MORNING:
1 Chronicles 22 (family); Micah 1 (secret)
EVENING:
1 Peter 3 (family); Luke 10 (secret)
A CHRISTIAN CATECHISM:
Q66. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A66. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of various aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. John 19:11; 1 John 5:15
Q67. What does every sin deserve?
A67. Every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in the life that is to come. Psalms 11:6; Ephesians 5:6
Q68. How may we escape His wrath and curse due to us for sin?
A68. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting alone to His blood and righteousness. This faith is attended by repentance for the past and leads to holiness in the future. John 3:16; Acts 20:21
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST DEVOTION:
“but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected” (1 Corinthians 9:27, ASV).
Yesterday, Mr. Philpot’s “pearl” presented some very blessed insights into suffering as it relates to the personal holiness of the believer; that our trials, tribulations, and sufferings bring us trust, truth, and singleness of mind: Christ and Him crucified.
Yet, it is often when the sea is calm, when the storm clouds do not assail, when the flowers are rife and blooming on the hillside, and there is plenty of sweet water bubbling up from the spring, that we may tend toward sloth in our spiritual walk.
We need to “keep under” the body with more careful discipline when things are fine, even more so than when suffering comes and the storms beat hard upon our doors. If not, we will tend toward sloth in our spiritual lives and before we know it, we’ve backslidden.
The blessedness of the graces of reading, searching, and meditating upon God’s Word, prayerful watching, and watchful praying, bring us renewal of thought, subjection of will, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and as we are renewed, revelation of Himself from His Word and Spirit is increased; and as revelation of Himself increases, as we are souls regenerated by the life-blood of the blessed Savior, we are rejuvenated in Him, increasingly alive with our Lord Jesus; which then, strengthens us in the graces of prayer, the Word, the sacraments, the communion of saints, &etc., and we become renewed once more in thought, will, and love.
Let us give pause, beloved brothers and sisters. We may sing of a desire for holiness in our Sabbath worship, but are we truly working out our salvation in fear and trembling because of the awesome revelation of the infinite and precious worth of Redemption purchased at Calvary’s tree? How much time is truly given to the graces found in diligent and disciplined prayer and meditation upon God’s Word? Does leisure or pleasure in other employments sometimes, or often, replace those graces, both robbing God of glory and heavenly blessings from us?
As I have written this particular devotional provocation, I pray, in the spirit of meekness and humility, I also pray that it is received by you in that same way as well; and not with an over zealous burst. Even, we, the more seasoned, more mature saints, who have weathered the storms of suffering, and buffeted the body unto discipline, we need to gently encourage the younger of the Lord’s flock to begin in those graces consistently, however small and humble the portions may be; and when they are strengthened, they will feed upon the hill as well as down in the valley.
That man hath perfect blessedness,
who walketh not astray
In counsel of ungodly men,
nor stands in sinners’ way,
Nor sitteth in the scorner’s chair:
But placeth his delight
Upon God’s law, and meditates
on His law day and night.
He shall be like a tree that grows
near planted by a river,
Which in his season yields his fruit,
and his leaf fadeth never:
And all he doth shall prosper well.
The wicked are not so;
But like they are unto the chaff,
which wind drives to and fro.
In judgment therefore shall not stand
such as ungodly are;
Nor in th’ assembly of the just
shall wicked men appear.
For why? the way of godly men
unto the Lord is known:
Whereas the way of wicked men
shall quite be overthrown.
Psalms 1
Scottish Psalter
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