Devotional for September 7

Hear, O My People

1 The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.
18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.
21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. Psalm 50:1,14-23 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

The first thing to do after being relieved of a big headache is to stop hitting yourself in the head with the hammer that caused the headache. It sounds a little silly, yet those of us who have suffered from an addiction know how hard it is to stop inflicting yourself with a bad habit. The grace of God is more than sufficient for breaking every addiction though. Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered death on the Cross to free us from all such bondage to sin. The beginning of deliverance is to confess our own powerlessness and in humility call out to God for mercy. Pray and depend on God to enable you to stop. It may not be easy, but we can be sure it is the will of God to destroy all the works of the devil. Take the discomfort that comes with quitting what you know you should. Hold on and be quick to get back up on the wagon after every fall. Have faith in God and He shall set you free. O Lord, save us from the delusion of our own self-sufficiency. 

Question

What is the biblical principle of the measure?

Answer

The measure given will determine the measure received (Scripture). Give none of self and none of Christ will be received (Scripture). To give some of self will mean receiving only some of Christ (Scripture). Give all of self and receive all of Christ (Scripture). Give zero trust to self and receive complete trust in God (Scripture). So, bind the sacrifice to the altar, the fire will fall, and the rain will come (Scripture).

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

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all people, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.