Thurs., 5/9/24 Devotion (Ps. 55:16)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 55:16, where we read these words:

"As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me."

David offers a personal prayer here. No matter what other people choose to do with their troubles—he, at least—will bring all of his to the Lord. David be-lieved that simply "calling upon God" would be enough to secure His help. This is why he wrote, "The Lord shall save me."

May all God's churchmen call upon Him through Jesus Christ, in trouble or in pleasure. Let us recognize that the Lord is good; and that He alone is able to meet all of our needs—be they profound or mundane.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Those who would annihilate the ministry try to pull the stars out of Christ's hand.” —Thomas Watson, in his sermon, "God's Ana-tomy Upon Man's Heart"]

Wed., 5/8/24 Devotion (Heb. 13:6)

Today's encouragement comes from Hebrews 13:6, where we read these words:

"So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?' "

Because God is with His precious children; and because the Lord will never forsake us; and because He is sufficient to meet all our needs (so that we need not need to covet what others have)—we may make the statement (above), and exude that kind of confidence.

Bold living is not the result of possessing the things of the world (as so many wrongly imagine). Instead, valorous conduct comes about because the God who created the world, and saves His own church in Jesus’ blood and resurrection, is cherished in the heart.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Prayer crowns God with the honor and glory that is due to His name; and God crowns prayer with assurance and com-fort.” —Thomas Brooks, in, "Heaven On Earth"]

Tues., 5/7/24 Devotion (Ps. 51:1b-2)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 51:1b & 2, where we read these words:

"Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."

This is a splendid prayer by David (above). After all, if our sins are forgiven us in Jesus’ blood atonement, and if we know (and even sense) that they are re-mitted—can there be any greater blessing than this? Jesus died for sinners; He did not die for good people (that think they do not need Him). If we are sinners today, saved by grace through faith in Christ (plus nothing)—then we are supremely blessed (and therefore authentically happy).

What are we to do when we feel (or are) guilty? We are to bring our sin (or concern) to God, through Christ’s gospel grace. If we believe in Jesus' atone-ment, then let us leave our sin there (at the cross). If we do not believe in Jesus' atonement, then we have no recourse but to the law, and its rightful condemnation of us.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The church of Christ is a common hospital, where-in all are in some measure sick of some spiritual disease or other . . . "

—Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]

Mon., 5/6/24 Devotion (Heb. 11:3)

Today's encouragement comes from Hebrews 11:3, where we read these words:

"By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

This is an amazing verse (above). None of us were around when The Holy Trinity—through the Word (Christ)—created the universe. We know that The Lord spoke it into existence; and that He did this "ex nihilo," (from nothing). But this still requires faith. Does faith rule out reasoned considerations of how it (the creation) had to occur? No.

We would have to be quite doltish of mind, to think that anything can come from nothing. An infinite regress of causation is also patently absurd. Evolu-tion is a thinly-veiled futile effort to explain reality without God. So, it turns out, that though we truly do exercise faith—our understanding is the only one that makes sense.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Does God expect us to have anything from our-selves? Who expects anything from a barren wilderness?” —Richard Sibbes, in "Glorious Freedom"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 5/3-5/24 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday! We get to go back to church again! In order to help us get ready, here is Thomas Watson, as he elucidates the great doc-trine of Justification, as he wrote of it in his classic book, "A Body of Divinity."

"What is meant by justification?

"It is a word borrowed from law courts, wherein a person arraigned is pro-nounced righteous, and is openly absolved. God, in justifying a person, pro-nounces him to be righteous, and looks upon him as if he had not sinned.

"What is the source of justification?

"The cause, the inward impellant motive or ground of justification, is the free grace of God: 'being justified freely by His grace.' Ambrose expounds this, as 'not of the grace wrought within us, but the free grace of God.' The first wheel that sets all the rest running is the love and favor of God; as a king freely par-dons a delinquent. Justification is a blessing spun out of the heart of free grace. God does not justify us because we are worthy, but by justifying us makes us worthy."

Thurs., 5/2/24 Devotion (Heb. 7:16)

Today's encouragement comes from Hebrews 7:16, where we read these words:

"[Christ] has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life."

Because Jesus Christ always lives, His church may rest secure in His (Christ's) eternal priesthood. Under the Old Covenant, the priests came and went—as they—like everyone else, died. But now that Jesus has been incar-nated, crucified, and risen from the dead—He is at the right hand of the Fa-ther, always making intercession for His church, through His blood atonement for us.

Whereas *all* non-Christian religions and life-philosophies have to depend on dead people, who cannot help them at all—the Christian churchman depends on One who can never die. Let us approach our Messiah with confidence—knowing that He has provided everything for us, and that He has "the power of an endless life."

[Puritan quote of the day: "God is a tender Father, and He would have all the love of His children.” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up for the Downcast"]

Wed., 5/1/24 Devotion (Heb. 6:19a)

Today's encouragement comes from Hebrews 6:19a, where we read these words:

"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast . . . “

In a world where every force of evil conspires against us, to seek to shake us off from our faith in the True God—it is incredibly encouraging for us to be as-sured that our hope is anchored to an immovable Rock (Christ). This hope is firmly affixed to God's immutable (unchangeable) promise (v. 15); and it is supported by the fact that He "cannot lie," (v. 18).

Even as in the case of a ship that is tethered to an anchor, it is certainly pos-sible for us to be "tossed and turned" a bit in this life—but even then, we are never lost. The anchor holds us fast. The "rope" which attaches us to our An-chor (Christ), is miraculous and regenerating faith.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Assurance is a choice part of a believer's happi-ness . . . “ —Thomas Brooks, in, "Heaven On Earth"]