The Spirit turns, teaches and directs you as you read scripture. In order to benefit from the power of God's Word, your heart and eyes must be turned towards it. Psalm 119:33–40 (NIV) ה  He 33  Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. 34  Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35  Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36  Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.  38  Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 39  Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. 40  How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness preserve my life. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it  that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly,  and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God,  but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit,  God also penetrates into the inmost being,  opens the closed heart,  softens the hard heart,  and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised.  God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.  God activates and strengthens the will so that,  like a good tree,  it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary Decrees / law / commands / statutes / precepts / word - these examples are just some of the ways that Psalm 119 - and the entire psalter in general - refer to scripture. That's the overarching theme of this, the longest of all the psalms: the magnificence and usefulness of God's Word for every aspect of our life. You probably have as many printed Bibles in your house as Psalm 119 has synonyms for the Bible. Not only that, but you carry around every translation of scripture ever produced - and even the original languages - right in your pocket, all of which are just a click or two away. God's Word is powerful for sure, but that all of that power remains pent up until you crack the book or open the app. It must be read. But even that - opening and reading God's Word - releases only a fraction of the power it contains. The psalmist realizes this, and so he prays that God will position him to experience the full measure of scripture's power by reorienting his relationship to God. He prays to be taught and given understanding; he prays that God will direct him and turn his heart and eyes away from worthless things and toward God's statutes. This is why asking God to a lign you with His will is such a critical part of prayer. Just as a sunflower or solar panel doesn't absorb any energy until it's turned toward the sun, you don't benefit from scripture's power until the Holy Spirit - as the Canons put it - enlightens your mind powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that you may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God.   Dig Deeper   Both regeneration (being 'born again') and sanctification (the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ) affect you both physically and mentally. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way : " The outer senses must first see the way, then the mind must understand it, then, with faith and love, the heart should follow it." The Spirit begins with your outer senses. He begins by turning your eyes away from worthless things and sets them on truth contained in the Word. But you need more than just an occasional glimpse of the truth, you need to comprehend it. Teach me, the psalmist prays, give me and understanding of what my eyes see in scripture. In order to truly follow the LORD's decrees and obey it with all your heart, you need to do the hard work of coming to understand what God's Word says. You must be taught. It's as a result of this learning process that the Spirit turns your heart - remember, the ancient Hebrews understood our hearts to not just represent our feelings and emotions, but also our intellect and volitions - away from selfish gain towards God's statutes. Your work week is quickly coming to a close, and the Lord's Day is right around the corner. Begin to prepare yourself for it so that you're rested and ready for the Spirit to do this work of turning, teaching, and directing as a fulfillment of His promises. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who through His Spirit activates and strengthens us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God begins to prepare you to be taught and directed by His Word this coming Lord's Day; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 1

Trying to produce synthetic fruit will burn you out. Synthetically produced 'fruit' may look good at first, but it doesn't last and burns you out. Today's passage shows a better way for you to bear genuine fruits of righteousness. Philippians 1:9–11 (NIV) 9   And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it  that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly,  and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God,  but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit,  God also penetrates into the inmost being,  opens the closed heart,  softens the hard heart,  and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised.  God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.  God activates and strengthens the will so that,  like a good tree,  it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary Paul writes this epistle to the Philippians from prison (a few verses before this passage he indicated that he was in chains ). It's hard for any of us to imagine what life in an ancient Roman prison dungeon must have been like, and all of the basic necessities of life that Paul would have lacked: warmth, food, companionship and adequate legal representation. Certainly Paul must have prayed for these things, but that's not what he mentions praying for as he writes to the Philippians. In the midst of all his dire physical needs, Paul writes that this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more. The love that Paul prays for here is far deeper than just a warm, fuzzy feeling. His prayer is that their love may abound... in knowledge and depth of insight. Commentator David Garland puts it well: It may seem unusual to pray that love increase in knowledge and depth of insight. Insight (or feeling) without knowledge is nothing. Knowledge without love also is nothing (1 Co 13:2), but love without knowledge and insight is dangerous. Christian love is not blind or mindless, and Paul prays for them to abound in love that is instructed and morally discerning. It's a communal love for one another based in a growing knowledge of God that enables us to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.   Dig Deeper   The Bible - especially in the gospels - often uses the idea fruitfulness as an analogy for the Christian life. Fruitless trees get yarded out and thrown into the fire, while those filled with the fruit of righteousness remain in the garden. So it seems clear that one of our primary purposes in life ought to be producing righteousness. But not all righteousness is the same. Synthetic righteousness often looks and feels genuine; in fact, sometimes it even seems better! But like most synthetics, it isn't the same. Synthetic righteousness is the seemingly good deeds we produce in and of ourselves in order to make our lives look like we're bearing lots of fruit . Such fruit looks and feels good - especially compared to the world's evil deeds. It even may often genuinely benefit others. But although this fruit is shiny and attractive on the outside, its synthetic nature quickly becomes evident when inspected by our holy Father. Trying to produce your own synthetic fruit is exhausting, and, sooner or later, it will result in burnout. There's a better way to bear the genuine fruits of righteousness that benefits others and that your Father will find good and acceptable: it's the fruit that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God. The more you come to know Christ, the more you will naturally and organically bear this fruit in your life and be made pure and blameless for the day of Christ . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who defines and shares true love; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your love for others may abound more and more in the knowledge of Jesus Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 16

Regeneration isn’t just a small repair job; it’s a total heart transplant. Biblia.com Ezekiel 11:17–21 (NIV) 17  “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’ 18  “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19  I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20  Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21  But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it  that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly,  and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God,  but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit,  God also penetrates into the inmost being,  opens the closed heart,  softens the hard heart,  and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised.  God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.  God activates and strengthens the will so that,  like a good tree,  it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper posts are paraphrased from John Calvin's commentary on this passage. When Ezekiel prophesied that God’s people would return to Him, he made it clear that they couldn’t do it on their own. Once someone turns away from God, they won’t come back unless God reaches out first. That’s why God promises to give His people a new heart and a new spirit. Without this, our hearts are like stone—cold, hard, and unable to love or obey God. But God replaces that stony heart with a heart of flesh, meaning a soft heart that listens and responds to Him. Some might say people still have some power in themselves to choose God, but even our best efforts fall short. We still have a will and the ability to make choices, but since the fall of Adam, our will is broken and naturally chooses what is wrong. Regeneration—being made new—isn’t just a small repair job; it’s a total heart transplant. God doesn’t just make us able to obey; He causes us to actually want to obey.   Dig Deeper   The new heart He gives isn't perfect yet. Believers still struggle with sin and temptation. But what makes this heart “new” is that it truly wants to follow God. It’s not fake or half-hearted—it’s sincere, even if imperfect. God not only gives us the will to do good, but He gives us the strength to carry it out. This is why we can’t claim any part of our salvation as our own accomplishment. Even our perseverance—sticking with God through life’s trials—is a gift from Him. If all God gave us was the ability to choose Him, we would still fall. Adam had that ability and still fell. What we need is more than ability—we need God to carry us through. So when God says, they shall walk in my commands, it’s not a vague hope—it’s a promise. His grace not only forgives, it transforms. And when He says, they will be my people, and I will be their God, He means He’ll both cleanse our past and lead us forward. We belong to Him, not because we found our way back, but because He came to rescue us. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who gathers us from the world and brings us back; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for giving you a new heart, and pray that you will follow His decrees and be careful to keep His laws; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 15

The Word of God is a powerful weapon inflicting His grace, mercy and peace. Hebrews 4:12–13 (NIV) 12  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it  that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly,  and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God,  but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit,  God also penetrates into the inmost being,  opens the closed heart,  softens the hard heart,  and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised.  God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.  God activates and strengthens the will so that,  like a good tree,  it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary Libraries are filled with all sorts of good literature - books that tell exciting stories; books that a significant impact on history; books written decades or even centuries ago that continue to influence people today. But for as good as so many books are, none of them could come close to be described in the way that the Word of God is in today's passage. Other books can make an impact in lives and societies, but only the Bible can be described as alive and active. The author emphasizes the word alive in the original text by beginning the sentence with it. Literally translated it reads: Living is the Word of God and energēs - that is, it's energetic, effective and at work. God's Word is a dangerous weapon, sharper than any double-edged sword. But whereas a weapon inflicts bodily damage, scripture causes injury in a way that ultimate results in spiritual healing, piercing even to the point of dividing soul and spirit (NET) as it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. What else in this world - weapon or otherwise - could do something even remotely close to that? Nothing can hide from this weapon's power. God sees all, and through His Word He speaks to all things. Everything is uncovered and laid bare , our passage continues, capturing both the breadth and scope of God's Word as well as the way it humbles those who hear it: everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must render an account.   Dig Deeper   Weapons inflict their damage indiscriminately. That is, a fired bullet will strike whatever it's aimed at, a sword will cut into any flesh it strikes, and a bomb will level everything in its blast radius. God's Word is different in that regard. Many people don't even flinch as its proclaimed and preached to them; the words just sort of bounce off as if they were wearing some sort of spiritual body armor. That's the ironic thing about scripture: God's weapon only penetrates those whom He loves and has chosen (although, scripture leaves its mark on all who hear it). The Canons here help explain how it is that God guides and directs this weapon's power in a two stage process. First, He uses its proclamation to enlighten their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God . But then the next stage kicks in: by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit, God also penetrates into the inmost being, opens the closed heart, and softens the hard heart. Our job is to simply take up and bear this weapon God has provided. Just as one who fires a gun is called a 'shooter,' one who bears this double edged sword is called a 'preacher.' And we're all called to be preachers. Most of you haven't been tasked with proclaiming it from behind a pulpit, but you can and must learn to wield this weapon well in all you do and say. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose Word has tremendous power; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for using this 'weapon' to penetrate your soul & spirit, and pray that you'll use it effectively; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 14

The Holy Spirit keeps you anchored to your salvation. Hebrews 2:1–4 (NIV) 2 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2   For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3   how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4   God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it  that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly,  and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God,  but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit,  God also penetrates into the inmost being,  opens the closed heart,  softens the hard heart,  and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised.  God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.  God activates and strengthens the will so that,  like a good tree,  it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary Anyone who's had a boat - be it large or small - has experienced the sinking feeling of having had it drift away. The ironic thing is that most of the time this happens in calm water on a windless day, since the presence of wind and waves would lead to extra tie downs and vigilance; it's the lack of challenge that leads to complacency. After a moment's distraction somehow the boat slips far enough away to be just out of reach. So it is that the author of Hebrews warns his readers right near the beginning of his message: we must pay the most careful attention to what we've heard, so that we do not drift away! In many ways, it's actually easier to hold on to your faith in the storms of life when the danger is obvious and you have nothing else to cling to. But distraction comes so easily when all is good, so these are the times you need to pay the most careful attention! As the name of this book implies - Hebrews - its original audience knew the Old Testament well, and would have known instantly that the binding message spoken through angels referred to the Law of Moses. God had thundered down the primary categories of this Law for all to hear from Mt. Sinai, and as children they'd been schooled well in all of the Law's details that God had commissioned Moses to write down. Throughout the storms of its history, Israel had clung to this message that they'd heard. But it was often when the proverbial winds and waves would calm down, and good times returned, that they'd let down their guard and quickly drift away until God would gracefully pull them back in with just punishment for their violations and disobedience.   Dig Deeper   Here's the main point: if drifting away from the message of God's Law brought certain punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? At the very least, we'd be stuck in an endless cycle of drifting and punishment . But our sovereign God will not let that happen to us! Not only was our salvation, which was first announced by the Lord (Jesus) confirmed by those who heard him with their own ears, but God also testified to it. That is, God gave credence and validity to Christ's ministry by signs, wonders and various miracles that Jesus and later on the Apostles performed. But this testimony wasn't enough. After all, thousands upon thousands of people witnessed these signs, wonders and miracles and never put their faith in that which they signified. Others initially believed, but quickly drifted away. But our Father wasn't done giving. The signs, wonders and miracles were a temporary provision, and largely ineffective (since they convinced so few people to trust in Christ). It was and still is the gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to God's will that not only enables belief in the first place, but keeps us from continually drifting away from it. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has testified to salvation by grace alone, in Christ alone, and through faith alone by distributing His Holy Spirit; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you do not drift away and ignore so great a salvation; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 13

God's simple, ordinary greeting to you is massively profound! So often words we hear over and over go in one ear and float right out the other. Don't let that happen with the familiar words you read here today! Galatians 1:3–5 (NIV) 3   Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4   who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5   to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that those who are called through the ministry of the gospel come to Christ and are brought to conversion  must not be ­credited to human effort,  as though one distinguishes oneself  by free choice  from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion  (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains).  No, it must be credited to God:  just as from eternity God chose his own in Christ,  so within time God effectively  calls them, grants them faith and repentance,  and,  having rescued them from the dominion of darkness,  brings them into the kingdom of his Son,  in order that they  may declare the wonderful deeds of the One  who called them out of darkness  into this marvelous light,  and may boast not in themselves,  but in the Lord,  as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture. Summary Sometimes words that we hear often begin to lose their meaning. For example, you've probably been greeted several times this week with the question "how's it going," but since phrase gets used so often, it just floats into one ear and right out the other, generating just a generic reply of 'fine' or 'good.' We don't often really think about what the words actually mean when we're so used to hearing them. Don't let that be the case for this greeting Paul writes here, which you hear and read so often, in which grace and peace are extended as a blessing to you. We read these words at the beginning of nearly every epistle in the Bible - especially Paul's - and we hear them at the beginning of every worship service. So it's quite easy to just let them float in one ear and right out the other like all other routine greetings we receive without really considering the massive implication of what we just read or heard. The fact of the matter is that you deserve quite the opposite of grace and peace from God our Father. We've been reminded this year over and over that when Adam sinned, we all sinned , and in doing so, God is under no obligation to extend His blessing to us. Certainly we're each aware of our own sins that we've piled on top of that. In God's justice we ought to receive wrath, condemnation and eternal punishment. So let the magnitude of this common greeting sink in: you now have grace and peace in your life because the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for your sins to rescue you from this present evil age.   Dig Deeper   We live in a day and age where doctrine and theology are often minimized by churches who consider such things as trivial or even divisive (actually, these attitudes are nothing new; they've been present all throughout church history, often producing disastrous results). But notice how doctrinal this seemingly ordinary greeting of grace and peace is! Your ability to enjoy and live in this grace and peace is rooted in the Trinity. It comes to you from both God our Father (be thinking throughout the day of the significance of that little word our and how the meaning of this phrase would lose so much if Paul had simply written God the Father) AND the Lord Jesus Christ (again, just by referring to Jesus as Lord packs serious theological significance). Although Paul doesn't mention the Holy Spirit here in the greeting to the Galatians, he does in several other epistles. Secondly, this greeting coveys the foundation of Christian doctrine: that Christ gave Himself for our sin to rescue us. Christianity isn't simply a set of rules to live by (although it includes them) or a collection of feel good pick-me-ups for when your having a bad day (although it does that). At it's core, Christianity is an announcement of the good news regarding how the will of our God and Father was worked out for our salvation. Christian doctrine always culminates in doxology (words of praise & glory), and this short greeting of grace and peace reminds us that God is to be glorified for ever and ever for the salvation He's provided us through Jesus Christ. Even the final word of today's passage packs significant theological meaning: Amen , a word spelled & pronounced the same in every language, simply means that this blessing of grace and peace is sure to be. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father (concentrate on the simple profoundness of being able to address God that way!); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your activities today will glorify your God and Father; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 10

Don't wander around lost; pray that the LORD will show you the road. Photo: Hendrik Morkel, via Unsplash Psalm 86 A prayer of David. 1  Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2   Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3   have mercy on me, LORD, for I call to you all day long. 4  Bring joy to your servant, LORD, for I put my trust in you. 5  You, LORD, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. 6  Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. 7   When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. 8   Among the gods there is none like you, LORD; no deeds can compare with yours. 9  All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, LORD; they will bring glory to your name. 10  For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. 11  Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12  I will praise you, LORD my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. 13  For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead. 14  Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God; ruthless people are trying to kill me— they have no regard for you. 15  But you, LORD, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. 16  Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did. 17  Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that those who are called through the ministry of the gospel come to Christ and are brought to conversion  must not be ­credited to human effort,  as though one distinguishes oneself  by free choice  from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion  (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains).  [Salvation] must be credited to God:  just as from eternity God chose his own in Christ,  so within time God effectively  calls them, grants them faith and repentance,  and,  having rescued them from the dominion of darkness,  brings them into the kingdom of his Son,  in order that they  may declare the wonderful deeds of the One  who called them out of darkness  into this marvelous light,  and may boast not in themselves,  but in the Lord,  as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture. Summary Like so much Hebrew poetry, Psalm 86 has a chiastic structure. That's a writing style where ideas are presented in a particular order and then repeated in reverse order, like a mirror image, to highlight a central point. Here's how it looks charted out: v1-4 - Save your servant, LORD v5-6 - God's unfailing love v7 - Trouble points us to Him v8-10 - The world will glorify God v11 - Teach me your way and to fear your name v12-13 - I will glorify God v14 - Those far from God give us trouble v15- - God's unfailing love v16-17 - Save your servant, LORD We're accustomed to the stories we read/watch and the poems we listen to or sing having their primary point or meaning come at the end, but so often the Old Testament follows the Hebrew pattern of placing the main message of a narrative or psalm right smack in the middle, as David has done here.   Dig Deeper   There's lots of deep theology and practical advice here in Psalm 86, but today we only have the space to focus on the central idea that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, builds this entire psalm around. Here it is from the NET Bible : 11  O Lord, teach me how you want me to live. Then I will obey your commands. Make me wholeheartedly committed to you. Notice that David's primary request is academic - that the LORD would teach. Loosely translated, David is asking the LORD to show me the road that I may walk in the direction you desire. David also knows his weakness - a weakness that you and I share with him: our propensity for our heart (our intellect, emotions, and volition) to easily become distracted with the things of this world and wander away from the LORD. So David's final clause in this primary point is the ultimate prayer of a lignment: to be made wholeheartedly committed to the LORD (NIV: give me an undivided heart, that I might fear your name). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who alone is great and who does marvelous deeds; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray along with David that you will be wholeheartedly committed to fear the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 12

It's easy to forget how odd it is to be a Christian. 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (NIV) 26  Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29  so that no one may boast before him. 30  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31  Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”  Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that those who are called through the ministry of the gospel come to Christ and are brought to conversion  must not be ­credited to human effort,  as though one distinguishes oneself  by free choice  from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion  (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains).  No, it must be credited to God:  just as from eternity God chose his own in Christ,  so within time God effectively  calls them, grants them faith and repentance,  and,  having rescued them from the dominion of darkness,  brings them into the kingdom of his Son,  in order that they  may declare the wonderful deeds of the One  who called them out of darkness  into this marvelous light,  and may boast not in themselves,  but in the Lord,  as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture. Summary The whole premise of today's passage seems off kilter - that God choose the foolish / weak / lowly / despised things of the world to shame and nullify the 'wisdom' and 'strength' of the world. Maybe it's just me. But it can't be just me, since it's quite likely that most of you, like me, have grown up in the wisdom and strength of the Lord, and so by His grace we've always been able to see that those who consider themselves as the wise, influential nobility of this world are actually fools. Conversely, I've never despised the things God chose to bring us righteousness, holiness, and redemption - things like a child born to a virgin who, after living a life of perfect self sacrifice, would be violently executed on a cross only to appear alive three days later to a motley crew of itinerant followers. These were things I (we) was (were) taught to exalt above all things - so far from ever considering them as foolishness So it's sort of weird to read Paul describe the things we've revered as being weak and lowly according to the world. Maybe those of you who had the blessing of being regenerated and brought to faith later in life can use the comment box below to help people like me understand: how did you view Jesus, the cross, and grace before God opened your eyes to see the truth of these things? To be clear, I'm not bragging about the fact that I've never thought of Christianity in the terms Paul uses to describe it here. In fact, sometimes I'm a bit envious of those of you who remember your conversion experience. Regardless of whether you're like me and have been raised in the knowledge of truth your entire life, or whether God's grace came upon you at a specific time later in life, we all point to the same source: It is because of God that we are in Christ Jesus. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord" ( Jerimiah 9:23-24 ).   Dig Deeper   Today's passage defines what true wisdom is: Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Very few people who are wise by human standards would include these three attributes in their definition of wisdom. But these are the things you've been given by God through Christ and which you are expected to be growing in. These words certainly aren't unfamiliar, but it will be helpful to be re-grounded in what they actually mean : Righteousness - The result of doing what God requires. Holiness - Being separated from the world and dedicated / consecrated to the service of and loyalty to God. Redemption - A transaction has been made which has set you free from the power of sin and which has resulted in you now belonging to our Lord, Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is the reason that we are in Christ Jesus; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you grow in Christ, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 11

Work out your salvation, for God is at work in you. Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV) 12  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that those who are called through the ministry of the gospel come to Christ and are brought to conversion  must not be ­credited to human effort,  as though one distinguishes oneself  by free choice  from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion  (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains).  No, it must be credited to God:  just as from eternity God chose his own in Christ,  so within time God effectively  calls them, grants them faith and repentance,  and,  having rescued them from the dominion of darkness,  brings them into the kingdom of his Son,  in order that they  may declare the wonderful deeds of the One  who called them out of darkness  into this marvelous light,  and may boast not in themselves,  but in the Lord,  as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture. Summary Today's passage is another good example of tensegrity - the principle that refers to the integrity achieved by keeping your grip on doctrines that seem to be in tension with one another. On one hand, you're commanded to continue to work out your salvation. When read alone, this imperative seems to imply that your eternal destiny depends on your earthly performance - the work you accomplish. And don't be whistlin' while you work either... keep your head down, fearfully trembling as you carry out your obedience to God. But then Paul chains this instruction to a freight train moving in the opposite direction: you must continue working out your salvation... even though it is God who works in you. Maybe you've experienced this tension yourself. How often aren't you reminded that you're saved by grace, but yet you're still told to keep God's commands as if your life depends on it! The next time you feel like you're being pulled apart by Biblical doctrine, remember two things. First, the tension you feel is perceived, not actual; certainly God's word isn't contradictory (we'll dig deeper into that in a moment). Secondly, understand that this 'tension' is a good thing that keeps you from falling into error; on one hand, overemphasizing God's sovereignty in your salvation leads to fatalism, but basing your hope on your own deeds leads to either pride or hopelessness. Maintaining the tensegrity that scripture intends here can often seem difficult and uncomfortable in the midst of the tension, but you'll also realize true and lasting integrity in a world of chaos.   Dig Deeper   As is often the case, the NET Bible translation helps clarify the meaning of today's passage: continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence... ...for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort... is God. So you do have an obligation to work out your salvation. That verb is used often in the New Testament. One lexicon defines it as "to cause to be, to make to be, to make, to result in, to bring upon, to bring about." In other words, you must do the hard work of making your salvation by grace alone evident in every aspect of your life. You're not able to do that in your own strength. But fear not, for God's grace is stronger than you are! And we see how God's powerful grace enables you to work out your salvation: God is the energeō - properly translated as at work - giving you the energy to will and to act (or as the NET puts it, bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort ). So in reality, there's no tension in today's passage: God gracefully gives you the energy & desire you need to keep His commandment of salvation, for His salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But in practice, this reality isn't comfortable, seemingly pulling you in opposite directions. But do the hard work of maintaining this tensegrity ! God has energeō -ized you to do so! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is at work in us in order to fulfill His good purpose; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that more and more you will continue working out your salvation using the energeō God provides; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 9

You might not like this passage at first, but it contains the Bible's most comforting promise! Romans 9:15-16 15  For God says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  16  It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that those who are called through the ministry of the gospel come to Christ and are brought to conversion  must not be ­credited to human effort,  as though one distinguishes oneself  by free choice  from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion  (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains).  No, it must be credited to God:  just as from eternity God chose his own in Christ,  so within time God effectively  calls them, grants them faith and repentance,  and,  having rescued them from the dominion of darkness,  brings them into the kingdom of his Son,  in order that they  may declare the wonderful deeds of the One  who called them out of darkness  into this marvelous light,  and may boast not in themselves,  but in the Lord,  as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture. Summary This isn't the first time we've come to Romans 9 this year ( we also read this passage in February ), and it likely won't be the last. Indeed, we could dwell on these difficult but comforting words nearly every day as we work through the Canons of Dordt. Romans 9 is all about God's sovereignty in our salvation - that is, His control, authority and presence. In other words, your salvation does not depend upon your own desire or effort. It's completely dependent upon God's mercy. For many people - maybe even you - such a premise isn't comforting at all; in fact, it's quite the opposite. That's because in dependence - the opposite of what's being taught here - is solidly baked into your psyche. This is true for all people, living throughout the span of all ages and in all places, but the fact that you live in North America in the 21st century makes these words seem more grating than comforting. You live in a time where you watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it on TV. You choose who you want as your leaders, and to a large degree you decide for yourself how much you'll acquiesce to the dictates of leaders that don't correspond to your politics. Even if you live in a big city, you likely prefer to drive yourself rather than depend on mass transit.   Dig Deeper   All of this to say that you are very used to, and quite content with, nearly everything in your life depending on your own desires and efforts. So it can be disconcerting to read here that it - your salvation, the most valuable thing you'll ever possess - does not depend upon your independence. This is why it was so critical to spend most of our summer going through so many ugly passages from which we develop the doctrine of total depravity , detailing your absolute and complete inability to independently choose to trust in Christ for your salvation. Your desires and efforts have been so corrupted by sin that you would always cling to your stubborn rebellion rather than to Christ. That's why today's verse, stating that salvation does not depend upon your desire or effort, but on God's mercy is foundational to these Canons, which are often referred to as the doctrines of grace. For when the Holy Spirit regenerated you - that is, when He opened your heart and mind to understand both the reality of your depravity and the beauty of God's mercy - then your instinctual desire for independence began to morph into a irresistible desire to cling to Christ. You can't memorize every word of the Bible, and by God's grace, you don't need to (as opposed to the claims of Islam, which requires rote memorization of the entire Quran ). But you can and should memorize Romans 9:16. The more you come to understand it, the more you'll begin to see this verse as some of the Bible's most comforting words: Salvation does not depend upon my desire or efforts, but on God's mercy. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will have mercy on whom He'll have mercy, and compassion on whom He'll have compassion; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for changing your sinful desires and efforts , and pray for the strength to live into this regeneration; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 8