Give me the early morn. This is when the world is most quiet, and nearly everyone still sleeps. Much can be done before the cares of the day begin demanding time and attention. It really isn’t surprising at all that the most productive among us are early to bed and early to rise. (Mark 1:35)
Devotional for April 28
The Love of the Lord Is Everlasting
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. Psalm 103:13-18 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Eat well and work hard for fitness while always prioritizing the more important things for faith. Faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, consists of facts to be believed, commands to be obeyed, and privileges to be enjoyed. Remember the love of God and His truth are the great tenderizers of the heart and soul. It is a lack of these two that have filled the world with so much suffering. Without love the heart becomes hardened with selfishness. Without holding to the truth the soul becomes steeped with envy, pretense, and pride. Christ Jesus died on the Cross so we could be free from the bondage and burden of all errors of the heart and soul such as these. Wisdom comes from being in a right relationship with God. Only then can we escape the vanity in the world being driven by lust. Fix your eyes on Jesus by faith working through love, and a sure hope in God will see you all the way home to our eternal dwelling in heaven. Faith, love, and hope filling the heart sets the fear of the Lord as the default setting in the mind. Don’t confuse being “afraid (or having no fear) of God” with “the fear of God.” The former is the state of sinners and the later pertains to saints. The fear of the Lord causes a carefulness to avoid anything that is offensive to God out of a sincere desire to please Him who our soul loves. Keeping the fear of the Lord before our eyes acts as a protective boundary through a fully functional conscience that helps to guard us along the way. And these are the signs of those who love the Lord: they obey His commandments and they bear the fruits of the Spirit. (Proverbs 27:20; Romans 3:13-18; Proverbs 9:12, 12:10, 27:23; Matthew 25:14-30; Isaiah 50:10-11; Hosea 10:12; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Hebrews 11:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 4:10-13; 2 Peter 1:2-11; Philippians 4:23)
Today’s Bible Reading
Numbers 5; Psalms 39
Song of Solomon 3; Hebrews 3
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 27
To Praise Delights the Soul
84 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.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. Psalm 84 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
You get knocked down, you get back up. Circumstances are temporary. Even a long life of 120 years is a mere grain of sand on the beach of eternity. Whether you ultimately thrive and bloom, or shrivel and die, depends greatly on the condition of your soul. Love is everlasting. The kingdom of God is like driving a car. Easy to take for granted until we lose the ability to drive or the way to enter. There are those who say they hate to drive just as there are those who say they hate to exercise or be told what to do. How easy it is to forget that there are great multitudes of people who are not blessed with the ability to drive, exercise, or enter in through the straight gate. Living according to what you know to be true will not always be easy and fun. That’s okay. It is better to suffer under the work than to be counted among the multitude of ease-seekers that know the right thing to do, yet cannot bring themselves to actually do it. The only guaranteed remedy for “I should to this” or “I should stop doing that” is prayer and faith. (Proverbs 24:13-16; Psalm 1:5-6; Matthew 13:1-23, 25:1-13, 24:35-39; Romans 6:1-14; James 4:5-10; James 5:14-16, 1:2-4, 5:17-18; Romans 6:15-23; Proverbs 25:28; 1 Corinthians 13:13; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Today’s Bible Reading
Numbers 4; Psalms 38
Song of Solomon 2; Hebrews 2
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 26
His Mercy Endures Forever
136 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 136:1-9, 25-26 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Getting started is usually not fun. The shortest cut to attaining anything is to accept the fact that everything requires effort and will seem hard in the beginning. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Tough times come and go. Endure the purifying process on the straight path through the narrow gate, and God shall bring forth your righteousness brighter and brighter until the full light of the noon day. Make the will of God your delight, wait on the Lord, and let the joy of the Lord be your strength. Nothing is able to take away your joy if you only believe. Trust the Lord. The power that spread out the stars like a curtain, the power that brought forth Jesus Christ up from the grave, that same power is at work in each of us who are born again in Christ. Believe the gospel! (Ecclesiastes 7:8, 11:4; Psalm 37:16-20; Matthew 6:19-34; Psalm 32:8-11; Matthew 5:6; Proverbs 16:3; Psalm 94:19, 37:1-13; Proverbs 4:18; Matthew 7:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; John 14:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:17; James 5:7; Mark 4:26-29; 1 John 5:5-15; Ephesians 2:10; John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Today’s Bible Reading
Numbers 3; Psalms 37
Song of Solomon 1; Hebrews 1
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 25
Trust Anchors the Soul
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. Psalm 33:18-22 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Change doesn’t come from remaining the same. To improve behavior, thoughts must be improved. To improve body composition, diet must be improved. To improve performance, training must be improved. Improvement by its very nature requires positive change. For all who want a better way to live, the good news of Jesus Christ has remained unchanged for over 2,000 years. Come as you are, but don’t try to stay as you are. (Hebrews 13:8; Luke 4:16-21; Matthew 11:28-30; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Luke 9:23-24; 2 Timothy 3:13; Matthew 12:43-45; Romans 6; Matthew 22:2-14; Revelation 3:14-22; Ephesians 4:22-30; Psalm 32:9; Proverbs 3:5-8; Matthew 7:7-13; Jude 24-25)
Today’s Bible Reading
Numbers 2; Psalms 36
Ecclesiastes 12; Philemon 1
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 24
Blessings for All
115 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
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. Psalm 115:1-13 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Keep working out and don’t be overly concerned about when you will see the results. Sometimes physical changes seems to happen gradually like a dawning day, and other times a personal best is surpassed suddenly like a clap of thunder out of a clear blue sky. Recognize the importance of the physical body to the spiritual life. The body is meant to be an instrument of righteousness rather than a stumbling block. Once the journey on the narrow path has begun, let go and never look back with desire for the old unhealthy ways. It’s not given to us to know all that today or tomorrow will bring. Time and chance happens to everyone, and these are completely out of our control. Still, there is reason for hope for those who love the Lord. Time and chance are both completely under the dominion of God. There really is no need to worry about anything if you will only believe the gospel. The will of God is our highest good. It will happen when all is ready, when the proper season has come, when the time is right, and when the dues have been paid in full. (Proverbs 27:1; Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 9:10-11; Psalm 147:5-11; Hebrews 6:19-20; Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:25-34; Proverbs 4:18; Acts 1:7; Psalm 27:14; James 5:7-11; Mark 11:22-25; Galatians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews 6:1-3; Philippians 2:13; 1 Peter 5:11)
Today’s Bible Reading
Numbers 1; Psalms 35
Ecclesiastes 11; Titus 3
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 23
The Whole World is His
93 The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
4 The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever. Psalm 93 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Understand how the multitudes were fed. We miss the abundant life promised by Christ when we allow ourselves to be convinced that we need God and ________ . It doesn’t matter what you fill in the blank with, it will be like a ball and chain that keeps you from the fullness of God in Christ Jesus. God alone is our exceeding sufficient provision and reward. Better to endure hardness as good soldier of Jesus Christ than it is to feast, drink, and chase after all that is shiny and best in this life. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. All else is vanity says the preacher, and all is counted as dung compared to knowing Jesus Christ says the apostle. God says, “I am.” We are to say, “God is.” The understanding heart will know that this is the answer and response to every difficult question in life. (Habakkuk 1:5; Mark 6:34-52; 1 Corinthians 12:1; Ephesians 1:3-23; Philippians 4:8-13; Ecclesiastes 7:2-6; Philippians 3:7-15; 2 Timothy 2:3-4; 1 Peter 4:12-19; Romans 8:13-19; Exodus 3:13-15; John 1:1-12; Hebrews 11:1-6; Colossians 1:23-29; Ephesians 3:14-21)
Today’s Bible Reading
Leviticus 27; Psalms 34
Ecclesiastes 10; Titus 2
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 22
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
114 When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2 Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. Psalm 114 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Wisdom is better than money, money is better than strong muscles, and each of these are far better together than they are alone. It takes wisdom to understand that getting more of the good things in life without developing good character only leads to more problems, more sorrows, and more broken relationships. Character is molded by what we behold as most important. We conform to what we love. Unredeemed we are like dead fish living for the lust of the eyes, which is the default setting from childhood in this fallen world. Only a live fish can swim upstream against the evil currents of the world. Therefore, new life is the first requirement for all lasting good. (Psalm 4:2, 58:3; Proverbs 30:20; Psalm 34:21; Ecclesiastes 8:11; James 1:21; 2 Timothy 2:15-16; Proverbs 3:4-9; Ecclesiastes 7:12; John 3:1-17; 1 John 2:16; John 10:8-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:2-11; Hebrews 12:1-2; Romans 12:1-2; 9; Psalm 30:10-12; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Today’s Bible Reading
Leviticus 26; Psalms 33
Ecclesiastes 9; Titus 1
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 21
Abundance Even in Days of Famine
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. Psalm 37:10-19 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Everyone is as fit as they really want to be. The proof is in what they do, not what they say. A person will be just as fit as they believe they can become. Belief sets the limit by determining the level of commitment. Commitment and trust develop consistency and perseverance, which in turn develops patience. Patience and due time brings the mature fruit to harvest. This is the way of both fitness and faith alike. We will be just as close to Jesus Christ as we want to be, as we believe is possible, and as long as we are willing to keep our right hand in His. Truth rings true in both the physical and spiritual realms for all who are willing to hear it. Blessed are all who have a love for truth. (Everyone is as fit as they really want to be. The proof is in what they do, not what they say. A person will be just as fit as they believe they can become. Belief sets the limit by determining the level of commitment. Commitment and trust develop consistency and perseverance, which in turn develops patience. Patience and due time brings the mature fruit to harvest. This is the way of both fitness and faith alike. We will be just as close to Jesus Christ as we want to be, as we believe is possible, and as long as we are willing to keep our right hand in His. Truth rings true in both the physical and spiritual realms for all who are willing to hear it. Blessed are all who have a love for truth. (James 1:2-8, Matthew 6:33; John 4:7-14, 14:21-23; Romans 13:24; Philippians 2:5; Psalm 40:8, 30:12; Luke 11L22-13; John 4:19-24; Hebrews 13:5-9; 2 Timothy 3:1-7; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-17; Galatians 5:16; Philippians 2:15-16; Matthew 28:18-20)
Today’s Bible Reading
Leviticus 25; Psalms 32
Ecclesiastes 8; 2 Timothy 4
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
Almighty and everlasting God, grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
Devotional for April 20
Forgiveness
13 The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:13-19 (KJV)
The Morning Exhortation
Be quick to let go of anger and emotional pain. Remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord. Forgiving those who have hurt you can be harder to endure than even the toughest of workouts. It is futile to try to forgive a serious wrong committed against you in your own strength. Turn to our Lord, who has commanded us to forgive. All that God has commanded, He will also enable us to do. The God of all comfort will grant the needed change of heart in answer to the prayer that sincerely seeks to obey His will. This we can be sure, because God has been revealed to be Faithful and True. Just as you want the Lord to remember his mercy and not your sins, discipline your own thoughts about whomever has hurt you. Trusting in the Lord is a healing balm that never fails. Repent and confess to the Lord that you can’t forgive on your own. Sincerely ask the Lord to enable you to forgive the offender, then persist in the exercise of giving them forgiveness in your thoughts, and you will be able to let the hurt go in due time. Do this for your sake, especially when the offender is undeserving of forgiveness. The burden will be released, the wrong will lose its sting, and the peace of God will rule your heart. (Proverbs 22:24-25; Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:26-27; Revelation 19:9-16; Psalm 29:11; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 12:20; Isaiah 55:11; Isaiah 55:7; Psalm 28:6-9; 1 Peter 5:7; Romans 12:19-20; Luke 6:32-36; Galatians 3:26-28; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Philippians 2:13; Matthew 11:28-30; John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5; Philippians 4:23)
Today’s Bible Reading
Leviticus 24; Psalms 31
Ecclesiastes 7; 2 Timothy 3
The Prayer Appointed for This Week
Almighty and everlasting God, grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer
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