Devotional for July 12

Divine Protection

91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. Psalm 91:1-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

The ultimate goal of fitness is wholeness of body, soul, and spirit. Looking good and feeling good are a part of it, but fitness requires more than performance and appearance to be complete. To be fit is to be able to stand like a rock, or move like a mighty river, as the situation dictates. This completeness, this wholeness, this oneness of body, soul, and spirit, is fitness. Know that God has created you to be fit and thrive in Christ Jesus.. God the Father is our husbandman. We need only trust and wait on Him to do what only He can do. Lift up your head and see that through Christ Jesus we have been blessed with the precious opportunity to participate in His divine nature. God has given us His word for this purpose. The Word is spiritual seed planted in our hearts when we choose to believe it. We water and nurture it by meditating on it and speaking in accordance with it. Then in due time the seed produces fruit as we act on it in faith with praise and thanksgiving to God. Almighty God, whose name alone is excellent and worthy of praise, from the tiniest particles of quantum mechanics to the infinite vastness of the cosmos, how great Thou art, O God! All else pales in comparison to knowing Thee.

Question

What is the assurance of faith?

Answer

It is an elementary level of knowing that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt. Just as when we learn (1 + 1 = 2) no amount of contrary information presented to us will cause any doubt, and such is the assurance of faith. What mathematical principles are to the material, the Word of God is to the spiritual. Thus, the assurance of faith depends on three conditions:

1. The exercise of believing faith based solely on the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (…).
2. A complete consecration to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (…).
3. The prayer of faith for complete sanctification (…).

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.