Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 4:15-20.

“So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth.  And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.  But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.”  Deuteronomy 4:15-20.

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Today’s Scripture reminds us of the first two commandments of the Ten Commandments in the following chapter.

“‘I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them;  for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  Deuteronomy 5:6-10.

But, there is hope!

The last verse of today’s Scripture and the first verse of the Ten Commandments both give us the reason why, in summary, we have no other gods before the LORD our God.   

The LORD saved us!  We are “a people for His own possession”!  Verse 20.

Other doctrine teaches that we chose God and did something, whether it be works or will, to obtain that salvation and status of being His people.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches that God chose us and did all that is necessary to save us and make us His people.

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;  you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”  1 Peter 2:9-10.