Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 49.

“Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
² Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
³ My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
⁴ I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will express my riddle on the harp.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 47.

“O clap your hands, all peoples;
Shout to God with the voice of joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is to be feared,
A great King over all the earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.
4 He chooses our inheritance for us,
The glory of Jacob whom He loves.  Selah.

5 God has ascended with a shout,
The Lord, with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with a skillful psalm.
8 God reigns over the nations,
God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham,
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is highly exalted.”   Psalm chapter 47.

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Other doctrine persists in turning to man and his alleged free-will.

But, Reformed Doctrine claps its hands and shouts for joy at the sovereignty of God.

“2 For the Lord Most High is to be feared,
A great King over all the earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.”  Verses 2-3.

“7 For God is the King of all the earth;  …
8 God reigns over the nations,
God sits on His holy throne.”  Verses 7-8.

“… He is highly exalted.”   Verse 9.

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.”  Psalm 93:1-2.

“9 Worship the Lord in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 Before the Lord, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.”  Psalm 96:9-13.

“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.”  Psalm 97:1-3.

“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.

“The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!”  Psalm 146:10.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 46.

“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.  Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.  Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.  Selah.”  Psalm chapter 46.

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Other doctrine strives to show how good it is by its works, wisdom, and will.

Other doctrine strives by their futile thinking, futile teaching, and futile actions that the fate of the wicked and the fate of the world are dependent on alleged free-will of both them and the wicked and dependent on whether or not they themselves successfully fight the wicked.

But, Reformed Doctrine rests and takes refuge in God, believing in the sovereign God, that He will completely save His elect.

Reformed Doctrine rests and takes refuge in God, believing in the sovereign God, that He will completely control and punish the wicked and will completely establish justice and righteousness.

Reformed Doctrine rests and takes refuge in God, believing in the sovereign God, that He will completely accomplish all of His good purpose and pleasure.

“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.

“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.

“But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”  Luke 19:27.

“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.”  Jeremiah 17:5-7.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 45.

“My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my verses to the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.

3 Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty!
4 And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
Let Your right hand teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp;
The peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of joy above Your fellows.
8 All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among Your noble ladies;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

10 Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear:
Forget your people and your father’s house;
11 Then the King will desire your beauty.
Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.
12 The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.

13 The King’s daughter is all glorious within;
Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
14 She will be led to the King in embroidered work;
The virgins, her companions who follow her,
Will be brought to You.
15 They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing;
They will enter into the King’s palace.

16 In place of your fathers will be your sons;
You shall make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.”  Psalm chapter 45.

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Today’s Scripture is figurative and poetic like the Songs of Solomon, and it presents a vivid picture of God and His kingdom.

We see God’s soverignty and God’s justice in verse 6.  God rules justly over everything forever and ever.

We see God’s grace in verse 2. We think of Christ about Whom it is said:  “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”  John 1:16.

We see God’s splendor and God’s majesty in God’s victorious strength in verse 3.

We see God’s truth, God’s meekness, and God’s righteousness, all in victorious majesty in God’s kingdom in verse 4.

We see God’s love of righteousness and God’s hate of wickedness in verse 7.  There is no lukewarm tolerance of everything in God’s kingdom.

We see the beauty, gladness, rejoicing, and thankfulness of God’s people in God’s kingdom in verses 11-17.

In my words, we see the “Total Perfect Triumph” of God and His kingdom which Reformed Doctrine continually presents, a sharp contrast to the god of other doctrine which is continually wringing his hands at what man is doing according to his alleged free-will.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 44:9-26.

“9 Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor,
And do not go out with our armies.
10 You cause us to turn back from the adversary;
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
11 You give us as sheep to be eaten
And have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell Your people cheaply,
And have not profited by their sale.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to those around us.
14 You make us a byword among the nations,
A laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me
And my humiliation has overwhelmed me,
16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.

17 All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You,
And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
And our steps have not deviated from Your way,
19 Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals
And covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
Or extended our hands to a strange god,
21 Would not God find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 But for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord?
Awake, do not reject us forever.
24 Why do You hide Your face
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul has sunk down into the dust;
Our body cleaves to the earth.
26 Rise up, be our help,
And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.”  Psalm 44:9-26.

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First, we see the Sovereign God of Reformed Doctrine at work by the repeated emphasis of the pronoun “You” referring to God in verses 9-14.  For example, “You cause us to turn back from the adversary …”  Verse 10.

Second, the troubles caused by God were not due to the sins of the His people.  We read:

“17 All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You,
And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
And our steps have not deviated from Your way,”  Verses 17-18.

Third, the Psalmist asks the reasonable question:

“Why do You hide Your face
And forget our affliction and our oppression?”  Verse 24.

Fourth, we receive clues in verses 22 and 26.  Verse 22 reminds us of the following Romans 8:35-38, and verse 26 summarizes that the sake of God’s lovingkindness is the concern.

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  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 8:35-39.

In summary, we suffer troubles and patiently endure our troubles to show the lovingkindness of God Who will most certainly deliver us from all of our troubles.  We keep entrusting ourselves to God Who judges righteously.

“For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?  But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;  and while being reviled, He did not revile in return;  while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”  1 Peter 2:20-22.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 44:1-8.

“O God, we have heard with our ears,
Our fathers have told us
The work that You did in their days,
In the days of old.
2 You with Your own hand drove out the nations;
Then You planted them;
You afflicted the peoples,
Then You spread them abroad.
3 For by their own sword they did not possess the land,
And their own arm did not save them,
But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence,
For You favored them.

4 You are my King, O God;
Command victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we will push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.
7 But You have saved us from our adversaries,
And You have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted all day long,
And we will give thanks to Your name forever.  Selah.  Psalm 44:1-8.

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Other doctrine boasts in its works, its wisdom, and its alleged free-will.

But, Reformed Doctrine boasts in God’s works, God’s wisdom, and God’s will.

Reformed Doctrine boasts in God’s “Unconditional Election”, God’s “Limited Atonement”, God’s “Irresistible Grace”, and God’s  “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“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.

“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 Psalm chapter 43.

“Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation;
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
2 For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your dwelling places.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”  Psalm chapter 43.

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What leads us to build our church?

Our agenda?

Our good intentions?

We see some churches build their church on their “seeker sensitive” agenda.

We see some churches build their church on their “diversity” agenda.

We see some churches build their church on what excites their congregation with their rock and roll band and their big screen visuals.

We see some churches build their churches on youth programs or social services programs.

They place their hope both in the wisdom and skill of the church leaders and in the wisdom and will of the people whom they are trying to attract.

But, the Psalmist places his hope in God and pleads:

“O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your dwelling places.”  Verse 3.

“… Hope in God …”  Verse 5.

God’s light and God’s truth leads us, not man’s agenda nor man’s good intentions.

“For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.”  Psalm 36:9.

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world;  he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  John 8:12.

“Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;  no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  John 14:6.

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;  and I will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:44.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”  John 6:37.

Jesus assures us:  “… I will build My church;  and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”  Matthew 16:18.

The Reformed Doctrine of Salvation (also known as the Five Points of Calvinism, “TULIP”) is consistent with these “I am” and “I will” truths.  Man is dead in sin;  there is no hope in man.  God unconditionally elects those who will be saved.  Christ died to bestow upon the elect all the saving gifts.  God irresistibly draws all of His elect to salvation.  God faithfully preserves His elect to the very end which is eternal life.

Article 8.  For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation:  that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death;  should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing;  and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.  Canons of Dordt.  SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby. 

Hope in God!

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 42.

“As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”  Psalm chapter 42.

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There are times when we focus so much on our surroundings (what we can see) that we tend to think more about our surroundings than we do about God.  We forget about God.  And then when the comfort of our surroundings is changed, we think God has forgotten about us as the Psalmist writes in verse 9.  We wonder why we are disturbed and despair as stated in verse 5.

“I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?  …”  Verse 9.

“Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?  …  ”  Verse 5.

But, God never, ever forgets about us.  God never, ever forsakes us. 

“… He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”  Hebrews 13:5.

God causes His presence to be known to us.  God preserves us and shows us lovingkindness as stated in verse 8.  God helps our countenance (cheers us) as stated in Verse 11.

“The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.”  Verse 8.

“… Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”  Verse 11.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 41.  Today, I will be flying to Michigan to attend a high school reunion and to also see other friends at other events.  The next devotion, God willing, will be on Sunday, May 22.

“How blessed is he who considers the helpless;
The Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble.
2 The Lord will protect him and keep him alive,
And he shall be called blessed upon the earth;
And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.
3 The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;
In his illness, You restore him to health.

4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
5 My enemies speak evil against me,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood;
His heart gathers wickedness to itself;
When he goes outside, he tells it.
7 All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt, saying,
8 “A wicked thing is poured out upon him,
That when he lies down, he will not rise up again.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.

10 But You, O Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up,
That I may repay them.
11 By this I know that You are pleased with me,
Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.
12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And You set me in Your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.”  Psalm chapter 31.

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Other doctrine boasts in man and his wisdom, his works, and his alleged free-will.

But, Reformed Doctrine boasts in the LORD and what He has done.  Verse 13 evokes this focus on the LORD.

“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.

“15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your salvation all day long;
For I do not know the sum of them.
16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

17 O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?”  Psalm 71:15-19.

“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.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”  Ephesians 1:3-12.