Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
You may have heard the often-repeated phrase “God is good all the time.” But what happens when life seems to tell a different story? If that’s true for you, you’re not alone! So how should you respond? Find out on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
“Only Her Lips Moved”
1 Samuel 1:3–18 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 37:19 • ID: 3342
In Harmony With God’s Plan
Even prophets sometimes have a lot to learn.
After his time in the belly of the fish, Jonah was no longer disobedient, but he was perplexed in his obedience, wrestling still with God’s sovereign grace. Although, having initially sought to run away from God’s purposes for him, Jonah had gone where he’d been told to go and had said what he’d been told to say, he was by no means in harmony with God’s gracious plan for Nineveh. Revival had broken out in a city that had been completely hardened to the God of Israel—and the prophet of God responded in anger towards his God!
Yet even though Jonah was churlish and narrow-minded and responded wrongly to God’s kindness, God didn’t write him off. He had already provided a large fish to save Jonah from disobedience; He could justifiably have provided a large lion to eat him too! But He didn’t, because He is gracious and compassionate. He treated Jonah with patience and kindness to bring him to the realization that what was wrong, more than any other thing, was his attitude.
Jonah’s reaction to the Ninevites’ repentance was strange for a preacher. We may have expected him to be grateful that God chose not to cast him off but to give him the privilege of being used in His service. Instead the city’s repentance “displeased Jonah exceedingly.” A literal translation of this verse takes it a step further: “It was evil to Jonah, a great evil.” The absence of the calamity that he expected—a judgment which he thought and hoped would come upon Nineveh—proved to be a calamity in his own heart and mind.
Unpalatable though it sounds, we may see our attitudes and reactions reflected in Jonah’s. We may go where we’re told to go, we may say what we’re told to say, we may externally conform to all that God has called us to do… and yet, at the very core of our lives, we may not really be in harmony with how His plan is unfolding. We may long for judgment to fall rather than mercy to be extended. We may chafe against God blessing others in ways that He has not blessed us or blessing others without them showing the commitment to His mission that we think we have displayed. We may find ourselves telling God how He ought to arrange things in His world.
What will bring us into line with His compassion and send us joyfully on His mission? Simply this: to understand that we are no better than anyone else—no less deserving of His wrath and no more deserving of His kindness. As it demonstrates the mercy of God, the cross humbles our hearts and fills them with the same compassion and grace that took His Son to Calvary. Are you struggling to live with such compassion toward others? Gaze at the cross and ask the Lord to teach you what Jonah also needed to learn.
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?
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.
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.
Stone or Flesh?
And I will give you a new heart … A heart of flesh.
A “heart of flesh” is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have indulged a foul imagination or to have allowed a wild desire to linger even for a moment is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but not so the heart of flesh.
If to the right or left I stray,
That moment, Lord, reprove;
And let me weep my life away,
For having grieved Thy love.
The heart of flesh is tender to God's will. Unlike a strong heart that refuses to bow before God's dictates, when the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven and bows like a willow in every breeze of God's Spirit. The natural will is cold, hard iron, which refuses to be hammered into form, but the renewed will, like molten metal, is quickly molded by the hand of grace. In the fleshy heart there is a tenderness of the affections. The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection toward Him.
The hard heart is selfish and coldly demands, “Why should I weep for sin? Why should I love the Lord?” But the heart of flesh says, “Lord, You know that I love You; help me to love You more!” There are many privileges of this renewed heart. It is here the Spirit dwells; it is here that Jesus lives. It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it. It is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honor and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it. A tender heart is the best defense against sin and the best preparation for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its watchtower looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Do you have this heart of flesh?
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 15
1 Samuel 5
The Philistines and the Ark
1When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from qEbenezer to rAshdod. 2Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside sDagon. 3And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, tDagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, uand the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon vdo not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6wThe hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with xtumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” 8So they sent and gathered together all ythe lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. 9But after they had brought it around, zthe hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that xtumors broke out on them. 10So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” 11yThey sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. wThe hand of God was very heavy there. 12The men who did not die were struck with xtumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
1 Samuel 6
The Ark Returned to Israel
1The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2And the Philistines called for the priests and athe diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” 3They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him ba guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why chis hand does not turn away from you.” 4And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden dtumors and five golden mice, eaccording to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5So you must make images of your dtumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, fand give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps ghe will lighten his hand from off you hand your gods and your land. 6Why should you harden your hearts as ithe Egyptians and jPharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, kdid they not send the people away, and they departed? 7Now then, take and prepare la new cart and two milk cows mon which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. 8And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side nthe figures of gold, which you are returning to him as ba guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to oBeth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not phis hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”
10The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. 11And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12And the cows went straight in the direction of qBeth-shemesh along rone highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of qBeth-shemesh. 13Now the people of qBeth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. sA great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon sthe great stone. And the men of qBeth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. 16And when tthe five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.
17These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a uguilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, 18and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, vboth fortified cities and unwalled villages. wThe great stone beside which they set down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
19xAnd he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them,1 and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, y“Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of zKiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”
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.
Death in Adam, Life in Christ
12Therefore, just as tsin came into the world through one man, and udeath through sin, and vso death spread to all men5 because wall sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but xsin is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not ylike the transgression of Adam, zwho was a type of athe one who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for bmany. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For cthe judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought djustification. 17For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness ereign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18Therefore, as one trespass6 led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness7 leads to justification and life for fall men. 19For as by the one man's gdisobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's hobedience the many will be made righteous. 20Now ithe law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, jgrace abounded all the more, 21so that, kas sin reigned in death, lgrace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jeremiah Taken to Egypt
1When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord their God, with which the Lord their God had sent him to them, 2Azariah the son of lHoshaiah and mJohanan the son of Kareah and nall the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, o‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,’ 3but pBaruch the son of Neriah qhas set you against us, rto deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.” 4So mJohanan the son of Kareah and all sthe commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. 5But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took tall the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven— 6uthe men, the women, the children, vthe princesses, and every person whom wNebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with xGedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. 7And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at yTahpanhes.
8Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in yTahpanhes: 9“Take in your hands large stones and hide them in the mortar in the pavement that is at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in yTahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah, 10and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, zmy servant, aand I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them. 11He shall come band strike the land of Egypt, cgiving over to the pestilence those who are doomed to the pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword those who are doomed to the sword. 12dI shall kindle a fire ein the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them fand carry them away captive. gAnd he shall clean the land of Egypt gas a shepherd cleans his cloak of vermin, and he shall go away from there in peace. 13He shall break the hobelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt, eand the temples of the gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.’”
The Law of the Lord Is Perfect
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1iThe heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above1 proclaims his handiwork.
2Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4jTheir kvoice2 goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for lthe sun,
5mwhich comes out like na bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7oThe law of the Lord is perfect,3
previving the soul;
qthe testimony of the Lord is rsure,
8uthe precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is vpure,
wenlightening the eyes;
9the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules4 of the Lord are xtrue,
and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than ygold,
even much zfine gold;
asweeter also than honey
and drippings of bthe honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
cin keeping them there is great reward.
12dWho can discern his errors?
eDeclare me innocent from fhidden faults.
13gKeep back your servant also from hpresumptuous sins;
let them not have idominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
Get the Program, Devotional, and Bible Reading Plan delivered daily right to your inbox.