Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 116.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+116&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“I love the Lord, because He hears
My voice and my supplications.
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
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 116:1-8.

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Which doctrine is more consistent with today’s Scripture?

Other doctrine which focuses on man, man’s wisdom, man’s works, and man’s alleged free-will?

Or, Reformed Doctrine which focuses on God, God’s wisdom, God’s works, and God’s will?

“5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.”  Verses 5-6.

Reformed Doctrine shows the God of Scripture Who saves from the very beginning to the very end, providing all that is necessary for salvation, from the very beginning of “Unconditional Election”, through “Limited Atonement” and “Irresistible Grace”, to the very end of “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I” and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“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.”  Verses 7-8.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 115.  Here is a link to this chapter –  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+115&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where, now, is their God?”
3 But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.

…

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord has been mindful of us;  He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
The small together with the great.
14 May the Lord give you increase,
You and your children.
15 May you be blessed of the Lord,
Maker of heaven and earth.

16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord,
But the earth He has given to the sons of men.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor do any who go down into silence;
18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
Praise the Lord!”  Psalm 115:1-3 and 9-18.

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God indeed is sovereign as is described in verse 3.

“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.”  Verse 3.

God indeed is “Maker of heaven and earth” as stated in verse 15.

But, today’s Scripture emphasizes how the LORD uses His sovereign power.

“He will bless those who fear the Lord,
The small together with the great.”  Verse 13.

The LORD gives “increase” to us and our children.  Verse 14.

The LORD has given us “increase” in our life in so many different ways.

“11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”  Psalm 84:11-12.

“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.

But, these blessings are not random.  God designs and causes the blessings according to His perfect plan to have a good cumulative effect.

The vivid images of the following Scripture shows that these blessings strengthen us (“They go from strength to strength”).  These blessings also bless others (“Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring”).  These blessings lead us and others to the LORD (“In whose heart are the highways to Zion!  …  Every one of them appears before God in Zion.”). 

“5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.”  Psalm 84:5-7.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 114.

“When Israel went forth from Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became His sanctuary,
Israel, His dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled;
The Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
The hills, like lambs.
5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
6 O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,
Before the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of water.”  Psalm chapter 114.

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The LORD defines Himself as “the God of Jacob” and defends the house of Jacob from all their enemies and deflects all their obstacles away from them.

Today’s Scripture gives us, also His chosen ones, great confidence.

“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 2:9-19.

“10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
11 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
12 Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.”  1 Chronicles 16:10-14.

“What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?  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 8:31-32.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  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 8:28-30.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 113.

“Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.

5 Who is like the Lord our God,
Who is enthroned on high,
6 Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in heaven and in the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 To make them sit with princes,
With the princes of His people.
9 He makes the barren woman abide in the house
As a joyful mother of children.

Praise the LORD!”  Psalm chapter 113.

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Which doctrine is more consistent with the theme of today’s Scripture:  “Praise the LORD!”?

Other doctrine which hands out trophies for what man has done?

Or, Reformed Doctrine which praises God for what He has done?

Today’s Scripture praises God for raising the poor from the dust and lifting the needy from the ash heap.  Verse 7.

Consistent with today’s Scripture, Reformed Doctrine humbles man but exalts God.  Through its teaching of “Total Depravity”, Reformed Doctrine humbles man by teaching that man is dead in sin, hostile to God, and enslaved to sin and Satan.  Through its teaching of “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “irresistable Grace”, and “Preservation of Saints”, Reformed Doctrine exalts God by teaching that God raised those dead in sin to life in Christ.

“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.”  Ephesians 2:4-7.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 112.

“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.

10 The wicked will see it and be vexed,
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked will perish.”    Psalm chapter 112.

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“…  How blessed is the man who fears the LORD …”  Verse 1.

Count the blessings the man who fears the LORD receives.

“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.”  Verses 2 and 3.

Count the good things the man who fears the LORD does.

“He has given freely to the poor, …”  Verse 9.

Count on the protection the LORD gives.

“He will not fear evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”  Verse 7.

“11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”  Psalm 84:11-12.

“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.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 111.

“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.

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“Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.”  Verse 2.

“He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.”  Verse 9.

Reformed Doctrine proclaims and praises God’s great works of redemption from His “Unconditional Election” to His “Limited Atonement” to His “Irresistible Grace” to His “Preservation of the Saints”,  the “U”, “L”, “I” and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Other doctrine proclaims and praises man’s alleged free-will.

But, Reformed Doctrine proclaims God’s great works of redemption.  This is the gospel, the only truly good news.

“Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.”  Verse 1.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 110.

“The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
2 The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
3 Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power;
In holy array, from the womb of the dawn,
Your youth are to You as the dew.

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind,
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at Your right hand;
He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.
6 He will judge among the nations,
He will fill them with corpses,
He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.
7 He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He will lift up His head.”    Psalm chapter 110.

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God the Father has given His Son Jesus Christ (also known as God the Son) all power, rule, and authority (all sovereignty).  Part of this chapter reminds us of parts of chapters in the New Testament.  (For examples, verse 1 reminds us of Luke 21:40-43, and verse 4 reminds us of Hebrews 7:17-22.)  But, most comprehensively, the vivid imagery of this whole chapter describing Christ’s sovereignty reminds us of the vivid imagery of Christ’s sovereignty in the following Psalm chapter 2.

“Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
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,
6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

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 chapter 2.

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Philippians 2:9-11.

Thus, as Reformed Doctrine focuses on Christ’s sovereignty unlike other doctrine which focuses on man’s alleged free-will, we can have every confidence in Christ that He can and will save us including preserving us to the end.

“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”  Hebrews 7:25.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”  Jude 24-25.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 109.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+109&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“O God of my praise,
Do not be silent!
2 For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me without cause.
4 In return for my love they act as my accusers;
But I am in prayer.
5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good
And hatred for my love.

…

26 Help me, O Lord my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness.
27 And let them know that this is Your hand;
You, Lord, have done it.
28 Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, they shall be ashamed,
But Your servant shall be glad.
29 Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord;
And in the midst of many I will praise Him.
31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from those who judge his soul.”  Psalm 109:1-5 and 26-31.

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From the conclusion of the last chapter comes the confidence of the Psalmist against his adversaries.

“Through God we will do valiantly,
And it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.”  Psalm 108:13.

And, the confidence in the LORD that He will tread down his adversaries and save him continues in this chapter.

“And let them know that this is Your hand;
You, Lord, have done it.”  Verse 27.

Other doctrine lets others know:  “We have done it.”

But, Reformed Doctrine lets others know:  “The LORD has done it.”

The LORD has done it from His “Unconditional Election” to His “Limited Atonement” to His “Irresistible Grace” to His “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I” and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“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.

“With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord;
And in the midst of many I will praise Him.”  Verse 30.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 108.

“My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4 For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
6 That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and answer me!

7 God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will exult, I will portion out Shechem
And measure out the valley of Succoth.
8 “Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;
Judah is My scepter.
9 “Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;
Over Philistia I will shout aloud.”

10 Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Have not You Yourself, O God, rejected us?
And will You not go forth with our armies, O God?
12 Oh give us help against the adversary,
For deliverance by man is in vain.
13 Through God we will do valiantly,
And it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.”  Psalm chapter 108.

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Verses 6-13 should seem familiar.  These verses are the same as Psalm 60:5-12.  These Scriptures, particularly the vivid imagery in verses 7-9, speak of God’s sovereignty.

God rules over all the nations, all of which belong to Him.

“For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.”  Psalm 22:28.

“… it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.”
Verse 13.

Other doctrine focuses on man and worries about what man may do.

But, Reformed Doctrine focuses on God, exalts Him, and seeks His deliverance.

“5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth.
6 That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and answer me!”  Verses 5-6.

“12 Oh give us help against the adversary,
For deliverance by man is in vain.
13 Through God we will do valiantly,
And it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.”  Verses 12-13.