Devotional for June 18

Be Strong

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalm 37:34-42 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

There is a big difference between a weight that strengthens and a burden that crushes. As God’s ambassadors on earth, anything contrary to the character or image of God in us is sin. Sin is a burden that crushes, binds, and suffocates. It is not a matter that can be overcome by any amount of human strength. We are happy to please those we love. Happy is the one who loves God and seeks to please God with every intention, every desire, and every act. Impossible for anyone to do without being born again by the Spirit. If this were not true, God never would have sent His Son to die for us. What pleases God and our greatest good are one and the same. In Jesus Christ alone do we have eternal life. Everything apart from Jesus is just a false hope. Keep yourself in the love of God. Take His yoke upon you and do not run out from under it. It will be your protective covering during the heat of the day and your guiding light against the darkness of the night. Having been released from under the burden of sin by Jesus Christ, let us not turn again to the folly of the ungodly of this world who do not know the only true God. He who has called us is holy, faithful, and true. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and He will also keep us until our full adoption into His glorious kingdom. Happy are those who are willing and never lose sight of eternal life.

Question

What is worship?

Answer

Worship is the love of the creature in response to the love of the Creator (1 John 4:19). The hypocrite or the mocker will speak what is right in a wrong spirit (Psalm 1:1; Matthew 24:45-51). While a deceiver will speak both what is wrong and with a wrong spirit (Proverbs 23:6-8). But to speak what is right in a spirit of love is the proper worship of God (John 4:5-26). Only the weak can be made strong (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). So, let the weak with this knowledge say, “I am strong” (Joel 3:10). “And now O Lord, having made me strong for thyself, command thou me so that thy will may be done” (Psalm 18:1-3, 80:14-15, 40:8; Jude 1:24-25).

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

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace each of us may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever. Amen.