Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ⁵⁶  “You hypocrites!  You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?”  Luke 12:54-56.

This Scripture reminds me of 1 Chronicles 12:32:  “Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.”

As we read this Scripture, we pray that our political leaders may understand the times, with knowledge of what we should do as a nation, as a state, and as a city.   We also pray that we ourselves, in our personal lives, may also understand the times, with knowledge of what we should do.

We can and should turn to Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  Colossians 2:3

We are also assured by James 1:5-8 that we can ask God for wisdom and He will give it to us.  “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

 ⁵¹  “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth?  I tell you, no, but rather division;

 ⁵²  for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

 ⁵³  “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”  Luke 12:49-53.  (Emphasis added.)

When we first read this Scripture, it may seem rather harsh.  We may tend to think peace is always better than division.  It may help to read about the blessings of division in Scriptures such as Psalm 1. 

Notice the blessing on the righteous who is separated from the wicked in verse 1.  “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”  Psalm 1:1.

We can also speculate that this separation may help the righteous to focus upon and meditate on the law of the Lord as stated in verses 2 and 3 .  “But his delight is in the law of the LORD,  And in His law he meditates day and night.  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. 

Notice the judgment on the wicked who is separated away from the righteous in verse 4.  “The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.”  Psalm 1:4.

Notice again the separation of the wicked away from the righteous in verse 5.  “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”  Psalm 1:5.

We read again about the blessing on the righteous and the judgment on the wicked through the separation in verse 6.  “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”  Psalm 1:6.

 ⁴³  “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

 ⁴⁴  “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

 ⁴⁵  “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;

 ⁴⁶  the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

 ⁴⁷  “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,

 ⁴⁸  but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few.  From everyone who has been given much, much will be required;  and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”  Luke 12:41-48.  (Emphasis added.)

We are called to be “faithful and sensible” stewards.

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to obey our master and the duties of stewardship.

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to not abuse those under our care.

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to not get drunk.   

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to learn our master’s will. 

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to act in accord with our master’s will.

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to understand that we will entrusted with much to do.

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to do whatever and all that our master entrusts us to do.

It is “faithful and sensible” for us to understand that our master will either reward us or punish us for how we perform in response to our master’s will.

Our master has given us the resources to do what our master calls us to do.  Our master has trained us to do what we need to do. 

In a sense, “all” that we are called here to be is “faithful and sensible”.  Our master is not asking us to be or do something that is unreasonably difficult.  Through God’s grace, including these provisions, we can do God’s will.

Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

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

Galatians 3:5
“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

Galatians 5:22-23  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

2 Peter 1:2-3                                                                                                                                       “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.”

Philippians 2:13                                                                                                                                  “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

 ³⁷  “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes;  truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.

 ³⁸  “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

 ³⁹  “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

 ⁴⁰  “You too, be ready;  for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”  Luke 12:35-40.  (Emphasis added.) 

Sometimes when I read Scripture, I will remember prior Scripture and understand the connection between the two passages.  Today, I remembered prior Scripture and understood their connection with today’s Scripture.

The very clear and simple theme for the Scripture today is to be ready for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Two prior verses that I remembered first are Luke 12:5 and Luke 5:20. 

“But I will warn you whom to fear:  fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell;  yes, I tell you, fear Him!”‘  Luke 12:5.

“But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your soul is required of you;  and now who will own what you have prepared?’ ”  Luke 5:20. 

Even as I consider these two Scriptures, I remember a more distant Scripture, Luke 9:59-62.

“And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”  But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead;  but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”  Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord;  but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”  But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:59-62.

The connection between all these Scriptures is the supreme demand of discipleship including readiness. 

It is very tempting for us to push aside our devotion to our Lord with various pursuits.  How easy is it to get distracted and off-track!  We can justify the pursuit of so many different things (even as good as they may be). 

But, we are warned!  “… fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell;  yes, I tell you, fear Him!”  ‘You fool!  This very night your soul is required of you;  and now who will own what you have prepared?’

We may think like the five foolish virgins:  “I will get ready later.  I also have friends who can help.”  And notice that the five foolish virgins so quickly tried to get ready and how they asked for help from their friends. 

But, what happened?  “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him.’  “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast;  and the door was shut.  “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’  “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’  “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”  Matthew 25:6-13.

In conclusion, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Proverbs 9:10   May God give us grace to truly fear God, and remember and meditate on the fact and act rightly upon it, that God has authority to cast into hell and that Christ can come again at any hour and that we need to be “on our tip-toes” ready (and not distracted by various other pursuits).

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again;  and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  Matthew 13:44

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-46. 

We wrongly tend to think that grace is cheap.  We wrongly tend to think grace is common.  We wrongly tend to think that grace does not cost anything.

But, grace is neither common nor inexpensive to produce.

Grace was not inexpensive to produce.  It cost our Savior His life and great suffering along the way.  If ever there was a time for God the Father to relent on His demand for justice, it was when His Son was on the cross. But, He required His Son to endure the full amount of suffering even to the point of death to pay for our sins.

Grace is not common.  Grace is particular.  Grace is given to only God’s elect for whom Christ died.  God does not love everyone.  Christ did not die for everyone. 

Grace is not cheap for us too.  Through God’s grace, we are called, regenerated, and otherwise empowered to seek that kingdom of heaven with our whole heart and all of our resources.  

But, this language of “Sell your possessions and give to charity” is more figurative than literal.  There is other Scripture that we must also consider.  We have duties to support our family.  We have duties to support the poor within our church.  We have duties to support the preaching and other ministries of our church.  There are other support duties as well. 

Even within this Scripture, we see the goal of this giving is to “make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven”.  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Our heart will follow our money.

And, isn’t the kingdom of heaven, that “treasure hidden in the field”, worth all that we have?! 

Isn’t the kingdom of heaven, that “pearl of great value”, worth all that we have?! 

Isn’t the kingdom of heaven, that “unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys”, worth all that we have?!

 ²⁴  “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap;  they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them;  how much more valuable you are than the birds!

 ²⁵  “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?

 ²⁶  “If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

 ²⁷  “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;  but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

 ²⁸  “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you?  You men of little faith!

 ²⁹  “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.

 ³⁰  “For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek;  but your Father knows that you need these things.

 ³¹  “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

 ³²  “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:22-32.  (Emphasis added.) 

God reminds us that His provisions are magnificent.  “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;  but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you?  You men of little faith!”  Luke 12:27-28.

In summary, “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.

“¹  Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
    ²  Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And forget none of His benefits;
    ³  Who pardons all your iniquities,
         Who heals all your diseases;
    ⁴  Who redeems your life from the pit,
         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
    ⁵  Who satisfies your years with good things,
         So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”  Psalm 103:1-5.

 ¹⁶  And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.

 ¹⁷  “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

 ¹⁸  “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

 ¹⁹  ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come;  take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘

 ²⁰  “But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your soul is required of you;  and now who will own what you have prepared?’

 ²¹  “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”   Luke 12:15-21.  (Emphasis added.)

How hard it is to not be greedy!

How hard it is to not store up treasures for ourselves!

But, we should be “rich toward God”.

It was interesting to read the following Scriptures which I pulled up with the words “rich” and “God”.  Each verse has its own clear lesson which needs no further explanation. 

Psalm 52:6-8:

“The righteous will see and fear,
         And will laugh at him, saying, 
    “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
         But trusted in the abundance of his riches
         And was strong in his evil desire.” 
    But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
         I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.”

Ecclesiastes 5:19
“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.”

Ecclesiastes 6:1-5:

“There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men–a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction.  If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity;  and its name is covered in obscurity.  “It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.”  

 ⁶  “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents?  Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.

 ⁷  “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”  Luke 12:4-7.  (Emphasis added.)

There is a natural fear in us of “those who kill the body”.  There also is a natural fear in us of lack of supplies necessary to survive.  Jesus tells us to not fear such things.

However, there is no natural fear of God in us prior to regeneration and God’s other work within us.  “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”  Romans 3:18.  Jesus tells us to fear God.

The Heidelberg Catechism also starts with comfort but then proceeds to warn us to fear God.

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

Answer.  That I with body and soul, both in life and death, I 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.

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.

Question 3.  Whence knowest thou thy misery?

Answer.  Out of the law of God.

Question 4.  What doth the law of God require of us?

Answer.  Christ teaches us that briefly, Matt. 22:37-40, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Question 5.  Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?

Answer.  In no wise;  for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor.

Question 6.  Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?

Answer.  By no means; but God created man good, and after his own image, in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him and live with him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise him.

Question 7.  Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?

Answer.  From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise;  hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin.

Question 8.   Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?

Answer.  Indeed we are;  except that we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.

Question 9.  Doth not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in his low, that which he cannot perform?

Answer.  Not at all;  for God made man capable of performing it; but man, by the instigation of the devil, and his own willful disobedience, deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts.

Question 10.  Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?

Answer.  By no means;  but is terribly displeased with our original was well as actual sins; and will punish them in his just judgment temporally and eternally, and he hath declared, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Question 11.  Is not God then also merciful?

Answer.  God is indeed merciful, but also just;  therefore his justice requires, that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God, be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul. 

(Emphasis added.)

So, yes, fear God!  But, there is hope.  The next part of The Heidelberg Catechism teaches us about “Man’s Deliverance” by God starting with Question and Answer 12 – Click here: The Heidelberg Catechism