Fri.-Sabbath, 7/9-11/10 Devotion

Yippee--it's almost Sunday. Here is Thomas Watson, from his "A Body of Divinity" book, to help us get ready for church. . . .

"What shall we do to attain this blessed peace?

"(1.) Let us ask it of God. He is the God of peace; He beats back the roaring lion; He stills the raging of conscience. If we could call all the angels out of heaven, they could not speak peace without God. The stars cannot make day without the sun. None can make day in a dark deserted soul, but the Sun of Righteousness. . . .

"(2.) If you would have peace, make war with sin. Sin is the Achan that troubles us, the Trojan horse. What peace, so long as sin remains unmortified? If you would have peace with God, break the league with sin; give battle to sin, for it is a most just war. God has pro-
claimed it: nay, He has promised us victory. 'Sin shall not have domin-
ion,' (Rom 6:14). No way to peace, but by maintaining a war with
sin. . . .

"(3.) Go to Christ's blood for peace. Some go to fetch their peace from their own righteousness, not Christ's. They go for peace to their holy life, not Christ's death. If conscience be troubled, they strive to quiet it with their duties. This is not the right way to peace. Duties must not be neglected, nor yet idolized. Look to the blood of sprinkling, (Heb 12:24). That blood of Christ which pacified God, must pacify conscience. Christ's blood being applied by faith, gives peace. 'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God,' (Rom 5:1). No balm to cure a wounded conscience, but the blood of Christ."

Thurs., 7/8/10 Devotion (Ps. 143:7a)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 143:7a, where we read these words:

"Answer me speedily, O LORD; my spirit fails! . . . "

Because we are finite creatures, and cannot see all things at once, (as God can), we are sometimes moved to make prayers like this one (above), which David offered. God knows that He may well be able to "delay" His answer to this prayer; but the person on earth, who is in such dire straits, cannot see that.

Therefore, the Lord is gracious with us, and allows us not only to make urgent pleas; but He also often answers them (even according to *our* own timetable). Are any of God's children feeling overwhelm-
ed today? Is your patience failing? Don't hesitate to cry out to God, through faith in Christ.

[Puritan quote of the day: "We borrow all our holiness from God. As the lights of the sanctuary were lighted from the middle lamp, so all the holiness of others is a lamp lighted from heaven." --Thomas Wat-
son, in, "A Body of Divinity"]

Wed., 7/7/10 Devotion (Matt. 17:8)

Today's encouragement comes from Matthew 17:8, where we read these words:

"When they [the three disciples] had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

The account above is in reference to Christ's transfiguration on the mountain--when Moses and Elijah joined the Savior and the three apostles (Peter, James, and John). After the encounter with the heroes of the Old Covenant church (Moses and Elijah), the three dis-
ciples saw "no one but Jesus only."

Why? Because everything Moses and Elijah did and wrote pointed di-
rectly and only to Jesus. And, in comparison with the Messiah, Moses and Elijah were "small potatoes." Let all faithful churchmen look to Christ alone for their souls' help and salvation. No one else can do what He alone is capable of doing.

[Puritan quote of the day: "In a word, as Christ's Person excels your person, so His obedience infinitely exceeds your disobedience."
--Christopher Love, in, "The Dejected Soul's Cure"]

Tues., 7/6/10 Devotion (Ps. 139:23b)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 139:23b, where we read these words:

"Try me, and know my anxieties . . . "

Every normal person who lives in the fallen world has anxieties. This is true for the converted and the unconverted. Even our Lord Jesus Christ had them, (cf. Jn. 12:27a). When we, like David (above), ask God to "know" our anxieties, we are desiring to place them out in the open, before Him.

The faithful churchman does have an antidote to anxiety, that the unbeliever does not possess: and that is faith, exercising itself in prayer. Philippians 4:6 tells us to nullify our anxieties by praying about them (with thanksgiving). Let us do this today, and enjoy the peaceful benefits that flow from Jesus' sacrifice of Himself for His church.

[Puritan quote of the day: "[God] values one true Christian more than all the wicked in the world. God puts a high value upon His saints; they are His jewels." --Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon entitled, "Christians a Chosen Generation"]

Mon., 7/5/10 Devotion (Ps. 138:3)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 138:3, which finds David saying this:

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul."

Strength of soul is infinitely more important than strength of body. Most people are more concerned about their bodies, which, though of great worth, are not nearly as valuable as their souls. The way to get healthy souls is by crying out to God, in prayer, in and through the merits of Jesus Christ. Boldness results. Now, instead of pampering our bodies--we benefit both our souls *and* our bodies, through our union with Jesus.

Let us cry out to God today. He will not turn away any sincere soul, who comes to Him through Christ in faith and repentance.

[Puritan quote of the day: "As a thundering storm sours the beer in our cellars, so, when God thunders upon the conscience, it will sour and embitter sin to a man so that he has no desires after it for the present." --Christopher Love, in, "The Mortified Christian"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 7/2-4/10 Devotion

Yippee! Sunday's coming! Here's TW, in "A Divine Cordial":

"Love will make us stoop to the meanest offices. Love is a humble grace, it does not walk abroad in state, it will creep upon its hands. It will stoop and submit to anything whereby it may be serviceable to Christ. As we see in Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, both of them honourable persons, yet one takes down Christ's body with his own hands, and the other embalms it with sweet odours. It might seem much for persons of their rank to be employed in that service, but love made them do it. If we love God, we shall not think any work too mean for us, by which we may be helpful to Christ's members. Love is not squeamish; it will visit the sick, relieve the poor, wash the saints' wounds. The mother that loves her child is not coy and nice; she will do those things for her child which others would scorn to do. He who loves God will humble himself to the meanest office of love to Christ and His members."

Thurs., 7/1/10 Devotion (Matt. 11:28)

Today's encouragement comes from Matthew 11:28, where we read these words which fell from the Savior's lips:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Augustine's maxim is so true: "Our souls are restless until we find our rest in Thee." Are our souls "on the move" today? Are they restless, ill at ease, and unsettled? If so, then we need to come to Jesus. If not, then we are resting in Jesus. Sin causes our souls to "move around," like planets in the night sky. Faith causes them to rest, like stars in the firmament.

A soul at rest can pray to God, and can concentrate on what is truly important. A soul that is restless can only do a lot of work, hoping to assuage its guilt. God only accepts souls that come to Christ, and rest in Him.

[Puritan quote of the day: "This may be a great comfort to you: God does not expect you to root out all presence of sin, but only to keep down the reigning of sin in you." --Christopher Love, in, "The Morti-
fied Christian"]