June 25 Daily Devotional

Bible Text:

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. —Isaiah 55:1

Devotional:

So, because the Apostles have sent us to Jesus Christ, and have declared to us that it is to him we must look, and since he also invites us so sweetly to himself, saying, "Come unto me," let us not hang back or go wandering away; let us approach him boldly. For he did not say that for the prophets alone, or for the apostles and martyrs, or for the virgin Mary; but he wants to keep us all to himself, as also it is very necessary for us.

Let us undertake, I say, not to wander here and there when we pray to God, and let us know the good he has done for us when he was pleased to draw us back from the abyss and confusion of the Papacy and to show us the open door to come to him—that is, because Jesus Christ intercedes for us.

Let us hold to that, without wandering from one side to the other. For it is certain that, if our prayers are not ruled according to the Word of God, they are trifling and God rejects them. Nor can they be made in faith unless the assurance comes from the same source—that is, from the truth of God.

And now, if we want our prayers to be grounded in faith, they must be conformed to the will of God, and we must follow what he commands us—that is, we must have Jesus Christ as our Intercessor, Advocate and Mediator. —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.