Fri.-Sabbath, 8/22-24/25 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday again! In order to help us prepare our hearts for the church’s Sabbath Worship Services, here are good words from Jona-than Edwards. (They are taken from a Soli Deo Gloria book, entitled, “Stand-ing In Grace.") . . .

“ . . . So that the first effect of the power of God in the heart in regeneration is to give the heart a divine taste or sense, to cause it to have a relish of the loveliness and sweetness of the supreme excellency of the divine nature; and indeed this is all the immediate effect of the divine power that there is; and this is all the Spirit of God needs to do in order to produce all good effects in the soul. If God by an immediate act of His, gives the soul a relish of the ex-cellency of His own nature, other things will follow of themselves without any further act of the divine power than only what is necessary to uphold the na-ture of the faculties of the soul. He who has once been brought to see, or rather to taste, the superlative loveliness of the Divine Being, will need no more to make him long after the enjoyment of God, to make him rejoice in the happiness of God, and to desire that this supremely excellent Being may be pleased and glorified.” [all italics mine]

Thurs., 8/21/25 Devotion (Rom. 11:28)

Today's encouragement comes from Romans 11:28, where Paul wrote these words:

“As regards the gospel, they [the unbelieving Jews of Paul’s day] are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.” (ESV)

I think that sometimes this verse is misunderstood. There is no such thing as divine election based in love and grace that is not absolutely connected to Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God. Those who used to be “enemies” become “friends” through faith in the same Redeemer (Jesus) of God’s elect church.

The reference to the “forefathers” reminds us that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all believed in the Lord Jesus Christ (even before He arrived in His incarna-tion); and that their true spiritual seed (alone) constitutes the “beloved” of God (in Christ).

[Edwards quote of the day: "As He is God, all things are His own, and He has a right to dispose of them according to His own pleasure.” —Jonathan Ed-wards, in his sermon, "The Sovereignty of God"]

Wed., 8/20/25 Devotion (Rom. 10:19)

Today's encouragement comes from Romans 10:19, where Paul wrote these words:

“But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, ‘I will make you jeal-ous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you an-

gry.’ " (ESV)

Sometimes we modern Christians forget how furious the first-century unbe-lieving Jews were, at the fact that they could see (before their very eyes), that the God of the OT was given to the Gentiles through faith in Jesus Christ; and that they got left out in the cold.

. . . But “jealousy” is a powerful emotion; and the Lord God of glory would (and does) use it, to yet draw His elect unto Himself: from among the Jews as well as the Gentiles.

[Puritan quote of the day: "A Christian conquers, even when he is conquer-ed.” —Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]

Tues., 8/19/25 Devotion (Rom. 9:8)

Today's encouragement comes from Romans 9:8, where we read these words:

“This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (ESV)

What does it mean, to be, “the children of the promise”? It means, to be in the spiritual lineage of Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. If we are in the spiritu-al lineage of Esau, Ishmael, and Abraham—then we are not “children of the promise.” One missed step here knocks us out of the promised covenant of grace.

The physical lineage is of no account; but the spiritual lineage is of ulti-mate account—and this is because it runs us all the way back to Jesus, the one redemptive “seed” of Abraham, (Gal. 3:16).

[Puritan quote of the day: "When a man is shaken in his own righteousness, then he sees the emptiness and the lying disposition of it.” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up For the Downcast"]

Mon., 8/18/25 Devotion (Rom. 8:27)

Today's encouragement comes from Romans 8:27, where we read these words:

“And he [God] who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, be-cause the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (ESV)

Romans 8:28 is a very famous and well-known verse; but the reason “all things work together” for God-lovers, is because of what the Holy Spirit does for regenerate churchmen. The Spirit not only *helps* us in our weakness (Rom. 8:26a)—*He* Himself intercedes *for* us at the deepest levels possible (Rom. 8:26b, 27).

With the Holy Spirit interceding for us “according to the will of God,” it is no wonder that “all things work together” for the saints’ “good.” Let us bless God that we cannot escape His perfect and persistent love for us in Christ.

[Edwards quote of the day: "Evil is an evil thing, and yet it may be a good thing that evil should be in the world.” —Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon, "The Decrees of God"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 8/15-17/25 Devotion

Bless God—Sunday is almost here! We get to go back to church. In order to help us get ready for Sabbath worship, here is Jonathan Edwards, from his, “A History of The Work of Redemption” book. . . .

“ . . . So that Abraham, being the person in whom this foundation is laid, is re-presented in Scripture as though he were the father of all the church, the fa-ther of all them that believe; as it were a root whence the visible church thenceforward through Christ, Abraham’s root and offspring, rose as a tree, distinct from all other plants; of which tree Christ was the Branch of righteous-ness; and from which tree, after Christ came, the natural branches were bro-ken off, and the Gentiles were grafted into the same tree.

“So that Abraham still remains the father of the church, or root of the tree, through Christ, his seed. It is the same tree that flourishes from that small be-ginning that was in Abraham’s time, and has in these days of the gospel spread its branches over a great part of the earth, and will fill the whole earth in due time, and at the end of the world shall be transplanted from an earthly soil into the paradise of God."

Thurs., 8/14/25 Devotion (Rom. 4:13)

Today's encouragement comes from Romans 4:13, where we read these words:

“For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” (ESV)

Abraham was regenerated by the Holy Spirit, exercised faith in Christ, and re-ceived the covenantal gospel promise 430 years before the Sinaitic law was given to Moses, (according to Paul, in Gal. 3:17). Therefore, from a chrono-logical perspective (alone), “faith-righteousness” beat “law-righteousness” to the “punch,” before the battle ever began.

. . . But the roots of the warfare go all the way back to the Garden of Eden, where, after the Fall, we sinners continue to clamor for works- and law-righ-teousness. Only the miracle of the new birth in Christ breaks this death march.

[Puritan quote of the day: "In a spiritual sense, the godly seek great things for themselves, and it is their glory to do so.” —Jeremiah Burroughs, in, "The Ex-cellency of a Gracious Spirit"]