Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 5, 2023

“He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 8:4-10.

“Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.  Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.  Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.  For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills;  a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey;  a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything;  a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper.  When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.”  Deuteronomy 8:4-10.

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“and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

It is for discipline that you endure;  God deals with you as with sons;  for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them;  shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?”  Hebrews 12:5-9.

But, there is hope!

“It is for discipline that you endure;  …” Hebrews 12:7. In other words, God causes us to endure so that He can discipline us.

In today’s Scripture, we learned that God caused Israel to endure by the specific statement: “Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.” Verse 4. “Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.” Emphasis added. God caused Israel to endure by protecting their clothing and their feet through the wilderness so that He could discipline them.

There is also the following hope in today’s Scripture.  “For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, …  When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.”  Verses 7-10.  

There is also the following hope in the Hebrews passage on discipline. “… He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;  yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”  Hebrews 12:10-11.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 4, 2023

“man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”

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

 “All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your forefathers.  You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.  He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”  Deuteronomy 8:1-3.

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“And the tempter (the devil) came and said to Him (Jesus), “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 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 4:3-4.

We tend to believe that we live by every piece of food that enters our mouth.  We also tend to believe that we live by our works and by our will.  But, today’s Scripture teaches: “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”

There is more that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD than just words. There is the Spirit. “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22.

Jesus said: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” John 6:63.

Moreover, one could read and know every word of the Bible and still not receive the Spirit and get life. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” John 5:39-40.

The following Scriptures and the Canons of Dordt direct our attention to the work of God. The work of God includes everything that comes from God that gives us life.

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”  Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:27-29.  

Thus, our hope is that God will perform a work within us to cause us to believe in Christ.  Our hope is that God will give us the faith that comes from Him, the gift of faith a/k/a “justifying faith” that Christ earned for us through His sacrificial death on the cross.  

Consider the following from the Canons of Dordt. Christ’s death conferred on all the elect, but only the elect, “faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death”.

Article 8.  For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation:  that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father;  that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death;  should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing;  and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.  SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.

“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.”  2 Peter 1:2-3.

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  Ezekiel 36:26-27.

“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.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  …”  Ephesians 1:3-8.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?  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 8:29-32.

We do not provide any link in the golden chain of salvation whether it be works or even as little as the will to be saved. Scripture teaches us that we were “dead” in sin. Ephesians 2:1-5. We were hostile to God. Romans 8:7 and Colossians 1:21. We were in bondage to sin. Romans 7:14-15. This is a condition of “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, as more fully taught in the Canons of Dordt.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7.

“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:15-16.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

“For who regards you as superior?  What do you have that you did not receive?  And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”  1 Corinthians 4:7.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 3, 2023

“You shall not dread them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 7:17-26.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%207&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’ you shall not be afraid of them;  you shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:  the great trials which your eyes saw and the signs and the wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out.  So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.  Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet against them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you perish.  You shall not dread them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.”  Deuteronomy 7:17-21.  

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How much and how often we live out our lives in fear, anxiety, and worry about what others may do to us!

“You shall not dread them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.”  Verse 21. 

“10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
12 “You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
13 “For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
14 “Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:10-14.

Sometimes, the LORD does not immediately put an end to our enemies as quickly as we may want.  We saw the reason in today’s Scripture, and we can trust the LORD’s timing and reason for the apparent delay for us today.  The presence of our enemies may serve a purpose for our good.

“The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little;  you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you.”  Verse 22.

“6 A senseless man has no knowledge,
Nor does a stupid man understand this:
7 That when the wicked sprouted up like grass
And all who did iniquity flourished,
It was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.” Psalm 92:6-7.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7.

“…  for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”  Hebrews 13:5.

“5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | September 1, 2023

“forget none of His benefits” – “His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 7:12-16.

“Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers.  He will love you and bless you and multiply you;  He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.  You shall be blessed above all peoples;  there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle.  The LORD will remove from you all sickness;  and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you.  You shall consume all the peoples whom the LORD your God will deliver to you;  your eye shall not pity them, nor shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.”  Deuteronomy 7:12-16.

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“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.

Should we be eager to discount and dismiss earthly blessings?  

Should we turn our nose up at the earthly blessings?  

Should we disdain, or piously pretend to disdain, earthly blessings as prosperity gospel?

Or, should earthly blessings be recognized, enjoyed, and even be embraced?

And, is it possible that our LORD also causes the earthly blessings that He gives us to be a spiritual blessing for us as well?

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?  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 8:28-32.

In the language of the following Heidelberg Catechism, “all things must be subservient to my salvation”, all things include earthly blessings. God even causes earthly blessings that He gives us to be a spiritual blessing for us.

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.” Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1.

“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.
12 O LORD of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12.

“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.  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4.

At the end of the chapter of the “His precious and magnificent promises” in Psalm 103:1-5 quoted above near the beginning of today’s devotion is the following Scripture that Reformed Doctrine is based.  Is that a coincidence or an invitation to reconsider the role of earthly blessings in God’s overall sovereignty?

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6.

“12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Psalm 86:12-13.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 31, 2023

“the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 7:1-11.

“When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them.  You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them.  Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them;  you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons.  For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods;  then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you.  But thus you shall do to them:  you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire.  For you are a holy people to the LORD your God;  the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

“The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples,  but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.  Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;  but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them;  He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face.  Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.”  Deuteronomy 7:1-11.

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The basis of who we are and what we do is that we are chosen by God.  We are His elect, His people.  “…  the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”  Verse 6.

Verses 1-5 literally applied to Israel in that time, but it also figuratively applies to us to today, to show how sharply distinguished and set apart that we are from “all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”  For us today, as will be seen by the following Scriptures and Canons of Dordt, we learn about how sharply distinguished and set apart that we are from all the other people primarily by the spiritual blessings that God gives us.  But, we also learn it through the earthly blessings that He gives us.  

We saw the beginning of the knowledge of this distinction in the encounter between Moses and the LORD.

Moses asked the LORD:  “For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people?  Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

The LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken;  for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name.”  Exodus 33:16-17.

More generally, over time, we learn and believe that we are the elect a/k/a God’s chosen people by God doing special particular goodness to us, particularly “distinguished from all the other people”. 

Everybody gets sunshine and rain, so when we experience such common good things, we do not think that God is necessarily showing us special particular goodness to us.  But, when we feel that God is showing us special particular goodness to us, we feel that we are in distinction a/k/a distinguished from other people and we wonder and think we may be the elect a/k/a God’s chosen people.  Finally, through God’s grace in giving us the gift of faith, we believe that we are among His chosen people, His elect, His people. 

As stated in the Canons of Dordt that I will later quote more, “The elect in due time, though in various degrees and in different measures, attain the assurance of this their eternal and unchangeable election”.  

So, let us look at some Scriptures.

“But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’”  Exodus 9:4.

“But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’”  Exodus 11:7.

“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them;  the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand.  Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed;  all came to pass.”  Joshua 21:44-45.

“Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised;  not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.  May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers;  may He not leave us or forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.”  1 Kings 8:56-58.

Here is more of the quote from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.

Article 12.  The elect in due time, though in various degrees and in different measures, attain the assurance of this their eternal and unchangeable election, not by inquisitively prying into the secret and deep things of God, but by observing in themselves with a spiritual joy and holy pleasure, the infallible fruits of election pointed out in the Word of God – such as a true faith in Christ, filial fear, a godly sorrow for sin, a hungering and thirsting after righteousness, etc.

“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.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  …”  Ephesians 1:3-8.

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD;  you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”  1 Peter 2:9-10.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 30, 2023

“How blessed is the man who trusts in You!” – “observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 6:20-24.

“20 “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you?’  21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand.  22 Moreover, the LORD showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household;  23 He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.’  24 So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.  25 It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us.”  Deuteronomy 6:20-24.

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It makes a big difference if we view God as our Heavenly Father Who loves us and works all things together for our good compared to if we view God as a neutral almighty being.  

It makes a big difference if we view God as our Rock, our Fortress, our Defender Who protects us from our enemies compared to if we view God as a neutral almighty being who loves everybody and bows down to man’s alleged free-will.   

It makes a big difference if we believe in God’s favor toward us Who gives us the Promised Land versus if we view God as a neutral almighty being who only helps those who help themselves.  

Today’s Scripture points to one way that it makes a big difference.  It makes a difference on how we receive and view the Law a/k/a “the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you”.  

Today’s Scripture instructs us to how to answer the question:  “What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you?”.

First, in verse 21, we are to point out to God being our Deliverer:  “you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand.”

Second, in verse 22, we are to point out to God being our Defender:  “the LORD showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household”.

Third, in verse 23, we are to point out to God being our Provider:  “He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.”  

In summary, when we trust in the God’s favor and goodness to us and in His protection of us, we will trust that God’s law is “for our good always and for our survival”.  Verse 24.  It will even be for “righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us.”  Verse 25.

If we trust the LORD, then we will be less likely to grumble against the LORD and test the LORD, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”, as we learned in yesterday’s devotion.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?  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 8:28-32.

“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.
12 O LORD of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 29, 2023

“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test” – “Is the LORD among us, or not?” – “Do not worry” – “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 6:16-19.  

“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.  You should diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.  You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.”  Deuteronomy 6:16-19.

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We remember how Israel tested the LORD at Massah.

“Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.  Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.”  And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me?  Why do you test the LORD?”  But the people thirsted there for water;  and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”  …  He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”  Exodus 17:1-3 and 7.

We also remember how the devil tempted Jesus.

“Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down;  for it is written,

‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;

and

‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”  Matthew 4:5-7.

How often do we test God by saying or thinking:  “If you are our God, then you will do this for us?”!

But, there is hope!

“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.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7.

“…  for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”  Hebrews 13:5.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 28, 2023

“watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 6:10-15.

“Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall fear only the LORD your God;  and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.  You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God;  otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.”  Deuteronomy 6:10-15.

——————-

The theme of today’s Scripture is that when we experience good things, success, prosperity, and peace, “watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD”.  

This theme reminded me of a letter that I wrote to my best friend Harry more than thirty years ago, and I thought it would be good to “copy and paste” it herein for three reasons.  First, it contains a good practical example of how to receive good things.  Second, it points to God’s faithfulness.  Third, it encourages us to write our experiences so we do not forget God.  This letter and other “Letters to Harry” can also be accessed through the headnote tab “Gold Mining” at the top of my web site.  Here is a direct link –   https://reformeddoctrine.com/covenant-protestant-church-and-quotes-for-the-day/  

GOLD MINE 6: PROVERBS 3:5-6
GOD WANTS US TO SEEK HIM ON EASY DAYS AS WELL AS DIFFICULT DAYS
October 28, 1992

Harry:

Yesterday, the Lord answered our prayers and we were able to replace our big old 1976 Dodge with a sleek, low-mileage 1986 used Buick.

Today, it seems like I have little problems. It almost seems like I do not need God. I have no pressing problems or trials at work or home this week. I think I can handle this week.

The Lord taught me that just as I come to Him with heavy and pressing needs and problems and trials, I also need to pray that He will guide me through easy days as well. He brought to my memory that the hardest days with God are easier than the easiest days without God.

God cares for us and takes us by the hand through the easy days as well as the hard days. The easy days often pose the greatest pitfalls to us, because we tend to ignore God and just rely on ourselves.

In the following Scripture, the Lord directs us to acknowledge Him in all our ways. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

It is comforting to me that God loves us so much that He is willing, and in fact wants, to be our Good Shepherd every day of our life, through sunny days on the mountaintop as well as dark days in the valley.

—-

Today, August 28, 2023, God’s faithfulness to us prompts this, our concluding prayer. 

“And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.” Psalm 71:18.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 27, 2023

“knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 6:1-9.

“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.  O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

“Hear, O Israel!  The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  Deuteronomy 6:1-9.

——————–

But, there is hope!

God gives us, His elect, His Spirit and His words! 

“It is the Spirit who gives life;  the flesh profits nothing;  the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  …  And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”  John 6:63 and 65.

“Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.” Proverbs 1:23.

“The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.” 2 Samuel 23:2.

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

“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”  Acts 4:31.

“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, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”  1 Corinthians 2:12-13.

“knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;  for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction;  just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”  1 Thessalonians 1:4-5. 

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”  John 14:26. 

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;  for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”  John 16:13. 

“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you;  but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”  1 John 2:27.

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it;  and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”  Jeremiah 31:33-34.

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD:  “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”  Isaiah 59:21.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 25, 2023

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; … I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 5:22-33.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%205&version=NASB1995

“Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!  Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.”  But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess.’  So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you;  you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.  You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.”  Deuteronomy 5:29-33.

———————–

But, there is hope!

There is the will!

The LORD said:  “Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!”  Verse 29. 

There is the power!

“9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11.

There is the way!

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.  You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers;  so you will be My people, and I will be your God.”  Ezekiel 36:26-28.

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