Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
How did Jesus remain peaceful, loving, and pure while living in a broken world? And how can we think like Him? Explore the answers along with Alistair Begg as he teaches us how to think about the right things in the right way. That’s on Truth For Life.
From the Sermon
Thinking Like Christ
Philippians 4:4–9 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 23:01 • ID: 2925
A Great Lie About the Christian Life
There is a great lie about the gospel that is common in our culture and that sometimes we, as churches and individual believers, help to promote. The fatal fabrication is this: Coming to Jesus and believing the gospel means no more fun. The Christian life is a dull life, a lesser life—a disappointing life, even. Thank God, nothing could be further from the truth!
Scripture describes God as a Father who gives good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11), and as the one who “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” and who will refuse “no good thing” to “those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). We must be clear: the testimony of Scripture does not suggest that we can do whatever we want, nor does it imply that God will give us whatever we want. It does, however, repeatedly tell us that we have a generous Father who wants His children to enjoy His many blessings.
Paul’s first letter to his protégé Timothy declares that “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5). So the Christian standard is not one of austerity or asceticism, nor consumption or consumerism. No, we are guided by God’s word to set our hopes on God and to enjoy all He gives us as good gifts from Him. This approach to life leads us to a wellspring of unending joy.
Inevitably, this revelation of our Father’s character as the great Giver and our greatest treasure will lead us to a different kind of lifestyle than those of many of our neighbors. As we learn that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), we don’t quite keep as much to ourselves. As we realize that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6), we don’t require the latest gadget or shiniest car to temporarily boost our happiness.
The Christian life is not drab, nor dull, nor ever pale. While our faith may lead us to forgo certain creature comforts in this life, untold riches await all who give their lives to Jesus. And what’s more, those riches in heaven stretch back from heaven to bless us now with supernatural peace and sturdy joy as we delight in good gifts from our heavenly Father’s hand. Be sure not to believe the lie that a life following Jesus gives you less than you would otherwise have enjoyed. Be sure not to promote that falsehood to those around you, either.
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 Thessalonians' Faith and Example
2dWe give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly1 ementioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before four God and Father gyour work of faith and labor of hlove and isteadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, jbrothers2 loved by God, kthat he has chosen you, 5because lour gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and min the Holy Spirit and with full nconviction. You know owhat kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And pyou became imitators of us qand of the Lord, for ryou received the word in much affliction, swith the tjoy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord usounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth veverywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of wreception we had among you, and how xyou turned to God yfrom idols to serve the living and ztrue God, 10and ato wait for his Son bfrom heaven, cwhom he raised from the dead, Jesus dwho delivers us from ethe wrath to come.
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.
Made Perfect in Weakness
“For my power is made perfect in weakness.”
A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches out to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, “I know that I will overcome—my own ability and my self-confidence will be enough for victory,” defeat is staring him in the face.
God will not enable the man who marches in his own strength. He who reckons on victory by such means has reckoned wrongly, for “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”1
Those who go out to fight, boasting of their ability, will return with their banners trailing in the dust and their armor stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way and in His strength, or He will never accept their service.
Whatever a man does, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casts away; He will only reap corn the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love.
God will empty out all that you have before He will put His own into you; He will first clean out your granaries before He will fill them with the finest of wheat.
The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength that He Himself imparts.
Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give you victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and you are being humbled to prepare you for being lifted up.
When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song.
1) Zechariah 4:6
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 November 4
Hoshea Reigns in Israel
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, xHoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. 2And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. 3yAgainst him came up zShalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. 4But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. 5Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.
The Fall of Israel
6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria acaptured Samaria, band he carried the Israelites away to Assyria cand placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of dGozan, and in the cities of ethe Medes.
Exile Because of Idolatry
7And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, fwho had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8gand walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, hand in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. 9And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, ifrom watchtower to fortified city. 10They set up for themselves jpillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger, 12and they served idols, kof which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” 13Yet the Lord lwarned Israel and Judah mby every prophet nand every seer, saying, o“Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”
14But they would not listen, pbut were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15They despised his statutes qand his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after rfalse idols sand became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the tLord had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of utwo calves; and they vmade an Asherah and wworshiped all the host of heaven and served xBaal. 17yAnd they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings1 and used zdivination and aomens and bsold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 18Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but cthe tribe of Judah only.
19dJudah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced. 20And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them eand gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
21fWhen he had torn Israel from the house of David, gthey made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord hand made them commit great sin. 22The people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam did. They did not depart from them, 23until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, ias he had spoken by all his servants the prophets. jSo Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.
Assyria Resettles Samaria
24kAnd the king of Assyria brought people from lBabylon, Cuthah, mAvva, nHamath, and oSepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the Lord. Therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.” 27Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him2 go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land.” 28So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in pBethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them qin the shrines of the high places that the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities in which they lived. 30The men of rBabylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites sburned their children in the fire to tAdrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of uSepharvaim. 32vThey also feared the Lord wand appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of xthe high places. 33So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
34To this day they do according to the former manner. They do not fear the Lord, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, ywhom he named Israel. 35The Lord made a covenant with them and commanded them, z“You shall not fear other gods aor bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, 36but byou shall fear the Lord, cwho brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and dwith an outstretched arm. You shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you shall sacrifice. 37And the statutes and the rules and the law and the commandment that he wrote for you, eyou shall always be careful to do. zYou shall not fear other gods, 38and fyou shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. zYou shall not fear other gods, 39but byou shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.” 40However, they would not listen, but they did according to their former manner.
41gSo these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day.
Be Ready for Every Good Work
1Remind them xto be submissive to rulers and authorities, yto be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2zto speak evil of no one, ato avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and bto show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3For cwe ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4But when dthe goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, enot because of works done by us in righteousness, but faccording to his own mercy, by gthe washing of regeneration and hrenewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he ipoured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that jbeing justified by his grace we might become kheirs laccording to the hope of eternal life. 8The saying is mtrustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful nto devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9But oavoid foolish pcontroversies, qgenealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for rthey are unprofitable and worthless. 10As for a person who stirs up division, safter warning him once and then twice, thave nothing more to do with him, 11knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
Final Instructions and Greetings
12When I send Artemas or uTychicus to you, do your best to come to me vat Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and wApollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14And let our people learn xto devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not ybe unfruitful.
15All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
zGrace be with you all.
1qIsrael is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
rthe more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
2Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord1 will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars.
3For now they will say:
s“We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord;
and a king—what could he do for us?”
4They utter tmere words;
with empty2 oaths they make covenants;
so ujudgment springs up like poisonous weeds
vin the furrows of the field.
5The inhabitants of Samaria tremble
Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests—
those who rejoiced over it and yover its glory—
for it has departed4 from them.
6zThe thing itself shall be carried to Assyria
as tribute to athe great king.5
Ephraim shall be put to shame,
and Israel shall be ashamed bof his idol.6
7cSamaria's king shall perish
like a twig on the face of the waters.
8The high places of xAven, dthe sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
eThorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars,
and fthey shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,”
and to the hills, “Fall on us.”
9From gthe days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel;
there they have continued.
Shall not the war against the unjust7 overtake them in Gibeah?
10hWhen I please, iI will discipline them,
and nations shall be gathered against them
when they are bound up for jtheir double iniquity.
11Ephraim was a trained calf
that kloved to thresh,
and I spared her fair neck;
but I will put lEphraim to the yoke;
lJudah must plow;
Jacob must harrow for himself.
12mSow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
nbreak up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and orain righteousness upon you.
13pYou have plowed iniquity;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
and in the multitude of your warriors,
14therefore qthe tumult of war shall arise among your people,
and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,
as rShalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;
smothers were dashed in pieces with their children.
15Thus it shall be done to you, O tBethel,
because of your great evil.
At dawn athe king of Israel
shall be utterly cut off.
Psalm 129
They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth
A Song of mAscents.
1“Greatly1 have they pafflicted me qfrom my youth”—
rlet Israel now say—
2“Greatly have they pafflicted me qfrom my youth,
syet they have not prevailed against me.
3tThe plowers plowed uupon my back;
they made long their furrows.”
4The Lord is righteous;
he has cut vthe cords of the wicked.
5May all who hate Zion
be wput to shame and turned backward!
6Let them be like xthe grass on the housetops,
which ywithers before it grows up,
7with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8nor do those who pass by say,
a“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bbless you in the name of the Lord!”
Psalm 130
My Soul Waits for the Lord
A Song of mAscents.
1Out of cthe depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2O Lord, hear my voice!
dLet your ears be attentive
to ethe voice of my pleas for mercy!
3If you, O Lord, should fmark iniquities,
O Lord, who could gstand?
4But with you there is hforgiveness,
ithat you may be feared.
5I jwait for the Lord, kmy soul waits,
and lin his word I hope;
6my soul mwaits for the Lord
more than nwatchmen for othe morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7O Israel, phope in the Lord!
For qwith the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8And he will rredeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Psalm 131
I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul
A Song of mAscents. Of David.
1O Lord, my heart is not slifted up;
my eyes are not traised too high;
I do not uoccupy myself with things
too great and vtoo marvelous for me.
2But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned wchild with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3xO Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
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