Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Audio PlayerWhen the apostle Paul sent leadership instructions to the young pastor Titus, he stressed the importance of teaching only the Gospel. Find out why this message of salvation remains reliable and urgent today. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Crying Out for Help
When we are helpless, we are best-placed to learn true faith.
At the beginning of Judges 6, the people of Israel once again “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD” (v 1). They had trapped themselves in a recurring cycle of rebellion and repentance, slow to learn and quick to forget that their difficult circumstances were often related to their disobedience. Ultimately, the Israelites struggled to understand that God would allow them to come to a place where their only response would be to cry out for help so that He could bring them into communion with Himself, for His glory and their good. He does this for us today, too, working out His purposes in the lives of those who know themselves to be helpless. It is those who know they are “poor in spirit,” not those who think they are sufficient in themselves, to whom Jesus promises the kingdom (Matthew 5:3).
Some of us mistakenly believe that if we just follow Jesus, everything will always fall into line. Deep down, we think that God will always and immediately intervene to remove hardship. When God doesn’t answer our prayers how or when we want, we wonder if we can still trust that He knows best. Perhaps you are in that place today.
Repeatedly throughout Scripture, God promises to come to our aid when we ask: “The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (Psalm 121:6-8). These are guarantees of God’s word. Yet the way in which He fulfills such promises is often along rocky terrain, amid dark valleys, and in uncomfortable waiting rooms.
When God interceded with His people in Judges, He turned them back to His word, convicting them. The prophet, speaking the very words of God, reminded the Israelites of what they needed to know: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery … I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God …’ But you have not obeyed my voice” (Judges 6:8, 10). But then, in a little twist of the tale, just when we anticipate God’s judgment, we read instead that “the angel of the LORD appeared” with these words of mercy: “The LORD is with you” (v 12).
Where would we be if God gave to us the judgment that we deserve instead of demonstrating His mercy day by day? He did not give the people of Israel what they deserved, nor has He done so with you and me. God’s mercy and grace know no end. But in His goodness, He often uses the hard things in our lives to teach us that He is all we need. The removal of a good thing causes pain but can also bring us to cry out to God and find in Him our strength and peace and hope. Cry out to Him for help, filled with the hope that the God who hears you truly knows what is best. The Lord is with you!
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?
Peace with God Through Faith
1aTherefore, since we have been justified by faith, bwe1 have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also cobtained access by faith2 into this grace din which we stand, and ewe3 rejoice4 in hope of the glory of God. 3Not only that, but we frejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering gproduces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hhope does not put us to shame, because God's love ihas been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6For jwhile we were still weak, at the right time kChrist died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but lGod shows his love for us in that mwhile we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, nwe have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from othe wrath of God. 10For if pwhile we were enemies qwe were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by rhis life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received sreconciliation.
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.
Chase Away Sinful Thoughts
Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night.
If the love of a woman to her slain sons could make her prolong her mournful vigil for so long a period, shall we grow tired of considering the sufferings of our blessed Lord? She drove away the birds of prey, and shall not we chase from our meditations those worldly and sinful thoughts that defile both our minds and the sacred themes upon which we are occupied?
Be gone, you birds of evil wing! Leave the sacrifice alone! She bore the heat of summer, the night dews and the rains, unsheltered and alone. Sleep was chased from her weeping eyes: her heart was too full for slumber. Consider how she loved her children! Shall Rizpah endure while we quit at the first little inconvenience or trial? Are we such cowards that we cannot bear to suffer with our Lord? She chased away even the wild beasts with unusual courage, and will we not be ready to encounter every foe for Jesus’ sake? Her children were slain by other hands than hers, and yet she wept and watched.
What ought we to do who have by our sins crucified our Lord? Our obligations are boundless; our love should be fervent and our repentance thorough. To watch with Jesus should be our business, to protect His honor our occupation, to abide by His cross our solace. Those ghastly corpses might well have frightened Rizpah, especially by night, but in our Lord, at whose cross we are sitting, there is nothing revolting but everything attractive. Never was living beauty so enchanting as a dying Savior.
Jesus, we will watch with You still, and may You graciously unveil Yourself to us; then shall we not sit beneath sackcloth but in a royal pavilion.
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 31
Leviticus 2
Laws for Grain Offerings
1“When anyone brings a pgrain offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. qHe shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it 2and bring it to Aaron's sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its rmemorial portion on the altar, a food soffering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 3But the trest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; uit is a most holy part of the Lord's food offerings.
4“When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be vunleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. 5And if your offering is a grain offering wbaked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. 6You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. 7And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 9And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food xoffering with a ypleasing aroma to the Lord. 10But the zrest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; zit is a most holy part of the Lord's food offerings.
11“No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with aleaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. 12bAs an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 13You cshall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the dsalt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; ewith all your offerings you shall offer salt.
14“If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh fears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. 15And gyou shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. 16And the priest shall burn as its hmemorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.
Leviticus 3
Laws for Peace Offerings
1“If his offering is ia sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, jhe shall offer it kwithout blemish before the Lord. 2And lhe shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar. 3And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the Lord, he shall offer mthe fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4nand the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. 5Then Aaron's sons oshall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
6“If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it kwithout blemish. 7If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord, 8lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 9Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering he shall offer as a food offering to the Lord its fat; he shall remove the whole pfat tail, cut off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails 10and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove qwith the kidneys. 11And the priest shall burn it on the altar as ra food offering to the Lord.
12“If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the Lord 13and lay his hand on its head and kill it in front of the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 14Then he shall offer from it, as his offering for a food offering to the Lord, the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails 15and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove qwith the kidneys. 16And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a rfood offering with a pleasing aroma. sAll fat is the Lord's. 17It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither sfat nor tblood.”
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
1After this Jesus brevealed himself cagain to the disciples by dthe Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2Simon Peter, eThomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of fCana in Galilee, gthe sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but hthat night they caught nothing.
4Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples idid not know that it was Jesus. 5jJesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6kHe said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7That disciple lwhom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, mhe put on his outer garment, for he was nstripped for work, and othrew himself into the sea. 8The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards1 off.
9When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, p“Come and qhave breakfast.” Now rnone of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and stook the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14tThis was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus and Peter
15When they had ufinished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, v“Simon, wson of John, xdo you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed ymy lambs.” 16He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, z“Tend ymy sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him athe third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, byou know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed cmy sheep. 18dTruly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, eyou used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19(This he said to show fby what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, g“Follow me.”
Jesus and the Beloved Apostle
20Peter turned and saw hthe disciple whom Jesus loved following them, ithe one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain juntil kI come, what is that to you? lYou follow me!” 23So the saying spread abroad among mthe brothers2 that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
24This is the disciple nwho is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and owe know pthat his testimony is true.
25Now qthere are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that rthe world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
1Whoever yisolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only zin expressing his opinion.
3When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4The words of a man's mouth are adeep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5It is not good to bbe partial to1 the wicked
or to cdeprive the righteous of justice.
6A fool's lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites da beating.
7eA fool's mouth is his ruin,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.
8fThe words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into gthe inner parts of the body.
9Whoever is slack in his work
is a hbrother to him who destroys.
10iThe name of the Lord is ja strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and kis safe.
11lA rich man's wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
12mBefore destruction a man's heart is haughty,
but nhumility comes before honor.
13If one gives an answer obefore he hears,
it is his folly and shame.
14A man's spirit will endure sickness,
but pa crushed spirit who can bear?
15An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16A man's qgift makes room for him
and brings him before the great.
17The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him.
18rThe lot puts an end to quarrels
and decides between powerful contenders.
19A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20sFrom the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21tDeath and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22He who finds ua wife finds va good thing
and wobtains favor xfrom the Lord.
23The poor use entreaties,
but ythe rich answer roughly.
24A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but zthere is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Greeting
1Paul, aan apostle of Christ Jesus bby the will of God, and Timothy cour brother,
2To the dsaints and faithful brothers1 in Christ at Colossae:
eGrace to you and peace from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3fWe always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4since we heard of gyour faith in Christ Jesus and of gthe love that you have for all the saints, 5because of hthe hope ilaid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in jthe word of the truth, the gospel, 6which has come to you, as indeed kin the whole world it is lbearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you mheard it and understood nthe grace of God in truth, 7just as you learned it from oEpaphras our beloved pfellow servant.2 He is pa faithful minister of Christ on your3 behalf 8and has made known to us your qlove in the Spirit.
9And so, rfrom the day we heard, swe have not ceased to pray for you, asking that tyou may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all uspiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so as vto walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, wfully pleasing to him: xbearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11ybeing strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for zall endurance and patience awith joy; 12bgiving thanks4 to the Father, who has qualified you5 to share in cthe inheritance of the saints in light. 13He dhas delivered us from ethe domain of darkness and transferred us to fthe kingdom of ghis beloved Son, 14hin whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Preeminence of Christ
15iHe is the image of jthe invisible God, kthe firstborn of all creation. 16For by6 him all things were created, lin heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether mthrones or ndominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created othrough him and for him. 17And phe is before all things, and in him all things qhold together. 18And rhe is the head of the body, the church. He is sthe beginning, tthe firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19For uin him all the vfullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and wthrough him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, xmaking peace yby the blood of his cross.
21zAnd you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, adoing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled bin his body of flesh by his death, cin order to present you holy and blameless and dabove reproach before him, 23eif indeed you continue in the faith, fstable and steadfast, not shifting from gthe hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed hin all creation7 under heaven, iand of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Paul's Ministry to the Church
24Now jI rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh kI am filling up lwhat is lacking in Christ's afflictions mfor the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25nof which I became a minister according to othe stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26pthe mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27qTo them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are rthe riches of the glory of pthis mystery, which is Christ in you, sthe hope of glory. 28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that twe may present everyone umature in Christ. 29For this vI toil, wstruggling xwith all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
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