Devotional for February 20

I Will Walk in the Presence of the Lord

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116:5-9 (KJV)

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing; Send your Holy Spirit and pour into my heart your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Book of Common Prayer

The Morning Exhortation

Some days will be nice and easy, others will be rough and tough. Push hard when you feel strong, ease up when you don’t. Rest when you must, but never quit doing what is right whether you feel like it or not. Doing what is right is always a matter of faith, never feeling. Feelings belong to sight, but obedience to the commands of God are done by faith. Hold to the narrow path that leads to eternal life. The selfish pursuit of happiness leads only to moral decay and much suffering. Let us seek the Lord and His righteousness instead. Let us be diligent in the pursuit of holiness to please Him, and happiness will follow. Happiness is a fruit along with contentment, gratitude, and peace produced by a tree rooted in the love of God. Even the elementary principles of this world affirm this teaching of Jesus Christ our Lord: good fruit comes only from a good tree. Not that we can make ourselves good by our own efforts. This impossible work has to be done for us by God and requires our consent and submission. Pray for the grace to do your part.

Question

What can you do when you are being crushed by worrisome thoughts and overwhelming circumstances?

Answer

Fall down on your knees under them and cry out to God for strength to fight.