Jesus here says that "all who are in their graves will hear God's voice and come out (v28-29)."

The only constant is change, except when it comes to God. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary You can feel the pain being expressed in Psalm 102. The writer is crushed in anguish and it seems like the end of his life is near as his days "vanish like smoke." Yet this person is doing exactly as one ought to do in such a situation - cry out to God for help. It's often been said that there are no atheists in foxholes, meaning that when push comes to shove, and people have no other hope, most people will pray to God, even if it's been decades since they last prayed. But it doesn't appear here that the author is throwing up a last minute prayer just in case there does happen to be a God that's listening. Although we don't know who wrote this psalm, it seems likely that the psalmist knew who he was praying to. This psalmist prays confidently and hopefully because he has a rock solid theology. He doesn't just have a 'relationship' with God, he knows who and what God is, what He's done, and why He can help in this situation. The final stanza make this clear: v25 - God laid the foundations of the earth and formed the heavens; v26 - Although the world will "wear out like a garment," God will "remain the same, and His years will never end." It's interesting how this Psalm ends with this praise of God, leaving the fate of the author unresolved. Did God answer this beautiful prayer, or did death prevail? One of the big points of Psalm 102 is that for those whose hope is grounded in God's unchangeable character, it really doesn't matter how various crises in our lives play out. Dig Deeper It's what we read in v26 that grabs our attention today: that God is immutable. This simply means that God will "remain the same, and His years will never end." This means that the descriptions of God we read in Psalm 102 are just as accurate today as they were thousands of years ago when first written. This means that the God who made covenant promises to Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and others is the same God that will listen to your prayer today. You're mutable - you change over time, and that's a good thing. You probably don't want to be the same person you were in high school. But the fact that God's unchangeable is one of the most comforting things you can know about Him. His always perfect love for you "remains the same, yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our unchanging Father, who will not hide His face from your distress (v2); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that although everything else in this world constantly changes, that He always remains the same; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 6

Jesus gives the deepest theological insights to people just like you. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary One of the beefiest books I have on my shelf is called Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof. It weighs in at nearly 1,100 pages of very small type, and as its title implies, it explains in significant detail what the Bible says about God. Yet, when it comes right down to it, Berkhof is forced to admit that "the Bible does not give us a definition of God." The Bible certainly explains quite a bit about God's attributes, character and the things He's done, but nowhere does it provide a stand alone description of exactly what God is. So when Jesus says in v24 that "God is spirit," it ought to get your attention. This is the fullest definition you'll find for God anywhere. Notice here exactly what Jesus said and what He didn't say. He didn't say that God is a spirit, He just said that God is spirit. This makes sense in light of the name God gave Himself: I AM. Just like He does with His other attributes, God defines that which He is. Dig Deeper The format in which Jesus explains what God is adds to our understanding. Jesus doesn't give a speech at a theological conference attended by religious elites, or package His explanation in an 1,100 page book, or even post a series of binge-worthy podcasts. It's not that those formats aren't good and even necessary things, it's just that the context of this conversation deepens the meaning of the one word definition Jesus gives of God. Jesus speaks these invaluable words to a fallen, broken, outcast woman - a Samaritan woman at that! And He does so right after calling her out for her sin and deception. Do you see what this means? It means that knowing God is not just a lofty ideal, attainable only by self righteous monks who climb the religious mountain, so to speak. Theology - knowing what God is and what He has done and is doing - is for common, ordinary, sinful folks; people just like you and me. Nor is theology an optional thing for Christians. You can't just hold onto the Bible's warm fuzzies like love, joy and peace without a firm grasp of the Bible's dogmatic claims. In fact, the very next thing that Jesus says here is that those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth. The Christ has come - the one which this sinful woman knew would be able to explain everything to us (v25). He's given us His Word, that we might fully know Him and worship Him in that truth. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who is spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for giving us the truth in His Word, and pray that you would know it well so you can fulfill your purpose of worshipping Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 5

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 29 Q.

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 27 Q What do you understand Summary Yesterday, Acts 17 and the first part of Q&A 27 appealed to providence to prove God’s almighty In the second part of Q&A 27 and our passage today from Matthew 10, Jesus appeals to providence to assure Q&A 27 poetically refers to the highs and lows in life but then says, “all things, in fact, come to us If you trust in your heavenly Father, the promises you read in Matthew 10 and Q&A 27 reveal that His

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. Verses 29 & 30 are often referred to as the unbreakable 'golden chain' of our salvation: God foreknew ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 28

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. because there is no created being powerful enough to thwart Him or turn back His outstretched hand (v24 & 27 ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 26

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 25

One short daily prayer can alleviate so much of your stress & anxiety. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary The opening word to today's teaching from Jesus functions like a big STOP sign. When you see the word therefore, you have to stop and ask, what is it there for? In this case, Jesus is saying that because you should be focused on building up treasure in heaven rather than on earth, which is what He says in the preceding passage, therefore do not worry about your physical needs in this life. If even the birds of the air and the flowers of the field thrive by simply relying upon what your Father provides for them, you can too, since you're much more valuable than they are, says Jesus. But don't jump too far ahead here. Jesus isn't calling you to take a life long vacation as you count on your daily bread getting shipped down from heaven each day. His command here is to not worry, not to not work hard. Think of how busy the birds keep from dawn to dusk and how the flower is doing what it was created to do whenever the sun is shining. You don't need to look far - perhaps even within your own life - to see the awful result of running after all sorts of worldly stuff like the pagans do. They might gain a bunch of things, but they have no rest, no peace and no certainty that whatever they've accumulated today will be here tomorrow. In short, they're often drowning in anxiety. Instead, Jesus calls you to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and He makes an extraordinary promise to those who do: all these things you need will be given to you as well. Dig Deeper Jesus here is telling you to make a shift in attitude more so than a change in your daily activities. If you're at the point in life where you're part of the workforce, don't quit your job. When you're at your job, keep your head down and be productive. Remember, working is one of the primary ways God calls us to worship Him! But do some quick mental math and tally up how many hours a day you spend productively working versus how many hours a day you spend worrying, stressing, and fretting about the gulf between what you have and what you want. How different would things look for you if you had focused your resources on seeking the kingdom rather than worrying about stuff? That's the brilliance of the short line that Jesus commanded you to pray: "give me each day the bread I need today." He goes on here to tell you to not worry about the other things in life, or even about what will happen tomorrow. It's not that other stuff or planning for the future isn't important, it's just not worth worrying about when you can be absolutely certain your Father will provide. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who created the birds and flowers, and provides for all His creatures' needs; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will seek first the Kingdom and that you'll be able to trust that your Father will give you the things you need; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 8

The Bible doesn't tell us much about angels, but it tells us all we need to know. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 124 Q. What does the third request mean? A. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means, Help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your will alone is good. Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven. Summary Chances are your idea of what an angel is has been shaped more by culture than by the Bible. This is not only because so many books, movies and TV shows have stereotyped angels in certain ways, but also because when it comes down to it, although the Bible certainly affirms the existence of angels & demons, it doesn't really tell us much about who they are or what they do. The final stanza of Psalm 103 gives us some insight. All of our major English translations render these words slightly differently, so it's good to look at them all to get a full picture: Angels are: Mighty ones (NIV, ESV) / Mighty heroes (LEB) / Powerful warriors (NET) / Ones who excel in strength (KJV) Do the LORD's bidding & obey His word (NIV) / Do the LORD's word, obeying the voice of His word (ESV) / Do His word by obeying the sound of His word (LEB) / Carry out His decrees and obey His orders (NET) / Do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word (KJV) Are servants (NIV, NET) / ministers (ESV, KJV) / attendants (LEB) who do the LORD's will. The author of Hebrews indicates the mission of the angelic host is to serve those who inherit salvation. That's us! What a blessing & honor to know God's entire angel army exist to serve & minister to us! Finally, Peter informs us that the angels long to look at the beauty of our salvation in Christ. Dig Deeper When you pray the words "your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," you're asking God to equip you to carry out His work just as "willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven." That might seem intimidating, since you don't have the same supernatural powers that the angels have. But notice that the catechism isn't calling you to do the same thing the angels do, rather it's calling you to have the same willing and faithful attitude that they have. The idea continues to persist that when we die, we get a promotion of sorts and become angels. This isn't what the Bible teaches. Even if this was the case, it wouldn't be a promotion, since you in a sense already outrank the angels. They weren't created in God's image as you have been. They were created to serve you, not vice versa! So be content with the talents and abilities you've been blessed with, but be sure to model the eager desire to "hearken unto the the voice of the LORD's word," just as the angels revealed in scripture do. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is praised by angels, the heavenly host, and all of His works; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the angels who serve on your behalf (though we rarely know how they do so), and pray that you'll model their eager attitude to carry out God's will; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 7