Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
When we follow David’s story in 1 Samuel, we realize that God’s chosen aren’t given a free pass from daunting circumstances and suffering. So how can the faithful face uncertainty and troubling times? Hear the answer on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
“His Craft and Power Are Great”
1 Samuel 22:1–23 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 40:25 • ID: 3434
Glorifying God in Our Bodies
Your body, and what you do with it, matters.
More than once in his writings, the apostle Paul expresses great concern about people’s bodies. He asks the Corinthians, for instance, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” He then goes on to say, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). In other words, our bodies belong to the God who created them and who sustains them. This way of thinking is at the heart of Paul’s theology.
Paul found great joy in knowing that Jesus would be honored, or exalted, in his own body. It was his chief aim and prayer that in his ministry he would possess courage and faithfulness to do this. For Paul, to exalt Christ meant to make much of His great name: to give Him glory. We see this attitude expressed by John the Baptist, who said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Similarly, you’ll never find Paul drawing attention to himself. He saw himself only as a conduit leading to Christ.
It comes as no surprise, then, that when he wanted to establish his credentials as an apostle, Paul didn’t say, “Let no one cause me trouble” just because he was a mighty apostle or because he was used by God to preach the gospel. No—he said, “Let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17, emphasis added). Through his body, his commitment was revealed. He was increasingly abused for his devotion to Christ. He finally went to his grave scarred, brutalized, and disfigured—yet through his trials, his cry remained “I will rejoice.”
God was Lord over Paul’s whole life: his body, his time, his totality. Only that could bring him such joy. Only that can bring us such joy.
The bottom line is that you are not your own. Nothing you have is your own. Everything is a stewardship, whether God has given you much or little. You belong to God, your Creator and your Redeemer. One day, He will raise us with glorified, imperishable bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54). For the moment, in this life He calls us to serve Him in this body. In everything you do with it, then, let your body be an offering that you joyfully lay before God.
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?
Flee Sexual Immorality
12“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined4 to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin5 a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
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.
Dangers of Our Day
Blessed is the one who stays awake.
"I die every day,"1 said the apostle. This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. We are not at this time being called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test. But the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are still more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age.
We have to bear the sneer of the world—that is small; its flatteries, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy are far worse. Our danger is that we might grow rich and become proud; we might give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world and lose our faith. Or if wealth does not test us, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, we may be hugged to death by the bear.
The devil cares very little which it is, as long as he destroys our love for Christ and our confidence in Him. I am afraid that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and easy days than in those rougher times. We must stay awake now, for we are crossing enchanted ground and are most likely to fall asleep to our own ruin, unless our faith in Jesus is a reality and our love for Jesus an ardent flame. Many in these days of easy-believism are likely to prove to be tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with attractive masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God.
Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardor; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display His omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things as well as in the rougher, "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us."2
1) 1 Corinthians 15:31
2) Romans 8:37
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 April 27
Duties of the Kohathites
1The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 3from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. 5When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 6Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin1 and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles. 7And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular showbread also shall be on it. 8Then they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet and cover the same with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 9And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied. 10And they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of goatskin and put it on the carrying frame. 11And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 12And they shall take all the vessels of the service that are used in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of goatskin and put them on the carrying frame. 13And they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14And they shall put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the fire pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 15And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.
16“And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of the whole tabernacle and all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its vessels.”
17The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 18“Let not the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites, 19but deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden, 20but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.”
21The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses and by their clans. 23From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting. 24This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: 25they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting 26and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. 27All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. 28This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall list them by their clans and their fathers' houses. 30From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 31And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, 32and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. 33This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
34And Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the congregation listed the sons of the Kohathites, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 35from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting; 36and those listed by clans were 2,750. 37This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.
38Those listed of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 39from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the tent of meeting—40those listed by their clans and their fathers' houses were 2,630. 41This was the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord.
42Those listed of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 43from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting—44those listed by clans were 3,200. 45This was the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.
46All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers' houses, 47from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting, 48those listed were 8,580. 49According to the commandment of the Lord through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
1O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
2For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
4For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
5My wounds stink and fester
because of my foolishness,
6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
7For my sides are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8I am feeble and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9O Lord, all my longing is before you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
10My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
and my nearest kin stand far off.
12Those who seek my life lay their snares;
those who seek my hurt speak of ruin
and meditate treachery all day long.
13But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
14I have become like a man who does not hear,
and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
15But for you, O Lord, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
who boast against me when my foot slips!”
17For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever before me.
18I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
19But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20Those who render me evil for good
accuse me because I follow after good.
21Do not forsake me, O Lord!
O my God, be not far from me!
22Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
1I am a rose1 of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.
He
2As a lily among brambles,
so is my love among the young women.
She
3As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4He brought me to the banqueting house,2
and his banner over me was love.
5Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love.
6His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
7I adjure you,3 O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
The Bride Adores Her Beloved
8The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
12The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing4 has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
14O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
15Catch the foxes5 for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”
16My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes6 among the lilies.
17Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains.7
Warning Against Neglecting Salvation
1Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
The Founder of Salvation
5For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
7You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,1
8putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.2 That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,3 12saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
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