Mon., 9/28/26 Devotion (Gal. 4:6-7)

Today's encouragement comes from Galatians 4:6 & 7, where we read these words:

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (NKJV)

[Of course, “sons,” includes “daughters.”] Because the Holy Spirit dwells in true Christians, we are able, at all times, to earnestly call out to our Heavenly Father. In our most grievous moments, and most tense times, He is there, to hear our passionate petitions.

. . . Not only this, we are now the heirs of all the glory that is in Christ Jesus. Because we are children of God, we are the recipients of all our Father’s kindnesses to us; we relish His love, and trust Him for all His grace. Regener-ate Christians, by far and away, are the most blessed people to be found on earth.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Keep your ear open to God and shut out sin; deaf-en your ears to the lies of the slanderer and the heretic. Do not let him have your ear who comes to rob you of your heart.” —Thomas Watson, in his ser-mon, "The Spiritual Watch"]

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Fri.-Sabbath, 9/25-27/26 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday! In order to help get us ready for church, here is Thomas Watson, from his book, entitled, "The Ten Commandments.” . . .

"True faith is grounded upon knowledge. Knowledge carries the torch before faith. There is a knowledge of Christ's glorious excellencies, (Php. 3:8). He is made up of all love and beauty. True faith is a judicious intelligent grace, it knows Whom it believes, and why it believes. Faith is seated as well in the understanding as in the will. It has an eye to see Christ, as well as a wing to fly to Him. Such therefore as are veiled in ignorance, or have only an implicit faith to believe as the church believes, have no true and genuine faith.

"Faith lives in a broken heart. 'The father cried out with tears, "Lord, I be-lieve," ' (Mk. 9:24). True faith is always in a heart bruised for sin. They, there-fore, whose hearts were never touched for sin, have no faith. If a physician should tell us there was an herb that would help us against all infections, but it always grows in a watery place; if we should see a herb like it in color, leaf, smell, blossom, but growing upon a rock, we should conclude that it was the wrong herb. So saving faith always grows in a heart humbled for sin, in a weeping eye and a tearful conscience. If, therefore, there be a show of faith, but it grows upon the rock of a hard impenitent heart, it is not the true faith."

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Thurs., 9/24/26 Devotion (2 Cor. 13:11c)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Corinthians 13:11c, where we read these words:

" . . . And the God of love and peace will be with you."

Even the world relishes the idea of a God of "love and peace.” But their "love and peace” god is not the Lord of heaven and earth—the One who saves sin-ners, and makes them His beloved churched children. God’s presence is especially felt by us as we are meek and humble in Jesus.

. . . The Living God of "love and peace" *is* with us; and we particularly *ex-perience* these blessed attributes of His (love and peace), as we are matur-ing, united, and secure (as the Body of Christ), [see the earlier parts of v. 13].

[Puritan quote of the day: "If temptations arise from natural causes, then na-tural means, as medicines, are to be used and applied, and people would do well to be persuaded thereunto.” —William Bridge, in, "A Lifting Up For the Downcast"]

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Wed., 9/23/26 Devotion (2 Cor. 12:8-9a)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Corinthians 12:8 & 9a, where Paul wrote these words:

"Concerning this [thorn in the flesh] I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' "

The very thing we typically believe hinders our service and love for God—is often the very thing that most powerfully forwards it. Paul passionately loath-ed his thorn in his flesh, whatever it was—and yet it had the effect of "deflat-ing" him, so that he thought little of himself, and much of Christ.

It is a very difficult thing to do, but we also may think in this counter-cultural and counter-intuitive way, as we actually thank God for the hardest trials we face. Even if they *never* go away in this life, they can have the savory influ-ence of causing us to love Jesus even more.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ does not bid us (says Augustine) learn of Him to work miracles, to open the eyes of the blind, to raise the dead, but He would have us learn of Him to be meek.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Beati-tudes"]

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Tues., 9/22/26 Devotion (2 Sam. 18:9b)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Samuel 18:9b, where we read these words:

" . . . so he [Absalom] was left hanging between heaven and earth."

When our Lord Jesus Christ was on the cross, bearing the sins of all the elect church from all time, He hung, as it were, "between heaven and earth." He bridged the infinite gap between a holy God and sinful men. The regenerate churchman, who struggles through the process of sanctification, also, in a sense, is suspended "between heaven and earth.” Our old flesh nature (earth/old self), is at war with our new nature (heaven/Christ).

Where are the eyes of our hearts focused, today? If they are on earth (i.e. not on Christ), we will naturally gravitate downward. If they are in heaven (i.e. on Christ), we will, by grace, soar upwards (in our souls).

[Edwards quote of the day: "In His last sufferings, Christ sapped the very foundations of Satan's kingdom. He conquered His enemies in their own ter-ritories, and beat them with their own weapons, as David cut off Goliath's head with his own sword.” —Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon, "The Excel-lency of Christ"]

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Mon., 9/21/26 Devotion (Ps. 72:17)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 72:17, where we read these words:

"His [Christ's] name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.” (NKJV)

Sometimes, when we see pictures of international terrorists, we might notice in the background maps of the world. This should remind us that the devil hopes to take over the entire globe, employing these, his minions. But this will never happen. Verses such as Ps. 72:17 (above) assure us that Jesus Christ and His church—and no one or nothing else—will indeed prevail.

Let us bless God for this precious truth; and then let us live by even more hearty faith (than before). This faith will manifest itself in the church's worship, love, service, and evangelism.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The church of Christ, notwithstanding her imper-fections, is in a safer state than Adam was in innocence.” —Nathaniel Vin-cent, in, "A Discourse Concerning Love"]

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Fri.-Sabbath, 9/18-20/26 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday. In order to help get us ready for church, here is Thomas Watson, from his elucidation of the second petition ("Thy Kingdom Come") of The Lord's Prayer, (which is also the title of his book). . . .

"Here is comfort to those who are the subjects of the King of heaven. God will put forth all the royal power for their help and comfort. 1) The King of heaven will plead their cause. 'I will plead your cause, and take vengeance for you,' (Jer. 51:36). 2) He will protect his people. He sets an invisible guard about them. 'I will be unto her a wall of fire round about,' (Zech. 2:5). A wall, that is defensive; a wall of fire, that is offensive. 3) When it may be for the good of His people, He will raise up deliverance to them. 'The Lord saved them by a great deliverance,' (1 Chron. 11:14).

"God reigning as a King, can save in any way—even by contemptible means, as the blowing of the trumpets, and blazing of the lamps, (Judges 7:20). By contrary means; as when He made the sea a wall to Israel, and the waters were a means to keep them from drowning. The fish's belly was a ship in which Jonah sailed safely to shore. God will never be short on ways of saving His people; rather than fail, their very enemies shall do His work, (2 Chron. 20:23). He sets Ammon and Mount Seir against one another. As God will de-liver His people from temporal danger, so from spiritual danger, as from sin, and from hell. 'Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come,' (1 Thess. 1:10)."

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