Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
A team that works well together likely has a good leader—and a poor leader can destroy an extremely talented team. This is true within the church as well. Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg teaches on what it takes to be an effective spiritual leader.
From the Sermon
Transparency, Integrity, Urgency
Acts 20:17–24 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 35:15 • ID: 2456
The Second Reaction
How do you react when something displeases you?
It is understandable that when the people of Israel asked for a king, the prophet Samuel was displeased. After all, there was a personal slight in the request. Samuel had judged the people well, demonstrating leadership at its finest. He had preached repentance, and the people had repented. He had prayed for them, and the Philistine forces had been vanquished without any weapons being lifted in defense or to attack (1 Samuel 7:5-10). Finally, a stone of remembrance had been set up to signify God’s goodness to Israel for time immemorial (v 12-13). Samuel had done his best—and his best had been good.
But the years had passed since those victories. Samuel had grown old, and the leaders of Israel had decided it was time for a change. They were ready to push Samuel out and move on.
Samuel’s immediate and understandable reaction was to be unhappy and angry. But he didn’t dwell there. Instead, his second reaction was to pray. Samuel’s disapproval led him to talk to God about all that was happening and to seek His counsel and His intervention.
We see a similar first and second reaction in the book of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah heard the news that had come out of Jerusalem concerning the destruction and chaos that was taking place there, he sat down and wept. But then, for many days, he prayed to God and fasted (Nehemiah 1:1-4). His first reaction was to weep; his second reaction was to pray.
The actions of Samuel and Nehemiah set us a challenging example. When something displeases you and your first reaction to a situation is anger, sorrow, or disappointment, what’s your second reaction? Perhaps you tend to tell everybody how let down you have been, or you brood in self-pity or lash out. But here’s the challenge: while it is understandable to weep or to feel displeased, we are not to stay like that, and we are to make sure that our second reaction is to pray. Like Samuel, when something has caused you displeasure, let your second reaction be to talk to God about all that is happening, seeking His perspective and His help in the situations before 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?
Report from Jerusalem
1The words of aNehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
Now it happened in the month of bChislev, cin the twentieth year, as I was in dSusa the citadel, 2that eHanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and fshame. gThe wall of Jerusalem is broken down, hand its gates are destroyed by fire.”
Nehemiah's Prayer
4As soon as I heard these words I isat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the jGod of heaven. 5And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, kthe great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6llet your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, mconfessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even nI and my father's house have sinned. 7oWe have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules pthat you commanded your servant Moses. 8Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, qI will scatter you among the peoples, 9rbut if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, sthough your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them tto the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10uThey are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11O Lord, llet your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was vcupbearer to the king.
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.
An Explanation of Trials
You are my refuge in the day of disaster.
The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine; he has his seasons of darkness and of storm. It is true that God’s Word says, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace”;1 and it is a great truth that faith is calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above. But life confirms that if the experience of the righteous is “like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day,”2 sometimes that light is eclipsed. At certain periods clouds cover the believer’s sun, and he walks in darkness and sees no light.
There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for a season; they have basked in the sunshine in the early stages of their Christian life; they have walked along the “green pastures” by the side of the “still waters.” But suddenly they find that the glorious sky is clouded; instead of the promised land they have to endure the wilderness; in place of sweet waters, they find troubled streams, bitter to their taste, and they say, “Surely, if I were a child of God, this would not happen.” Do not say that if you are walking in darkness. The best of God’s saints must drink the bitter potion; the dearest of His children must bear the cross. No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity; no believer can always keep his heart in constant tune.
Perhaps the Lord gave you in the beginning a smooth and unclouded path because you were weak and timid. He moderated the wind on account of your weakness, but now that you are stronger in the spiritual life, you must enter upon the riper and rougher experience of God’s full-grown children. We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten branches of self-reliance, and to root us more firmly in Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our glorious hope.
1) Proverbs 3:17
2) Proverbs 4:18
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 April 30
Offerings at the Tabernacle's Consecration
1On the day when Moses had finished fsetting up the tabernacle and had anointed and gconsecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, 2hthe chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached 3and brought their offerings before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. 4Then the Lord said to Moses, 5“Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” 6So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7Two wagons and four oxen ihe gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. 8And four wagons and eight oxen jhe gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with kthe service of the holy things that lhad to be carried on the shoulder. 10And the chiefs offered offerings for the mdedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. 11And the Lord said to Moses, “They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar.”
12He who offered his offering the first day was nNahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. 13And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels,1 one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to othe shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a pgrain offering; 14one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of qincense; 15rone bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16one male goat for a ssin offering; 17and for tthe sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
18On the second day uNethanel the son of Zuar, the chief of Issachar, made an offering. 19He offered for his offering one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 21one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 22one male goat for a sin offering; 23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.
24On the third day vEliab the son of Helon, the chief of the people of Zebulun: 25his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 27one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28one male goat for a sin offering; 29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
30On the fourth day wElizur the son of Shedeur, the chief of the people of Reuben: 31his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 33one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 34one male goat for a sin offering; 35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
36On the fifth day xShelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, the chief of the people of Simeon: 37his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 39one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 40one male goat for a sin offering; 41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
42On the sixth day yEliasaph the son of Deuel, the chief of the people of Gad: 43his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 45one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 46one male goat for a sin offering; 47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
48On the seventh day zElishama the son of Ammihud, the chief of the people of Ephraim: 49his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 51one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 52one male goat for a sin offering; 53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
54On the eighth day aGamaliel the son of Pedahzur, the chief of the people of Manasseh: 55his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 57one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58one male goat for a sin offering; 59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
60On the ninth day bAbidan the son of Gideoni, the chief of the people of Benjamin: 61his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 63one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 64one male goat for a sin offering; 65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
66On the tenth day cAhiezer the son of Ammishaddai, the chief of the people of Dan: 67his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 69one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 70one male goat for a sin offering; 71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
72On the eleventh day dPagiel the son of Ochran, the chief of the people of Asher: 73his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 75one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 76one male goat for a sin offering; 77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.
78On the twelfth day eAhira the son of Enan, the chief of the people of Naphtali: 79his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 81one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 82one male goat for a sin offering; 83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
84This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed, from the chiefs of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve golden dishes, 85each silver plate weighing 130 shekels and each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, 86the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing 10 shekels apiece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels; 87all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering; 88and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it fwas anointed.
89And when Moses went into the tent of meeting gto speak with the Lord, he heard hthe voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.
Psalm 42
Book Two
Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?
To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of sthe Sons of Korah.
1tAs a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2uMy soul thirsts for God,
for vthe living God.
When shall I come and wappear before God?2
3xMy tears have been my food
day and night,
ywhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
4These things I remember,
as I zpour out my soul:
ahow I would go bwith the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
ca multitude keeping festival.
5dWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you ein turmoil within me?
fHope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation3 6and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I gremember you
hfrom the land of Jordan and of iHermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
jall your breakers and your kwaves
have gone over me.
8By day the Lord lcommands his steadfast love,
and at mnight his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God, nmy rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
oWhy do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
pwhile they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
11qWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalm 43
Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
1rVindicate me, O God, and sdefend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from tthe deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
2For you are uthe God in whom I take refuge;
why have you vrejected me?
Why do I wgo about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3xSend out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your yholy hill
and to your zdwelling!
4Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5aWhy are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
bHope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
He
1I gcame to my garden, my hsister, my bride,
I gathered my imyrrh with my spice,
I ate my jhoneycomb with my honey,
I kdrank my wine with my milk.
Others
Eat, lfriends, drink,
and be drunk with love!
The Bride Searches for Her Beloved
She
2I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is mknocking.
“Open to me, my nsister, my olove,
for my head is wet with dew,
my rlocks with the drops of the night.”
3sI had put off my garment;
how could I put it on?
I had tbathed my feet;
how could I soil them?
4My beloved put his hand to the latch,
and my heart was thrilled within me.
5I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with uliquid myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
6I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he vspoke.
wI sought him, but found him not;
xI called him, but he gave no answer.
7yThe watchmen found me
as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
they took away my veil,
those watchmen of the walls.
8I zadjure you, O adaughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
bI am sick with love.
Others
9What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O cmost beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus zadjure us?
The Bride Praises Her Beloved
She
10My beloved is radiant and druddy,
edistinguished among ten thousand.
11His head is the finest gold;
fhis locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
12His geyes are like doves
beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
sitting beside a full pool.1
13His icheeks are like jbeds of spices,
mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are klilies,
dripping uliquid myrrh.
14His arms are rods of gold,
set with ljewels.
His body is polished ivory,2
15His legs are alabaster columns,
set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like oLebanon,
choice as the cedars.
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O adaughters of Jerusalem.
1For every high priest chosen from among men jis appointed to act on behalf of men kin relation to God, lto offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2mHe can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself nis beset with weakness. 3Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins ojust as he does for those of the people. 4And pno one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, qjust as Aaron was.
5So also Christ rdid not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
s“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
6as he says also in another place,
t“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7In the days of his flesh, uJesus1 offered up prayers and supplications, vwith loud cries and tears, to him wwho was able to save him from death, and xhe was heard because of his reverence. 8Although yhe was a son, zhe learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And abeing made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10being designated by God a high priest bafter the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Apostasy
11About this we have much to say, and it is chard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again dthe basic principles of the oracles of God. You need emilk, not solid food, 13for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is fa child. 14But solid food is for gthe mature, for those who have their powers hof discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
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