Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah 9:16-25.

“16 “But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly;
They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments.
17 “They refused to listen,
And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them;
So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.
But You are a God of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
18 “Even when they made for themselves
A calf of molten metal
And said, ‘This is your God
Who brought you up from Egypt,’
And committed great blasphemies,
“19 You, in Your great compassion,
Did not forsake them in the wilderness;
The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day,
To guide them on their way,
Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.
20 “You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.
21 “Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want;
Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.
22 “You also gave them kingdoms and peoples,
And allotted them to them as a boundary.
They took possession of the land of Sihon the king of Heshbon
And the land of Og the king of Bashan.
23 “You made their sons numerous as the stars of heaven,
And You brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
24 “So their sons entered and possessed the land.
And You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites,
And You gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land,
To do with them as they desired.
25 “They captured fortified cities and a fertile land.
They took possession of houses full of every good thing,
Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,
Fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate, were filled and grew fat,
And reveled in Your great goodness.” Nehemiah 9:16-25.

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“19 Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
26 It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man that he should bear
The yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and be silent
Since He has laid it on him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust,
Perhaps there is hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to the smiter,
Let him be filled with reproach.
31 For the LORD will not reject forever,
32 For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.” Lamentations 3:19-32.

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah 9:9-15.

“9 “You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And heard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 “Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants and all the people of his land;
For You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them,
And made a name for Yourself as it is this day.
11 “You divided the sea before them,
So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground;
And their pursuers You hurled into the depths,
Like a stone into raging waters.
12 “And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day,
And with a pillar of fire by night
To light for them the way
In which they were to go.
13 “Then You came down on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven;
You gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath,
And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law,
Through Your servant Moses.
15 “You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger,
You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst,
And You told them to enter in order to possess
The land which You swore to give them.” Nehemiah 9:9-15.

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Is this Scripture about the works of man?

Or is this Scripture about the works of God?

Does this Scripture give glory to man?

Or does this Scripture give glory to God?

“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.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.” Psalm 111:1-3.

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14.

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah 9:1-8.  The next devotion, God willing, will be on Monday, September 29, 2025.

“Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them.  The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.  While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day;  and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.  Now on the Levites’ platform stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, “Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever!

O may Your glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 “You alone are the LORD.
You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down before You.
7 “You are the LORD God,
Who chose Abram
And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees,
And gave him the name Abraham.
8 “You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite—
To give it to his descendants.
And You have fulfilled Your promise,
For You are righteous.” Nehemiah 9:1-8.

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Today’s Scripture in bold italic font above presents three qualities of the LORD which leads us to meditate on “Why do so many vainly try to hide or minimize those qualities of the LORD?” in today’s devotion.

First, in today’s Scripture, we see the praise of the LORD for His creation. Scripture starts in Genesis chapter 1 with God’s creation and pounds the table about the time frame of each part of creation six times using the same words: “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” Thereafter, Scripture so often identifies the LORD as the Creator.  Shouldn’t that beginning, repetition, and emphasis, lead us to fully honor that awesome creation accomplishment and quality of God?  Why then do so many vainly try to chip away at that awesome creation accomplishment and quality of God?!

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”  Romans 1:20-21.

Second, in today’s Scripture, we see the praise of the LORD for His choice. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is called God’s chosen people, and throughout the New Testament, the people whom God saves are called “chosen” or “elect”.  Why then do so many try to rebel against God’s choice, vainly trying to claim glory and credit for their salvation by their own works or by their own wisdom or will?!

“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.

“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.

“2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,” Psalm 2:2-5.

“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.

Third, in today’s Scripture, we see the praise of the LORD for fulfilling His promises. Throughout both the Old Testament and New Testament we see so many fulfilled promises of God and so many deceptive and broken promises by man.  Why then do so many prefer to focus on man’s promises rather than on God’s promises?!

“10 as it is written,

“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” Romans 3:10-12.

In sharpest contrast to the deceptive and broken promises of man, consider the fulfilled promises of the Almighty and Faithful God.

“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 46:10-11.

“Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed;  all came to pass.”  Joshua 21:45.

“For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU.”  And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.  For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.  In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.”  Hebrews 6:13-18. 

Conclusion

“5 Thus says the LORD,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 “For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
8 “For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8.

“10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the LORD with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:10-12.

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah 7:39 to Nehemiah 8:12.  Here is a link to the Scripture which I do not quote herein – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%207&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Now the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Israel, lived in their cities.

And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel.  Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.  He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand;  and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.  Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose.  And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand;  and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.  Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people;  and when he opened it, all the people stood up.  Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God.  And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands;  then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.  Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.  They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God;  do not mourn or weep.”  For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.  Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared;  for this day is holy to our Lord.  Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy;  do not be grieved.”  All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.”  Nehemiah 7:39 and Nehemiah 8:1-12.   

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“…  Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Verse 10.  

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2.

“For by one offering He (Christ) has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14.

When we understand the words of the Bible that we were dead in our sin and could not contribute anything whether it be works or even as little as the will to be saved, and that despite our “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP” which summarizes our natural condition, the LORD set His love on us His elect and provided all that we need for salvation and how He rejoices in His salvation of us, then we understand that the joy of the LORD to do all this for us is indeed our strength.

In other words, we need not only the ability of the LORD to strengthen us; we also need His desire to strengthen us. Consider what the Heidelberg Catechism states about this point.

Q. 26. What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”?

A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; who likewise upholds and governs the same by his eternal counsel and providence) is for the sake of Christ his Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt, but he will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body and further, that he will make whatever evils he sends upon me, in this valley of tears turn out to my advantage; for he is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.

Thus, our faithful Father is more than just able to strengthen us, and even more than “willing” to strengthen us; it is His joy to strengthen us.

As another analogy, “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. As the Master Craftsman, so to speak, the LORD has joy in His workmanship and the works that He has prepared for us to do.

That joy of the LORD is our hope, faith, and strength.

The following Scripture is so beautiful because it literally describes what the LORD did for these people in today’s Scripture but it also provides a figurative description to help us understand what the LORD has done for us, His elect, and how the joy of the LORD is indeed our strength.

“14 Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away His judgments against you,
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You will fear disaster no more.
16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not be afraid, O Zion;
Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 “The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
18 “I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts—
They came from you, O Zion;
The reproach of exile is a burden on them.
19 “Behold, I am going to deal at that time
With all your oppressors,
I will save the lame
And gather the outcast,
And I will turn their shame into praise and renown
In all the earth.
20 “At that time I will bring you in,
Even at the time when I gather you together;
Indeed, I will give you renown and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
Says the LORD.” Zephaniah 3:14-20.

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah 7:1-38.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%207&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogies.  Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first in which I found the following record:

These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.

The number of men of the people of Israel:  the sons of Parosh, 2,172;  the sons of Shephatiah, 372;  the sons of Arah, 652;”  Nehemiah 7:5-10. 

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“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”  Luke 10:20.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  …”  Ephesians 1:3-8.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.

In other words, even faith is a gift of God.  Every spiritual blessing including faith comes from the fountain of God’s election.  

Consider the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled section titled FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination in which it states:  “election is the fountain of every saving good;  from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself”.

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;  but men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc., therefore election is the fountain of every saving good;  from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to that of the apostle:  “He hath chosen us (not because we were) but that we should be holy, and without blame, before him in love,”  Ephesians 1:4.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand;  and we exult in hope of the glory of God.  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man;  though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”  Romans 5:1-11.

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah 6:15-19.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah%206&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.  When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence;  for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”  Nehemiah 6:15-16. 

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Other doctrine focuses on man and what man should do.

But, Reformed Doctrine focuses on God and what God 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.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

“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.

If we believe a prior Scripture, “His sovereignty rules over all.”, then why would such sovereignty not include what is most important, namely, salvation?!  Of course, God’s sovereignty covers salvation.

God saves all those, and only those (the elect), whom He has chosen to save.  In sharp contrast to the wise, mighty, and noble who proudly thought they deserved salvation by their will or by their works or by their position, God saves only those whom He has chosen as we see that the following Scripture pounds the table three times what is the basis of salvation:  “God has chosen”.

“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.

We don’t rejoice in our works nor in our will.  We boast in the LORD.  As the following Scripture exhorts us, we rejoice that our names are recorded in heaven.

“The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”  And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.  Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.  All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”  Luke 10:17-22.

“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 by one offering He (Christ) has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14.

“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.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.

7 The works of His hands are truth and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
8 They are upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
His praise endures forever.” Psalm chapter 111.

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah 5:14-19.

“Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance.  But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver;  even their servants domineered the people.  But I did not do so because of the fear of God.  I also applied myself to the work on this wall;  we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.  Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.  Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance.  Yet for all this I did not demand the governor’s food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people.  Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.”   Nehemiah 5:14-19.

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Today’s Scripture, particularly Nehemiah’s request to God highlighted above, leads us to meditate on a few Scriptures on how much God assures us that He gives us a reward. 

First of all, it is amazing that God encourages us to meditate on His reward to such an extent that God defines faith in terms of doing so.  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6. 

Second, it is amazing that God defends His character by His willingness to reward.  “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”  Hebrews 6:10.

Third, it is amazing that in strongly assuring us of giving us a reward, God calls us His “field”, His “building”, and joins us together as “fellow workers”.    “Now he who plants and he who waters are one;  but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers;  you are God’s field, God’s building.”  1 Corinthians 3:8-9.

Fourth, it is amazing that even when we see wickedness, God assures us of His reward which includes punishing the wicked and which includes being aware of the sharp distinction between God’s mercy and riches for us (“vessels of mercy”) and God’s wrath and punishment of the wicked.  

“10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely there is a God who judges on earth!” Psalm 58:10-11.

“What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:22-24.

In conclusion, we should not think that we earned God’s reward.  Here are some Scriptures to consider how extensive and how gracious God’s reward is.  

In Jesus’ Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, each of the laborers received the same one reward, namely one denarius (so to speak, a just and exact amount of money for a full day’s labor) but which some of the laborers complained:  “These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.”  Jesus answered:  “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?  Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’  So the last shall be first, and the first last.”  See Matthew 20:1-16.  

In Jesus’ Parable of the Talents, Jesus said the same thing to the one who was entrusted with five talents and brought his master five more talents as Jesus said to the one who was entrusted with two talents and gained two more talents.  “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave.  You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things;  enter into the joy of your master.’”  Matthew 25:21 (five talents) and Matthew 25:23 (two talents).  

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:32. 

“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?” Romans 8:32.  

“So then let no one boast in men.  For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come;  all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ;  and Christ belongs to God.”  1 Corinthians 3:21-23.

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.  Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”  Revelation 22:12-15.