Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 2:4-17.

 

“⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven.  ⁵ Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. ⁶ But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.  ⁷ Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;  and man became a living being.  ⁸ The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden;  and there He placed the man whom He had formed.  ⁹ Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;  the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

 

¹⁰ Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden;  and from there it divided and became four rivers.  ¹¹ The name of the first is Pishon;  it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.  ¹² The gold of that land is good;  the bdellium and the onyx stone are there.  ¹³ The name of the second river is Gihon;  it flows around the whole land of Cush.  ¹⁴ The name of the third river is Tigris;   it flows east of Assyria.  And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

 

¹⁵ Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.  ¹⁶ The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;  ¹⁷ but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”  Genesis 2:4-17.

 

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Today’s Scripture teaches us that the problem is not what is outside of us (our environment);  the problem is what is within us (sin).

 

God put man in the Garden of Eden where there was “every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food”.  We can imagine what an earthly paradise that it was.  But, despite this environment, we know that man rebelled against God and sinned.

 

We may also think:  “If only my boss or parent was not so strict!  If only there were not so many rules!  I  would do this or that!  I would have no troubles!  I would be happy!”   

Today’s Scripture teaches us that the problem is not the number of rules;  the problem is that one condition within us (sin).

God only had one command for man and gave man so many other options.  “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;  but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”  Verses 16 and 17.  But, despite this minimum one commandment, we know that man rebelled against God and sinned. 

But, there is hope!

We can have comfort!  We can be happy!  Heidelberg Catechism shows us how to have comfort and be happy.

Question 2.  How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?

Answer.  Three;  the first, how great my sins and miseries are;  the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries;  the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.  Heidelberg Catechism. 

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 2:1-3.

 

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.  By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”  Genesis 2:1-3. 

 

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“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God;  in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day;  therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”  Exodus 20:8-11.  (Fourth Commandment of the Ten Commandments). 

 

“And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.  The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”  And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;  how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?”  Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:23-28.

 

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 1. 

 

 

 

However, some want to take control and glory away from God whether it be by alleged man’s free-will in salvation or by alleged evolution in creation.  

 

But, from the very beginning, God declares His creation.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Genesis 1:1.

 

And so, some try to pay lip service to God’s involvement by claiming that God may have started something, but evolution took over.  They maintain that the world was not created in six days, but evolved over thousands of years.  They maintain that evolution was in control to develop everything.  They say:  “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”  Psalm 2:3.

 

But, “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.”  Psalm 2:4.

 

And then, God pounds the table that His Creation was done in six literal days.  Between each stunning creation, God defines each day and declares:

 

“… And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”  Genesis 1:5.

 

“… And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.”  Genesis 1:8.

 

“There was evening and there was morning, a third day.”  Genesis 1:13.

 

“There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.”  Genesis 1:19. 

 

 

“God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”  Genesis 1:31.

 

 

God created every living creature.  “God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind;  and God saw that it was good.”  Genesis 1:21.

 

God did not create blobs that somehow morphed into distinct creatures, thanks to evolution (Scoff!). 

God created distinct creatures “after their kind”.  ^“Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind:  cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”;  and it was so.  “God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind;  and God saw that it was good.”  Genesis 1:24.

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 22:16-21.

 

“¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches.  I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

 

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”  And let the one who hears say, “Come.”  And let the one who is thirsty come;  let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

 

¹⁸ I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:  if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;  ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.  Amen.”  Revelation 22:16-21.

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“Come, Lord Jesus.”  We are eager and expectant.

Here is what the Heidelberg Catechism states:

Question 52.  What comfort is it to thee that “Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead”?

Answer.  That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person, who before offered himself for my sake, to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as judge from heaven:  who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joys and glory.  Heidelberg Catechism.  

Here is what the Belgic Confession states:

“… the faithful and elect shall be crowned with glory and honor;  and the Son of God will confess their names before God his Father, and his elect angels;  all tears shall be wiped from their eyes;  and their cause which is now condemned by many judges and magistrates, as heretical and impious, will then be known to be the cause of the Son of God.  And for a gracious reward, the Lord will cause them to possess such a glory, as never entered into the heart of man to conceive.  Therefore we expect that great day with a most ardent desire to the end that we may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  AMEN.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” – Revelation. 22:20.”  Article 37:  Of the Last Judgment.  Belgic Confession.

Here is what the Westminister Larger Catechism states:

Question 90:  What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment?

Answer:  At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on his right hand, and there openly acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven, where they shall be fully and forever freed from all sin and misery;  filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity.  And this is the perfect and full communion, which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory, at the resurrection and day of judgment.  Westminister Larger Catechism.

The Song of Solomon, a love song between Christ and His church, closes with these words by which we join in conclusion: 

“Hurry, my beloved,
And be like a gazelle or a young stag
On the mountains of spices.”  Song of Solomon 8:14. 

“Come, Lord Jesus.”

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 22:10-15.

 

“¹⁰ And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.  ¹¹ Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong;  and the one who is filthy, still be filthy;  and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”

 

¹² “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.  ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

 

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.  ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”  Revelation 22:10-15.

 

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At first, verse 11 seems confusing:  “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong;  and the one who is filthy, still be filthy;  …”  And, it seems inconsistent with the message in verse 14  “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, …”

But, verse 11 makes us pause, wonder, and consider more deeply Who Christ is and what He has done in the heart of today’s Scripture which are verses 12 and 13.  “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

When we cross-reference verses 12 and 13 with a similar passage in Isaiah 44:1-8 and with a similar passage in Isaiah 40:10-11, we understand. 

In regards to Who Christ is: “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”, we read: 

“¹ But now listen, O Jacob, My servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
² Thus says the Lord who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you,
‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
³ ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;
⁴ And they will spring up among the grass
Like poplars by streams of water.’
⁵ “This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
And that one will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.

⁶ “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 22:6-9.

 

“⁶ And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”;  and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.

 

⁷ “And behold, I am coming quickly.  Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”

 

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.  And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.  ⁹ But he *said to me, “Do not do that.  I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book.  Worship God.”  Revelation 22:6-9.

 

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What does it mean:  “Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”?

Does it mean to take all the words literally true and speculate in great detail as to exactly what will happen and to the exact time frames?  

Does it mean to “cut and paste” to your knowledge only those words which you understand?

Or, does it mean to diligently consider all the words and to consider how the words are used?

Throughout Scripture, there are words that are given to us as literally true, and there are words that are given to us as figuratively true.  On one hand, as one example, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us many words that are literally true, many based on their own eye-witness accounts and other words based on reliable sources, to describe the birth of Jesus, His miracles, His teachings, His death, and His resurrection.  On the other hand, as another example, Solomon, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John give us many words based on their visions and other vivid imagery that are figuratively true.

But, it is up to us to heed all the words, even those words difficult to understand such as are in the Book of Revelation.  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15

The Book of Revelation is not a book of hiding.  The Book of Revelation is a book of revelation.  It gives us a sweeping and panoramic view of God, His total sovereignty, and history.

A photograph of the earth taken from the moon (heaven) would look a lot different than a photograph of the earth taken from the earth.  And yet, there is a place for both. 

A photograph of a scene or subject would look a lot different than French impressionist painting of the same scene or subject.  And yet, there is a place for both. 

“Every word of God is tested;  He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”  Proverbs 30:5

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”  Matthew 4:4

And, what should be the same end result of all these true and tested words, literal and figurative? 

“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.

“Worship God.”   Verse 9.

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 22:5.

 

“And there will no longer be any night;  and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them;  and they will reign forever and ever.”  Revelation 22:5.

 

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Heaven has no need for lights.  “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. ”  Revelation 21:23.

 

“¹⁹ “No longer will you have the sun for light by day,
Nor for brightness will the moon give you light;
But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And your God for your glory.
²⁰ “Your sun will no longer set,
Nor will your moon wane;
For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning will be over.”  Isaiah 60:19-20.

 

“Arise, shine;  for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”  Isaiah 60:1

 

 

“Therefore do not be partakers with them;  for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.  Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;  for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.  But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.  For this reason it says,

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;  always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;  and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”  Ephesians 5:7-21.

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 22:1-4.

 

“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street.  On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month;  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;  they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”  Revelation 22:1-4.

 

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Today’s Scripture, particularly the tree of life and the river, reminds us of the Garden of Eden.  “The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden;  and there He placed the man whom He had formed.  Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;  the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden;  and from there it divided and became four rivers.”  Genesis 2:8-10. 

 

But, from Genesis Chapter 3, we know about the sin of Adam and Eve and how they hid from God and how God punished by the curses.  Yet, even in the middle of the curses, God vaguely hinted at hope and  salvation. 

 

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”  Genesis 3:15.  

 

“but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”  2 Timothy 1:10

 

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  Genesis 3:13-14.

 

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;  for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  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 21:1-4. 

 

And so, because of God’s work, instead of curses, we have blessings.

 

Because of God’s work, instead of a cursed earth, we have a new heaven and a new earth.

 

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:22-27.

 

“²² I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  ²³ And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  ²⁵ In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed;  ²⁶ and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;  ²⁷ and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”  Revelation 21:22-27.

 

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God provides for all that we need in Heaven.  There is no need for temple, lights, or guards:  “for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”, “for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb”, and “nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it”.

 

 

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;  and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”  Hebrews 9:11-14.

 

 

“¹⁹ “No longer will you have the sun for light by day,
Nor for brightness will the moon give you light;
But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And your God for your glory.
²⁰ “Your sun will no longer set,
Nor will your moon wane;
For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning will be over.”  Isaiah 60:19-20.

 

 

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 21:15-21.

 

“The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.  The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width;  and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles;  its length and width and height are equal.  And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.  The material of the wall was jasper;  and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.  The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.  The first foundation stone was jasper;  the second, sapphire;  the third, chalcedony;  the fourth, emerald;  the fifth, sardonyx;  the sixth, sardius;  the seventh, chrysolite;  the eighth, beryl;  the ninth, topaz;  the tenth, chrysoprase;  the eleventh, jacinth;  the twelfth, amethyst.  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;  each one of the gates was a single pearl.  And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”  Revelation 21:15-21.

 

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Heaven is perfect, represented by its perfect cube shape:  “its length and width and height are equal”.

 

Heaven is also precious, represented by its precious materials:  “The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.”  “The material of the wall was jasper;  and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.”  “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;  each one of the gates was a single pearl.  And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”