DRAWING NEAR
October 25
Heeding God's Warnings
"By [Thy judgments] Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there
is great reward" (Ps. 19:11).
Heeding God's warnings brings spiritual protection and great joy.
Psalm 19:11 concludes David's hymn on the sufficiency of Scripture.
How appropriate that it ends noting the value of God's warning,
because guarding His people against temptation, sin, error,
foolishness, false teachers, and every other threat to their
spiritual well-being is a major concern to God.
For example, God said to the prophet Ezekiel, "Now as for you, son of
man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you
will hear a message from My mouth, and give them warning from Me"
(Ezek. 33:7). The great tragedy of the Old Testament is that Israel
rejected God's "statutes and His covenants which He made with their
fathers, and His warnings with which He warned them" (2 Kings 17:15).
The apostle Paul defined his ministry as that of proclaiming Christ
and warning "every man and teaching every man with all wisdom" (Col.
1:28). After exhorting the Thessalonian church to maintain sexual
purity, Paul added, "The Lord is the avenger in all these things,
just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you" (1 Thess.
4:6).
He also warned the Ephesian church, saying, "I know that after my
departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be
on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three
years I did not cease to admonish [warn] each one with tears" (Acts
20:29-32). He did that by declaring to them the whole counsel of God
(v. 27).
The warnings of Scripture aren't intended to frustrate or stifle you.
On the contrary, when you heed them they shelter you from spiritual
harm and bring the joy of knowing you're in God's will. That's the
"great reward" David speaks of in Psalm 19:11. May you earn it as he
eventually did through heeding God's Word in every aspect of life.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Overwhelmed with the sufficiency of God's Word, David prayed, "Let
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in
Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer" (Ps. 19:14). Make that
your prayer as well.
For Further Study:
Reread Psalm 19:7-11, reviewing each characteristic and benefit of
Scripture. Think carefully about how they apply to your life.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Psalm 19:7-11
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony
of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The
commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of
the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them
there is great reward.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@wowway.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
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