Daily Meditations for November

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November 11

A LIFE THAT PRAISES GOD
Psalm 119:163-164

    Did it ever occur to you that every time we break God's law, we tell a lie? We do. Whenever we sin, we say by that deed that we do not need to obey the God Who made us in His own image, with the calling to serve Him with all His creation every minute of our lives.

    In fact, every time we sin we bear false witness against God. We not only tell a lie about Him, but by our actions, which speak louder than words, we lie unto Him, telling Him that He is not God and has no right to tell us what to do.

    That is why the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:163-164, "I hate and abhor lying: but Thy law do I love. Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous judgments."

    Plainly, although our calling is to praise Him as God, whenever we sin we say that He is not worthy of that praise. The psalmist then has a reason for linking up lying and praising God as two opposites. We are doing the one or the other and never both at the same time.

    Since praising God is extolling Him for His virtues, the psalmist also in these verses links up loving God's law and believing that His judgments are righteous. He praises God seven times a day because God is righteous. Whenever we sin, we by that deed say the opposite, namely, that God is not righteous but we are. He has no right to tell us what to do. Did Adam not believe that God told a lie, when He said that to sin would bring death? He found that Satan did the lying. But by his act Adam said that God was not righteous; and he did not praise Him.

    Strive then to keep that law of God. Pray that God may enable you to sing sincerely:

    Deceit and falsehood I abhor,
    But in Thy law delight;
    Throughout the day I praise Thy name,
    For all Thy ways are right.

    The psalmist praises God seven times a day. As our versification has it, he praises God throughout the day. Our lives must be full of praise, for our lives must be full of walking in God's law even as His Son did when He came in our flesh.

Read: Psalm 147
Psalter versification: 341:2
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 353
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 23:1-49
Hebrews 10:18-39
Psalm 109:1-31
Proverbs 27:13

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Quote for Reflection:

"What is the highest perfection of Christians? How is that perfection attained? Full manhood is found in Christ; for foolish men do not, in a proper manner, seek their perfection in Christ. It ought to be held as a fixed principle among us, that all that is out of Christ is hurtful and destructive." John Calvin on Ephesians 4:13


November 12

SAFELY WALKING TO EVERLASTING PEACE
Psalm 119:165-166

    Picture before your mind a very, very narrow mountain path which on one side has a steep rocky wall of the mountain, and on the other side has a sharp drop-off that plunges down hundreds of feet into a pool of steaming water. How dangerous it would be to stumble while walking on that path!

    The Lord assures us in Psalm 119:165, 166 that he who loves God's law has no reason to fear falling into that deadly peril. Literally He wrote through the psalmist: "Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Lord, I have hoped in Thy salvation, and done Thy commandments."

    The word "offend" here does not mean to hurt one's feelings. The Hebrew word means basically to stumble. Our versification explains it thus:

    Great peace has he who loves Thy law:
    Unmoved he safely stands;
    For Thy salvation I have hoped
    And followed Thy commands.

    Standing "safely" pictures the situation as the psalmist had it in mind. He was being persecuted because he loved God's law and His word. Satan was using men to try to destroy him because he loved God. They placed stones on his pathway to make him stumble to death.

    But through the psalmist God assures us that He will take care of us, and we will have great peace. For we will have peace with God. Men will hate us and seek to destroy us; but God will uphold us in the battle.

    It is hard to walk that narrow pathway which is also steep. God's law makes life very narrow for us as far as our flesh is concerned. But we can be absolutely sure that we will reach everlasting peace in the new Jerusalem, if we walk on that path in love to God.

    God's Son was slain by the enemy because God decreed it that way to pay for our sins. When in love to God we walk our pathway, we will not stumble and fall into the lake of fire of God's holy wrath. We will be safe, because God will protect and uphold us.

Read: Daniel 2
Psalter versification: 341:3
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 150
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 24 , Ezekiel 25 , Ezekiel 26:1-21
Hebrews 11:1-16
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 27:14

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Quote for Reflection:

"The Christian is the only enviable person in the world. The seeming blessings of evil men are God’s heavy curses; and the smart of the stripes is a favor too good for them to enjoy. To judge wisely of our condition, it is to be considered, not so much how we fare, as upon what terms. If we stand right with heaven, every cross is a blessing; and every blessing a pledge of future happiness. If we be in God’s disfavor, every one of his benefits is a judgment; and every judgment makes way for perdition. Instead of envying sinners in their successful wickedness, dread their character more than their end, and rejoice that your Father never counted the poor vanities of this world a worthy portion for you."Charles Bridges:


November 13

SOULS FILLED WITH LOVE FOR GOD
Psalm 119:167-168

    We walk upon a very narrow pathway and may not take one step off it to the left or right. Our hands may not take hold of everything in the world. Adam sinned when his hand reached out and took the forbidden fruit. Our eyes must turn away and our ears be stopped many times in regard to many things. David should have turned his eyes away from Bathsheba. Aaron should not have listened to the people when they called for a golden calf. James warns us against a multitude of sins committed by the tongue.

    But there is something deeper than the sins we see round about us. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:167, 168: "My soul hath kept Thy testimonies: and I love them exceedingly. I have kept Thy precepts and Thy testimonies: for all my ways are before Thee."

    Notice that our souls must keep God's testimonies. For what the soul does will determine what the foot, hand, eye, ear, and tongue will do. Our souls must love God, or we will not walk in love and perform any deeds of love with our bodies. Therefore our souls must love God's testimonies. No man can sincerely sing these words unless and until he loves God's law:

    Thy testimonies I have kept,
    They are my chief delight;
    Observant of Thy law and truth,
    I walk before Thy sight.

    It does not please God for us to put up a pious front as a Pharisee. That fills Him with anger. And God cannot be deceived. He knows what is in our souls. And He will judge us according to what He sees there.

    What satisfies man's standards does not count. God is satisfied only when from the soul outward we have pure love for His law. Love for God must be in every atom of our being from the depth of our souls outward, to control us in all of our activities.

    Yea, all our ways must be before God. That means also that we perform them in the consciousness of the fact that God sees them and the soul that activates them.

Read: Matthew 6:1-18
Psalter versification: 341:4
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter number 409
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 27 , Ezekiel 28:1-26
Hebrews 11:17-31
Psalm 111:1-10
Proverbs 27:15-16

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Quote for Reflection:

"… as we stand by the gap caused by the fall and disobedience of man, and discover that only Immanuel fits into the gap to save us, we know that divine wisdom so designed all things that even our sin must serve the purpose of opening the way for the coming of the Son of God in the flesh. O the depth of riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" Triple Knowledge by Herman Hoeksema (LD 7, pg. 260)


November 14

THE WAY TO CRY FOR MERCY
Psalm 4:1

    As the saving goes, "History repeats itself." However, this is true only in a general sense and because it pleases God to do what He did in the past. All is the execution of His eternal plan. Also in the history of the church and its members God repeats His work of mercy and grace. He is faithful and unchangeable and in His mercy and grace brings His people back from ways of sin, and from ways of difficulty for their flesh, to assurance of His love.

    David spoke of this in Psalm 4:1 when he wrote: "Hear me when 1 call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer." Plainly he is praying that God will repeat His work of bringing him out of difficulties, as He did in the past. He is praying that a bit of history in his life may be repeated.

    What his problem was this time we are not told. But praying for enlargement reveals that he was in a tight situation. And if we live as children of God today, as we approach the days of the antichrist, we will be pressed into a corner and have a difficult time. In the measure we show our faith today, we will be ridiculed, shunned, and denied freedoms. More and more wickedness is pressing down upon the world, and there is reason for us today to sing:

    My righteous God, Who oft of old
    Hast saved from troubles manifold,
    Give answer when I call to Thee,
    Be gracious now and hear my plea.

    But notice that the ground of David's prayer for mercy is the fact that he prays to the God of his righteousness. We can in our singing call Him our righteous God. But our KJV brings out a truth which we must never overlook: He is the God of our righteousness. He made us righteous in Christ, and on the basis of that righteousness we may be dealt with in mercy. Remember that when you pray.

    In Jesus' parable the proud Pharisee was not heard when he prayed. The publican was heard and went home justified.

Read: Luke 18:1-14
Psalter versification: 6:1
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 403
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 29 ; Ezekiel 30:1-26
Hebrews 11:32-40 ; Hebrews 12:1-13
Psalm 112:1-10
Proverbs 27:17

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Quote for Reflection:

   "… It is true that God oftentimes useth this speech, Return unto me, and I will come unto you: but this is to show what is our duty and not what our power is."       John Calvin


November 15

STANDING IN AWE
Psalm 4:4

    In Psalm 4 David exhorts us to "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah" (Psalm 4:4). Our versification sings it thus:

    Stand in awe and sin not,
    Bid your heart be still;
    Through the silent watches
    Think upon His will.

    This he wrote because, as verse 1 reveals, he was in distress. And he is speaking to his own soul. This is so very necessary whenever we have troubles. We so quickly and continuously look at what is happening instead of looking to God Who has all things completely under His control and causes all things to work together for good to His people.

    Now what David means here is that we stand in awe before God, that is, that we have profound respect for Him, fear Him in the sense that we are fully conscious of Who He is and what He is able to do. If we do that, and we tell our hearts that He is God, we will be silent as far as complaining about what happened to us is concerned.

    How often is it not that we have to commune with our own hearts and tell them that He is God. We are so ready to question His works, and, as David had just done, we are quick to accuse Him of not listening to our cries. We run to Him and plead with Him that He will hear us, while we fail to listen to Him and what He says to us in His word.

    Just tell your heart what a mighty God He is Who not only created all things, but also gives us such rich promises and revealed such tremendous faithfulness to Noah, Abraham, and the Israelites, and in due time sent His own Son for our salvation.

    Stand in awe, that is, be filled with awe before our mighty and ever faithful God. Tell your soul what awesome things He has done. And if you do, you will with David say, "The Lord will hear me when I call" (Psalm 4:3).

    Through the silent watches think upon His will. And be sure that He will work all things together for good to those that love Him.

Read: Psalm 4
Psalter versification: 7:1
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 174
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 31 , Ezekiel 32
Hebrews 12:14-29
Psalm 113 ; Psalm 114:1-8
Proverbs 27:18-20

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Quote for Reflection:

    " The Scriptures do not cater to modern man with his ten-second attention span, his inability to think clearly about almost everything, his need to have any knowledge given in TV-size bits, and his easy slide into boredom and ennui if any prolonged concentration is required."  Prof. Herman Hanko


November 16

IMPLICIT TRUST IN GOD
Psalm 4:5

    There are times when we should not speak, and there are times when speaking is our undeniable calling. There are words which we should not utter, and words that must come out of our mouths. That is why David, having spoken to his soul and commanded it to be silent and not to question God's faithfulness, continued with, "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord" Psalm 4:5.

    What David has in mind here is speaking by his actions. His mouth must bring a sacrifice of righteousness to God rather than complain because he has not been relieved of his troubles.

    Our versification in these words tells us how we must speak:

    Lay upon God's altar
    Good and loving deeds,
    And in all things trust  Him
    To supply your needs.
    Anxious and despairing,
    Many walk in night;
    But to those that fear Him
    God will send His light.

    Here sacrifices of righteousness are called good and loving deeds. This is certainly true, especially for us today when the temple and all its types and shadows are fulfilled in Christ. We are to walk as Christ walked, loving God and showing this with all our deeds. Then we bring God sacrifices of righteousness.

    Our complaining but also our impatience, when God does not at once bring us out of our distress and disappointments, is not a work of righteousness. Therefore our calling is to trust in God. Revealing that trust we are bringing sacrifices of righteousness. We are doing that which is right. We are sacrificing our ideas and wishes and telling God that we submit to His way and will.

    Therefore whatever your situation is and your troubles are, be silent as far as complaints are concerned. But open your mouth wide and by your actions reveal unshaken trust in God.

    David began this Psalm by saying that God enlarged him when he was in distress. And we, having the cross, resurrection, and ascension of Christ into heaven as our Head, have stronger words to express our trust in God for the wonders He has wrought in His Son.

Read: Psalm 62
Psalter versification: 7:2
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 113
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 33 ; Ezekiel 34:1-31
Hebrews 13:1-25
Psalm 115:1-18
Proverbs 27:21-22

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Quote for Reflection:

   "We shall never love Christ much except we live near to Him.   Love to Christ is dependent on our nearness to Him.  It is just like the planets and the sun.  Why are some of the planets cold?  why do they move at so slow a rate?  simply because they are so far from the sun;  put them where the planet Mercury is, and they will be in a boiling heat, and spin round the sun in rapid orbits.  so, beloved, if we live near to Christ, we can not help loving Him; the heart that is near Jesus must be full of His love."  -- C.H. Spurgeon


November 17

SWEET AND PEACEFUL SLEEP
Psalm 4:8

    If you see the enemy coming toward you, you can rise up and flee. Or if you hear his threats, you can call on others to come to your aid to protect you. But if he comes while you are asleep, you are in mortal danger.

    And yet David says in Psalm 4:8, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." Our sleep, with such an almighty, everywhere present, and faithful God, will be sure and absolutely safe. Not only is it true that He is more powerful than all our enemies, but His enemies depend upon Him for every heartbeat. He knows to the smallest detail all their thoughts, plans, and desires.

    Can you then not see why we should and can sing?

    In God's love abiding,
    I have joy and peace
    More than all the wicked,
    Though their wealth increase.
    In His care confiding,
    I will sweetly sleep,
    For the Lord, my Savior,
    Will in safety keep.

    Take hold of this truth that He will keep you safe. Not only is He the almighty God, Who is always right next to us and in us. But He is our Savior Who, through the blood of His Son, blotted out all our guilt and is preparing a place for us in His house of many mansions.

    Take hold of those words of the versification: "In God's love abiding, I have joy and peace." He loves us as Christ's cross clearly shows. And because He loves us, we can be sure that He will not allow anything to happen to us that would keep us from reaching His house and from enjoying all its blessings.

    Dreadful, painful days are coming. There is an enemy that is ready to strike us. Paul calls him the last enemy to be destroyed, namely, death (I Cor.15:26). And the anti-christ is also scheduled to come soon.

    But put your trust in God. In Him and in His care confiding you can have joy and peace. What happens to you will serve bringing you to the glory of God's kingdom.

Read: Psalm 3
Psalter versification: 7:3
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 306
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 35 ; Ezekiel 36:1-38
James 1:1-18
Psalm 116:1-19
Proverbs 27:23-27

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Quote for Reflection:

    "Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."  --Thomas a' Kempis, Of the Imitation of Christ


November 18

GREAT PRAISE FOR OUR GREAT GOD
Psalm 48:1

    The larger the diamond is, or the piece of solid gold, the more their value is. The greater one's talents are, the more spectacular will one's work be. What shall we say, then, when the psalmist writes in Psalm 48:1, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the City of our God, in the mountain of His holiness"? That greatness is immeasurable! He is the God of infinite greatness.

    It is worthy of our notice that the psalmist declares that He is greatly to be praised in His city and in the mountain of His holiness. For although He must be praised by all men, His greatness is praised in a special way in His church. His greatness is so obvious when we look at the universe which He created and at all its creatures. What a vast universe it is! What a great God He is Who made it all, fills it all, upholds it all, controls all that is in it!

    But look at the salvation which He wrought in His only begotten Son. Look, as the psalmist did, at the city and holy mountain which He made, namely, His church in which He is praised.

    The psalmist has in mind Jerusalem where Mt. Moriah, His holy mountain where the temple stood, speaks of His greatness of love, mercy, and grace. It all pointed to Christ, His cross, resurrection, and ascension into heaven.

    Surely then we have the calling expressed thus in our versification:

    The Lord is great;
    With worthy praise
    Proclaim His power,
    His name confess,    
    Within the city of our God,
    Upon His mount of holiness.

    We simply cannot praise Him enough. Praising Him too much is absolutely impossible. He has prepared everlasting life so that we can without ceasing continue to praise Him with all the praise due unto His name.

    We are not yet in the new Jerusalem. But every Sabbath we go to His house. There, but also wherever we are, we are called to give great praise to our great God.

Read: Psalm 48
Psalter versification: 131:1
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 131
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 37 ; Ezekiel 38:1-23
James 1:19-27 ; James 2:1-17
Psalm 117:1-2
Proverbs 28:1

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Quote for Reflection:

    "Let us, therefore, feed others also with the milk which we received, until they, too, become strong in faith.  For there are many who are otherwise in accord with us and would also gladly accept this thing, but they do not yet fully understand it--these we drive away.  Therefore, let us show love to our neighbors; if we do not do this, our work will not endure.  We must have patience with them for a time, and not cast out him who is weak in faith; and do and omit to do many other things, so long as love requires it and it does no harm to our faith." --Martin Luther, The First Sermon


November 19

THE CHURCH'S BEAUTY AND JOY
Psalm 48:2

    Jerusalem was built on four hills of which two were of special significance. On Mount Moriah the temple was built, and on Mount Zion the king's throne stood. Speaking in Psalm 48:1 of the mountain of His holiness the psalmist refers to Mt. Moriah and the temple with its holy place and Holy of Holies, where God dwelt symbolically between the cherubim on the altar in that Holy of Holies. That made Jerusalem the holy city. In verse 2, the psalmist speaks literally of Mt. Zion. He writes: "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

    Therefore it was not a physical beauty the psalmist had in mind when he wrote these words. Its beauty consisted in this that God was there. It was the city of the Great King Who was there in Christ, Who was there typically in the blood sprinkled on that mercy seat, and was upon the throne in all the kings who were types of Christ.

    Christ made that temple and city beautiful. He brings joy, and any nation that does not have Him as their king has no real beauty and joy. Outside and apart from Christ all lies under the curse, has shame, and is under God's holy wrath.

    But the citizens of Christ's kingdom have blessedness because their beauty and joy is heavenly and everlasting. This they will never lose. In Him they are securely blessed and can confidently sing:

    Mount Zion, glorious and fair
    Gives joy to people in all lands;
    The city of the mighty King
    In majesty securely stands.

    Apply that to your church. The question is not what a beautiful building you have, or what delightful music your organ can produce. Is God there in the pure preaching of His word? Is its refuge Christ and His cross? Are its members spiritually beautiful, because they have been born again and the Spirit clothes them with Christ's beauty?

    The church's beauty is the beauty of Christ, and its joy is the salvation He has realized for all its members.

Read: Isaiah 61
Psalter versification: 131:2
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 71
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Ezekiel 39 ; Ezekiel 40:1-27
James 2:18-26 ; James 3
Psalm 118:1-18
Proverbs 28:2

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Quote for Reflection:

    "If the Lord undertakes to guide us in our life's journey, we must be satisfied with His doing it step by step.  It is rarely His way to reveal to us much beforehand.  In most cases we know little or nothing in advance.  How can it be otherwise if we are to walk by faith! We must trust Him implicitly for the full development of His plan concerning us.  But if we are really walking with God, taking heed to our ways according to His Word, He will gradually make things plain.   His providences will clear up our difficulties, and what we know not now, we shall know hereafter." --A.W. Pink, Elijah (pg. 59)


November 20

THE CHURCH'S ABSOLUTE SAFETY
Psalm 48:8

    On every coin used in our country we read: "In God we trust."  How wonderful it would be if that were true. We then would be saying with the psalmist, "As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of Hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever" Psalm 48:8.

    The psalmist is here referring to God's church, not the city of Jerusalem as such. And our versification has it thus:

    Within her dwellings for defense
    Our God has made His presence known.
    And hostile kings, in sudden fear,
    Have fled as ships by tempest blown.
    With our own eyes we have beheld
    What oft our fathers told before,
    That God Who in His Zion dwells
    Will keep her safely evermore.

    Although this refers to the days when Israel dwelt in Canaan and God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem, this truth holds true for the church of all ages. God's church is safe, absolutely safe. As the psalmist wrote in verse 3, "God is known in her palaces for a refuge."

    The church has, and from the dawn of history had, powerful and fierce enemies. Do not forget that the day man fell God told him that there would be enmity between him and his seed and between the devil and his evil kingdom. But do not forget also that God told the church then already that she has the victory. Her heel would be bruised. But the serpent's head would be crushed! (Gen. 3:15).

    Remember also that Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church (Matt. 16:18). And take hold of the first verse in this Psalm: "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised."

    There will be some rough days ahead for the church. We who have heard of what God did to destroy Pharaoh's hold on Israel, and of how He performed amazing miracles in the wilderness and gave them the whole promised land, also know of the cross, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. He is our refuge and will establish His church and give her the new creation with all its blessedness. We are safe, absolutely safe. Our great God will take care of us.

Read: Revelation 21
Psalter versification: 131:3, 4
(Words and Music of the Psalter)

Daily  Meditations
 on the
Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 230
Why not sing along??

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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

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Ezekiel 40:28-49 ; Ezekiel 41
James 4:1-17
Psalm 118:19-29
Proverbs 28:3-5

Quote for Reflection:

    "Those who have properly studied and learned the Catechism,   are generally better prepared to understand and appreciate the sermons which they hear from time to time, inasmuch as they can easily refer and reduce those things which they hear out of the Word of God, to the different heads of the catechism to which they appropriately belong, whilst, on the other hand, those who have not enjoyed this preparatory training, hear sermons for the most part,with but little profit to themselves."  --Zacharias Ursinus (Author of the Heidelberg Catechism), What is Catechism?

Go to: November 21


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Last modified, 07-Sep-2007