Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Becoming a Christian means more than simply adding Jesus to your life by attending church, joining a Bible study, or helping out in ministry. On Truth For Life, Alistair Begg shows us that following Christ involves radical change in how we live and think.
From the Sermon
Those Who Have Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 41:05 • ID: 1813
Finding Favor
The Noah of popular imagination is a spiritual giant, a hero of the faith. In truth, though, he was just an ordinary man. He was like everybody else as he went about his daily tasks, earned a living, and raised his kids.
Before Noah’s story unfolds, we’re told that “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6). No distinctions are made here. Without exception, the whole human race was involved in wickedness—including Noah.
The point is clear: All had sinned. All were alienated from God. All must face judgment.
“But Noah…” By God’s grace, the reality of sin and judgment is always tempered by a divine “but.” God’s grace, unexplained and unmerited, was extended to Noah. This was the only thing that eventually distinguished him from the rest of humanity. God chose Noah and his family to be the recipients of His grace, establishing a relationship with him that had not existed before. Because of this grace, Noah became “a righteous man” who “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).
Noah could make no claim on God. Without any virtue on his part, and against all the odds, God simply intervened in Noah’s life.
Many people are under the impression that grace isn’t found in the Old Testament—that in the early days, it was all fire and brimstone, law and judgment, and it’s not until Jesus arrives that grace comes. The reality, though, is that grace not only precedes creation but also unfolds in the midst of judgments throughout history and on every page of the Bible.
And throughout the Bible, grace works itself out. Noah built a boat in obedience to the word of God when the word of God was all he had to go on. When we experience grace in all its fullness, it diminishes us and exalts God. It makes us realize that life is all about Him and His kindness to us. It moves us to trust His word and obey His commands.
The only thing that distinguishes you from the culture around you is the same thing that marked Noah out from the people of his day: the unmerited, outreaching favor of God. So be on guard against spiritual pride as much as worldly compromise. None of us are smart enough to grasp the idea of salvation or good enough to merit the joy of salvation. You and I are not deserving—but nevertheless, God has intervened. Only when the grace of God grips our hearts will we, like Noah, walk in the way of our Creator rather than the way of our world and live in obedient humility and confident hope. Only grace has that effect.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
Increasing Corruption on Earth
1When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3Then the Lord said, z“My Spirit shall not abide in1 man forever, afor he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4The Nephilim2 were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
5bThe Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every cintention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And dthe Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it egrieved him to his heart. 7So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8But Noah ffound favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and the Flood
9These are the generations of Noah. gNoah was a righteous man, hblameless in his generation. Noah iwalked with God. 10And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12And God jsaw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, kfor all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13And God said to Noah, l“I have determined to make an end of all flesh,3 for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.4 Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,5 its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16Make a roof6 for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17mFor behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18But nI will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 19And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22oNoah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Your Choice Treasure
Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
These words have been frequently used by the godly in their hour of departure. We may profitably consider them this evening. The object of the believer's interest in life and death is not his body or his possessions but his spirit; this is his choice treasure: If this is safe, then all is well. What is our physical condition compared with the soul?
The believer commits his soul to the hand of God; it came from Him, it is His own, He has until now sustained it, He is able to keep it, and it is fitting that He should receive it. All things are safe in Jehovah's hands; what we entrust to the Lord will be secure, both now and in that day of days toward which we are hastening. It is peaceful living and glorious dying to rest in the care of heaven. At all times we should commit everything to Jesus' faithful hand; then even if life should hang on a thread, and difficulties multiply like the sands of the sea, our soul shall live in safety and delight itself in quiet resting places.
“You have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.” Redemption is a solid basis for confidence. David did not know Calvary as we do, but even as redemption cheered him, so our eternal redemption will sweetly console us. Past deliverances are strong guarantees for present assistance. What the Lord has done He will do again, for He does not change. He is faithful to His promises and gracious to His saints; He will not turn away from His people.
Though Thou slay me I will trust,
Praise Thou even from the dust,
Prove, and tell it as I prove,
Thine unutterable love.Thou may chasten and correct,
But Thou never can neglect;
Since the ransom price is paid,
On Thy love my hope is stayed.
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for August 28
Jonathan Warns David
1Then David fled from Naioth min Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 2And he said to him, “Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.” 3But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that nI have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, oas the Lord lives and pas your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” 4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” 5David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is qthe new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, rthat I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening. 6sIf your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run tto Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly usacrifice there for all the clan.’ 7If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that vharm is determined by him. 8Therefore deal kindly with your servant, wfor you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. xBut if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?” 9And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that vit was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?” 10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?” 11And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.
12And Jonathan said to David, “The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness!1 When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? 13But should it please my father to do you harm, ythe Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. zMay the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15aand do not cut off2 your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, b“May3 the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies.” 17And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, cfor he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18Then Jonathan said to him, d“Tomorrow is the new moon, and eyou will be missed, because fyour seat will be empty. 19On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap.4 20And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21And behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you are to come, for, gas the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. 22But if I say to the youth, h‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away. 23iAnd as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, jthe Lord is between you and me forever.”
24So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite,5 and Abner sat by Saul's side, kbut David's place was empty.
26Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. lHe is not clean; surely he is not clean.” 27But on mthe second day, the day after the new moon, kDavid's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan answered Saul, n“David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king's table.”
30Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” 32Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, o“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33pBut Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew qthat his father was determined to put David to death. 34And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him.
35In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. 36And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, r“Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38And Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!” So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. 39But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.” 41And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap6 and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. 42Then Jonathan said to David, s“Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, t‘The Lord shall be between me and you, uand between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.7
Proclaiming Christ Crucified
1And I, when I came to you, brothers,1 xdid not come proclaiming to you ythe testimony2 of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except zJesus Christ and him crucified. 3And aI was with you bin weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of cthe Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men3 but din the power of God.
Wisdom from the Spirit
6Yet among ethe mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not fa wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, gwho are doomed to pass away. 7But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, hwhich God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8None of ithe rulers of this age understood this, for jif they had, they would not have crucified kthe Lord of glory. 9But, as it is written,
l“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has mprepared nfor those who love him”—
10these things oGod has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even pthe depths of God. 11For who knows a person's thoughts qexcept the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now rwe have received not sthe spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13And we impart this tin words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, uinterpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.4
14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are vfolly to him, and whe is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15The xspiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16y“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But zwe have the mind of Christ.
Restore Us to Yourself, O Lord
1cRemember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
look, and see dour disgrace!
2eOur inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
4We must pay for the water we drink;
the wood we get must be bought.
5fOur pursuers are at our necks;
we are weary; we are given no rest.
6We have given the hand to gEgypt, and to gAssyria,
to get bread enough.
7Our fathers sinned, and are no more;
hand we bear their iniquities.
8iSlaves rule over us;
there is none to deliver us from their hand.
9jWe get our bread at the peril of our lives,
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10kOur skin is hot as an oven
with lthe burning heat of famine.
11Women are raped in Zion,
young women in the towns of Judah.
12mPrinces are hung up by their hands;
nno respect is shown to the elders.
13Young men are compelled to ogrind at the mill,
and boys stagger punder loads of wood.
14nThe old men have left the city gate,
the young men qtheir music.
15qThe joy of our hearts has ceased;
rour dancing has been turned to mourning.
16sThe crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
17For this tour heart has become sick,
for these things uour eyes have grown dim,
18for Mount Zion which lies desolate;
vjackals prowl over it.
19wBut you, O Lord, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
20xWhy do you forget us forever,
why do you forsake us for so many days?
21yRestore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
Renew our days as of old—
22zunless you have utterly rejected us,
and you remain exceedingly angry with us.
How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love
To the choirmaster. Of David, the xservant of the Lord.
1Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;1
ythere is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2zFor he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3The words of his mouth are atrouble and deceit;
bhe has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4He cplots dtrouble while on his bed;
he sets himself in ea way that is not good;
fhe does not reject evil.
5Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6gYour righteousness is like the mountains of God;
hyour judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you isave, O Lord.
7jHow precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge kin the shadow of your wings.
8They feast on lthe abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from mthe river of nyour delights.
9For with you is othe fountain of life;
pin your light do we see light.
10Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who qknow you,
and your righteousness to rthe upright of heart!
11Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12There sthe evildoers lie fallen;
they are thrust down, tunable to rise.
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