Devotional for October 12

Steadfast Love Through Fire and Water

8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. Psalm 66:8-12 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

We are all born to be what we can become. What we become is determined by the choices we make minute-by-minute, day-by-day. God has ordained the law of sowing and reaping, which means each choice has a consequence that shapes an individual’s destiny. Every choice is a seed. The better the choices you make, the better the destiny you reap. Pray and work, because the slothful will surely get nowhere close to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We don’t work to earn our salvation. On the contrary, we do good works because we have been saved. That’s important to remember along with guarding your heart against the unbelief that causes the sitting around mummering because of the difficulties of your current circumstances. When the way ahead is unclear, and visibility drops to zero, it is faith that must turn on the headlights provided by the Scriptures. Depend on God. Choose the fear of the Lord and always intend to do what is pleasing in His sight because you love Him. The greatest commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind is a choice. The power to answer this great call to love God comes after we have made the choice to obey the command. Believe it, choose it, pray for it, and the needed grace of God to do it will follow. This is how the doer of a God given best destiny gets it done.

Today’s Bible Reading

Colossians 2

Psalm 99-101

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.