Today’s devotion comes from 1 Chronicles 17:16-27.
“Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O LORD God. What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant. O LORD, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have wrought all this greatness, to make known all these great things. O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make You a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt? For Your people Israel You made Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, became their God.
“Now, O LORD, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as You have spoken. Let Your name be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and the house of David Your servant is established before You.’ For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build for him a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You. Now, O LORD, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant. And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.” 1 Chronicles 17:16-27.
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David was first humble concerning the honor bestowed on him. He wanted to properly have the right humble attitude, give thanks and praise to the LORD, and receive what was promised to Israel and himself. But, the first step is humility, and that will be the focus on today’s devotion.
David first humbly sat (he did not stand) and humbly said: “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?”
“The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.” Proverbs 15:33.
“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” James 4:6.
Our tendency is to stand and to hope that others are around to hear all the good things said to us and only then to give thanks.
But, there is hope!
Other doctrine believes and teaches that there is some goodness in us whether it be works or at least will that motivates God to be good to us.
But, Reformed Doctrine humbly believes and teaches “Total Depravity”, the first letter of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. This true doctrine of salvation is more fully taught in the Reformed Confession called Canons of Dordt.
Consider the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE Of the Corruption of Man, His Conversion to God, and the Manner Thereof.
Article 3. Therefore all men are conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, incapable of saving good, prone to evil, dead in sin, and in bondage thereto, and without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, they are neither able nor willing to return to God, to reform the depravity of their nature, nor to dispose themselves to reformation.
Regarding God’s election of His elect and all His goodness to us, consider these following quotes from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled from FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.
Article 7. Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world, he hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault, from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, …
This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than the others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by him, and effectually to call and draw them to his communion by his Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of his Son, finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of his mercy, and for the praise of his glorious grace; …
Article 9. This election was not founded upon foreseen faith, and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality of disposition in man, as the pre-requisite, cause or condition on which it depended; …
In summary, there is nothing worthy about the elect in themselves that deserves the goodness that God has given them. There is no work that the elect has performed that has earned that goodness. There is not even the smallest impulse of the will of the elect to be saved that the elect has cried or whimpered that has earned that goodness. God simply chose His elect “out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will” as stated in the Canons of Dordt above.
“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:15-16.
“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.
“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 