Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | October 8, 2017

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”

Today’s devotion comes from Lamentations 3:33-66.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations+3&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“33 For He does not afflict willingly
Or grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush under His feet
All the prisoners of the land,
35 To deprive a man of justice
In the presence of the Most High,
36 To defraud a man in his lawsuit—
Of these things the Lord does not approve.
37 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That both good and ill go forth?

39 Why should any living mortal, or any man,
Offer complaint in view of his sins?
40 Let us examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the Lord.”  Lamentations 3:33-40.

———————-

It may seem that the world is out of control, and that the biggest out-of-control force is evil, randomly going here and there.

But, the LORD is still in control. 

“37 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That both good and ill go forth?”  Verses 37-38.

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

And, the LORD of Scriptures is not like the imaginary giant ancient gods of the peoples who treated the peoples like ants and stomped around with no care to the damage inflicted.

“33 For He does not afflict willingly
Or grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush under His feet
All the prisoners of the land,
35 To deprive a man of justice
In the presence of the Most High,
36 To defraud a man in his lawsuit—
Of these things the Lord does not approve.”  Verses 33-36.

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”  Psalm 89:14.

But, even if we feel that we unjustly experienced troubles, we have no basis for complaint.

“39 Why should any living mortal, or any man,
Offer complaint in view of his sins?
40 Let us examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the Lord.”  Verses 39-40.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | October 6, 2017

“The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, honor and life.”

Today’s devotion comes from Lamentations 3:25-32.

“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 3:25-32.

——————–

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders;  and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  1 Peter 5:5.

As a Potter molds clay, the LORD molds His elect. 

The LORD starts with the proud and conceited and wild clay of a young man and creates the humble and respectful and peaceful clay of a man useful to the service of the LORD.   

Or more simply, the LORD takes a young buck and tames him.

The young buck may resist and rise up and thrash about, but the LORD is patient.

Today’s Scripture encourages those who bear the yoke of discipline in their youth to be still and be silent and to endure and accept the training and discipline.

“9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”  Psalm 32:9-11.

And, there is the hope of reward for such endurance and acceptance of the training and discipline.

It will not last forever.

“For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;  yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”  Hebrews 12:10-11.

“For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.”  Verse 32.

“The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor and life.”  Proverbs 22:4.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | October 5, 2017

“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, … They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Today’s devotion comes from Lamentations 3:1-24.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations+3&version=NASB

I quote only these verses.

“22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23.

—————–

Like Jeremiah in today’s Scripture, there are times in our lives when we feel alone, maybe even like the LORD has forsaken us.  All we see is the darkness of night.

But, then the glorious light of day arrives, and we recognize that we are not alone.  The LORD has not forsaken us.  Sometimes, all it takes is our recognition of some “small” lovingkindness of the LORD by which He draws us closer to Him.  And, we realize that such lovingkindness, although maybe small by man’s judgment, is not small at all, because of what it accomplishes.

“22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”  Verses 22-23.

We all have our own stories.  Here is one story of mine that I remember that some of you heard before.

But again, it is not important what actually happened;  what is important is what was accomplished:  a feeling of closeness to God, renewed faith and steadfastness.

This story happened a long time ago, but other stories happen every day.  We live by faith, and the LORD gives us faith each day through His lovingkindnesses.

I remember that I had run out of money.  I did not even have money for lunch.  I was hungry.  And then, I received a call from my Pastor asking me to immediately meet him at church to do something for him.

At first, I was bitter, wondering why has the LORD required service from me when He had not even provided lunch for me.

When I arrived at church, the Pastor was walking me through the fellowship hall where the ladies had set up a lunch banquet.  One lady interrupted us insisted that I sit down, and she put in front of me the dish of her food that she brought to the lunch, wanting me to eat it.  Another lady, wanting to compete with her, put her dish of food in front of me, wanting me to eat it.  And so on.  And, all the food was so delicious!  The LORD more than sustained me by this “small” lovingkindness.  He delighted me.  He drew me close.  He lifted my spirit.  He built up my faith.  Very soon, “the check arrived in the mail” of which I was waiting, and my finances were back to normal.

The following Scripture provides the “watchman for the morning” attitude that we all need to have, so that we watch diligently to see and recognize and properly appreciate the LORD’s lovingkindnesses that never cease.

“6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is lovingkindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.”  Psalm 130:6-7.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | October 4, 2017

“The Lord has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word” – “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice”

Today’s devotion comes from Lamentations chapter 2.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations+2&version=NASB

I quote only the following verse.

“The Lord has done what He purposed;
He has accomplished His word
Which He commanded from days of old.
He has thrown down without sparing,
And He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you;
He has exalted the might of your adversaries.”  Lamentations 2:17.

——————

It is hard for us to read in Lamentations chapter 2 of the fierce anger and actions of the LORD against Israel.  We need to remember the LORD’s patient, clear, and repeated warning to Israel and the justice of such punishment. 

“How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion
With a cloud in His anger!
He has cast from heaven to earth
The glory of Israel,
And has not remembered His footstool
In the day of His anger.
2 The Lord has swallowed up;  He has not spared
All the habitations of Jacob.
In His wrath He has thrown down
The strongholds of the daughter of Judah;
He has brought them down to the ground;
He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.
3 In fierce anger He has cut off
All the strength of Israel;
He has drawn back His right hand
From before the enemy.
And He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire
Consuming round about.
4 He has bent His bow like an enemy;
He has set His right hand like an adversary
And slain all that were pleasant to the eye;
In the tent of the daughter of Zion
He has poured out His wrath like fire.
5 The Lord has become like an enemy.
He has swallowed up Israel;
He has swallowed up all its palaces,
He has destroyed its strongholds
And multiplied in the daughter of Judah
Mourning and moaning.”  Verses 1-5.

Other doctrine presents the god of its desire:  a god who is subject to man’s desires and alleged free-will.

But, Reformed Doctrine presents the LORD of Scripture:  the sovereign and righteous LORD Who loves justice and accomplishes all of His good and perfect will.

“O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day;  behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”  Ezra 9:15.

“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.
4 His lightnings lit up the world;
The earth saw and trembled.
5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples have seen His glory.”  Psalm 97:1-6.

“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.   

“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.

“The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble;
He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is exalted above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name;
Holy is He.
4 The strength of the King loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.”  Psalm 99:1-5.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | October 3, 2017

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried”

Today’s devotion comes from Lamentations chapter 1.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lamentations+1&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“3 Judah has gone into exile under affliction
And under harsh servitude;
She dwells among the nations,
But she has found no rest;
All her pursuers have overtaken her
In the midst of distress.
4 The roads of Zion are in mourning
Because no one comes to the appointed feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
Her priests are groaning,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she herself is bitter.
5 Her adversaries have become her masters,
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has caused her grief
Because of the multitude of her transgressions;
Her little ones have gone away
As captives before the adversary.
6 All her majesty
Has departed from the daughter of Zion;
Her princes have become like deer
That have found no pasture;
And they have fled without strength
Before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and homelessness
Jerusalem remembers all her precious things
That were from the days of old,
When her people fell into the hand of the adversary
And no one helped her.
The adversaries saw her,
They mocked at her ruin.
8 Jerusalem sinned greatly,
Therefore she has become an unclean thing.
All who honored her despise her
Because they have seen her nakedness;
Even she herself groans and turns away.

9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts;
She did not consider her future.
Therefore she has fallen astonishingly;
She has no comforter.
“See, O Lord, my affliction,
For the enemy has magnified himself!”.  Lamentations 1:3-9.

————————-

“Judah has gone into exile under affliction
And under harsh servitude;  …”  Verse 3.

“…   For the Lord has caused her grief
Because of the multitude of her transgressions  …”  Verse 5.

So, to Whom should Judah turn?

“…  “See, O Lord, my affliction,
For the enemy has magnified himself!”.  Verse 9.

When we experience sorrows, to Whom should we turn?

“10 “Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be my helper.”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
12 That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”  Psalm 30:10-12.

“22 As for me, I said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried to You.

23 O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.”  Psalm 31:22-24.

“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 3:31-32.

When we experience sorrows, we turn to Christ.

“4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:4-5.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | October 2, 2017

“Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight” – “Do not cast me away from Your presence” – “cleanse me from my sin” – “Create in me a clean heart, O God”

Today’s devotion comes from Jeremiah chapter 52.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+52&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“He did evil in the sight of the Lord like all that Jehoiakim had done.  For through the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence.”  Jeremiah 52:2-3.

——————–

Some were slaughtered.  Some were carried away into exile.  The valuable things in the temple were also carried away to Babylon.  The temple and city of Jerusalem were destroyed.  Jeremiah chapter 52 provides great detail. 

This devotion focuses on the summary of what the LORD did in verse 3.  “For through the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence.”  Verse 3.

King David also did evil in the sight of the LORD, and he rightly feared the just consequence of such evil, that is, being cast out of the presence of the LORD.

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.”  Psalm 51:1-4.

“Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”  Psalm 51:11.

Like King David, we all sin and have done evil in the sight of the LORD.  

We don’t start out pure and only occasionally sin.  We start out in sin, corrupted by sin.     

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.”  Psalm 51:5.

Reformed Doctrine summarizes our natural condition as “Total Depravity”.  We are dead in sin, hostile to God, and enslaved to sin and Satan.  Every part of us is corrupted by sin. 

We all deserve to be cast out of the presence of the LORD.

But, there is hope outside of us.  The hope is that the LORD will make us alive and cleanse us from sin and create in us a clean heart.  

“7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:7-10.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | October 1, 2017

“For the LORD is a God of recompense, He will fully repay.”

Today’s devotion comes from Jeremiah 51:24-64.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+51&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“24 “But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the Lord.

…

36 Therefore thus says the Lord,
“Behold, I am going to plead your case
And exact full vengeance for you;
And I will dry up her sea
And make her fountain dry.

…

55 For the Lord is going to destroy Babylon,
And He will make her loud noise vanish from her.
And their waves will roar like many waters;
The tumult of their voices sounds forth.
56 For the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon,
And her mighty men will be captured,
Their bows are shattered;
For the Lord is a God of recompense,
He will fully repay.”  Jeremiah 51:24, 36, and 55-56.

———————–

 

“4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
5 He will recompense the evil to my foes;
Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

6 Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.”  Psalm 55:4-7.

 

“7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.”  Psalm 91:7-9.

 

“O Lord, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.
3 How long shall the wicked, O Lord,
How long shall the wicked exult?
…
21 They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has been my stronghold,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He has brought back their wickedness upon them
And will destroy them in their evil;
The Lord our God will destroy them.”  Psalm 94:1-3 and 21-23.

 

“Say to those with anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
The recompense of God will come,
But He will save you.”  Isaiah 35:4.

 

“16 And He saw that there was no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
18 According to their deeds, so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will make recompense.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord.”  Isaiah 59:16-20.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 29, 2017

“But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Today’s devotion comes from Jeremiah 51:11-23.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+51&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“11 Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers!
The Lord has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes,
Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it;
For it is the vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for His temple.
12 Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon;
Post a strong guard,
Station sentries,
Place men in ambush!
For the Lord has both purposed and performed
What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
13 O you who dwell by many waters,
Abundant in treasures,
Your end has come,
The measure of your end.
14 The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself:
“Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts,
And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”  

15 It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom,
And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.
16 When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
And brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
17 All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
For his molten images are deceitful,
And there is no breath in them.
18 They are worthless, a work of mockery;
In the time of their punishment they will perish.
19 The portion of Jacob is not like these;
For the Maker of all is He,
And of the tribe of His inheritance;
The Lord of hosts is His name.”  Jeremiah 51:11-19. 

—————————–

There is the sharpest contrast between the portion of the wicked and the portion of God’s people.  

The portion of the wicked is punishment.  “…  In the time of their punishment they will perish.”  Verse 18.

“The portion of Jacob is not like these;
For the Maker of all is He,
And of the tribe of His inheritance;
The Lord of hosts is His name.”  Verse 19.

In other words, the portion of God’s people is God Himself, “The Lord of hosts is His name.”

“25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.”  Psalm 73:25-28.

“Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.”  Psalm 11:6.

“5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.”  Psalm 16:5-6.

“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.”  Lamentations 3:22-24.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 28, 2017

“The LORD has brought about our vindication; Come and let us recount in Zion The work of the LORD our God!”

Today’s devotion comes from Jeremiah 51:1-10.

“Thus says the LORD:

“Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon
And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai
The spirit of a destroyer.
2 “I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her
And may devastate her land;
For on every side they will be opposed to her
In the day of her calamity.
3 “Let not him who bends his bow bend it,
Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor;
So do not spare her young men;
Devote all her army to destruction.
4 “They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans,
And pierced through in their streets.”

5 For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken
By his God, the LORD of hosts,
Although their land is full of guilt
Before the Holy One of Israel.
6 Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And each of you save his life!
Do not be destroyed in her punishment,
For this is the Lord’s time of vengeance;
He is going to render recompense to her.
7 Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD,
Intoxicating all the earth.
The nations have drunk of her wine;
Therefore the nations are going mad.
8 Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken;
Wail over her!
Bring balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
9 We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed;
Forsake her and let us each go to his own country,
For her judgment has reached to heaven
And towers up to the very skies.
10 The LORD has brought about our vindication;
Come and let us recount in Zion
The work of the LORD our God!”  Jeremiah 51:1-10.

—————–

Other doctrine likes to recounts the works of man.

But, Reformed Doctrine likes to recount the work of the LORD our God.

“The LORD has brought about our vindication;
Come and let us recount in Zion
The work of the LORD our God!”  Verse 10.

Man was dead in sin, hostile to God, and enslaved to sin and Satan.  This is “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Figuratively speaking, there would be more hope for a dead man at the bottom of the ocean whose body was decomposing and eaten by fish, than there would be for man to supply anything needed for his salvation.  At least such a dead man at the bottom of the ocean is “only” dead;  the man who needed to supply something for his salvation is not only dead, he is hostile to God and enslaved to sin and Satan.   

But, there is hope for such utterly hopeless man!

“For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken
By his God, the LORD of hosts,
Although their land is full of guilt
Before the Holy One of Israel.”  Verse 5.

The LORD our God has performed such an amazing and awesome work that He has supplied all that is needed for salvation from beginning to the end:  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. 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  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 2:4-9. 

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 27, 2017

“Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name” – “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you”

Today’s devotion comes from Jeremiah 50:33-46.  Here is a link to this Scripture –   https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+50&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“33 Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“The sons of Israel are oppressed,
And the sons of Judah as well;
And all who took them captive have held them fast,
They have refused to let them go.
34 “Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name;
He will vigorously plead their case
So that He may bring rest to the earth,
But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.”  Jeremiah 50:33-34.

——————–

“8 “But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
12 “You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
13 “For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
14 “Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the Lord, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.”  Isaiah 41:8-14.

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