Devotional for October 10

God Alone Is Our Rock and Salvation

5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work. Psalm 62:5-12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

We are conformed or transformed by the messages we choose to keep in our heart. The more time and attention you give to the messages of this world, the more you will be conformed to them. What you choose to watch and hear has a compounding interest like effect on what you think. You will find it difficult to let go of the way the world thinks unless you develop a habit of frequently unplugging from the high-tech devices designed to steal our limited time and attention. Or do you believe they spend millions of dollars developing video games to keep a gamer playing, and millions more on advertising for so called entertainment purposes because they don’t influence people? God commands us not to be conformed to this world for our own good. Unfortunately, being conformed to this world requires about as much effort as a dead fish floating down a stream. Being transformed by the word of life however, requires  being a live fish willing to swim against the current of this sinful world. Downstream or upstream, conformed or transformed, both will depend in which direction we spend more of our time and attention. Being born again is only the beginning. The abundant life is not something we are supposed to have in the sweet by-and-by only. Saturate your mind with the word of God and it will be renewed. This is one of the glorious promises of the Gospel and you choose it or refuse it every day.

Today’s Bible Reading

Philippians 4

Psalm 95-96

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

Lord, I pray that your grace may always precede and follow me, that I may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.