Devotional for June 23

The Lord is the Stronghold of My Life

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. Psalm 27:1-4 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

There is no such thing as scarcity or limit with God. The abundant goodness of our God is ready to overflow every cup with grace, but we hinder His grace with our unbelief. He did not have to fill the universe with so many stars, but such is His super-abundant nature. He didn’t have to send Jesus to redeem us, but such is His limitless love for us. God has not changed the commission given to man in the beginning to the managerial conduit through which the power of God flows into all the earth. It is our own small thinking and tiny believing that limits our experience of the power of God. Limitless applies only to God. Allow the following two great lessons from John Bunyan and Brother Lawrence to penetrate deep within your heart: 1) Prayer will stop sinning, or sinning will stop prayer; and 2) Whatever remedy we choose will only succeed as far as God allows. Cast down every thought that would exalt itself above the knowledge of God. Let the prayer of faith make room for the grace of God, and to Him be the glory and power forever.

Question

Is everything negotiable?

Answer

Everything considered negotiable only by those who have no knowledge of God (Acts 17:28-31). The holy Trinity of God is the only sovereign being that is complete in Himself (Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1-3). All of creation needs other parts of creation to survive (Psalm 104:1-24). God alone sits as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:12-15). Therefore, what God says is non-negotiable truth (John 17:17). To enter into a negotiation, each party involved has to have something that the other party wants or needs (Psalm 116:12-17). God is perfectly sufficient in Himself (Acts 17:22-25). All is His and we have nothing to add to Him (Luke 16:1-9). It is either take His yoke upon you and be blessed (Matthew 11:27-30), or refuse and suffer the same end as the devil and his angels (Luke 13:1-5). Life is a simple choice and it is non-negotiable (Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Timothy 1:17).

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.