Tag: trust

faith

Devotional for March 23

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Trust in 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

Accept the fact that the body must be trained with weights, or gravity and time will leave you weak and frail. Train the body under resistance for physical health and train the mind under faith for spiritual health. Pair resistance training with nutrition, and faith with wisdom, for maximum effectiveness. Physical exercise is important for the body, and spiritual training is essential for the mind. The bedrock of spiritual training is being diligent about judging one’s own thoughts. Every wrong thought must be rejected or by default it is accepted. Accepted thoughts are like seeds sown and can only bring forth more of its kind. Conformity to the Word of God is our only reliable standard for judging right and wrong thoughts. The one who doesn’t learn to hold their thoughts captive and examined in this way, will be a slave to their feelings like parent tormented by the undisciplined two year-old that throws a temper tantrum in the grocery store checkout line.  (Isaiah 26:3; Proverbs 16:3; Psalm 10:4; Isaiah 50:10-11; Galatians 6:7-9; 1 Peter 4:17; 1 Corinthians 11:31-32; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Matthew 7:16; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:17; 1 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 11:6; Philippians 4:1, 4-9)

Today’s Bible Reading

Exodus 34; John 13

Proverbs 10; Ephesians 3

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer

faith

Devotional for February 3

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Afterwards the Lord Will Take Me Into Glory

21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works. Psalm 73:21-28 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Persistence is the pain that brings the gains. Many things may get you where you want to go, but only if you are willing to keep working at them even though the pace seems slow. Many things may work, but thank God there is only one straight gate and narrow way that leads to eternal life. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. This is the most essential knowledge for every human being on the planet. We have everything when we know this. Without this knowledge, even if a soul has the very best of everything this world has to offer, it will amount to less than nothing in the end. God alone is our Rock. Practice the art of contentment by trusting God. Our own thoughts and feelings are prone to error and sometimes unreliable. The emotional faculty of the brain exists to create meaning out of present circumstance. Feelings are just the brain’s best guest based on our limited sensory perceptions and what has been learned from our past experiences. Feelings are sometimes right and sometimes wrong. Therefore, trust God, rely on His word, and take no counsel from contradictory feelings and the thoughts they spawn. Pray and work. Let feelings be what they may.

Today’s Bible Reading

Genesis 35-36; Mark 6

Job 2; Romans 6

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; 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

faith

Devotional for December 8

Bruce Coleman2 Comments

The Lord Upholds the Righteous

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. Psalm 37:10-17 (KJV)

Morning Exhortation

The only true set back is to quit. Everything else, distractions, detours, and obstacles are common to every journey. Being able to give thanks and praise to God locates you spiritually, as surely as longitude and latitude pin points your location physically. Those who find no gratitude in the past are often tempted to lose hope for the future. Learn to live in the will and not in the emotions. Take no counsel from your faithless feelings that would rage like an unruly little child. Such flaming darts take advantage of difficult external circumstances, internal aches of the body, or mental fatigue of the mind. We do well to remember the command of our Lord to possess our soul in patience, and wait on the Lord to calm the seas without and the unruly child within. Temporary circumstances, aches, and fatigue in no way alter the truth of God. Sing praises to God when the winds are favorable, and pull out the oars and row, row, row with praises to God when they’re not. Disruptions caused by the unexpected are to be expected. The destination is only reached by making adjustments whenever needed to stay on course. Be steady and always pray for the needed grace to remain in the center of God’s will.

Today’s Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 8; 3 John 1

Habakkuk 3; Luke 22

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

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory now and for ever. Amen.