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Search TAG: Nearer to God daily devotional

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Daily devotional

September 29 - Jesus, the only way

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” - John 14:6 Scripture readi...
Daily devotional

September 28 - Heart smart

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” - Proverbs 21:2 Scripture reading: Proverbs 21:2; Proverbs 3:5-6 ...
Daily devotional

September 27 - Deep sea fishing

“The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” - Proverbs 20:5 Scripture readings: Proverbs ...
Daily devotional

September 26 - Gossip

“The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” - Proverbs 18:8 Scripture readings: Prove...
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Daily devotional

September 25 - The fear of the Lord, the fear of man (part 2)

“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe... The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” - Proverbs 29:25; 14:27 Scripture readings: Proverbs 29:25; 14:27; Mark 4:35-41 Violent waves crashed over the boat, swamping it. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep. The disciples screamed, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38b). Jesus said, “Peace! Be still!” The storm stopped. Yet they were more afraid, not less. “They were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:41). The fear of the LORD replaced their fear of the storm. The fear of the LORD overcomes the fear of man. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27). The fear of the LORD is deep, trembling reverence. You do not make light of this God! The fear of the LORD is awe, trust and love. He is Almighty God. He is also our Faithful Father in Christ. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25). Oh how I fear Thee, living God, with deepest, tenderest fears; And worship Thee with trembling hope and penitential tears. Yet I may love Thee too, O Lord, Almighty as Thou art; For Thou hast stooped to ask of me the love of my poor heart. No earthly father loves like Thee, no mother, half so mild, Bears and forbears as Thou hast done with me, Thy sinful child. * *My God, How Wonderful Thou Art, 2-4. Frederick W. Faber. Suggestions for prayer Read or sing the words of “My God, How Wonderful Thou Art” as your prayer today.  Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 24 - The fear of the Lord, the fear of man (part 1)

“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe... The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” - Proverbs 29:25; 14:27 Scripture readings: Proverbs 29:25; 14:27 Dr. Ed Welch has written a book called “When People Are Big and God is Small.” What a great description of “the fear of man!” When you look at others through binoculars, they look enormous. You magnify them to appear bigger than they are. We do this when we magnify the power of certain people over God to give us the love and approval we crave. We will sin against God rather than risk their disapproval. We become people-pleasers, controlled by others. We also do this when we believe that people who dislike, oppose or hurt us have more power than God over us. They and their power loom large in our hearts, crippling us with anxiety. We are willing to sin to appease them. “The fear of man lays a snare” (Proverbs 29:25a). When you look through the wrong end of binoculars, everything looks smaller and further away. When gripped by the fear of man, we look at God through the wrong end of binoculars. He seems small and far away. Others are big and God is small in our hearts. As you worship today, ask God to flip your binoculars and redirect them upward. As we magnify Him, He delivers us from the fear of man. “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalm 34:3). “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27). Suggestions for prayer Ask God to meet you in worship today to deliver you from the fear of man. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 23 - Wisdom about companions (part 2)

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” - Proverbs 18:24 Scripture readings: Proverbs 18:24; John 15:12-17 We use the word ‘friend’ loosely today. Our friends are often acquaintances. We know and enjoy them on a casual basis. We share common interests, enjoy game nights and movie nights with them, or play sports together. Usually, however, such friends are not tuned in to our innermost fears, sins, struggles and hopes. For this reason, they are unable to pray for us and support us when our lives begin to unravel. “A man of many companions may come to ruin” (Proverbs 18:24a). He is surrounded by companions, yet none of them are close enough to warn him of danger or throw him a lifeline. “But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24b). A brother is expected to be loyal, to be there for his siblings. In that case, a friend who sticks closer than a brother is a rare gem! When life unravels, people are often surprised at who that friend proves to be. It is the person who shows up and stays when companions back away. We need friends like this so that we will not come to ruin. We need to be friends like that. Ultimately, Jesus is that friend. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends...” (John 15:13-14a). “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!” (Joseph Scriven). Suggestions for prayer Thank Jesus for being the Friend of Proverbs 18:24. Ask Him to help you be such a friend to someone else. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 22 - Wisdom about companions (part 1)

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” - Proverbs 13:20 Scripture readings: Proverbs 13:20; 1 John 1:5-7 When we moved from Winnipeg to Chicagoland, I was determined not to speak like a U.S. Midwesterner. As a Canadian, I would forever put on my ‘sawks’ in the morning, not my ‘sacks’. I would cling to my pronunciations of house and mouse. Over time, however, I have absorbed some Midwest-speak. Immerse yourself in a culture and you will start to sound like them. The same is true with the primary community of people you immerse yourself in. They will rub off on you, for good or for ill. “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise” (Proverbs 13:20a). We must walk humbly with our God, the Source of wisdom. We must walk with Jesus Christ in faith, hope and love, to become like Him. We must walk with others who belong to Christ, especially in marriage. That does not mean we cannot reach out to or befriend those who do not share our faith. However, we should not find our primary community among them. To walk with the wise, you must discern who is wise. The more you know God, the more you will recognize those who resemble Him. The more you study wise character and conduct in Proverbs, the more you will spot it in others. Tragically, “the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20b). Perhaps you have witnessed this reality or lived it yourself. If you are a companion of fools, you can still turn to Christ, trust Him and begin to walk with Him. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the gift of godly community. Ask Him for discernment when choosing companions. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 21 - Talk and toil

“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” - Proverbs 14:23 Scripture readings: Proverbs 14:23; Isaiah 55:10-11 “You’re a big talker.” That describes the person who always tells you what he is going to do, but never gets around to doing it. He says, “I’m going to start my own landscaping company” but turns down a summer landscaping job to sit around. She says, “I’m going to run a marathon for charity,” but never gets up early to run. They pledge to meet weekly for prayer, but two-thirds of the group peels off after two weeks. “Mere talk tends only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23b). If you only talk about the great job you’re going to get, but never actually go out and get one, you will remain penniless. In addition, if you never put feet to your ideas, they will remain fruitless. However, “in all toil there is profit” (Proverbs 14:23a). A teenager lands a summer landscaping job. Eventually, he starts his own business. A young woman starts running three miles three times a week. Eventually she runs a marathon, raising $10,000 for missions. A small group meets consistently to pray for conversions in the church and community. The Holy Spirit begins to change hearts. The proverb does not say “talk tends only to poverty”, but “mere talk tends only to poverty. Deeds begin with dreams. Initiatives begin with ideas. Above all, God is not a “big talker.” Isaiah 55:10-11 alerts us that His words give birth to life-giving works. We see this especially in the redemptive words and works of our Lord Jesus. Suggestions for Prayer Thank God that His life-giving words produce life-giving results. Ask Him to help you walk your talk. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 20 - Watch your mouth (part 2)

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” - Proverbs 15:1 Scripture readings: Proverbs 15:1; 1 Kings 12:1-15 I was in a public space, chatting with several people I did not know. Initially, they were friendly with me and each other. Then one of them made a comment about covid vaccines. The other responded with a snide remark. The first escalated with an insult. Suddenly, they were yelling insults and obscenities at one another. I tried to intervene, without success. “A harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1b). We have all fallen into this, even if not as dramatically as the two people above. Someone tells you to stop chewing with your mouth open. Annoyed, you tell her to leave the room if she doesn’t like it. She calls you a slob. You call her a control-freak. Soon, the words ‘always’ and ‘never’ get used and a host of past grievances surface. However, “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1a). This truth is so wise and so simple, yet so easily goes out the window when we get angry. When someone’s words leave you irritated or defensive, pause and count to ten. Use that time to pray briefly and silently for wisdom, grace and self-control. That prayerful pause increases the likelihood that your response will defuse anger. Consider King Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12. His subjects approached him, exasperated by high taxes. His father’s advisors recommended a soft answer that would have turned away their wrath. His peers, however, advised him to respond harshly. This escalated into a full-blown rebellion that split the nation. Suggestions for prayer Pray for the love and wisdom necessary to turn away wrath rather than to stir up anger. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 19 - Watch your mouth (part 1)

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” - Proverbs 12:18 Scripture readings: Proverbs 12:18; Ephesians 4:29 There’s an old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That’s not what Scripture tells us. “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts” (Proverbs 12:18a). We have all done it when we are angry. We use our tongues like a weapon, hacking and slashing. Or we direct our words, like a scalpel, with cold, calculated precision, to cut where it hurts most. This is true of our cyber-tongues on social media as well. Once the words are out, you can’t take them back. James reminds us, “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God” (James 3:8-9). However, we can humble ourselves before God and others and confess our reckless words. The blood of Jesus washes away our guilt and God forgives us. His Spirit within can tame our tongues. “The tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18b). Maybe you have experienced the joy of saying something that encouraged or comforted another person. Maybe someone else’s words have restored you. Above all, Jesus speaks to us in the gospel with life-giving, healing power. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His life-giving speech. Ask Him to sanctify your mouth. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 18 - Thoughts on wealth and poverty

“A rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.” - Proverbs 10:15 Scripture readings: Proverbs 10:15; 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Proverbs 10:15 is descriptive, not prescriptive. It is an observation about what it is like to be rich and poor in our world. Wisdom begins with awareness, leading to reflection, leading to wise action. “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city” (Proverbs 10:15a). When you are a middle or upper-class person, your money buys a lot. It buys you the best education. It buys you better healthcare. It buys you a home in a more secure neighbourhood. It buys you a better lawyer when you need one. It buys church buildings, programs and theological training. It buys provision for old age. When we have money, we don’t think about how much it does for us. When we inhabit middle or upper-class communities, we also don’t think about how “the poverty of the poor is their ruin” (Proverbs 10:15b). This proverb invites us to do so. It invites us to step into the lives and world of the poor, invite God to shatter our simplistic assumptions about them and consider what it looks like to embody the gospel among them. This proverb also alerts us that we probably trust in our money over God more than we realize. “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 3:17). Let us acknowledge God as the Source of our wealth. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for His material blessings. Ask Him to open your eyes and heart to the plight of the poor. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 17 - Wisdom, folly, and sin

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” - Proverbs 28:13 Scripture readings: Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:5-10 It is not just wrong to cover up your sin. It is also foolish. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper” (Proverbs 28:13). The word ‘prosper’ also means ‘succeed’. It does not work to cover up sins but makes it worse. Suppressing guilt injures you, body and soul. “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4). You cannot hide your sin from God. “Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man!” (Proverbs 15:11). You need not hide your sin from God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Praise the Lord! It is not just right to confess your sin. It is also wise. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). David testified, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). As you prepare your heart to worship with God’s people today, confess your sins to the Lord and know that your sins are forgiven. Ask the Holy Spirit to write the gospel on your heart. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the gospel of forgiveness in Christ. Ask for humility, conviction and courage to confess your sins. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 16 - Check your heart (part 2)

“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences.” - Proverbs 10:12 Scripture readings: Proverbs 10:12; Proverbs 19:11 “Love covers all offences” (Proverbs 10:12b) does not justify sinful cover-ups. It is sinful to be a judgmental faultfinder who wants to pick fights. It is just as sinful to ignore or cover up the sins of others, based on misguided love and loyalty (see Proverbs 28:13). “Love covers all offences” tells us that the posture of love is patient and gracious, not nit-picky or quick to take offence. “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offence” (Proverbs 19:11). If we make an issue of everything about others that we find irritating, flawed, or mildly offensive, we will be impossible to live with. If others relate to us this way, we will always walk on eggshells. You ask someone a question and the answer comes back slightly snarky. You realize this person is stressed out or having a bad day, so you overlook her response and ask how she is doing instead. In addition, love doesn’t bring up past offences when they’ve been addressed, forgiven and buried (see Proverbs 17:9). This is what “Love covers all offences” means. But love goes further. The word ‘covers’ is also found in Psalm 32:1. “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” God loves us so much that He covers our sin when we confess it. It cost Him the precious blood of His Son to do so. When we love others, we desire the same for them. Suggestions for prayer Thank God for covering your offences. Ask Him to help you overlook and forgive the offences of others. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 15 - Check you heart (part 1)

“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences.” - Proverbs 10:12 Scripture readings: Proverbs 10:12; Mark 7:20-23 Proverbs 10:12 contrasts two behaviours. Hatred drives the one. Love motivates the other. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences.” This verse is a diagnostic tool. It helps us to discern, based on symptoms, what is going on in the heart – yours or someone else’s. This requires discernment. Sometimes a person who desires to address and resolve an issue is accused of picking a fight. He might be a biblical peacemaker whose end goal is peace. Those who accuse him might be “peace-fakers” who want to ignore the issue. One who “stirs up strife” is different. He is driven not by a loving desire for peace, but by a fleshly desire to be right, to win a fight and to sit as judge with moral authority over others. He tells himself and others that he is fighting for truth, righteousness or reformed orthodoxy. A discerning observer will realize, however, that strife follows him wherever he goes. We all do well to check our hearts when we find ourselves in conflict. Is our goal to glorify God and pursue peace? Or are we driven by a hateful need in the heart to win a fight, to be right or to lord it over others as their judge? We do well to pray Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Suggestions for prayer Ask God to show you whether your heart in a conflict aims to pursue peace or stir up strife. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 14 - Make hay while the sun shines

“He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” - Proverbs 10:5 Scripture readings: Proverbs 10:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 A farmer mows his hayfield. The cut hay must dry before it can be baled and stored. But when it is dry and the sun is high in the sky (Sundays excepted!), you must seize the day and bale the hay. “Make hay while the sun shines.” I remember the haying season as long days, slugging bales by hand under a hot sun, as dust and chaff coated our sweaty skin. Yes, I’m whining, just like I did then. But no one ever said, “It’s too hot. Let’s go to the beach.” That would have been foolish, especially if there was rain in the forecast. Proverbs 10:5 says something similar. Bring in your crops when they are ready. Do not put off till tomorrow what you should do today. That is procrastination. I was a procrastinator in college and seminary. I submitted assignments late and asked for extensions. Then I became a preacher. Sundays came every seven days. I could not ask for an extension. “Can I preach on Monday instead?” My first year was a rough and necessary time of correction. What if you put off dealing with a difficult issue in a relationship with someone? What if you put off seeing a doctor when something might be wrong? What if you put off spending time with your children or instructing them in the fear of the LORD? What if you put off defining where you stand in relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Make hay while the sun shines. Suggestions for prayer Ask God for wisdom to recognize and seize the opportunities He gives you and to make wise use of your time. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 13 - Laziness and diligence (part 2)

“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” - Proverbs 10:4 Scripture readings: Proverbs 10:4; Colossians 3:23-24 Proverbs 10:4 contrasts laziness and diligence. Laziness is the avoidance of the effort necessary to accomplish a goal. Diligence, however, is the application of the effort necessary to accomplish a goal. “The hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4b). A diligent person applies himself at work. He embraces work as part of God’s wise design for human thriving. He knows that hard work will help him grow, earn the trust of those he works for, and help him advance in the workplace or expand his business. A diligent person knows that if she focuses on her studies, her study habits and learning will develop her character and competence for her next chapter in life. The diligent person is willing to work hard to repair a relationship. She knows that active listening and Christlike communication will not be easy, but they are worth it. The diligent person understands that spiritual growth in communion with God requires gospel-driven effort. Diligent people sometimes lose their focus or slide into discouragement. Isaiah 49:4 prophesies of Jesus, “But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense is with my God’.” Christ’s diligence produced the salvation of all who repent and believe in Him! “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Suggestions for prayer Thank Jesus for His diligence in our place. Ask God for the faith and discipline to be diligent. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 12 - Laziness and diligence (part 1)

“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” - Proverbs 10:4 Scripture readings: Proverbs 10:4; Galatians 6:6-9 Proverbs 10:4 presents a sharp, two-line contrast between the way of laziness and the way of diligence. Laziness is the avoidance of the effort necessary to accomplish a goal. A lazy person loves a paycheque but works as little as possible to get it. He goofs off when the boss isn’t watching. Then he gets upset when his hard-working co-worker gets a promotion and a raise, but he doesn’t. A lazy student does the bare minimum to get by. Her teacher says, “If Beth would apply herself, she could really go places.” Laziness takes other forms. Maybe we lack the drive to practice disciplines that will help us grow spiritually. Maybe we avoid the effort required to restore a damaged relationship through Christlike communication. “A slack hand causes poverty” (Proverbs 10:4a). This refers primarily to material poverty. However, it also applies to spiritual, relational and developmental poverty. We become lazy when we lack vision, hope or focus. If I have no vision for how hard work will help me glorify God, grow as a person, provide for others, add value to others’ lives, or get ahead, why bother? If I believe there is no hope of restoring a relationship, why try? If I have no focus on how I can grow in fellowship with God, why pursue spiritual habits that will help me? “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Suggestions for prayer Ask God to forgive you for any laziness in your life. Ask Him for the grace of diligence. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 11 - What is a proverb?

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.” - Proverbs 1:5-6 Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:1-7 A proverb is a catchy saying that captures some truth about life. All cultures use proverbs to hand down wisdom from generation to generation. Consider some pithy sayings in our own culture. “Make hay while the sun shines.” “Haste makes waste.” “Fail to plan, plan to fail.” “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” “A stitch in time saves nine.” “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” “Play with fire, and you’ll get burned.” “Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.” Discuss these and others you know. Proverbs is a collection of inspired proverbs, given to us by God. Handle individual proverbs with care. Misapplied, they are useless at best, harmful at worst. “Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools... Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools” (Proverbs 26:7,9). Take Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Treated as an absolute promise rather than a generalization, it can torment the souls of faithful parents when a child goes astray. Also, many proverbs are descriptive rather than prescriptive. For example: “‘Bad, bad,’ says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts” (Proverbs 20:14). This is not a recommendation for how to do business with others! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for giving us a treasury of proverbs. Ask Him to help you understand and apply them. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 10 - With all your heart, in all your ways

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5-6 Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:5-6 People listen to and follow someone they trust. Ninety years ago, many trusted Hitler to lead them down the path to prosperity. They listened to his lies and followed him. Hitler led Germany to ruin. Wisdom begins with trusting Someone trustworthy. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5a). You can trust Him to guide you down life-giving paths because He is wise and He loves His children. We must not trust ourselves. “Do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5b). Too often, we trust our own instincts and perspectives without consulting God and others. We assume that we know best. This is arrogant and foolish. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15). Our thinking is finite and fallen. Sin within deceives us and blinds us to our true motives. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit” (Proverbs 16:2). We must consult the LORD as we navigate our paths. We must trust and listen to His voice in His Word. When we do, “He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:6b). Today we gather with God’s people in His presence. May the Spirit enable you to trust in the LORD and listen to His voice. He will make your paths straight. Suggestions for prayer Ask God to help you trust Him as you meet Him in worship today. Ask Him to make straight your paths. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 9 - Two women, two days

“Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars... The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.” - Proverbs 9:1,13 Scripture reading: Proverbs 9:1-18 Proverbs 1-9 are the Grand Introduction to Proverbs. The original audience of Proverbs is “my son”. He is today’s equivalent of a young man who just finished high school. At the end of this Grand Introduction, two women compete for his attention: Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. They both invite him for dinner. Many voices bombard young people today, calling them to follow something or someone that will give them life. All those voices, however, divide into two: the voice of Lady Wisdom and the voice of Lady Folly. How vital that the ‘simple’, the young and inexperienced, discern between them. How vital that they end up feasting and flourishing in the house of Lady Wisdom rather than moldering in the morgue at Lady Folly’s. Lady Wisdom is a woman of substance with the choicest food on her menu (9:1-2). Lady Folly is an attractive airhead who seduces with forbidden fruit (9:13,17). However, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). Many proverbs are two-liners that contrast the ways of Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. For example, “A soft answer turns away wrath” (15:1a). That is the way of Lady Wisdom. “But a harsh word stirs up anger” (15:1b). That is the way of Lady Folly. We find life in Lady Wisdom’s house when we listen to the voice of Jesus in His Word. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Suggestions for prayer Thank God for enabling you to hear and respond to Lady Wisdom (Jesus). Ask Him to do the same for others. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 8 - The beginning of wisdom

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” - Proverbs 9:10 Scripture reading: Proverbs 9:1-10 We have spent a week celebrating wisdom as an attribute of God, displayed in creation. God is the Source of all wisdom. We must look to Him as the Source of wisdom if we desire to be wise. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10). We must fear the LORD to become wise. We must tremble and stand in awe of Him Who reveals such wisdom. We must adore and admire Him for such wisdom displayed in creation and redemption. We must deeply and personally trust Him as our All-Wise, Three-Personal God Who knows and does what is best for creation and us. Some proverbs in Proverbs are from Gentile sources. Those who don’t “fear the LORD,” can know and apply wise truths. For example, many cultures and religions proclaim some variation of the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Golden Rule is like a 2x6 that both Christianity and non-Christian belief systems build into their frameworks of belief, their spiritual houses. Only Christianity, however, builds this 2x6 into the right house. This is the house built on the foundation of Christ and the gospel. This is the Father’s house, in which the Spirit dwells. Only in this house, with our Three-Personal God at the centre of our worship and fellowship, can we truly grasp the self-giving, Christlike love at the heart of the Golden Rule. Suggestions for prayer Ask the LORD to help you fear and trust Him alone as your Source of Wisdom. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 7 - What is wisdom?

“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight…” - Proverbs 1:1-2 Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:1-7 Already we have marvelled at the wisdom of our Triune God, revealed in His design for the world and humanity, in creation and redemption. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33a). What then, does it mean for us to be wise? Wisdom is knowing God’s wise design for creation and humanity, then living in line with it. It is wise to know the Law of Gravity and, in line with it, to wear a parachute when you jump out of an airplane. It is wise to understand the properties of ice and adjust your speed and braking habits accordingly. It is also wise to grasp God’s design for human relationships and community, His blueprint for human sexuality, His principles for worship, work, money, resolving conflict, etc., and to live accordingly. Ultimately, it is wise to understand God’s wise plan to reconcile us to Himself in Christ and to respond accordingly. These things and more He reveals to us in His Word. Wisdom isn’t just knowing God’s wise design for creation and human life. It is also applying what we know with discernment. On this point, Timothy Keller’s definition of wisdom is helpful. Wisdom is “the right thing, at the right time, in the right way.” For this reason, God, through Solomon, gave us the book of Proverbs. “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight” (Proverbs 1:1-2). Suggestions for prayer Thank God for revealing His wisdom to you in His Word. Ask Him to make you wise. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 6 - The Spirit of Wisdom (part 2)

“For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks; until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high…” - Isaiah 32:14-15a Scripture readings: Genesis 1:1-2; Isaiah 32:14-18 In Genesis 1:2, the Spirit hovered over the raw materials of creation to breathe order and life. Sadly, sin entered God’s world through Adam’s rebellion. Sin turns creation back to ‘tohu’ (without form) and ‘vohu’ (void of life). Post-Fall, that means disorder and death. Imagine a neighbourhood after a terrible bombing. All is ‘tohu’, disordered piles of splintered lumber and twisted metal where houses once stood. All are ‘vohu’, lifeless bodies where living people once worked and played. Jeremiah 4:23a uses this language to describe the consequences of Israel’s rebellion against God: “I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form (tohu) and void (vohu).” God sent His Son to redeem our fallen world. He also sent His Spirit to breathe order and life into creation and us again. Isaiah 32:14-18 anticipated how God’s Spirit would reverse the ‘tohu’ and ‘vohu’ of 32:14. When poured out from on high, He would breathe upon a wasteland void of life to fill it with plants and people (32:15,18). He would re-order their disordered hearts and community in line with His wise blueprint for human life, revealed in His word (32:16-17). We are ‘vohu’, spiritually dead, until the Spirit breathes life into our hearts, moving us to embrace Christ in the gospel. Then the Spirit enters our ‘tohu’ to re-order our lives, relationships and communities in line with His wise blueprint for humanity. One day, we will enjoy the Spirit’s finished work, a new creation free of disorder and death. Suggestions for prayer Thank the Spirit for the gift of new life and re-ordering your life in fellowship with God. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

Daily devotional

September 5 - The Spirit of Wisdom (part 1)

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” - Genesis 1:1-2 Scripture reading: Genesis 1:1-2 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). He created it in line with His wise design. Christ turned the blueprint into breath-taking reality. But someone else was also involved: the Spirit of Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2a). Imagine a construction site with piles of material that needs to be ordered into a building, then filled with people and pets. God created the building materials. Then, in Genesis 1:3-31, He formed them into a creation-temple and filled it with life. “Now the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2a). Here we see the jumble of building materials. Creation was still ‘tohu’ and ‘vohu’. That means ‘without form’ and ‘void’ in Hebrew. Now the Spirit enters the text. “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2b). He turned ‘tohu’ into order. He created water, sky and land rooms for creatures to live in. Then He turned ‘vohu’ into life, by breathing life into the creatures that would live in those rooms. Try this with Lego. Dump a jumbled pile of Lego on the floor. That pile is ‘tohu’, without form. Build that Lego into a structure with rooms. The structure is still ‘vohu’, void of life. Put Lego people and toy animals in the structure. Now it is filled with life. God the Spirit breathes order and life into God’s world. Thank Him for His wise and wonderful work! Suggestions for prayer Thank God for the way His Spirit breathes order and life in creation and redemption. Pastor Richard Zekveld, his wife Nancy (nee Vandermeer), and their five children live in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Richard has pastored Covenant Fellowship Church of South Holland (PCA) since 2015, he also works part-time in jail ministry as a chaplain for Chicagoland Prison Outreach. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com. ...

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