Devotional for November 27

The Lord Is a Shield

1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:1-5 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

The elite athletes in this world focus on honing necessary skills through deliberate practice over the course of many years. In the same way, the elect of the Lord need a singular focus on practicing truth in order to keep to the straight and narrow path. Truth is necessary for our sanctification, in order to have eternal life, and to know God. It takes the whole truth if we are to come to know God just as we know any other person with whom we have a close personal relationship. One part, one half, or even three quarters of the truth won’t do. Had Jesus accepted the half-truth in His wilderness testing, it would have been a disaster of catastrophic proportions. Our Master was well prepared though. The whole truth in that particular situation was twofold: 1) just as the accuser stated, God will send His Angels to protect you; and 2) in the Lord’s reply we see that to put God through a stupid test demonstrates a lack of faith. Unbelief and a lack of knowledge about the whole revealed truth in the Scriptures, increases our susceptibility to fall into all sorts of error. We lift the shield of faith by trusting God. Belief in the revealed truth of God is a purifying fire that burns away all falsehood and lies. Only two ways to know what is true. The first way is by an accurate detection with our physical senses. Life in this world would be quite impossible without our physical senses, but they are not always reliable. There is a whole class of modern day entertainers commonly known as magicians that earn their living by showing us how easily our physical senses can be deceived. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why God commands us to live by the rule of faith and not by rule of our physical senses. To walk by faith is simply believing what has been revealed to us and acting accordingly. Believe the gospel and your whole spirit, soul, and body will be full of light. This is the second and most reliable way we come to know truth.

Today’s Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 23; 1 Peter 4

Micah 2; Luke 11

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

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.