Devotional for July 9

God Is My Strength and My Portion Forever

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works. Psalm 73:25-28 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

To have strength equal to the number of our days is the single most important reason to exercise. Workout like you will live forever, and walk in the light that it is all going to come to an end in an instant. These are the last days and Jesus Christ is coming again soon. It is not for us to know when exactly the end will come. It is more important to know to be ready than it is to know when. All who conform to the pursuit of our own happiness standards of this world, will perish just as the people who laughed at Noah did before the great flood. Don’t get so caught up chasing what you want that you forget to live in light of what the holy Scriptures tell us is sure to come. First and foremost remember that a personal relationship with Christ Jesus is the one present necessity in this life. The Word has been brought close to you. Know by faith that Christ in you, and His word dwelling in you, are one and the same. Don’t look for any particular feelings or supernatural experiences. Only believe that Christ lives in you because the word of God says it is so. All will prove to be vain and foolish in the end without Christ our Redeemer. On that day, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. While for those of us who have been prepared by the gospel of peace, there will be great joy at the coming of our Lord! 

Question

What of pride and despair?

Answer

Pride comes from glorifying our own greatness (…), and despair comes from dwelling on our own shortcomings (…). Fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ is the remedy for both of these maladies (…). By a simple focus on Christ, and sincerity of godly intentions with every act, we are joined with all of creation in glorifying God (…).

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

O God, you have taught me to keep all your commandments by loving you and my neighbor: Grant me the grace of your Holy Spirit, that I may be devoted to you with my whole heart, and united to others with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.