I was going about my morning routine today, when the dryness of my eyes started to bother me. “I will just go get my small bottle of saline eye drops,” I said in my thoughts. It was in the bedroom, but my wife was still sleeping. This was at about 3:30am, so I didn’t want to wake her by turning on the lights. No problem. I knew the small bottle was in the first pouch of my M5 bag. I sure I could find it even without being able to see it. I carefully made my way to the bag, unzipped the pouch, and began looking for the the bottle of eye drops. First I found a small hand mirror, so I keep looking. Then I found my fingernail clippers, so I keep on looking. Finally, I felt the bottle and happily walked out with it. My eyes were refreshed as soon as I used a couple of the drops. Then the lesson began.

Why did you look for the bottle even though you couldn’t see it? “Because I knew it was there,” was my reply. How did you know it was there. “Because I put it there,” I replied. Why did you continue looking until you found it? “I kept looking for it because I knew it was there because I had put it there,” was my confident reply. In other words, you kept looking because you believed it was there even though you couldn’t see it. “Yes, that’s right,” I thought. In a like manner, faith in God makes it easy to keep believing even though you can’t see. Not because of what you have done, but because of what God has done. What God has done and what God has said are one and the same. What God will do and what God says are also one and the same. God never changes. The end of faith becomes sure when able to accept this truth. (Hebrews 13:8, Mark 11:22-24; James 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 7:7-8; James 4:1-4, 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-9; 2 Corinthians 5:7)

His Work is Full of Majesty

111 Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
2 The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. Psalm 111:1-4, 7-9 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

The Word of God is the seed. The good soil planted and watered will say, “the seed works mightily in me.” Even though nothing can be seen to be happening above the ground, wait on the Lord. Trust His perfect timing. First appears the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. Let the redeemed say, “the Lord works mightily in me.” Continue to water, de-weed, and sharpen the sickle in eager expectation of the bountiful harvest to come. The unbelieving scientist looks in every direction to examine, dissect, explain, and manipulate. The rich man, without the full light of the New Testament, is snared by the belief that money is the answer for everything. The beautiful, born with every advantage in life, lives with the favor and admiration of people everywhere. They may be the prettiest of flowers, yet cut from the roots by pride they are already dead. Every flower cut from the source is destined to wilt away quickly, slowly, or sometime in between. The carnal mind of the smart, the rich, and the beautiful makes it impossible for them to rise above the natural. They are confined by the limitations of human understanding and the natural principles of this world. Like the people who laughed at Noah, the foolishness of the worldly wise causes them to refuse the knowledge of the Lord. Judgement day will find them unprepared for eternal life. Pride does not allow them to choose the fear of the Lord and seek safety in Christ Jesus from the wrath of God to come. These are the last days. Blessed are all who believe the gospel. God will raise up His exceeding vast army and the feeble among us shall be as David. Blessed is the worshiper of God who sees with more than just the physical eyes. Blessed is the child of God, who without seeing Jesus with the eyes or touching Him with the hands, can exclaim with reverent wonder, my Lord and my God!

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 11

Philippians 2

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.

All Things Provided in Christ

23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Psalm 23 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Why, when, where, what, and how? Sometimes you just can’t see it, but that’s okay. God has everything perfectly under control. Humble yourself and submit to God. Fall down under whatever burden is vexing you and admit that in self you have no power to control, change, or improve anything. Take it to the living God with prayer and supplication. God alone can do more than can be asked, thought, or imagined. Pour out you heart to God and ask for the grace you need. Choose the fear of the Lord and make it your intention to completely be conformed to our Lord Jesus Christ. The way is narrow and sometimes difficult that leads to eternal life. It is also a very short trek when compared to eternity. Trust God. Be confident in His completed work of your salvation.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 10

Philippians 1

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Firmly Planted By Streams of Water

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Life can be tough in this fallen world, yet still the goodness of God abounds toward us all. It has been said that when you reach the end of the rope, that you should tie a knot and hang on. And when that becomes manageable, start swinging. When that is accomplished, let go and fly. And when you fall, take the pain and get up again. Learning to fly can sometimes be painful, but we are born to it. God has promised to bear us up like an eaglet on the mother eagle’s wings. The one who refuses to learn to fly, will only suffer more in the end. The baby eagle that refuses to leave the comfort of the nest is destined to become someone’s chicken dinner. So get flapping! Live the gospel. Let the Word of God dwell richly in you, in your thoughts, in your mouth, and in your every action. Let everything you do be done in love.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 9

Ephesians 6

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Righteousness Made Clear

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.  Psalm 51:10-13 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Don’t waste your time anxiously searching for the 1% that you don’t have, all the while paying little attention to the 99% that you do have in your hand right now. Most everyone knows what they need to do, but only a few people actually get it done. Why is it so? One reason is the lack of a total commitment. It is hard to understand the power of a total commitment if you have never made one. A total commitment removes the possibly of retreat or turning back. You either swim or you sink. You either do it or you die still trying to get it done. All manner of great things have blossomed from such commitments. When all things are considered as they should be in the light of eternity, a total commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ is a no-brainer. One thing needed is a singleness of heart that pursues the living God and refuses to settle for anything less. Let it not be His gifts that move us to seek His face. Rather, let the desire to know Him mold our thoughts and actions. God has promised that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our heart. The mercy of God has provided the way. We only need to make the total commitment to Jesus Christ, and God meets us with the needed grace to make it happen.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 8

Ephesians 5

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Meditation Pleasing to the Heart 

6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.
8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
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. Psalm 50:6-17 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Never let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can. Don’t just sit around whining and complaining. It doesn’t help, and it certainly doesn’t please God. Just get busy making the most out of whatever opportunity you do have, and leave the lingering on lack to the unhappy and the depressed. Trust God, and waste no time complaining about your best-laid plans as they lie broken upon the jagged rocks of life. Refuse to allow discouraging feelings to carry your thoughts away captive. Rather, set your hope firmly upon your full salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for the needed grace based on what God has promised. Take the promise as being immediately answered by faith based on the incorruptible truth of the Word, and not on evidence based upon our corruptible physical senses and unstable emotions. Wait on the Lord in faith, which means to keep the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart pleasing to God. Rest in the knowledge of the faithfulness of God. Wait for the blessing with joyful expectation. When peace, thanksgiving, and praise to God reign in your heart, regardless of temporary circumstances, all will be well.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 7

Ephesians 4

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Hymn of the Messiah

110 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.  Psalm 110:1-4 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Lasting change that is good comes from above, and it proceeds from the inside-out. It is a great mystery how we are 100% dependent on God for everything, while at the same time being 100% responsible for our choices. They are not contradictory opposites, but rather complementary truths. The state of your health 20 years from now can best be predicted by how you live and what you do today. Just as your current body condition is a result of your past thoughts, habits, and lifestyle choices. Don’t expect much change from your exercise and diet efforts if you are still going to think the same, do the same things, go to the same places, and live the same way that created the need for change in the first place. The call of the gospel is to come as you are, not stay as you are. The mind set on gratifying the flesh is not capable of making lasting changes for the better, but the mind set on the things of the Spirit is renewed from the inside-out. Lasting change happens first in the inner man’s heart and affections, which are the source of every choice to do or to not do. God will change the heart as you consistently seek to renew the mind with the Word of Life. Accept the divine order: first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. Transformation is certain because God is faithful to perform His unchangeable word whenever we meet the conditions. Only believe. O Lord, I believe! Say it aloud and keep saying it until your “Amen” is made strong by the Spirit.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 6

Ephesians 3

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hear and Understand

8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:8-10 KJV

The Morning Exhortation

All the promises of God are “yes, yes” in Christ Jesus for those whose hearts are set on being doers of the word with prayer and faith. Exercise the gift of whatever faith that you have right now until God grants you the grace of the full assurance of faith. Then will you no longer be tossed about like a wave of sea troubled by the rapidly changing winds of doubt. You must believe your heart has been cleansed and renewed, and your body made strong and healthy even before seeing any evidence of the granted grace. Find another believer that you can emulate. Blaze your own trail if you have to, but it is more efficient to follow the path of someone else who has already obtained steadfastness in the faith. However, in your pursuit of everything that is good, never lose sight of the one most important thing. And that is this: he who has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, already has everything he could possibly need. 

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Kings 4-5

Ephesians 2

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon your church the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.