Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 27:23-27.

“23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds;
24 For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,
26 The lambs will be for your clothing,
And the goats will bring the price of a field,
27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food,
For the food of your household,
And sustenance for your maidens.”  Proverbs 27:23-27.

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“Know well the condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds;”  Verse 23.

“And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food,
For the food of your household,
And sustenance for your maidens.”  Verse 27.

We may think we have little, just a few lambs and goats to use the figurative language of today’s Scripture.

But, if we take good care of what we have, God will bless what little we do have such that we find that we have enough to eat.

The temptation is for us to only look for and only care for the “big ships” that we want to come to us.

The temptation is to be hasty to get wealth.

But, today’s Scripture exhorts us pay attention to the little details and know well our business, and today’s Scripture encourages us that if we do so, then we will have enough for the sustenance of our household.

God gave daily manna to Israel, just enough for each day, and God continues to give us what we need day by day.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ taught us to pray:  “…  Give us this day our daily bread.  …”  Matthew 6:11.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 27:11-22.

“11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
That I may reply to him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,
The naive proceed and pay the penalty.
13 Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;
And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge.
14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be reckoned a curse to him.
15 A constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
16 He who would restrain her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.
18 He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who cares for his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.
21 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each is tested by the praise accorded him.
22 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.”  Proverbs 27:11-22.

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“A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,
The naive proceed and pay the penalty.”  Verse 12.

We read news stories all the time about some professional athlete or celebrity getting shot outside a nightclub at 2:00 am.  Our parents warned us (and we warned our children):  “Nothing good happens downtown after midnight.”

In Proverbs chapter 5, we read about the evil and consequences of an affair with an adulterous woman.  Do we hide from such evil?

But, there are also different types of evil.

“16 There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.”  Proverbs 6:16-19.

Do we hide from these evil things as well?

“He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm.”  Proverbs 13:20.

With so much evil around, where can we hide?

But, there is hope!

“You are my hiding place;  You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah.”  Psalm 32:7.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 27:1-10.

“Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
7 A sated man loathes honey,
But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from her nest,
So is a man who wanders from his home.
9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.
10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.”  Proverbs 27:1-10.

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Today’s devotion is based on verse 1.

“Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”  Verse 1.

Rather than doing good today, we try to justify our failure to do it today on the promise that we will do it later, and we often neglect doing it altogether.

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance;  all such boasting is evil.  Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  James 4:13-17.

“27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.”  Proverbs 3:27-28.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 26:20-28.

“20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 He who hates disguises it with his lips,
But he lays up deceit in his heart.
25 When he speaks graciously, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred covers itself with guile,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
27 He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
And a flattering mouth works ruin.”  Proverbs 26:20-28.

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“For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.”  Verse 20.

“A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
But the slow to anger calms a dispute.”  Proverbs 15:18.

“He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”  Proverbs 14:29.

And yet, how hard it is to control the tongue and keep quiet!

“So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity;  the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.  For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.  But no one can tame the tongue;  it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”  James 3:5-8.

Scripture is very strict about the importance of controlling the tongue.

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”  James 1:26.

“For,

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”  1 Peter 3:10.

But, there is hope!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;  against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  Galatians 5:22-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 26:1-12.

“Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a curse without cause does not alight.
3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the back of fools.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be wise in his own eyes.
6 He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.
7 Like the legs which are useless to the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn which falls into the hand of a drunkard,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit
Is a fool who repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.”  Proverbs 26:1-12.

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What is “a man wise in his own eyes”?

This man trusts himself rather than trusts God.

This man trusts his own thoughts rather than trusts God’s Word.

Be humble.  Trust God’s Word as to what is right and true rather than trusting your own desires and feelings as to what is right and true.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”  Proverbs 3:7.

We see people being wise in their own eyes in their failure to believe God’s salvation.  When confronted with God’s Word that God “… has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”  Romans 9:18, they trust their own thoughts and feelings, rather than God’s Word.  “That is not fair!”:  they think.  They choose their own plan of salvation based on their own thoughts and their own feelings.  Often, their own plan of salvation is based on a combination of their belief in free-will, their own works, and their own wisdom.  They do not trust and accept God’s Word as to what He declares is His salvation.

“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.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 25:21-28.

“21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will heap burning coals on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a distant land.
26 Like a trampled spring and a polluted well
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory.
28 Like a city that is broken into and without walls
Is a man who has no control over his spirit.”  Proverbs 25:21-28.

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“21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will heap burning coals on his head,
And the Lord will reward you.”  Verses 21-22.

Other doctrine, because it has high expectations of man, has no or little room for mercy for others.

But, Reformed Doctrine, because of his belief in man’s natural condition of “Total Depravity” and because of his thankfulness of God’s mercy to himself, has much more room for mercy for others.

And, because Reformed Doctrine has such trust in the LORD, Reformed Doctrine actually believes that the LORD will reward him for such mercy as promised in verse 22.

“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.

“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink;  for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  Romans 12:20-21.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 25:11-20.

“11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a word spoken in right circumstances.
12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold
Is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.
15 By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded,
And a soft tongue breaks the bone.
16 Have you found honey?  Eat only what you need,
That you not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow
Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda,
Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.”    Proverbs 25:11-20.

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Sometimes, other doctrine can do less damage and be like “chaff which the wind drives away.”  Psalm 1:4.

At other times, other doctrine can do much more damage and be like “A little leaven (which) leavens the whole lump of dough.”  Galatians 5:9.

But, “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, are like “apples of gold” in a setting of God’s complete salvation of us.  Verse 11.  Those apples of gold are God’s works of “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace” and “Preservation of the Saints” in a setting of God’s complete salvation of us.

For while other doctrine exalts man and focuses on what man should do, Reformed Doctrine exalts God and focuses on what God has done.

“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.

Today’s devotion comes from Proverbs 24:23-34.

“23 These also are sayings of the wise.
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who gives a right answer.

27 Prepare your work outside
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.”  Proverbs 24:23-34.

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“But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.”  Verse 25.

“He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who flatters with the tongue.”  Proverbs 28:23.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”  Proverbs 27:6.

We have noticed throughout the Book of Proverbs the sharp contrast between the righteous and the wicked as a means of rebuking the wicked.

Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions has tried to contrast other doctrine with Reformed Doctrine as a means of rebuking other doctrine.

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:12.

“holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”  Titus 1:9.