Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Since the Bible teaches that not everyone will be saved, how should we determine who we should pray for and with whom we should share the Gospel? Hear the answer on Truth For Life as Alistair Begg continues a study in 1 Timothy.
From the Sermon
Public Prayer: Its Importance and Scope
1 Timothy 2:1–8 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 44:02 • ID: 1956
A Living Hope
Without encountering God in the Lord Jesus Christ, life can be extraordinarily bleak—an empty, hopeless existence. There are not enough things to do that will fill the emptiness. There are not enough occasions to look forward to. It is impossible to amass enough material possessions or take enough vacations to be able to fill up the human soul.
But the child of God has been delivered from this realm of hopelessness. When we place our trust in Christ, we are removed from bondage to “the domain of darkness” (Colossians 1:13) and are “born again to a living hope.” The believer’s hope is alive and it is fulfilling because it is rooted firmly in our risen, ascended, and reigning Savior. Our hope no longer hinges on ourselves or our circumstances; rather, “the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” is the guarantee that our hope is secure.
Our hope is also eternal. God promises believers a future inheritance that is absolutely certain. Peter describes for us the unique nature of this inheritance; it is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. There is no possibility of it diminishing or disappointing because it can’t perish, it can’t spoil, and it can’t fade—and it’s kept in heaven with our name on it.
Not only is our hope living and eternal, but it is also shielded by the power of God Himself. Indeed, Peter describes believers as those “who by God’s power are being guarded.” When we become aware of the rigors of sin or we are buffeted by the brokenness of this fallen world in our life and we’re tempted to despair, here’s the wonderful truth: God has garrisoned us and shielded us. We will not be lost. And in this promise the beleaguered believer finds strength and renewed hope.
What is it that puts a spring in our step, no matter how steep the path? What is it that lifts our chins off our chests and keeps us looking forward with joy? What can truly fill your soul and bring you through whatever hard situations you are facing as you read these words? It is this truth: that, because of God’s great mercy, you have been born again to a living hope—a hope which nothing can ever spoil and that no one can ever take from you (John 10:28).
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?
Future Glory
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time nare not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for othe revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation pwas subjected to futility, not willingly, but qbecause of him who subjected it, in hope 21that rthe creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that sthe whole creation thas been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have uthe firstfruits of the Spirit, vgroan inwardly as wwe wait eagerly for adoption as sons, xthe redemption of our bodies. 24For yin this hope we were saved. Now zhope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we await for it with patience.
26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For bwe do not know what to pray for as we ought, but cthe Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And dhe who searches hearts knows what is ethe mind of the Spirit, because7 the Spirit fintercedes for the saints gaccording to the will of God. 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together hfor good,8 for ithose who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he jforeknew he also kpredestined lto be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be mthe firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also njustified, and those whom he justified he also oglorified.
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.
Always Giving
God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Our Lord Jesus is always giving and does not for a single moment withdraw His hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be withheld. He is an ever-shining sun; He is manna in unfailing supply; He is a rock in the desert, sending constant streams of life from His pierced side; the rain of His grace is always falling; the river of His bounty is ever-flowing, and the wellspring of His love is a constant tide.
As the King can never die, so His grace can never fail. Every day we pluck His fruit, and every day His branches bend down to our hand with a fresh supply of mercy. There are seven feast-days in His weeks, and as many banquets in His years. Who has ever returned from His door unblessed? Who has ever risen from His table unsatisfied? His mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening. Who can calculate the number of His benefits or value the extent of His provision? Every passing day we are the beneficiaries of a myriad of mercies.
The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of His kindness and with the yellow gold of His affection. The river of time bears from the mountains of eternity the golden sands of His favor. The countless stars serve as the standard bearers of incalculable blessings. Who can measure the benefits that He bestows on His servant or recount the extent of His mercies toward His own? How shall my soul extol Him who loads us with daily benefits, and who crowns us with loving-kindness? O that my praise could be as endless as His provision. O miserable tongue, how can you be silent? Wake up, I pray, lest I call you no more my glory, but my shame. “Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn.”1
1) Psalm 57:8
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 May 16
Baal Worship at Peor
1While Israel lived in eShittim, fthe people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2gThese invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 4And the Lord said to Moses, h“Take all the chiefs of the people and ihang1 them in the sun before the Lord, jthat the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5And Moses said to kthe judges of Israel, l“Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were mweeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7nWhen Phinehas othe son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9Nevertheless, pthose who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
The Zeal of Phinehas
10And the Lord said to Moses, 11“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he qwas jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in rmy jealousy. 12Therefore say, s‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13and it shall be to him and to this descendants after him the covenant of ua perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
14The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites. 15And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of vZur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian.
16And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17w“Harass the Midianites and strike them down, 18for they have harassed you with their xwiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of yPeor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”
God Shall Scatter His Enemies
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1eGod shall arise, his enemies shall be fscattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2As gsmoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
has wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3But ithe righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4Sing to God, jsing praises to his name;
klift up a song to him who lrides through mthe deserts;
his name is nthe Lord;
exult before him!
5oFather of the fatherless and pprotector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6God qsettles the solitary in a home;
he rleads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but sthe rebellious dwell in ta parched land.
7O God, when you uwent out before your people,
vwhen you marched through wthe wilderness, Selah
8xthe earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God,1 the God of Israel.
9yRain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10your flock2 found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you zprovided for the needy.
11The Lord gives athe word;
bthe women who announce the news are a great host:
12c“The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home ddivide the spoil—
13though you men lie among ethe sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on fZalmon.
15O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked3 mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God gdesired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17hThe chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18iYou ascended on high,
jleading a host of captives in your train
and kreceiving gifts among men,
even among lthe rebellious, mthat the Lord God may dwell there.
19Blessed be the Lord,
who daily nbears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20Our God is a God of salvation,
oand to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21pBut God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22The Lord said,
“I will bring them back qfrom Bashan,
rI will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23that you may sstrike your feet in their blood,
that tthe tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24Your procession is4 seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25uthe singers in front, vthe musicians last,
between them wvirgins playing tambourines:
26x“Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you5 who are of yIsrael's fountain!”
27There is zBenjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of aZebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall cbear gifts to you.
30Rebuke dthe beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of ebulls with the calves of the peoples.
fTrample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.7
31Nobles shall come from gEgypt;
hCush shall hasten to istretch out her hands to God.
32jO kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33to him kwho rides in lthe heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he msends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34nAscribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose opower is in pthe skies.
35qAwesome is God from his8 rsanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives spower and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
An Oracle Concerning Moab
Because gAr of Moab is laid waste in a night,
Moab is undone;
because hKir of Moab is laid waste in a night,
Moab is undone.
2He has gone up to the temple,1 and to iDibon,
to the high places2 to weep;
Moab kwails.
On every head is lbaldness;
every beard is shorn;
3in the streets they wear sackcloth;
on the housetops and in the squares
everyone wails and melts in tears.
4mHeshbon and mElealeh cry out;
their voice is heard as far as nJahaz;
therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud;
his soul trembles.
5My heart cries out for Moab;
her fugitives flee to Zoar,
to nEglath-shelishiyah.
For at the oascent of Luhith
they go up weeping;
on the road to oHoronaim
they raise a cry of destruction;
6the waters of pNimrim
are a desolation;
the grass is withered, the vegetation fails,
the greenery is no more.
7qTherefore the abundance they have gained
and what they have laid up
they carry away
over the Brook of the Willows.
8For a cry has gone
around the land of Moab;
her wailing reaches to Eglaim;
her wailing reaches to Beer-elim.
9For the waters of rDibon3 are full of blood;
for I will bring upon Dibon even more,
sa lion for those of Moab who escape,
for the remnant of the land.
Wives and Husbands
1Likewise, wives, kbe subject to your own husbands, so that leven if some do not obey the word, mthey may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2when they see your nrespectful and pure conduct. 3oDo not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4but let your adorning be pthe hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, qcalling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and rdo not fear anything that is frightening.
7Likewise, shusbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker tvessel, since they are heirs with you1 of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Suffering for Righteousness' Sake
8Finally, all of you, uhave unity of mind, sympathy, vbrotherly love, wa tender heart, and xa humble mind. 9yDo not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, zbless, for ato this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10For
b“Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
11let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13Now cwho is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14dBut even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. eHave no fear of them, fnor be troubled, 15but gin your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, halways being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and irespect, 16jhaving a good conscience, so that, kwhen you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17For lit is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18For Christ also msuffered2 nonce for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, othat he might bring us to God, being put to death pin the flesh but made alive qin the spirit, 19in which3 he went and qproclaimed4 to the spirits in prison, 20because5 they formerly did not obey, rwhen God's patience waited in the days of Noah, swhile the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, teight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, unow saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but vas an appeal to God for a good conscience, wthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and xis at the right hand of God, ywith angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Get the Program, Devotional, and Bible Reading Plan delivered daily right to your inbox.