Devotional
Everybody is a theologian. When you read the title of this devotional and your eyes glanced over the word “God,” you immediately began to engage in the discipline of theology. Even if for only a nanosecond, the idea of God caused your mind to conceptualize thoughts about the Divine that fit together with your own preconceived notions about Him. Like it or not, you possess personal thoughts about God that are firmly entrenched within your mind (Romans 1:18-23). This is true for both the committed theist and for the staunch atheist. The God who created this universe out of nothing and fashioned human beings in His own image cannot be escaped in our thinking or in our lives (Psalm 139:1-24). No matter how hard sinners try to suppress His existence and revealed truth in unrighteousness, God simply will not go away (Hebrews 12:25-29). God has implanted within the fabric of the human soul an inherent sense of His own existence (Romans 2:14-16). There is no other component of your worldview that will directly influence your lifestyle and understanding of reality as much as your understanding of God. Do you know and serve the Living God today?
The study of God (“theology”) has fascinated humanity for millennia and has been regarded throughout history by many as “the Queen of the Sciences.” There are thousands of organized religions that presently exist in the world, each seeking to provide adequate answers as to who God is and how human beings relate to Him if He even exists at all. The Christian faith provides us with the most philosophically cogent explanation of why the universe is the way that it is. Among many topics, the Bible describes the character of God (Exodus 34:6-7); the creation of the universe (Genesis 1-2); the origin and destiny of mankind (Hebrews 9:27-28); how evil entered into a “very good” creation (Genesis 3); why the world is so broken and the remedy for reconciling sinful humanity with their holy Creator (Romans 6:23). The Christian faith is thoroughly God-centered, offering mankind an objective standard to guide us in how we can know God and live in a manner that is pleasing to Him (2 Peter 1:2-3). By nature, God delights in the revelation of His glorious character to His creatures (Colossians 1:15-20). He is not a Deity that is detached or aloof from the intricate details of the created order. Rather, God is so intimately acquainted with every minute detail of reality itself that the Bible declares, “the fool says in his heart that there is no God” (Psalm 14:1-7; 53:1-6).
This is to say, that God has so clearly revealed Himself throughout His creation that to deny His existence is utter foolishness. God’s existence is being testified to by the vastness of stars in the sky (Psalm 19:1-6). God’s existence is being declared through the complexity of the human cell (Psalm 139:13-16). God’s existence is being showcased through the laws of physics and mathematics (Jeremiah 23:23-26). God’s existence is being manifested through universal cries for justice in society (Psalm 17). God’s existence is being demonstrated through the prevalence of the human conscience (Hebrews 10:22). God’s existence is being portrayed through every page of the Holy Bible (2 Timothy 3:15-17). God’s always present existence is self-attesting at every point in reality (Jeremiah 23:23-24). The denial of His existence is not due to a lack of sufficient evidence; it is due to a love for oneself and for one’s sin more than for God (Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 5:8).
But God. The infinite, holy Creator who has gone to such extraordinary lengths to reveal Himself to human beings in creation and in His Word has consummately revealed Himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). The God who created all things by the word of His power took on a true human nature and entered into His own creation for the purpose of saving sinners from the judgment that their sins deserve (Galatians 4:4-7). The second person of the triune God was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25), took on flesh and lived a perfect life without sin (Hebrews 4:15). This God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on a Roman cross and bore the wrath of God in the place of every sinner that would ever place their faith in Him so that they could be forgiven by their holy Creator for every sin committed against Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). For every Christian, Jesus was treated on the cross as if He lived their life so that they could be treated by God for all of eternity future as if they had lived His perfect, sinless life (1 Peter 3:18).
After His death, Jesus was buried and raised from the dead three days later in order to perfectly fulfill the prophecies about Him recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures (Psalm 16:10-11; Acts 2:31; 1 Corinthians 15:4). Some 40 days after His bodily resurrection and having appeared before more than 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6), Jesus ascended to the right hand of God in Heaven where He presently rules and reigns as the victorious King of kings and Lord of lords until He returns to Earth in order to judge the living and the dead (Acts 2:33-36; Philippians 2:9-11). God accepts payment for our sin by a substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly takes on the infinite debt for the sin of all those who will ever place their faith in Him as Lord and Savior (Romans 3:21-28).
This is good news for human beings who desperately need a Savior from the penalty that their sins deserve: eternal judgment in Hell (Revelation 20:11-15). God is not hiding from you and He is not far off (Acts 17:27). He has genuinely and freely offered Himself in the person of Jesus Christ to save you from His wrath due your transgressions committed against Him (1 Timothy 1:15-16). Turn to Him on this day and live, for now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1-10). Indeed, now is the day to enter into a personal relationship with the Living God. Embrace for yourself the Alpha and the Omega; the One who is, who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8)!
Weekly Passages For Meditation:
Monday- Romans 1:18-32
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit [j]to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Tuesday- Psalm 19:1-6
The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat
Wednesday- Psalm 19:7-14
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Thursday- Psalm 139:1-12
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
Friday- Psalm 139:13-24
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
20 For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Saturday- Acts 17:22-34
22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ 29 Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. 32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Dewey is a licensed and ordained minister in the Southern Baptist Convention. He was raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is happily married to Beall, and is a proud father of Isabelle Ruth. Dewey played college baseball at Western Texas College, receiving the Associate of Arts degree in General Studies. Following his time at Western Texas College, Dewey would continue as a student-athlete at The Master’s University, earning the Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Ministries. Upon completion of his undergraduate work, Dewey went on to acquire the Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from The Master’s University, as well as the Master of Theology degree in Historical Theology from Campbellsville University. Dewey is currently a doctoral student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, with an emphasis in Christian Worldview and Apologetics. Over the last decade, Dewey has served local churches in a variety of ways, focusing on next generation ministries. He has experience teaching children in AWANA, serving as youth pastor, as well as leading college students and young adults. He is also passionate about personal evangelism, and has led groups in gospel outreaches in cities around the country. To strengthen his service to the church, and in conjunction with his seminary studies, Dewey has participated in several academic fellowships and cohorts. He specializes in the disciplines of apologetics, biblical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology. Dewey is also actively involved with Covenant Confessions—a ministry of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. Today, Dewey serves as the Associate Pastor of Next Generation and Outreach at Metro East Baptist Church (Wichita, Kansas).
You can follow Dewey on Twitter @SlaveofChrist17
