Devotional for May 22

In His Holy Name We Put Our Trust

31 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. Psalm 31:1, 4, 18-21 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Where are you? What are you doing here? Probing questions from God to the wayward heart designed to encourage self-reflection. Vain is trying to hide in the darkness away from God, and running away from the good fight of faith does not please the Captain of our salvation. In both cases, the old man must be crucified along with his fears so that the new man can live through Christ Jesus in newness of live and love. The light of Christ arising in the heart reveals the truth of who we are born to be…the sons of God. The best answer to “where are you” is “in Christ.” Like the prodigal son we were all gone astray from our heavenly Father. Jesus Christ, our holy elder brother, has paid the price to bring us back home to the Father. And now the only good response to “what are you doing here” is “glorifying God.” Yes, this is pleasing to both God and to our own soul. Abba, Father. Search my heart. Remove all wickedness from without and within me. Lead me in thy everlasting light.

Question

What is the good fight of the faith?

Answer

The primary fight for us is always against sin, and it is won or lost from within (Genesis 6:5; John 3:16; Psalm 103:10; 1 Peter 3:18-4:5). All that leads to sin is to be resisted (Hebrews 11:4; Genesis 4:7; 1 John 3:8). There is our own carnal mind and fleshly nature that would make us a slaves to sin (Romans 8:1-7; Romans 12:1-2). Then there is this modern world full of the darkness of sin that we currently live in, which spiritually is no different from Sodom and Gomorrah before its destruction (2 Peter 2:4-9). And lastly, we fight against the forces of spiritual wickedness that would tempt us to sin (2 Peter 2:4-9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:2-4). The good fight of the faith is to protect a godly heart from which flows a godly life (John 4:23-24; Proverbs 4:20-27; Ephesians 6:13-20; 2 Timothy 4:7-8, 18).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep me, I pray, from all things that may hurt me, that I, being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with a free heart those things which belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.