Nobody wants their work to be inconsequential. Find out how to make your life count. Psalm 127 A song of ascents. Of Solomon. 1   Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2   In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3  Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4   Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5   Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary The primary theme of this week's psalm is a word that's doesn't appear in it: Shalom. Shalom is the peace that comes when everything is the way it's supposed to be, when you have both earthly prosperity and spiritual fellowship with your heavenly Father. But even though our psalm today doesn't use the word shalom, we can be confident that it is the theme, because of the psalms that surround it: the psalms of assent. As we've already seen this year, these are the songs the Israelites would sing as they ascended up the hill to the temple in Jerusalem. These psalms are saturated with the expressed desire to experience the shalom that only comes from being in God's presence. Psalm 127 accentuates shalom by unpacking its opposite: living in vain . Builders labor in vain if the house is not built in the LORD. Guards stand watch in vain unless the LORD watches over the city. Those who rise early and stay up late toiling for food do so in vain when they labor without God's blessing. Literally translated, this vanity means worthless, futile, inconsequential. Isn't sad to think that so many people are working so hard just to build an inconsequential life? Mark Futato, whose commentary on the Psalms has been so helpful for us this year, describes the antidote to this futility: The alternative is to be vigorously engaged in all of life’s activities out of faith in God and in keeping with his principles. Then our hard work will be accompanied not by anxiety but by a sleeplike tranquility. We can do our very best, leaving the outcome in God’s hands and experiencing sleep at night as one part of the shalom we experience throughout the day. God’s will is this: “Whatever you do, do well” (Eccl 9:10; see 1 Cor 10:31) and “My righteous ones will live by faith” (Heb 10:38).   Dig Deeper   The second stanza of our Psalm today goes on to extol the value of children. Certainly many of us have come to realize the blessings our children bring, and how they are so often a reward from the LORD. But Solomon's beautiful song isn't just referring to your physical offspring, but metaphorically refers to actions you take which give evidence of your salvation. The Apostle Paul speaks of these 'children' when he instructs you to, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" ( Philippians 2:12-13 ). Your good works, done out of gratitude to God for the free grace He's given you, then becomes, as Solomon puts it, a heritage from the LORD. Futato goes on to conclude, The central teaching of this psalm, applicable to both body and spirit, is that when we turn away from self-sufficiency and replace it with a faith in God that lives out his principles, our activities are not useless but are fruitful—they produce the desired result of shalom. They are fruitful because God is at work in them and through them. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who builds our house, watches over our city, and grants shalom to those He loves; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask your Father each day to grant you what you need both spiritually and physically for this day so that you'll experience His shalom ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 2

Doxology is more than just the last song of the service. Knowing-Jesus.com Jude 24-25 (NIV) 24  To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary Today's short passage is a good example of Biblical doxology . If you're familiar with the word doxology at all, you probably know it as the final song sung at the end of a worship service. The word itself is a compound Greek word, but it's not a word that appears in the Bible! The first part, doxa , simply means glory , while the second comes from the word logos. So doxology simply means 'words of glory.' As he closes his short letter, written to encourage Christians to contend for the faith (v3) against those who seek to pervert it, Jude includes this doxology to give glory to God for two things that God is able to do for you. First, God keeps you from stumbling. The Canons explain how God ordinarily does this: by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel, under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline . As you participate in what are often referred to as these ordinary means of grace , God uses them to hold you upright and keep you steady. Secondly, God is able... to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy. I often encourage Christians to be able to present the gospel shortly and succinctly in minute or less, and this opening verse of Jude's doxology would be an excellent way to do that. It perfectly summarizes the entire Bible: God is able to eliminate our fault and re-establish our joyful relationship with Him.   Dig Deeper   Jude's doxology ascribes four key attributes of God. The words Jude uses to do so are words we use and read quite often, but often when it comes to common words we don't really think about what they actually mean. Here's how a good Biblical lexicon defines each one: ...to the only God our Savior be: glory - to speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor; majesty - greatness, prominence or importance. It's often used to describe kings; power - strength to rule or control; authority - the right to control or govern over. Obviously God our Savior has these attributes in relation to all of creation. But for the last several months we been coming to see how these attributes, which combined together comprise God's sovereignty , have been at work through Jesus Christ our Lord to regenerate and save His elect. It's because of this that the fifth and final pillar of Reformed theology is Soli Deo Gloria , or glory to God alone! ( You can read about the other four pillars here ). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you before His glorious presence without fault A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your activities today would glorify God's majesty, power and authority over all things; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 2

Both your salvation and your ability to fulfill your purpose depend on your ears. Photo: Dylan Hendricks, via Unsplash Ephesians 1:11–14 (NIV) 11   In Christ we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12   in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13   And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14   who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but  requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary It's hard to believe, but so far in our year of studying the Doctrines of Grace as they're articulated in the Canons of Dordt, this is the first time we've turned to the first chapter of Ephesians! This chapter of the Bible could function as the seminal proof text for nearly everything we've covered so far. But by design it's been set aside so that we can see that it's not the only proof text for God's sovereignty in our salvation, and that the whole of scripture proclaims these truths as well. But as we begin this final season of 2025, we'll be certainly coming back to this chapter often. This middle section of the Ephesians 1 begins with one of the Bible's clearest descriptions of how you were saved: you were chosen in Christ, having been predestined according to His plan. This ought to give you tremendous confidence! The world wants you to think that you're just a product of a random collision of time and matter. So it makes sense to them that each one of us who've evolved from this randomness need to individually define our reality as it makes sense to us. But you know that nothing is random; rather the truth is that everything is being worked out in conformity with the purpose of His will. Not only does this passage help you understand how you've been saved, but it tells you why. It gives you purpose. You were predestined to salvation in order that you might be for the praise of His glory. That makes the phrase Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God Alone - more than just a meaningless motto, it's your purpose and reason for living.   Dig Deeper   Ironically this wonderful reminder of our Unconditional Election isn't why we turned to this beautiful chapter of the Bible today. Our particular interest at this juncture isn't the theoretical how or why of your salvation, as important as those things are. Our focus this week is on the practical means of your salvation - the particular process that God sovereignly used to include you in Christ. All of this happened when you heard the message of truth. Isn't it amazing that God, who sovereignly chose and predestined you before the creation of the world (v4), also designed this to come to fruition indirectly. In other words, God used an intermediary - a tool. As the Canons put it, the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life does not rule out,  but requires the use of, means. You weren't born innately knowing of your chosen status, you needed to be told. You needed to hear the gospel [good news] of your salvation. And this requirement for you to listen extends beyond your initial acceptance of the truth of the gospel. Preaching is not just the seed of regeneration , it's the ongoing food of the soul. So both your initial inclusion in Christ and your ongoing ability to grow in it to the praise of God's glory depends on your continual listening to the message of truth. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for having this message of truth proclaimed to you, and pray for on ongoing hunger to continue hear it preached; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 1

The Church's primary strategy is to provide 'food for your soul'. 2 Timothy 4:1–5 (NIV) In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5   But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary There was a time - not too long ago - that churches all over North America set out to craft catchy mission and strategy statements, as these were supposedly the key to unbridled growth. A mission statement defines an organization's purpose and goal, while strategy statements give an overview of how the mission will be accomplished. Committees were formed, consultants brought in, and word-smithing ensued, resulting in rambling, run-on sentences which were then proudly displayed so that all would know the what, why & how of each particular congregation. Having a mission/strategy statement for your church isn't a bad thing. It's just that the Bible had provided these statements long before they became trendy. Jesus launched the Church with the expressed mission to make disciples . And Paul here provides the strategy for doing so: PREACH THE WORD. There have been times in history where this strategy has been very much in season; churches were full on the Lord's Day (and often on the days in between as well), and there have been lots of times when preaching has been out of season; literally translated, there've been good times and bad times to be a preacher. I like the way the NET Bible translates it : preachers must be ready whether it is convenient or not . Paul writes that the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. In many regards, that time is continual. We've been reminded over and over this year of the noetic effect of sin , which causes people to instinctually flee from truth. So the fact that our culture seems to be so rabidly rejecting the Church's preaching ought not alarm you. It's nothing new; it only seems louder and more vicious since the internet amplifies it.   Dig Deeper   Paul here, inspired by the Holy Spirit, not only makes the church's strategy crystal clear: PREACH THE WORD, but he details what good preaching does. It: CORRECTS - Biblical preaching exposes the sin of those who set themselves under it. It doesn't do so just to lay on a heavy guilt trip, but rather to point the sinner to repentance and forgiveness in the grace of Christ Jesus. Biblical preaching then moves the listener from sin into habits and actions consistent with the full counsel of God's Word REBUKES - Calvin comments here that preachers must rebuke their congregations as needed in order to "shake off our sluggishness." ENCOURAGES - Preaching is NOT just heavy handed correction and rebuking. It also brings consolation and encouragement. The actual word Paul uses here is parakaleō, which means to call out from alongside. It describes one person coming alongside another to motivate and build up. The Bible uses the noun form of this word to describe the Holy Spirit. The Church's principle strategy - PREACHING THE WORD - must be done with great patience and careful instruction. It is the principle means of grace through which God saves His people. These verses are critical for preachers like me to prioritize my work, but keep in mind that although you probably don't do so from behind a pulpit, you too are a preacher in that you are equipped and expected to proclaim the gospel in the contexts in which you live and work on a daily basis. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has given His Church a clear mission & strategy; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would set yourself under solid Biblical preaching each Lord's Day, and that you yourself would informally preach the Word whether it's convenient or not; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Timothy 4

God's Word brings deliverance and strength. au.pinterest.com/sangthomas/ Isaiah 45:22–25 (NIV) CONTEXT: These words of the LORD were prophetically written by Isaiah before Israel's exile to Babylon, but they were meant to comfort those who would be in exile, assuring them of the salvation that would come from their faithful covenant God. 22  “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. 23  By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. 24  They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are deliverance and strength.’ ” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. 25  But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the LORD and will make their boast in him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary God's invitation to salvation here near the end of Isaiah is remarkable for who it's extended to: not just His covenant people, Israel, but to all the ends of the earth! God now calls out to the same pagans who'd seduced the Israelites with idolatry. Yet notice that God doesn't just simply bestow salvation upon all, but He conditions it upon their repentance. He calls them to turn to Him and be saved. The effects of the LORD's gospel call will be universal. Before me, the LORD says, every knee will bow, by me every tongue will swear. Most of you will instantly recognize those words from Paul's famous ode to Christ in Philippians 2; now you know that Paul simply borrowed this language from Isaiah's prophecy. But the meaning in both passages is exactly the same: ALL people will humble themselves before the LORD. But the experience of this divine victory over sin and death will NOT be the same for all people. The descendants of Israel - that is, those who have put their faith and hope in God's covenant in both the Old and New Testaments - will find deliverance in the LORD and will make their boast in Him. But all those who have raged against Him will still bow their knees and confess with their tongues before the LORD for sure, but they will come to Him and be put to shame since they never repented of their sin.   Dig Deeper   This would have been an appropriate passage to corroborate nearly any aspect of the Doctrines of Grace that we've been working through this year, but we come to it today because it illustrates well the means by which the LORD alone is deliverance and strength. There are many ways that God could have worked out the salvation and judgment that ultimately will culminate in bent knees and confessing tongues. He could have offered each person a red pill or blue pill, with one leading to salvation and the other not. He could have zapped the elect with spiritual lightning bolts and instantly conformed them into the image of Christ. But today's passage reminds us that this isn't the way God saves people. Rather, the LORD has uttered a word that will not be revoked... which will bring deliverance for His people . Salvation comes verbally - written down and preserved through the ages. It was first proclaimed by prophets like Isaiah and apostles like Paul. It's been preached throughout the centuries by faithful men in nearly every tongue. And it continues to go out even now in our day and age, and will continue to do so until every knee bows. These last few weeks we've concentrated on the supernatural spiritual power God works upon those He's called to believe so that we willingly turn to Him and are saved. But the Canons remind us here that this miraculous work in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel [the preached Word],  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be the seed of regeneration and the food of the soul. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who alone is deliverance and strength; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for proclaiming His saving Word to you, and pray that your knees will bow and your tongue will proclaim and spread this word of salvation that God has uttered; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Timothy 3

Trusting in God's unfailing loves brings you true rest & blessings. DailyVerses.net Psalm 62 For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David. 1   Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 2   Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. 3   How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? 4  Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.  5  Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 6  Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 7   My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8   Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. 9   Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. 10  Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11  One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, 12   and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect However,  just as by the fall  humans did not cease to be human,  endowed with intellect and will,  and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race,  did not abolish the nature of the human race  but distorted and spiritually killed it,  so also this divine grace of regeneration  does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones;  nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force,  but  spiritually revives, heals, reforms,  and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. As a result,  a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail  where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant.  In this the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists.  Thus, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us,  we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice,  by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright. Summary Today's Summary is a slightly modified repost from December 15, 2023 As we've seen several times this year, in Hebrew poetry, the meaning often comes in the middle. Such is the case here in Psalm 62, where v7 is sandwiched between two 8 line stanzas. Everything that you have that has any lasting value - your salvation and your honor - are completely dependent upon God, your mighty rock and refuge. We have a tendency to think the world is more evil now than it's ever been, but that's probably not the case. Just like today, King David had enemies who delighted in telling lies as they attempted to topple him. He too was surrounded by hypocrites who bless with their mouths but in their hearts they curse. If you want to live in such a way that you will not be shaken no matter what goes on around you, then trust in Him at all times... pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge. In other words, as we've read so many times this year, fully depend on God's unfailing ḥěʹ·sěḏ love (v12). It's as you pour out your heart to Him that you will find rest (v5).   Dig Deeper   One of the primary reasons we've been using the Canons as our road map for reading the Bible this year is to build up our confidence and trust in our Savior, not just for our eternal salvation, but for His providence in every aspect of life. David's central claim in Psalm 62 is that his salvation and his honor - that is, every aspect of His life - completely depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. H. C. Leupold notes : “There is scarcely another psalm that reveals such an absolute and undisturbed peace, in which confidence in God is so completely unshaken, and in which assurance is so strong that not even one single petition is voiced throughout the psalm.” You'll notice that in the AAA prayer guide featured at the bottom of each day's post, there are suggestions for how to pray the day's passage back to God by A cknowledging who God is and the A ligning your life with God's will. But the final A , the one we often want to get to the quickest and which often dominates our prayers, where we A sk God for what we need is most often left blank. Part of that reason is that each of our readers needs something different, so each person needs to fill that blank in themselves. But if you follow David's prayer pattern, which he demonstrates here and in so many other psalms, and emphasize a cknowledging God and a ligning your life with His will as you pray, you'll likely find you need to a sk for less and less as you enjoy the confidence that comes from thoroughly understanding God's sovereign provision in your life. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is our rock and our salvation, He is our fortress, we will never be shaken; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will find rest in God as you put your hope in Him alone; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Timothy 2

The most comforting truth is the one we hate the most. Photo credit: Gantas Vaičiulėnas via Unsplash Jeremiah 10:23–24 23   LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. 24   Discipline me, LORD, but only in due measure— not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect However,  just as by the fall  humans did not cease to be human,  endowed with intellect and will,  and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race,  did not abolish the nature of the human race  but distorted and spiritually killed it,  so also this divine grace of regeneration  does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones;  nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force,  but  spiritually revives, heals, reforms,  and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. As a result,  a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail  where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant.  In this the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists.  Thus, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us,  we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice,  by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright. Summary In the Old Testament, God corresponded with His people via two different sets of intermediatories: priests represented the people to God, and prophets represented God to the people. We've read from the prophet Jeremiah several times already this year , and we've noted that while no true prophets of God had it easy, Jeremiah had a particularly tough calling. Prophets were not popular because they communicated divine truth - God's Word - and truth has never been popular, nor will it ever be until Christ returns. Remember, our biggest consequence for falling into sin is what we call the noetic effect - our ability to think properly has been deeply compromised, causing a deep seated resentment to truth in general, but especially divinely revealed truth. Jeremiah's prayer here begins with an admission of one of the most reviled truths of all times: that people's lives are not their own. Our lives are inextricably held in the LORD's almighty, sovereign hands. It's this truth that sin pokes at more than any other, for each of us was born with an intense desire to direct our own steps rather than follow God's sovereign direction. True and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will, as the Canons put it, rests in this truth that Jeremiah acknowledges at the beginning of his prayer. Freedom comes in realizing your dependence, not by continually trying to establish your independence. Thus, the Canons continue, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us, we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice, by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright .   Dig Deeper   Jeremiah goes on to make a peculiar request in this short prayer: for the LORD to discipline him, or as other translations put it, to correct him. Most of us don't properly confess our sin as we pray, and when we do our prayers are simply for forgiveness or that our Father would mitigate the consequences of our sin. But Jeremiah here reminds us that we need to be corrected, not just forgiven. Jeremiah knows he can't handle the full measure of God's wrath. He prays that God would blunt His anger, lest you bring me to nothing . Although Jeremiah didn't know it at the time, this mediator for God's people was asking for the protection God would provide through our ultimate mediator Jesus Christ, who as our perfect prophet, priest and king would absorb all of God's just punishment for our sin. It's good for you to ask for God's forgiveness in Jesus' name, but don't forget to pray like Jeremiah here also, asking for discipline and correction. It's through these often painful measures that God spiritually revives, heals, and reforms  your will, and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who directs our steps ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the LORD would discipline and correct you, that you would become more and more like Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 6

The more you contemplate the Lord's glory, the more you are transformed into His image! Logos.com 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NIV) 12  Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13  We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14  But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15  Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16  But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect However,  just as by the fall  humans did not cease to be human,  endowed with intellect and will,  and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race,  did not abolish the nature of the human race  but distorted and spiritually killed it,  so also this divine grace of regeneration  does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones;  nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force,  but  spiritually revives, heals, reforms,  and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. As a result,  a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail  where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant.  In this the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists.  Thus, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us,  we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice,  by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright. Summary What a way to contrast life in the Spirit with those whose hearts and minds have not been regenerated. Paul describes such people as having minds made dull (other translations: their minds are hardened / closed / blinded). Maybe you've played a game of some sort where you experienced the frustration of being blindfolded and having to grope your way around; this is what it's like for those outside of the Spirit as they navigate life: a veil covers their hearts (remember, hearts in the Bible represents our emotions, intellect and volition). Those who've turned to the Lord, however, have been freed from such spiritual blindness. Paul explains, the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. This freedom is a negative freedom; it's not that now you can do anything you like without repercussion, rather you have been freed from the constraint and domination sin formerly held you with. In other words, you're no longer held back by the unrepentant sinner you once were, now you have the freedom to become all that God created you to be.   Dig Deeper   You probably don't think about verb tenses very much in the overwhelming busyness of life. And that's ok. But understanding the verb tenses Paul uses in the final verse of today's passage are critical to achieving the fulfillment that has been made possible for you in Christ. We all, Paul writes, are being transformed into the Lord's image. Notice the passive tense of the verb. A passive tense verb is an action that's being done to you, not by you. The actual Greek word Paul uses here is one that you know well: you are being metamorphed . Just as a caterpillar is metamorphed - literally: its shape is changed - into a butterfly, you're being metamorphed into the Lord's image. This transformation doesn't happen all at once. Whereas you were fully justified the moment you put your faith in Christ, this process of sanctification occurs over a lifetime, with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. But this isn't an entirely passive process. It doesn't occur equally in all believers. It only happens to those whose unveiled faces contemplate / reflect the Lord's glory. The verb here is in the active tense - it's something you must do; it can't and won't be done for you. The more you contemplate the Lord's glory, the more transformed into His image you'll become. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose Spirit brings freedom; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will actively and increasingly contemplate and reflect the Lord's glory in your life; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 5

Your Father is aggressively and gently drawing you to Him. FaithLife.com John 6:43-47 (NIV) CONTEXT: This is the fifth time this year that we've come to this theologically rich sixth chapter of John's gospel, which begins with Jesus miraculously feeding 5,000 men and ends with many of his disciples turning back and no longer following Him because His teaching is hard. The Jews had begun grumbling here because Jesus claimed to be the bread that came down from heaven... 43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect However,  just as by the fall  humans did not cease to be human,  endowed with intellect and will,  and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race,  did not abolish the nature of the human race  but distorted and spiritually killed it,  so also this divine grace of regeneration  does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones;  nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force,  but  spiritually revives, heals, reforms,  and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. As a result,  a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail  where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant.  In this the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists.  Thus, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us,  we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice,  by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright. Summary Jesus teaches a key lesson here on how to handle difficult conversations. It obviously upset those listening to Him here when He claimed to be bread from heaven , and most people would get sucked into the grumbling (John borrows this word from Moses' depiction of the Israelites during the exodus) and attempt to argue their way out of it. But Jesus isn't most people. He tells those listening to stuff it, and keeps control of the conversation. He keeps the discussion point to that which is critically important: the salvation not just offered by, but completely worked out from start to finish by our sovereign God and Father. Jesus here, no doubt with a tinge of holy frustration in His voice as He talks to this obstinate bunch, uses a strong word to describe how our Father saves people. Jesus says that the Father draws them to Jesus so that He can raise them up at the last day. One lexicon defines the verb Jesus uses as "to pull or drag, requiring force because of the inertia of the object being dragged—‘to pull, to drag, to draw.’" In other words, God's sovereignty in our salvation is aggressive! Commentator Robert Mounce describes it this way: "God brings men to Himself although by nature they prefer sin... No one is able to come to the Father unless the Father draws him or her... In his sacrificial death, Jesus will draw to himself people of every cultural, social, and ethnic background (12:32), but unless a specific person is drawn, that person cannot come to Christ."   Dig Deeper   At first glance, the Canons summary of the Bible's teaching here seems at odds with Jesus' aggressive language. Jesus describes His Father using the same brute force in saving people we might use to compel a stubborn Jersey cow into the milking parlor for the first time. But the Canons use much gentler terms. The Canons explain that this divine grace of regeneration does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones; There's no coercion of a reluctant will by force. Rather, our Father, through the Holy Spirit, spiritually revives, heals, reforms, and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends our will back . But of course the Canons are not at odds with the authoritative words of our Savior! Calvin explains, "those persons are drawn whose understandings God enlightens, and whose hearts he bends and forms to the obedience of Christ... As to the kind of drawing, it is not violent, so as to compel men by external force; but still it is a powerful impulse of the Holy Spirit, which makes men willing who formerly were unwilling and reluctant." This is the tension we must understand God's sovereignty in. On the one hand, it's aggressive and even forceful; What God has ordained will be accomplished! But on the other, our Father draws His children in such a way that is gentle and loving, so that nobody is forced or compelled into the Kingdom. Rather, God's grace is made to be irresistible to those whose hearts and minds have been sovereignly regenerated. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who draws His children to Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not resist as your Father draws more and more of your life into conformity to His holiness; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 4

People will frustrate you this week, but remember who & what they are! BiblePic.com Genesis 9:1–6 ( LSB ) CONTEXT: Noah and his family and all the animals have just exited the ark after being preserved from God's judgment upon mankind in the flood. 9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 “And the fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. 3 “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; as with  the green plant, I give all to you. 4 “However, flesh with its life, that is , its blood, you shall not eat. 5 “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every living thing I will require it. And from every  man, from each man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect However,  just as by the fall  humans did not cease to be human,  endowed with intellect and will,  and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race,  did not abolish the nature of the human race  but distorted and spiritually killed it,  so also this divine grace of regeneration  does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones;  nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force,  but  spiritually revives, heals, reforms,  and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. As a result,  a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail  where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant.  In this the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists.  Thus, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us,  we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice,  by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright. Summary Those of us who eagerly espouse and teach these doctrines of grace that we've been working through this year (sometimes also referred to as Calvinism) are often derided by fellow Christians as being perennially dour and downcast. It's not hard to understand why so many think this way of us, when one of our primary claims is that we live in a world that's totally depraved , in which everything is predisposed to sin and evil. But we're not always dour and downcast (and when we are, it's not because of our theology!). We maintain a very high view of humanity; not just for those whom God in His grace has chosen for salvation, but all people - both believers and those who reject God's truth. The covenant that God establishes with Noah here in Genesis 9 after the flood is a big reason why we hold all people in high honor. In other words, we value mankind because our God values mankind. Isn't it amazing that the first thing the LORD does after recognizing man's utter sinfulness ( Genesis 6:5 ) and justly destroying all but a tiny remnant in the flood is to re-establish our value, placing its basis in the fact that He created us in His image. It's for this reason that many Christians, who value mercy and forgiveness also understand the need for capital punishment, which God mandates here as He resets society. For more on this, see our post on this passage from 2023 as we studied the Heidelberg Catechism .   Dig Deeper   We're looking at this passage from a slightly different angle today. Notice the tension that the Canons hold us in as they summarize scripture. On one hand, sin has spread through the whole human race. It's ubiquitous, having infected every aspect of our life and even our entire society. The fear and terror of us experienced by every beast of the earth is a continual reminder of sin's pervasive and continual effects. Things are not the way they're supposed to be. But on the other hand, the Canons remind us that humans did not cease to be human, endowed with intellect and will and that our sin did not abolish the nature of the human race, but distorted and spiritually killed it. Vestiges of God's image remain present in all people. This means that all people retain the ability to know right from wrong; enough so that society can and must continue to be ordered according to God's design in all communities - not just 'Christian' ones. Notice that God will demand an accounting from every living thing - man and beast. As the old hymn puts it, And though the wrong is oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who despite our sinful and fallen condition, still calls us to b e fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will treat all people with the dignity they deserve as image bearers of God; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 4