Devotional for August 14

Recount the Praiseworthy Deeds of the Lord

1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. Psalm 78:1-8 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Physical perfection is only skin deep, while spiritual perfection is a delightful beauty down to the innermost parts of the soul. We must be willing to wrestle with this word ‘”perfection” if we are to have a correct understanding of what John Wesley called “Christian Perfection.” Christian Perfection is both a being and a becoming. These are not contradictory, but opposite ends of the same profound truth. Christian Perfection is not about being physically perfect or incapable making mistakes. There is no such lasting physical perfection in this life do to the weakness of the flesh. Christian Perfection is being of the same character of those in heaven, where there is nothing that offends. The becoming part of Christian Perfection will happen upon the resurrection of the just. When the flesh is transformed at the twinkling of an eye into a glorious spiritual body like our Lord Jesus Christ. How do we obtain both ends of this Christian Perfection? It is both hard and easy. It is hard to find, because the way is narrow. It is easy to follow for the same reason, because the way is narrow. Take His yoke upon you and learn the way of Christian Perfection. (Proverbs 6:20-26; Mark 8:36; Psalm 49:6-15; Matthew 5:6; Romans 14:17; Matthew 5:48, 7:7-8, 11:28-30, 7:13-14; Mark 4:26-29; James 5:7; Hebrews 10:36;  Matthew 13:45-46; Philippians 3:8-16; 1 Corinthians 15:39-58; Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:27, 22:10-21)