When Despair Leads us to God

16 MAY

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 11:25-30

God wants us to call on Him, not only in prosperity but also in an extreme state of despair. It is as if God calls the dead to Himself, declaring that He has the power to restore life to them and bring them out of the grave.

Since God invites the lost and the dead to come to Him, there is no reason why even the heaviest distresses should prevent access to Him for us or for our prayers, for by faith we ought to break through all these obstacles. The more grievous our troubles, the more confidence we ought to have, for God offers grace not only to the miserable but also to those in utter despair. The prophet did not threaten general evil to the Jews but declared that, before the coming of Christ, all things would be full of horror (verse 31). After this denunciation the prophet adds: Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be delivered.

Paul cites Joel's prophecy in Romans 10 and extends it to the Gentiles, so let us examine how he interprets the testimony of Joel. Paul uses these words of the prophet to prove that, since adoption is extended to the Gentiles, it is lawful for them to flee to God and to familiarly invoke Him as Father. He hence proves that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, since invocation arises from faith; for unless God shines on us by His Word, we cannot come to Him. Faith, then, is always the mother of prayer.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION:

There is no situation so grave, no sin so black, that negates our invitation to repent and call on the name of the Lord and be saved. God delights in saving those who cannot save themselves. Do not doubt His power and willingness to save you when you find yourself condemning the horrendousness of your sin. Take it to Him and humbly ask for His forgiveness.

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Rejoicing on the Eve of Exile

26 APRIL

For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, and say, O LORD, save Thy people, the remnant of Israel. Jeremiah 31:7

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Acts 16:16-34

Jeremiah now asks God's people to sing and shout for joy. This prophecy is given not long before the utter destruction of the people, the city, and the temple. But the prophet's intent here is to comfort everyone, even the dead in their graves, so that all might patiently wait for the promised deliverance. The people could be assured of deliverance because it is no more difficult for God to raise the dead than to heal the sick. This prophecy becomes especially helpful when the Jews are driven into exile and become so miserably scattered that they have no hope of deliverance.

So that his teaching might more effectively enter their hearts, the prophet exhorts the people to rejoice, to shout for joy, and to sing. Not only the people of God, but also strangers, are told to do so. For though the joy of believers is not like that of unbelievers, the prophet seems purposely to address his words to aliens so that the Jews might be ashamed for not believing the promises offered to them.

The prophet says, "Ye alien nations, shout for joy, for Jacob." What should Jacob do in the meantime? We now see the purpose for the prophet's vehemence in bidding all to rejoice for the redemption of the people. His intent is that this prophecy might not only bring some comfort to the miserable exiles, but also assure them that even in the midst of death they can live before God, provided they do not despair.

In short, the prophet's intent is not only to mitigate the sorrow of God's people, but also to fill them with spiritual joy so they might not cease to entertain hope and to take courage. They must not only patiently but cheerfully bear their calamities because God promises to be propitious to them.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION:

Singing and shouting for joy when we face profound setbacks in life seems incredibly idealistic. Yet, if we are believers, that is what God asks us to do, for even on the eve of calamity we know that we will eventually come through safely because of the gracious hand of our Savior, Christ Jesus.

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R Beeke

Comfort in the Midst of Death

30 MARCH

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me. Psalm 138: 7

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 23

Here David declares that God chooses to be His preserver, even in that means bringing him back to life in the midst of troubles.

The passage well deserves our attention, for by nature we are so averse to suffering that we wish we might live safely beyond the shot of its arrows. We shrink from close contact with even the fear of death as something altogether intolerable. At the slightest approach to danger, we are immoderately afraid, as if our emergencies preclude the hope of divine deliverance.

Faith's true office is to see life in the midst of death. It is to trust the mercy of God, not to procure us universal exemption from evil, but to quicken us in the midst of death every moment of our lives. For God humbles His children under various trials so that His defense of them may be more remarkable and that He may show Himself to be their deliverer as well as their preserver. In the world, believers are constantly exposed to danger. David offers the assurance that He will be safe under God's protection from all of His enemies and their efforts. He declares His hope is in the hand of God, which is stretched out for His help and will be invincible and victorious over every foe.

From this we are taught that God chooses to exercise His children with continual conflict, so that, having one foot as it were in the grace, they may flee with alarm to hide themselves under His wings, where they may abide in peace.

John Calvin 

FOR MEDITATION: Rather than shrinking from enemies or danger, let us place our confidence in the Lord; He alone is willing and able to save us. This ought to give us a sense of peace, even in a world of trouble where enemies abound. What do you think David meant when he said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies" (Ps. 23:5a)? 

365 Days With Calvin 

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Grateful in Danger

17 MARCH

Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron. Psalm 107:10

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Matthew 14:22-23

The Spirit of God mentions many dangers in which God shows His power and grace in protecting and delivering people. The world calls these vicissitudes the sport of fortune; hardly one in a hundred people ascribe them to the superintending providence of God.

But God expects a very different kind of practical wisdom from us, namely, that we should meditate on His judgments in a time of adversity and on His goodness in delivering us from danger. For surely it is not by mere chance that a person falls into the hands of enemies or robbers; neither is it by chance that a person is rescued from them. But what we must constantly keep in mind is that all afflictions are God's rod, and therefore there is no remedy for them other than God's grace.

If a person falls into the hands of robbers or thieves and is not instantly murdered, but, giving up all hope of life, expects death at any moment, surely his deliverance is striking proof of the grace of God. This grace is even more illustrious considering the few who escape from such danger. Such circumstances, then, ought not to diminish our praises of God.

The prophet charges people with ingratitude who, after they have been wonderfully saved, very soon lose sight of the deliverance granted to them. To strengthen the charge, he brings forward their sighs and cries as a testimony against them. For when they are in dangerous straits, they confess in good earnest that God is their deliverer. Why then do these confessions disappear when they enjoy peace and quietness?

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: Cries to God for deliverance come so easily and so naturally to our lips when we are humble to help ourselves. Why then does praise feel so difficult when things are going well? Are we so foolish to think that we can take care of ourselves in the good times, as if we are any less dependent on God?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Triumphing in Praise

16 MARCH

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto Thy holy name, and to triumph in Thy praise. Psalm 106:47

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Acts 2:40-47

This psalm was composed during the sad and calamitous dispersion of the people of Israel. It was necessary for the people to be completely humbled to prevent them from further murmuring against God's dispensations. Seeing that God had extended pardon to their fathers, who were undeserving of it, he aimed to inspire their children with the hope of forgiveness, provided they carefully and cordially sought to be reconciled to Him. This was especially the case because of God solemnly remembering His covenant with them. Through faith they might draw near to God, even though His anger had not yet turned away.

Moreover, God had chosen them to be His peculiar people, so they could call upon Him to collect into one body their dissevered and bleeding members. For, according to the prediction of Moses, "If any of Thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee" (Deut. 30:4). This prediction eventually came true when the widely separated multitude was gathered together and grew in the unity of the faith. For polity, yet they were grafted with the Gentiles into the body of Christ, which was a more preferable gathering.

Wherever they were, the children of God were united with each other and to the Gentile converts by the holy and spiritual bond of faith. Together they constituted one church that extended over the whole earth. They came together to fulfill the purpose of their redemption from captivity, namely, that they might celebrate the name of God and employ themselves continually in praising Him.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: The psalmist asks for deliverance for the people of Israel so that they might give thanks and triumph in praising God. This is a great lesson for us to remember when we ask the Lord for blessings: our ultimate motive should be His glory, not simply our comfort. What means can we use to learn this transforming lesson more profoundly and consistently?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Stirring up the Godly

30 January

But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee. Psalm 5:11

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Philippians 4

To urge God to grant him deliverance, David now argues that the effect of this action will stir up the godly to exercise greater trust in God and encourage them to give praise and thanks to Him. This passage teaches us that we are ungrateful to God if we do not take encouragement and comfort from whatever blessings He confers upon our neighbors, since by those actions He proves that He is always ready to bestow His goodness upon all the godly. Accordingly, we may rejoice because, as David says, Thou defendest them. Whenever God bestows blessings upon some of the faithful, the rest may be assured that He also will show Himself beneficent toward them.

This passage enforces the teaching that true joy proceeds from no other source but God and His protection. We may be exposed to a thousand deaths, but we may be consoled  in the valleys of death, knowing that we are covered an defended by the hand of God. The vain shadows of this world cannot beguile us when we take shelter under the wings of God.

We ought also particularly to notice the statement that those who trust in the Lord love His name. Memories of God must be sweet to us. They must fill our hearts with joy and ravish us with love as we taste of His goodness. By contrast, unbelievers wish the name of God to be buried and shun memories of Him with horror.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: What an awesome perspective this passage gives us! Do we often begrudge the blessings others receive and accuse God of unfairness in not dispensing the same blessings to us? Here we see the great joy we should have for others and the great comfort we derive from the blessings they receive.

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Sure Hope for Deliverance

29 January

For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with Thee. The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.  

Psalm 5:4-6

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Daniel 6

Here David makes the malice and wickedness of his enemies an argument to enforce his prayer for divine favor. The language is abrupt, but the stammering of the saints is more acceptable to God than rhetoric, be it ever so fine and glittering. David's objective here is to show that the cruelty and treachery of his enemies is so intense that it is impossible for it to continue. God must arrest them in their course.

His reasoning is grounded upon the nature of God. Since righteousness and upright dealings are pleasing to God, David concludes that God will eventually take vengeance on men who persist in wickedness. How is it possible for them to escape unpunished, seeing that God is the judge of the world? 

This passage is worthy of special attention. Often we are greatly discouraged by the unbounded insolence of the wicked. If God does not immediately restrain this wickedness, we are stupefied and dismayed or cast down into despair. But David finds encouragement and confidence in such circumstances. The more his enemies proceed against him in lawlessness, the more earnestly he asks for help from God, whose official work it is to destroy the wicked because He hates all wickedness.

Let the godly, therefore, learn when they suffer violence, deceit, and injustice, to come to God so they may be encouraged by the certain hope of his deliverance.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: God will judge the wicked. They will not prosper. Those truths are so simple yet so hard for us to believe. Do not let the prosperity of the wicked create doubt in your heart; rather, let it encourage you in the certain hope of deliverance.

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R Beeke

When the Sun Stood Still

21 January

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. Joshua 10:12

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Genesis 1

Christ inspires such faith in believers (Matt. 16:20; Luke 17:6) that mountains and seas are removed at their command. Faith borrows the confidence of command from the word on which it is founded.

Caution must be used here, however, lest anyone presume to give forth rash commands in his own strength. Joshua did not attempt to check the course of the sun before God instructed him about the purpose for doing so. He is said to have spoken with God, but those words do not sufficiently express the modesty and submission that become a servant of God uttering such a prayer. Let it suffice to say that Joshua asked God to grant what he desired, and an obtaining his request, became free and magnanimous herald of an incredible miracle. Joshua would never have ventured in the presence of all the people to so confidently command the sun if he had not been thoroughly conscious of his vocation. Without it, he might have exposed himself to a base and shameful affront. With it, he opens his mouth without hesitation and tells the sun and the moon to deviate from the perpetual law of nature, adjuring them by the boundless power of God with which he was invested.

In kindness to the human race, God divides the day from the night in the daily course of the sun, and constantly whirls the immense orb with indefatigable swiftness. The Lord displayed His singular favour toward His church in the day of Joshua, when He was pleased to halt the sun for a short time till the enemies of Israel were destroyed.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: As the disciples, who cried out, "Who can this be?" when Jesus calmed the storm, so we should cry out, "Who can compare to our great God?" when we see His mighty hand in creation. What mighty acts have we seen Him perform in response to our cries for deliverance?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke