Happy Reformation Day!
Yippee—Sunday is almost here! In order to get ready for church let us hear from Thomas Watson, from his work entitled, "The Art of Divine Content-ment":
"Divine Motives to Contentment.
"Consider the excellency of it. Contentment is a flower that does not grow in every garden; it teaches a man how in the midst of want to abound. You would think it were excellent if I could prescribe a receipt or antidote against poverty: but behold here is that which is more excellent, for a man to want, and yet have enough, this alone contentment of spirit does bring. Contenta-tion is a remedy against all our trouble, an alleviation to all our burdens, it is the cure of care. Contentation, though it be not properly a grace (it is rather a disposition of mind), yet in it there is a happy temperature and mixture of all the graces: it is a most precious compound, which is made up of faith, pati-ence, meekness, humility, etc. which are the ingredients put into it."
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Thurs., 10/30/14 Devotion (2 Tim. 2:1)
Today's encouragement comes from 2 Timothy 2:1, where we read these words:
"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
This is a precious verse. What are we to be "strong" in? The "grace that is in Christ Jesus." What is this grace? It is sufficient grace—that is more than able to meet our specific, everyday, and eternal needs. How are we "strong" in this grace? By faith. When we believe God, that He will answer our prayers, and help us in our needs—it greatly honors Him.
The thing to avoid, is the idea that we need to "get our acts together" *before* we can be strong in Christ's grace. The truth is that Christ’s grace, by which we appropriate to our hearts the help we need from God, *causes* us to "get our acts together." Are we bewildered or troubled today? Let us put our faith in Christ.
[Puritan quote of the day: "For from our neglect of prayer comes that dead-ness of spirit, that worldly-mindedness and unaptness to pray, to hear the Word, and to keep the Sabbath." --John Preston, in his sermon entitled, "The Saint's Daily Exercise"]
"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
This is a precious verse. What are we to be "strong" in? The "grace that is in Christ Jesus." What is this grace? It is sufficient grace—that is more than able to meet our specific, everyday, and eternal needs. How are we "strong" in this grace? By faith. When we believe God, that He will answer our prayers, and help us in our needs—it greatly honors Him.
The thing to avoid, is the idea that we need to "get our acts together" *before* we can be strong in Christ's grace. The truth is that Christ’s grace, by which we appropriate to our hearts the help we need from God, *causes* us to "get our acts together." Are we bewildered or troubled today? Let us put our faith in Christ.
[Puritan quote of the day: "For from our neglect of prayer comes that dead-ness of spirit, that worldly-mindedness and unaptness to pray, to hear the Word, and to keep the Sabbath." --John Preston, in his sermon entitled, "The Saint's Daily Exercise"]
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wed., 10/29/14 Devotion (2 Tim. 1:7)
Today's encouragement comes from 2 Timothy 1:7, where Paul wrote these words:
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
To fear from time to time in a fallen world is natural and to be expected. But God does not give us a "*spirit* of fear." Instead, His Spirit working in us ef-fects energy, grace, and sanity. None of this is to deny that even the best of churchmen fail to live up to our potential and our resources (in Christ); but the point is that we should be more and more *governed* by the Spirit that is from God.
Practically-speaking, this will mean that instead of cowering before fearful specters of the future, we begin to face them head-on, in advance—believing that our God is going before us, to give us the victory (in Christ).
[Puritan quote of the day: "If God thought it fit that Adam in innocence should not be alone, but should have a helper, much more now in a state of defection since the fall do we need others' help as well as our own." --Christopher Love, in, "The Dejected Soul's Cure"]
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
To fear from time to time in a fallen world is natural and to be expected. But God does not give us a "*spirit* of fear." Instead, His Spirit working in us ef-fects energy, grace, and sanity. None of this is to deny that even the best of churchmen fail to live up to our potential and our resources (in Christ); but the point is that we should be more and more *governed* by the Spirit that is from God.
Practically-speaking, this will mean that instead of cowering before fearful specters of the future, we begin to face them head-on, in advance—believing that our God is going before us, to give us the victory (in Christ).
[Puritan quote of the day: "If God thought it fit that Adam in innocence should not be alone, but should have a helper, much more now in a state of defection since the fall do we need others' help as well as our own." --Christopher Love, in, "The Dejected Soul's Cure"]
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Tues., 10/28/14 Devotion (Ps. 119:86c)
Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 119:86c, where we read these few words:
" . . . Help me!"
Sometimes the best prayers are the simplest ones. God is not concerned about flowery oratory in prayer. He would rather hear a few syllables of gut-wrenching honesty, than a whole bunch of religious nonsense (or proud ut-terances).
Do we need help today? Let us ask Christ for it. Let us be as specific as we can be, for our own soul's well-being; but let us not for a moment think that the Lord cannot figure out what we are trying to say, if we are having a hard time getting the words out. Prayer is important—but it is not a magical genie coming out of a bottle; and God does not hold us to any particular formulas.
[Puritan quote of the day: "There is no such thing as any inordinateness in holy affections; there is no such thing as excess in longings after the discov-eries of the beauty of Christ Jesus . . . Men may be as covetous as they please (if I may so speak) after spiritual riches . . . " --Jonathan Edwards, in one of his sermons]
" . . . Help me!"
Sometimes the best prayers are the simplest ones. God is not concerned about flowery oratory in prayer. He would rather hear a few syllables of gut-wrenching honesty, than a whole bunch of religious nonsense (or proud ut-terances).
Do we need help today? Let us ask Christ for it. Let us be as specific as we can be, for our own soul's well-being; but let us not for a moment think that the Lord cannot figure out what we are trying to say, if we are having a hard time getting the words out. Prayer is important—but it is not a magical genie coming out of a bottle; and God does not hold us to any particular formulas.
[Puritan quote of the day: "There is no such thing as any inordinateness in holy affections; there is no such thing as excess in longings after the discov-eries of the beauty of Christ Jesus . . . Men may be as covetous as they please (if I may so speak) after spiritual riches . . . " --Jonathan Edwards, in one of his sermons]
Monday, October 27, 2014
Mon., 10/27/14 Devotion (Ps. 119:52)
Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 119:52, where we read these words:
"I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, and have comforted myself."
The best way to get a good perspective on the present and the future, is to heartily believe in the God who has decreed all things in eternity past. It is al-so helpful to remember how gracious the Lord has been to His church in days gone by. All this has the effect of giving us confidence and peace in the cur-rent situation (be it "good" or "bad").
But only the faithful churched Christian can do this happy “remembering," however. For the unbelievers, their musings on God are *not* comforting at all. After all, God's "judgments" are just that, for them—unless they come by grace to faith in Christ. For us believers, on the other hand, God's judgment has already been poured out on Jesus (on the cross) for us. We can and should rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins.
[Puritan quote of the day: "God intermixes mercy with affliction. He steeps His sword of justice in the oil of mercy. There was no night so dark but Israel had a pillar of fire in it." --Thomas Watson, in, "The Godly Man's Picture"]
"I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, and have comforted myself."
The best way to get a good perspective on the present and the future, is to heartily believe in the God who has decreed all things in eternity past. It is al-so helpful to remember how gracious the Lord has been to His church in days gone by. All this has the effect of giving us confidence and peace in the cur-rent situation (be it "good" or "bad").
But only the faithful churched Christian can do this happy “remembering," however. For the unbelievers, their musings on God are *not* comforting at all. After all, God's "judgments" are just that, for them—unless they come by grace to faith in Christ. For us believers, on the other hand, God's judgment has already been poured out on Jesus (on the cross) for us. We can and should rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins.
[Puritan quote of the day: "God intermixes mercy with affliction. He steeps His sword of justice in the oil of mercy. There was no night so dark but Israel had a pillar of fire in it." --Thomas Watson, in, "The Godly Man's Picture"]
Friday, October 24, 2014
Fri.-Sabbath, 10/24-26/14 Devotion
Yippee—Sunday is almost here! Here is Thomas Watson, from "A Divine Cor-dial," to help get us ready for church worship:
"There is nothing in God to deaden our affections or quench our love; no in-firmity, no deformity, such as usually weaken and cool love. There is that ex-cellence in God, which may not only invite, but command our love. If there were more angels in heaven than there are, and all those glorious seraphim had an immense flame of love burning in their breasts to eternity, yet could they not love God equivalently to that infinite perfection and transcendence of goodness which is in Him. Surely then here is enough to induce us to love God--we cannot spend our love upon a better object.
"Love facilitates religion. It oils the wheels of the affections, and makes them more lively and cheerful in God's service. Love takes off the tediousness of duty. Jacob thought seven years but little, for the love he bore to Rachel. Love makes duty a pleasure. Why are the angels so swift and winged in God's service? It is because they love Him. Love is never weary. He that loves God, is never weary of telling it. He that loves God, is never weary of serving Him."
"There is nothing in God to deaden our affections or quench our love; no in-firmity, no deformity, such as usually weaken and cool love. There is that ex-cellence in God, which may not only invite, but command our love. If there were more angels in heaven than there are, and all those glorious seraphim had an immense flame of love burning in their breasts to eternity, yet could they not love God equivalently to that infinite perfection and transcendence of goodness which is in Him. Surely then here is enough to induce us to love God--we cannot spend our love upon a better object.
"Love facilitates religion. It oils the wheels of the affections, and makes them more lively and cheerful in God's service. Love takes off the tediousness of duty. Jacob thought seven years but little, for the love he bore to Rachel. Love makes duty a pleasure. Why are the angels so swift and winged in God's service? It is because they love Him. Love is never weary. He that loves God, is never weary of telling it. He that loves God, is never weary of serving Him."
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Thurs., 10/23/14 Devotion (Ps. 116:1)
Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 116:1, where we read these words:
"I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications."
Among many others, here is a good reason for us to love God: He hears our prayers. Precisely *what* prayers does God "hear," in the covenantal sense? (After all, He knows the things religious people all over the world are babbling out all the time.) God hears prayers that are made through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But even these petitions should be sincere and earnest. The Lord hears pray-ers that come from the heart. He answers those people who *really* want to be heard. God does not hear prayers offered from self-, law-, or works-right-eousness; but He does hear those that are "soaked," as it were, in the blood righteousness of Jesus.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Although to true religion there must indeed be something else besides affection, yet true religion consists so much in the af-fections that there can be no true religion without them." --Jonathan Edwards, in "A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections"]
"I love the LORD, because He has heard my voice and my supplications."
Among many others, here is a good reason for us to love God: He hears our prayers. Precisely *what* prayers does God "hear," in the covenantal sense? (After all, He knows the things religious people all over the world are babbling out all the time.) God hears prayers that are made through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But even these petitions should be sincere and earnest. The Lord hears pray-ers that come from the heart. He answers those people who *really* want to be heard. God does not hear prayers offered from self-, law-, or works-right-eousness; but He does hear those that are "soaked," as it were, in the blood righteousness of Jesus.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Although to true religion there must indeed be something else besides affection, yet true religion consists so much in the af-fections that there can be no true religion without them." --Jonathan Edwards, in "A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections"]
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