Devotional for November 21

I Will Exalt You, O Lord

30 I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:1-5 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

To continue praying for fish without letting done the net as God has commanded, is to tempt God. Doing so only hardens the heart with unbelief, and thereby giving our enemy a foothold. Of course, this doesn’t please God. He has given us His word with many precious promises of providing a bountiful catch for all our needs. Why then are we so slow to believe and trust our God? The thing to do is to launch out into the deep at once and let down the nets in faith. Guard your heart against hidden unbelief that if left unconfessed quenches the Spirit. He who would see good days should be careful to order his life according to the Word of God. The unbelieving heart sows with invisible inner seeds of doubts, and thereby reaps difficulties under various heavy burdens, pedogeological oppression, and yokes of all kinds of addictions. God has planned from the very beginning something far better for us. Lifting up the shield of faith to extinguish all the fiery thoughts that would have you focus on what you feel and see is how the good fight of the faith is won. It is through the meekness of wisdom that God makes us strong. It is by faith in Jesus that we are healed, strengthened, and renewed. Not according to how we feel, but according to our faith in the truth as revealed in the holy Scriptures will it be done. “But I don’t feel any different” is the cry of the babe in Christ after prayer. Good feelings are sure to come, but only after faith has first let down the net. Let the wind blow and the sea roar, set your will firmly to believe. By faith walk in the light that you have been given. Believe the living God. Because He is, all will be right.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 16; James 3

Obadiah 1; Luke 5

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

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant me so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that I may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.