Devotional for July 18

Happiness Starts Here

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psalm 34:10-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Hope looks forward to something that is expected to happen sometime in the future. While faith receives now, and knows that the confirmation of the physical senses will be manifested at the proper time. Seeing physical evidence before believing that God has granted what is asked for in prayer requires no faith at all. Without faith, hope has no anchor. Faith in self, money, or any other created thing is misplaced, like anchoring the foundation of your house on unstable sand. The commandment of the Lord has made it clear that we are to have faith in God, the maker of heaven and earth from whom all blessings flow. God is able and willing to bestow His grace upon all His children. Ask Him for the grace you need. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The record God has given us in the Holy Scriptures is absolute infallible truth. Believe the gospel. Our earnest prayer to the Father, in the name of the Son, through the Holy Spirit is the special privilege of all those redeemed by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. God alone is the Rock on which we can always depend.

Question

How is faith increased?

Answer

Stop going to the Bible to decide if the Scriptures are true or not (Scripture). Faith comes by accepting the Word as truth, and then acting accordingly (Scripture). Muscles and faith both become stronger only after they are exercised (Scripture). It is easy to overload a barbell with way more weight than you are able to lift safely, but with the Comforter as your personal trainer, He will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able to handle (Scripture). Faith grows to match the level of our trust in God (Scripture). When you can say with complete confidence like Job, “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” so will your faith be (Scripture).

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

O Lord, receive the prayers of your servant who calls upon you, and grant that I may know and understand what things I ought to do, and that I also may have the grace and power to faithfully accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.