Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ²³  But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”  Matthew 16:21-23.

We can readily imagine that Peter may be thinking that God would not allow such horrific events to happen to His beloved Son.  We can also readily imagine that Peter was also thinking that the continued teaching and continued miracles that Jesus was doing would best advance God’s kingdom.  “God forbid it, Lord!  This shall never happen to You.” 

But, as we know, God’s justice demanded that even His beloved Son Jesus suffer and die in order to atone for the sins of His people, the Elect.  As we also know, God’s kingdom was advanced much more after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.

We need to be prepared and to accept the fact that God’s interest may not be what appears to be man’s interest.  Man’s interest is long life and comfort.  God’s interest is productive life and service to others and even ourselves. 

That does not necessarily mean that our life will necessarily be short and painful.  We also find that “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;  And sent away the rich empty-handed.”  Luke 1:53  “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.”  Psalm 91:16

^{”  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.

“…  The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works. 
      He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
         And vegetation for the labor of man,
         So that he may bring forth food from the earth, 
      And wine which makes man’s heart glad,
         So that he may make his face glisten with oil,
         And food which sustains man’s heart.  Psalm 104:13-15.  

So, there will be sufferings and there will be comfort.  But, we can take comfort in the fact that our sufferings are not needless nor random.  Our sufferings have the purpose of service toward others.  “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.  But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;  and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”  2 Corinthians 1:5-7.  (Emphasis added).

Let me repeat.  Our sufferings and not needless nor random.  Our sufferings also have the purpose of service to our salvation.  The very first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism states:

“Question:  What is thy only comfort in life and death?

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

In any event, we know:  “… that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”  Romans 8:18

So, what will happen to us?  Will our life be short and painful or long and comfortable?  Later, the same disciple Peter asked about John.  “So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”  Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me!”  John 21-22.  (Emphasis added).

Today’s devotion is Matthew 16:1-4.   

^“1  The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.

 2  But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’

 3  “And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’  Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?

 4  “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.”  Matthew 16:1-4.  

Sometime after September 11, 2001, when many of us were wondering if things were out of control, I looked down the street in front of my home, and I saw the most beautiful rainbow and at the same time, I felt a sense of peace and impression that God was saying to me:  “Do not fear.  I am still on my throne in total control.”  Some could say I did not need that sign, and that would be true.  I did not ask nor seek for that sign.  But, God did give that sign to me.  After that time, I was not shaken nor worried about “9/11”.  I had peace.

So, I first want to state that we do receive signs, and we can appreciate and be thankful for them.  But, as this Scripture states, we should not seek after signs, at least in an improper way.

One way that we can improperly seek after signs is to be lazy and neglect Scripture.  We may want guidance and direction through the easy sign rather than through the more difficult study of Scripture.

A second way that we can improperly seek after signs is to try to obtain an excuse of not following Scripture.  We may not like the command and direction given by Scripture, and we hope for a sign that will give us an excuse to do the opposite of that command and direction, an excuse to do what we really want to do.

A third way that we can improperly seek after signs is that we improperly prefer “sight and satisfaction” over “faith and hope”.  As I study the Scriptures, I have become more and more convinced that God wants us to have faith and hope, more than sight and satisfaction.

After “Doubting” Thomas saw, heard, and felt Jesus, he thought he “believed”.  But, “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed?   Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.'”  John 20:29.  (Emphasis added.) 

“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.”  Hebrews 11:6.  (Emphasis added.)

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”   Hebrews 11:1.  (Emphasis added)

If we see it, hear it, or feel it, we no longer have faith, because it is seen, heard, or felt.  There is no conviction of things unseen.

“For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees?”  Romans 8:24.  (Emphasis added).

We should simply believe, accepting God’s Word by the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen that is faith.  We should not withhold our belief until we see, hear, or feel.  That is not faith.

Instead of thinking: “Show me one more sign, and I will believe.”, we should think: “Thank you God for what you have already shown me!  I already believe you and trust you.  You don’t need to prove anything now.”

We do not need more signs and wonders.  We need to read Scriptures more and simply believe and follow the promises of God, commands, and direction that we read from the Scriptures.  Let us appreciate Scriptures more.

If God shows us signs and wonders that is great.  Praise God!  But, if He does not show us signs and wonders when we want, we should appreciate that we are allowed to live by faith which is pleasing to God.

God blesses us more by His silence which allows us to live by faith than when He shows us signs and wonders which require no faith.  Let us also appreciate the times of His silence more which allows us to walk by faith and please Him.

 ³¹  So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”  Matthew 15:29-31.  (Emphasis added.)   

Although we can not heal, we can follow Jesus’ example by generally doing good to a large number of people.  Like Jesus, we do good so that God will be glorified.  Matthew 5:16 states:  “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.”

2 Corinthians 9 tells us to sow bountifully, so we will reap bountifully.  God loves a cheerful giver.  God will supply the seed and increase the harvest of our righteousness.  And what is the result?  They will glorify God.    

^“6  Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

 ⁷  Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

 ⁸  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

 ⁹  as it is written,
         “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
         HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

 ¹⁰  Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

 ¹¹  you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

 ¹²  For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

 ¹³  Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

 ¹⁴  while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.”  2 Corinthians 9:6-14.  (Emphasis added.)

 ¹²  Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”

 ¹⁷  “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

 ¹⁸  “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

 ¹⁹  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

 ²⁰  “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”  Matthew 15:1, 2, 8, 11, 12, and 17-20. 

None of us worry now about whether or not we wash our hands before we eat as a matter of religious practice that we should follow.  We don’t worry about defiling ourselves, although as a matter of common sense, we may worry about physical contamination, as compared to spiritual contamination, if we eat with dirty hands.  So, I don’t think the lesson is, at least primarily, one of freedom in Christ.   

Rather, the lesson in these verses is the importance of a clean heart as compared to the relative non-importance of clean hands.  We covered this point just a bit in our last devotion, as one among several points, but this devotion will be devoted to this one point.

Jesus explains his statement in Matthew 15:11:   “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”  He states in Matthew 15:17-19:   “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?  “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.   “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”    

It is a lot easier to clean one’s hands than to clean one’s heart.  As is stated Proverbs 20:9:  “Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,  I am pure from my sin”?”

Where do we go from here?  When I did a word search for “heart” at the Gateway web site, there were 805 entries!  Click here: BibleGateway.com – Keyword Search: heart  I have selected two entries and will talk about those verses.

 ³⁶  and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.”  Matthew 14:34-36.   

This section of Scripture is very short, but it is worthy of a separate devotion.  I liked the powerful simplicity of this message.

It is stated here that “the men of that place recognized Him”. 

Do we recognize Jesus when we read Scripture?  Or, do we pass Him by to teach a good moral lesson that is on our agenda?  Jesus said in John 5:39:  “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;”

Do we recognize Jesus when we consider a church and a denomination to attend?  Is He the focus of that church or denomination?  Do they have a passion for Him?  But, most importantly, do they have a true understanding of Him based on Scripture? 

Do we recognize Jesus when we see activities by other Christians?  We may consider joining them or financially supporting them or encouraging them or praying for them.  

It is stated here that “they sent word into all that surrounding district”. 

After we recognize the presence of Jesus, do we send word into all the surrounding district? 

There are many means by which word can be sent.  There is personal word of mouth.  There are telephone calls.  There is mail.  There are emails.  There are web sites.  There is newspaper advertising.  There are pamphlets, magazines, books, and other written publications.  I have seen vehicles with messages written outside.  I have seen airplanes pulling banners. 

It is stated here that they “brought to Him all who were sick”. 

Do we also bring people to Him?  It is easy to invite someone to church.   But, it is much more of an effort but much more effective to pick that person up and bring them to church, sit with them, and then maybe even bring them home for Sunday dinner after church. 

It is stated here that “as many as touched it (Jesus’ cloak) were cured.” 

“O taste and see that the LORD is good;  How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”  Psalm 34:8

Would it help anyone to admire Jesus, and maybe even talk about Jesus, without “touching” Him?  Yet, there are those who do so, but they are unwilling or do not take time to attend church and read Scripture and pray. 

We may scorn those who don’t, and we may feel quite proud that we do attend church and read Scripture and pray, but do we really “touch” Jesus as we should?

Notice the passion of Paul for Christ, for the righteousness that comes from God, and for the resurrection from the dead, in the following Scripture.  Notice that Paul did not consider having “obtained it or have already become perfect”.  He states:  “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

“⁷  But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

 ⁸  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

 ⁹  and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

 ¹⁰  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

 ¹¹  in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

 ¹²  Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

 ¹³  Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

 ¹⁴  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 ¹⁵  Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

 ¹⁶however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”  Philippians 3:7-16.

 ³  For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.

 ⁴  For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

 ⁵  Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.

 ⁶  But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod,

 ⁷  so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

 ⁸  Having been prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

 ⁹  Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests.

 ¹⁰  He sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

 ¹¹  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

 ¹²  His disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.”  Matthew 14:1-12. 

At first reading, our thoughts may dwell on the cruelty of Herod and the dancer and her mother.  We may think:  “How unfortunate and sad!” 

It is sad, and grief is appropriate.  But, it is not unfortunate in the sense that it was out of God’s sovereign control.  John the Baptist himself said:  “”He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John 3:30  It is also not a random response by Herod who said:  “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”  There is also a little truth in that statement.  These conclusions do not take away the sin of this beheading from the responsible parties:  Herod, the dancer, and her mother, but these conclusions can help us better understand that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28. 

The thought occurred to me today that so many Christians, even “fundamental” Christians, believe in creation and scoff at the idea of evolution.  Yet, inconsistently, many of these same Christians, even “fundamental” Christians, approach history as “evolving”.  Their mantra is “free will”, and they think God and man continually need to respond to an endless line of arbitrary, random actions of sinful man.  Their view of history is the “H.S.” of “Helter Skelter”, not the “H.S.” of “His Story”. 

As much as we get upset about the scientific origin and development of the biological world being promoted as evolution, should we not get much more upset about history being promoted as “Helter Skelter”?

We need to be reminded that God remains on His throne in total control no matter what even kings may do. 

^“1  Why are the nations in an uproar
         And the peoples devising a vain thing?
    ²  The kings of the earth take their stand
         And the rulers take counsel together
         Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
    ³  “Let us tear their fetters apart
         And cast away their cords from us!”
    ⁴  He who sits in the heavens laughs,
         The Lord scoffs at them.
    ⁵  Then He will speak to them in His anger
         And terrify them in His fury, saying,
    ⁶  “But as for Me, I have installed My King
         Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
    ⁷  “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
         He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
         Today I have begotten You.
    ⁸  ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
         And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
    ⁹  ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
         You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”
    ¹⁰  Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
         Take warning, O judges of the earth.
    ¹¹  Worship the LORD with reverence
         And rejoice with trembling.
    ¹²  Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
         For His wrath may soon be kindled
         How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”  Psalm Chapter 2.