Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Washing our hands is necessary even if they appear clean, because harmful bacteria are invisible to the naked eye. Regular spiritual cleansing is similarly necessary if we’re going to submit to our all-knowing God. Hear more on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Submitting to God — Part Two
James 4:7–10 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 31:35 • ID: 2592
Theology for Life
Paul’s beliefs were forged in the furnace of life. When his legs were virtually cut out from underneath him, he learned all the more that God is in control.
It was during Paul’s two-year imprisonment in Rome that he wrote letters to the Ephesian, Philippian, and Colossian churches and to his friend Philemon. It was during this season of suffering that God encouraged him to write of Jesus, “In him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). When he wrote to the Ephesians, he urged them to see that God, who is sovereign over all, has put all things under Jesus’ feet (Ephesians 1:22). These truths were not just theoretical. Paul relied upon them during the most difficult seasons of his life.
Paul’s experiences doubtless helped him to understand more deeply that he needed the gospel not just for salvation but for all of life. We, too, need the gospel daily—the good news that Jesus died in the place of sinners, that He was raised for our justification, and that He sent the Spirit to sanctify us and to fill us. The gospel creates within us a confident anticipation of the return of Jesus. It causes us to view the world from a heavenly perspective.
John Stott, who was unparalleled in his ability to synthesize and succinctly condense vast amounts of material, summarized the impact of Paul’s imprisonment upon his theology in this way: “Paul’s perspective was adjusted, his horizon extended, his vision clarified and his witness enriched.”[1] His chains did not become an occasion for disappointment or regret. Rather, his trials, which kept him in a state of weakness and dependency upon God, altered his perspective and shed light on the horizon. He was able to stand before a Roman governor, a king, and a queen, and say, What you have you cannot keep. What I have I cannot lose. I wish you could become like me—a sinner saved by grace, an heir to eternal life. I would not like for you to share my chains, but I would love for you to share my faith.
Paul experienced the very truth that he had written to the Romans years earlier: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). This was so not only for Paul but is also true for all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Are you facing a discouraging trial? Take courage! You have all you truly need, and you cannot lose it. All the riches and comfort that this world can offer do not compare to what you have in the gospel—“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Christian theology is not for an ivory tower but for the prison cell, for the trials. Let the truths of the gospel strengthen your soul and shape your perspective as you cling to the hope that Christ has purchased for 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?
Paul's Defense Before Agrippa
1So lAgrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today magainst all the accusations of the Jews, 3especially because you are familiar with all the ncustoms and ocontroversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4p“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among qmy own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that raccording to the strictest sparty of our treligion I have lived as ua Pharisee. 6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in vthe promise made by God to our fathers, 7wto which xour twelve tribes hope to yattain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope zI am accused by Jews, O king! 8Why is it thought aincredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9b“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of cJesus of Nazareth. 10dAnd I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority efrom the chief priests, but fwhen they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11And gI punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them hblaspheme, and iin raging fury against them I jpersecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12“In this connection kI journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me lin the Hebrew language,1 ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16But rise and mstand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, nto appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17odelivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—pto whom I qam sending you 18rto open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from sthe power of Satan to God, that they may receive tforgiveness of sins and ua place among those who are sanctified vby faith in me.’
19“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to wthe heavenly vision, 20but declared first xto those in Damascus, ythen in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also zto the Gentiles, that they should arepent and bturn to God, performing deeds cin keeping with their repentance. 21For this reason dthe Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22eTo this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so fI stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what gthe prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23hthat the Christ imust suffer and that, jby being the first kto rise from the dead, lhe would proclaim mlight both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, nyou are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, omost excellent Festus, but I am speaking ptrue and qrational words. 26For rthe king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be sa Christian?”2 29And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day tmight become such as I am—except for uthese chains.”
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.
Divine Guidance
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
The psalmist felt his need of divine guidance. He had just been discovering the foolishness of his own heart, and to prevent himself from being constantly led astray by it, he resolved that God’s counsel should be his guide. A sense of our own folly is a great step toward being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. The blind man leans on his friend’s arm and reaches his home in safety, and likewise we should give ourselves up implicitly to divine guidance, without doubting, assured that even though we cannot see, it is always safe to trust the All-seeing God. “You will” is a blessed expression of confidence. He was sure that the Lord would not neglect the necessary task.
Here is a word for you, believer; rest in it. Be sure that God will be your counselor and friend; He will guide you; He will direct all your ways. In His written Word you have this assurance fulfilled in part, for Holy Scripture is His “counsel” to you. We are happy to have God’s Word as our constant guide! What is the sailor without his compass? And what is the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the harbor of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows the way.
O God we bless You, that we may trust You to guide us now, and even to the end! After this guidance through life, the psalmist anticipates a divine reception—“and afterward . . . receive me to glory.” What a thought for you, believer! God Himself will receive you in glory—you! Though you are wandering, erring, straying, still He will bring you safe at last to glory! This is your portion; live on it today, and if perplexities should surround you, go in the strength of this text straight to the throne.
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 September 1
The Death of Samuel
1uNow Samuel died. And all Israel assembled vand mourned for him, and they buried him win his house at xRamah.
David and Abigail
Then David rose and went down to ythe wilderness of Paran. 2And there was a man in zMaon whose business was in aCarmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. bHe was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; che was a Calebite. 4David heard in the wilderness that Nabal bwas shearing his sheep. 5So David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. 6And thus you shall greet him: d‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 7I hear that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, eand they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. 8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come fon a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”
9When David's young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. 10And Nabal answered David's servants, g“Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? hThere are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. 11Shall I take imy bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to jmen who come from I do not know where?” 12So David's young men turned away and came back and told him all this. 13And David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!” And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And kabout four hundred men went up after David, kwhile two hundred lremained with the baggage.
14But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. 15Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, nand we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. 16They were oa wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, pfor harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such qa worthless man that one cannot speak to him.”
18Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs1 of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. 19And she said to her young men, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. 21Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, rso that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has sreturned me evil for good. 22tGod do so to the enemies of David2 and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”
23When Abigail saw David, she hurried uand got down from the donkey vand fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. 24She fell at his feet and said, w“On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. 25Let not my lord regard qthis worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal3 is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26Now then, my lord, xas the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because ythe Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from zsaving with your own hand, now then alet your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. 27And now let this bpresent that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord ca sure house, because my lord dis fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. 29If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies ehe shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 30And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince4 over Israel, 31my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord zworking salvation himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.”
32And David said to Abigail, f“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, ywho have kept me this day from bloodguilt zand from working salvation with my own hand! 34For as surely gas the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, ywho has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.” 35Then David received from her hand what she had brought him. And he said to her, h“Go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition.”
36And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, ihe was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart jwas merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing kat all until the morning light. 37In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38And about ten days later lthe Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
39When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, f“Blessed be the Lord who has mavenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, nand has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. oThe Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent and pspoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 40When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” 41And she rose qand bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
43David also took Ahinoam of rJezreel, sand both of them became his wives. 44Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.
Lawsuits Against Believers
1When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous rinstead of the saints? 2Or do you not know that sthe saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4So if you have such cases, twhy do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5uI say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. vWhy not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even wyour own brothers!1
9Or do you not know that the unrighteous2 will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: xneither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,3 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And ysuch were some of you. But zyou were washed, ayou were sanctified, byou were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Flee Sexual Immorality
12c“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13d“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one eand the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but ffor the Lord, and gthe Lord for the body. 14And hGod raised the Lord and iwill also raise us up jby his power. 15Do you not know that kyour bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined4 to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, l“The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord mbecomes one spirit with him. 18nFlee from sexual immorality. Every other sin5 a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person osins against his own body. 19Or pdo you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? qYou are not your own, 20rfor you were bought with a price. sSo glorify God in your body.
The Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized
1“And you, rson of man, stake a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem. 2tAnd put siegeworks against it, uand build a siege wall against it, vand cast up a mound against it. Set camps also against it, wand plant battering rams against it all around. 3And you, take an iron griddle, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; xand set your face toward it, yand let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is za sign for the house of Israel.
4“Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment1 of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, ayou shall bear their punishment. 5For I assign to you a number of days, b390 days, cequal to the number of the years of their punishment. aSo long shall you bear dthe punishment of the house of Israel. 6And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and ebear fthe punishment of the house of Judah. gForty days I assign you, a day for each year. 7hAnd you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, iwith your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city. 8And behold, jI will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed kthe days of your siege.
9“And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer,2 and put them into a single vessel and make your lbread from them. mDuring the number of days that you lie on your side, n390 days, you shall eat it. 10And your food that you eat shall be oby weight, ptwenty shekels3 a day; from day to day4 you shall eat it. 11And water you shall drink oby measure, the sixth part of a hin;5 from day to day you shall drink. 12And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it qin their sight on human dung.” 13And the Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat rtheir bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.” 14Then I said, s“Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never defiled myself.6 tFrom my youth up till now I have never eaten uwhat died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has vtainted meat come into my mouth.” 15Then he said to me, “See, I assign to you cow's dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.” 16Moreover, he said to me, w“Son of man, behold, xI will break the supply7 of bread in Jerusalem. They shall eat bread oby weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water oby measure and in dismay. 17I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and ylook at one another in dismay, and zrot away because of their punishment.
Psalm 40
My Help and My Deliverer
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1I uwaited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and vheard my cry.
2He drew me up from wthe pit of destruction,
out of xthe miry bog,
and yset my feet upon a rock,
zmaking my steps secure.
3He put aa new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will bsee and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
4Blessed is the man who cmakes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who dgo astray after a lie!
5You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your ewondrous deeds and your fthoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are gmore than can be told.
6hIn sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open iear.1
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written jof me:
8kI delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is lwithin my heart.”
9I have told the glad news of deliverance2
in mthe great congregation;
behold, I have not nrestrained my lips,
oas you know, O Lord.
10I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your psteadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
12For evils have qencompassed me
beyond number;
my riniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot ssee;
they are tmore than the hairs of my head;
my heart ufails me.
13vBe pleased, O Lord, to wdeliver me!
O Lord, xmake haste to help me!
14yLet those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be zturned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
15Let those be appalled because of their shame
who asay to me, “Aha, Aha!”
16But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
bsay continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17As for me, I am cpoor and needy,
but dthe Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
Psalm 41
O Lord, Be Gracious to Me
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1eBlessed is the one who considers the poor!1
fIn the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you gdo not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.2
4As for me, I said, “O Lord, hbe gracious to me;
iheal me,3 for I have sinned against you!”
5My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6And when one comes to see me, jhe utters empty words,
while his heart gathers iniquity;
when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.4
8They say, “A deadly thing is poured out5 on him;
he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9Even my kclose friend in whom I trusted,
who late my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!
11By this I know that myou delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12But nyou have upheld me because of omy integrity,
and pset me in your presence qforever.
13rBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.
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