its members together. He does so not only because He is the Son of God, but also because in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Thus, in our spiritual warfare, we need to go to Him and put Him on, through faith, so that we are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to give you all the wisdom and understanding you need for your spiritual warfare. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Saturday August 11 - Maturity in Christ

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

Thursday August 9 - Rejoicing in your suffering for Christ

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Wednesday August 8 - The cost of discipleship

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that i...

Daily devotional

Tuesday August 7 - Persevering in the faith

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

Daily devotional

Monday August 6 - The Mediator of re-creation

...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. - Colossians 1:20 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:18-20 The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the source of our being able to live a life worthy of our being in Him because He is the mediator of creation, but also because He is the mediator of re-creation. This mediation is necessary because we have alienated ourselves from the Lord Jesus Christ with our fall into sin. And creation was subjected to futility because of this (Romans 8:20). Thus, both we and creation need to be reconciled to the mediator of creation. The Father of the Lord Jesus Christ gives the mediator of creation to the church so that He can be its mediator of re-creation by reconciling both the church and creation to Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ accomplishes this as the Head of the church, the One who brings the church into existence and keeps it in existence by giving life to its members, by ruling them through His Word and Spirit, and by holding them together. Having reconciled His body and His creation to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross, He was the first one to rise from the dead with a glorified, immortal body, guaranteeing the general resurrection of the dead of all those who were in Him, through faith. Because of this work of re-creation, the mediator of creation continues to have the first place in God’s universe. He is more than able and also willing to be the source of your being able to live a life worthy of your being in Him. Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to enable you to look to your mediator of creation and re-creation when you struggle with being able to live a life worthy of your being in Christ, and that He would encourage you in doing so. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Sunday August 5 - The Mediator of Creation

For in him all things were created, . . . all things were created through him and for him and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 16 and 17b Scripture reading: Colossians 1:15-17 If Christians want to live a life worthy of Christ, they need to put on the Lord Jesus Christ like a garment and live in Him through faith, remain in Him when they encounter trials and mature in Him through faith. He is the source of their being able to live a life worthy of being in Him because He is the mediator of creation. He is able to be this mediator of creation because He is the firstborn of all creation. Accordingly, all things—whether visible or invisible—were created in Him, because the light and life needed to create all things resided in Him. Moreover, all things were also created through Him. He, who has light and life in Himself, creates light and life. Furthermore, He also holds all things together. We and creation do not live in an empty space, but in the Lord Jesus Christ who continues to uphold and sustain creation and us. This is what it means that the Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator of creation. Everything was created from Him and through Him and He holds everything that He created together. And He does so because everything was created for Him. Our destiny and creation’s destiny is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the will of the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ that one day all things will be summed up and reunited in Him. Suggestions for prayer Thank your heavenly Father that, because everything is created from Him and through Him and to Him, He is able to be the source of your living a life worthy of being in Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

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

... so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; - Colossians 1:10 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:9-14 As members of the body of Christ, Christians, through their union with Christ, have been redeemed and qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light of the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, they have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light. Through the bond of the Holy Spirit, they are already seated with Christ in heaven (Ephesians 2:6). Because Christians are in Christ, they need to live a life worthy of Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. This means that, through faith, they need to put on the Lord Jesus Christ like a garment and live in Him, remain in Him when they encounter trials, and mature in Him, for He is the source of being able to live a life worthy of being in Him. When they do, He will be pleased with them. For this, we need to be filled with the knowledge of the will of the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. While we cannot know His will exhaustively, God can fill us with adequate knowledge of what He wants us to believe and how He wants us to live, i.e. having spiritual wisdom and understanding as we live and have our being in the Scriptures. The more we are filled with this, the more we will find ourselves leading a life worthy of being in Christ. Paul regularly prays this for the Colossian Christians. Are you praying this for yourself and your congregation? Suggestions for prayer Ask your heavenly Father to fill you with knowledge of His will so that you and your congregation can live lives worthy of being in Christ. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Dick Moes is pastor emeritus of the Surrey Covenant Reformed Church in Surrey, BC....

Daily devotional

Friday August 3 - The fruit of hope

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

Daily devotional

Thursday August 2 - The fruit of faith

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you ...

Daily devotional

Wednesday August 1 - Introduction, and the fruit of love

Daily devotional

Tuesday July 31 - Christ's ascension

Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into h...

Daily devotional

Monday July 30 - Jesus and the beloved apostle

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

Daily devotional

Sunday July 29 - Peter's restoration in office

“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” he said to Him, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time…, a third time… - John 21:15-19 Scripture reading: John 21:15-19 The Lord Jesus is preparing Himself for His ascension when He has to leave the care for His sheep to His apostles. They would have to go out to preach the gospel and become the foundation of the New Testament church of Christ. The question was whether Peter would be able to do so? Those who wish to serve in Christ’s Church should be unconditionally devoted to Him. If they would serve themselves, seek their own honour, or do their work in a self-designed way, they could not be office-bearer in Christ’s service. He demanded love unequivocally! Would Peter be able to do so, given his three-fold denial, due to self-service and fear of detection? The three-fold question of the Lord Jesus, “Do you love me more than these?” must have been hard on this disciple who had always expressed his love clearly. This time, however, his response is humble and sincere! Christ knows that his reply is sincere. Hence, He can restore His disciple in his office as under-shepherd and entrust to him His lambs. It will be a difficult task, one that can be completed only in true and deep love for the Saviour! It will be a hard job for Peter especially; the Lord Jesus foretells him that it will cost him his life! His Master died on the cross for him and this servant will have to take up his cross as well, figuratively and physically! In his love for the Saviour, he will be able to complete it to His glory! Suggestions for prayer Pray for a true love in Christ’s service, for loving leaders in the Church. Ask for courage to endure and be faithful. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Saturday July 28 - The report of the guard

Tell people, "His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep." And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. - Matthew 28:11-15 Scripture reading: Matthew 28:1-10 On the morning of the resurrection, there were many witnesses who could testify of Christ’s resurrection: men, women, and even the Roman guard. These Roman soldiers went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. Their report agreed with the facts that was broadcast by the disciples who had heard the angels or even seen their Risen Lord. This should have rung a bell with the leaders, to whom Christ had promised just one sign: the sign of Jonah the prophet – as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish so He would be three days in the belly of the earth… and then rise! They cannot believe this. Their own theology and theories about Jesus are more credible than the Word of God! Today, we meet with this kind of unbelief time and again. Man’s theories must be believed. The truth of God’s Word about creation, or women in office, doesn’t agree with new theology or with today’s culture. The truth, as revealed, has been declared obsolete, or must be re-interpreted with new rules for understanding the Scriptures. The Sanhedrin must have believed their own theory, or deemed it better for the church than the report of the guard. Today, still, we must heed Paul’s words when he calls us to be saved from this crooked generation, and Peter’s call to faith in a world where the lie is on the throne! Let us submit ourselves faithfully and in childlike confidence trust in the Word of God and the promises of our Saviour! Suggestions for prayer Pray for faith in the Word of God, in the promises of salvation. Pray for the faithful proclamation of God’s Word tomorrow. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

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

And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you…" – Luke 24:5-8 Scripture reading: Luke 24:1-12 Believers don’t always listen well to the Saviour and easily forget His words. Those who went to the grave on the morning of the resurrection did not go to verify His words, but in their fear and sadness, only thought of loss and death. Jesus had told them repeatedly that He would have to suffer and die for their sins; He also told them that He would rise on the third day. In the sight of a tomb and the reality of death, these words seemed unreal…! What are they to do with a dead Jesus; what would we do if our Saviour were still dead? It is wonderful when we are reminded of His Word, just as those women were reminded. We know that we have a living Saviour! That’s hard to accept when everything on earth speaks of death and destruction, of loss and lives without loved ones. It is hard to believe that He is the living Saviour, Who comforts us and speaks to us every time we open God’s Word! Are we focused only on our grief and losses, or are we looking to Him Who died for us and rose again? Do we see Him in our life, in the church, in the gathering of believers, in His work with Spirit and Word in this world? Do we see Him as the ascended Lord in heaven from where He reigns over all things? Thankfully, there were angels to tell the women on the day of the resurrection, and thankfully, ministers tell us today! Suggestions for prayer Pray for a believing heart and an open mind when we read God’s Word and hear the preaching. Ask for comfort too! This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Thursday July 26 - The graves were opened

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

Monday July 23 – They divided my garments among them

Daily devotional

Sunday July 22 – The last Passover celebration

“… I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom o...

Daily devotional

Saturday July 21 - O Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets...!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…! – Luke 13:34-35 Scripture reading: Luke 11:37-54 Although Christ’s suffering and death was a divine necessity, this does not excuse His murderers, not His killers in the church either. This is the reality the Lord Jesus exposes in this lament over Jerusalem. Throughout the ages, God’s prophets were abused and even killed. Even today, this same abuse of God’s servants continues with the poor attitude of ignoring the Word that’s proclaimed, sleeping in church, criticizing the preaching, rejecting the admonitions and bad-mouthing the preachers. Ultimately, however, those who so conduct themselves in the church of Christ are treating Him again the way He suffered! Jesus articulates this sad fact powerfully in the image of a hen gathering her brood under her wings. Thus, Christ is seeking us by His Word and Spirit, with the means of grace, through the instruments of preachers: He wants to gather us, protect us and care for us, especially against the fierce attacks of Satan, against the wolves in sheep's clothing! Why is this so? We don’t see the dangers, sense the need for protection and heed the admonitions? Instead of saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!” we approach Him again and again with the words “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Let us never forget how He bore for us the scorn and abuse, that He might protect us and spare us for life. He protected us from the severe wrath and curse of God that we may be blessed and preserved in God’s love and care by the preaching of the gospel! Suggestions for prayer Pray for your minister, for your elders, and ask that God may help them in speaking and us in listening. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Friday July 20 – Get away, Herod wants to kill you!

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to Him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill You.” And He said to them, “Go, and tell that fox…" – Luke 13:31-33 Scripture reading: Luke 12:1-12 The Lord Jesus’ preaching was effective in Galilee. The Pharisees didn’t like this, neither did Herod. For the Pharisees, He is competition, while Herod is afraid of Him, thinking that He is John the Baptist, raised from the dead. Herod doesn’t want to kill another one, but, with the Pharisees, seeks to get rid of Him a different way. They plan to scare Him away, but the Lord Jesus knows their intent and He stands firm in His opposition to this fox, Herod, and his accomplices, the Pharisees. The Lord Jesus continues in His way, to complete His task. A few more days and He is ready to depart to Jerusalem, where He has to die. He cannot be dissuaded by circumstances; something that happens easily to us in the execution of our tasks in His Kingdom. He firmly proceeds in His work of salvation, for us and in our place. Yet, though He proceeds strong as a lion, He does so to offer Himself like a lamb to be slaughtered by Herod and his accomplices. Then, it may seem as if Herod has won after all, but Herod doesn’t realize that the Lord Jesus does so as a divine necessity, willingly giving Himself as the Lamb of God! He did so for us and in our place; for us, who are meant to be slaughtered as sheep by the greatest fox ever, Satan. Thus He becomes for us the beautiful Shepherd, Who lays down His life for the sheep, that we may find shelter in His sheepfold! Suggestions for prayer Pray for confidence and strength in our tasks in God’s Kingdom. Ask for His protection and for determination and courage; thank God that we have a Great Shepherd who leads us and keeps us. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Thursday July 19 – You give them something to eat!

Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away …to find lodging and get provisions." But He said to them, “You give them something to eat." - Luke 9:12-17 Scripture reading: Luke 9:10-17 It’s often been said that faith and religion make people unrealistic, unaware of the real needs of our time and of this world. The disciples, too, were inclined to think that Jesus was for spiritual needs, while the crowd should look elsewhere for physical needs. The Lord Jesus, however, shows that His kingdom encompasses all of life. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well," He has said. That’s the lesson He teaches the disciples (and the crowd) here too: “You give them something to eat!” Unbelievers seek their bread in their own ways, strikes, revolution, with socialists and unions, if need be. They work to eat. Believers, however, eat to work! They receive their bread from God in Christ, which enables them to seek His kingdom and church. That’s what the Lord Jesus shows here in the miracle of the multiplication of bread. He manifests Himself in His divine power, just as His Father shows His almighty power in every season by growth and prosperity: you plant one potato and you harvest ten of the same plant; you sow one grain of wheat and it will harvest thirty, sixty, or hundred fold! It’s a rich blessing, every year again, to see how God provides, much or little, yet always enough! Today as well, Christ mobilizes and activates His disciples to pray and work: you give them something to eat! He uses them also with Word & Deed to share the gospel and bring relief of people’s needs! Suggestions for prayer Pray for your daily bread and thank God for your place and task in His Kingdom, and for His provisions from day to day. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Wednesday July 18 - Take up your cross and follow Jesus!

And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me…” – Luke 9:23-26 Scripture reading: Luke 14:25-35 Time and time again the Lord Jesus called people to follow Him, including His disciples and others like the rich young man. It was wonderful when people accepted this command, but He also made it clear that following Him was not easy. His way would go through suffering to glory via the cross to resurrection and eternal life. Those whom He called to follow Him, He also commanded to take up their cross. What this meant differed for every disciple and follower, today also. It could mean trouble, persecution, rejection, and hatred. It also means fighting against our sins, as Christ bore our sins on the cross. Today, still, we are called to crucify our old nature and walk in newness of life. It means that we should deny ourselves, denouncing our own will and submitting to God’s will. That’s never easy! There is much in this world that appeals to us; to sacrifice ourselves and abstain from anything sinful and selfish won’t be easy. It will help a lot, though, when we realize that the reward for sin is death, eternally, while the reward of righteousness in Jesus Christ (a life of obedience) is eternal life. It may seem as if believers have to give up a lot as if their lives lack pleasures and joy. Looking at the destiny, however, of those who live for themselves (which is death), will make the yoke of Christ seem light. Take up your cross, therefore, and follow Him! It’s not a heavy cross, but a way of joy and hope and love! Suggestions for Prayer Pray for endurance, and ask the Lord for His Spirit to strengthen you as you follow Christ and bear your cross, whatever it is that you may have to bear or sacrifice in love to Him. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Tuesday July 17 – Fasting while the Bridegroom is away

Daily devotional

Monday July 16 – "I came not to call the righteous but sinners"

Daily devotional

Sunday July 15 – "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?"

Daily devotional

Saturday July 14 – Jesus delivers from sickness and death

Daily devotional

Friday July 13 – Jesus cleanses a leper: "I will; be clean!"

And behold, a leper came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean!” – Matthew 8:1-3 Scripture reading: Leviticus 13:1-8 Jesus came to deliver us from sin and death, to restore life to us, the new life that will end in eternal life. That’s what He proclaimed in His preaching and manifested in His healing. If there was one disease that projected the power of death and held the verdict of death, it was leprosy. This disease showed itself by turning the skin white, making the sufferer look like a corpse. God hated death and by this disease showed the reality of death. Hence, Jesus Who came to deliver from sin and death used this opportunity to show Himself the Redeemer and King over death! Lepers could no longer be among the community of people; outside the camp, they had to wander around finding a place to stay and food to eat. When people approached them, they had to cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” Healing a leper, therefore, was like calling someone back from death. The leper in this passage knew Jesus and believed that He could heal him; that He had power over life and death. He desired to live again among the people and in communion with God. Then Jesus defied the powers of sin and death and touched this leper. He wants to heal the man and deliver him from the powers of death. “I will; be clean!” He said. His Word is powerful and effective, conquering death in this man. His Word and Spirit are still powerful and effective, saving those who believe in Him from sin and death! His Word is life and gives life eternally! Suggestions for prayer Pray the Lord for His compassion and care in times of illness, dealing with a chronic disease (or for loved ones, a fellow-member). Ask God for comfort and hope with a view to eternal healing. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Thursday July 12 - "Be silent and come out of him!"

And He went down to Capernaum… and in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, who cried out with a loud voice, “Ha! What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?" – Luke 4:31-37 Scripture reading: 1 Timothy 4:1-10 From the unbelieving people in Nazareth, Jesus went to Capernaum. There, too, He taught on the Sabbath and they were astonished at His teaching, for His word possessed authority. One of the hearers was a man with an unclean spirit. This demon knows the heart of this man he possesses and he knows the authority of the Preacher. The Son of God has come to drive him out of this man, out of this town, out of this world, into eternal condemnation! Therefore he challenges Jesus, but Jesus rebukes him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” Jesus knows of the sins of this man and He knows the desire of these demons. They will get their day at Golgotha, where He will bear the sins of this man and of all those who seek their life in Him; there He will also be attacked by all the demons to give up on His work of salvation. Yet, Jesus knows His power and knows that He will overcome these demons, death and Satan, and showing His authority, He drives out this demon! Nothing can separate this man from His love! Jesus, therefore, is also the refuge for everyone who is beset with the power of the evil one. He will be there with His power to help us fight against the demons in our hearts, the evil spirits that beset us in our life of faith! He knows how hard the struggle is and how desperate the battle can be! His Word and faith in Him is the only way to overcome! Suggestions for prayer Pray that God may strengthen you in this spiritual battle. Ask Jesus Who can empathize with you, He Who was tempted like you are. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Wednesday July 11 - No prophet is acceptable in his hometown

And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and He stood up to read. And the scroll of Isaiah was given to Him… – Luke 4:16-17 Scripture reading: Luke 4:16-30 Jesus had been working, preaching and healing for some time already when He appears on the Sabbath in the synagogue of His native town of Nazareth. Luke places this event right after the account of the temptations of Jesus and following a few verses in which he sums up Jesus’ first work and glorious reception elsewhere. In this way, Luke, the storyteller, increases our suspense as we wonder about His reception in His hometown. So far He had manifested Himself in His victory over Satan, in His work of redemption from sin and sickness. These and other events signal the beginning of the Year of Jubilee! That's what He reads about now in the synagogue of Nazareth. Although the people of Nazareth appreciated His preaching, they were more eager to see His miracles. The Lord Jesus, however, knew their thoughts and negative sentiments, their reservations about this son of Joseph, the carpenter. His preaching was not received with faith in the hearers; rather, they were waiting for the miracles of their town’s magician. They were not interested in redemption from poverty, slavery, oppression by Satan, or any of the promises that would be fulfilled in the Year of Jubilee. They refused to see Him as the Messiah, the Saviour who would deliver them from sin and Satan, from sin and death! The Lord Jesus exposed them in their unbelief and foretold that this gospel of redemption would be believed in the world! Nazareth rejected it and so the light was extinguished there, but He will be the Light of the world! Suggestions for prayer Ask God for a believing heart, for the enlightening of our mind, and for a response of faith to the hearing of His Word. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Tuesday July 10 - The temptation of Jesus: “All these I will give you…”

Again, the devil took Him to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” – Matthew 4:8-11 Scripture reading: Psalm 2 Satan’s offers are always attractive and presented in an inviting way. As the prince of this earth, he thinks he can use his power to tempt Jesus into a much easier way: just fall down and worship me. Jesus, thus, could get everything this world has to offer, all peoples and nations, all glories of culture and entertainment. Just worship me and it will all be yours. We recognize this temptation today too when we see the glories of this world and the attractions in the world of arts and entertainment. But, like Jesus, we should not even want it, knowing how sinful and godless these things are, and knowing how deceitful this worship and service of Satan will be if we submit to him. Satan doesn’t have a chance tempting Jesus. Jesus certainly will receive all the kingdoms of the earth, as we can read in Psalm 2, but only in the way of obedience to God! In fact, Satan has nothing to give, though he pretends he does, since all things are God’s in the first place! Jesus will receive it in God’s way and at God’s time. He knows that this will be in the way of suffering and death before He will receive all authority in heaven and on earth. We, too, in submission to Jesus, will need to wait for the day that we will inherit the earth and that all its glories will be entered in the kingdom of God! Let’s wait for it with patience, in faith and hope! Suggestions for prayer Pray that God will strengthen you in your struggle with the temptations of the world. Ask God for a true faith and a firm hope as we await the return of Christ in glory with the gift of our inheritance. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. William den Hollander (Sr.) is minister-emeritus of the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church of Toronto....

Daily devotional

Saturday June 30 - Conclusion

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one to save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love. – Zephaniah 3:17 ...

Daily devotional

Friday June 29 - Lust: a way forward

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

Daily devotional

Thursday June 28 - Jesus Christ and our lust

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

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 27 - Lust defined

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

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 26 - Lust defined

Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. - Proverbs 7:25-26 Scripture reading: Proverbs 7 In his Confessions, Augustine compares his struggles with lust to slavery: “The truth is that disordered lust springs from a perverted will; when lust is pandered to, a habit is formed; when habit is not checked, it hardens into compulsion.” It would be difficult to overemphasize the problem with lust in our culture and how that has affected the church of Jesus Christ. The writer of Proverbs pictures Wisdom as a Person crying out in the streets for all to be heard. The Folly of lust is right there as well and, for many, they are so compromised that they can no longer hear Wisdom, loud as she may be. The father of Proverbs takes his son on a tour of the city to view the dangers of lust and expose its emptiness and slavery. We live in a world that seeks to fulfill every base and debauched thirst. It is a world that feels more lost and unsatisfied every day. It is actively preying on our children. Sexual lust of every kind attacks and maims, damages relationships and marriages and future marriages. It fills our hearts with shame and guilt. It sucks the energy out of gospel courage and confidence, leadership in the home and church. Nowhere else do we find such a need for gospel light and a church motivated to help. “Say to Wisdom: You are my sister, and call insight your intimate friend” (Prov 7:4). Suggestions for prayer “Subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my soul into subjection, but do thou rule over me in liberty and power.” – The Valley of Vision: Confession and Petition This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Monday June 25 - Gluttony: a way forward

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

Daily devotional

Sunday June 24 - Jesus Christ and our gluttony

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

Daily devotional

Saturday June 23 - Gluttony defined

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

Daily devotional

Friday June 22 - Gluttony defined

Food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart. - Psalm 104:14-15 Script...

Daily devotional

Thursday June 21 – Greed: a way forward

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

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 20 - Jesus Christ and our greed

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

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 19 – Greed defined

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

Daily devotional

Monday June 18 - Greed defined

Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." – Hebrews 13:5 Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13 I remember a co-worker I had as a teenager. We called him Devo. Slow times allowed us to talk a lot. One of his favourite topics was the amount of credit he had through his credit cards. It filled him with a sense of power and control to know that he could go out that weekend and spend $35000 and no one could stop him. It was an early wakeup call for me. Making a priority out of trusting and serving Jesus Christ was going to be challenged by the allure of trusting and serving money and what money could buy. The world is not the way it is supposed to be. Sin is a perversion of all that God called very good at creation. We experience its pollution, its corruption, at every level. Sin is a parasite. The devil cannot create anything good but only twist what God has made. So it is with greed. Greed is good desire gone wrong, taking the good gifts and good opportunities that God has given us and making them ultimate. Interesting, isn't it, that the writer to the Hebrews ends his masterpiece on the person and work of Jesus Christ with an exhortation about money. That should tell us something about our vulnerability here: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Suggestions for prayer “When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them, and set my affection on some beloved object – children, friends, wealth, honour; Cleanse this spiritual adultery...close my heart to all but Thee” – The Valley of Vision: A Cry for Deliverance This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Sunday June 17 - Sloth: a way forward

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

Daily devotional

Saturday June 16 – Jesus Christ and our sloth

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

Daily devotional

Friday June 15 – Sloth defined

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

Daily devotional

Thursday June 14 - Sloth defined

I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with...

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 13 – Anger: a way forward

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

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 12 – Jesus Christ and our anger

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

Daily devotional

Monday June 11 - Anger defined

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

Daily devotional

Sunday June 10 – Anger defined

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity for the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27 Scripture reading: Ephesians 4 Envy, pride, lust, greed: there is something so ordinary about the seven deadly sins, something so basic to the heart of mankind lost in sin, broken and corrupt. There is an extra ingredient in the next in our list: anger. The Bible actually has some pretty positive things to say about anger; above all, God Himself is said to be angry (Ps. 7:11). You see, anger is really about what and how you love. God loves holiness, righteousness, wholeness, light. And the more you love something, the angrier you are when it is threatened, when it is in danger. There is a beauty then in God's anger which is marvelous to see. His love for this world, for those made in His image, for His plan, are so deep and so constant, that He will hate and oppose and pour out His wrath against any opposition. On the same theme, a wife's anger over her husband's infidelity is not only understandable, it is holy. The problem is, our anger is, at the best, mixed with all kinds of sins and, at the worst, actually not righteous or holy at all, but is just concerned with standing up for our own rights. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Anger is the fluid that love bleeds when you cut it.” But what about anger as a deadly sin? Sinful anger is also about love, but love in the wrong direction. Suggestions for prayer “O Holy Trinity, three Persons and one God, inhabit me, a temple consecrated to Thy glory. When thou art present, evil cannot abide; in thy fellowship is fullness of joy.” – The Valley of Vision: The Great God This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Saturday June 9 - Envy: a way forward

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

Daily devotional

Friday June 8 - Jesus Christ and our envy

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

Daily devotional

Thursday June 7 - Envy defined

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

Daily devotional

Wednesday June 6 - Envy defined

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. – Proverbs 14:30 Scripture reading: Proverbs 14 As sinful and ruinou...

Daily devotional

Tuesday June 5 - Pride: a way forward

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

Daily devotional

Monday June 4 - Jesus Christ and our pride

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

Daily devotional

Sunday June 3 – Pride defined

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

Daily devotional

Saturday June 2 - Pride defined

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look... – Proverbs 6:16-17 Scripture reading: Proverbs 6 It's probably not surprising to you to find pride at the top of the list of the seven deadly sins. We know pride is a problem. But how much of a problem? Someone once said, “To say that we are a speck of dust, in the context of the enormity of space out there, is an insult to a speck of dust.” We are creatures made in the image of an infinite Creator. And yet we are consumed with ourselves. Worse, we are carelessly unaware of how deep an issue pride is. Daniel chapter four is a personal favourite, partially because it shows the end of pride. Just picture great King Nebuchadnezzar revelling in all his perceived glory. Listen to the voice of Almighty God from heaven. Watch the king's transformation into a lawn-munching beast. Such is the insanity of our pride in the world belonging to Almighty God. The insanity has infested our hearts in so many different ways. Thank God He hates pride as an abomination and is determined to eradicate it. Suggestions for prayer “Heavenly Father, Every faculty of mind and body is Thy undeserved gift. Low as I am as a creature, I am lower as a sinner; how can I flaunt myself proudly?” – The Valley of Vision: Pride This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional. Rev. Mark Stewart serves the Burlington URC in Burlington, WA....

Daily devotional

Friday June 1 - Introduction to June's devotionals

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

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

Tuesday May 29 - What fellowship has light with darkness?

Daily devotional

Monday May 28 - How long?

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows Him his counsel? –Isaiah 40:13 (cf. Romans 11:33-36; I Corinthians 2:16) Scripture reading: Isaiah 40 Isaiah 40 teaches us something of the great greatness of God. When you read this chapter thoughtfully, you can not help but be amazed. God has no comparison. God is not subject to the limits of space and time. He has everything, everywhere always before His mind. God’s perfections are unchangeable. God is infinite. We are finite comparable to grasshoppers (v. 22.) He knows all there is to know; God’s ways are beyond us; His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8); they are often past finding out. The immensity of God is awe-inspiring. We are limited in our understanding. "The ways of the LORD are right" (Hosea 14:9). With the Belgic Confession, Article 13, Reformed believers confess: “As to what God does surpassing human understanding, we will not curiously inquire into farther than our capacity will admit of; but with the greatest humility and reverence adore the righteous judgments of God, which are hid from us, contenting ourselves that we are pupils of Christ, to learn only those things which He has revealed to us in His Word, without transgressing these limits." Let us content ourselves in the wonder of God’s mind, recognizing that His understanding is unsearchable. The thought of God staggers our mind, but to know Him satisfies the heart. Take comfort in the fact God, in His grace, chooses to reveal Himself to His people in Jesus Christ. Delight to know our awesome God and press on in the calling to enjoy Him forever. Will you do so today? Suggestions for prayer In prayer, praise God for His glory. Express thanksgiving for particular attributes. Be specific. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

Sunday May 20 - What does this mean?

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Daily devotional

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

Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” – Matthew 27:22 Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:11-31 Pilate was in a quandary as he backed himself into a corner of his own making. What to do with Jesus? He knew Jesus to be innocent, but he was also a political opportunist. Ultimately, he chose to yield to the crowd. One day the fickle crowd had shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD” (Matthew 21:9). A few days later it became, “Crucify Him!” In every age, there have been those who have misunderstood the mission and the person of Jesus Christ. A little peer pressure can lead to great error. There is a great deal of so-called Christianity that is quite Christ-less. “Do those who look for their salvation and security in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere, really believe in the only Saviour Jesus? No. Although they boast of being His, by their deeds they deny the only Saviour and deliverer, Jesus. Either Jesus is not a perfect Saviour, or those who in true faith accept this Saviour have in Him all they need for their salvation." – Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 30 For the believer, it is imperative that there be no misunderstanding. Life is to be lived according to the most holy faith as outlined in Scripture. What we think of Jesus shows in how we relate to Him. Trust Him. Believe His promises. Adore Him. Serve Him. Ultimately there is no one who can escape the question asked by Pilate: “What then should I do with Jesus?” Suggestions for prayer Both in prayer and daily life confess Jesus as the Christ. Ask for strength to confess His Name aright, to present yourself as a living sacrifice of thanks and to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life. This daily devotional is available in a print edition you can buy at Nearer to God Devotional....

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

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

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

Daily devotional

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

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

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Search CATEGORY: Daily devotional

Daily devotional

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