Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Audio PlayerThe Bible is clear that by nature, everyone’s spiritually dead, enslaved by sin, and eternally condemned. It’s a grave diagnosis! Discover the profound difference that two words, “But God…,” can make. That’s the focus on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Audio PlayerKeep the Sabbath, Part Two
Having established that the fourth commandment remains what it has always been—a commandment of the Lord—and as such is relevant to our lives, we can now think profitably about how to keep it. But we must be careful as we get specific about honoring the Sabbath. The Lord Jesus, after all, had some very strong words for the Pharisees regarding the way their moral specificity had become a means not of obedience but of self-righteousness (Mark 2:23 – 3:6).
With trembling and humility, then, let’s consider how are we to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. How do we prevent worldly concerns—those of leisure, recreation, and work—from infringing on our enjoyment and worship of God?
Let’s think first of public worship. What kinds of conversations do you typically have prior to the worship service? Are they concerned at any point with the things of God, or only ever with sports, family, and every other thing? It takes an act of the will to give eternal matters priority in our minds and mouths. If you were to determine that in your preparation for worship you would set aside every priority which looms so large on other days, I guarantee your time at church would be changed.
The same goes for after the service. When the last song has been sung and the service is over, how long does it take for your mind and conversation to return to worldly matters? If we were instead to commit to spending time after the service speaking to one another about the greatness of God, the truth of His word, and the wonder of His dealings with us, and praying with one another about the week ahead and the trials we face, then we would begin to understand better the “one another” passages in the New Testament about encouraging one another (Hebrews 10:25), speaking the truth to one another (Ephesians 4:25), and building one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11)—for we would be living them out.
Similarly, in our private affairs on the Lord’s Day, spiritual improvement should still take priority. That may mean family worship, reading edifying books, prayer, discussion of what was preached that morning, and more—but whatever it means, we should make it our aim not to let the cares of the other six days push into our spiritual enjoyment of the first day of the week.
If you want to profit from keeping the Sabbath, and if you want to take the fourth commandment seriously, then your conviction must fuel your action, and aspiration must turn into practice. Avoid making rules that only foster self-righteousness, but consider whether anything needs to change. How will you keep the Sabbath holy the next time Sunday comes round?
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?
Isaiah 58:13–14
13w“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure3 on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the Lord honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking xyour own pleasure,4 or talking idly;5
14then you shall take delight in the Lord,
yand I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;6
zI will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
afor the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 59:1–2
Evil and Oppression
1Behold, bthe Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2cbut your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
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.
The Means of Sanctification
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow.
Anything is better than the dead calm of indifference. Our souls may wisely desire the north wind of trouble if that is to become the means of our sanctification. So long as it cannot be said, “The Lord was not in the wind,” we will not shrink from the most wintry blast that ever blew upon plants of grace.
Did not the spouse in this verse humbly submit herself to the reproofs of her Beloved, only entreating Him to send forth His grace in some form, and making no stipulation as to the peculiar manner in which it should come? Did she not, like ourselves, become so utterly weary of deadness and unholy calm that she sighed for any visitation that would brace her to action? Yet she desires the warm south wind of comfort too, the smiles of divine love, the joy of the Redeemer’s presence; these are often mightily effectual to arouse our sluggish life. She desires either one or the other, or both, so that she may but be able to delight her Beloved with the spices of her garden. She cannot endure to be unprofitable, nor can we.
How cheering a thought that Jesus can find comfort in our poor feeble graces. Can it be? It seems far too good to be true. We may even court trial or death itself if by doing so we gladden Immanuel’s heart. O that our heart were crushed to atoms if only by such bruising our Lord Jesus could be glorified. Graces unexercised are as sweet perfumes trapped in the bottle: The wisdom of God overrules diverse and opposite causes to produce the one desired result and makes both affliction and consolation produce the grateful aroma of faith, love, patience, hope, resignation, joy, and the other fair flowers of the garden. May we know by sweet experience what this means.
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 March 1
22Take a bunch of ehyssop and fdip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch gthe lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. hNone of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23iFor the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on gthe lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and jwill not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, kas he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26And lwhen your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27you shall say, m‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people nbowed their heads and worshiped.
28Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn
29oAt midnight the pLord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, qfrom the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was ra great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. 31Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, sboth you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32tTake your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
The Exodus
33uThe Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had vasked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36wAnd the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that xthey let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
37And the ypeople of Israel journeyed from zRameses to Succoth, aabout six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38A bmixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 39And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because uthey were thrust out of Egypt and ccould not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.
40The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41At the end of d430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a enight of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.
Institution of the Passover
43And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, 44but every slave2 that is fbought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45gNo foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. 46It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and hyou shall not break any of its bones. 47iAll the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48jIf a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he kshall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49There shall be lone law for the native and for the jstranger who sojourns among you.”
50All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. 51And on that very day the mLord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their nhosts.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1Now zthe tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes agrumbled, saying, b“This man receives sinners and ceats with them.”
3So he told them this parable: 4d“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, eif he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine fin the open country, and ggo after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, hhe lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for iI have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who jrepents than over ninety-nine krighteous persons who need no repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,1 if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before lthe angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me mthe share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided nhis property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in oreckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to2 one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he pwas longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17“But qwhen he rcame to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, sI have sinned against theaven and before you. 19uI am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and vran and wembraced him and xkissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. uI am no longer worthy to be called your son.’3 22But the father said to his servants,4 ‘Bring quickly ythe best robe, and put it on him, and put za ring on his hand, and ashoes on his feet. 23And bring bthe fattened calf and kill it, and clet us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son dwas dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might ecelebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came, fwho has devoured gyour property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31And he said to him, ‘Son, hyou are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting eto celebrate and be glad, for this your brother iwas dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
1“But now they ilaugh at me,
men who are jyounger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
to set with the dogs of my flock.
2What could I gain from the strength of their hands,
3Through want and hard hunger
they mgnaw nthe dry ground by night in owaste and desolation;
4they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes,
and the roots of the broom tree for their food.1
5pThey are driven out from human company;
they shout after them as after a thief.
6In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell,
in holes of the earth and of qthe rocks.
7Among the bushes they rbray;
under sthe nettles they huddle together.
8A senseless, a nameless brood,
they have been whipped out of the land.
9“And now I have become their tsong;
I am ua byword to them.
10They vabhor me; they keep aloof from me;
they do not hesitate to wspit at the sight of me.
11Because God has loosed my cord and humbled me,
they have cast off restraint2 in my presence.
12On my xright hand the rabble rise;
they push away my feet;
they ycast up against me their ways of destruction.
13They break up my path;
they promote my zcalamity;
they need no one to help them.
14As through a wide abreach they come;
amid the crash they roll on.
15bTerrors are turned upon me;
my honor is pursued as by the wind,
and my prosperity has passed away like ca cloud.
16“And now my soul is dpoured out within me;
days of affliction have taken hold of me.
and the pain that ggnaws me takes no rest.
18With great force my garment is hdisfigured;
it binds me about like the collar of my tunic.
19God3 has cast me into the mire,
and I have become like idust and ashes.
20I cry to you for help and you do not answer me;
I stand, and you only look at me.
21You have jturned cruel to me;
with the might of your hand you kpersecute me.
22lYou lift me up on the wind; you make me ride on it,
and you toss me about in the roar of the storm.
23mFor I know that you will bring me to death
and to the house appointed for nall living.
24“Yet does not one in a oheap of ruins stretch out his hand,
and in his disaster cry for help?4
25Did not I pweep for him whose day was hard?
Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
26But qwhen I hoped for good, evil came,
and when I waited for light, rdarkness came.
27My inward parts are in turmoil and never still;
days of affliction scome to meet me.
28I tgo about darkened, but not by the sun;
I stand up in uthe assembly and cry for help.
29I am a brother of vjackals
and a companion of wostriches.
30My xskin turns black and falls from me,
and my ybones burn with heat.
31My zlyre is aturned to mourning,
and my zpipe to the voice of those who weep.
The Collection for the Saints
1Now concerning1 ethe collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2On fthe first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, gas he may prosper, hso that there will be no collecting when I come. 3And when I arrive, I will send ithose whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
Plans for Travel
5jI will visit you after passing through kMacedonia, for lI intend to pass through Macedonia, 6and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may mhelp me on my journey, wherever I go. 7For I do not want to see you now njust in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, oif the Lord permits. 8But I will stay in Ephesus until pPentecost, 9for qa wide door for effective work has opened to me, and rthere are many adversaries.
10sWhen Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for the is doing uthe work of the Lord, as I am. 11So vlet no one despise him. wHelp him on his way xin peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.
Final Instructions
12Now concerning your brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will2 to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.
13zBe watchful, astand firm in the faith, bact like men, cbe strong. 14dLet all that you do be done in love.
15Now I urge you, brothers3—you know that ethe household4 of Stephanas were fthe first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves gto the service of the saints— 16hbe subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for iyour absence, 18for they jrefreshed my spirit as well as yours. kGive recognition to such people.
Greetings
19The churches of Asia send you greetings. lAquila and Prisca, together with mthe church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20All the brothers send you greetings. nGreet one another with a holy kiss.
21I, Paul, write othis greeting with my own hand. 22If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be paccursed. Our Lord, come!5 23qThe grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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