Devotional for April 1

The Soul Yearns

1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Psalm 84:1-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Some form of resistance training is essential to maintain strength as we get older, and the fountain of youth is a spirit filled with a child-like faith in God. How was it that Daniel was found ten times better than everyone else? It wasn’t his training as we are told in the Scriptures that it was the same as everyone else. It was the water and vegetables, right? The real secret of Daniel being ten times better came from his willingness to deny the flesh and nourish the soul by glorifying God in every thought, word, and deed. This is what it means to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. We may not be able to be ten times better like Daniel, but we can certainly be blessed like Daniel if we are willing to love God like Daniel. (Matthew 18:1-4; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 John 5:4; Hebrews 11:6; Daniel 6:10-28; Proverbs 16:13-20; Romans 12:1-2; Mark 12:30; Proverbs 3:5-8; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Today’s Bible Reading

Leviticus 4; Psalms 1-2

Proverbs 19; Colossians 2

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give me this bread, that he may live in me, and I in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer