August 27 Daily Devotional

Cleansing

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

Psalm 119:9-16

⁹Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
¹⁰With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
¹¹Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
¹²Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
¹³With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
¹⁴I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
¹⁵I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
¹⁶I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Devotional:

The story is told of an elderly lady who went to her minister, troubled. 'I read the Bible,' she told him, 'but I cannot seem to remember what I read.'

The wise minister told her to fill a sieve with water. This discouraging task proved not at all helpful to her case. 'But,' said the minister, 'see how clean the sieve is!' We may not remember all we read, but it cleanses us.

Not only the young man of Psalm 119:9, but the older person, too, needs the method for cleansing set forth here. Verse 11 spells it out. All of us need to hide God's Word in our heart that we might not sin against Himthat we might be cleansed. Verse 9 says: 'How can a young man keep his way pure?' (NIV) This is not only for initial cleansing but for daily cleansing, too.

What does it mean to hide God's Word in our hearts? This hiding, or 'treasuring,' has many aspects. We need to understand Bible history, the contents of the books, the system of doctrine, the practical injunctions for living. In a day when memorization is considered outmoded, we must not forget to memorize God's Word and help our children to memorize it, too. How many saints of God have borne testimony to the peace and strength they have found at times of great stress or persecution in the Word of God treasured in their hearts! Not only in extreme situations, but every day we need to have the words of God at the tip of our tongue.

Cleansing of the ways is essential for all ages. God's Word is our spiritual detergent!

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.