Devotional for August 20

I Will Walk with Sincerity of Heart 

1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.
2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. Psalm 101 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

God is the one and only fixed point that provides true meaning in life. It takes a while to learn that a good life has nothing to do with how much fun you have, how beautiful you are, how many trophies you win, or how much money you have. Go ask any poor little rich kid with his or her face plastered all over the supermarket tabloids and they will likely tell you the same. The one needful thing in this life is to know God. To just know about God is not enough. Knowledge of God must be mixed with faith. We must believe before we can know God, and the bridge between believing and knowing is built by faith.

Question

Should we try to clean ourselves up before we seek God?

Answer

God bids us to come as we are (Scripture), because if we could clean ourselves up we wouldn’t need a savior (Scripture). It is so difficult for a person who is already clean in their own eyes to seek the Lord (Scripture). The answer provided by money, when it is exalted above all, is a love that perverts what is genuinely good (Scripture). Count the cost, come as you are, and rejoice that you aren’t doomed to stay that way (Scripture). 

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

Grant to me, Lord. I pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that I, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.