Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.

“I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.  And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven.  It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.  I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.  What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me;  and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”  And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly;  I realized that this also is striving after wind.  Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.”  Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.

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Now calling himself “the Preacher”, Solomon in his old age is not maintaining that spiritual wisdom is vanity;  this is not a change of his position on the value of wisdom emphasized by him throughout the whole preceding book of Proverbs.

Rather, Solomon is maintaining that there is a pursuit and accumulation of knowledge of just earthly facts and “madness and folly” that is “vanity”, a “striving after wind”. Solomon would probably label our entertainment today as also “madness and folly”.

There are those who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  2 Timothy 3:7.

We see it today through all the explosion of knowledge of earthly facts and entertainment that comes through the internet and TV.

We also see it through all the self-improvement knowledge that is available through books and magazines and even through some other doctrine taught in churches.

But, there is hope!

Reformed Doctrine preaches and teaches about God and His great work from which comes “knowledge of the Holy One” and “understanding” and the “fear of the LORD” and “wisdom”.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Proverbs 9:10.

And, in sharp contrast to “much grief” and “increasing pain” which comes from the pursuit and accumulation of knowledge of just earthly facts and “madness and folly”, “peace” and “pleasant ways” comes from the pursuit and accumulation of such spiritual wisdom.

“Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.”  Proverbs 3:17.

“13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.”  Proverbs 3:13-18.

Today’s devotion comes from Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.

“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

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.
5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again.
6 Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
7 All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again.
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.
9 That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of earlier things;
And also of the later things which will occur,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come later still.”  Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.

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“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.”  Verses 3-4.

“Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.”  Ecclesiastes 2:11.

Nevertheless, other doctrine still worries about man’s works:  what man has done and what man will do.  “Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”  John 6:28.

But, Reformed Doctrine is pleased and peaceful to focus on God’s work:  what God has done and what God will do.  “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:29.  Salvation is a work of God even including the work of God in producing faith in us.

“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.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 31:10-31.

“10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.”  Proverbs 31:10-31.

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“… But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”  Verse 30.

We notice things in common between the woman who fears the LORD and the man who fears the LORD in the following Scripture.

“Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light arises in the darkness for the upright;
He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;
He will maintain his cause in judgment.
6 For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.

7 He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is upheld, he will not fear,
Until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries.
9 He has given freely to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted in honor.”  Psalm 112:1-9.

First, both the woman who fears the LORD and the man who fears the LORD have enough wealth for their household and also have extra to give freely to the poor.  Psalm 112:3,5,&9 and verses 14-16, 20-22, and 24.

Second, both have light that arises in darkness for them.  Psalm 112:4 and verse 18.

Third, both are gracious and compassionate.  Psalm 112:4 and verse 20.

Fourth, both do not fear evil tidings.  Psalm 112:7-8 and verse 21 and 25.

Fifth, both are honored.  Psalm 112:9 and verse 28-31.

Sixth, in summary, both are blessed by the LORD.

“10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.”  Verses 10-12.

“House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.”  Proverbs 19:14.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 30:1-17.

“The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle.

The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

2 Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man.
3 Neither have I learned wisdom,
Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name or His son’s name?
Surely you know!

5 Every word of God is tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 Do not add to His words
Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

7 Two things I asked of You,
Do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
9 That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

10 Do not slander a slave to his master,
Or he will curse you and you will be found guilty.

11 There is a kind of man who curses his father
And does not bless his mother.
12 There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes,
Yet is not washed from his filthiness.
13 There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes!
And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.
14 There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords
And his jaw teeth like knives,
To devour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.

15 The leech has two daughters,
“Give,” “Give.”
There are three things that will not be satisfied,
Four that will not say, “Enough”:
16 Sheol, and the barren womb,
Earth that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, “Enough.”
17 The eye that mocks a father
And scorns a mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young eagles will eat it.”  Proverbs 30:1-17.

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“Every word of God is tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”  Verse 5.

Other doctrine spouts out randomly its feelings and desires as to what is fair and true.

But, Reformed Doctrine, knowing that the word of God is tested and true, corrects and otherwise instructs by the word of God each day.

Other doctrine tries to protect itself through its own wisdom, its own will, and its own works.

But, Reformed Doctrine takes refuge in God:  in His wisdom, His will, and His works.

“6 The words of the Lord are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will keep them;
You will preserve him from this generation forever.”  Psalm 12:6-7.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 29:15-27.

“15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.
16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases;
But the righteous will see their fall.
17 Correct your son, and he will give you comfort;
He will also delight your soul.
18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,
But happy is he who keeps the law.
19 A slave will not be instructed by words alone;
For though he understands, there will be no response.
20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 He who pampers his slave from childhood
Will in the end find him to be a son.
22 An angry man stirs up strife,
And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
23 A man’s pride will bring him low,
But a humble spirit will obtain honor.
24 He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;
He hears the oath but tells nothing.
25 The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.
26 Many seek the ruler’s favor,
But justice for man comes from the Lord.
27 An unjust man is abominable to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.”  Proverbs 29:15-27.

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“The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.”  Verse 25.

Notice the sharp contrast between those who trust in man and those who trust in God.
 
And yet, other doctrine still trusts man to supply at least part of what is needed for salvation whether it be works, wisdom, or at least alleged free-will choice.
 
But, Reformed Doctrine trusts God to supply all parts needed for salvation from God’s “Unconditional Election”, through God’s “Limited Atonement”, through God’s “Irresistible Grace”, to God’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“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.

“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.”  Psalm 146:3-9.

“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 1:27-31.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 29:1-14.

“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.
2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
But when a wicked man rules, people groan.
3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.
4 The king gives stability to the land by justice,
But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.
5 A man who flatters his neighbor
Is spreading a net for his steps.
6 By transgression an evil man is ensnared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.
7 The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor,
The wicked does not understand such concern.
8 Scorners set a city aflame,
But wise men turn away anger.
9 When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man,
The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.
10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless,
But the upright are concerned for his life.
11 A fool always loses his temper,
But a wise man holds it back.
12 If a ruler pays attention to falsehood,
All his ministers become wicked.
13 The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor with truth,
His throne will be established forever.”  Proverbs 29:1-14.

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There is the sharpest contrast between the wicked and righteous.

“By transgression an evil man is ensnared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.”  Verse 6.

“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish before God.
3 But let the righteous be glad;  let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.”  Psalm 68:1-3.

“The light of the righteous rejoices,
But the lamp of the wicked goes out.”  Proverbs 13:9.

The righteous rejoices, sings, and even shouts for joy.

“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”  Psalm 32:11.

“15 How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
16 In Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength,
And by Your favor our horn is exalted.”  Psalm 89:15-17.

“I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”  Isaiah 61:10.

“Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.”  Psalm 33:1.

“Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your godly ones sing for joy.”  Psalm 132:9.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is … joy …”  Galatians 5:22.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 28:15-28.

“15 Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,
But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17 A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood
Will be a fugitive until death;  let no one support him.
18 He who walks blamelessly will be delivered,
But he who is crooked will fall all at once.
19 He who tills his land will have plenty of food,
But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good,
Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
22 A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth
And does not know that want will come upon him.
23 He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who flatters with the tongue.
24 He who robs his father or his mother
And says, “It is not a transgression,”
Is the companion of a man who destroys.
25 An arrogant man stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.
26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
27 He who gives to the poor will never want,
But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.”  Proverbs 28:15-28.

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“An arrogant man stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper.”  Verse 25.

Other doctrine is arrogant and trusts in its own wisdom, its own alleged free-will, and its own works.

But, Scripture shows us that man in his natural spiritual condition is dead in sin, hostile to God, and enslaved to sin and Satan summarized by “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, and there is nothing trustworthy in man upon which to base even just one link to salvation.

“5 Thus says the Lord,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind …
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.”  Jeremiah 17:5 and 7.

In sharpest contrast, Reformed Doctrine is humble and trusts in God’s wisdom, God’s will, and God’s works.

God saved us through all the links of salvation which God alone provides from beginning to end:  from God’s “Unconditional Election”, through God’s “Limited Atonement”, through God’s “Irresistible Grace”, to God’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret;  it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”  Psalm 37:3-11.