Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah chapter 3.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah+3&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“1 Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate;  they consecrated it and hung its doors.  They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.  2 Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

3 Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate;  they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.  4 Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs.  And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs.  And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs.”  Nehemiah 3:1-4.

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Nehemiah described how bad it was for Jerusalem to be without walls.  “Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire.  Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.”  Nehemiah 2:17.  Without walls, there was no protection for the people therein.  The people were humiliated and could easily be attacked by their enemies.

Today’s Scripture identifies those who built up and repaired the sections of the walls around Jerusalem.

Other doctrine would rest in exhorting the builders of the walls.

But, Reformed Doctrine leads us to hope in God to protect us physically and more importantly spiritually.

“18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.”  Psalm 51:18-19.

“In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for security.”  Isaiah 26:1.

“3 For You have been a refuge for me,
A tower of strength against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.  Selah.”  Psalm 61:3-4.

“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.”  Psalm 41:2.

“7 The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.”  Psalm 121:7-8.

“11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.
12 For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.”  Psalm 5:11-12.

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah chapter 2.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah+2&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“1 And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king.  Now I had not been sad in his presence.  2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick?  This is nothing but sadness of heart.”  Then I was very much afraid.  3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever.  Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?”  4 Then the king said to me, “What would you request?”  So I prayed to the God of heaven.  5 I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”  6 Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?”  So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.  7 And I said to the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.”  And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.

…

18 I told them (the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who would do the work to rebuild the wall) how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me.  Then they said, “Let us arise and build.”  So they put their hands to the good work.  19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing?  Are you rebelling against the king?”  20 So I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us success;  therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.”  Nehemiah Chapter 2:  Verses 1-8 and 18-20.

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Are you sad?

Are you afraid?

Do you not know how you should reply to someone?

Nehemiah prayed to the God of heaven.  Verse 4.

God helped Nehemiah and will help us as well when we pray to Him.

Regarding his request to the king, Neheniah recognized:  “And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.”  Verse 8.

Nehemiah said generally:   “The God of heaven will give us success”.  Verse 20.

When Nehemiah told them (the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who would do the work to rebuild the wall) specifically how God helped him, they were encouraged and they began to rebuild.

When we tell others generally “The God of heaven will give us success”, a promise in Scripture, others will also be encouraged and engage in good work.

And, when we tell others specifically how God helped us, others will also be encouraged and engage in good work.

Other doctrine focuses on the individual and just exhorts him or her to use their alleged free-will and just do better.

Reformed Doctrine generally focuses on God and His promises in Scripture.

But, Reformed Doctrine also specifically tells others what God has done for them, fitting that specific help within and behind the promises in Scripture.

“Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.”  So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”  Luke 8:39.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4.

Thereby, Reformed Doctrine encourages others to believe more, which in turn encourages them to engage in more good work, trusting God that He will give them success. 

Today’s devotion comes from Nehemiah chapter 1.

“1  The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.  3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days;  and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.  5 I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You;  I and my father’s house have sinned.  7 We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.  8 Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;  9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’  10 They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.  11 O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.”

Now I was the cupbearer to the king.”   Nehemiah chapter 1.

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There is no hope in beseeching God:  “I will do better next time”.

But, there is much hope in beseeching God:  “They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.”  Verse 10.

Nevertheless, other doctrine relies on man’s wisdom and man’s will and urges us to just do better next time.

But, Reformed Doctrine recognizes that we may be given a million “second chances” but we will still not please God.  “Total Depravity” summarizes man’s natural condition of being dead in sin, hostile to God, and enslaved to sin and Satan.  “Total Depravity” is the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Reformed Doctrine recognizes that our only hope is that God chose us.  We are His servants, His people.  We were redeemed by Him by His great power and His strong hand.

“Unconditional Election” summarizes that we did nothing to motivate God to choose us for redemption.  God did not choose us for redemption, because we were wise or because we willed to be saved.  “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:16.  God chose us for redemption simply because He desired to do so.  “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”  Romans 9:18.

Q. 1.  What is thy only comfort in life and death?

 A.  That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ;  who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil;  and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head;  yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.  Heidelberg Catechism.

Today’s devotion comes from Ezra chapter 10.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+10&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“1 Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel;  for the people wept bitterly.  2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land;  yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.  3 So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God;  and let it be done according to the law.  4 Arise!  For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you;  be courageous and act.”  Ezra 10:1-4.

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Nothing is more important to us than reconciliation with God.

Today’s Scripture shows the extent to which the people tried to be reconciled to God.  But, our hope for reconciliation with God is not based on our promise (“covenant”) to put away our sins nor our actions to do so (“let it be done according to the law.”).

Our hope for reconciliation with God is based on His promise (His covenant) and His actions “namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”  2 Corinthians 5:19.

Regarding God’s promise (His “better covenant”), “6 But now He (Christ) has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.  8 For finding fault with them, He says,

“Behold, days are coming, says the Lord,
When I will effect a new covenant
With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers
On the day when I took them by the hand
To lead them out of the land of Egypt;
For they did not continue in My covenant,
And I did not care for them, says the Lord.
10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
11 “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,
And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
For all will know Me,
From the least to the greatest of them.
12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
And I will remember their sins no more.”  Hebrews 8:6-12.

“As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  Psalm 103:12.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son (Christ), much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”  Romans 5:10-11.

“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Christ), and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross;  through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”  Colossians 1:19-20.

“For He (Christ) Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”  Ephesians 2:14-16.

Today’s devotion comes from Ezra chapter 9.

“1 Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites.  2 For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands;  indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.”  3 When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.  4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.

5 But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God;  6 and I said, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day.  8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage.  9 For we are slaves;  yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “Now, our God, what shall we say after this?  For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end and with their impurity. 12 So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’  13 After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this, 14 shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations?  Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape?  15 O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day;  behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”  Ezra chapter 9.

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We tend to proudly march into Christmas thinking that God is well-pleased with us because of our self-righteousness and that we deserve joy and peace.

Especially on Christmas day, it is good to read today’s Scripture and humble ourselves and confess our sins.

In addition to Ezra’s humility and prayer of confession, let us consider Mary’s Magnificat (song of thanksgiving, magnifying the Lord, when she visited Elizabeth).

“46 And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
53 “He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”  Luke 1:46-55.

Are we proud in the thoughts of our heart?

Or, are we humble like Ezra and Mary?

Do we act as rulers on our thrones?

Or, do we act like shepherds in the field?

Are we rich with all the gifts already in our hands that we opened on Christmas Eve?

Or, are we hungry for some spiritual good things this Christmas day?

Today’s devotion comes from Ezra chapter 8.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+8&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.”  23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

…

31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem;  and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.  32 Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.

…

35 The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel:  12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the Lord.”  Ezra Cahpter 8:  Verses 21-23 and 31-32 and 35.

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Today is Christmas Eve.  I planned on treating it like a holiday, not working, and not writing a devotion.

But, today’s Scripture convicted me that I should write a devotion.

We notice that Ezra and his group of exiles humbled themselves and sought God.

I thought:  “I likewise need to humble myself and seek God by at least writing this devotion.”

It is easy for me to feel entitled to take time off from seeking God.

I did not like my attitude.

But, I like the humble attitude and the actions of Ezra and his group of exiles in seeking God.

“The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.”  Verse 22.

We notice that God delivered Ezra and his group of exiles from the enemy and the ambushes and that they safely came to Jerusalem.

We also notice that when they arrived, they made offerings to God.  And, we notice that God detailed in His word the total number of each animal offered.

God also takes note of each time we read His word, each prayer that we make, and each time we attend church.  They are more precious to Him than each animal offered to Him.

“4 “Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5 “Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
And gather you from the west.
6 “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”  Isaiah 43:4-7.

Today’s devotion comes from Ezra chapter 7.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+7&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given;  and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.  7 Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.  9 For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon;  and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him.  10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

…

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to adorn the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes.  Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.  Ezra Chapter 7:  Verses 6-10 and 27-28.

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The hand of the LORD was upon Ezra.

And, what did the LORD cause by His hand upon Ezra?

By the hand of the LORD upon Ezra, the LORD caused the king to grant Ezra all he requested.  Verse 6.

By the hand of the LORD upon Ezra, the LORD caused leading men from Israel to go with Ezra to Jerusalem.  Verse 28.

The hand of the LORD is also upon us!  Praise God!!

What will the LORD cause by His hand upon us?

First, by the hand of the LORD upon us, the LORD will create us to do good works.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10.

The LORD will give us spiritual gifts such as described in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and Ephesians 4:11-13 for the building up of the body of Christ.

Second, by the hand of the LORD upon us, the LORD will give us the will to do His Will and will work in us for His good pleasure:  “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.

Third, by the hand of the LORD upon us, the LORD will give us favor in the sight of others so that some will provide what we need and others will follow us.

“I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians;  and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.”  Exodus 3:21.

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you;  if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”  John 15:20.

Fourth, by the hand of the LORD upon us, the LORD will complete and perfect the good work that He has started in us.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6.

Today’s devotion comes from Ezra chapter 6.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+6&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“13 Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent.  14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo.  And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.  15 This temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar;  it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.  17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.  18 Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month.  20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together;  all of them were pure.  Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.  21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover.  22 And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”  Ezra 6:13-22.

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God is not only sovereign over events;  God is sovereign over hearts.

In today’s Scripture, we see that God caused the completion of the house of God.  That event was enough to cause joy and celebration.  But, in addition, we read:  “the Lord had caused them to rejoice”.  Verse 22.

As a side note, we note that in addition to being sovereign over the hearts of His people causing them to rejoice, the LORD was sovereign over the the heart of the king of Assyria.  The LORD “had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”  Verse 22.

This is great encouragement for us today.  Although we may be discouraged or depressed even when events are good for us (or even when our situation is not that bad compared to other people’s troubles), and although we also get further discouraged or further depressed recognizing that we should not feel this way, we can remember that God is not only sovereign over events;  God is also sovereign over hearts.  We can seek God Who causes us to rejoice. 

Ultimately, our heart’s hope is not in events;  our heart’s hope is in God.

“You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.”  Psalm 4:7.

“11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous
And gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.”  Psalm 97:11-12.

“Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting:  to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him;  for this is his reward.  Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor;  this is the gift of God.  For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.”  Ecclesiastes 5:18-20.

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

Today’s devotion comes from Ezra chapter 5.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+5&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“1 When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2 then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

3 At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?”  4 Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building.  5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.”  Ezra 5:1-5.

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“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.”  Psalm 34:15.

In verse 5 of today’s Scripture, we read that eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, meaning that His favor was upon them helping them to continue the rebuilding of the house of God in spite of the questioning.

We know that this does not mean that God only sees the righteous.  God sees everyone as clearly stated in the following Scripture.

“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.”  Psalm 33:13-15.

Rather, “the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews” means that God favored them.

“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 33:18-22.

Other doctrine teaches that the eye of the Lord is on those who exercise their alleged free-will and favors those who prove themselves by their works or their will that they show the Lord.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches that the eye of the Lord is on His chosen people, “on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness”.

“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 127:2.

“9 “For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
10 “He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
11 “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
12 “The Lord alone guided him,
And there was no foreign god with him.
13 “He made him ride on the high places of the earth,
And he ate the produce of the field;
And He made him suck honey from the rock,
And oil from the flinty rock,
14 Curds of cows, and milk of the flock,
With fat of lambs,
And rams, the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the finest of the wheat—
And of the blood of grapes you drank wine.”  Deuteronomy 32:9-14.

So, go forth to work, You chosen ones, this Monday and every day knowing that your God’s eyes and favor are upon you!

So, sleep in peace, You beloved of God, this night and every night knowing that your God gives to you even in your sleep!

“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;”  1 Peter 2:9.

Because of the importance of this devotion and because I wanted us to meditate on it on Sunday, the day of our worship, I revised this devotion, rather than posting an entirely new devotion today.

Today’s devotion comes from Ezra chapter 4.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+4&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the Lord God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God;  and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”  But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God;  but we ourselves will together build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”  Ezra 4:1-3.

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Today’s Scripture (“You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God;  but we ourselves will together build to the Lord God of Israel“) leads us to pause and consider how we should apply it.

There are voices out there who offer help to build our church.  Some voices are from enemies, false shepherds, who intentionally want to sabotoge the building of our church.  If we discern their charater and intention, then we will be quick to refuse their help.  But, other voices are from unbelievers who may genuinely want to help and who are intelligent, skillful, and eloquent.  It will be more tempting to accept their offer to help, but they should also likewise be refused because they also have nothing in common with us in building our church.  Finally, there are voices from believers who may have been with the church a long time who may be qualified for certain services in the building of the church, but whose help should be refused for other services in building our church.

Most importantly, when it comes to doctrine, do we build our church with preachers and teachers who do preach and teach the pure and sound Reformed Doctrine? 

Or, do we build our church with preachers and teachers who dilute the pure and sound Reformed Doctrine and pollute it with other doctrine?   

“…  The marks, by which the true Church is known, are these:  if the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein …”  Article 29 of Belgic Confession.

What is that pure doctrine of the gospel?

In a nutshell, that pure doctrine of the gospel is “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation! 

See the Canons of Dordt which is the Reformed Confession which most specifically defines and expands these truths of sovereign grace and defends them against heresy.  There is a link to Canons of Dordt on the right margin of this page of my website.

And yet, how often do we hear about “TULIP” or Canons of Dordt from the pulpit or the Sunday classroom?

How many of our congregation can at least correctly answer what each of the letters of “TULIP” stands for, much less defend it by Scripture and the Canons of Dordt?

Too many Reformed churches have lost their distinctive salt of true pure and sound Reformed Doctrine.  Although you will hear a Reformed word here and there in a sermon, the sermon contains so much of other doctrine that the listener could not tell if he was in a Baptist church, a Methodist church, or a Reformed church except for the sign on the door.

“… all sects which are in the world assume to themselves the name of the Church.  …”  Article 29.  Belgic Confession.    All churches claim to be Biblical.

It is easy for preachers and teachers to take potshots at easy targets.

But does the preacher or teacher strive to deliver to the congregation the pure doctrine of the gospel? 

Or, does the preacher or teacher ramble to such an extent that the pure doctrine of the gospel is not simply and clearly delivered to the congregation? 

We do not need many words or many points to proclaim the pure doctrine of the gospel.  “TULIP” is only five points.  “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.  For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”  2 Corinthians 2:1-3.

Worship, even though it may be formal and zealous, is not enough.  “‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”  Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7.  “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.”  Romans 10:2-3.

We must get doctrine right and pure.  “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;  which is really not another;  only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”  Galatians 1:6-9. 

But, God is still in ultimate total sovereign control Who said:  “… I will build my church …”  Matthew 16:18.  So, with that confidence and trust in God, let us resist pressures to be with everyone else and be like everyone else in building the church.  Let us focus on the primacy of preaching the pure doctrine of the gospel as the first mark of the true Church according to the Belgic Confession.  Let us preach and teach the pure doctrine of the gospel through “TULIP” and the Canons of Dordt. 

We are certainly not perfect, but let us reform.  Let us press on to build our church with that preaching of the pure doctrine of the gospel.  “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet;  but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:13-14.