Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 146.

“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.
5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever;
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
9 The Lord protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!”  Psalm chapter 146.

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Other doctrine focuses on man and trusts in man.

But, Reformed Doctrine focuses on God and trusts in God.

“Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.”  Verse 3.

“My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation.”  Psalm 62:1.

Reformed Doctrine trusts God alone for salvation from beginning to the end:  from “Unconditional Election” to “Limited Atonement” to “Irresistible Grace” to “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,”  Verse 5.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 145:14-21.

“14 The Lord sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to You,
And You give them their food in due time.
16 You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry and will save them.
20 The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”  Psalm 145:14-21.

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Many would only quote verses 14 to 17 to maintain that God loves everybody and shows common grace to everybody.

But, we see that the following verses, so to speak, cut in half and even cut again into a quarter the group to which God shows such grace.

First, we see the sharp cut between those who love God and the wicked.

“The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.”  Verse 20.

Second, we see within this group who appear to love God the cut between those who merely call upon Him and those who call upon Him in truth.

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.”  Verse 18.

In other words, God shows grace to only those who call upon Him in truth.  It is insufficient for those who profess that they love God to call upon God upon their own terms and agenda.

There are those who call upon God but not according to truth.

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.  For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.  For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”  Romans 10:1-4.

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth;  for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:23-24.

“‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”  Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7.

“and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.”  2 Thessalonians 2:10.

In summary, the following Scripture puts it together.  There is an emotional love that comes from God through the heart.  And, there is an intellectual love that encompasses knowledge and love of the truth that also comes from God but through the mind.  We are commanded to love God with all of our heart and with all of our mind.

“And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  And He said to him, “What is written in the Law?  How does it read to you?”  And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind;  and your neighbor as yourself.”  Luke 10:25-27.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 145:1-13.

“I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6 Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.
7 They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
9 The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.
10 All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord,
And Your godly ones shall bless You.
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
12 To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”  Psalm 145:1-13.

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Other doctrine focuses on man and what man has done and should do.

But, Reformed Doctrine, consistent with this Scripture, focuses on God and what God has done.

“Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And I will tell of Your greatness.”  Verse 6.

“They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness
And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.”  Verse 7.

“11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power;
12 To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.”  Verses 11-12.

“One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.”  Verse 4.

Other doctrine cling to a false claim of free-will in man.

But, Reformed Doctrine proclaims God’s kingdom and dominion.

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”  Verse 13.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 144.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+144&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my deliverer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

…

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who gives salvation to kings,
Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens,
Whose mouth speaks deceit
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants,
And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace;
13 Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14 Let our cattle bear
Without mishap and without loss,
Let there be no outcry in our streets!
15 How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!”  Psalm 144:1-2 and 9-15.

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We want protection.  We want prosperity.

How are protection and prosperity received?

Today’s Scripture teaches that protection and prosperity are blessings from God.

“How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!”  Verse 15.

And, the following Scripture goes further and teaches that God’s chosen people receive God’s choice blessings.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”  Psalm 34:12.

Other doctrine wants to ignore or obscure that point, preferring to falsely teach that God loves everyone and that the reason why some people are protected and have prosperity (and others are not) is that the protected and prospered use their own alleged free-will, wisdom, and strength to seize it.

But, the Scripture that follows the foregoing Psalm 34:12 refute such false teaching.

“13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
14 From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.”  Psalm 34:13-22.

God gives protection and prosperity to His beloved, His chosen ones.

“Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”  Psalm 127:1-2.

“4 Remember me, O Lord, in Your favor toward Your people;
Visit me with Your salvation,
5 That I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.”  Psalm 106:4-5.

“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.  …”  Ephesians 1:3-4.

“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.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 142.

“I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
There is no escape for me;
No one cares for my soul.

5 I cried out to You, O Lord;
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
6 “Give heed to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are too strong for me.
7 “Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will deal bountifully with me.”  Psalm chapter 142.

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“17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34:17-19.

“5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.”  Psalm 13:5-6.

“7 Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.”  Psalm 116:7-8.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 141.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+141&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
² May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
³ Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
⁴ Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness
With men who do iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.”  Psalm 141:1-4.

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“³ Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
⁴ Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice deeds of wickedness …”  Verses 2-3.

“³⁵ Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
³⁶ Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.”  Psalm 119:35-36.

Whereas other doctrine simply urges man to use their own alleged free-will and just try harder to avoid sin, Reformed Doctrine recognizes that “Total Depravity” is the natural condition of man, and accordingly how easily it is for man to sin.

To use the language of today’s Scripture, Reformed Doctrine knows that in our natural condition our heart is inclined to any evil thing to practice deeds of wickedness.  We need a new heart.

But, there is hope!  

God has made us a new creation and given us a new heart and put His Spirit within us.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;  the old things passed away;  behold, new things have come.  …  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  2 Corinthians 6:17 and 21.  “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”  Ephesians 4:24.

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  Ezekiel 36:26-27.  

“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;  and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”  Galatians 2:19-21.

“Are you so foolish?  Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?  Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?  So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  Galatians 3:3-5.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”  Galatians 5:16. 

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”  Romans 8:29-30.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;  and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 139:19-24.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139&version=NASB

I quote only the last two verses in this Scripture.

“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.”  Psalm 139:23-24.

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Although today’s Scripture is a prayer request, we remember from yesterday’s Scripture in the very same chapter that God does indeed search us and know us.  God indeed does lead us.

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. ”  Psalm 139:1-3.

“9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.”  Psalm 139:9-10.

God is our Great Shepherd Who knows us, His sheep, and Who most certainly leads us, protects us, and otherwise blesses us.

“The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:1-3.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;  and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish;  and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”  John 10:27-28.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 139:1-18.

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.”  Psalm 139:1-18.

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Other doctrine teaches free-will.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches God’s will.

Other doctrine teaches that man is free to do whatever he wants.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches that God is Creator and controls all that He has created.

“For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.”  Verse 13.

“…  And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.”  Verse 16.

“You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.”  Verse 5.

“9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.”  Verses 9-10.

Other doctrine teaches how precious are our words and works are to God.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches how precious are God’s thoughts to us.

“17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.”  Verses 17-18.

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:6.