Devotional for July 30

The Faithfulness of the Lord is All Around Us

8 O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Psalm 89:8-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Do what you can, with whatever you have right now, wherever you may happen to be. Don’t wait for things to be perfect. Don’t expect life to always be pleasant, nor should you expect things to always be easy. Pray and seek to do the right thing according to the word of God always and in everything. Not that we are sufficient to make things happen for ourselves as some motivational speakers vainly boast. Our sufficiency comes from God alone. This understanding is the first important step. To know that God must provide all. Without this first step, the second step of working for the glory of the Lord will prove to be an impossible work too great and a burden too heavy for us. The second step entails exercising faith to put the hands to the plow, fixing the eyes on Jesus Christ, and waiting on the Lord in eager expectation of the fulfillment of all His precious promises. By faith we take the first step, then second step, and then the next. Just as every baby must first crawl and then wobblingly walk about, the same is true for spiritual babies as we learn to walk in the Spirit wholeheartedly trust in our God. This we can and will do, because it doesn’t depend our strength. It depends on God, and He is forever faithful to do just as He has promised. Abba, Father. We believe.

Question

How can we be happier in the everyday things of life?

Answer

Eliminate the words “I have to” from your thinking and speech (Scripture). Practice using “I get to” instead (Scripture). The former is of the letter of the law and latter is under grace (Scripture). The “have-get” swap, switch, or correction seems a small thing, but the results can be felt immediately (Scripture). For example, the next time you catch yourself saying “I have to go to work,” immediately correct the statement with “I get to go to work” (Scripture). The tough things in life become less so when we consider them as much of a blessing from God as the more pleasurable things in life (Scripture). A heart is full of gratitude is the attitude that increases the level of daily happiness (Scripture).   

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

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon all your faithful people your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.