Tues., 6/21/22 Devotion (Deut. 26:11)

Today's encouragement comes from Deuteronomy 26:11, where we read this:

"So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you."

Do we understand that it is actually sinful for us not to be thankful for our tem-poral (this-world) blessings? Do we know that it is gross ingratitude to despise God's good gifts? Some people, imaging themselves to be too "spiritual" to appreciate anything temporal, look down their noses at the Lord's provisions to them.

God is not honored by thanklessness for "normal" gifts to us, (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1-5). Those who love Jesus, His gospel, and His church, will also rejoice in every *other* sweet thing He sends down to us from heaven. Let us give God praise and thanks for *all* His good provision.

[Puritan quote of the day: "God rewards His subjects in this life. He gives them inward peace and joy; a bunch of grapes by the way; and oft-times rich-es and honor.” —Thomas Watson, in, "A Body of Divinity"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 6/17-19/22 Devotion

Thank God—Sunday is *almost* here! In order to help us all get ready for church, here is Thomas Watson, from his book entitled, "The Beatitudes”:

"To do God's will is for our benefit. It promotes our own self-interest. It is as if a king would command a subject to dig in a mine of gold, and then gives him all the gold he digs out. God bids us to do His will, and that is for our good. 'And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to keep the commandments of the Lord, which I command you this day for your good?,' (Deut. 10:13).

"It is God's will that we should repent, and this is for our good; for repentance ushers in remission. 'Repent, that your sins may be blotted out,' (Acts 3:19). It is God's will that we should believe; and why is it, but that we should be crowned with salvation? 'He that believes, shall be saved,' (Mark 16:16). What God wills, is not so much our duty, as our privilege; He bids us to obey His voice, and it is greatly for our good. 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God,' (Jer. 7:23). I will not only give you My angels to be your guard, but My-self to be your portion; My spirit shall be yours to sanctify you; My love shall be yours to comfort you; My mercy shall be yours to save you. 'I will be your God.' "

Thurs., 6/16/22 Devotion (Isa. 48:22)

Today's encouragement comes from Isaiah 48:22, where we see these pow-erful few words:

" 'There is no peace,' says the LORD, 'for the wicked.' "

These words become a refrain in Isaiah. He ends major sections of his thought with them. Who are the wicked? All those who live contrary to the gospel of grace, and who refuse to love and cling to the Lord Jesus Christ. These are found both inside and outside of the realm of organized religion.

If the wicked are *never*, even for a solitary moment, at peace—then, who would want to be wicked? Do not even worldlings strongly desire a sense of solace in their hearts? Surely they think they do; but in fact they do not—since they reject the Prince of Peace. By faith, may our souls dwell content-edly in Jesus today, no matter how much turmoil swirls all around us, (cf. Rom. 5:1).

[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ incarnate is nothing but love covered with flesh. As Christ's assuming our human nature was a masterpiece of wisdom, so it was a monument of free grace.” —Thomas Watson, in, "A Body of Divin-ity"]

Wed., 6/15/22 Devotion (Ps. 107:9)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 107:9, where we read these words:

"For He [God] satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with good-ness."

It is a good thing, to have a "hungering heart”—so long as the desired "meal" is our Lord Jesus. To long for God (through Christ) is a supreme blessing, be-cause it is one that: 1) is sure to be satisfied; and 2) leads to the highest levels of happiness imaginable (and attainable).

Human beings are so-designed, that we can only rest fully contented with Christ. Everyone who hates God, and refuses to come to Jesus, still seeks fulfillment in their own contrived "christs." But these never work. They may ar-tificially relieve a hunger for a short time—but only the True Christ meets the deepest longings of the heart.

[Puritan quote of the day: "God's will will be done upon us whether we do His will or not. There is no such thing as frustrating The Almighty.” —Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon, entitled, "God Does What He Pleases"]

Tues., 6/14/22 Devotion (Isa. 43:10b)

Today's encouragement comes from Isaiah 43:10b, where we read these words: 

"Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me." 

Sometimes children ask, "Who made God?" No one made God, because God is in a unique category of existence—"necessary” existence—that no other reality shares with Him. But the germane point of the Scripture's teaching about God's Self-existence and eternality is not just to have interesting philo-sophical knowledge—instead, it is a spur for us to trust Him. 

Let us humbly accept the obvious fact that a God exists; and then let us go much further, and believe His gospel of grace in our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. 

[Puritan quote of the day: "A repenting person fears and sins not; a graceless person sins and fears not.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repent-ance"]

Mon., 6/13/22 Devotion (Isa. 45:5a)

Today's encouragement comes from Isaiah 45:5a, where we read these words:

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. . . . "

The Lord (YHWH) says that He *alone* is God, and that no other gods exist. Therefore, the pertinent question for us, is, “Do we believe this?” Nonethe-less, the truth of the Biblical God’s complete *exclusivity* stands, whether anyone believes it, or not. . . .

Why is it supremely-important that we savingly believe in the One True God (through Jesus Christ, The God-Man, alone); and not simply hold to a sterile monotheism? Because it is not sufficient, just to “believe in God.” Instead, we must believe in the Only God that *actually* exists. He is made known to us in and through Jesus Christ.

[Puritan quote of the day: "It is by faith that we have a title to eternal life be-cause it is by faith that we have the Son of God by whom life is.” —Jonathan Edwards, in, "Justification by Faith Alone"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 6/10-12/22 Devotion

Thank God—it is almost Sunday, the Lord's Day, the day of resurrection. Here are the good words of Richard Sibbes. This snippet comes from a treatise of his, entitled, "Denial of the Best for the Church's Benefit.” . . .

"A second thing that I observe is this, that holy and gracious men, who are led by the Spirit of God, can deny themselves and their own best good for the church's benefit. They know that God has appointed them to be instruments to convey good to others . . .

“A good man, as soon as he is a good man, has the spirit of love in him, and 'love seeks not its own,' (1 Cor. 13:6), but the good of another; and as the love of Christ and the love of God possesses and seizes upon the soul, so self-love decays. What is gracious love but a decay of self love? The more self-love decays, the more we deny ourselves."