Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

As some of you may know, I am daily reading through Scripture in its order.  Today’s devotion included 2 Timothy 4:18:  “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”  

 

This verse encourages me so much.  We can go out into a dirty and dangerous world and fight the good fight, and yet we can be confident that our Lord will rescue us from every evil deed and will bring us safely to His heavenly kingdom.

 

We can be tempted by the perceived safety and holiness of a life cloistered within our home.  After all, we are just pilgrims on a corruptible earth filled with sin and evil.  We can feel tempted to just wait for our eternal home in heaven. 

 

We love to claim that we are waiting for that “kingdom which cannot be shaken” in Hebrews 12:28-29, but we ignore the call in the same verses:  “… let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;  for our God is a consuming fire.”

                                                                   

We love to quote Hebrews 13:13-14:  “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.”  But, we ignore the call in the next verses:  “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.  And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.  Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.”  Hebrews 13:15-18.

 

We even tend to “spiritualize” every promise of God believing that they only apply to future heavenly things.  We don’t expect any blessings here on earth.

 

We expect just the opposite.  We expect God to send us trouble and pain and suffering on earth, so that our longing for our eternal home in heaven will be strengthened.

 

Thus, we are content to isolate ourselves and wait it out.  It is the pious and spiritual thing to do.   

 

 

In a sense, such a “monk’s life” is like the man who had one talent.   “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.  ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’  “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.  ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.  ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’  “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.  “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Matthew 25:24-30.  

 

Let us recognize that our Lord is our Good Shepherd who not only cares for our life in heaven, but also our life here on earth.  We shall not be in want of any good thing.  Psalm 23:1 and Psalm 84:11.  He satisfies our years with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle.  Psalm 103:5.  In a noisy and busy world, he provides rest and makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside quiet waters.  Even in danger, we fear no evil, for our Good Shepherd is with us.  Psalm 23:4. Our cup overflows.  Psalm 23:5.  ^“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,”  Psalm 23:6.