Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 3, 2023

“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 3:23-29.

“I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ‘O LORD God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.’ So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.” Deuteronomy 3:23-29.

————–

Today’s Scripture of the LORD not allowing Moses to go into Canaan, the Promised Land, but allowing Moses to go to the top of the mountain, “Pisgah”, to see into Canaan, reminds me of not having money to go to exotic travel spots but being able to watch Travel shows on TV of such places. The first lesson is contentment, even joy, in what the LORD does provide for us.

“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.” 1 Timothy 6:6-9.

The LORD also commanded Moses to “charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.” The second lesson is that even though we may not be able to do the Christian work that we desire, we can encourage and strengthen others who will do such work, and we can pray for them.

“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

But, there is more! God has given us much more!

“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.

“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.

“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” Psalm 32:11.

Comments Off on “Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: content, contentment, encourage, encouragement

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 2, 2023

“Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 3:12-22. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%203&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“So we took possession of this land at that time. From Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead and its cities I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites. The rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh, all the region of Argob (concerning all Bashan, it is called the land of Rephaim. …

“Then I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess it; all you valiant men shall cross over armed before your brothers, the sons of Israel. But your wives and your little ones and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall remain in your cities which I have given you, until the LORD gives rest to your fellow countrymen as to you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God will give them beyond the Jordan. Then you may return every man to his possession which I have given you.’ I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.’” Deuteronomy 3:12-13 and 18-22.

———————–

Other doctrine believe that God loves everybody and gives free-will to everybody.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes that God only loves His elect and does everything necessary for salvation for them.

Other doctrine believe in the god who is waiting upon man wringing his hands in hope that man will choose him.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in the God of Scripture, The Victorious Warrior, Who chooses which people He will save and then fights to save them.

“But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.” Exodus 14:13-14.

“3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4 “Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.” Isaiah 43:3-4.

“The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17.

God accomplishes all of His good pleasure. Total Perfect Triumph.

God accomplished His lovingkindness by choosing whom He will save (“Unconditional Election”) and by providing all that the His elect need for salvation: from the beginning of “Unconditional Election” through “Limited Atonement” through “Irresistible Grace” to the end of “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. This true doctrine of salvation is more fully taught in the Reformed Confession called Canons of Dordt.

This is truly the Gospel, the Good News, for if salvation were dependent on man’s alleged free-will, then no one would be saved according to the point of “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”. In a nutshell, man is “dead” in sin (Ephesians 2:1-5), hostile to God (Romans 8:7 and Colossians 1:21), and in bondage to sin (Romans 7:14-15.). See generally Romans 3:10-18.

“8 “But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.
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 41:8-14.

Comments Off on “Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: "TULIP", Canons of Dordt, Election, Gospel, Predestination, Reformed Doctrine of Salvation

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | August 1, 2023

“I shall remember the deeds of the LORD” – “I will tell of all Your wonders.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 3:1-11. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%203&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og, king of Bashan, with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.’ So the LORD our God delivered Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand, and we smote them until no survivor was left. We captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city. But all the animals and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty.

“Thus we took the land at that time from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon” Deuteronomy 3:1-8.

————–

Moses reminded Israel what God had done for them.

God delivered Og, king of Bashan and all his people and his land into Israel’s hand, just as God did to Sihon king of the Amorites, thus God delivered to Israel all the land of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon.

“17 To Him who smote great kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
…
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
20 And Og, king of Bashan,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,” Psalm 136:17and 19-20.

We too should remember and recount to ourselves and others what God has done for us.

“11 I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.” Psalm 77:11-15.

“For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4.

“Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
6 He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.” Psalm 111:1-6.

“I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.” Psalm 9:1.

Comments Off on “I shall remember the deeds of the LORD” – “I will tell of all Your wonders.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: "Praise the LORD!", recount, remember

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 31, 2023

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:26-37.

“So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, ‘Let me pass through your land, I will travel only on the highway; I will not turn aside to the right or to the left. You will sell me food for money so that I may eat, and give me water for money so that I may drink, only let me pass through on foot, just as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross over the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God is giving to us.’ But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today. The LORD said to me, ‘See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land.’

“Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz. The LORD our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him with his sons and all his people. So we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor. We took only the animals as our booty and the spoil of the cities which we had captured. From Aroer which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon and from the city which is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too high for us; the LORD our God delivered all over to us. Only you did not go near to the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God had commanded us.” Deuteronomy 2:26-37.

——————–

Other doctrine believe in the alleged free-will of man.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in the total perfect sovereignty of God.

We see the point of the total perfect sovereignty of God, even over man’s will, in the Scriptures in today’s devotion. “But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today. The LORD said to me, ‘See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land.’” Verses 30-31.

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1.

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

“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3.

“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.

“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. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” Romans 9:15-24.

Comments Off on “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: free-will, God's sovereignty, man's free-will, sovereignty

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 30, 2023

“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:16-25. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%202&version=NASB1995

“So it came about when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, that the LORD spoke to me, saying, ‘Today you shall cross over Ar, the border of Moab. When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession.’” Deuteronomy 2:16-19.

————

Likewise, earlier in the chapter we read: “and command the people, saying, “You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful; do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.” Deuteronomy 2:4-5.

Although the LORD did give Canaan, the Promised Land, to Israel, the LORD did not give more land to Israel. We remember that a whole chapter was devoted to the LORD establishing borders for this land. Numbers chapter 34.

One lesson that we can glean is that we need to be careful to not provoke others. When we are big and strong, particularly when we are aware that the LORD has given us victories, we can be tempted to be prideful and provoke others. We can cross borders and provoke others.

“You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Enjoy your glory and stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall, and Judah with you?” 2 Kings 14:10.

But, most importantly, as seen by the overwhelming number of references in Scripture to provoking the LORD, we should not provoke the LORD to anger.

“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said,

“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”

For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:12-19.

Comments Off on “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: borders, provoke

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 28, 2023

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:8-15. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%202&version=NASB1995

“Now the time that it took for us to come from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war perished from within the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. Moreover the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished.” Deuteronomy 2:14-15.

———————

The Book of Jude is devoted as a warning about the ungodly. As one example, the Book of Jude used the example of those “within the camp” of Israel who did not believe that the LORD would give them possession of Canaan, the Promised Land.

“Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.” Jude 5.

Let us review the summary by Moses of their unbelief in the prior chapter, Deuteronomy chapter 1.

“Yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; and you grumbled in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’ Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked, nor fear them. The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’ But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go.” Deuteronomy 1:26-33.

With that warning in mind, let us heed the exhortation in the Book of Jude.

“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” Jude 17-23.

But, there is hope as stated in the comforting conclusion in the Book of Jude!

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25.

Comments Off on “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: blameless, faith, mercy

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 27, 2023

“His sovereignty rules over all.” – “Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 2:1-7.

“Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and circled Mount Seir for many days. And the LORD spoke to me, saying, ‘You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north, and command the people, saying, “You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful; do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. You shall buy food from them with money so that you may eat, and you shall also purchase water from them with money so that you may drink. For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”’ Deuteronomy 2:1-7.

—————-

Other doctrine believes in the alleged free-will of man.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in the total perfect sovereignty of God.

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

“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3.

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;
He turns it wherever He wishes.” Proverbs 21:1.

Here is a simple logical reason to believe the total perfect sovereignty of God.

God could not fulfill His promises if man’s alleged free-will existed, because such man’s alleged free-will could block the fulfillment of God’s promises or at least alter the means or timing of the fulfillment of God’s promises. Thus, in such a hypothetical situation, God could not be trusted to fulfill His promises and His promised means and timing of how His promises would be fulfilled.

But, if indeed God’s sovereignty rules over all, then God totally and perfectly controls every detail, and God could fulfill all of His promises exactly how and when as promised. God would indeed be trustworthy.

Man does not like God’s total perfect sovereignty.

“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.” Psalm 2:2-6.

Here is a good summary and conclusion.

Comments Off on “His sovereignty rules over all.” – “Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: "free-will", "God's sovereignty", "man's free-will", Election, Predestination, sovereignty

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 26, 2023

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, …”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:41-46.

“Then you said to me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD; we will indeed go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.’ And every man of you girded on his weapons of war, and regarded it as easy to go up into the hill country. And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; otherwise you will be defeated before your enemies.”’ So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. Instead you rebelled against the command of the LORD, and acted presumptuously and went up into the hill country. The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and crushed you from Seir to Hormah. Then you returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD did not listen to your voice nor give ear to you. So you remained in Kadesh many days, the days that you spent there.” Deuteronomy 1:41-46.

—————

We notice the contrast between Israel being fearful to fight in the prior Scripture (Deuteronomy 1:26-33) and Israel being foolish to fight in today’s Scripture.

The lesson presented by today’s Scripture is to seek the LORD in all of our ways and to listen and obey Him.

Do not be proud and presumptuous. Be humble and hear and hold fast to Him.

“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.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5.

But, there is hope!

“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 36:27.

“8 Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
11 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
12 Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!” 1 Chronicles 16:8-13.

Comments Off on “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, …”

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 25, 2023

“By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, … for he was looking for the city … whose architect and builder is God.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:34-40.

“Then the LORD heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, ‘Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the LORD fully.’ The LORD was angry with me also on your account, saying, ‘Not even you shall enter there. Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there; encourage him, for he will cause Israel to inherit it. Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it. But as for you, turn around and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.’” Deuteronomy 1:34-40.

—————–

This Scripture is sad, but there is still hope.

And, like those who were stuck in the wilderness, we may feel like we are stuck in a wilderness. But, there is hope for us too!

First, the children would be allowed to enter and possess the Promised Land. “Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it.” Verse 39.

Second, even in the wilderness, God is with us. “and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’” Deuteronomy 1:31.

“Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 I said to the LORD, “You are my LORD;
I have no good besides You.” Psalm 16:1-2.

“You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11.

Third, as good as Canaan, the earthly Promised Land was, or as good as we may have it on earth, our goal is heaven. We are aliens, only sojourners passing through earth, and we live by faith like Abraham.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5.

Comments Off on “By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, … for he was looking for the city … whose architect and builder is God.”

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 24, 2023

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.”

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 1:22-33.

“Then all of you approached me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter.’ The thing pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe. They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol and spied it out. Then they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought us back a report and said, ‘It is a good land which the LORD our God is about to give us.’

“Yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; and you grumbled in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’ Then I said to you, ‘Do not be shocked, nor fear them. The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’ But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go.” Deuteronomy 1:22-33.

————-

“8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” Psalm 32:8-11.

“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.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

“20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.” Psalm 33:20-22.

Comments Off on “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: "Trust in the LORD", lovingkindness, trust