Daily Devotional
Choose the Lord
The Lord’s mercy endures forever, yet that mercy does not make men careless. Joshua gathers Israel and sets the matter plainly before them: put away the foreign gods, fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity. The psalm answers with thanksgiving, not as empty speech, but as the confession of a people rescued from distress, chastened yet not given over to death. Paul then teaches that nearness by flesh, ancestry, or outward privilege does not by itself make one a child of God. God’s promise is not bound to blood, nor is his mercy a cloak for pride.
So today the church must learn both gratitude and holy fear. We do not trust in descent, reputation, or the strength of men. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man;” as Tertullian says. Nor may we boast as though belonging to the people of God were a matter of name alone. The rejected stone has become the cornerstone, and only those joined to him stand. As Irenaeus testifies, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head-stone of the corner.”
Therefore cast down your idols: not only carved things, but every false trust — money, family honor, party spirit, wounded resentment, secret lust. Give thanks to God, but also obey him. If he has chastened you, receive it and amend your ways. If he has shown mercy, do not return to Egypt in your heart. Choose the Lord, cling to Christ the cornerstone, and let your thanksgiving be proved by a clean life, steadfast prayer, and mercy to the poor.
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man;”
— Tertullian, Against Marcion
“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head-stone of the corner.”
— Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III
For Reflection & Discussion
What false trust must you cast away this week—money, human approval, resentment, impurity, or some other idol—and what concrete act will you take today to renounce it?
How will you prove your thanksgiving to God this week by a fixed work of obedience: set-hour prayer, fasting, almsgiving, confession, or reconciliation with an enemy?
Where have you relied on family, church association, or reputation instead of obedience to Christ, and what command of his will you now keep without delay?
Start the One-Year Plan Today — Completely Free
Read or listen through the whole Bible in 365 days with audio that highlights every word, a progress calendar, streaks, friends — and a devotional like this one at the end of every day.