Devotional for July 27

Trust In the Lord

37 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. Psalm 37:1-7, 23-24 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

A lot of the slick advertisements these days make promises of all sorts of benefits for only a little time, money, and effort. The common marketing message is that life can be improved without having to turn from a lifestyle that only leads to physical disease and spiritual suicide. They claim all one needs to do is buy this new breakthrough pill/program/product, and problems will melt away like mythical lemon drops above storybook chimney tops. Yet there is nothing new under the sun. There are only different versions of what has already been. The best that worldly wisdom can do is to make a person pretty and rich in this temporarily while leaving them totally unfit for eternity. Let those who have ears to hear incline their heart to the wisdom of the Lord Our Righteousness. Believe the Word that properly prepares us to live now in this world so as to be prepared to enter into eternity in the next. Stand firm in faith or you will not stand at all. To be salt and light in this perishing world, act out your faith with appropriate words and deeds. 

Question

What is the most precious resource on earth?

Answer

Time is the most precious resource we are given as each tick of the clock passes through our fingers only once and then it is gone forever (Scripture). We are not our own, therefore our time is not our own (Scripture). Youth is wasted on the young primally because in vanities they waste so much time acting as if they will be young forever (Scripture). Sowing wild oats only brings suffering and pain (Scripture). O Lord, teach us to number our days (Scripture), and work in us to make our calling and election sure (Scripture). 

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

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know my necessities before I ask and my ignorance in asking: Have compassion on my weakness, and mercifully give me those things which for my unworthiness I dare not, and for my blindness I cannot ask; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.