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Read Isaiah 25:6-9
“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it” (v. 8).
“I wanted you to know that your talks with me in college were not in vain. I now believe and am going to church.” These words were from Russ, a young professional man who in the university had been a skeptic. He and I had long discussions about Jesus and His truth claims. When he claimed that he had come to faith, I was surprised. I had not felt I had done much in the way of convincing him. What changed him? It certainly had not been my arguments, which were inadequate. Rather, it was small bits of truth that in an incremental way lodged in his heart and eventually bore the fruit of faith. That young man experienced a kind of progressive revelation of truth.
God, through progressive revelation, “precept upon precept; line upon line,” has shown man about heaven. The lines in Isaiah 25:8 foreshadowed what John would more clearly reveal in Revelation 21. There will be no tears in heaven, and God’s people will enter into a glory that will never fade away. This clearer depiction of coming blessings prompted Charles H. Gabriel’s inspirational words of what awaits believers. (Dave Gordeuk)

Oh, that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.
— Charles H. Gabriel

Glimpses of heaven greet those who look for them.

This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, August 25, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "Warmth comes to the graveyard" by Brian Smithson used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized, cropped, text added.

Read Deuteronomy 30:1-10
“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (v. 6).

As a child, my mother would say that a rule (law) was because she loved me. I would think, “How can she love me if she doesn’t let me do that?”
As a parent myself, I fully understand her logic. We did not allow certain behavior because we knew it would result in harm. Playing with matches resulted in burns. Playing with knives could injure as well.
The restrictions were not because we wanted to be mean or demanding but because we felt we knew what was best for our children. Our goal was to raise godly young men, of value to ministry and the community.
The laws of God can be viewed in the same light. No doubt the Israelites felt they were being confined by the laws of Jehovah. To them, the concept of God loving them enough to keep them from evil, was probably unbelievable. They feared God, and “served” Him, lest judgment fall at the smallest infraction.
In our lives, however, if we truly love God, His law is not a burden to us. We love to follow His commands, because we love Him, and want to please Him. We serve Him out of love, not fear. We realize that His laws are designed for our good, as well as His glory. (Sue Colburn)
When we love God with all our heart, we find abundant life!
This week’s featured devotional is the Monday, July 21, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "The Law" by smlp.co.uk used under CC BY 2.0 / Resized & Cropped.

Read Psalm 51:1-10
“Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom” (v. 6).
I am extremely fond of genuine leather. It is no wonder I was a Day-Timer® guy; so much so that when my secretary hid it one day, I nearly went berserk before she and my staff coughed it up. If I recall, their practical joking was not worth the risk of repeating! Even though my electronic Outlook calendar has replaced the need for my Day-Timer®, be assured my brown, brushed cowhide, senior pocket binder is always tucked securely in my computer bag. Ah, the aroma of six square inches of supple leather; twenty years since unwrapping it, the smell is as fresh today as it was then.
My point? Today’s verse expresses the never-failing desire for the genuineness that is derived from the truth revealed in God himself through His enduring Word. This truth has no substitute; it is deeply riveted on the heart. It settles for nothing short of claiming Almighty God as its source of wisdom. It is genuine. Its aroma is a sweet-smelling savor to the Father, who is full of truth and grace. This is my God! The methods to convey His truth may change, but the principles of its reliability remain constant. (RB Kuhn)

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.
The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever. — Martin Luther

Just like the enduring attractiveness of genuine leather, so is the everpresent recognition of abiding in His truth.

This week’s featured devotional is the Tuesday, July 15, 2014 entry of Opening the Word. Order your copy!
Photo credit: "Pen, Diary, and Glasses" by Generation Bass used under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped.