Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 6:6-12.

 

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.  

 

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.  

 

Fight the good fight of faith;  take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  1 Timothy 6:6-12.

 

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“Fight the good fight of faith“.  “… The righteous man shall live by faith.”  Galatians 3:10.  It takes faith to believe that God will take care of us.  It takes faith to believe that God will provide food and covering when all we can see is an empty cupboard.

 

We are more inclined to worry and be anxious.  We are more inclined to eagerly seek riches.      

 

“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”  “… flee from these things“. 

 

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.  If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

 

“and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness”.   

 

In summary, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things;  for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:31-33. 

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 6:1-5.

 

“All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.  Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved.  Teach and preach these principles. 

 

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing;  but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”  1 Timothy 6:1-5.

 

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Today’s Scripture teaches a lot about harmony:  harmony with masters (employers), harmony with sound doctrine, and harmony with brethren.  The lack of harmony leads to dishonor, disrespect, disputes, “envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction”.

 

We are reminded of 1 Timothy 2:1-2:  “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

 

And, the honor and respect that we should show our masters and employers does not only extend to those who are good and gentle but also to those who are unreasonable.  Our godliness does not always result in fair treatment or gain.

  

“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.  For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?  But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;  and while being reviled, He did not revile in return;  while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;  and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;  for by His wounds you were healed.  For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.  Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;  but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.  For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;  just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman;  and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;  not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead;  for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.  For,

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
“He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
“For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”  1 Peter 2:18 to 1 Peter 3:13.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 5:24-25.

 

“²⁴ The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment;  for others, their sins follow after. ²⁵ Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.”  1 Timothy 5:24-25.

 

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Our sins are evident.  We may think that we can hide our sins.  Adam and Eve thought they could do so.  “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”  Genesis 3:8

 

But, we can not hide our sins.  We need to confess them to the Lord and seek forgiveness.

 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

 

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2  How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
3  When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
4  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.  Selah.
5  I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.  Selah.
6  Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7  You are my hiding place;  You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah.”  Psalm 32:1-7.

 

 

“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”  John 3:21

 

“You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;  nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16.

 

 

Matthew 10:26
“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”

 

Mark 4:22
“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed;  nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.”

 

Luke 12:2
“But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.”

 

1 Corinthians 3:13
“each man’s work will become evident;  for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.”

 

 

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  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,

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 5:17-23.

 

“¹⁷  The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 

 

¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

 

¹⁹ Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.

 

²⁰ Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

 

²¹  I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.

 

²²  Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others;  keep yourself free from sin. 

 

²³ No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.”  1 Timothy 5:17-23.

 

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“It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.  He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.”  Deuteronomy 11:13-15.

 

Deuteronomy 32:4
“The Rock!  His work is perfect, For all His ways are just;  A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”

 

“The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.
He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.”  Proverbs 11:18-19.

 

Proverbs 13:13
“The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.”

 

Proverbs 13:21
“Adversity pursues sinners, But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.”

 

“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.

 

Ecclesiastes 9:9
“Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun;  for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.”

 

Isaiah 25:1
“O LORD, You are my God;  I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;  For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.”

 

Isaiah 49:4
“But I said, “I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity;  Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God.”

 

Isaiah 40:10
“Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.”

 

Isaiah 56:1
“Thus says the LORD, “Preserve justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.”

 

Matthew 10:42
“And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

 

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat;  I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink;  I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;  naked, and you clothed Me;  I was sick, and you visited Me;  I was in prison, and you came to Me.’”  Matthew 25:34-36. 

 

1 Corinthians 3:8
“Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

 

1 Corinthians 3:14
“If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.”

 

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”  Colossians 3:23-24.

 

Hebrews 6:10
“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”

 

Hebrews 11:6
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

 

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt;  for he was looking to the reward.”  Hebrews 11:24-26.

 

James 1:17
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

 

2 John 1:8
“Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.”

 

Revelation 11:18
“And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

 

Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 5:9-16.

 

“⁹ A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, ¹⁰ having a reputation for good works;  and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.  ¹¹ But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, ¹² thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge.  ¹³ At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house;  and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. ¹⁴ Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;  ¹⁵ for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.  ¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”  1 Timothy 5:9-16.

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Psalm 68:5
“A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.”

Jeremiah 49:11
“Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive;  And let your widows trust in Me.”

James 1:27
“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:  to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

And, in a more important spiritual sense, we all are like widows:  forsaken, alone, and grieved in spirit, and God became like a Husband to us.  We were like Ruth, and Boaz (a type of Christ) became our Husband Redeemer. 

“4  It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”;
But you will be called, “My delight is in her,”
And your land, “Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.
5  For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.”  Isaiah 62:4-5.

“1  Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed;
For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2  “Enlarge the place of your tent;
Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your cords
And strengthen your pegs.
3  “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your descendants will possess nations
And will resettle the desolate cities.
4  “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame;
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
But you will forget the shame of your youth,
And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5  “For your husband is your Maker,
Whose name is the Lord of hosts;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the God of all the earth.
6  “For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
Says your God.
7  “For a brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will gather you.
8  “In an outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your Redeemer.”  Isaiah 54:1-8.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 5:3-8.

 

“Honor widows who are widows indeed;  but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents;  for this is acceptable in the sight of God.  Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.  But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.  Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach.  But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:3-8.

 

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“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things;  for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:31-33.

 

God provided the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve.

 

God provided a ram as a burnt offering in place of Isaac (symbolic of providing Christ for us) to Abraham in Genesis 22:8-14.  “Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”  Genesis 22:14. 

 

God provided water, manna, and meat to Israel as they wandered through the desert.  Exodus 15:22 to Exodus 16:12.  “You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, And You told them to enter in order to possess The land which You swore to give them.”  Nehemiah 9:15  “Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want;  Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.”  Nehemiah 9:21

 

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.”  Psalm 34:8-10.

 

Psalm 68:10
“Your creatures settled in it;  You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.”

 

“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who provides rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens which cry.”  Psalm 147:7-9.

 

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?”  Matthew 6:26. 

 

Psalm 84:11
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield;  The LORD gives grace and glory;  No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” 

 

Romans 8:32
“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?”

 

1 Corinthians 2:12
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,”

 

“Ask, and it will be given to you;  seek, and you will find;  knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”  Matthew 7-7-11.

 

 

 

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 5:1-2.

 

“Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.”  1 Timothy 5:1-2.

 

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Pure respect.  Pure gentleness.  Pure love.  Today’s devotion calls for such pure respect, pure gentleness, and pure love in our treatment of others, particularly in the church. 

 

And, although we might be inclined to reserve pure respect and pure gentleness for our treatment of older men and older women, and our elders are indeed entitled to such respect and gentleness (Leviticus 19:32 and Lamentations 5:12), when we treat the younger men as brothers and the younger women as sisters, we are showing them respect and gentleness and love as well.

 

The following Scriptures focus on gentleness and how we should show gentleness to all.  But, we can certainly see how these Scriptures also include respect and love for all as well. 

 

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

 

Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;  against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 4:22-23. 

 

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;  each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

 

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:1-3.

 

Philippians 4:5
“Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.”

 

Colossians 3:12
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;”

 

1 Thessalonians 2:7
“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.”

 

“An overseer (elder), then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.”  1 Timothy 3:2-3.

 

1 Timothy 6:11
“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”

 

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,   with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,”  2 Timothy 2:24-25.

 

“Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”  Titus 3:1-2. 

 

“Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”

 

James 3:17
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

 

1 Peter 3:15
“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 4:11-16.

 

“¹¹ Prescribe and teach these things.  ¹²  Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.  ¹³  Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.  ¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the  presbytery.  ¹⁵ Take pains with these things;  be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.  ¹⁶  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching;  persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”  1 Timothy 4:11-16.

 

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Today’s Scripture reminds me of the expression:  “Mind your P’s and Q’s”.  In summary of today’s Scripture, verse 16 states:  “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things”.  Click here: Mind your Ps and Qs – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  It is also interesting how many commands and other words in today’s Scripture start with the letter “P”. 

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 4:6-10.

 

“⁶ In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.  ⁷ But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.  On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;  ⁸ for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  ⁹  It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.  ¹⁰ For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”  1 Timothy 4:6-10.

 

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We feed on the “words of faith”, and live by faith, by recognizing the inability of the Law to make us righteous.  We ponder why we are no longer under the Law, even made dead to the Law.  “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident;  for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”  Galatians 3:11.  “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”  Romans 7:4. 

 

We feed on “sound doctrine” by recognizing the importance of doctrine generally and then Reformed Doctrine specifically.  We read not only Scripture, but we read the creeds such as:

We cross reference not only other Scriptures but also other creeds to better understand Scripture.

 

We “discipline” ourselves “for the purpose of godliness” by having daily devotions and by otherwise seeking to do all that we do for the glory of God.  We imitate our Faithful Father;  “… The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.”  Psalm 52:1

 

“We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior”, by focusing on God and what He has done and by trusting God to provide everything that we need for salvation from “Unconditional Election” to “Limited Atonement” to “Irresistible Grace” to “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. 

 

In summary, this fixed hope on God is also “words of faith”, also “sound doctrine”, and also a “discipline for the purpose of godliness”. 

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 4:1-5.

 

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;  for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”   1 Timothy 4:1-5.

 

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“Thank You for this food;  bless it to our bodies.”, we pray in recognition of today’s Scripture.  But, our gratitude and prayer for blessing is much broader.

 

Question 1:  What is the chief and highest end of man?

Answer:  Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.