Sola Scriptura Daily Devotions: March 2008

Humility, March 31, 2008

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
...Do not be wise in your own opinion.

..."he who glories, let him glory in the Lord."
For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Romans 12:3, 16, 2 Corinthians 10:17-18, www.solascriptura.com

Father, we truly seek to be commended by You. We long to hear You say, "Well done, good and faithful servant", noticing that the emphasis is on serving.

We are so tempted to remind others of how we have served You that it embarrasses us when we reflect on our error. Please turn our tendency to be prideful into joyful humility in serving You. Joyful humility sounds like a non-sequitur but we know that You expect both of us. It is just a little tough to do both at the same time!

Help us O'God not to fail in recognizing that You are the Shepherd and we are the sheep, following Your voice. Call us today to do specific good works in Your name, not in order to gain "merit badges" but to honor You.

In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Fidelity, March 30, 2008

... if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

2 Peter 2:20-21

Father, You have taught us that fidelity counts, both in our relationships with others and in our relationship with You. Help us to understand how serious a matter this is. Let us make no vow to You or to others that we are not able to keep.

We know, prior to being saved by Your grace, that we were sinners and that You provided, through Jesus, forgiveness of our sins and provided for our cleansing. Teach us O'God not to return to infidelity. We have been there and we know how it would disappoint You if we were to return there again.

Empower us to serve and to love, we pray. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Industriousness, March 29, 2008

... He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:11-16, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Your word has made it clear. Every Christian must do their share if the body of believers is to grow. You have taught us that we are to seek to be mature in our relationship with You, no longer being as children who are deceived by the cunning of evil.

Father, we see that there are different ways to serve You and that You want to equip us to be as Jesus among men. Teach each of us what Your expectations are this day and every day and then enlighten us and lead us as we seek to serve You.

The presence of our fleshly, sinful instincts must decrease and Your perfect presence must increase. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Conscience, March 28, 2008

Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

...I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

1 Peter 2:17-19, Jeremiah 17:10, Revelation 2:23, www.solascriptura.com

Father, honoring You is easy and right. Honoring the king, when the king is not honoring You is very difficult, from a human perspective. Thank You for teaching us that we are to be different in that regard. Our obedience to people that You have placed in authority is Your will. While we pray for their souls we must be courteous and obedient to the laws of the land and to those You have given authority.

If we only honor the good and gentle we have not distinguished ourselves from others in the world. We are to be known by our love for You and for our neighbor and if our neighbor has been granted authority by You (You, Father are sovereign), so be it. The test is theirs.

You search our minds and our hearts. Our agenda, our thoughts and actions are bare before You. How else could You be omnipresent and omniscient if that were not true? It is true and we pray that this day You will not only be a light unto our paths but we acknowledge You as companion and friend. Help us to seek your counsel constantly. In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Joy, March 27, 2008

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4, www.solascriptura.com

Father, it seems that the only way we could possibly feel joyful about experiencing trials, is to know that You permit the trial and that the trial will force our faith to be stronger.

Patience in the midst of a trial is the perfect work that You bestow upon us. It is the Spirit in us that permits our faith to remain strong even when the evidence all around us is making us feel persecuted, guilty or abandoned.

Help us to know, this minute and always, that trials will come but the trials will test and strengthen our faith and that we can, through You, endure and be patient. That is a miracle not available to someone who does not call on You.

We feel joyful Father, not about the trial but about Your grace to us that we might endure the test without falling apart. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Prayer, Part I, March 26, 2008

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.
Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; in You I take shelter.
Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
In Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant

Psalms 143:8-12, www.solascriptura.com

Father, if King David, a man after Your own heart, said, "teach me, lead me, revive me", we surely want to look to his example and do the same. Our lives are so full of decision-making opportunities from very minor things to life-changing things, that we confess we need Your direction, Your counsel.

We are knocked about by evil influence and angry people. Our souls are troubled and our faith is tested by the circumstances of our lives. Help us O'God to know that You are present, every moment and give us peace as we go about Your business this day. We say "Your business" because our lives ultimately have no enduring meaning if we do not seek to do Your will.

Show us today what we can do to draw nearer to You and surely You will draw nearer to us. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Revenge, March 25, 2008

... it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power...

II Thessalonians 1:6-9, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, Paul reminds us that when judgment is dispensed it will be a righteous thing because it will be based upon justice. We know Father that the mercy seat sits upon the top of the Ark of the Covenant (the Law) and that mercy will prevail for those who seek it.

Revenge will be taken upon the enemy, not the children of You, Father. We, in sadness and with a sense of despair, see people pursuing sin and running from obedience. Give us, this day, a sense of urgency in our witness to those who seem to be fleeing from You.

The death of a saint is glorious but the death of an unrepentant sinner is an eternal tragedy. Help us to focus on what You would have us do in the face of such circumstances. We know that Your love in us is our only hope in reaching out to others. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Mind of Christ, March 24, 2008

... since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."

1 Peter 4:1-8

Father, when we read of Peter's life, prior to the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, he was quite a problem, not in things of faith, but in things of temperament. We too are ill-tempered at times but here we read the words of a Spirit filled Peter, a perfect example of a changed heart and an example of what You can do in the life of a person.

Peter says we need to be armed with the mind of Christ that we should not live the rest of our lives filled with the lust of men but instead we should serve the will of God. We know that when we decide to follow You, some people will think we are foolish if not crazy. Strengthen us to withstand the ridicule, expressed or implied, of our acquaintances.

Peter teaches that You, Jesus, preached to those who died before You were crucified and resurrected, those whose death was a result of judgment as unto a physical man, but that in their resurrection those who have accepted Your Spirit will live forever. Your word tells us the end is near. We know that with You Father, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day.

Those who are suffering, especially, wait for Your redemption of their tired flesh but in any event, we who are able, must resolve to serve You this day and every day. Strengthen us to do so, we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Law of God, March 23, 2008

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"
then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
and having a High Priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Hebrews 10:16-22, 26, www.solascriptura.com

Father, the promise You have made to us concerning the law being written upon our hearts is a gift of immeasurable value. We are never far from the truth. All we need to do is to seek You and You will shed Your light on our souls and teach us afresh of that which we have sensed from the beginning.

You say that if we but ask, you will forgive. Such grace and mercy, so undeserved, is an incomparable gift. "Thank You for going to the cross that our sins might be forgiven Jesus" seems like a totally inadequate statement. The suffering You endured is beyond our understanding. Help us this day not to sin intentionally.

It is not a wonder to us Jesus that You would be extremely disappointed if we intentionally sin. It would be like asking You to return to the cross, repeating the sacrifice, for each of us who consciously choose to sin. We need to walk with You, fully aware of Your presence in all matters. Bless us we pray, in Your name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

Prayer, Part 2, March 22, 2008

I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.