Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 18:9-14.

“9 “When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord;  and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.  13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.  14 For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.”   Deuteronomy 18:9-14.

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Detestable is defined as “arousing or meriting intense dislike :  abominable”  by Merriam-Webster online dictionary.  We see that word used three times in today’s Scripture to describe these witchcraft, sorcery, divination, omen, medium, and other spiritists’ practices.

And yet, how often we try to get closer to these things so we can satisfy our curiosity or other sinful desire! 

We think of ways to justify it.  We are only reading about these things.  It is an academic exercise.  It is only a cartoon or other animation.  We are rooting for the good witch, not the bad witch.  Everyone’s practices enrich our lives.  Spiritism of any kind is good.

But, today’s Scripture makes it crystal clear that these things are detestable and that God will punish those who do these things.  “For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord;  and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.”  Verse 12.

We should not get close to these detestable things.  We should try hard to entirely avoid them.  Don’t read their books.  Don’t watch their TV and movies.  Don’t gaze into the crystal ball.  Don’t listen to a fortune teller or someone who is casting a spell.  Don’t get your palm read.  Don’t even play the “Ouija” board or their other games.

And just because we may have done so at one time, it doesn’t mean that we should continue to do so.  It is hard to avoid these things in today’s age and prevalence of these things.  But, through God’s grace, including forgiveness and help avoiding these detestable things, “You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.”  Verse 13.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 18:1-8.

“1 “The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel;  they shall eat the Lord’s offerings by fire and His portion.  2 They shall have no inheritance among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them.

3 “Now this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep, of which they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach.  4 You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.  5 For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the Lord forever.

6 “Now if a Levite comes from any of your towns throughout Israel where he resides, and comes whenever he desires to the place which the Lord chooses, 7 then he shall serve in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the Lord.   8 They shall eat equal portions, except what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates.”  Deuteronomy 18:1-8.

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Today is election day, and we think that we have choices.  But, today’s Scripture reminds us of God’s choices.  From the Levite in verse 5 to the king in Deuteronomy 17:15 to whomever will be elected today, God is the One Who does the choosing.

We may claim that we believe in Reformed Doctrine, in Calvinism, in God’s sovereignty.  But, how much of it goes from our head to our heart?  Do we really trust God’s choices?  Or, do our actions, words, and feelings show that we really trust our own choices?

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He wishes.”  Proverbs 21:1.

Whether we trust God’s choices or man’s choices has serious consequences. 

“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 Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

“14  “When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves;  you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman.  16 Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’  17 He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.

18 “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.  19 It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.”   Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

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“2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.”  Psalm 1:2-3.

“14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.
16 I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.”  Psalm 119:14-16.

“… Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”  Matthew 4:4.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 17:8-13.

“8 “If any case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your courts, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses.  9 So you shall come to the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict in the case.  10 You shall do according to the terms of the verdict which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses;  and you shall be careful to observe according to all that they teach you.  11 According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do;  you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left.  12 The man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the Lord your God, nor to the judge, that man shall die;  thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.  13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act presumptuously again.”  Deuteronomy 17:8-13.

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“You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;”  Deuteronomy 12:8.

“In those days there was no king in Israel;  everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  Judges 21:25.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”  Proverbs 12:15.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 17:1-7.

“1 “You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep which has a blemish or any defect, for that is a detestable thing to the Lord your God.

2 “If there is found in your midst, in any of your towns, which the Lord your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, by transgressing His covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded, 4 and if it is told you and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly.  Behold, if it is true and the thing certain that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed to your gates, that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them to death.  6 On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death;  he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.  So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”  Deuteronomy 17:1-7.

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Again, as was made crystal clear in a prior devotion, no Christian maintains that Christians should put to death people who worship other gods.  “You shall not murder.”  Exodus 20:13.

Rather, today’s Scripture points us to Christian discipline.

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;  I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”  1 Corinthians 5:9-13.

And, church discipline does not only extend to those who practice immoral behavior within the church.  Church discipline also extends to those practice heresy within the church.

“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.

In summary, we purge evil from our midst by ex-communication (removing a member from membership and attendance in church) according to proper church discipline procedures done by the leaders of the church (minister, elders, and deacons).

Article 32:  Of the Order and Discipline of the Church. 

“…  Therefore we admit only of that which tends to nourish and preserve concord, and unity, and to keep all men in obedience to God. For this purpose, ex-communication or church discipline is requisite, with the several circumstances belonging to it, according to the Word of God.”  Belgic Confession. 

Today’s Scripture comes from Deuteronomy 16:18-22.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+16&version=NASB

I quote only the following Scripture.

“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.  You shall not distort justice;  you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.  Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”    Deuteronomy 16:18-20.

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“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.  He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.” Deuteronomy 10:17-18.

“He loves righteousness and justice;  The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.”  Psalm 33:5.

“For the Lord loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones;  They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.”  Psalm 37:28.

“The strength of the King loves justice;  You have established equity;  You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”  Psalm 99:4.

“Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 16:9-17.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+16&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself;  you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.  10 Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you;  11 and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name.  12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

13 “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat;  14 and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns.  15 Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.”  Deuteronomy 16:9-15.

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

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

“The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;  The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”  Psalm 118:15.

“They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.”  Psalm 145:7.

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;  Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.”  Psalm 98:4.

“And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout.”  Psalm 105:43.

“For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace;  The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”  Isaiah 55:12.

“They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord— Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd;  And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again.”  Jeremiah 31:12.

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting;  Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”  Psalm 126:2.

“Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!  Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;  Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it;  For the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory.”  Isaiah 44:23.

“Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!  Shout in triumph, O Israel!  Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!”  Zephaniah 3:14.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 15:1-8.

“1 “Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.  2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the Lord chooses to establish His name.  3 You shall not eat leavened bread with it;  seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.  4 For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning.  5 You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which the Lord your God is giving you;  6 but at the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt.  7 You shall cook and eat it in the place which the Lord your God chooses.  In the morning you are to return to your tents.  8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God;  you shall do no work on it.”    Deuteronomy 15:1-8.

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Today’s Scripture commands certain worship to occur at “the place where the Lord chooses to establish His name” (or its equivalent).  Verses 2, 6, and 7.

We also have seen similar Scripture previously.

“But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.”  Deuteronomy 12:5.

“You shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.”    Deuteronomy 14:3.

So, we eagerly seek to learn about this place.  We eagerly seek to come to this place.  Where is “the place where the Lord chooses to establish His name”?

We know that this place is the church with His Son Jesus Christ the head of the church, Christ’s body.

“For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.  But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;  but that she would be holy and blameless.  So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;  for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.”  Ephesians 5:23-30.

Article 27:  Of the Catholic Christian Church.

 We believe and profess, one catholic or universal Church, which is an holy congregation, of true Christian believers, all expecting their salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by his blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Ghost.   This Church hath been from the beginning of the world, and will be to the end thereof; which is evident from this, that Christ is an eternal King, which, without subjects, cannot be.   And this holy Church is preserved or supported by God, against the rage of the whole world;  though she sometimes (for a while) appears very small, and in the eyes of men, to be reduced to nothing:  as during the perilous reign of Ahab, the Lord reserved unto him seven thousand men, who had not bowed their knees to Baal.  Furthermore, this holy Church is not confined, bound, or limited to a certain place or to certain persons, but is spread and dispersed over the whole world; and yet is joined and united with heart and will, by the power of faith, in one and the same spirit.  Belgic Confession. 

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes;  and there will no longer be any death;  there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;  the first things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:3-4.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 15:12-23.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+15&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“12 “If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free.  13 When you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed.  14 You shall furnish him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat;  you shall give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you.  15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you;  therefore I command you this today.”   Deuteronomy Chapter 15:  Verses 12-15.

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As instructed by verse 15, we remember what the LORD had done for Israel for whom He set free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.  “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.  But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing;  and you will put them on your sons and daughters.  Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”  Exodus 3:21-22.

As commanded by verse 14, Israel was commanded to liberally furnish those servants whom they set free.

As redeemed people, we also meditate on what the LORD has done and is doing for us whom He set free from the bondage of sin.  He also did not let us go empty-handed.

It certainly would have been good enough for the LORD to “only” set Israel free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt.   It certainly would have been good enough for the LORD to “only” set us free from the bondage of sin.

But, the LORD furnished Israel liberally.  And, the LORD also furnishes us liberally.

“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.  …”  Ephesians 1:7-8.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.  …”  Ephesians 1:18-19.

“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.

“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,”  Ephesians 3:8.

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19.

“And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:23-24.

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;  for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;”  Romans 10:12.

“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.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 15:1-18.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+15&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts.  2 This is the manner of remission:  every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed.  3 From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother.  4 However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today.  6 For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow;  and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

7 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;  8 but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.  9 Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing;  then he may cry to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you.  10 You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.  11 For the poor will never cease to be in the land;  therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’”  Deuteronomy Chapter 15:  Verses 1-11.

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Today’s Scripture first points us to our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ from Whom we have received forgiveness, “a remission of debts”.  “He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 1:13-14.

But then, today’s Scripture points us to our duty.  As we have been forgiven, we need to forgive our brother.  We remember Jesus’ Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.  Here is the conclusion of the parable.  “Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’  And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.  My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:32-35.

Today’s Scripture concludes with the command:  “You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land ”  Verse 11.  And we are reminded of Jesus’ command, a good summary, easy to remember:  “…  Freely you received, freely give.”  Matthew 10:8.