5 Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. 6  they devastate the land. 16 To him belong strength and insight; both deceived and deceiver are his. 17

A Song. 1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5

The word 'hell' gets used flippantly, but be reminded what it means to be forsaken by God. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 44 Q. Why does the creed add, “He descended to hell”? A. To assure me in times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, especially on the cross but also earlier, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell. Summary It was around three in the afternoon when the depth of Jesus’ suffering was displayed as he cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus’ cry is a fulfillment of Psalm 22, which begins with the very same words written by David hundreds of years earlier, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” By the time of Jesus’ distress-filled cry, he had already suffered greatly. In addition to the physical pain, being crucified was physically exhausting. Hanging from nail pierced wrists severely restricts one’s breathing and circulation. Those hung on a cross would use their feet to push up slightly, allowing them the ability to take a breath. Often the cause of death of one crucified was either from exhaustion itself or suffocating because the condemned no longer held the strength necessary to push himself up to draw the next breath. It was Jesus in this tired and weary state who cried out to God. The words he spoke were misunderstood by some as him calling out to Elijah, since the words sound similar (Eli... Eli...). However, Jesus’ cry was not for Elijah, but for God the Father, to whom Jesus cried out in his distress, only to receive no answer. Dig Deeper It was not until later that the disciples understood that at the point of Jesus’ suffering when he cried out, that Christ was enduring the wrath of God’s judgment on sin. Dying by crucifixion was a painful and humiliating way to die, strung out for all to see in your suffering. However, the true suffering of the cross was not the physical toll on Jesus’ body. Far greater than the agony of the nails was Jesus taking upon himself the full wrath of God towards unrighteousness. In taking upon himself the consequences of sin, Jesus saves you and all who believe from having to face the same type of hellish anguish and torment. Truly there is nothing that we could offer that would come close to repaying Jesus for the cost he paid on our behalf. What we can do is live for Him, taking upon ourselves the same attitude that Paul expressed to the Philippians in our devotion on Wednesday, “for me to live is Christ.” AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father God, who will never forsake His children who come to Him through Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that Jesus went through hell for you and pray that you will now live for Him. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 12

Take an omer  for each person you have in your tent.’ ” 17  The Israelites did as they were told; some

Psalm 23 (NIV) A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5  Summary Psalm 23 is certainly on any top 5 list of recognizable scriptures, maybe even in the top two Today: Matthew 5

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 51 Q. As Jesus said in John 10:28, no one - not even Sarx, your nagging sinful nature, can snatch you out of

The New Testament makes clear (Rom. 5 & 1 Cor. 15) that Adam wasn't just an independent contractor, but "In Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22)."

Proverbs 3:1–12 (NASB95) 3 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5

A Song. 1 God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us— Selah. 2 That Your Selah. 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 The earth has yielded its

Nehemiah 8:1–12 (ESV) 8 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose... 5