Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
It’s hard to imagine how getting thrown overboard and swallowed by a fish could be an opportunity for good! That’s exactly what happened to Jonah, though. Hear God’s surprising response to Jonah’s prayer when you listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Salvation Comes from the Lord
Jonah 2:1–10 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 40:53 • ID: 2172
The Attitude That Fosters Unity
A church is—or should be—a collection of very different people, with different backgrounds, personalities, and experiences. Yet we are also “all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). If that truth is to be an experiential reality rather than a mere slogan, it is vitally important that we pay attention to what the Bible has to say concerning the kind of attitude that will foster unity. Fundamentally, Paul shows us, harmony is won through focusing our attention on the humility of the Son of God.
Paul provides us with the theological underpinnings that will give rise to humility by telling us how Jesus humbled Himself: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God…” Jesus is eternally, totally God. There was never a time when He was not God. By starting here, Paul makes the extent of Christ’s humility most apparent. For, although Jesus is fully God, He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” “The highest place that heav’n affords is His by sovereign right,”[1] but He had a greater priority than His own uninterrupted glory: to deliberately and voluntarily set aside the prerogatives which were His as God’s equal. Not only that, but Jesus further humbled Himself by making Himself nothing. He did so not by the subtraction of divinity but by the addition of humanity, “taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” He became as much an earthly servant as He had been the heavenly sovereign.
But even then, His humiliation was not yet complete. He further humbled Himself by “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He chose to be born as a baby, to live as a man, to suffer as an outcast, and to die as a criminal. He exchanged the homage of angels for the hatred of men. Do you realize how distinctive this is in the panorama of world religions? There is nothing like this anywhere else!
At first sight, these details of Jesus’ humility may appear to constitute nothing other than impractical, arms-length theology. In fact, though, His humility is transformative for our everyday attitudes and actions within our church families. For, as we see this amazing and unfathomable reality of the Creator of the universe coming down to this world, taking the same humanity that we have, walking with us, and hitting the dusty earth, all for us, we see how we are called to view our fellow believers. “Have this mind among yourselves,” God’s word commands us. How can you look to the needs of others? How can you think more of them than of yourself? How will that mindset inform the prayers and practical details of your day?
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?
The Sin of Partiality
1My brothers,1 wshow no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, xthe Lord of glory. 2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” ywhile you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become zjudges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brothers, ahas not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be brich in faith and heirs of cthe kingdom, dwhich he has promised to those who love 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.
Know Your Enemies
Watchman, what time of the night?
What enemies are around? Errors abound, and new ones appear every hour: Against what heresy am I to be on my guard? Sins creep from their lurking places when the darkness reigns; I need to climb the watchtower and give myself to prayer. Our heavenly Protector anticipated all the attacks that are about to be made upon us, and when the evil designed for us is still in the desire of Satan, He prays for us that our faith will not fail when we are sifted as wheat. Continue then, gracious Watchman, to warn us of our foes, and for Zion’s sake do not remain silent.
“Watchman, what time of the night?” What weather is coming for the Church? Are the clouds rolling in, or is it all clear and fair overhead? We must care for the Church of God with sincere and thoughtful love; and now that empty religion and irreligion both threaten, let us observe the signs of the times and prepare for conflict.
“Watchman, what time of the night?” What stars are visible? What precious promises are relevant to our circumstances? You sound the alarm and also give us the consolation. Christ, like the North Star, is always fixed in His place, and all the stars are secure in the right hand of their Lord.
But, watchman, when comes the morning? The Bridegroom delays. Are there no signs of His appearing as the Sun of Righteousness? Hasn’t the morning star arisen as the pledge of day? When will the day dawn and the shadows flee away? O Jesus, if You don’t come in person to Your waiting Church today, still come in Spirit to my sighing heart, and make it sing for joy.
Now all the earth is bright and glad
With the fresh morn;
But all my heart is cold, and dark and sad:
Sun of the soul, let me behold Thy dawn!
Come, Jesus, Lord,
O quickly come, according to Thy word.
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 6
Israel's War with the Tribe of Benjamin
1Then yall the people of Israel came out, zfrom Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at aMizpah. 2And the bchiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot cthat drew the sword. 3(Now the people of Benjamin heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this evil happen?” 4And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, d“I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5eAnd the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. 6fSo I took hold of my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed abomination and goutrage in Israel. 7Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, hgive your advice and counsel here.”
8And all the people arose as one man, saying, “None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, 10and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel.” 11So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.
12iAnd the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What evil is this that has taken place among you? 13Now therefore give up the men, jthe worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death kand purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. 14Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. 15And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day l26,000 men mwho drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. 16Among all these were 700 chosen men who were nleft-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. 17And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered m400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
18The people of Israel arose and went up to oBethel and inquired of God, p“Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, p“Judah shall go up first.”
19Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. 20And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. 21qThe people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. 22But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. 23rAnd the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord, “Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.”
24So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. 25And Benjamin swent against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who tdrew the sword. 26Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to uBethel and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord v(for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28and wPhinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, xministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”
29ySo Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. 30And the people of Israel went up against the people of Benjamin on the third day and set themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31And the people of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city. And as at other times they began to strike and kill some of the people in the highways, zone of which goes up to aBethel and the other to Gibeah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. 32And the people of Benjamin said, b“They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the people of Israel said, “Let us flee and draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and set themselves in array at Baal-tamar, and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place from Maareh-geba.1 34And there came against Gibeah 10,000 chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard, cbut the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. 35And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and the people of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day. All these were men who ddrew the sword. 36So the people of Benjamin saw that they were defeated.
The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37eThen the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, f“Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, gthe whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, hfor they saw that disaster was close upon them. 42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in ithe direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. 43Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah2 as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. 44Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. 45And they turned iand fled toward the wilderness to the rock of jRimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. 46So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. 47But 600 men turned and ifled toward the wilderness to the rock of jRimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.
Paul Before Felix at Caesarea
1And safter five days the high priest tAnanias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before uthe governor their case against Paul. 2And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:
“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, vmost excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4But, to detain1 you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5For we have found this man a plague, wone who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of xthe sect of the Nazarenes. 6yHe even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.2 8By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”
9The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.
10And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:
“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11You can verify that zit is not more than twelve days since I awent up bto worship in Jerusalem, 12and cthey did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13dNeither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14But this I confess to you, that according to ethe Way, which they call fa sect, gI worship hthe God of our fathers, believing everything ilaid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15jhaving ka hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be la resurrection mof both the just and the unjust. 16So I always ntake pains to have a oclear conscience toward both God and man. 17Now pafter several years qI came to bring alms to rmy nation and to present sofferings. 18While I was doing this, they found me tpurified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But usome Jews from Asia— 19vthey ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21other than this one thing wthat I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”
Paul Kept in Custody
22But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of xthe Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23Then he gave orders to the centurion that he yshould be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that znone of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
24After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about afaith bin Christ Jesus. 25And as he reasoned cabout righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. dWhen I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26At the same time he hoped ethat money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius fFestus. And gdesiring to do the Jews a favor, hFelix left Paul in prison.
Zedekiah to Die in Babylon
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when cNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army dand all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities: 2“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to eZedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: fBehold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. 3gYou shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. gYou shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’ 4Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! hThus says the Lord concerning you: h‘You shall not die by the sword. 5You shall die in peace. iAnd as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall jburn spices for you kand lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, declares the Lord.”
6Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, 7when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, lLachish and mAzekah, nfor these were the only ofortified cities of Judah that remained.
8The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah phad made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem qto make a proclamation of liberty to them, 9rthat everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, sso that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. 10And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. 11But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves rthey had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. 12The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 13“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when tI brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying, 14u‘At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; ryou must set him free from your service.’ But vyour fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. 15You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes qby proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and wyou made a covenant before me in the xhouse that is called by my name, 16but then you turned around yand profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, zwhom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.
17“Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me qby proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; abehold, I proclaim to you liberty bto the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord. cI will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of wthe covenant that they made before me, I will make them like1 dthe calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts— 19the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, ethe eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. 20And I will give them into the hand of their enemies fand into the hand of those who seek their lives. gTheir dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. 21And hZedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon iwhich has withdrawn from you. 22Behold, jI will command, declares the Lord, and will kbring them back to this city. kAnd they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. lI will make the cities of Judah a desolation mwithout inhabitant.”
Psalm 5
Lead Me in Your Righteousness
To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.
1Give ear to my words, O Lord;
consider my ugroaning.
2Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my vKing and my God,
for wto you do I pray.
3O Lord, in xthe morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you1 and ywatch.
4For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
5The zboastful shall not astand before your eyes;
you bhate all evildoers.
6You destroy those who speak clies;
the Lord abhors dthe bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will ebow down ftoward your gholy temple
in the fear of you.
8hLead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
imake your way straight before me.
9For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is jdestruction;
ktheir throat is lan open grave;
they mflatter with their tongue.
10nMake them bear their guilt, O God;
let them ofall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all who ptake refuge in you qrejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rexult in you.
12For you sbless the righteous, O Lord;
you tcover him with favor as with ua shield.
Psalm 6
O Lord, Deliver My Life
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to vThe Sheminith.1 A Psalm of David.
1O Lord, wrebuke me not in your anger,
nor xdiscipline me in your wrath.
2Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
yheal me, O Lord, zfor my bones are troubled.
3My asoul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—bhow long?
4Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5For in cdeath there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?
6I am dweary with my emoaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7My feye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.
8gDepart from me, all you hworkers of evil,
for the Lord ihas heard the sound of my weeping.
9The Lord has heard my jplea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall kturn back and be put to shame in a moment.
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