Confession demolishes filthy sin and constructs a clean heart in its place. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 126 Q. What does the fifth request mean? A. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” means, Because of Christ’s blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors Summary It's easy to think of the confession of your sin as a purely negative act, in that you're asking for your sins to be taken away, or negated. But our passage today helps us understand that confession involves two distinct aspects: the removal of sins for sure, but also the restoration of godly behavior. Earlier in Psalm 51, David asks for his sins to be washed away (v3), and his iniquity to be blotted out (v9). This necessary first step removes the filfth and decay brought about by the sins being confessed. In today's passage, there are three actions David asks God to perform within him: to create a pure heart, to renew a steadfast spirit, and to restore the joy of salvation. These requests are sandwiched around the key ingredient for the new life that David is asking for: the internal presence of the Holy Spirit. Think of the process of replacing delapidated buildings with new construction. The project isn't finished once the old buildings are mowed down and hauled away. In fact, that's often the quickest and easiest part of the project! Raising up the new buildings takes hard work, resources and time. This is how confession works: it's not just asking God to demolish your sins and haul them away (that's actually the easy part!), but confession also must involve inviting the Spirit to (once again) begin new construction in your life. Dig Deeper Too often people equate forgiveness and salvation as nothing more than a bunch of divine do-overs, as if whenever you mess up God's expectation for perfect righteousness in your life, you can simply confess your sins and God will give you another new blank slate so you can try again. Of course the big problem with this type of thinking, aside from the fact that it's completly contrary to scripture, is that it's totally hopeless. Even if you were given an infinite amout of do-overs, you would never meet the perfect standard God requires. David wrote Psalm 51 roughly 1,000 years before Jesus lived, so David had no way of understanding the theological details describing how Jesus would become the perfect righteousness we need in order to satisfy God's demand. But even so, David knew he didn't just need his sin demolished and taken away, he needed a pure heart and steadfast spirit built back up in the spot that sin had been, and he knew that he was completely reliant on the Holy Spirit to construct these things within him. So confess your sin often, just as Jesus commands us in the Lord's Prayer. But in doing so, don't just ask for another hopeless do-over. Instead, pray that Holy Spirit will fill the void left by the blotted out sin with the pure heart and steadfast spirit you need. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father; who restores to us the joy of His salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray your sins will be taken away and that the Holy Spirit will create, renew, restore and grant you a pure heart. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 16

God knows the plans He has for you: that His name will be hallowed in your life. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the first request mean? A. “Hallowed be your name” means, Help us to really know you, to bless, worship, and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. And it means, Help us to direct all our living— what we think, say, and do— so that your name will never be blasphemed because of us but always honored and praised. Summary Chances are you have Jeremiah 29:11 inscribed on something in your house, whether it's a piece of art or decorative item on display. So many Christian graduation cards have the words "For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you [give you shalom] and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Unfortunately these are some of the most misinterpreted words in the Bible, as if God has made this promise to each and every individual who happens to read these words. Then when things go poorly for someone, skepticism sets in because it seems like God is filching on the promise He made not to bring harm. What is easily missed is that the word 'you' is plural. If our cousins from down south would have translated this, it would read "For I know the plans I have for y'all..." It's not that God's promise here in this passage is unreliable or fickle - quite the opposite! Rather, God is making a very generalized statement regarding the future of His covenant people as a whole, saying that when the appointed time comes, He will "gather y'all from the nations... and bring y'all back to the place from which I carried y'all into exile (v14)." These words spoken long ago to the exiled people of Israel do apply to you as well. It may very well be that God has plans to prosper you by giving you hope and a good future. Most of us can testify to God prospering us - bringing us shalom - in our lives, especially as we give thanks at this time of the year. But it may also be that God's plans for you include sickness, suffering and even death. Even so, the Word He brought through Jeremiah still holds true: He will gather you, His covenant child, and bring you out of exile and back into His presence. Dig Deeper Praying the words "hallowed by your name" fit into both the acknowledgement and the alignment categories of prayer. You're certainly reminding yourself that God is holy; that is, He's separate from creation and above all things, and that He's perfectly complete and righteous. But every time you sincerely pray these words you're also fulfilling this promise He made to His covenant people thousands of years ago as they began their exile: that the day would come when the people He rescued would "seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (v13)." That's exactly what it means to pray that God's name be hallowed in your life: that as one who has been set free by Christ, you will seek Him with all of your heart. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The LORD, who plans to bring full shalom to His covenant people; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray God's name will be hallowed in your life as you seek Him with all of your heart; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Peter 1

It's Friday, but don't grow weary of doing good! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 111 Q. What does God require of you in this commandment? A. That I do whatever I can for my neighbor’s good, that I treat others as I would like them to treat me, and that I work faithfully so that I may share with those in need. Summary In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul instructs and encourages new Christians who had converted from pagan beliefs to faith in Jesus Christ. The encouragement from today’s passage is to not grow weary in your willingness to do good for others. While your actions, no matter how good, cannot bring about self-justification; your good works reflect the love of God. As opportunities afford themselves to do good unto others, take them! And as you look for these opportunities, be mindful of ways that you can do good for other believers. When Paul wrote to the Galatians on doing good to others, he included that this is “especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Dig Deeper As believers we are called to bless everyone, both Christians and non-Christians, with our good works. These actions demonstrate your belonging to and devotion for Christ. In this regard, the words of the well-known hymn ring true: they will know we are Christians by our love. Our good works demonstrate that we belong to Jesus. This however does not mean that God’s people never tire or grow weary. There will absolutely be times in life where doing the right thing will feel tiresome. This is especially true in situations where what you know to be right does not lead to immediately noticeable benefits. Despite the ways the world works to discourage believers and may cause you to grow weary, we are called to persevere. As Paul reminds the Galatians, if you continue in faith, you too will reap the spiritual fruit which God promises. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who will not be mocked (v7) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: You're likely reading this on a Friday, so pray that God gives you the strength to finish the week well, so that you will not grow weary of doing good; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 5

God takes worship seriously. Do you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 96 Q. What is God’s will for us in the second commandment? A. That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word. Summary Just as God gives the Law to the people in the book of Leviticus, He also gives them directions on worship practices. He informs the priests as to what they are to wear. He outlines various festivals that the people are to celebrate. He tells them to make burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt offerings. Not just anyone could make these offerings. Only the priests were to make these offerings on behalf of the people, and they are to be done in a very specific way - the way God had explicitly commanded. Aaron (Moses’ brother) and his sons were ordained as priests for the people of Israel. They had begun to lead the people of Israel in worship. Unfortunately, rather quickly after being ordained as priests, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu make a critical error: they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD - meaning they had taken their coals from a different source than what God had commanded. As one commentator put it, Nadab and Abihu did not do something God had prohibited, they were punished because they had did not do exactly what God had commanded. God burned up Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire before him. At first glance, this seems like an incredibly harsh punishment. Nadab and Abihu were worshiping God after all, so why does it matter if they used fire incorrectly? It was not that they used it incorrectly, it is that they went against the command of the Lord. They were worshipping God in a way different from how He had commanded in His Word. Dig Deeper The Lord had given the people of Israel explicit instructions on worship practices. He had set the priests over them to lead them in worship. When God gave these commands to the people of Israel, He did so to shape them into His people. He had chosen them, and set them apart. As such, they were to live differently from those around them. They were to worship the Lord alone, and they were to worship Him exactly as He had instructed them. Nadab and Abihu were careless as worship leaders, offering unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. As such, they were leading the people falsely in worship; they were leading people to worship God in a way that was contrary to His commands. Worship is about God. We worship God because He is holy, just, merciful, and so much more. When we worship the Lord, our worship practices must be based on His command, on how God wants to be worshiped. There is a general pattern that we follow to ensure we are worshiping God based on what we read in scripture: Approach, Word, Response. The Approach to God is the first part of the worship service where we come before the Lord with singing, prayer, and scripture reading. We lift the name of the Lord, as we come before our holy God. The Word is where we hear from God’s Word, the Bible. Not only is scripture read, but a sermon is given. This is the central part of our worship service because God is central to our lives. We want to hear from God, and be shaped by Him. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are a part of the Word portion of worship. We end with the Response. We have heard from God, and now we are responding to the Lord as we sing a doxology and leave the worship service to go serve the Lord faithfully. As the people of God, we do not add things to our worship hoping to please God, nor do we take things away to save on time. We worship God as He wants to be worshiped. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is worthy of praise; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I worship you as you want to be worshiped, not doing what is pleasing in my sight, but is pleasing to yours; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 5

It does no good to think you're standing firm if your feet aren't on the solid rock. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 94 Q. What does the Lord require in the first commandment? A. That I, not wanting to endanger my very salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, magic, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly and patiently, love him, fear him, and honor him with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against his will in any way. Summary What a way to describe the people of Israel as they left their slavery and began their journey to the Promised Land: that as they did so, "they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ." But what follows is one of the scariest lines in the Bible. Even though these people were accompanied by Christ and in a sense were feeding off of Him, "with most of them God was not pleased." This first generation of Israelites had been marked as God's people as they passed through the Red Sea; Paul even uses the word 'baptism' to describe this. But their actions and attitudes told a much different story: indulging in revelry, sexual immorality, grumbling and more. It was for this idolatry that they paid a heavy price. Thousands of them - people who had been initiated into God's covenant - were killed at God's command by the Destroyer (v10). Dig Deeper We live in a world that prizes toleration, even by some in the Church. As long as people claim the name of Jesus, we're told, their other behaviors and beliefs shouldn't really matter. This tolerance-above-all attitude is completely inconsistent with the first commandment: You shall have no other gods before Me. Today's passage tells us to be warned by the example of these fallen Israelites. Let Paul's exhortation be seared into your mind: If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall! (v12) Some people like to pit Jesus against Paul, and sometimes even God the Father, as if Jesus is all about love and acceptance while the God of the Old Testament and Paul ruin everything with their rigid doctrines and rules. But it was Jesus Himself who said that not everyone who comes to Him saying 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus will tell some who claimed His name but would not bow their knee to God alone, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evil-doers!" (Matthew 7:21-23) If reading these warnings cause you to worry, that's actually a good sign. It's the Holy Spirit at work, pricking your conscience with God's Word so that you continue to cling to God through Christ in all things. Be reminded that "God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (v13)." One of the 'ways out' that God provides so that you can endure temptation is to regularly remind and warn you about the serious consequences of breaking the first commandment. "Dear friends, flee from idolatry." Be sure that you do not put anything before God in your life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is faithful and just; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will convict you of your idolatries, so that you can repent of them and return to Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 1

Jesus came to both save and destroy. Be sure to pray for both. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the second request mean? A. “Your kingdom come” means, Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. Summary In this letter John is writing to a church during a time of struggle to encourage them after a time of doubt brought on by false teachings. John reaffirms what the false teachers tried to deny: the full divinity and humanity of Christ. In the third chapter of this letter, John addresses how to respond to what had occurred. In verse 7 he gives a gentle reminder to not let anyone lead you astray. The devil and his forces are at work against the truth of the Gospel. However, Jesus came into the world to destroy the devil’s work. Listen to those that align with Christ, not those who are aligned with the devil. John gives a means of testing to see where one’s allegiance lies, writing that “anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child.” Do not be led astray, verify what you hear against the Word of God and consider the source and what their actions say about their intent. Dig Deeper John lays out the difference between those whom he labels the children of God and the children of the devil. The children of God practice righteousness while the children of the devil do not. And while the choice between the ways of righteousness and the ways of the devil seems like an easy one, keep in mind that the devil cheats. It is not always a decision between doing something righteous and doing something unrighteous. Sometimes the devil works to simply present an easy way out of doing what you know to be right. As the catechism teaches, praying “your kingdom come” is a way of asking God to destroy the devil’s work by destroying every force which revolts against him and every conspiracy against his holy Word. You must pick a side in this conflict: either you align with Christ, or you align with the devil. Where your allegiance lies will be seen in the choices you make. Take to heart John’s encouragement from today’s scripture passage by living lives of righteousness because you are the children of God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son to destroy the devil's work; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be led astray, and pray that God's kingdom will come; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 1

When God feels far away, remember that your head is still wet. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 74 Q. Should infants, too, be baptized? A. Yes. Infants as well as adults are in God’s covenant and are his people. They, no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Therefore, by baptism, the mark of the covenant, infants should be received into the Christian church and should be distinguished from the children of unbelievers. This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, which was replaced in the New Testament by baptism. Summary We quickly recognize the opening line of David's psalm as the anguished words that Jesus spoke from the cross. We've all, like David, felt distant from and even ignored by God, but none of us have come close to experiencing the total separation from God that Jesus did as he repeated these words. What a lesson for us that in the most desperate hour of His life, Jesus relied on scriptures He had studied and memorized! Even though David expresses his frustration - anger even - that although he crying out to God but not hearing anything back, David knows that God is still there, just as He had been for those who came before David. They trusted in God, and God delivered them, so David knew that even though God seemed far away at the moment, that He was still there and would remain faithful. David's words in v7-8 foreshadow what Jesus experienced on the cross, despised and rejected, surrounded by mockers. Keep this in mind as you navigate a world that's increasingly hostile to the truth, that whatever insults you endure pale in comparison to what Christ endured for you. Even in the present darkness, David maintained his faith because he knew his life was in God's hands, just as it had always been from the moment he was conceived (Psalm 51:5). David didn't just become a man after God's own heart the moment that Samuel had him brought out of the fields to be anointed king. No, David, just like you, was a child of God, chosen by the King of kings, even before the universe was created (Ephesians 1:4). Dig Deeper It's easy to confuse who is making the promises as the sacrament of baptism is being applied. After all, the minister has several questions for the person being baptized, or in the case of a young child, the parents. And in the case of parents presenting their children for baptism, not only must the parents promise to do all they can to ensure their child will come to know Jesus as Savior, but even the congregation is asked to rise and make the same commitment. But don't ever forget that these promises are made in response to the promise God has made first. Baptism is a celebration and recognition of God's covenant promises to His children. We take great comfort - especially in Reformed churches - in God's sovereign election of those who will receive salvation. Knowing that an unchanging God chose us before the world was created assures us that He will never ever let us go. Since God in His Word so often extends His covenantal offer of salvation to not just particular people, but also their children, it only makes sense that we ought to extend the sign of these promises to our covenant children. Not all Christians agree with this, and since the Bible doesn't overtly specify when in a Christian's life baptism ought to be applied, we must respect our Baptist friends who stand on scripture alone, yet come to a different conclusion. But what a comfort it is to read Psalm 22, and know that even when God seems so far away, you can rest secure knowing that you were His child from the very beginning and always will be. Even though the water placed on you has long since dried up, and you may not even remember your own baptism, never forget that in God's eyes, your head head will always be wet, covered in His covenantal promises. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father is enthroned as the Holy One; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you, as a baptized child of God, will trust in the Lord, which God made you do even from the earliest age (v9); ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 7

Baptism symbolizes you've been washed with the costliest of all detergents. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 70 Q. What does it mean to be washed with Christ’s blood and Spirit? A. To be washed with Christ’s blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of Christ’s blood poured out for me in his sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ’s Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life. Summary In his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul writes of the redemption we have through the blood of Christ. Redemption is deliverance through a price or ransom that is paid. The redemption to which Paul is speaking is the deliverance from the guilt of sin which has been paid by the blood of Christ shed for us on the cross. Redemption is not free; there is a price that must be paid. That price has been paid by Jesus and is offered freely to those who believe in Him for salvation. Dig Deeper When Katie and I were first married, she worked for a ministry out of Sioux Falls, SD named LifeLight. LifeLight’s claim to fame is being the largest outdoor free Christian music festival. Being a free music festival there was no required entrance fee, however that does not mean that there were no costs. As you can imagine, it can be quite expensive to hire some of the best Christian bands in the world to come sing at the festival, plus all the other costs (electricity, water, etc.) that come with hosting a festival. And while entry was free, these costs still had to be paid. LifeLight ran on donations. While many enjoyed a free experience, others would donate above and beyond to make sure there was enough to cover the festival. Essentially, some people gave more than the value they received in order that others could come for free and hear the gospel proclaimed. In this case, some paid for the many. When it comes to redemption it is not some, but the one who has paid for all. The people of God receive this gift via the grace of God seen in the blood of Christ poured out for us in his sacrifice on the cross. In baptism, we are reminded of Christ’s death on our behalf. This sacrament points to the redemption found in Christ and the price paid for our deliverance. Recognizing the price that has been paid on your behalf, live as one who has been forgiven, turning away from the vices of this world and living a life full of gratitude for the gift of grace found in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lavishes grace and forgiveness of sin upon us, His children; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will understand more and more the cost of your salvation so that more and more your life will reflect the necessary gratitude for such a gift; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philemon

Don't get so consumed in your daily battles that you forget your primary orders. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 116 Q. Why do Christians need to pray? A. Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. And also because God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking him for them. Summary This passage, often entitled The Armor of God, is familiar to most of us. I was a bit surprised to notice that we'd not yet covered this passage in our readings this year, but it makes sense we come to it now, as we've been focused lately on living out the salvation that's been won for us. Today we're not going to focus as much on the particular pieces of armor we must put on, but rather on the specific orders we've been given to fulfill as soldiers of the Lord. To understand your mission, you must first identify the enemy that you'll be struggling against (literally: wrestling with). It might be surprising to be reminded that the daily problems you wrestle with - which certainly are real and may be very painful - are not the enemy that you've been called to struggle against. The real enemy - who very well may be the source of your daily problems - are the "rulers, authorities, and power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (!!)" who are shooting "flaming arrows" at you. Your orders are as follows: to put on / take up your armor, to stand your ground, and to extinguish the flaming arrows. But your primary tactic is quite surprising: it's not to engage in hand to hand combat, but to be praying in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests... for all of the Lord's saints (v18). Dig Deeper We're beginning the final section of our catechism today, which is focused on prayer. We'll be going through the Lord's prayer over these next couple of months, but before we can do that we have to stop and ask a question that we don't stop to ask enough in life: Why? Why must we pray? You're likely inundated with things that need to be done, both good things that will bring God honor and glory, and things that need to be taken care of to keep your world from collapsing in upon itself. Maybe you've got a couple of these pieces of spiritual armor on but feel ready to go nonetheless, or maybe you're fully suited up and ready for battle. Why waste time praying? Two reasons. First, and foremost, because your King has ordered you to do so. This ought to be reason enough. "Prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us." But there's more! "God gives His grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly." In other words, no matter how awesome your armor is (and it is!), it won't do you one bit of good unless you use it on your knees. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who rules all things through our Savior, the King of kings and Lord of lords and calls us to battle; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to keep you from being distracted by the fog of daily battle so that you fulfill your orders to pray continually; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 16

We're not even 10% of the way into God's law, and already the load is crushing.