The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

John Newton, the man who wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace,” never lost sight of how amazing grace truly is. A former slave trader, Newton never forgot the way sin had reigned in his life before he came to Christ, and he was aware of the sin that remained in his life after his conversion. This is why, toward the end of his life, he said, “I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.”^[1]

We, too, do well to remember our sinful state apart from Christ; for if we do not know ourselves to be sinful, then the story and wonder of the grace of our Lord Jesus will be significantly minimized.

One of the challenges of the Christian life is that while we never outgrow our need for God’s grace, our folly can convince us otherwise. It was with this concern that Paul closed his second letter to Corinthians with this blessing: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ … be with you all.” What is the grace to which Paul is referring? Perhaps the finest distillation of its glorious truth comes earlier in the same letter when Paul tells his readers, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Scriptures never humble us by confronting us with the reality of our sin without lifting us by comforting us with the reality of God’s grace. We do well to remember the truth of our salvation in Christ. He left the realms of glory to come in flesh and walk among us. He came to live as a man and to do so without sin. He lived in absolute perfection and in total obedience to God’s holy law. And yet, rather than receive the honor He deserved, “bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood.”^[2]

The one who gave Himself on the cross will not seem worthy of our worship if we do not recognize that it was our sin that made it necessary and that it was His love that made it happen. Christ Himself had no debt to pay, no punishment to bear. What He endured was what we deserve—and He did it for us. Only when the reality of our sinfulness becomes apparent to us will the wonder of His salvation become marvelous to us.

Take some moments to consider anew the sins you’ve committed, which Christ has paid for—not to wallow in them or to feel some sense of self-loathing but to remind yourself that you were not and will never be a worthy recipient of the grace of God in Christ—and yet He gives it anyway. You are a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior. Oh, what amazing grace!

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Isaiah 1:12-18

Topics: Grace of God Salvation Sin

FOOTNOTES

¹ John Pollock, Amazing Grace: John Newton’s Story (Harper and Row, 1981), p 182.

² Philip P. Bliss, “‘Man of Sorrows,’ What a Name” (1875).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Do you ever think that the Bible’s commands seem impossibly all-encompassing?

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians 5 is chock-full of such directives: “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). “Pray without ceasing” (v 17). Sometimes verses like these seem to raise more questions than provide answers. A bit of detail or a few caveats couldn’t hurt, could they? And what about the command in verse 15? “Seek to do good.” For whom? “Everyone.” When? “Always.” That’s a lot of good to a lot of people a lot of the time!

But perhaps instead of thinking of a command like this as impossibly general, a better way to think of it is that it is abundantly generous.

We have a God who gives and gives and keeps on giving. No matter how many times we fail Him, He still meets us with kindness. Along with Paul, we should ask ourselves, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). The answer, of course, is absolutely nothing. It is simply in God’s nature and disposition to overflow with kindness, mercy, and grace—and as His children, we should be learning to imitate Him as best we can.

We all have bad days, of course. Inevitably, we will displease, or even hurt, someone at some point. But what if we went through today or tomorrow with the aim of always seeking to do good to everyone? What do you think would change? How would others respond? Perhaps instead of seeing others as obstacles or roadblocks, we’d see them more as men and women with dignity, who are worthy of love and respect. Or perhaps instead of us treating some people like enemies, we would begin to understand their positions and even genuinely begin to appreciate them.

Whatever the specific situations you encounter, God has placed you in this world for good. It is your privilege and your pleasure to share His kindness and His goodness with anyone and everyone you can.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

Topics: Character of God Forgiveness Grace

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it.

1 Chronicles 20:1

If you were asked to write a biography of David, how many pages would you devote to his affair with Bathsheba? Would you give a chapter or more to the adultery, the scheming, and the murder, and how God was displeased and sent his prophet to expose the sin and call the king to repentance?

Naturally, we would answer yes (and so would the writer of 2 Samuel!). So we may therefore find it quite astonishing that the writer of 1 and 2 Chronicles passes over this incident entirely in his record of David’s life. He includes not a single word about David’s sins against Bathsheba and Uriah. A friend once told me, “I’d like to think that the Chronicler took so seriously the fact that the Lord had taken away David’s sin that he could tell the story of David’s life without even mentioning it.” Then he added, “I’d like the Chronicler to be my biographer as well!”

Think about it for a moment. The Chronicler wrote his account knowing that David had repented and that God had forgiven David’s sins. Why, then, would there be a need to continue mentioning it? Here we have a wonderful reminder that the Lord has completely covered the sins of His people.

As you read about the rest of David’s life, you find that his adultery with Bathsheba brought with it a bitter legacy. It cast a dark cloud over the entire remainder of his reign. David was indeed forgiven and restored, for the divine surgery was complete—but scars remained. God’s grace can cover even our greatest sins, but this does not remove their consequences in this life. Yet although David sinned greatly and reaped the bitter fruit in this life, the Chronicler’s biography of David reminds us of God’s amazing grace. God had so removed his sin that the Chronicler could write about David without making any mention of it.

Only the Evil One encourages you to delve into the garbage cans of past sins that you have repented of and that have therefore long been forgiven. Only the Accuser tells you that your sins need to weigh on you or be made up for. Take a moment to thank God for His great mercy and kindness toward you. In Christ, all of your misdeeds have been pardoned. If God remembers yours sins no more, then surely there is no need for you to dwell upon past failures. They have been covered over by His grace. They do not define you and need not dominate you, either today or for eternity.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Hebrews 9:11-14

Topics: Forgiveness Grace Guilt

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him … “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. … Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.

1 Samuel 17:42-43, 1 Samuel 17:45-46

Talking trash to your opponent is a practice dating back to long before professional sports. When Goliath, for instance, was insulted by a mere boy being sent to fight him, he began the talk smack—and he “cursed David by his gods.”

Goliath’s cursing is significant. Through it, the giant unwittingly acknowledged that what was about to take place was far more significant than a conflict between two people or two armies or two nations. By invoking his gods, he demonstrated that the battle was ultimately between the so-called gods of the Philistines and the living God, the God of Israel.

A moment’s reflection would have reminded all the Israelites that the gods of the Philistines were not an impressive group. Like all false gods, they had to be carried around and couldn’t act on their own. Previously, the Philistines had had to set up their god Dagon after he had toppled over—and eventually, his head had even fallen clean off (1 Samuel 5:3-4)!

It makes sense, then, that Goliath’s insults or mention of his gods didn’t scare David. The shepherd boy recognized that the giant was terrifyingly large and came at him with many great weapons. But he also knew the giant was right about one thing: it was a much bigger event than a one-to-one combat—and David knew that the living God whom he served could save him and Israel.

David understood that Goliath’s defeat was not about making a name for himself; it would be so that “all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:46). The victory was to be a testimony to the assembled crowd on both sides of the valley that God was alive and powerful to save.

The battle today is likewise ultimately between the living God and the non-gods of our age (Ephesians 6:12). Press your friends kindly, and ask how their gods—gods of ambition, politics, education, and so on—are working for them. Do they have peace? Do they have lasting confidence? Do they have contentment? Do they have joy?

Thankfully, we have something that gives all these things and more. We have the God who doesn’t topple and who needs nothing from us. We know the living God who has been faithful for a thousand generations and who tells us, “I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save” (Isaiah 46:4). Let the world around you see and hear who it is you serve today.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

1 Samuel 5:1-7

Topics: Biblical Figures Glory of God Secularism

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.

1 Samuel 17:38-39

It’s the type of helpful reminder that many mothers give younger children on a snowy day or older children before an interview: “Make sure you’re properly dressed.” For King Saul, being properly dressed was the difference between victory and demise. Thus, when David volunteered to face Goliath on Israel’s behalf, the first order of business was for him to suit up. The king rested all his hope in his armor—and so here is a memorable scene, both comic and tragic, of a failed king and a boy who was so weighed down that he could not move.

King Saul was convinced that if he could dig out his old armor and put it on this boy, it might just be adequate enough to see David through, despite the odds that were so clearly against him. Yet Saul was a big guy (1 Samuel 10:23), and David was only a youth (17:33). It was never going to work. Besides, if the armor was not sufficient for Saul to go out against Goliath and win, why did he think a shepherd boy in ill-fitting armor would stand a chance? Saul was a failed king, and the wearing or not wearing of armor had nothing to do with it.

David recognized that far from helping him, this heavy, ill-fitting armor would only hamper his efforts—so he cast it aside. He knew that he didn’t need to be made into someone else, because God would help him. He knew that he didn’t need to rely on anything else, because God was with him.

It’s a sad picture, really. King Saul wasn’t even a shadow of the person he had been. There he stood, absent God’s Spirit, losing sight of God’s glory, his courage gone—and with it his joy, his peace, and the security of his mind. We can imagine his gaze as it follows David heading off toward the brook in the valley and pausing to pick up five stones—the tragic gaze of a depleted king, his shadow growing long in the light of his setting reign.

Let this picture of Saul invite you to consider: Are you relying on “armor” as security in your life? In what ways have you rested your hope on human methods that do not fit and have not worked in a way that will last? Like David, look to the God who helps you and is with you. Then you will be able to cast such “armor” aside and trust in God to lead you. Then you can face the day, every day, with joy, peace, and courage.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Psalm 28

Topics: Biblical Figures Security of the Believer Trusting God

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg,

http://www.truthforlife.org

And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine … Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

1 Samuel 17:32, 1 Samuel 17:36-37

When David arrived at the scene of the great standoff between Goliath and God’s people, he boldly told King Saul that there was no need for fear—which was quite remarkable when the entire Israelite army had been completely paralyzed by the giant! When they saw Goliath, they ran away. He kept challenging them, but they had no answer. Then up came David, a mere shepherd boy, who simply said, No one needs to be afraid. I will fight him.

When Saul understandably questioned David’s ability to face Goliath, David neither gave up nor suggested that he was tougher than he looked. Instead, he testified to the Lord’s enabling. In caring for his father’s sheep, David had dealt with bears and lions, and he knew that such successes had come from God. Now he was confident that that same God would give him success again, this time against this Philistine who had defiantly mocked God’s people.

Perhaps David had in mind the amazing scene from Exodus 14, when the Israelites’ backs were against the Red Sea and all the balance of power was on the side of the onrushing Egyptian army. Back then, when the people had cried out in fear, Moses had replied, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13-14). And that is exactly what God did. Yahweh, the living God who had delivered His people, was the same Lord who would deliver David.

Later, when David penned his poems and provided songs for worshipers, he recollected, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us” (Psalm 124:2-3). He then concluded with this great hope-filled declaration: “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (v 8).

On what basis are you able to take on all that comes against you like a giant in the day or a monster in your sleeplessness at night? How do you know that you will succeed? If your courage is founded on your ability, sooner or later you will meet your match. Rather, let your confidence be in the Lord—because the Lord has delivered, and the Lord will deliver. And if God is for us, who, ultimately, can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Psalm 124

Topics: Courage Dependence on God Trust

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. … And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

1 Samuel 17:3-4, 1 Samuel 17:10-11

It should shock us to find the army of Israel in the position described here. After all, they were the army of the living God. Within living memory they had seen God give them great victories as they trusted in Him. You would think that they would have been quite prepared to take on this giant Philistine challenger.

Instead, we see a sorry sight: the army of God, including their king, cowering on the mountainside for over six weeks, waiting for someone else to do their job (1 Samuel 17:2, 16). To Goliath and the Philistine army, Israel’s God can’t have seemed very mighty to save. The problem, however, was not the Lord. The problem was the army. Because they were attempting to fight in their own strength, they were cowed by Goliath.

As with Israel’s armies, the problem in much of the church today is not that our God lacks power over all the events of our world. No, He is omnipotent. Rather, the problem is that the church too often sits on the sidelines, waiting for somebody else to take action while the world looks on and shakes its head and concludes that our God is not mighty to save.

At this point in history, there’s a wonderful opportunity for the church to be the church. Christ has already won the battle for us. There is no need for His people to be marginalized by worldly “giants” who taunt and intimidate, deterring us from sharing the message of Jesus’ triumph over sin and death. Jesus has won, and there is nothing in this world to be afraid of. The gospel is worthy of our courage and, as the hymn writer reminds us, Christ Himself is guiding us: “Stand up, stand up for Jesus! … From victory unto victory His army shall He lead.”^[1] It is time for you and me—who, by placing our faith in Him, have already enlisted in His army—to get off the sidelines, to charge down the hill, and to proclaim the victory that is Christ’s.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

1 Samuel 17:48-53

Topics: Christian Living Courage Victory

FOOTNOTES

¹ George Duffield, Jr., “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” (1858).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Just before we close a prayer with an amen, most Christians will say something like “in Jesus’ name” or “for Jesus’ sake.” What are we actually doing when we say that? Is it anything more than just a nice way to close things off?

To pray in Jesus’ name is to trust the saving work of the Lord Jesus as the sole ground of our access to God. We could never go to God just in our own name. We couldn’t go to God and plead based on our own merits. No, we go to God in Jesus’ name—and it is a tremendous privilege to do so! Only because we have a sympathetic High Priest can we “draw near to the throne of grace” with confidence that God Most High will receive us.

Because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can cast our burdens, our fears, our failures, our expectations, and all our hopes and dreams upon our heavenly Father. No request is too great for Him.

The hymn writer put the opportunity of prayer wonderfully well:

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before His feet,
For none can perish there.
Thy promise is my only plea;
With this I venture nigh:
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.^[1]

Coming to God with such an approach is not just one way among many; it is the only way He will hear our pleas as a Father listening to His children. So whenever you pray, come to your Father in the name of His Son, trusting that His Spirit will guide you.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Hebrews 4:14-16, Hebrews 5:1-9

Topics: Dependence on God Prayer Trust

FOOTNOTES

¹ John Newton, “Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat” (1779).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

We have no good apart from God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,” James tells us (James 1:17). Similarly, Paul asks, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). The resounding response, of course, is nothing whatsoever. All that we have, we have from God.

If that is all true and we can do nothing of lasting value apart from Christ (John 15:5), then what makes us think we could make it through any day without praying to the one whose strength and sustenance we so desperately need? This doesn’t mean we need to host prayer meetings 24/7 (although perhaps more times of extended corporate prayer would benefit us all!). But it does mean that we should never attempt to make it through a single day without expressing our dependence on our heavenly Father in prayer.

The reality is that it’s easy to get stale in our praying. But that happens most often when our prayer times turn into personal shopping lists, focused more on things that we want than what we and the world around us really need. We ought to “let [our] requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6)—whatever those requests may be, great or small. But we ought also to pray for grand things. The greatest cries of the people of God should be the greatest concerns of the kingdom.

For example, we can pray for:

• world missions, praying as we send people out of our congregations and around the world
• the teaching of the Bible in places near and far
• the cause of Christ to be established in the world
• God to hold back His hand of judgment and shower us with blessing and mercy
• the faithfulness and growth of the church and our witness around the globe
• our government and its leaders, from the local level upwards
• the homeless, downtrodden, and hungry
• points of light to spring up around your city as testimonies to the gospel of Jesus Christ

This is just a sample, of course. A kingdom-focused list could continue far further! Whatever you end up praying for specifically today and in the coming days, though, ask God for His kingdom to come. Ask Him for His will to be done. What a joy that He calls you to keep on praying, and then answers your prayers to build His kingdom!

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Matthew 6:9-11

Topics: Dependence on God Kingdom of God Prayer

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

As for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psalm 73:2-3

When we consider the activities and successes of the self-important who seem to be so carefree and uninhibited, it’s easy for our minds, our hearts, and eventually our lives to go off in the wrong direction.

We can relate to the psalmist’s angst when those who are so apparently opposed to God, to His word, and to anything that is morally right appear to flourish. They seem to do well financially. They seem to do well physically. They always look good. They travel in the right way. They use the right moisturizer. They look magnificent. Meanwhile, we’re trying to do the God thing, the Jesus thing—and nothing seems to go right. It can all feel so futile.

When he looked at the prosperity of the wicked, the psalmist began to entertain the idea that he had followed God in vain (Psalm 73:13)—until he adjusted his perspective:

“I went into the sanctuary of God;
 then I discerned their end.
Truly you set them in slippery places;
 you make them fall to ruin.
How they are destroyed in a moment,
 swept away utterly by terrors!” (Psalm 73:17-19)

As we learn to sit in God’s presence and have a view of this world that takes account of His divinity and our eternity, we come to understand, along with the psalmist, that there is a higher throne than all the thrones of this world. Justice will be served, though not in the courts of this world’s kingdoms, which will all be mere footnotes in history.

Do not become discouraged by those who seem to prosper unduly. Jesus Christ is King. He’s in charge of the great reversals, turning us from darkness to light, from sadness to joy, from death to life. God will achieve His purposes. He is holding you and guiding you—and, one day, you will stand with Him in glory (Psalm 73:23-24). There is nothing this world can offer that compares to Him and no reason to envy those who have everything here but nothing of ultimate value. When you are slipping into envy, look at Him, adjust your perspective, and say with the psalmist:

“Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Psalm 73

Topics: Jealousy Justice

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Titus 2:2-5

When life gets difficult, you won’t need a three-ring binder full of notes or a self-help guide to life. No, you’ll need an arm around your shoulder. You’ll need the tender eyes of an older Christian who understands. You’ll need compassion. Such ministry in a church is not programmatic; it is relational. It is as a result of knowing people. It is a result of being able to open up to people.

This is why every church needs older men and older women who are marked by maturity, who are not coasting but growing in faith toward God, in love toward others, and in steadfastness in the face of trials.

Titus’s role in the congregation to which he ministered was to encourage and exhort the older men to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, and healthy in their faith. He was to be no less concerned with the spiritual health of the church’s older women. Just as older men have a significant role in the life of a developing congregation, so the older women are absolutely vital. Churches need older men and women that have run the race and kept the faith to model for younger generations what it looks like to live for Christ.

The church needs older men and women because they can “teach what is good” to those who are younger. The teaching here is lifestyle teaching before it is any other kind of teaching. When Paul wrote these words, he wasn’t anticipating a classroom setting with textbooks. This kind of instruction takes place in casual yet intentional conversations as well as arranged meetings, and simply in rubbing shoulders with one another in day-to-day life.

Where are you going to go when your marriage begins to struggle? Who are you going to talk to when your teenager goes into “I don’t ever want to talk to you again” mode? Where will you turn when you don’t know where to turn? You can visit your pastor, who can pray with you and give you some guidance, but you’ll also need an older man or woman who has walked the same path and can say, “Let me tell you how I lived through it. Let me tell you what I did. Let me tell you how I prayed. Let me tell you about the grace of God. Let me encourage you.”

Most of us can be such an “older man” or “older woman” to someone of a younger age and earlier stage in life than us. Intentionally make yourself available in this way. And most of us can find someone older and wiser than us and ask them to pray with us, counsel us, and be there for us. Intentionally seek out that kind of friendship, for it is one of the greatest blessings that the church of God gives us.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Titus 2:1-10

Topics: Christian Living Fellowship

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

1 Samuel 2:3

Contemporary society is full of examples of what it looks like to celebrate self-assertiveness, human achievement, and a preoccupation with the “I/me/my” focus of our age that pays scant, if any, attention to God. He does not see, is the assumption; and if He does see, He does not mind. As believers we are not immune from any of this, for by nature our hearts love to assume that we ourselves are the fount of all knowledge—that we know best how we should think.

An inclination toward self-sufficiency and pride leads to some downplaying or even denying elements of biblical truth in their teaching and thinking. In the church today, God’s judgment and justice are surely such elements. They’re not easy to hear about or to proclaim, but they are central to the truth of the Bible. Paul writes that God will judge “the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16). We cannot hide anything from Him, though we are tempted to believe we can. He knows our hearts, and by this Lord of knowledge “actions are weighed.”

In Daniel 5, we see how the Babylonian king Belshazzar discovered the folly of an arrogance that caused him to exalt himself above the God of knowledge. In the middle of a great feast celebrating himself, using drinking vessels that had been stolen from the Lord’s temple, a hand was sent from the presence of God, appearing on a wall and writing words of judgment—and Belshazzar was reduced to a shaking mass. Daniel interpreted the message for him, saying, “The Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven … And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored” (Daniel 5:21-23). In the end, Belshazzar had “been weighed in the balances and found wanting” (v 27), and “that very night” he “was killed” (v 30). He thought he knew best. He did not.

It is folly to imagine that God does not see, does not know, and will not act. He knows everything about us, and He weighs our actions. As Hannah knew and Belshazzar discovered too late, self-exaltation leads to judgment; but humility before the Lord is the way to life. So, be careful not to pridefully declare that you want things your own way in one area or another and therefore refuse Jesus’ kingship over that aspect of your life. Be careful not to live as though God does not know, and therefore refrain from humble repentance. Instead, humble yourself before the Lord, confessing to Him what He already knows and asking forgiveness for proud thoughts or selfish actions—and “he will exalt you” (James 4:10).

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Daniel 5:1-6

Daniel 5:17-31

Topics: Judgement Pride Sovereignty of God

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver … You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7, 2 Corinthians 9:11

God loves a cheerful giver. One reason for this is that He is a cheerful giver, gladly and generously giving Himself and every good gift to His people. And one of the good gifts that God has given us is a series of promises and proverbs to fuel our cheer as we give. 2 Corinthians 9 provides an abundance of such fuel.

Paul teaches that “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This is essentially a proverb, like those we read in the Old Testament: “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want” (Proverbs 11:24). The thing about proverbs, though, is that they should be read for what they are—general truths—rather than what they are not: categorical promises. Paul is not giving us a formula: If you put in a certain amount, you will receive a larger amount. Instead, he is encouraging his readers to sow gladly and liberally because there are benefits to be had when we do so. Generous giving brings its own rewards, which the stingy will never know. If you scatter only a few seeds of your favorite flower and expect a beautiful display in a few weeks, you will be disappointed. If you sow handful after handful, the result will be glorious to behold.

More fuel for our giving comes a few verses later, where Paul says that those who are generous “will be enriched in every way.” Sadly, it is common for people to stop right there, concluding that God will make them wealthy once they’ve given away some money. He may do just that, but it comes with the purpose revealed in the rest of the verse: “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way.” God may indeed enrich you, but the enrichment is intended for greater generosity, which in turn will “produce thanksgiving to God.” What a promise this is, that God will repay our generosity so that we might continue to be generous! As we give away, God gives us more to give away. Who could ever be tight-fisted in the face of such lavish promises?

It is a tragedy that so many have abused these promises and proverbs, using them to bait well-intentioned people into giving for the wrong reasons. There is no need or excuse for false assurances of prosperity or manipulative calls that tug at our heart strings; we have so many good, God-honoring reasons to be generous! The truths and promises of God’s word are rich enough, and they alone will fuel genuine Christian cheer as we give. Dwell on these truths, and on our Savior, who “though he was rich, yet for your sake … became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). That is the only way to give in a way that truly honors God: to give both sacrificially and cheerfully.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Topics: Giving Wisdom

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

“See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

Luke 24:39-41

The disciples were real people—and they found believing in the resurrection difficult.

News of Jesus’ resurrection produced a roller coaster of emotions within His disciples. One minute they seemed to be up on the crest, and the next minute they were hurtling toward the ground. Reports of an empty tomb were met with mixed emotions of awe and unbelief. Indeed, they thought the words of the women who had discovered it were “an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:11).

Even when Jesus appeared suddenly and stood among His disciples, their sorrows were not soothed and their fears were not calmed. Instead, we discover that they were still in panic mode. Face-to-face with the resurrected Christ, they “were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit” (Luke 24:37). Even after Jesus showed them His hands and feet, they still battled disbelief as it jostled against the dawning joy.

This is a wonderfully honest picture, isn’t it? Here we find the group of people who were to be the pillars of the church, all essentially hiding behind couches and coming out of closets, saying, We thought we saw a ghost!

The disciples’ battle against fear and disbelief is a great encouragement for those who flip between hope and despair. It’s one thing to affirm our belief in the resurrection on a fine Sunday morning, surrounded by a crowd of fellow Christians. It is quite another to affirm it on a difficult Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by people who are convinced it is an idle tale, or when we are waiting on test results in the doctor’s office or fending off loneliness.

A real Christian is not someone who does not doubt; it is someone who brings their doubts to the fact of the empty tomb and reminds themselves that our faith rests on historical events, and that those historical events are ones which cause us to feel joy and marvel at God. If you find yourself today in a battle against fear and unbelief, cry out to God, praying the prayer of the man in Mark 9: “I believe, help my unbelief!” (v 24). The disciples’ doubts and fears did not exclude them from the kingdom; neither did they preclude them from kingdom work. So today, ask God to guard your faith, and walk forwards remembering that Jesus really has risen and really does have work for you to do.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Topics: Christ’s Resurrection Doubt Faith

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

This alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

Ecclesiastes 7:29

Ionce received a letter from a young man who’d been educated at the highest level in both American and British universities. In that letter, he wrote, “I must say, all the education in the world has made me the most stupid and unenlightened man.” It’s hard to believe that these words came from such a scholar—but truly, he knew enough to recognize that foolishness has nothing to do with mental faculty but everything to do with moral rebellion.

Human foolishness exists because of our disobedience to God, who is the only source of true wisdom and enlightenment. Such rebellion results in alienation from God and others. And since God must punish sin, the foolishness of man leads to condemnation. We are created to be “upright,” but we lean into self-sufficient, self-aggrandizing schemes. We are twisted and stunted because we live for ourselves instead of our Creator. So we can know all sorts of things and yet know nothing. Yet in our hopeless state, the wisdom of God can be made known to us in the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:2-3). This wisdom becomes ours only when we believe in Him as our God and Savior, for “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7, emphasis added). God’s Spirit enables us to turn from our old way of life and start on a new journey. As we turn to Him in repentance, the Lord will accept us, even in our sinfulness. And then, by His great power, He will take us and change us by His grace.

That is God’s wisdom. You can’t find it in any self-help book. You can’t find it in mere religion or philosophy. You can’t find it in the best universities. Those are dead-end streets. You can only find it in Jesus, who offers to become your wisdom and righteousness. In our foolishness, we have all run from the one who made us—yet He has pursued us, made known to us our condition, and chosen to reveal His Son to us. Take time to praise God for His infinite wisdom and amazing grace! And then consider this: Would anything need to change if you made all your decisions and set your direction in life by beginning with “the fear of the LORD” and not with the schemes of man?

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Colossians 2:1-4

Topics: Effects of Sin Salvation Wisdom

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.

Acts 27:3

Acts 7:58 records that Saul of Tarsus watched over the coats of those who were stoning Stephen, the first martyr. Soon after this, Saul (later also known as Paul) was at the forefront of the persecution that resulted in Christians being driven out of Jerusalem, scattering them into the regions around it—and spreading the gospel along with them (8:3-4)! And then Saul was converted: Christ brought him to faith and commissioned him as an apostle even as he was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (9:1).

And so it was that by Acts 27:3, Saul, now always known as Paul, had Christian friends in Sidon—likely members of a community founded in the city at the time of the persecution and dispersion that had followed Stephen’s death. The friends that were available to Paul in Sidon were there because Saul of Tarsus had been such a horrible persecutor. God indeed “moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.”^[1]

If we had been among those who were persecuted by Saul, we likely would have joined in their mourning, saying, O Lord, we’re all being spread apart. Our families are being scattered. Our communities are being broken up. Isn’t this dreadful and awful? From their perspective, it certainly appeared so. Even in the midst of such great tragedy, however, we see God’s mysterious providence: Paul himself, now a Christian, was on the receiving end of Christian kindness from a church that existed in that city in part because he had been such a determined persecutor.

In due time, the tangled messes of our present lives, of our difficulties and disappointments, will all be put in their proper perspective. We should remember that…

Ill that He blesses is our good,
And unblest good is ill;
And all is right that seems most wrong,
If it be His sweet will! ^[2]

This little anecdote from Paul’s life reiterates the truth that Joseph declared to his brothers when they sought his forgiveness for having sold him into Egypt: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). God is able to sweep even the evil intentions of people into the unfolding drama of His purposes for His children. He is faithful and unchanging. Take comfort in His mysterious providence, knowing that He will not allow anything to befall you which will not ultimately be used for your good and His glory.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Genesis 45:4-15

Topics: Character of God Providence of God Suffering

FOOTNOTES

¹ William Cowper, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1774).

² Frederick W. Faber, “I Worship Thee, Sweet Will of God” (1849).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg,

http://www.truthforlife.org

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

It’s easy to want to graduate without taking the required classes. But without taking the classes there’s no way to be ready for the tests, and without a test there’s no graduation. As in academia, so in our faith: it would be foolish to think that we can graduate to maturity and completeness in the Christian life before taking the courses and going through the tests.

When James writes about the believer who “has stood the test,” he uses the word dokimos, which refers to someone who is tested, tried, and approved. This kind of person has the seal of God’s approval on their life, and that becomes clearer and clearer through their perseverance.

The “crown of life,” or, more accurately, the crown that consists of life, is “a picture of eternal life,”^[1] which God promises to His people. It suggests the idea of God welcoming us at the finish line and crowning us with honor, blessing, and life that is everlasting. So the duration of the test is the duration of our lives. Our test lasts until Christ returns or calls us home—and so here is a call to remain steadfast to the end.

It is this perspective and this promise that transform how we meet the most difficult times of our lives. We’re often tempted to regard individual trials as intruders rather than welcoming them “as friends” (James 1:2, Phillips). But when we understand that the whole of life is a series of tests, that can reassure us, giving us an opportunity to think seriously and realistically about what we go through. We can know with confidence that ahead of us lies the crown of eternal life with Jesus, and that our trials are opportunities to learn perseverance and grow in Christlikeness, proclaiming to the world that the one whom we are walking toward is sufficient not just for life but also for joy.

The Christian life has no simulation phase to prepare us for the real thing; it is a real-time experience all the time, every day. We’re not afforded the opportunity to find out exactly how we will parent our children, deal with the sudden loss of a loved one, or react to whatever else might come our way until these things actually come our way. These are the real-life courses we must take to graduate on to spiritual maturity. What trials are you walking through today? These are the classes, unchosen by you though they may be, which the Lord knows will enable you to persevere and will prepare you for your crown. As, by His grace, you remain steadfast in the storms today, remember that you are “blessed,” not with the false blessing of an easy life now but with the eternal blessing of the “crown of life” to come.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

James 1:2-4

Topics: Affliction Perseverance Suffering

FOOTNOTES

¹ Derek Prime, From Trials to Triumphs (Regal, 1982), p 28.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

It shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Joel 2:32

There are “biblical” words that are not, in fact, in the Bible. For example, you will not find the word substitute in your Bible, and yet the word conveys the beauty of what happened when the Son of God died in the place of sinners. You will not find the word Trinity in the Scriptures either, and yet it represents true teaching about who God is. And the truth it captures is wondrous.

Adding to the wonder of the doctrine of the Trinity is the fact that such a teaching arose from a faith that was utterly committed to the one-ness, the unity, of God. The truth that there is one God was fundamental for Old Testament believers. The passage that articulated the monotheistic heart of the Hebrew faith, and which every Jew knew by heart, declared, “The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Salvation is found in this one God alone: “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” It would be impossible to overstate how deeply the truth of God’s unity was embedded into the thinking of God’s old-covenant people.

This was true when the early church exploded into being in Jerusalem. For men like Peter and Paul, the unity of God was axiomatic. The only way for them to come to understand that the one God exists in three Persons, then, would be for that God to reveal Himself to them. This is precisely what happened in the person of Jesus Christ, who claimed authority to forgive sins and verified that authority by doing what is possible only for God to do (Mark 2:1-12). In this way Jesus revealed Himself to be the divine Son of the divine Father, and together They would send the divine Spirit to Their people (John 14:23-26). Then, before ascending to heaven, this Jesus commissioned His disciples to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the one name of God, which is attributed to three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). The disciples understood that the Lord of the Old Testament had been with them in Jesus. They had been fishing with the Lord, had sat at His feet, and had watched Him work wonders. And they understood that when they urged people to call on the name of the Lord to be saved, they were urging them to call on Jesus Christ (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13).

For the disciples, this understanding came as the Spirit of God worked in their hearts and minds as they considered what Jesus had taught them and what He had done. For us, it comes as we meditate on the Scriptures and let the Spirit illumine its pages for us. Yet the truth of God’s triune nature is not for our mental exercise alone; it also ought to cause our hearts to swell in adoration of our vast, mysterious, and transcendent God, who nevertheless draws near to us. And it ought to fuel us, as it did the disciples, to go into this unbelieving world with confidence that this triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—will draw people to Himself as the gospel message goes forth.

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Joel 2:21-32

Topics: Character of God Holy Spirit The Trinity

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:12-15

Folk and pop singers often write songs about alienation because it produces such raw emotions. Paul Simon captured it well when he sang of building impenetrable walls in his life and becoming a “rock” and an “island,” rejecting love and laughter because “friendship causes pain.”^[1]

But the truth that all of us know deep down is that friendship is vitally important for each and every one of us. God Almighty has wired us to care for one another. We long for relationships: to be known, to be loved. We know that even one genuine friend makes us truly rich in this world. We don’t want to be islands.

Yet while we may have true friends who are loyal, sensitive, and honest, we can only find ultimate friendship in Jesus. He alone is the friend who “is the same yesterday today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). His brand of friendship extends far beyond the bounds of human friendship; He knew how to be a true friend even to tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). One of the reasons that some find friendship so difficult is because it demands vulnerability and openness. But Jesus is never in a bad mood, never lets us down, never treats us capriciously. And He wants to be friends with us—with you! As you come to Him in faith, the one through whom all things were created delights to call you His friend. Let that sink in a little.

Every friendship requires effort, and friendship with Jesus is no different! That’s why Jesus tells us, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” When we receive Jesus as a friend, we also accept Him as our King.

Perhaps you have found human relationships to be hurtful or fleeting. Perhaps you are surrounded with friends, or perhaps you cannot count a single one. In any case, here is the most wonderful friend: the one who knows us completely and loves us all the same. With Him we can have the kind of friend that “sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

Earthly friends may fail or leave us,
One day soothe, the next day grieve us;
But this Friend will ne’er deceive us:
Oh, how He loves! ^[2]

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

John 15:12-17

Topics: Friendship Jesus Christ

FOOTNOTES

¹ Paul Simon, “I Am a Rock” (1965).

² Marianne Nunn, “One There Is above All Others” (1817).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

2 Peter 1:3

When was the last time that you paused to ponder what a privilege it is to have nearly unlimited access to God’s word? These days, we can carry it around in our pockets and pull up any chapter and verse or even search the entire Bible in a matter of seconds.

Instant access to all of Scripture feels so commonplace. And yet we ought to be astounded at such an honor! Their Author formed the heavens with His fingers (Psalm 8:3). He breathed the Scriptures out Himself (2 Timothy 3:16). Their contents are more valuable than the finest gold (Psalm 19:10), and their truth will endure forever (1 Peter 1:24). In the Bible, we find all that we need for life and godliness—and nothing we don’t. Every paragraph is unique in its addition to the whole, and yet every part contributes to the one grand story. Most of all, it is the means by which the Spirit brings us into a deeper “knowledge of” God—which we could translate “relationship with,” since the Greek word Peter uses, epignosis, carries the sense of a relational knowing, not a merely intellectual one. It is through the word that we come to know more intimately our Maker, whom we were created to glorify and enjoy forever.^[1]

In the longest prayer of our Lord Jesus that Scripture records, He spends much time praying for His people. In one specific petition, He asks this: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Jesus Himself knew the power of God’s word. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, He responded with scriptural truth. In one instance, he quoted Moses from Deuteronomy 8:3 and reiterated for us that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). If Jesus Christ nourished His own soul on the word of God, then how much more do we need its food?

Sometimes constant easy access to something causes us to miss what a privilege it is to have it—like water or electricity, for example. While the shower and the lights are working fine, we hardly give them a second thought. But we certainly do notice when they are gone! Let’s not treat God’s word the same way. God has gifted us with such unhindered access to His truth. Why not take it up and read? How will you soak in the Scriptures and bask in the rays of truth that contain everything you need for life and godliness?

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

Psalm 119:33-40

Topics: The Bible God’s Word

FOOTNOTES

¹ Westminster Shorter Catechism, Answer 1.

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org