Devotional for May 7

Ye are Blessed of the Lord

9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord. Psalm 115:9-18 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

A better tomorrow is paid for with today’s activities. The past doesn’t determine the future, it merely sets the current conditions. Redeem the time. Profitable work can only be done today, in the now. No one should try to work all the time, neither should all our free time be used only for play. Mental and physical batteries will need re-charging from time to time. A nap is better at doing this than are many other mindless activities like watching TV or scrolling through endless social media posts. Rest when you must, but afterward do not allow yourself to be idle. Lazy rests without being tired. When you step into a pile of lazy, be quick to scrape it off. It is much more profitable to spend a few minutes taking care of a necessary mundane task while singing praises to the Lord in your heart, than it is to sit around doing nothing. It is not for us to know when Jesus Christ will come again, but don’t let Him catch you with your work undone. (Ecclesiastes 9:10; Proverbs 26:14, 24:30-34; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10; Ephesians 5:14-20; Galatians 6:6-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 10:35-39; Matthew 25:14-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Psalm 30:10-12; Jude 1:24-25)

Today’s Bible Reading

Numbers 15; Psalms 51

Isaiah 5; Hebrews 12

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

I thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered me from the dominion of sin and death and brought me into the kingdom of your Son; and I pray that, as by his death he has recalled me to life, so by his love he may raise me to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer