Devotional Bible, Devotional Books
As I am writing this article, I received an email with over ten different “Study Bibles.” This is only a small sampling from the numerous Study Bibles offered today. How do you pick one? What makes one Study Bible better than another? The answer depends upon the word study. Do we study the Bible for information or for transformation? I have seen and have owned plenty of Study Bibles which focus on information - this word, this place, this doctrine, this reference. Granted, this form of study has a place within the Christian life; however, the demons have information without transformation. Information in and of itself does not promise spiritual maturity or Christ-likeness. In steps The Reformation Heritage King James Version Study Bible.
Many may be deterred because of the translation, but lend me your ear for a moment. This Study Bible focuses on transformation. Yes, I could discuss their inclusion of Confessions and Catechisms; yes, I could talk about their 38 essays on “How To Live as a Christian”;” yes, I could talk about their essays surveying each century of Church History. Yes, yes, and yes! However, this is not what makes this Study Bible transformational. What transforms the reader is how the notes direct the reader to Christ. Dates and locations do not transform the soul; only looking at Christ transforms us from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). The editors of this Study Bible move us from playing Christian Jeopardy to practicing a godly life. Let me provide an example from Haggai 1:9-11:
Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands (Haggai 1:9-11).
Then the editor provides this notation:
1:9-11 Haggai specifically links the lack of blessing and experience of curse (1:6) to the desolate condition of the temple, which persisted while they exerted their energy on self-interests. The seriousness is compounded in the light of the temple’s gospel significance, foreshadowing the Incarnation. The issue points to Paul’s assertion that self-interests must gie way in light of what Christ has done (2 Cor. 5:14-15). To put it simply, the people of Haggai’s “congregation” were not thinking gospel thoughts.
The editors are concerned with the reader’s holiness, with their transformation. Furthermore, each chapter of the Bible ends with one or two short paragraphs which apply that particular chapter to the believer’s life. Here is an example from Joshua 6:
Jericho is also a pattern for sanctification. As Jericho stood in the way of Israel's possession of the land, so sin looms large as the obstacle every believer must encounter. God promised that Jericho would fall, and so He has promised us that sin will no longer have dominion over us (Rom. 6:14). The power to overcome Jericho was the Lord's. Note how the divine plan to defeat Jericho focused on the ark, the symbol of God's presence, and the atonement (Josh. 6:4,6-9,11-13). This points directly to Christ, His atonement, and our union with Him that is the ultimate power for victory (Col. 2:14-15; Heb. 2:14-15). Although the victory was God's, Israel had to march and stick close to the ark. According to Heb. 11:30 they did so in faith. So in sanctification by faith we know what we have in Christ, we reckon it to be personally true and we behave accordingly (see logic of Rom. 6). Ask God to give you victory through grace and the will to live by faithful obedience.
Again, the focus is on transformation. I have spent 2023 reading the Old Testament in this Study Bible, and it has been one of the most fruitful years of Bible reading for me personally. In unexpected passages, I have seen Christ beautifully displayed, I have seen the Holy Spirit’s mighty work, and I have seen the wonders of our salvation. Furthermore, the editors have a gift of bringing theological ethics to the fore. In the prophetic literature especially, the editors display the prophet’s use of the Law in convicting ancient Israel (and us) of sin, of convincing them of the need for a Savior, and of conforming the life of the saved to the shape of the Law. More than paint transformation in the abstract, they employ the notes to make transformation concrete. What does it look like to love Christ and to follow Christ? Buy the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible here and find out!
Alongside your Bible reading this year, let me take a moment to commend a few devotional resources to you:
Matthew Henry, A Way to Pray: In this short book, Matthew Henry takes the words of Scripture and crafts them into several bite-sized topics for prayer. This book has trained generations of Christians on how to pray.
Boekstein, Cruse, Miller: Glorifying and Enjoying God: 52 Devotions through the Westminster Shorter Catechism: As the title suggests, this short work turns the Westminster Shorter Catechism into 52 short devotions. The authors’ intent was to write a devotion simple enough for family worship yet with enough for leaders in the church to chew on.
Kelderman, Mark and Donna: A Heart for God/Seasons of the Heart: These two devotions are both excerpts from letters and writings of godly men and women from 1600-1800s. Each devotion is one page long, providing an attainable goal for one who has never read any devotional literature. One volume is geared for men, while the other is aimed at women. The end of each volume contains a brief sketch of the authors from which the writings are drawn. I have given away countless copies of Seasons of the Heart, and I have always received positive feedback.
Rushing, Richard: Voices of the Past I: Similar to the aforementioned devotional, this volume contains abridged excerpts from the writings of the Puritans, spanning topics such as sin, temptation, sanctification, the glory of Christ, and so forth. Our Men’s Reading Group read through this in 2022 with much enjoyment.
Trinity Hymnal Psalter: In centuries past, every Christian owned two books - a Bible and a hymnal. Hymns teach us deep truths in simple words. This particular volume selects only the best hymns (and some modern ones) in order that it may include a psalter. In the psalter, each psalm is slightly reworded and set to music. Singing the psalms has been a great aid to my own soul. Furthermore, the Confessions and Catechisms located the rear are wonderful. This volume includes the Heidelberg Catechism which has often brought a large measure of comfort to me.
Calvin, John: Sermons on Job: Finally, what am I reading devotionally this year? Calvin’s sermons on Job! Over a two year period, Calvin preached 159 sermons because Calvin needed assurance. 1554-5 were particularly challenging years, and he repaired to Job for comfort. Each of these sermons were written to the average Joe, and he addresses the average Joe’s concerns. However, I agree with Derek Thomas who said: “These sermons are more about God than they are about Job or his suffering.” Each sermon takes 15-20 minutes to read; however, I do not always finish. Some are worth stopping midcourse and pondering the kindness and compassion of our God.
As you start 2024, my earnest prayer as your pastor is that it would be one of growth - growth in our dependence upon the Father’s promises, growth in our love for Christ, growth in our dependence upon the Spirit, growth in our obedience as a body. I pray these resources aid you this year.
