Devotional for April 23

He Has Made the Whole World

93 The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
4 The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever. Psalm 93 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

If you believe a sore neck is too high of a price to pay to develop your neck muscles, you might as well have an eraser on your head. We miss the abundant life promised by Christ when we allow ourselves to be convinced that we need God and ________ . It doesn’t matter what you fill in the blank with, it will be like a ball and chain that keeps you from the fullness of God in Christ Jesus. God alone is our exceeding sufficient provision and reward. Better to endure hardness as good soldier of Jesus Christ than it is to feast, drink, and chase after all that is shiny and best in this life. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. All else is vanity says the preacher, and count other things as dung compared to coming to the knowledge of God says the apostle. 

Question

What have time and judgement to do with life?

Answer

Everything (Ecclesiastes 8:5). Past, present, and future are only this side of eternity (Psalm 90:1-4). Past, present, and future contain all our days in this life (Psalm 90:12). The present, the now, is the only time we can make amends for the past, effect the conditions for the future, and prepare for eternity (Luke 19:8-9).  Faith, hope, and love are the three things that abide in this life (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love, being the greatest of these three, also abides in eternity. After this life, eternity will bring one of two things: eternal bliss or eternal misery (Matthew 25:1-13). Judgement will end in one of these and there is nothing in between (Matthew 25:31-46). The wise will take these things to heart (Proverbs 4:26-27). Consider well how you live now, because it will determine how you spend eternity (Ecclesiastes 8:11-13; Psalm 95:6-11; Titus 2:11-14).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer