Today’s devotion comes Psalm chapter 39. Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2039&version=NASB1995
Due to the length of this devotion and the importance of focusing on God and His works rather than focusing on man and man’s works, the TOTAL PERFECT TRIUMPH of God, we will pause a few days to meditate on this theme and these Scriptures. The next devotion, God willing, will be on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
I quote only the following verses.
“4 “LORD, make me to know my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how transient I am.
5 “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah.
6 “Surely every man walks about as a phantom;
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
8 “Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.
9 “I have become mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who have done it.
10 “Remove Your plague from me;
Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing.
11 “With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;
You consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath. Selah.
12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner like all my fathers.
13 “Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may smile again
Before I depart and am no more.” Psalm chapter 39.
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Today’s Scripture reminds us of the vanity of life and how quickly life passes and humbles us such as is covered at length by the Book of Ecclesiastes.
2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
3 What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?
4 A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.
…
8 All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.” Ecclesiastes1:2-3 and 8.
But, there is hope!
“And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.” Verse 7.
The hope is in the LORD and what He has done!
Rather than focusing on us and our feelings and trying to puff up the little that we have done, we should focus on the LORD and what He has done!
“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.
“He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.” Psalm 33:5.
“9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11.
“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3.
“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.
God accomplishes all of His good pleasure in exercising lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth. Total Perfect Triumph.
In part, God accomplishes His good pleasure by demonstrating His lovingkindness by choosing whom He will save (“Unconditional Election”) and by providing all that the His elect need for salvation: 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 Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. This true doctrine of salvation is more fully taught in the Reformed Confession called Canons of Dordt.
“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. In other words, salvation does not depend on our works, nor even as little as our will. God saves whom He wants.
In addition, God also accomplishes His good pleasure and demonstrates His justice by shattering His enemies and sending them to hell.
God does not love everyone. Christ did not die for every one.
“2 … Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.” Psalm 97:2-3.
“11 God is a righteous judge,
And a God who has indignation every day.
12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;
He has bent His bow and made it ready.
13 He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts.” Psalm 7:11-13.
“6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
7 For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face.” Psalm 11:6-7.
“3 “The LORD is a warrior;
The LORD is His name.
4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 “The deeps cover them;
They went down into the depths like a stone.
6 “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power,
Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.” Exodus 15:3-6.
“And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You;
You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff.” Exodus 15:7.
“But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:12.
“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:5.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-16.
But, God also accomplished His good pleasure and demonstrated His justice by sending His precious only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die on the cross, because through His Father’s will, Christ took on Himself the sins of God’s Elect.
If ever there was a time for God to refrain from justice, it was this time. But, God perfectly demonstrated His justice by even sending Christ to the cross, because justice required punishment for those sins of His elect. This atonement was “Limited Atonement” in the sense that Christ died for only the Elect and provided atonement for only the Elect’s sins, but it was unlimited in the sense that all the sins of the Elect were forgiven.
God also accomplished His good pleasure and demonstrated His righteousness by imputing the righteousness of Christ to His Elect and by sanctifying His Elect, causing them to be slaves of righteousness.
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26.
“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 1:30-31.
“But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” Romans 6:22.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13.
“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.
God delights in lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, and God perfectly exercises them. God’s work is perfect, and His sovereignty rules over all. Total Perfect Triumph.
“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.
“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.
“Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD;
They are studied by all who delight in them.” Psalm 111:1-2.
“9 I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
11 You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.” Psalm 40:9-11.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 