November 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Text:

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. —II Timothy 3:14, 15

Devotional:

Timothy, even from his childhood, had learned the holy Scripture. By this he means that Timothy had much more advantage than if he had but recently been brought to the faith from heathendom. True it is that his father was a heathen, but God of his gracious goodness made him follow the faith of his mother and his grandmother. And therefore he had been faithfully brought up, and instructed in the doctrine of God, and in true religion, even from his mother's breast.

For if a man be sixty years old, being already old and frail for the knowledge of the Gospel, still he must strive with himself, seeing he has erred all his life long, to make up for that which he has lost. But they that have received true and pure doctrine from the beginning, what must they do? Are they not much more bound to God?

Therefore let us mark well that Saint Paul warns all those who from childhood have been rightly instructed; if they fall away, they shall be less able to excuse themselves, and they deserve double condemnation, seeing they fall away from the doctrine in which they were so long instructed, and in which they should have been well confirmed. —Sermons

John Calvin was the premier theologian of the Reformation, but also a pious and godly Christian pastor who endeavored throughout his life to point men and women to Christ. We are grateful to Reformation Heritage Books for permission to use John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart as our daily devotional for 2013 on the OPC Web site. You can currently obtain a printed copy of that book from Reformation Heritage Books.

Dr. Joel Beeke, who is editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, has this to say:

"Calvin shows us the piety of a Reformed theologian who speaks from the heart. Having tasted the goodness and grace of God in Jesus Christ, he pursued piety by seeking to know and do God’s will every day. He communed with Christ, practicing repentance, self-denial, and cross-bearing. Moreover, his theology worked itself out in heart-felt, Christ-honoring piety. The selections of this devotional bear this out, and hopefully will be used by God to direct pious hearts in our own day."

These devotional readings from John Calvin were compiled by John H. Kromminga. Be sure to read his "Introduction" to John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart.