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Daily devotional

September 20 - Love hopes all things

“Love…hopes all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13:7 Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10; 1 Corinthians 13:7 The idea here is that love hopes for the best in others. Why? Because we believe in the God who raises the dead. God is able to take spiritually dead people and resurrect them spiritually (Ephesians 2:5). He’s able to regenerate their hearts, forgive them of their sins, and transform them by His Spirit. Indeed, “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Are you the type of person who just assumes that others will never change for the better? Turn away from such thinking and put on love for others. For love, there are no hopeless cases. Paul modelled this in how he treated the Corinthians. When you read 1 Corinthians you are tempted to think that if there was ever a hopeless case of a church, it’s the church in Corinth. But Paul perseveres with them in love. He hopes in God’s power to change them by the Spirit, through the Gospel. And so, he continues to address them as saints in Christ, to preach the Gospel to them, and to call them to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. So too, let us not give up on one another. Remember that you were once dead in your sins and trespasses, but God mercifully and powerfully made you alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5). And all who are in Christ are “His workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10). Therefore, let us always have hope that God is able to change others for the better. Suggestions for prayer Confess your lack of faith in God’s power to change the hearts of others. Rest in God’s love and forgiveness in Christ and ask Him to grant you the love that hopes for the best in others because of the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe (Ephesians 1:19-20). Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 19 - Love believes all things

"Love…believes all things" - 1 Corinthians 13:7 Scripture reading: Psalm 15:1-5; 1 Corinthians 15:7 The idea here is not that love believes anything and everything. The idea is that love believes the best about people. As John Calvin put it, “not that a Christian…strips himself of wisdom and discernment…not that he has forgotten how to distinguish black and white!” He adds that love avoids wronging “his brother by an unfriendly suspicion.” Are you the type of person who tends to interpret the actions of others in the worst possible light? Do you impute motives to others? Love believes the best about people and gives them the benefit of the doubt. Love exercises the judgment of charity. Isn’t this how we want others to view us? Didn’t Jesus exhort us, “love your neighbour as yourself?” (Matthew 22:39). What motivates us to love like this? The love of Christ in the Gospel does. Christ never assumed the worst in others. He never judged others actions without knowing the full truth. He always judges rightly, based on solid evidence. He is the one “who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor” (Psalm 15:2-3). “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth…He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:22, 24). Therefore, let us love our neighbour as ourself by believing the best about others. Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins of being uncharitable towards others. Rest in God’s love and forgiveness in Christ and pray that the Spirit of Christ would produce the fruit of loving others with a judgment of charity. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 18 - Love bears all things

“Love bears all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13:7 Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:22-25; 1 Corinthians 13:7 The word “bears” has the idea of “to cover” or “to pass over in silence.” As a noun, this word refers to a “roof.” We could say that love in a relationship is like a roof that covers a house and can cope with all kinds of weather. That doesn’t mean we can’t pray for better weather in a relationship! In love and humility, we do strive to help others become more like Christ, even as we first remove the plank from our own eye (Matthew 7:3). But along the way we bear with others in love and cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). When we love someone, we put up with a lot. We don’t forsake them when the relationship gets difficult. Rather, we love because Christ first loved us while we were difficult to love. This doesn’t come naturally for us. We must meditate deeply on the Gospel and pray for the Spirit to conform us into the image of Christ. When you find it difficult to bear with someone in love, remember that Jesus bears with you in love. He even bore the cross for you, so that you don’t have to bear the judgment of God for your sins (1 Peter 2:24). In Christ, all of our sins are covered, like a roof over us. We are hidden in Christ from the wrath of God. In gratitude, let us bear with others in love. Suggestions for prayer Confess where you have fallen short of the love that bears all things and covers a multitude of sins. Rest in God’s love and forgiveness in Christ and pray for the Spirit’s strength to love like Christ, even when it’s difficult. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 17 - Love rejoices with the truth

“Love…rejoices with the truth” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 Scripture reading: Ephesians 4:17-25 Love rejoices with the truth. Love rejoices when truth and integrity win the day, even when it is injurious to oneself. It rejoices when the truth of the Gospel is proclaimed. Love rejoices when the truth of God’s Word exposes the lies of the devil. It does not want to hear and pass on lies, gossip or slander. Love doesn’t share things on social media carelessly because it confirms one’s bias. Love goes the extra mile to fact check things, not believing everything on the internet. It wants truth to win, even if it isn’t what one wants to hear or believe. Love joyfully celebrates truth! Again, Jesus fulfills this aspect of love. Jesus not only rejoiced with the truth but He IS the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He is Truth Incarnate. He never rejoiced at wrongdoing. He never lied, gossiped or slandered. No deceit was found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22). Rather, He always delighted to speak the truth in love. He always rejoiced to reveal the truth of who God the Father is (John 4:34; 14:9; 17:4). And He rejoiced to reveal the truth of how we can be reconciled to God through faith in Him (John 5:24; 6:47). By His Spirit He now sanctifies us in the truth of God’s Word, so that we also love the truth and speak the truth in love. As followers of the Truth let us rejoice with the truth! Suggestions for prayer Ask God for forgiveness for the times you’ve failed to rejoice with the truth and rest in the truth of the Gospel. Pray that the Spirit of Truth would help you to always rejoice with the truth and to rejoice in the Lord, who is the Truth. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 16 - Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing

“Love…does not rejoice at wrongdoing.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 Scripture reading: Romans 5:6-11; Philippians 4:8 The Corinthians were arrogantly blessing some terrible wrongdoing (Christians taking other Christians to court, sexual immorality, mistreating the poor, and more). But love does not bless sin and rejoice in wrongdoing. Sometimes we do this when we see our political candidate acting sinfully towards his/her political opponent. We rejoice because it makes the opponent look bad and our candidate look good. Or sometimes we might take pleasure in the bad behaviour of others because it makes us feel better about ourselves and it gives us the opportunity to correct them from a self-righteous pedestal. Instead, we should genuinely care about helping others who are caught in sin and restore them in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1). At other times we rejoice in wrongdoing when it happens to someone we envy, find annoying, or who has mistreated us. But love does not rejoice at wrongdoing. Love rejoices in righteousness. Love rejoices in the truth. Love rejoices when it sees others walking in God’s ways. Love Incarnate taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). He not only taught this, He lived it to the point of death, even death on a cross, where He prayed for and died for His enemies (Luke 23:33-34). Indeed, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:10-11). Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins of rejoicing in wrongdoing. Rest and rejoice in what Christ has done in his perfect life and sacrificial death to reconcile you to God. Pray that the Spirit would help you to rejoice in God and His grace, truth, beauty and goodness. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 15 - Come into his presence with singing

“Come into his presence with singing!” - Psalm 100:1 Scripture reading: Psalm 100:1-5; Ephesians 5:18-20 Not only is it a great privilege to come into God’s presence by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22), it’s also a great privilege to come into His presence with singing. God commands His people to sing in worship throughout the Old Testament. When we come to the New Testament, it’s no different. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Music is a great gift from God! It’s a powerful means of impressing the truth of God’s Word deep within our hearts and stirring up our affections for God in worship. And when we come into His presence with singing let us remember that we are not only addressing our songs to God, but also to each other (Ephesians 5:19). Even more, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, “It is the voice of the Church that is heard in singing together. It is not you that sings, it is the Church that is singing, and you, as a member of the Church, may share in its song…Thus all singing together that is right, must serve to widen our spiritual horizon, make us see our little company as a member of the great Christian Church on earth, and help us willingly and gladly to join our singing, be it feeble or good, to the song of the Church.” Let us delight to come into God’s presence with singing today! Suggestions for prayer Pray for yourself and those with whom you will gather for worship today, that the Word of Christ would dwell in you richly as you sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Pray that the Spirit would fill you with reverence and awe, and with joy and gratitude for the grace and glory of God. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 14 - Love is not resentful

“Love…is not…resentful.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Scripture reading: Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 23:32-34 The word for “resentful” has the idea of keeping records of wrongs with a view to paying back injury. Paul is saying that love keeps no record of wrong-doing. It doesn’t keep tabs and harbour bitterness, always ready to bring up past offences. Perhaps you yourself struggle with resentment towards someone. How can we be free from resentment? Only the Holy Spirit can set us free as we meditate deeply on the love and forgiveness of God in Christ. Psalm 130 says, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sin, O LORD, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.” God remembers our sins no more! (Jeremiah 31:34). That doesn’t mean that he literally forgets them. It means that he won’t remember them against us. Instead, He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). He casts them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). No one ever had more reason for resentment than Jesus. But He did not come into the world to pay back. Instead, His surprising mercy and sacrificial love led to the cross that “cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands” (Colossians 2:14). His sacrifice covers all our sins and has the power to dissolve our resentment. Therefore, by the Spirit of Christ who dwells within us, let us put away all bitterness and resentment. Let us forgive one another, as God in Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:31-32). Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins of resentment; know that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Pray for the Spirit’s power to forgive others, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 13 - Love is not irritable

“Love…is not irritable.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 2:21-25; Romans 8:28 Are you ever irritable? Maybe at certain times of the day (e.g. in the morning before you’ve had your coffee)? Maybe around certain people who annoy you? Maybe in certain circumstances (e.g. waiting in traffic)? Love is not irritable. If anything exposes our sin, it’s this. Let us repent of our irritableness! And in those moments when we feel irritable, let us pray for the Lord’s strength to love others with patience and gentleness. Let us remember how patient and slow to anger God is with us in Christ. Let us remember that “nothing comes to us by chance, but by His fatherly hand” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 27). He has a good purpose behind all the irritating circumstances and people we encounter (Romans 8:28). That doesn’t mean we can’t try to change our circumstances. But, as Sinclair Ferguson puts it, “Only when we have yielded to the sovereign will of God, knowing that He will work everything together for our good, do we learn a healthy spiritual detachment from the irritations of life…The remedy for my irritability, therefore, will not be found in a determination to be less irritable, but only in a sense of the love of God for me, and in the trust in Him it produces.” Jesus encountered many irritating people and circumstances. Yet, there was no irritability in Jesus. Thanks be to God that He never sinned, and died to save us from all our sins! Let us patiently love others in gratitude! Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins of irritableness to God and rest in the complete forgiveness of all your sins in Christ. Pray for the Spirit to produce the character of Christ in you so that you trust God’s good and sovereign will and are patient and loving towards others. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 12 - Love does not insist on its own way

“Love…does not insist on its own way.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Scripture reading: Philippians 2:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Do you insist on your own way in the church? Perhaps you rationalize that your way is better and will benefit others. Sometimes that might be true. But to insist on it and ram your way through, when it’s not a matter of sin, is to make it into an idol. It’s selfishness. It’s harmful to others and creates discord in the church. If the Bible is indifferent on something, we have to be careful not to insist on our own way. Our sinful tendency is to elevate our personal preferences and cultural traditions to the level of moral requirement and a place of superiority over others. We might not put it in these terms, but functionally this is what we are doing. We need to remember that love does not insist on its own way. Rather, it invites a conversation on matters upon which the Bible is indifferent. It doesn’t insist, “THIS is the way it SHOULD be done,” end of conversation. The song of our hearts should be “Have Thine own way Lord” not “Have mine own way, Lord.” As Paul writes elsewhere, “the love of Christ controls us” for He died, “that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). And so, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:4-5). Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins of insisting on your own way. Rest in Christ, who died for your sins of insisting on your own way. Pray that the love of Christ would control you so that you no longer live for yourself but for Christ and His interests, for the good of others. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 11 - Love is not rude

“Love…is not…rude.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Scripture reading: Matthew 11:28-30; Titus 3:1-8 A Christian man once told me that he didn’t think he had sinned against me in what he said, though he admitted, “it was rude.” But rudeness doesn’t get a pass in the Christian life. The Apostle Paul clearly writes, “Love…is not…rude.” Let us not be known as being rude in our speech, being abrasive or curt with others. Let us not be rude and inconsiderate in the homes of others. Let us not be rude in the morning or evening, even if we are tired. Let us not be rude to others at church, whether by being distracting during worship or rude at a fellowship meal. Rather, let us be considerate of others in the way we talk, text, e-mail, and interact on social media. Let us “be gentle, and…show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:2). Jesus was never rude. The Scriptures bear witness to the opposite: “My servant…will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench” (Matthew 12:18-20); “All…marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth” (Luke 4:22); “I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Thanks be to God that our Saviour was not rude! Thanks be to God that our Saviour died for the times we’ve been rude! May we show our thankfulness by being polite, respectful, caring, thoughtful and well-mannered. Let us walk by the Spirit in Christ-like etiquette. Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins of being rude to others and rest in Christ’s completed work on the cross to atone for all your sins. Ask God to help you not to be rude and to enable you to walk in Christ-like courtesy toward all people. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 10 - Love is not arrogant

“Love…is not arrogant.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4 Scripture reading: Proverbs 16:5; Philippians 2:3-8 Arrogance is another word for pride or being puffed up. The Corinthians were puffed up against each other (1 Corinthians 4:6). As we saw yesterday they had their favourite teachers and looked down on other groups who followed other teachers. They also were puffed up in knowledge and looked down on weaker Christians who lacked such knowledge. But love doesn’t puff up, it builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Love doesn’t pridefully look down on others. Love is humble. Humility flows out of what we said yesterday regarding the fact that all that we have is a gift from God, and the fact that we’ve been saved by God’s grace alone (1 Corinthians 1:26-31; 4:7). An arrogant person thinks too highly of themselves. Even more, they simply think too much about themselves. Someone once said, “true humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” To fight against arrogance, we must think more about Christ in the Gospel (Philippians 2:3-8). No one was as humble as our Lord, who humbled Himself in the incarnation, who humbled Himself to serve others, even washing His disciples’ feet, and who humbled Himself all the way to the cross to save us from our arrogance. How can we be arrogant and proud at the foot of the cross? As Isaac Watts so powerfully put it, “When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.” Suggestions for prayer Confess your sins of arrogance to God. Pray that He would grant you true humility so that Christ is magnified in your life and others are blessed because of it. Remember how you’ve been blessed by the humility of Christ in your salvation. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 9 - Love does not boast

“Love does not…boast.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 The Corinthians struggled with boasting in their gifts and status. They also boasted about their favourite teacher (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:3-4, 21-23). In doing this, they were really just boasting in themselves and looking down on others for choosing a less gifted teacher. No doubt, we struggle with boasting in our own ways. We often boast about ourselves on-line. We often interrupt someone’s story to boast about ourselves and tell a better story. This word can also be translated as “vainglorious,” which is inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessive vanity. It’s to brag and go on and on about one’s achievements. Proverbs 27:22 says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” What is the antidote to such boasting? It’s to repent of vain glory seeking and to acknowledge that all that we have is a gift from God. As Paul said earlier, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). And so, rather than boasting, we are to be thankful for whatever we have been given and give God all the glory. We also must acknowledge that, apart from Christ, we are sinners who deserve God’s eternal wrath. Let us then be thankful for His amazing grace in Christ! “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would help you NOT to vainly seek your own glory, but to humbly seek HIS glory and thank HIM for all the good gifts HE has given you. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 8 - Serve the Lord with gladness

“Serve the LORD with gladness!” - Psalm 100:2 Scripture reading: Psalm 100; Hebrews 10:19-25 The command to “serve the LORD” has in mind participating in corporate worship, which is where we get the phrase, “worship service." Serving the Lord is much broader than corporate worship. As Paul says in Romans 12:1, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship/service.” Indeed, our whole lives are to be a grateful service to God. But our first and primary service to God is to worship God with His people. And that’s what it means here, as it’s paralleled by the command, “Come into his presence.” Sadly, many professing Christians today consider corporate worship to be optional. But it’s not optional in the Bible. In both the Old and New Testaments, it’s something that God commands of His redeemed people (e.g. Hebrews 10:19-25, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near”). I’ve never met a mature Christian who does not faithfully gather with God’s people on Sundays for worship. On the flip side, I have met many who attempt the Christian life apart from corporate worship and they are like a piece of wood that’s been pulled out of a bonfire that quickly goes out on its own. Corporate worship is vital to the Christian life. It’s both a duty and delight. Let us serve the LORD with gladness! Let us come into His presence with singing! Suggestions for prayer Pray that all the members of your church would come into God’s presence for worship today and serve the LORD with gladness! Pray for those who are unable to attend, for whatever reason, that God would bless them and enable them to return next Sunday. Pray for those who stay home willingly, that God would convict them of their sins and draw them back to “serve the LORD with gladness!” Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 7 - Love does not envy

“Love does not envy.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4 Scripture reading: Philippians 2:3-8 Paul returns to negatives. Here he says that love does not envy. He mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:3 that there was “jealousy/envy” among them. When we are overly focused on our own gifts, especially in comparison to the gifts of others, we can easily fall into envy, wishing we could have what others have. But we must put to death the envy in our hearts. Envy can make our bones rot and leave a bitter taste in our mouths (Proverbs 14:30; James 3:14). And it leads to competition, strife and division in the body of Christ. How can we die to envy and grow in contentment? We must remember that God is infinitely wise, just, good and gives each of us the gifts, resources and opportunities that we have, according to His perfect plan to glorify Himself and bless His people. We must remember that we are one body and we all benefit from each other’s gifts (1 Corinthians 12:14-26). We must look to Christ “who, 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 2:5-7). Behold the beautiful love, humility, and contentment of Christ in our salvation, and strive to be more and more like Him in gratitude. Pray for the Spirit to grant you contentment for it will only come by His strength (Philippians 4:11-13). Suggestions for prayer Who or what are you tempted to envy? Pray that God would help you to resist the sin of envy and to be content with the gifts, resources, and opportunities that He has given to you, according to His infinite wisdom and goodness. Pray that you’d be “content to fill a little space, if Thou be glorified” (Anna L. Waring). Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 6 - Love is kind

“Love is patient and kind.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4 Scripture reading: Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:4-8 Kindness flows out of patience. Kindness is the positive manifestation of patience. In the words of Gordon Fee, “The Spirit not only empowers us to endure the hostility or unkindness of others; He also enables us to show kindness to them actively, to pursue their good. If longsuffering means not to “chew someone’s head off” (see Gal. 5:15), kindness means to find ways of binding up their wounds.” This is motivated by the fact that God not only withholds wrath from us but also shows eternal kindness towards us in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-7). Jerry Bridges describes kindness as, “a sincere desire for the happiness of others.” How can you show kindness to those in your home? At church? At work? In your neighborhood? To your enemies? “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). If you are weary of doing good, remember God’s kindness to you in Christ. In Christ, God’s kindness toward you is saving, merciful, life-transforming, generous and eternal (Titus 3:4-7). If God has been so kind to us in Christ, let us walk by the Spirit in Christ-like kindness toward others. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Spirit would make you sensitive to the opportunities in your family, church, and society, in order to show kindness. Pray for the Spirit to enable you to walk in those good works, “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 5 - Love is patient

“Love is patient.” - 1 Corinthians 13:3 Scripture Reading: Exodus 34:5-7; James 1:19-21 Having addressed the necessity of love, Paul now describes the character of love, starting with patience. The word he uses here means “to be long-tempered.” We have the word short-tempered in our dictionary, but, interestingly, you won’t find the word long-tempered. Perhaps that’s because being long-tempered is so rare. We are all too easily provoked, quick to anger and short-tempered. We need to be long-tempered by the Spirit. Jerry Bridges put it this way, “This kind of patience does not ignore provocations of others; it simply seeks to respond to them in a godly manner. It enables us to control our tempers when we are provoked and to seek to deal with the person and his provocation in a way that tends to heal relationships rather than aggravate problems. It seeks the ultimate good of the other individual rather than the immediate satisfaction of our own aroused emotions.” How can we grow in patience? It doesn’t come naturally to us. But we can grow in patience, by the Spirit, as we remember that God has a good plan behind all our circumstances (Romans 8:28). And we can be patient with difficult people because we know they are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). As we think deeply about the patience of God towards us in Christ, it compels us to be patient with others. “Beloved, if God so loved us , we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). Suggestions for prayer Who is God asking you to be more patient with this week? In what circumstances are you usually irritable? Pray that the Spirit would remind you of God’s patience in Christ towards you and produce the fruit of patience in your life. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 4 - Nothing without love (II)

“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” - 1 Corinthians 13:2-3 Scripture reading: Philippians 3:7-9; Hebrews 13:20-21, 1 Corinthians 13:2-3 In vv. 2-3, Paul is speaking of these gifts in the greatest way we can imagine them: “if I…understand ALL mysteries and ALL knowledge…have ALL faith…give away ALL I have…” When you add up the various gifts and services he mentions here, can you think of anyone greater than this from a human perspective? Surely this is Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year!” This is the most gifted, most “spiritual” person you can imagine. Any church would be dying to get this person as a member. But Paul looks at this person and says, “they’re nothing.” What does Paul mean? The guy who just got all this person’s wealth might beg to differ! Well, Paul means, this person is nothing in God’s eyes, because God looks on the heart. What is the motivation of your heart as you use your gifts? Is it to boast or to get something from others? If so, Paul says you are nothing in God’s eyes. Where then is our hope of pleasing God when selfishness taints even our best works? Our hope is in Christ alone. Christ loved God and others perfectly and died for our sins so that we might be pleasing to God, through faith in Christ. Now we are free to love, not to gain something from others, for we’ve already gained everything we ultimately need in Christ. Let us then look to Christ by faith and love others from the heart, for the glory of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would assure you that you are a beloved child in Christ. Pray that the Spirit would enable you to walk in love, as Christ loved you and gave Himself up for you (Ephesians 5:1-2). Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 3 - Nothing without love (I)

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” - 1 Corinthians 13:1 Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Corinthians 13:1 Paul now shows the Corinthians the “more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). He starts in 13:1 with the gift that they thought was one of the greatest: tongues. Tongues are known languages in the Bible (Acts 2:6, 10). Corinth was an isthmus connecting the Greek mainland with the Peloponnesian peninsula. Because of this, there was much sea traffic and a diversity of cultures. Speaking multiple languages was highly valued. But Paul says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love…” Paul isn’t speaking literally here, as if to teach that angels have their own language and they could speak it. He’s using hyperbole. He’s essentially saying, “even if I spoke in the most exalted languages imaginable, the tongues of angels, but have not love, what does that make me? Does that make me a great blessing to others? No! Without love it just makes me a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. It makes others want to put in earplugs, or get away from me.” So too, you might be very gifted at something, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t love others. People won’t want to listen to you or be near you. Are you more concerned with using your gifts, or with loving others? Focus on loving others as Christ first loved you, and your gifts will naturally be a blessing to them. Jesus did nothing without love and we’ve been supremely blessed in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14). Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His love for you in Christ. Thank God for every spiritual blessing that you have in Christ. Pray that the Spirit would produce Christ-like love in you so that others are blessed through your gifts for the glory of God. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 2 - A more excellent way: Love

“But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” - 1 Corinthians 12:31 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-31 The Corinthians coveted certain gifts that they deemed to be of higher spiritual and social status. Thus, Paul exhorts them to earnestly desire the “higher/greater” gifts. Paul is speaking in an ironic way. He knows they desire “greater” gifts. But now he’s going to redefine what is “greater” (“And I will show you a still more excellent way,” v. 31). It’s as if Paul has them on the edge of their seat, eagerly awaiting his answer. It’s like when my kids ask me for a treat and sometimes I say, “You want a treat? I have a treat for you…here’s a nice sweet Gala apple!...fruit is like God’s candy that’s good for us!” They usually aren’t impressed. But I’m trying to teach them to eat healthy sweets and to desire something better. In a similar way, Paul is like a loving father who is teaching what’s best for them and the whole church, and what’s ultimately sweet and satisfying. It’s the way of love. Love is the more excellent way. No matter how gifted you are, if you don’t love, your gifts amount to nothing (13:2-3). This is why Jesus is so great. Jesus was the most gifted person who ever lived, AND He was the most loving person who ever lived, even loving us to the point of death on a cross, in order to reconcile us to God. Let us then in gratitude use our gifts to serve the body of Christ in love. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His love towards you in Christ. Pray for the Spirit to give you the fruit of love so that you serve others with your gifts, not for what you can get from them, but in order to love them as Christ first loved you. Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

September 1 - Introduction to the love chapter of the Bible

This month we will consider one of the most well-known chapters of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, sometimes referred to as “the love chapter of the Bible.” But Paul’s description of love isn’t a “feel-good” passage about love and how we can all walk in love if we just try hard enough. I don’t know about you, but as Paul holds up the mirror of love, I don’t always see myself in it. That makes me feel guilty. And that’s because love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10) and one of the uses of the law is to expose our sin. That’s what Paul is doing here. The verbs he uses to describe love are a rebuke of the behaviour of the members of the Corinthian church (read the whole letter and see!). So too, this passage rebukes our lack of love. But the point isn’t merely to make us feel guilty and leave us to wallow in our guilt. The point is to drive us to Christ in the Gospel. Thanks be to God that we see Christ perfectly reflected in this mirror of love! As we’ll see, this passage ultimately reveals the love of Christ in our redemption. But as those who are united with Christ, through faith, this passage also reveals the kind of love that Christ works in us by His Spirit. Indeed, this month, may the Spirit grow us in Christ’s image for the glory of God and the good of our neighbour! On Sundays, we will meditate on Psalm 100 as a preparation for corporate worship. Make a joyful noise to the Lord “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!” - Psalm 100:1 Scripture Reading: Psalm 100:1-5 This opening imperative calls us to exuberance in worship. More literally it says, “Shout to Yahweh/The LORD.” The idea here is that of a glad shout that loyal subjects give to their king when he appears before them. It’s similar to what happens in sports as fans shout for joy when their team appears on the field. This Psalm calls us to that kind of joy in our hearts when we gather together for worship on the Lord’s Day. May we not be outdone by sports fans! May we have more excitement for the worship of God than anything else in creation! John Stott comments that “if God is king, what can our worship be but joyful? Away with funereal faces and doleful dirges! Joy, gladness, and singing are to be the accompaniment of worship.” And this call to worship is not just for the Jews or one particular people group. It’s a call to all the earth, for God is the Great King over all the earth. He made it all. And therefore, all the earth owes him allegiance and joyful praise. In the words of Charles Spurgeon, “Never will the world be in its proper condition until with one unanimous shout it adores the only God.” And so, let each of us respond to God’s call to worship this day. Let us worship our Triune God with thanksgiving in our hearts. And let us do so with exuberance! Let us make a joyful noise to the LORD! Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would give you and all with whom you gather for worship today a joyful exuberance in worship. He is worthy of it! Rev. Brian Cochran is ordained in the United Reformed Churches in North America and has served as the pastor of Redeemer Reformation Church in Regina, SK, for 14 years. This month he starts a new call to Grace URC in Torrance, CA. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 31 - Farwell

“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” - Colossians 1:18 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:7-18 Paul began his letter by assuring the Colossians that he always thanked God when he prayed for them. Paul was indeed a man of much prayer. And yet, as great an apostle that Paul was, he was only a man. Apostles and pastors are beset with weaknesses like everybody else. Apostles and pastors have sins that need to be put to death like everybody else. And Apostles and pastors are as prone to discouragement as everybody else. Therefore, Paul concludes his letter by readily admitting that he needs Christ’s sustaining grace every bit as much as they do, which is why he now appeals to them to remember him as he has remembered them. This last section of Paul’s letter to the Colossians shows us that the fellowship of the gospel is supported by a mutual care for one another. Office-bearers must care for their congregation. But the congregation must likewise care for them. Throughout this passage, Paul is pressing home the fact we as believers really are interdependent on one another. Christ has woven our lives together in order that we might offer mutual support to one another. As we follow in the example of Epaphras, struggling on one another’s behalf in our prayers, we, too, shall come to stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for bringing us together in the bond of the Spirit. Pray that our congregations would be marked by mutual care and support for one another. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 30 - A new humanity: The Christian in the world

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. . . Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” - Colossians 4:2,5 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:2-6 As the Apostle begins to wrap up his letter to the Colossians, perhaps you noticed how Paul ends his letter where he began – namely with the necessity of prayer. Paul recognizes that while most of his readers are not going to be ministers, they are going to be engaging in a whole manner of activities in the world. And knowing that the world is always watching, Paul wants us to recognize that we have an opportunity to bear witness to the Lord Jesus. It may well be the case that you will be the only exposure to the gospel of Christ that your neighbour or your co-worker ever has. If those around us perceive that the Gospel has not really changed us, then they’ll assume that it’s because the Gospel doesn’t have the power to do so. Therefore, we must show by our lives that Christ is our all in all and our everything. When Paul calls us to walk in wisdom toward outsiders, what he’s getting at is that we should be “walking Bibles” as it were – not in the sense that we are always quoting Scripture all the time, but in the sense that by our very lives, we should show something of who Christ is, what Christ has done, and that Christ is indeed a Saviour worth living for. Suggestions for prayer Pray we would be the light of the world and the salt of the earth in everything we do. Pray that God would indeed open to the church a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 29 - A new humanity: The Christian at work

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23-24 Scripture reading: Psalm 90:12-17 & Colossians 3:22-4:1 In our passage today, we are both encouraged and challenged with a Protestant notion that many of us probably take for granted – and that’s the notion that regardless of our respective callings, we are serving the Lord Christ. What Abraham Kuyper said was spot on – “There is not one square inch of the whole domain over our spiritual existence over which Christ, who is sovereign overall, does not cry, “MINE!” Whether you work in the field with your hands or in the study with your mind – you are serving the Lord Christ, which means that your calling has inherent dignity and honour to it, regardless of what the world may or may not say about it. In those years leading up to the Protestant Reformation, there was a great divide between the sacred and secular, between the clergy and the laity. But when Martin Luther rediscovered the priesthood of all believers, he also rediscovered the biblical notion of vocation. And in that glorious rediscovery, a real sense of gospel purpose and meaning was restored to the believer, no matter how “ordinary” his/her life may have been. You don’t have to live in the limelight to serve the Lord Christ. You don’t have to do something flashy or extraordinary for Jesus to say on the last day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would be glorified in our labour. Ask Him to give us all a strong sense that we are serving Him with the work of our hands. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 28 - A new humanity: Christian fathers

“Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” - Colossians 3:21 Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 & Hebrews 12:3-11 It is, no doubt, safe to say that Paul’s words here certainly have application for mothers, too. Mothers are instrumental in bringing children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. As a Christian man and as a Christian minister, I am beyond indebted to the Christian instruction and example that I received from my mother. But Paul singles out the fathers. And he does so in light of the fact that husbands and fathers are the head of the home. Therefore, the primary responsibility falls on the father. From Colossians 3 and Ephesians 6, we learn that fathers are to do two things. Negatively, fathers are to be careful that they do not provoke their children to anger. And positively, they are to bring their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. To be sure, discipline must be given, but it must be done carefully and consistently. Any form of discipline that is not modelled off the heavenly Father’s discipline is bound to provoke and discourage. Parents need to remember that they don’t discipline their children simply because they want their lives to be easier or to run more smoothly. But parents discipline their children in order that they might respond to God in faith and in subsequent obedience to his commandments, which this obedience is best nurtured by love and encouragement, not by shame and fear. Suggestions for prayer Pray for all the parents in your congregation. Ask God to give them wisdom teaching their children to love the Lord and to keep His commandments. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 27 - A new humanity: Christian children

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” - Colossians 3:20 Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:8-19 & Luke 2:41-51 The Apostle recognizes that children are part of God’s covenant family (1 Corinthians 7:14). And Paul wants the children to know that everything he has said so far in his letter about Christ and the transforming power of His glorious gospel pertains also to them. This is one of the reasons why we do not send our children away from the worship service for so-called “children’s church.” Because even though they might squirm and struggle to sit in the pew, God’s Word – and the preaching of God’s Word – pertains to our children as much as it pertains to parents. And it is a means of grace as much for them as it is for adults. We believe that when the Word of God is faithfully preached, Christ’s sheep hear His voice. This is true not only for the seasoned sheep in the congregation, but also for the little lambs. Jesus has a word – a word of gospel instruction – for our children: He calls them to obey their parents in everything. And He motivates them to that end with the promise that, in so doing, they will please the Lord just as their Saviour pleased the Father by submitting to Joseph and Mary. Suggestions for prayer Pray that covenant children would come to embrace both the promises and the obligations of the covenant. Pray that their obedience to their parents would bear witness to the power of God’s saving grace. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

August 26 - A new humanity: Christian husbands

“Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” - Colossians 3:19 Scripture reading: Ephesians 5:25-33 & 1 Peter 3:7 In Ephesians Chapter 5, Paul clearly anchors the husband’s responsibility to love his wife in Christ’s love for the church. The Lord Jesus calls husbands to love their wives with a love that is selfless, sympathetic, and sacrificial. Husbands are to mirror their Saviour, living with their wives in an understanding way, even as Christ so lived with us when He sojourned on the earth. Christ took on human flesh in order that He might understand us fully and so minister to us according to knowledge. And in so doing, He left husbands an example. No husband should ever say of his wife, “I don’t know why she is the way she is!” It is his duty to know. Consider just how intimately Christ knows the needs of His bride, the church. He knows all of her struggles. He knows the sins that she wrestles with and the doubts that despair her. And by His Word and Spirit, Christ ministers to her. And He reminds her, again and again, that He loves and cherishes her. This is what God calls husbands to do with their wives. The figurative crown of authority that God has given to husbands is a crown of thorns that obliges them to be more concerned for their wives than they are for themselves. Suggestions for prayer Pray that Christian husbands would love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Pray that this would bear witness to the watching world. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 25 - A new humanity: Christian wives

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” - Colossians 3:18 Scripture reading: Ephesians 5:22-24 & 1 Peter 3:1-6 Your relationship with Christ must have an impact on your relationships with one another. This is really Paul’s burden in this section of his letter. In Verses 18 and 19, Paul begins with perhaps the most fundamental relationship there is: the relationship between a husband and his wife. Wives are called to submit to their own husbands as is fitting to the Lord. To our 21st Century ears, these words are radically counter-cultural. To our Western world, these words are regarded as being repressive and misogynistic. But Paul’s words are no more counter-cultural today than they were when Paul originally wrote them. They’re just counter-cultural for the exact opposite reason. When Paul was originally writing to the Colossians, wives had no real status or standing in society at all. In Greco-Roman society, wives were typically regarded as being nothing more than the possessions of their husbands. But here in Colossians 3:18 and elsewhere in the Bible, their status is exalted. The Apostle Peter calls wives co-heirs of the grace of life. And as such, wives have the unique opportunity to mirror their Saviour to their husbands and to the world through their Christlike submission. Just as Christ submitted Himself to the will of his Father, Christian wives are to follow in their Saviour’s steps by submitting to their own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Suggestions for prayer Pray that Christian wives would submit to their own husbands as is fitting to the Lord. As they do so, pray that the world would see something of Christ in their beautiful submission. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 24 - A new Humanity: Mirroring my Saviour

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” - Colossians 3:12 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:12-17 There are many occasions where what you wear gives expression to who you are. When you go to a wedding, it’s never hard to figure out who the bride is, because the bride is the one wearing the beautiful white wedding dress. When you go to a graduation ceremony, it’s not too hard to figure out who the graduates are, because they’re the ones wearing the square caps and the graduation gowns. And this is the imagery that the Apostle Paul is using here in Colossians. In virtue of our union with Christ, we have put off the old man with all its practices, and we have put on the new man, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Who you are on the inside – a new creation in Christ Jesus – must be reflected on the outside – not only by mortifying your sin, but also by mirroring your Saviour. Those who belong to Him will more and more begin to look like Him, act like Him and reflect Him to those around them. In essence, Paul is telling us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that when others see us, they see something of Him. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God that Christ first showed compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience towards us. Pray for the Spirit’s help to mirror these Christian virtues to one another. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 23 - A new humanity: Mortifying my sin

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” - Colossians 3:5 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:5-11 Do you love Christ enough to kill for Him? That’s a sobering question, isn’t it? Do you love your Saviour more than you love your sin? If you had to part with one or the other, which would it be? Jesus, we know, has given us everything. As Article 26 of the Belgic Confession says it so beautifully, “There is no one in all the world who loves you more than Jesus Christ loves you.” And now the question is set before you – to what extent do you love Him? “Do you love Him enough to kill for Him?” In Verses 5 and 8, Paul calls us to put to death and to put away all the sins and vices that belong to the old man, for on account of these things, the wrath of God is coming. God is going to judge the world on account of the kinds of sins that Paul lists in verses 5-11. Paul wants us to see the seriousness of our sin. Just as any patient of sound mind would not dare to ignore the presence of cancer in his body, neither should the Christian dare to remain indifferent to sin and its destructive power. “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). Suggestions for prayer Ask God to shine the light on your sin. Seek His grace to mortify your sin in repentance and faith. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 22 - A new humanity: The Christian’s new destiny

“When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” - Colossians 3:4 Scripture reading: 1 John 3:1-3 & Colossians 3:1-4 By nature, we were destined for death and destruction. But, in Christ, we are destined for glory. In contrast to those who set their minds on earthly things, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 1:20-21). How amazing it is for us to recognize that in this world of death and decay, where everybody dies and where our culture seems at times to be rotting from the inside-out, we have a living Saviour and a lasting promise. In Christ, we have a glorious guarantee: that even as He was always destined for glory, we, too, are destined for glory. As we confess in Lord’s Day 19 of the Heidelberg Catechism, “In all distress and persecution, with uplifted head, confidently await the very judge who has already offered Himself to the judgement of God in place and removed the whole curse from . Christ will cast all his enemies and into everlasting condemnation, but will take and all his chosen ones to himself into the joy and glory of heaven.” Suggestions for prayer Give praise to God for a new destiny in Christ Jesus. Pray that He would grant to us all an earnest longing for Christ’s appearing. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 21 - A new humanity: 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 The Apostle is drawing out the further implications of what he has already said in the previous chapter. In Verse 12 of Chapter 2, Paul said that “You have been buried 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.” Paul has reminded his readers of that which was emblematic of their baptism – that when they came as families and individuals to be baptized, their old lives were left behind, and who they were going to be from that point forward was to be determined by the Lord Jesus. When God sees you, he no longer sees you for who you used to be; for the old you has died. When God sees you, he no longer sees you in light of all your sins and your failures. But when God sees you, He sees His own dear Son, in Whom you have been hidden. And what a great source of encouragement this should be for us here and now. Whatever sins may have marred your identity in the past are now covered by perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your spiritual bank account is filled with His righteousness, and you are so secure in God’s heart that He has already granted you Christ’s heavenly status. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the reality that your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Seek His grace to live before Him in the confidence of this truth. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 20 - A new humanity: The Christian’s new mentality

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” - Colossians 3:2 Scripture reading: Philippians 3:12-21 & Colossians 3:1-4 In his work on Spiritual Mindedness, the Puritan Pastor and theologian John Owen, asks his readers the question: “What do you think about when you are thinking about nothing in particular?” To state his question another way: What is the default setting of your mind? When you’re driving home from work, and the traffic is light – when you’re just cruising along – Where does your mind most immediately go? How we answer that question says a great deal about us, doesn’t it? And what the answer to that question probably says for many of us is that our hearts and our minds are fixed on earthly things when they should be fixed on heavenly things. Now, there are some who might raise the objection at this point and caution against this notion by saying, “Those who are so heavenly minded are of no earthly good.” And yet, if you read on into the rest of the chapter, what you’ll soon discover is that those who are heavenly minded do the most earthly good. For if your head is in heaven, that’s going to have an extraordinary impact on the use of your hands and your feet on the earth. If your head is in heaven – if the affections of your heart and the thoughts of your mind are fixed upon Christ and governed by Christ, the blessedness of that will bleed into every area of your life. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to forgive our earthly-mindedness. Ask Him to grant us heavenly-mindedness. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 19 - A new humanity: Raised with Christ

“If then you have been raised with Christ” - Colossians 3:1a Scripture reading: Colossians 2:16–3:4 In Colossians 3:1-4, Paul sets before us the gospel pathway to spiritual security and maturity. Having just addressed the paths that lead only to ruin: the paths of empty philosophy (2:8-15) and legalistic piety (2:16-23), Paul now sets before our eyes the path that leads to glory. But in so doing, Paul not only seeks to remind his readers of where they’re going, but he also seeks to remind them of who they are. Whoever the false teachers in Colossae were, they were not only seeking to rob the Colossian believers of their security, but also of their status. Their insistence on various rites and rituals and religious experiences was causing some in the church to feel as though they were lesser. But in Chapter 2:20, Paul assured them, saying, “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?” And by asking that question, what Paul was essentially saying to them was – “Don’t you know who you are? Don’t you know that you have died with Christ, and that since you have died with Him, you’ve also been set free in Him?” Paul was reminding them of their new status in Christ. And this is the thread that Paul is going to pick up in Chapter 3: our new status and the implications of it in the Christian life. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for the freedom that we have in Christ. Pray for the grace to live in light of the reality that we have not only died with Christ, but that we have also been raised with Christ. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 18 - “He disarmed the rulers and authorities”

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” - Colossians 2:15 Scripture reading: Romans 8:31-39 & Colossians 2:11-15 Paul’s words are steeped in the imagery of the ancient world. A victorious king would line up his vanquished enemies, and he would strip them of all their weapons and all their armour. And in this way, he would put them to open shame. He would take away their capacity to rise up against him or his people ever again. According to Paul, this is what Christ has done in His death and resurrection. He has disarmed the rulers and authorities and has put them to open shame, by triumphing over them. Christ has not only set us free from the guilt of sin, but also from the power of sin. The rulers and authorities that Paul speaks of here include all the demonic powers arrayed against Christ and His church. But in virtue of His death and resurrection, Christ has already put them to open shame. The great victory over the evil powers of this world has already been won. And although we must remain vigilant, we must also recognize that in our struggle with sin, we’re dealing with an enemy who has already been defeated. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for the “double cure” of our salvation, namely freedom from both sin’s guilt as well as sin’s power. And pray for the grace to engage in the spiritual battle in the confidence that we’re not the underdogs, but that we are already now on the winning side. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 17 - Nailed to the cross

“This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” - Colossians 2:14 Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 & Colossians 2:11-15 Do you recognize that you used to be dead? At one time, you were dead in your sins and trespasses, following the prince of the power of the air. But in His astounding grace and mercy, God made you alive together with Christ. You used to be guilty, but now you’ve been reckoned righteous. For God has forgiven you all your trespasses. He has cancelled the record of debt that stood against you with its legal demands.” As the Psalmist says in Psalm 130, “If God should mark our sins, who of us could stand? But grace and mercy dwell at his right hand.” Every I.O.U. for every sin that you ever acquired was nailed to the cross and you bear it no more. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, “God made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him, you might become the righteousness of God.” This is what Christ accomplished at the cross for you. From now on, your accomplishments don’t distinguish you, nor do your failures destroy you. But when God sees you – He sees His own beloved Son, Who paid the ransom of all your sins. Suggestions for prayer As you prepare your heart for worship, give thanks to God for the wonder of the cross. And with a view to the Lord’s Day, pray that the message of the cross would resound from every pulpit in our land and in our world. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 16 - Paul’s pastoral warning

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit.” - Colossians 2:8 Scripture reading: Psalm 16:1-11 & Colossians 2:8-10 Part of our walking in Christ involves resistance. We must resist being carried away by the foolish philosophies and ideologies of this world. Through the philosophies and ideologies of the world, Satan appeals to our sense of self-righteousness and self-autonomy, and he seeks to allure us away from finding our satisfaction and joy in Christ alone. Materialism, for example, appeals to one’s desire for instant gratification. Secularism appeals to one’s desire to be free from God’s law. Transgenderism appeals to one’s desire for sexual autonomy and self-autonomy. And lest we be totally naïve, we need to recognize that these ideologies don’t just appeal to people outside of the church, but to people inside the church as well. These evil “isms” promise us everything – autonomy, freedom and power. But they deliver on nothing. They are empty and deceitful. They are like a Venus Flytrap: as soon as a person comes to embrace them, those promises clamp down on them, making them more miserable than ever before. But in Christ Jesus there is indeed fullness of joy forevermore. “In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” Why then would you ever look to another? Why would you ever think that you need something more? Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would help His people resist the empty and deceitful philosophies of this world and to continually rest in the truth of Christ, Who alone can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional, Uncategorised

August 15 - Walking in Christ

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” - Colossians 2:6-7 Scripture reading: Psalm 1:1-6 & Colossians 2:6-15 The Bible often makes use of various metaphors to describe the nature of the Christian life. Here Paul uses the metaphor of walking. But what does this walking consist of? According to the Apostle Paul, there are four key components: We must remain rooted in the truth of Christ (v. 7). The Christian life does not begin one way but finish in another way. The Christian life, from start to finish, is to be lived in and through the Lord Jesus. We must resist being carried away from Christ. (v. 8). Who among us doesn’t know someone who, at one time, appeared to be a disciple of Christ before eventually being carried away by one of the empty ideologies of the world? Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, our resistance must remain strong. We must remember our circumcision in Christ (v. 11). In Christ, we’ve received that which circumcision pointed to all along, namely, the removal of our sin and the new status of being clean before God. We must rest in the Cross of Christ (v. 14). For it was there, at the cross of Christ, that the record of debt that once stood against you was cancelled once and for all. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the grace to continue walking in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask God to protect us from the ideologies of the world and to keep our eyes fixed on Christ Jesus the Lord. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 14 - Paul’s mission

“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” - Colossians 1:28 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:28-2:5 The Apostle finally makes perfectly clear what he’s been alluding to all along. Paul is a man on a mission. And his mission is to present everyone mature (or complete) in Christ. For this Paul toiled with all his might, according to the measure of strength which the Lord Jesus had graciously worked within him. As Paul pours out his prayers on the Colossians’ behalf, his desire is that they would grow up into spiritual maturity. For we never graduate from the school of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is always more to learn and more to grasp more fully. And because our faith is often so weak, we need to be reminded of Christ, of who He is, what He has done, and what He is now doing at God’s right hand, again and again and again. And we are to grow in Him. Paul writes with a view toward Christ’s second coming, but until that day comes, all of Paul’s energy is going to be channelled into this one thing: presenting his readers mature in Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray that God would continue to mature you and the members of your local congregation in the faith. Ask for grace to make the best use of the means of grace that God has given us with this goal in view. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 13 - Paul’s model

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.” - Colossians 1:24a Scripture reading: 1 Peter 3:8-13 & Colossians 1:24-27 Just as Christ came into the world to endure much pain and suffering for the sake of the Church, so, too, Paul has placed himself in this mold of the cross for the sake of Christ’s body, that is, the church. One of the questions that this model raises for us is whether God might be using our own suffering in a similar way. Sometimes trials come our way and we wonder, “Why am I going through this?” “How can God possibly be working this thing for my good?” Those aren’t always bad questions to ask. After all, Paul assures us in Romans 5 that “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame.” But rather than asking, “How can God possibly be working this for my good?” Perhaps we should be asking, “How might God be using my suffering for the good of someone else?” That’s likely a more searching question. But it’s a good question, because it causes us to look away from ourselves, and it produces within us a sense of self-forgetfulness for the sake of others who might be going through something similar. Suggestions for prayer 1 Peter 2:21 tells us that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we might follow in His steps. Pray for grace to follow in His steps willingly when sufferings and trials come your way. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Dimly lit courtroom with serious looking judge.

Daily devotional

August 12 - Christ’s gracious purpose in reconciliation

“…in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” - Colossians 1:22b Scripture reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20 & Colossians 1:21-23 The purpose of Christ’s reconciling work is clearly stated in the latter part of Verse 22. The word that Paul uses here for present is a word that was typically used when a person was being presented in court. The point that Paul is making here is that the believer can know in the present what the verdict will be in the future when he stands before God on the last day. As Article 37 of the Belgic Confession puts it, on the last day, God’s people will “receive the fruits of their labor and of the trouble they have suffered. Their innocence will be openly recognized by all. . . And their cause, as present condemned by the world, will be acknowledged as the cause of the Son of God.” We live in a world that mocks and reviles the church of the Christ. The world celebrates what God calls evil, and the world despises what God calls good. And to the world, we’re all fools for following Christ. But on the last day, they’re all going to acknowledge that our cause was the cause of the Son of God. We shall stand vindicated – presented holy and blameless and above reproach before Him. There will be no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for rendering us righteous in Christ. Consider the persecuted church and pray that this coming day of vindication would be a great consolation to them as they endure the mockery of the world. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Sun coming up over mountains with the word reconciled centred.

Daily devotional

August 11 - A personal Saviour

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death.” - Colossians 1:21-22a Scripture reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 & Colossians 1:21-23 Here we see that Paul wants his readers to know that the supreme Saviour is also a personal Saviour. In verses 15-20, Paul took his readers into the stratosphere of Biblical truth. He pulled back the veil, as it were, and he gave us a glimpse of the glory and the majesty of Christ. But Paul would not have his readers conceive of themselves as mere spectators or onlookers only. It’s not just that we are spectators of Christ’s transcendent glory, but we ourselves have become partakers of it. The very same Christ through Whom God has begun to reconcile all things unto Himself has also reconciled you unto Himself. You’ll notice the shift in Paul’s language. Whereas in Verses 15-20, Paul spoke in the third person, here in Verses 21-23 he now speaks in the second person. He says, “And you!” “And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled.” No longer are we God’s enemies, but in Christ, we have been made His friends. Indeed, there is great power in the blood of Christ – great power to remove the enmity between us and God. This is what Christ accomplished for us at the cross. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13) Suggestions for prayer Reflect on the wonder of the cross and on what it means to be a friend of God. Pray for the grace to live as such. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Background mountains with sun coming up behind a cross in the foreground.

Daily devotional

August 10 - Jesus: our King and friend

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” - Colossians 1:19-20 Scripture reading: John 4:7-15 & Colossians 1:15-20 Once again in his letter, Paul brings the idea of fullness into focus – “In Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” We need not look for another, or rather seek without ever finding (Belgic Confession 26). But Christ is sufficient to be our all and our everything. And that’s what He must be. He doesn’t need to be supplemented by anything or by anybody else. Whatever earthly joy or pleasure you think you’re lacking, whatever earthly joy or pleasure you think you need to be fulfilled, Paul says, “You only need Christ. You don’t need to supplement Him or add to Him. You just need Him.” And to press this home even further, Paul brings us to the cross. And this he does so as to highlight the wonder of all wonders – that the Supreme Lord of the Universe is not only able to give us all good things and spiritual fulfillment, but He is also willing. This is what we discover at the cross – the exceeding willingness of the Son to grant you everything you need. The cross reveals to us the wonder that this Jesus is both king and friend. He is not only great, but He is also good – exceedingly good even to sinners. Suggestions for prayer Reflect on Christ’s fullness and seek God’s grace to find your all and your everything in Him. Give thanks to God that in Christ we have both a king as well as a friend. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Dusk with sunset and church with steeple and lights in the foreground.

Daily devotional

August 9 - And He is the head of the body

“And he is the head of the body, the church.” - Colossians 1:18 Scripture Reading: Revelation 1:9-20 & Colossians 1:15-20 Here in Colossians 1:18, Paul brings Christ’s supremacy down to earth, as it were. He now applies the supremacy of Christ specifically to this little Church of Colossae and to your church as well. Taken together, writes William Hendrickson, Christ’s Supremacy over the cosmos and His supremacy in the Church paints the picture of a Christ “who holds in his mighty hand and embraces with his loving heart both the realm of creation and that of redemption.” He is both creator and redeemer. The King of the Universe is also the Head of the Church. The firstborn of creation is also the firstborn of the dead. The very same Christ who has counted the stars and knows everyone of them, knows you and me as well. Kuyper’s famous maxim about every square inch is not only written over the cosmos, but also over the church and over our individual lives. By referring to Christ as the head of the body, Paul is saying that the church’s dependence must rest upon Him alone, and the church’s direction must come from Him. Without a head, a body is lifeless. And so it is, without Christ. Without Christ, the church becomes nothing more than a lifeless institution that has nothing better to offer than what the world has to offer. Suggestions for prayer As you examine the various areas of your life, pray that God would expose those places where Christ is not preeminent. And pray that Christ’s preeminence would be manifest in your local church and in the world. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 8 - In him all things hold together

"And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." - Colossians 1:17 Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 Abraham Kuyper once said that “There is not a square inch of the whole domain of our human existence, over which Christ who is sovereign over all does not cry, ‘Mine!’” Christ reigns supreme over the cosmos. Therefore, whatever fullness or quality of life that the Colossians were being led to think they were missing out on, Paul would say, “It is not so.” “You only need Christ. Spiritual fullness and quality of life can only be found in Him.” Not only is Christ the image of the invisible God, but Christ is the creator and sustainer of the universe. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Christ is in charge. Christ rules supreme. Christ is holding all things together in the palm of His hand. And what a comforting reality this is for us. For this supreme reign holds true not only for the cosmos and for all of world history generally, but also for you and me personally. The very same Christ who holds the universe in the palm of His hand, also holds you. The very same Christ who holds the waters of the ocean together from covering the land is the very same Christ Who holds your marriage together. When Paul says, “in Him all things hold together,” he means just that – all things – including your little life as well. He sees you. He knows you. And nothing is hidden from His sight. The transcendent (beyond-us) God of Glory is also the immanent (ever-near-us) God of Grace. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks for the knowledge that Christ reigns supreme over all and pray for the grace to live for the praise of His name. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 7 - Christ is the image of the invisible God

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” - Colossians 1:15 Scripture reading: Hebrews 1:1-14 & Colossians 1:15-20 Perhaps we come to a passage like this, and we’re tempted to think to ourselves, “Well this is sort of ‘old hat.’ After all, who among us doesn’t already know that Jesus is the eternal Son of the Eternal God? We confess it every Sunday in the Apostles Creed. But at the time when the Apostle Paul was first writing this letter, the theology of these verses was groundbreaking and life-altering. For in the person of Jesus, the Colossians had come to know what God was really like. For Jesus, from all eternity, is the perfect image – the perfect representation of the Father. If you want to know what God is like, you need only look to His Son. In the second place, Paul tells us that this Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. The word firstborn, as Paul uses it here, is a title. Just as the firstborn son in the ancient world had claim to everything belonging to his earthly father – so, too, Christ has claim to everything that is the heavenly Father’s. Christ possesses the place of prominence and preeminence. His is the name that is above every other name. Therefore, He alone is worthy of all our adoration and praise. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for making Himself known to us in His Son. And pray for the grace to render Him glory and honour as the firstborn over all creation. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 6 - Transferred

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” - Colossians 3:13-14 Scripture Reading: Revelation 7:9-17 Having considered Paul’s petition in Verses 9-12, we also do well to ask the question, “On what basis has Paul made such a request to God?” How can Paul be sure that he has not been praying into thin air? Here we discover that the power of Paul’s prayer rests in the person and work of Jesus Christ through Whom God has graciously delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of light. Do we recognize that Satan’s kingdom is a dark kingdom? Satan’s kingdom is a kingdom of enslavement to sin. Satan’s kingdom is the dead-end kingdom. It is full of empty promises, disappointment, and misery. It’s a kingdom that’s run by a tyrant, for Satan is not our friend, but our adversary. But God has transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness and into the glorious kingdom of His beloved Son. And what a glorious kingdom this is. God’s kingdom is ruled by an eminently gracious king in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of all our sins. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to the Lord for delivering you from the domain of darkness. Pray for the conversion of those who still belong to that kingdom. Pray that God would be gracious to deliver them from it through the preaching of the gospel. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 5 - The purpose of Paul’s prayer

“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.” - Colossians 1:10 Scripture reading: Psalm 1:1-6 & Colossians 1:9-12 As we saw yesterday, Christians need to be filled with the knowledge of God in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. But to what end? We find the answer here in Colossians 1:10: so that we might walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. But what does this walking look like? In the first place, walking worthily of the Lord involves bearing fruit in every good work – not as a means of gaining God’s approval, but bearing fruit in every good work in gratitude for His saving and transforming grace. In the second place, walking worthily of the Lord involves increasing in the knowledge of God. Paul wants us to see the vital connection between spiritual knowledge and spiritual action. The Christian life is not a stagnant life. But the Christian life is a growing life. In the third place, Paul describes this walking worthily of the Lord as being characterized by “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.” And here Paul assures us that this walking worthily of the Lord is never done in our own strength, but it is only in God’s strength. And then in the fourth place, walking worthily of the Lord is expressed in thanksgiving. A worthy walk is a thankful walk. For God Himself has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints. Suggestions for prayer Pray for grace and spiritual strength to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Seek God’s forgiveness for where you have fallen short. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 4 - Paul’s petition

“That you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” - Colossians 1:9 Scripture reading: 2 Peter 3:14-18 & Colossians 1:9-12 Here in Colossians 1:9, Paul moves from thanksgiving to supplication. And his petition dovetails with the overall burden of his letter. Paul prays that the Colossians would be filled, not with the wisdom of the world, or with some secret knowledge available only to a select few as the Gnostic heretics were asserting, but Paul prays that they would be filled with the knowledge of the will of God. The same word of truth, through which the Colossians were first brought to faith in Christ is the very same word through which they must continue to grow up in Christ. Paul never ceases to pray for this because being filled with the knowledge of God’s will is something that we can never get enough of. Yes, the Colossians, like us, had come to know God in the Lord Jesus Christ. And they had come to know His will. But they needed to grow in it more and more. They needed to understand it more fully. They needed to be filled up with it. And the same is true for us today. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord would fill His people with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Give thanks to God that the knowledge of His will is not hidden from us, but that it has been revealed to us in His Word. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 3 - The word of truth has come to us

“Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing.” - Colossians 1:5b-6 Scripture reading: Psalm 22:22-31 & Colossians 1:5b-8 Paul reminds us here that Christian hope is based upon the word of truth, the gospel. It is based upon an announcement of something that God has done in the Lord Jesus Christ. In His grace and mercy, God spoke to the Colossians in the gospel of His Son through the ministry of Epaphras, and their lives were never again the same. And this is what God has done in our own lives as well: God has spoken to us in the gospel, and He has changed our lives forever. No word in all the world is as powerful as the gospel word! It’s a word that transcends human cultures, ethnicities and languages. It’s a word that demolishes human pride and arrogance. It’s a word that has the power to save all men because it answers the need that all men have, namely, to be made right in God’s sight. This is why the very same message that bore fruit and increased so long ago continues to bear fruit and increase as the message of salvation goes out into all the world. Indeed, “The ends of all the earth shall hear and turn unto the Lord in fear; all kindreds of the earth shall own and worship Him as God alone.” Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God that the word of truth has come to us. Pray that this word would continue to bear fruit and increase, both in the world and in our own lives as well. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 2 - Thankful to God

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven." - Colossians 1:3-5 Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:3-8 & Colossians 1:3-8 The Colossians’ faith was a sincere faith. And for this, the Apostle Paul was exceedingly thankful to the Lord. Indeed, Paul’s gratitude for them was not directed to them. But Paul’s gratitude for them was directed to the Lord. Paul did not give them the credit for the sincerity of faith that he saw in them. Rather, Paul rightly recognized that God Himself was the author of their faith, love and hope in Christ Jesus. And this is precisely the way it is with us as well. Behind our faith, behind our love and behind our hope in Christ is the Spirit of Christ who worked these things in our hearts when He caused us to be born again. When Paul considers the effect that God’s grace has had on the lives of his readers, he cannot help but burst forth into thanksgiving and praise. Paul never ceases to thank God when he prays for them. Is the same true of us? When we consider the faith, hope and love of our fellow church members, are we likewise able to say with Paul, “We always thank God” when we consider the wonder of His grace at work in the lives of our brothers and sisters in the Lord? Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for the faith, love and hope that you see in the lives of your congregation. And pray for God to give us eyes to see all the ways in which He is at work in the lives of His people. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

August 1 - Introduction to the book of Colossians

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians in order that he might present every one of them mature (or complete) in the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:28). In Chapter 2:9-10, he writes of Christ in this way: “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him (or, you have found your completion in him), who is the head of all rule and authority.” And In Chapter 4:12 he says, “Epaphras also greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature (or complete) and fully assured in all the will of God.” This apostolic aim is the theme that ties all the threads of this cherished epistle together. Paul’s desire for the church way back then is Christ’s desire for the church today: that we also should stand complete in Him. In this month’s set of devotions, we’re going to trace this theme throughout the letter in order that we ourselves might learn to look more and more to Christ as the all-sufficient Saviour and come to see more clearly that everything we truly need can be found in Him and in Him alone. “In Christ, at Colossae” “To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” - Colossians 1:2 Scripture reading: Acts 9:1-6 & 1 Timothy 1:12-17 As is customary in all of his letters, Paul begins his letter to the Colossians with an apostolic greeting. Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God to remind his readers that what he says, he says with Christ’s authority. What Paul writes in his letter, therefore, cannot be shrugged off to the side. For these words are not just Paul’s words, but the very words of Christ Himself. And what an amazing thing it is to be mindful of this reality when we read the manner in which Paul addresses his readers. He addresses them as “the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae.” Now, we all recognize that no church is perfect. Every church on this side of heaven is full of sinners. But the wonder of the gospel is that sinners like us, and sinners like the Colossians so long ago, have become a whole new thing – “saints and faithful brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, Paul’s original readers lived in the city of Colossae. That’s where they worked and went about all their daily tasks. Colossae was their physical location. But Paul tells us that their spiritual location was in Christ, in Whom they had come to share in all the benefits of salvation. The same is true for us today; we, too, are in Christ Jesus. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for bringing you into the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for the grace to live in light of this reality. Rev. Bryce De Zwarte is a native of Pella, Iowa and a graduate of Dordt University and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Rev. De Zwarte has been serving as the pastor of the Adoration URC in Vineland, Ontario since April of 2020. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 31 - Grace be with you

“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.” - Colossians 4:18 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:18 We come to an end of our walk through the letter of Colossians. We began the month with national holidays and worshipped on four Sundays. We have meditated on the supremacy of Christ, on the new communion and life we have in Jesus Christ. We have done some thinking about preachers and preaching and the church's leadership. And now it comes time to end. It is a daunting task to write to and for others, and we are not always sure who will read it and what impact it will have, but we leave that in the hands of Christ, the head of the church. That's what the inspired Paul did. Paul writes his farewell. He ends where we started—grace. By grace, we have been saved and stay saved. By grace, we put off the robes of sin and put on the robes of Christ's righteousness. And though Paul is in chains, by grace, the letter went out to the Colossians and Laodiceans and the communion of the saints then and now have been blessed. I hope our month together has been helpful for you and maybe even once or twice provided some inspiration for thought, word or deed. But in the end, if we leave the letter with a new respect for the work of Christ on earth, establishing churches through the preaching of the Good News and the declaration of the supremacy of Christ, then much has been accomplished. Grace be with you! Suggestions for prayer Pray for God's grace and that you will live in the peace and hope that He gives. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 30 - Fulfill your ministry

“And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord."” - Colossians 4:17 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:17 Here is another of Paul's interesting commands to the Colossians: "See that you fulfill your ministry." Archippus is mentioned as a member of Philemon's household and a fellow soldier with Paul and Timothy (Philemon 1:2). We think he was appointed by Paul either to minister in Colosse or, more likely, in Laodicea. It seems that he was not doing the work of his calling, and though ministry can have a more general meaning, it appears from this context it was his sacred calling to be a pastor and preacher. It may also be that he was the angel of the church in Laodicea that Christ by John wrote to. Some wonder if Archippus was not doing his work, that perhaps he was lukewarm and led that church to be rebuked by Christ that they were neither hot nor cold (Rev. 3:14-16). Christ by Paul via the Colossian letter rebukes Archippus- "fulfill the ministry you have received from the Lord." Note that preachers are not self-designated. They are called by Jesus Christ and appointed by Him. Our work as preachers is to serve Him; sometimes, we as a congregation must hold him to that task. Christ has joined the leader to lead by the bond of love and peace, where those who are led bring prayerful encouragement of unity and harmony to accomplish the Lord's work. See Christ, the head of the church, at work! Suggestions for prayer Pray that your elders, deacons and pastors will do the work they are called to do. Pray that the Lord will bless their work and that Christ will find and continue to appoint new men for the task at hand. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 29 - Sharing the treasure

“And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.” - Colossians 4:16 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:16 What were the sermons about yesterday? Can you remember? Was there something that struck you? Was something preached that moved you and challenged you? Did you hear about Christ and Him crucified? Was it good to be in the household of God? Was the sermon good to share with someone else? Sermons are like that. People will ask me if I heard a sermon by a preacher that I should listen to. People are excited and want to share the Word. That, too, is part of the communion of the saints. I can respect that Paul, by the Spirit, understands that the letters he wrote to the Colossians and Laodiceans should be shared. (We do not have the letter addressed to Laodicea) The Colossians and Laodiceans needed both these letters. We need only the Colossian letter. Paul, from prison, was still productive and active in his ministry, no matter the circumstances. And we are blessed because as the letter was read in Laodicea, we have also been able to read and reflect upon it. The wonder of Scripture is its timelessness and effectiveness. We read these letters some 1900 years later, and they still seem fresh and applicable. That is Christ at work. He who died for us, keeps us nourished through the Spirit and Word, through preachers and preaching, pastors and pastoral care. What a friend we have in Jesus! Maybe there is someone who needs to hear what you heard yesterday! Pass on the preaching and watch what Christ will do. Suggestions for prayer Pray for a briefing on the preaching yesterday for the hearers. Ask a blessing for your pastor as he begins preparing for next week's sermons. Pray for someone you may be working with and sharing sermons and the good news. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 28 - The communion of the saints

“Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.” - Colossians 4:14-15 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:14-15 Sometimes, I bring some of our Young People when I preach at a church plant or preaching station. At first, I did that so that they would see the work of church planting or worship with smaller numbers, but often in an intense way. I hope some of our young men might be moved to pursue that kind of work. It is always interesting to see what God is doing and the body of Christ at work. But there was something I did not expect, and that was how the church plant congregation received us. There were greetings and questions. Sometimes, those who have been raised in the church wish for a more dramatic experience of conversion, but often, those who were not raised in the church, wish that they did not have to live their previous life of darkness. The communion of the saints is a fantastic thing. We also learned how important it is for church plants to realize they are part of something bigger. It is nice to know that churches collect, pray and intercede for them. The Colossians knew that Paul was concerned, and Luke and Demas were too. There was a communion of saints at Nympha's house. All of that is the work of Christ in the community and worldwide. So, let me challenge you as you go to church today. If a church plant is nearby, perhaps try to attend there- letting your elders know, of course- and bring greetings. The communion of the saints is another blessing of going to church! Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to bless your day of rest, the congregation, the preaching and worship and remember yours and the congregations worldwide. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 27 - The praying pastor

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.” - Colossians 4:12-13 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:12-13 We do not know too much about Epaphras. It is likely that Paul, while he spent his three years in Ephesus, worked closely with Epaphras to have the gospel preached in Colosse. After first being a faithful preacher, he became a diligent pastor. When he saw the difficulties of Jewish formalism mixed with the oriental mysticism and the false religions and vain philosophies surrounding the young church, he went to see Paul while in prison in Rome. There, he worked with Paul to understand the truth and learn how to apply it and defend it in light of the heresies attacking the church. There are times when pastors go through challenging times. There are times when wise speech or godly rebukes are not always met with the kind of change of thinking or behaviour we hope for in the Church of Jesus Christ. What, then, is the pastor left with? Looking at Paul and us, we see it is prayer. In difficult times, nothing is left but for your pastor to go to the ground before almighty God, begging, pleading and interceding because there are things that only God can do. If it's true that the Lord sends forth reapers for the harvest, he also sends shepherds for the sheep. This is what the church needs. Praise God if you have that kind of shepherd and elders who love and care for you, and are wrestling before the throne of God for the well-being and maturity of the people of God in your congregation. Suggestions for prayer Pray that your congregation and you will make the burdens of the elders and pastor as light as possible and that they will have time for prayer and care of the flock. Pray that your pastor's work for the Lord's Day tomorrow will be blessed. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 26 - Men of the ministry

“These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.” - Colossians 4:11 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:8-11 The church sings: "Lord of harvest, send forth reapers!" The devil must have figured he had put a stop to the Great Commission work of Jesus. He had the number one man, humanly speaking, behind bars. The churches in Philippi, Ephesus, and Colosse were rattled because their beloved Paul was in chains and perhaps facing execution. Yet Paul writes, "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much bolder to speak the word without fear" (Philippians 1:12-14). Look at the list of men, Jews and Gentiles that are mentioned now to the Colossians and us. What great hope! Jesus Christ, the head of the church, firstborn of the creation, and image bearer of the invisible God, cannot be stopped; the Gates of Hades cannot prevail. Even in prison, where Paul looks for an opportunity to speak the truth to the prison guard, we see the hand of God. The work of Jesus continues today with brave men on the mission field, both abroad and at home. Preachers bring the word faithfully from week to week here and worldwide. Please do not miss what God is doing and continue to sing and pray: "Lord of harvest, send forth reapers! Suggestion for prayer Pray the hymn, “Far and near the Fields are Teeming” Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 25 - The pastor’s love

“Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,” - Colossians 4:7-8 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:7-8 We turn to Paul's final greetings. These letter endings are interesting. Why are they included? Should we meditate on them? They are part of the holy and infallible Word of God. Paul is like a father, always concerned for his family. His work has led him to prison, and the children in Colosse are far away; Christ knows each sheep there, but Paul is separated from them. With no phones or electronic communication, it took time and effort. Paul, the pastor, needs to know how their flock is faring, so he sends Tychicus. Paul was concerned about the fledgling church founded there, which was attacked by false religions and vain philosophy. He sends Tychicus to encourage the flock. Tychicus goes to preach, teach and offer pastoral care to the saints in Colosse, but he is also a source of encouragement and blessing to Paul. Christ, the Good Shepherd, cares for Paul and the saints by calling Tychicus, who is faithful to the task. Christ continues to care for the flock He died for through the leaders and preachers of the Word. They are to be faithful men who want to know how each flock member is doing, to love them, not just to lead, but to care for and encourage. We need pastors who remember Christ's sacrifice and can teach and speak with the people of God to comfort and encourage them. Pray for elders and deacons who can do that, too. Thank God if you have that kind of leadership and pastor care in your congregation. Suggestions for prayer Ask for a blessing for your congregation's leadership. Pray that the men who lead will have the heart of Christ. Pray that the Lord will raise up such men for the church leadership. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 24 - Speech seasoned with salt

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” - Colossians 4:6 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:6 Today, we consider how our talk ought to match our walk. We are called to walk in wisdom and to have our speech seasoned with salt. So what does that entail? All of you have been called by Christ, the head of the church, to serve Him, the supreme Lord, Who has placed you in the community in which you live. You walk and talk with your neighbours not only at church, but also at work, in your neighbourhood, and in your community. You speak their language and understand how to communicate. You know the jokes and joys, and God uses you with your gifts and talents to talk about the truth of God through the Spirit in love. The Colossians were called, as you and I are, to talk gracefully. From the heart of thanksgiving and the longing for the salvation of all that we meet, we ask for the purging of evil from our lips, so that our speech would be a sacrifice of praise to God for the goodness of the members of our community. How do we speak about our spouses, parents, bosses, leaders, politics and the economy? Have we become angry, irritable or frustrated? Do they hear the salt-seasoned speech of grace or the bitter Christian frustrated with the mess of society? Do we only criticize or offer suggestions, wisdom and hope? We have been called to this by Christ to serve Him and speak on His behalf. Walk in wisdom and speak in grace! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for placing you in your community. Pray that you will be given the speech of grace and courage to comfort, challenge and call to Christ those who need to hear the Words of God's wisdom. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 23 - Walk in wisdom

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” - Colossians 4:5 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:5 Right after asking for prayers for wisdom, Paul commands the readers to be wise towards outsiders. We have been taught what life inside the church is to be like. If we are unwise towards those outside the church, what will they think of our Lord? That is part of the Great Commission work of the saints in Colosse. There are then two parts to our local work of evangelism. Preaching is the primary means of grace and the key that opens and shuts the Kingdom. Paul commands the church to pray that the Word be appropriately preached. But there is also our witness to the community. The catechism puts it this way, "by our godly living, our neighbours may be won over to Christ." How we live and handle ourselves is the evidence of Christ in us. It is the way that we reflect the image of God. That is not easy when we are constantly attacked, ridiculed or laughed out of the public square. Paul reminds us that how we defend faith matters; we must call others to the truth and always speak it in love. In this day of political polarization, upcoming elections, and unrest, we in Christ need to be the voice of reason. The church must be the community of wisdom and hope for the people of this world. May God bless us—as the hymn goes—with wisdom "to walk with the Lord by the light of His Word and to trust and obey." Suggestions for prayer "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." - James 1:5-6 Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 22 - Praying for the preacher

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” - Colossians 4:3-4 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:3-4 Earlier in the letter, Paul let the congregation in Colosse know of his prayer for them. Paul knows that the church belongs to Christ. He is the head of the body, supreme over all, and working all things for the congregation's good. Paul calls the church to be active in prayer for his work, too, because the work will be in vain without the blessings of Christ and His Spirit. He asks for the opportunity and the ability. He asks that prayers be made for wisdom. Paul knew his limitations and needs and asked the prayers of God's people. We have mentioned preaching and preachers this month. It is easy to take them for granted. I think, too, that there is much that the pastor does that is not seen. What did Paul do all day? At the time of this writing, he is in prison. But we read that he was a tentmaker to provide for his daily needs. He taught in public and the synagogues. He went from house to house preaching and teaching. Your preacher likely does some of the same. He spends time in the Word preparing sermons, praying, and going from house to house to teach and comfort. He does counselling and marriage preparation, baptism visits and leads funerals and weddings. All of it involves a lot of speaking. That allows much opportunity for foolishness and the need for the Spirit's wisdom. Pray that your Pastor will be wise! Suggestion for prayer Spend some time today in prayer for your preachers and missionaries in light of Paul's command. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 21 - Continue in prayer

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” - Colossians 4:2 Scripture reading: Colossians 4:2 Paul continues his staccato directions about love in the church, family and household. He also speaks to our hearts when he calls us to continue praying. Interestingly, we need reminding of that. Yet, I think it is true for many of us that we are not consistently steadfast in prayer. Particularly when things are going well, the habit of worship continues, but that steadfastness is not persistent. Then, when trials and struggles hit, we are on our knees. But is it for the Kingdom of God or relief for us? We are called to continue steadfastly in prayer. Today, we start fresh, head to worship and look forward to the week ahead. When taking this command seriously for the church, elders and pastors typically have set times in worship for prayer. John Calvin adds that our singing is part of how we pray. We have already been called to minister to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs from the heart of thanksgiving. The Heidelberg catechism places the Lord's prayer in the gratitude section. Today, we take a break from our work and rest in the finished work of the Lord Jesus. We are reminded of His time in prayer and the prayers He taught us. Remember to be steadfast and watchful in prayer with thanksgiving. Let us assemble ourselves today and all the more because the Day of the Lord is approaching. Let us worship, pray and thank God with our hearts, souls and voices. Suggestions for prayer Ask for the Spirit's guidance for today's pastor and church's prayers. Ask for the blessing of maturing in your prayer life so that you may grow in thankfulness and joy. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 20 - Work for the Lord

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23-24 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:22-4:1 Paul draws us to one last aspect of home life: the relationship between masters and servants. How does one in Christ treat their employees, and how does one in Christ behave as an employee? The optimum would be for a Christian man (who loves his wife and children because he is in Christ and puts on the clothing of love and the bond of peace) to relate reasonably towards his servant, a brother or sister in Christ. They know their roles in the church community and realize them in the Kingdom of God and the family. When godly leaders lead godly workers, the name of Christ is promoted. Here, we see the body becoming a team working together in the work setting, which causes the light of love to shine. Workers demand their rights in a world without Christ's love, and businesses and managers assert theirs. The love of money drives us to contentious workplaces. Often, Christian bosses have to show love and leadership to non-Christians, and Christian employees must serve non-Christian bosses. Frequently, there is unfairness, yet we all have roles rooted in Christ's sacrificial service to us. We must work from the heart of gratitude and for the honour of our Lord Jesus. He gives the blessings and the inheritance that is eternal and glorious. We realize that our work is part of how Jesus builds His Kingdom, and He will bring His reward in due time. Suggestion for prayer Pray that God will bless the workplaces of Christian business owners and that you and the members of your congregation will be blessed with work and be able to fulfill their tasks to the glory of Jesus. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 19 - Fathers 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: Colossians 3:20-21 The man clothed with Christ not only loves his wife, but his children, too. Children who put on Christ reveal Christ when they obey their parents in everything. Paul turns our attention to family unity because it is also part of the church community, characterized by love, peace and thankfulness. When the church has a family in crisis, it has a crisis of witness and effectiveness. Paul, the Shepherd, also tends to these needs of the flock. It has been an interesting past decade of unrest. It makes sense considering the trajectory of the so-called sixties revolution anti-establishment discord. Parents have become frustrated and the youth, miserable. Raising children as if they were morally sound and needing but minor guidance, we have a rebellious and unhappy generation raising the next. But Christ, through Paul, directs us to the better way of raising our children in love, in the fear of the Lord for the glory of the Lord. Christ, the Great Shepherd, knows the way of happiness and liberty and gives us the path for blessings for the family that will be a blessing for His Kingdom and church. We note that call to the fathers to be in Christ by loving their wives and children. Fathers are warned against bitterness. Here is the way to compelling masculinity, which is vital to the church. As Christ laid down His life in love, so ought the men of the congregation. Suggestions for prayer Pray for a blessing for your own family and the families of the church so that children will see their call to obedience, that the fathers will love, and that parents will guide the children of the covenant. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 18 - Husbands and wives

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.: - Colossians 3:18-19 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:18-19 And in whatever you do, be thankful! Put on love as the bond of perfection. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. That is what life in a church looks like and it starts at home. Wives and husbands, be thankful and love one another. Strive for peace. Christ shows us the way now. He calls us to our gender roles. There are two in marriage, male and female, each with a specific task. If a woman loves Christ more than her husband, she will submit to Christ's will and love her husband by becoming a helpmate fit for him. She sees herself in a new union with her husband to serve Christ as a forgiven sinner who puts on Christ. Husbands, too, must be patient. Being the head and representing Christ is challenging. For mere human men, it is also impossible. But he must be forgiving as he has been forgiven. When trials and struggles come, as Christ, who never becomes bitter against the church, the husband representing Christ will minister in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in thankfulness for redemption and for his wife. He will minister to her for her well-being and benefit. He reminds her of the sacrifice of Christ and the peace we have in Him. If the marriage is broken, the church has strife, but we recall the blessings of God upon unity. Husbands and wives should reflect the image of the invisible God through love and submission to Christ and let peace rule in their hearts. Suggestions for prayer If you are married, pray for a loving, unified marriage rooted in Christ and His love. If you are single, pray for these kinds of marriages in the church. If you hope for a partner, pray for one who, with you can live out of these commands and blessings. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 17 - Put on love

“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” - Colossians 3:14 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:14-17 Put on love, which is the bond of perfection. What beautiful language, but what does it mean? Paul is referring to either a clasp that holds all the other articles of clothing together or an overgarment that binds it together. It is the virtue that defines us as the body of Christ. As Christ has loved us, we reflect that love by our virtuous living together, one in the spirit of the Lord and love. I think of Psalm 133: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! For there the LORD commanded the blessing—Life forevermore." By love, we can put on the peace of Christ. By that peace, we have peace with God. We have shalom that things have been made right through the blood of Christ. We, by love, seek peace, strive for unity and community, and when we need to, are quick to forgive. As mentioned, these virtues of love and peace were sneered at by the Greeks and scoffed at by the Jews. But when we live by the Word, we sing and minister to one another as a community of joy, worship, and love. There, you will find the body of Christ and see the Good News in action. There, you see Christ in us and through us as we put on the clothing of Christ and bear the image of the invisible God so that He is known! Suggestions for prayer Pray for unity, God's blessing upon it and that your church will be the beacon of light and love of Christ in your community. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 16 - Clothing ourselves with Christ

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” - Colossians 3:12-13 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:12-13 Paul uses the language of clothing. First, he calls us to remove the robes of unrighteousness and stop sinning. Christ, through Paul, calls us to put on the new robes of righteousness and be clothed with Christ's holiness. We have seen He is the image bearer of the invisible God, and we, too, bear His image, which displays itself in true righteousness and holiness, whereby we strive to live holy and pleasing lives. Jesus taught us that by their fruits, men are known and that if we abide in Him as the vine, we will become fruitful branches. We cannot bear fruit without Him, but we are to be engaged in bearing fruit (John 15). Paul teaches us from Galatians five of the fruits of the Spirit and to walk by the Spirit. He lists those fruits as: "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). That list of virtues is utterly anticultural for that day. It is for us, too. Ours is a world of self-promotion, self-determination, to be “woke”, filled with pride. Whether regarding gender or morality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, many have decided they are god and will do as they please. But we must be a different community. They will know we are Christians by our love and the fruit that we produce. That is Christ in us, and we live out of that faith, hope, and love, forgiving as we have been forgiven. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the fruits of the Spirit, to be forgiven and forgiving, and to live by grace alone, by faith in Jesus, not by works. Pray for blessings on your daily work, walk, and new opportunities to serve God and your neighbours. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 15 - Conversion

“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,” - Colossians 3:9-10 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:8-11 The catechism helps us answer the question: "What is involved in genuine conversion?" Using among other texts Colossians 3:5-10, the instructor answers: "Two things: the dying-away of the old self, and the rising-to-life of the new." Orthodoxy, the right doctrine, must show itself in a changed life of orthopraxis or proper practice. New creatures live in a new way in part by changing their ways. It does not matter about nationality, ethnicity, race or culture. Every human being needs to change. We need to stop sinning and offending God. It is only when the glory of Christ in us happens, as we have learned utilizing our orthodoxy in Christ, that orthopraxis can happen. Sinners saved by grace live by grace and reject all that is ungracious. That is a long list of sins there. You can find one or two of the ones you used to walk in. I understand that many in Colosse were former Jews or Gentiles, and so that change in their adult way of living was powerful. They had to make some choices about walking away from who they used to be. Maybe you have been in a church setting your whole life, so the change is less pronounced. If we are honest, we know these sins still cling to us and we still need to be active in the Spirit's work of conversion so that we let Christ rule and be our all in all. Suggestions for prayer Pray for a change, or the continuing change of heart, to be weaned from the temptations of this world to the glory of Christ. Pray for the hallowing of the Father's name that His Kingdom will come and be done on earth as it is in heaven. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 14 - Put to death the old man

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth:” - Colossians 3:5a Scripture reading: Colossians 3:5-7 With the Heidelberg Catechism (LD 38), we confess about the Sabbath day, "Every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through His Holy Spirit, and begin in this life the eternal Sabbath." Today should be the start of putting what Paul now commands the Colossians into practice. He speaks first to their present struggles with heresy and such and calls them to set their minds on the things of Christ and then to remember where they came from. They were sinners living in a world that praised sin and rewarded them for lewd behaviour. But now they were circumcised of heart, baptized into the death of Jesus. If you were to put to death the religious practices of the world, so too would the sins of this worldly flesh die. If it was confirmed that the ceremonial law had served its purpose, the Ten Commandments were still intact as the way to live as people who set their minds on the things above. I love Sunday worship because it is a great weekly reset. Sins, habits, horrible thoughts, and our nasty imaginations are confronted with the Good News, the reading of the law, and the confession of sins. There, we meet Christ in Word and sacrament; we are challenged to live as new creatures and put to death what Christ died for. Bring your burdens to Christ, bend the knee to Him, and live for His glory and honour. Suggestions for prayer Repent and believe. Ask for a heart open to receive forgiveness and worship the Lord. Pray that you will love Him with your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and pray for the members of your congregation and the church worldwide. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 13 - Set your mind on things above

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, appears, you will also appear with Him in glory.” - Colossians 3:1-4 Scripture reading: Colossians 3:1-11 Where is Jesus? We have been thinking about Him here on earth and on the cross. But He is alive and on the right hand of God, directing events for the saving of the elect, the church's work and the rule of the Kingdom of God here on earth. We glimpse His glory when we read the first chapter of Revelation. We get a taste of His compassion when Steven looks and sees Him standing there in heaven as the stones rained down on the good deacon. Christ is in heaven. In time, the saints will be with Him there. He taught us that. We must set our hearts on the things of heaven. The rituals we spoke of yesterday were a way for the heretics to keep us caught up in this world, trying to save ourselves. But where Christ is, we will be, for by His work, we are set free. He is alive, and where He is, we will be. What glory will that be? We can taste it here on earth when we go to church. Today is our day of worship preparation. Let us set our minds on the things above. That does not mean we will be so heavenly-minded that we will be of no earthly good. What better thing can we do for our communities than to gather with the congregation tomorrow and worship the King? To be with the communion of saints gives us a little glimpse of the glory that waits for us. Suggestions for prayer Pray about the things of heaven and the glory of Christ. Pray for a good time of worship tomorrow, and pray that the Lord will bless Sunday worship worldwide. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 12 - Let no one judge you

“So let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” - Colossians 2:16-17 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:16-23 Paul now commends the Colossians for what they have in Christ. He is their head and she is His bride. Still, some excluded the Colossian Christians from the body of Christ because they were not practising the rituals of Judaism or paganism. We are not positive what heresy was being practiced in Colosse. The Colossians were being criticized and were in danger of giving in to the vain philosophy and false religions that were being merged with the pure truth of the Gospel. Added to that was a legalistic pietism. What precisely was the heresy about angels, is difficult to ascertain. Whatever the case, Paul says we need Christ; in Him is all the substance and glory of true religion. You know that that was what the Reformation was all about in those days when the Roman Church elevated the rituals and obscured the Redeemer. The rituals of the Old Testament were, in a manner of speaking, pregnant with the reality of Christ, but when Christ came, their message continued in Him, but the symbolism and practice were no longer necessary. Christ had died on the cross, and the spiritual and material were joined. Paul teaches them that they have matured in Christ and moved on from the principles of this world. In Christ, we are freed from human doctrine and self-willed religion. In Christ, we are free indeed. In Christ, we have the substance, and in Him, we have all we need. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the protection of the church and the purity of her religion. Pray that nothing would obscure the pure gospel in the church. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 11 - You he made alive

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,” - Colossians 2:13 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:11-15 How did we receive Christ? Through the preaching of the Word. Paul is consistent! Using this letter to the Colossians, he keeps preaching Christ. He appeals to the truth of circumcision, pointing to the need of shedding blood for the forgiveness of sins. But we need more than just cutting away some flesh that can cause infection. We need the heart to be cleaned. We need soul cleansing, which only the blood of Jesus can accomplish. We need to die with Christ and be raised to a new life. We can only actively walk with Christ when He activates us. Baptism reminds us of our need for the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to walk with the Lord. When Jesus died on the cross, all the guilt of that law of God that damned us was wiped out. In Christ, God remembers our sins no more. As the song goes, "My sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. It is well with my soul. Paul preaches Christ, Him crucified, and then connects us to Him, reminding us of our baptism and what circumcision means. Think about your baptism more often. It points to the cross of Jesus and opens for us the beauty of the good news—we are sinners forgiven by the grace of God. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the good news to penetrate deeply into your heart. Take some time to praise and thank God for the beautiful gift of salvation and Christ's beauty, and I hope it will be well with your soul. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 10 - Walk in Christ

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” - Colossians 2:6 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:6-10 It is challenging sometimes to appreciate preaching because we hear so much of it. Our criticism of it can be so much about the length, how interesting it was or the gifts or lack thereof of the preacher. It is easy to get distracted from the message. It is true that if preachers are not doing their job, the preaching is pointless. If Christ is not preached, we cannot receive Him, and if not, how can we walk with Him? But if we are receiving Christ, no matter the style or length of the sermon, we have what we need for faith and faithfulness. In Him, we can be established and grow. Do you think we are so critical of preaching the Word because of the vain philosophy of the world? Today, modern thinkers accentuate the positive, making us feel good about ourselves while leaving us on our way to hell and hopelessness in the same way the heretics did in Paul's era. We need to hear about the completeness we have in Christ. For the Greeks, it was repulsive to think that the Godhead existed in human form. How could the perfect divine live in the corrupt physical? Yet God accomplished just that, which now destroys the philosophy of the Greeks and leaves us with the hope that the divine and human are reconciled. Paul urges us to walk in the Christ we have received. If you have received Him by preaching of the Word, be careful of criticism, but glad and thankful. Suggestions for prayer Pray for your preachers that they will preach what we need to receive. Ask for an open heart to accept Jesus and walk with Him in joy and thankfulness. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 9 - Paul’s shepherd’s heart

“Though I am absent in the flesh, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” - Colossians 2:5 Scripture reading: Colossians 2:1-5 It was a struggle for Paul because the desire was deep to lead, guide and pastor the flock in Colosse. Though he had not been there, the news of Christ's work had reached him, and in prayer from the heart of thanksgiving, Paul diligently interceded for this young church. Paul is also a protector and desires that they will not be deceived. We know his reason for the thanksgiving and prayers and his desire for the Colossian church, which would be for their unity and maturity. Knowledge is such an essential part of the Christian walk. The more we learn about God and His Son, the cross, and our forgiveness, the more we can mature to become forgiving individuals and a community of love, faith, and grace. Grace and mercy are known in a community like that. The city of Colosse needed a community like that. And so does your community. God has blessed our cities and towns with churches. Our prayer ought to be for our churches' growth, maturity and doctrinal unity as places of growth, love and forgiveness and for those who live in the full assurance of grace in a graceless world. As Peter would write about, Paul's prayer and desire were for growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we head further into the letter, we will see Paul's instruction and guidance to maturity and wisdom. We hope that this will be beneficial for us, too. Suggestions for prayer Please pray for your church community's growth, unity and maturity. Pray that you and your church will bless your community, and pray for your local community that the Gospel will be preached and blessed. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 8 - Rejoicing in suffering for preaching

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,” - Colossians 1:24--25 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:24-29 It was a fantastic time in world history, let alone church history. Jesus sent men into communities that had never heard the good news. Walls were falling, hearts were changing, and the Kingdom of God was growing. Although Paul is likely in prison while writing to the Colossians, he can rejoice. The Lord fills Paul with joy as the gospel goes forward and the mystery is revealed. What is that mystery? Paul writes that it is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The Greeks loved their glory, power politics, the arts and culture. The Jews dreamed of a past glory of a Davidic Kingdom. How many dream of glory and fame today? But what is genuine glory? It is faith! It is Christ in us. The love of God gives us hope both for this life and for eternity. Yes, Paul can rejoice in a prison cell! You are part of Jesus's mission to the world. We give and pray for missions. We call and pray for preachers who bring the Word. If this preaching has changed you, your life will show it. Your life must show it. We have been perfected and are being perfected by the cross of Christ, which Paul preached then and the church preaches now. We could hear it yesterday by God's grace. We rejoice. Let us pray for men to be called to continue the joyful work of preaching the good news of the death and resurrection of the Son of God that the mystery may be made known to all the world. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord will give many opportunities for the gospel to be preached this week. Ask that He will provide you with an opportunity to share the Gospel. Finally, pray that the Lord will create and call men to be preachers. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 7 - The gospel preached to you

“…if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” - Colossians 1:23 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:21-23 Do you still look forward to it? Is there joy in you going to church today and hearing a sermon? By the Word preached, the church in Colosse was formed. There was no church but God sent the preachers, the good news was heard, and people confessed Jesus had risen from the dead and is Lord! (Romans 10). Preaching is foolishness to the world, but to us, it is food and water for life. Come to the Saviour, He gently calls you, hear the Shepherd's voice—go to church and worship by listening and drinking freely of the water of life. Do you still look forward to it? As a church, we are free to assemble and preach to the world and, as the children of God, listen to it. In other places that will happen under duress, in hiding, in prisons and concentration camps, in secret rooms and basements. But it will happen. It will happen today in bombed-out buildings in Ukraine, in communist and Islamic kingdoms and places unknown to many, but God. Jesus will not be stopped. Today, we hope many of the yet-to-be-called elect will hear the good news that brings us joy and peace. We may go to church as the reconciled enemies and sinners, saved by grace, and the impure made pure in the blood of Jesus. Go to church today and praise God from whom all blessings flow. Suggestions for prayer Pray for your church today as it assembles to worship God. Ask for a blessing upon the means of grace: the preaching and sacraments, and pray that many will kneel in the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 6 - The head of the church

"And He is the head of the body, the church, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." - Colossians 1:18-20 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:18-20 Through Jesus, the world was created, and by Him, the creation, fallen and broken because the first image bearer broke with God, but will be restored, reconciled and renewed. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to redeem it, as John tells us in chapter 3 of his gospel. Paul told the Romans that the creation is waiting for the sons of God to be adopted and for the glorious liberty of the sons of God (Romans 8). The firstborn of creation is the head of the church. He rules all things by the will of the Father and the Spirit of wisdom for the well-being of the church so that all things work for the good of those who love the Father in Christ Jesus (Romans 8). He gave His body and blood for the complete remission of all our sins. Again, we read that word peace, which is well with our souls. Part of the way He rules us as head of His beloved bride is to call us into the presence of His people and worship God. He calls us to assemble as Christ's body to worship and receive hope and comfort. As we hear the preaching of Christ and Him crucified, perhaps accompanied by the sacraments that focus our attention on Christ and His completed work, give God all praise and honour due to His name. Prepare your hearts and souls! Suggestion for prayer Pray for the men preparing to bring the Word tomorrow so that Christ and Him crucified may be boldly declared, and the people of God challenged to repent and believe. Pray for the true worship of God around the world in freedom and even in persecution. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 5 - Christ the firstborn over all creation

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were made through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” - Colossians 1:15-17 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:15-17 Paul goes on to teach us more about our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God. I enjoy that language. How can Jesus be the image of the invisible? Later, in Colossians 3, Paul teaches us that we are being renewed after Christ's image, which entails a new way of a holy and God-pleasing living. Christ was as Adam once, and even more so because though Adam was created, everything was created in Christ, Who was not made. He is one with God. As John writes in his Gospel, Christ, the Word was with God, was God and all things were created by Him and through Him, and now we know too that the creation was made for Him! Because He is God, He alone could bear our sins, conquer death, and ensure the victory of the Kingdom of God. This past week, Canada and the US celebrated their national holidays. But how many, even acknowledging some god, recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as ruler of our nations? How often do we live as if Jesus were not the firstborn over the creation? In a world with trouble and trials, in our day and age of polarizing politics and election years ahead, we rest in the truth that Jesus Christ has been given dominion because He is the new image bearer. His Spirit renews us, making us new creations. Let us "live for Jesus, the life that is true." Suggestion for prayer Pray for a deeper understanding of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Pray that He will bless His Kingdom and thank God for the redemption we have in Him. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 4 - Our independence

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” -Colossians 1:13-14 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:13-14 Today, Americans celebrate the Declaration of Independence. In that declaration, the founding fathers declared: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." But where does a man find life, liberty, and happiness? As North America flounders as a society without God, the church, as the society of God in Christ, declares our freedom from sin, death and hell because of the grace and peace we have from God the Father in Jesus Christ. We think of our freedom in Christ because of His work on the cross. His suffering brought us peace with God. By His resurrection, we are raised to a new life that brings us new, lasting happiness. We know that of ourselves we have no rights, but in Christ, we have grace, peace and access to God. Paul told the Philippians that our citizenship is in heaven, and Jesus prayed that we would be left in the world to be salt and light in the world. Paul prays for the church in Colosse and, by extension, for our churches too, that we would persevere as a church, always faithful and convinced of the work of Jesus Christ. In Him, we rejoice and celebrate, and I hope our prayers and celebration are far more powerful and beautiful than pageants and parades of the day. May all hear from us today: "Hallelujah! What a Saviour!" Suggestions for prayer Thank God for our freedom. Pray that the people of the United States and all countries would embrace the great truths of God's Word and the wonder of Christ and glorify the Father. Pray for the church's witness today. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 3 - Praying for our church

“For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,” - Colossians 1:9 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:9-12 As an apostle, Paul is a shepherd of the flock in Colosse. Like a good father, he prays for the children who have come to the Lord Jesus through the work of Epaphras, and Paul wants to encourage that work so that the children there may be strong, healthy and energetic for their calling as the flock of Christ and the children of God. Later in the letter (3:17), Paul writes, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." He praises God, asking for the thankful heart for what He has done and hopes he will continue to do. It is with regret, too often, that ministers frequently feel as if there is not enough time to pray and give thanks for our flocks. As mentioned yesterday, as church members, we can be too quick to see the broken, not the good. Yet, seeing the brokenness, are we a praying church? True, we are not apostles like Paul, but we are members of that inheritance Christ, through His death and resurrection, has won for us. We know our Redeemer prays for us at the right hand of God. As the body of Christ, let us be a praying people, devoted to the great Shepherd and His flock so that we might grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Suggestions for prayer Pray from the words of Paul's prayer in Colossians 1:9-12. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 2 - Thankful for our church

“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you” - Colossians 1:3 Scripture reading: Colossians 1:3-8 A few commentaries note that too many pastors neglect to thank God for their congregation and Christ's work in them. That may also be true for those in the congregation. Trouble hits, and it glares; we can easily be offended and distracted by the sin in the church, miss the mighty work of God the Father by the Son through the Holy Spirit. But Paul does not. The thanksgiving is not so much for what the Colossians have done or are doing, but from amazement at God's work in the church's growth in Asia Minor. Let's not miss that, beloved. Are we thankful for what Christ does in our church and the churches around us? Do we see the blessings of the preaching of the Gospel, the comfort of the sacrament of baptism and the strength and joy of celebrating communion together? Can we not see the gift of faith among us? Have we not stood by the hospital bed, at funerals, through broken relationships, loved ones walking away from the faith, betrayal and yet brought hope to one another and our community? Is that only a thing that was true in Colosse? There could be no faith in Colosse or our communities, unless the Holy Spirit sent believers into that community to live out of and share the good news. Yes, we have troubles and trials in the church, but don't miss what God in Christ is doing in our churches and thank Him. Suggestion for prayer Consider whether you are thankful for your congregation. If not, or sometimes not, ask forgiveness. List the good things in your congregation, thank God for them, and ask for His continued blessings for your church. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

July 1 - Introduction to Colossians

The meditations for this month are based on Paul's letter to the Colossians. Much like his letter, written from prison, to the Ephesians, the first part of the letter concerns theology. Addressing some of the heresy that had infiltrated the Colossian church, Paul, by the spirit, reveals the supremacy of Christ over all things for the church and as our only and sufficient Redeemer. The second part of the letter deals more with practical theology regarding how we ought to live as new creatures in Christ, both individually and as a church. We will also look at Paul's pastoral theology in terms of preaching and preachers. I have kept the daily reading short, as I hope you can take some time to memorize these verses for the day and take them along with you. I pray that Christ's beauty will inspire us and want to represent Him as the body of the redeemed and converted. Grace and peace to you “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Colossians 1:1-2 Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:1-2 What god is like our God? Other gods demand, want and ask for things, but our God gives freely in Jesus Christ. Paul and Timothy send the saints in Colosse greetings from God with grace and peace. We think for a moment when the Angel of the Lord brought God's good news to Gideon. In Judges 6, we read how Gideon was filled with fear when the Angel of the Lord brought the sign of fire and disappeared. Then God told him, "Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die." When John meets Jesus, as we read in Revelation 1, he falls, but Jesus says, "Don't be afraid." When the Father comes to His own, in this case by letter, through the Word, that is, Jesus by the pen of Paul and Timothy, He comes in the grace and peace He provides. He puts us at ease, though we know our guilt, which causes us to fear before a holy God. "Grace and peace," He says. Who is a god like ours? There is no other! Why do we deserve this shalom? We don't, of course, but, that the Father has sent the Son to make atonement on the cross for our sins. With that grace, the letter is full of faith, love, hope, challenge and even rebuke. He is the Lord our God Who has brought us out of the bondage of our sin. Let us not forget to give Him the glory for this freedom! Canadians celebrate Canada Day today. Let us glorify God for the shalom (peace) that Canada is still able to celebrate and pray for those who long to have God’s shalom in their country. Suggestion for prayer Thank God for the freedom still enjoyed in North America and in other countries. Pray for a tremendous outpouring of grace and peace throughout the world and give God the glory due to His name. Pastor Al Bezuyen is married to Sanya and has been blessed with six children and two grandchildren. He is a Mid-America Reformed Seminary graduate serving at the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 30 - Jesus with thy church abide

“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 Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” - Jude 24–25 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 13:23-30 This is no “happily ever after” ending. The joy of chapter 12 would be a fine ending to the book of Nehemiah, but the Christian life is full of ups and downs until the day when Christ returns. You might have made changes in your life and progress in spiritual growth, but there are still areas that need work. Nehemiah comes back and sees areas of compromise, and he is quick to act. While I would never recommend Nehemiah’s example of hair-pulling and beating, his actions were not out of line with that time. Hair-pulling was an act of humiliation. People needed to see the wrong in mixed marriages and the need to live and raise their children in the ways of God. They must not lose their identity as God’s people. Careless of their spiritual future, people today want to live a life that suits them. We need correction to seek our life and blessing in what the Lord gives, not in chasing our dreams. Nehemiah corrected the people and he prayed. His ministry is coming to a close – and he kept on praying. When we go to church and the Word of God corrects us and makes us uncomfortable, give thanks. Let it correct us and bring us to seek our blessing and our peace in the Lord Jesus. What hope do we have against the enemies of our sin, the world, and the devil? The battle continues on. We have a sure and perfect hope as we cling to Christ Jesus our Lord. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the church and her members. “Jesus, with Thy church abide; be her Saviour, Lord, and Guide, while on earth her faith is tried: we beseech Thee, hear us.” Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 29 - Sickening compromise

“They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”” - Jude 18 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 13:3-22 Compromise, compromise, compromise. When someone thinks they don’t really need to apply the Word of God to their life, there is something sick and wrong. They are not walking in the truth and then the next generation will not learn the truth. Tobiah the Ammonite should not have been allowed in the temple courts. J.I. Packer writes, “Tobiah was a worldly-wise formalist and pragmatist; he would not let his faith affect his personal or professional life.” We see these types in the world. They bring Satan’s lies, telling us not to trust God’s Word, but to follow what we feel in the moment. Perhaps you have friends, co-workers, teachers, or family members that don’t care about following God and instead pressure you to compromise? Don’t give them a place of influence, lest they lead you to be like them. More compromise. Israel neglected the house of God and was failing to honour the Sabbath. Thankfully, Nehemiah had zero tolerance for this sort of compromise. If our faith is healthy, we will seek first the Kingdom of God and seek to obey God’s Word above all. We are prone to forget and misplace our priorities, and the work of turning from sin and living for God is never done. Thank the Lord that He sent servants like Nehemiah to show us our wrong. Thank the Lord that He sent Christ, Who shows us we are sick, and offers the cure we need through His blood which atones for our sin and His Spirit which makes us new. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks to God for those who have the love and courage to correct you when needed. Ask God to help you love holiness more than your own pleasures. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 28 - Definite conversion

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” - Romans 12:11 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 13:1-3, Deuteronomy 23:3-8 Being converted to God means we must both embrace what is good and reject what is bad. Some people have an easy time singing in the choir, but they have a hard time putting away wicked and greedy habits. The law of God makes clear that we cannot serve two masters or hold two identities. The law of God commanded the Israelites to live distinct from the Moabites and the Ammonites because the Moabites and Ammonites had despised God and His Word. They would lead Israel down a path of constant compromise. So, with trust and obedience to the Word of God, the Israelites exclude those of foreign descent. Now this does not mean everyone with foreign descent would be excluded. The most famous Moabite was a woman named Ruth. She renounced her old ways, came into Israel, and was honoured with being one of the mothers of Christ. Those who renounce the foreign identity and fully embrace the identity of the people of Israel could stay – of course they could. However, those who wanted to be both the people of God and also of the people of the world, they had to go. Conversion means a clear turning from the old ways. We cannot love and pursue sin, while also calling ourselves part of the holy people of God. Our devotion to the Lord includes separating ourselves from compromise and from those who push us toward compromise. Our identity must be firmly and fully in Christ Jesus. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to help you to identify things in your life that push you to compromise. Pray for the Lord to help you persistently turn away from sin and toward thankful obedience. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 27 - Sing Choirs of new Jerusalem

“And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” - Nehemiah 12:43 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 12:31-47 Sometimes on a Sunday, I will briefly stop singing and take in the words being sung by people in the pews. It warms my heart. Singing is often connected with God’s great works. There will be singing in heaven. When the apostle John had a vision in Revelation 15, the saints in heaven were singing the song of Moses. Song is a natural response to the work of God in our hearts and lives. This occasion in Nehemiah was like none other. Two great choirs were trained and ready. Starting at the bottom of the city, one choir went one way on the wall around the city, and the other the opposite way. They encircled the city, singing of God’s mercies and faithfulness, perhaps Psalm 48 or 122. Those in the city would hear voices echo back and forth until they met in the Temple Courts for the final stanzas of praise. Amazing! Glorious! The city was filled with song, sounding out from Mount Zion and was heard far away. Remember the disgrace recorded in chapter 1 that caused Nehemiah to weep? A generation prior, the book of Ezra records a mixture of joy and weeping that could be heard far away (Ezra 3:13). Now there are shouts of great rejoicing. They could not sing this way in a foreign land; they did much weeping over the years. But now they rejoice in song. God promises this to us. You might go out weeping, but wait on the Lord, and you will return with songs of joy. Suggestions for prayer Pray for those going through dark times where songs of praise are difficult. Pray for the Lord’s ongoing work in your heart, that your heart may be tuned to sing His praise and long for the glories of the New Jerusalem. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 26 - Preparing for worship

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17–18 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 12:27-30 The walls are complete. The people of Israel are ready to praise the Lord with a celebration. But first, both the people and the walls were purified. The only way we can offer acceptable worship to God is through the cleansing He gives. The Israelites had cleansing ceremonies which steadily reminded them (and we must know this too) that our sin creates a barrier between God and His people. On this day, the walls were purified. The walls cannot save them, only the Lord can. The ceremony was like a statement saying, “May it please the Lord to use these walls for His purpose of preserving His people and for proper worship.” We remember that these walls were not built by experts; they reused old stones blackened by the fires. The walls carried marks, which were like scars reminding Israel of their foolish past. Only by the cleansing of God do they become worthy of God. Think about the things the Lord has done for you. And think of all the mistakes in your own past. Are there things in your life that remind you of the times you failed to trust God and rebelled against His Word? That is real, isn’t it? But there is cleansing. We can belong to the Lord and be worthy of bringing worship to God though the cleansing and renewal given in Jesus Christ. May we daily seek our life in Christ Jesus. Suggestions for prayer Confess your recent sins and the sins you have not wanted to confess. Repent and ask the Lord to cleanse you from your sin, that you may offer to God worship that is pleasing to Him. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 25 - From one generation to the next

“The Lord records as he registers the peoples, “This one was born there.”” - Psalm 87:6 “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” - 1 Corinthians 12:18 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 12:1-26 It’s time to test your commitment to reading the assigned Scripture. Did you read through the names that God placed in His Word? What about yesterday? The Bible often has lists and genealogies, and it takes a special patience to read through them. Especially when many of the names are the same from one chapter to the next. While I admit that I don’t love reading out loud the lists of names, I do love the fact that they are there. I am comforted by such lists for two wonderful reasons. First, God knows them by name, and He gives them a place in His kingdom. Each of these names and clans have registered and seek to serve. We see this in the church as well. The church is not some mishmash of spare parts. We might wonder at times what the Lord is doing, but God is at work bringing together a congregation and each part, like every one of our body parts has a place and a role. Second, in these lists we notice that family lines are traced. We see the faith of fathers handed down to the children. Parents raised their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord, and the children embraced it. This list is, in part, the fruit of the prayers of a mother praying for her rebellious child and of a father teaching his children what the Scriptures and the covenant means. Through ordinary families and relationships the Lord works, restoring a people for the glory of God. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord that He knows you by name and for the place He has for you in His Kingdom. Ask the Lord to restore the wayward and bring in others who previously did not know Him, that by many more the Lord may be praised. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 24 - Gathered by the Lord

“Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns.” - Nehemiah 11:1 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 11:1-36 In chapter 7, we were told that the walls were built, yet the city was empty. The city must be filled, but who will go? The people cast lots, and 1 of 10 would go. Imagine this: for every person there was a 10% chance that they would pack up and move to a vacant lot in Jerusalem. Not easy. Jerusalem had walls, but the city was despised by many neighbours. Many people had been putting down roots in their villages. They would have to leave neighbours they trust, vineyards they built, and family nearby. A move involves sacrifice. But they know their faith, hope and future are in the Lord. They will not neglect the temple. Why were lots used? Because while not everyone needed to move, the responsibility was on them all. We read in verse 2 that those selected went willingly with the blessing of the people. What do we see here? The temple will not be neglected, and the ministry of knowing and worshipping God will be supported. For us today, the time of the temple has been fulfilled. Now the Spirit goes out, and each believer is a temple. The church is the hub of God’s work. Today the calling of every believer is to be a prophet, priest, and king in this world. This means we don’t value our location or vocation above the work of God. Those things are temporary and God’s work is eternal. May we see how the Lord Jesus is gathering us and may we serve Him joyfully. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord that you can belong to Him and to the body of believers. Ask the Lord to help you live more and more attached to Him and His work and not to the temporary things of this world. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 23 - O Jesus I have promised

“Join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes.” - Nehemiah 10:29 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 10:1-23 If the Lord is our King and He has graciously brought us into His kingdom, then it is only right that we aim to walk in His ways. As Israel learned their history and their identity as covenant people, they realized that they needed to make a commitment. That commitment had to show itself with particular action. It showed in who they married, how they observed the Sabbath, and in how they handled their money. Some call this legalism. But legalism is when we think that what we do causes us to be accepted by God. Israel had learned that the joy of the Lord was their strength. God did love them, and now they wanted to respond in love. What about us? Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Do we recognize the call to action? Looking at the vows Israel made, we notice these are commitments that affect relationships and spending habits – sensitive stuff. A young guy is dating a girl, and she is really nice and funny and they get along great, but he has to break it off because she does not fear God. Business opportunities come, but they are turned down because they involve work on the Sabbath. These things can be difficult. But we need to trust in the Lord. But failing to follow God’s Word brings trouble. Let us seek to always go where God leads, knowing that one day we will receive an inheritance from the Father’s mighty hand. Suggestions for prayer Pray that the Lord helps you to renew your commitment to Him. Ask the Lord to expose areas of weakness and to help you to treasure Him above all. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 22 - The peace of knowing who we are

“And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” - Luke 23:41 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 9:33-38 This long confession of sin by the Israelites in Nehemiah 9 has so much to teach us about a relationship with God and trusting God in this life. When we know our good God and know our own ugly sin, can we still trust God, even when He allows trouble and hardship for us? The Israelites knew the horrors of war; many lost grandparents, aunts and uncles and grew up with deep wounds due to the exile into Babylon. When we face such things the temptation is to be bitter and to grumble. But notice their confession in verse 33: “Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully, and we have acted wickedly.” There is neither entitlement nor anger against God, but trust. God was mercifully working in this. What we need is for the Lord to help us be at peace in our situations and to trust His mercy going forward. What do we do when we feel we have been wronged, when we feel we are not getting a fair deal, when we suspect God does not care about us and our situation? Remember who we are and who our God is. Don’t judge God by our perceptions and feelings. Rather, trust God. He is holy. This means God is not sloppy in the ways He cares for His children; God does not put His children through trials for no reason. God is good and wise, and we are like restless children. When we are still and know He is our God, we can have peace. Suggestions for prayer Pray for peace in your own heart. Take time also to pray for people around you who have faced serious hardships, that they may continue to trust God. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 21 - The assurance of knowing who we are

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” - Hebrews 4:16 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 9:9-32 “We have been through a lot together.” A 90 year-old man told me about his deceased brother. They lived through the war in the Netherlands; they served together in the Dutch army, moved to Canada and started a business together. A great history can tell a lot about a relationship. The Israelites were rebuilding their identity as the people of God, and in doing so they had learned that they have been through a lot together; or rather, God had brought them through a lot. This gave them assurance. Look back at the past, look at what happened when the people sinned and at what happened when they sought the Lord. And why was God merciful? Because He is righteous; because He is faithful to Himself. God in His mercy punished, but did not destroy His people. In relentless mercy, God sent His Son to bear the punishment that we deserve, so that through faith in Jesus we can confidently lay claim to God and the promises He gives to His children. Galatians 3:7 says that it is those of faith who are sons of Abraham. This means by believing in God and His promises; this is our history too. Let us learn and recall and retell the old stories. May our prayers reflect this understanding and our faith be assured. Though we have come through many dangers and have frequently wandered, in Christ, we can boldly approach the throne. God would no sooner deny us than He would deny His own Son – Great is His faithfulness! Suggestions for prayer Pray that your faith may be strengthened by understanding that God will comfort you with the knowledge that you belong to Him, because He has been merciful. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 20 - The humility of knowing who we are

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” - Romans 7:18a Scripture reading: Nehemiah 9:1-8 When the law was read in chapter 8, the people were told not to weep. Then the Feast of Booths was celebrated with much joy. It is vital for God’s people to rejoice in what the Lord is doing. But even the believer who is assured of God’s love needs to be keenly aware of his sin, own that sin, and confess it to God. The law is read. Then for three hours the people confess their sin and worship God. How can confession and worship go together? Wouldn’t the confession discourage them and leave them feeling worthless? No, not when they remember who they are in the Lord. Confession and worship go together when we honestly confess our sin, knowing the goodness of God that triumphs over our sin. The Bible teaches us to confess our unworthiness and God’s worthiness. Confess our pathetic foolishness and God’s patient faithfulness. Confess how we wandered and how God pursued us. Yes, we have sinned, but we praise God for He is righteous. The Israelites found comfort in the lamb that was offered for their sin. That lamb points to Jesus who was offered that our sins may be removed. It is humbling to think of our sin and of Jesus suffering on the cross to remove our sin and guilt. But we worship, for this is the working of the grace of God. Like Romans 7 ends and Romans 8 begins, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ…. …there is therefore now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Suggestions for prayer Spend some time confessing sin in your heart and life; then as you consider God’s grace (in prayer or song), praise God for His amazing love. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 19 - The joy of knowing who we are

“And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing.” - Nehemiah 8:17 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 8:13-18, Leviticus 23:39-43 Does your family have any summer traditions? My parents got married in July and went camping for their honeymoon. When I was young, every July our family would go camping, and now I make it a priority to take my family camping each summer. Wonderful memories are made. The Feast of Booths was about much more than a family tradition or a break from work. The feast had been forgotten, but now it would be revived to teach and connect the people with their God and His care for them. They would stay in the booths to remember that their God provided for their fathers in the wilderness for 40 years. During the feast, they would spend time with friends and family, feasting, learning the stories of how God cared for His people and that this is theirGod who is strong and mighty and faithful. This is our God, too. We are still pilgrims, travellers, passing through this world, looking forward to the New Jerusalem to come. We still look to our God to provide for us all we need in the wilderness of life. This is what Jesus taught. When it was the Feast of Booths and the people were thinking of how God, through Moses, brought water from the rock, then Jesus declared in a loud voice, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” God has provided for His people. He continues to provide for His people, and will provide for us until our weary days are done and we are home. Rejoice in this! Suggestions for prayer Ask God to make you keenly aware of His past, present and future care for you. Pray that God will give you joy, even on the days you feel weary and alone. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 18 - The joy of the Lord is your strength

“You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.” - Isaiah 62:4 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 8:1-12 If chapter 3 is my very favourite, then chapter 8 is my second. The wall is done. Fathers are coming back to the city with their families. They are not coming to admire the walls, but to listen to the law of God. Old Ezra, the faithful priest, is brought before the huge gathering, and he reads the law. I picture Ezra reading a section of Deuteronomy, and the leaders of the people meeting with families and small groups, answering questions and ensuring they understand. And then another section is read. All day they read and learn from the law. The law convicted the people. They knew they were sinners and worthy of punishment. They weep, but they are told not to weep. The law is wrapped in grace. Remember the great work which God has begun - the law was not read to condemn the people, but to teach them to live as those who have received God’s love. They are told, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” That changes things! What does it mean that God delights in you and that he joyfully invests in you? Hebrews 12:2 tells us that for the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross. This means, in spite of our sin, we are not a pain to God. Yes, God delights in dwelling with us and working in our lives. And so may that be our strength. How can we apply the law of God? What is our motivation? It is knowing God loved us first. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for what He has done in the past and for patiently teaching us His ways. Ask the Lord to help you understand His Word and apply it daily. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 17 - To glorify God

“And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”; for the Most High himself will establish her.” - Psalm 87:5–6 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 6:17-7:73 The walls were not for show. Gatekeepers were charged to keep corruption and compromise out. In our lives, too, we need to stand firm against corruption and compromise. But that is not the end. The goal is that sinners may worship God. But how does one know they really can dwell in the city where God makes His name to dwell and where they worship God at the temple? I have known people who are happy to come on a Saturday and help with church cleaning or to serve at a soup kitchen, but they feel they can’t come into the sanctuary on a Sunday and worship with God’s people. To encourage the people that this is indeed their city too, Nehemiah pulls out the records of genealogy that had been recorded years before (compare with Ezra 2). As family names are read, the people are reminded this is about more than a wall; they have been brought back from exile so that they may worship God. The list of names reminds the people that this is part of the inheritance promised to them, and they have a calling to live as those who belong to the city of Jerusalem and the work of God. What happens when you think of what God has done in your life? What people and events came together so that you came to know the Lord? Let this encourage you that God is indeed at work in your life and calling you to live a life that worships Him. Suggestions for prayer Ask the Lord to fill your heart with thankful praise. Pray that as we turn from sin, we give more and more glory to God. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 16 - A refuge of worship

“So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” - Nehemiah 6:15–16 Scripture reading: Psalm 48:1-14 The wall was up! It took just over seven weeks. Long weeks enduring opposition and strife of all sorts, but they persevered and suddenly the walls were raised. Remember Sanballat saying they would never do it? Remember Tobiah saying that when a fox climbs on the wall it will crumble? Reflect and see: this is the work of God done with the help of God. We think of the church today, too; how many despise the church and mock the church. Maybe people say you are a fool for going to church, or they say your church is a joke because people sing off-key, or you don’t have nice programs, and certain people are not very polished. Take comfort. Since the beginning, God’s work has been ridiculed and persecuted. But this is God’s work. Do you see the goodness? Today you might be tempted to dwell on the trouble that the church faces. I encourage you to think about this as the beautiful work of God and a place where God meets with His people. In the New Testament the church is called the bride of Christ. She is despised by the world, but to God she is cherished and beautiful. Not because she is so amazing in herself, but because God bought her with Jesus’ blood. See this and joyfully serve the Lord, and in the end the enemies will see, and they will fear and one day bow before Christ. (Heads up: Tomorrow’s Scripture reading is a long one. If you are typically rushed on a Monday, take some time to read chapter 7 today). Suggestions for prayer Consider where God has been at work in your life and in the church, and praise God. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the good things He has done. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 15 - What if God’s servant lies?

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - 1 John 4:1 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 6:10-14, Psalm 31 If the only thing Nehemiah fears is the Lord, then why not pay a prophet to lead Nehemiah astray? This was the new strategy to bring Nehemiah to ruin. If he would go into the temple, he would sin against God, he would lose the support of the people, and he would no longer be able to lead. And what a good strategy. Nehemiah did not know Shemaiah was paid to mislead him. These verses remind us to know the law of God and to test all other words against it. On the surface the advice seems good and wise. One might say that it is better to go into the temple than to die. But Nehemiah knew that what Shemaiah told him was against God’s Word. I have heard ministers and elders give terrible advice. Essentially, they told certain young people that holiness does not matter, and that they may sin that grace may abound. Bible teachers in schools and colleges have advised their students to ignore the Word of God and go by what the world says instead. This advice, if followed, would lead people to eternal condemnation in hell. This is serious stuff. This is why Nehemiah prays, placing his opponents and the false prophets into the hands of God. Again, we are reminded to look to the Lord and lean on the Lord, trusting our troubles to Him. The refuge we need is in the Lord. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the goodness of His Word. Pray for preachers and teachers of God’s Word, that they will never compromise in their calling. Pray for wisdom and discernment to tell the difference between true and false prophets. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 14 - Conspiracy!

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” - Psalm 144:1 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 6:1-9 Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Doing the work of the Lord and fighting sin is good, sweet and satisfying. Yet, it is not without trouble and opposition. The book of Nehemiah makes this plain. Nehemiah was following God’s lead every step of the way, and yet it seems that every step of the way there was opposition and trouble of one sort or another. Here comes the three malicious opponents to the work. They flatter Nehemiah by inviting him to an important meeting. But Nehemiah knows they want to harm him, so he deflects the enticement. Then they shift strategies and claim Nehemiah is building the wall in defiance to Persia and wants to make himself king. This is all a lie. Have you ever been accused of having wicked motives for doing something good? The intent of the accusation was to make Nehemiah afraid to do what is right. They will make him fear he is doing something wrong, and fear facing the wrath of King Artaxerxes. It is in these times we need to know that we answer first to God. Fear the Lord, not people nor mobs! Looking to the Lord, Nehemiah is able to call the bluff and press on with the work. And how does he do that? Again, by coming to God in prayer. We are so weak, we are vulnerable and we often fear the worst. But our God is a rock, and in Him we are strengthened. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Lord for the victory He has already won for us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Pray for strength as you battle the three enemies of the world, our own flesh, and the devil. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....

Daily devotional

June 13 - Grace-filled leadership

“And whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:27–28 Scripture reading: Nehemiah 5:14-19 There are many politicians who don’t have a generous bone in them, and yet they speak loudly on the need for the rich to share. We sense their hypocrisy and are outraged. It happens in homes too. If a father demands his children always tell the truth, but lies to save himself trouble – it is a shame. Now, no human leader is perfect, but we should expect leaders, husbands, elders and politicians to be examples. We see that in Nehemiah. These verses look at over 10 years of his role, and we notice a few things. First, Nehemiah refused to be a burden. He could have placed a tax on the people for food for himself and his servants. But he did not need it, so he didn’t ask. Second, he regularly fed and served others. From his own supply he showed hospitality to those in need. Nehemiah was keenly aware of the burden that was on them and laboured to support them. In this we see the ministry of Christ. He was rich beyond splendour and because of His love for lost sinners like us, He became poor. King of kings, Jesus came to serve. Do we recognize this service? Do we know that in following Jesus we carry a burden that is light? Jesus is the Good King that we need. And knowing this, then we are able to show grace to others and bless those weighed down and in need. We can focus less on serving ourselves and more on serving those around us. Suggestions for prayer Give thanks for the Good King you have in Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to look upon you with favour and bless the good you have done for those around us. Rev. Simon Lievaart currently serves Bethel United Reformed Church of Smithers BC. Prior to this, he served the United Reformed Church in Doon, IA. Rev. Lievaart grew up in southern Alberta, attended Redeemer University College and Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com....