Covenant Grove Daily Devotionals

How great is the Lord, how deserving of praise, in the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain! It is high and magnificent; the whole earth rejoices to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King! God himself is in Jerusalems towers, revealing himself as its defender. The kings of the earth joined forces and advanced against the city. But when they saw it, they were stunned; they were terrified and ran away. They were gripped with terror and writhed in pain like a woman in labor. You destroyed them like the mighty ships of Tarshish shattered by a powerful east wind. We had heard of the citys glory, but now we have seen it ourselves the city of the Lord of Heavens Armies. It is the city of our God; he will make it safe forever. Interlude O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory. Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice. Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers. Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations. For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die.‭‭Psalms‬ ‭48‬:‭1‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This psalm is very patriotic, and it gives us a chance to reflect on patriotism. Loving your country is not the same as loving God, and sometimes those two values can be at conflict. We must remember that the ancient nation of Israel was (at its heart) a theocracy, a nation called by God to represent Him and bless the world. The nation of Israel no longer plays this role, nor does any nation. This was clearly seen in the early days of the Church. The Christians were considered traitors to Israel because they followed Christs way of peace (not working for a military victory against Rome). They were considered traitors to the Roman Empire because they would not worship Caesar as a god. Our first citizenship is in the Kingdom of God (Philippians 3:20).But this psalm reminds us that patriotism is not bad. It is not wrong to love your country, love what is good in your culture, or be proud of the good things that God has done among your people. We can love America, and as a citizen of heaven (and America) work to make America the best country it can be. We can support our troops even if we disagree with some of our foreign policy. We can work for economic opportunities for all even as we push for fairness and a hard work ethic. We can pray for our legislators and president even when (or especially when) we dont agree with all their decisions. God wants us to be freenot to do whatever we want but free to do what is right.

As a citizen of heaven, how is God asking you to make your country better? Will you add praying for your country and leaders part of your daily prayers?

Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. He subdues the nations before us, putting our enemies beneath our feet. He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance, the proud possession of Jacobs descendants, whom he loves. Interlude God has ascended with a mighty shout. The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm. God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne. The rulers of the world have gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham. For all the kings of the earth belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere.‭‭Psalms‬ ‭47‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we were children, we had no problem clapping, dancing, and singing. Somewhere along the way, most of us grew up and stopped doing these things. Why? Because we are embarrassed, or we were told we had no rhythm or singing ability. We listened to the voices of criticism and became fettered by fear. Throw off the chains, grow young in Jesus, and worship with your whole heart, mind, and body! This psalm has a few commands for us: Clap! Shout! Sing!How will you live out these commands in worship? Can you live them out today?

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! Gods voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heavens Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. The Lord of Heavens Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is a psalm (like many others) that is worth memorizing. Every word is important, every line is quotable, and every verse can bring light in the storm. GOD is our refuge and strength. So why do we so often run to other people and other things to help us feel better? Though the mountains crumble, those who are in the Lord can feel no fearHe is everlasting. His city of joy cannot be destroyed, no matter how much hate the world throws at it. His victory is forever. We can look back in historyboth in the Bible and our livesand see the glorious works of the Almighty. Right now, pour out your problems to the Lord. He is our refuge and strength.Be stillBe still. Not frozen with fear but still with His peace. His strengthnot our frantic problem-solvingwill overcome the issues. Be still. Our fear makes everything worse. There will be a time to move, but first be still. Come first to the Prince of Peace and be still. Only after thatmove forward.What time of the day can you be still before the LORD? If Gods expectation is for you to be still before Him (v 10), what is your expectation of God as you practice being still before Him?

Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet. You are the most handsome of all. Gracious words stream from your lips. God himself has blessed you forever. Put on your sword, O mighty warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic! In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds! Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies hearts. The nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume your robes. In ivory palaces the music of strings entertains you. Kings daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir! Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord. The princess of Tyre will shower you with gifts. The wealthy will beg your favor. The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown. In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids. What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the kings palace! Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands. I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever.‭‭Psalms‬ ‭45‬:‭1‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Verse 4 is awesome: defend truth and humility and justice. The king is supposed to defend these thingsincluding humility! These things do need defending. They dont just happen; we must fight for them because they are constantly under attack. Gods throne and rule is one of justice. How can you stand up for these things today?The real throne is Gods (v.6). The kingand all leadersserve under the one King on high. All power derives from the Creator. Some leaders use this well; others use power for their own selfishness or weakness. Gods rule includes justice, peace, and love. In Gods rule, relationships flourish and lives thrive.Take a minute to think about the sphere around you. Is your influence leading people closer to Jesus? Are you choosing godly people to surround you?

O God, we have heard it with our own ears our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago: You drove out the pagan nations by your power and gave all the land to our ancestors. You crushed their enemies and set our ancestors free. They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them. You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel. Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. Interlude But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle. You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land. You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations. You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale. You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us. You have made us the butt of their jokes; they shake their heads at us in scorn. We cant escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces. All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies. All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant. Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path. Yet you have crushed us in the jackals desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods, God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart. But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep. Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression? We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt. Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love.‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44‬:‭1‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes we think complaining to God is not allowed, but the authors of the Psalms dont think that at all. They know they can pour out their complaints to the Lord on High. There is great theology going on here. The psalmist is crying out because he has been faithful to his covenant promise (v.17). He is calling on God to be faithful as well: to bless the people who follow Him. This is asking the Lord to be true to His character; God is faithfulalways. The author is not crying out because he has no faith but because he knows who God truly is. This is faith: even when it seems that God is not moving, faith trusts that God will always be who He truly isfaithful.

This faith is what gets us through the hard times, the complaining times, and the times of doubt. And yeswe can bring our complaints to God. What complaints can you release to God today?

Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars. For you are God, my only safe haven. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies? Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God, to Godthe source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again my Savior and my God!‭‭Psalms‬ ‭43‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We may be tempted to believe that if we follow God then nothing bad will ever happen to us. Reading the Psalms will eliminate that false thinking! The author is innocent, but people are lying about him. He is struggling and full of sadness. Hard times are part of the life of faith.

Dont miss what the psalmist is asking for. Yes, there is a request for justice and rescue. There is also a request for the Lord to send out light and truthto be led to the holy mountain to worship God, the source of all joy. Though the psalmist is struggling and sad, a choice has been made to hope in the Lord.Will you make that choice today? Walking with Jesus and hard times often go together. How does this make sense in your thinking? When have you chosen to renew your hope in the Lord after a time of disappointment or sadness?

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, Where is this God of yours? My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. O God my rock, I cry, why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies? Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, Where is this God of yours? Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again my Savior and my God!‭‭Psalms‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The psalmist asks, Why am I so downcast? He has been weeping for days, been attacked by enemies who mock God, and is remembering the good days of worship with Gods people. We have a clear answer as to why the author is downcast! Yet there is HOPE.

Hope comes from the Lord. This is why the psalmist longs for the Lord like a deer for water. Only God gives the water of life. Though discouraged, the poet praises the Lord. The Unfailing One pours (note the water analogy again) His unfailing love into the hearts of those who seek Him. Though sad, the believer worships the Lord, refusing to let the sadness be stronger than the song of praise. Though God seems far away, He is truly near, and the choice is made to worship.

What can you learn from this psalm about how to deal with hard times? What can you put into practice this week?

This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. Dear friend, dont let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are Gods children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth. I have much more to say to you, but I dont want to write it with pen and ink. For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face. Peace be with you. Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there.‭‭3 John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

V. 8 . . . we ourselves should support (traveling ministers) so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.In this passage John tells believers to be cautious of false teachers and only partner with those ministering in truth. John praises the faithfulness of church leader Gaius and the traveling teacher Demetrius (v 12). However, John warns Gaius about the church leader Diotrephes, who undermines the ministry of the Apostle John through false accusations and the abuse of authority (v 10). He reminds believers to imitate what is good, implying that they should follow their leader Gaius and question the ungodly leadership of Diotrephes (v 11).

At the time this letter was written, the church was expanding rapidly, and church leaders were growing in influence. 3 John, very near the end of the Bible, gives us a caution and an encouragement that lasts throughout the church age: watch for false teachers and do not support them. Instead, partner with ministers true to the eyewitness testimony of the apostles regarding the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Are we doing BOTH things?

Do you consider the truthfulness of the teachings you hear? This does not mean having a critical spirit toward ministers (their personality, gifting, skills, etc.), but evaluating if the message is biblical.

Are you partnering with godly leaders to expand Gods kingdom in the world? Where might God be prompting you to expand or shift your partnership in the ministry, at Covenant Grove, in Modesto, across the nation or the world?

This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truthas does everyone else who knows the truth because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christthe Son of the Fatherwill continue to be with us who live in truth and love. How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded. I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, dont invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work. I have much more to say to you, but I dont want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete. Greetings from the children of your sister, chosen by God.‭‭2 John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

V. 3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Fathers Son, will be with us in truth and love.The Apostle John writes this letter, the shortest book in the New Testament, to emphasize the need for truth and love within Christs church.

What is love? Love is to walk in obedience to the commands of God. Love does what is best for the other person regardless of sacrifice. For that very reason, God's love in us explodes into action to benefit others.

What is truth? John is joyful that some in this church are walking in truth (v. 4). Others have been led astray by certain deceivers (v.7). These deceivers mixed Christian teaching with Greek philosophy, preaching that God could not have taken on a body, and that Gods spirit temporarily wrapped itself around a mere man named Jesus. These false teachers called themselves Gnostics, meaning that they had knowledge more advanced than Christs teachings. They wanted God but had little use for Jesus.

John says that those who deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body are deceivers . . . antichrist (v. 7). Their teaching undermines the gospel of Christs sacrifice and they do not have a relationship with God (v. 9). Since these traveling teachers were typically housed by local church members, John tells the church not to partner with them in their evil work (v. 10).

The bottom line: If we love God, we will be about His Word so that we can stand against false teaching. How will you invest in getting more of the Word in you? How do you expect God to meet you in His Word?

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love Gods children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And Jesus Christ was revealed as Gods Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the crossnot by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses the Spirit, the water, and the bloodand all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who dont believe this are actually calling God a liar because they dont believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have Gods Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death. We know that Gods children do not make a practice of sinning, for Gods Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take Gods place in your hearts.‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

V.13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.Have you found yourself trying to do better and be better in your own power? Eventually one discovers that human power is limited; there is an abrupt end to it,whereas the power of God is INFINITE! This is great news! By putting our trust in Jesus, our anchor in the storm, we become OVERCOMERS, overcoming the habitual pull of sin and selfish desires. Through Christs power we also gain a new awareness of the enemys strategy of deception.

How do we become strong overcomers? By following Christ and obeying His Word. He loves us and has given us commands to help us. We keep His commands because we love Him. There is power and victory in Jesus Christ abundant life and eternal life is in Him alone.

In what areas of life have you been relying more on your power than Christs power? How will you encourage someone else to be an overcomer today?