Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 69:5-15. Due to the length of this devotion and the importance of preaching and teaching the simplicity and purity of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the true Gospel, the good news of the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, as more fully taught in the Reformed Confession of the Canons of Dordt in spite of the reproach that we may receive, we will pause a few days to meditate on today’s devotion. The next devotion, God willing, will be on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
“5 O God, it is You who knows my folly,
And my wrongs are not hidden from You.
6 May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts;
May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,
7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become estranged from my brothers
And an alien to my mother’s sons.
9 For zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept in my soul with fasting,
It became my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.
12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time;
O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with Your saving truth.
14 Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink;
May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters.
15 May the flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the pit shut its mouth on me.” Psalm 69:5-15.
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The Psalmist, David, dares not to rest on his own self-righteousness.
“O God, it is You who knows my folly,
And my wrongs are not hidden from You.” Verse 5.
And, he is more concerned about how his sin may affect others more than how it may affect himself.
“May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts;
May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,” Verse 6.
But, he also claims that it is for God’s sake and for the zeal of God’s house that he has suffered reproach.
“7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
Dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become estranged from my brothers
And an alien to my mother’s sons.
9 For zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” Verses 7-9.
D. Kuiper of the Protestant Reformed Churches wrote a devotional titled “Word Study on “Reproach” dated January 15, 2004. Here is a link to this devotional – https://www.prca.org/resources/devotionals/word-study-reproach
Here is a partial quote from Kuiper’s devotional which I (Bill Hornbeck) am using to help us better understand the word “reproach”.
“The Hebrew and Greek words translated in the KJV as reproach contain the idea of shame, disgrace, reviling, upbraiding, chiding, and casting into the teeth. All reproach is for Christ’s sake, as He is God, and as He is in the flesh the Word and revelation of God. When the people of God are reproached, it is for Christ’s sake; it is because Christ is seen in them. Christ was reviled because all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily, and He left behind a certain measure of reproach for His people to endure or fill up (Col. 1:24).
The great passage on reproach is Psalm 69, where we find the term used six times. In this psalm David complains of those who hate him without a cause: they number more than the hairs of his head; and he is even made a stranger to members of his family. And his explanation for this situation is: “Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face” (v. 7). David makes the point, further, that the more zeal a person has for the cause of God’s house, the greater the reproach (v. 9). He was consumed by such great zeal, and as he showed to Israel this consuming zeal for God’s covenant, the reproach of the wicked against God fell on him. This reproach broke his heart, and there was none to pity him or comfort him; his only comfort was that God saw his reproach, shame, and dishonor. And he left it to God to punish the adversaries.
…”
The rest of this devotion is my (Bill’s) summary and application of Scripture.
Reformed Doctrine accurately summarizes Scripture and teaches that salvation is a work of God alone, by grace alone, and that God provides all the things that accompany salvation from beginning to end: from the beginning of “Unconditional Election” through “Limited Atonement” through “Irresistible Grace” to the end of “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the true Gospel, the good news of the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. (The “T” of “TULIP” represents “Total Depravity” of man). This true doctrine of salvation is more fully taught in the Reformed Confession called Canons of Dordt.
Preachers and teachers of these doctrines of grace, including but not limited to those who preach and teach “TULIP”, may experience some reproach from others within religious circles.
Some may pay some “lip service” to Reformed “doctrines of grace”. But, when you listen to their sermons and teachings, they focus on man and what man should do (often using words like “submit” and “allow God”), rather than focus on God, God’s sovereignty, and what God has done for man’s salvation. The sermons and teachings try to build up faith in man and man’s alleged free-will and man’s works, rather than build up faith in God, God’s will, and God’s works.
They shun, hide, or minimize God’s predestination a/k/a election and the other doctrines of grace summarized by “TULIP” as if they were embarrassed by it or as if view it as an obstacle to loving others and growing a church. They may show some reproach to others who preach and teach “TULIP” and try to push them “outside the camp” for their preaching and teaching “the simplicity and purity” of “TULIP”, the true Gospel, the good news of the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, to use the language of the following closing Scriptures.
“Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” Hebrews 13:9-14.
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4.
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:3-10.
But, as we may feel reproach, there is hope for us!
God preserves us! According to His precious and magnificent promise of “Preservation of the Saints”, the “P” of “TULIP”, our Almighty LORD and Heavenly Father preserves us!!
“But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time;
O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with Your saving truth.” Verse 13.
“For the LORD loves justice
And does not forsake His godly ones;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.” Verse 28.
“You, O LORD, will keep them;
You will preserve him from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:7.
“You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.” Psalm 40:11.
Consider the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled “FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Perseverance of the Saints” (a/k/a “Preservation of the Saints”).
Article 3. By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and the temptations of sin and of the world, those who are converted could not persevere in a state of grace, if left to their own strength. But God is faithful, who having conferred grace, mercifully confirms, and powerfully preserves them herein, even to the end.
Article 8. Thus, it is not in consequence of their own merits, or strength, but of God’s free mercy, that they do not totally fall from faith and grace, nor continue and perish finally in their backslidings; which, with respect to themselves, is not only possible, but would undoubtedly happen; but with respect to God, it is utterly impossible, since his counsel cannot be changed, nor his promise fail, neither can the call according to his purpose be revoked, nor the merit, intercession and preservation of Christ be rendered ineffectual, nor the sealing of the Holy Spirit be frustrated or obliterated.
Article 9. Of this preservation of the elect to salvation, and of their perseverance in the faith, true believers for themselves may and ought to obtain assurance according to the measure of their faith, whereby they arrive at the certain persuasion, that they ever will continue true and living members of the church; and that they experience forgiveness of sins, and will at last inherit eternal life.
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” John 6:39.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:27-29.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:28-35 and 37-39.
“… for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOW WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” Hebrews 13:5.
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith …” Hebrews 12:2.
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14.
“The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4.
Total Perfect Triumph.
“For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4.
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:24.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 