Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 103:15-22
Ps 103:15-22
As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children — with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2 Cor 6:1-2
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Jesus spent a great deal of time teaching that we are to love God and our service to him is to be from the heart, based on our love for him. When we do this, we become servants, not only to God but also to one another. Paul said that when we imitate the attitude of Jesus, we will consider others better than ourselves and we will not just look out for our own interests, but that of others also. Our devotion is to be genuinely from our hearts, and it is not just going through the motions.
Another theme found in the teaching of Jesus is that we take advantage of our time on earth to get ready for his return. Several of his parables point out the urgency of being ready all the time because we do not know when we will die or when he will return. Paul says for us to be wise, making the most of our time. It is easy for us to become complacent and then to let the cares of the world choke out our effectiveness for the Lord. Not wickedness, just everyday cares – just life.
Praise the Lord for his goodness, his kindness, and his gracious love for mankind, and for all of his creation. He made us, so he knows our weaknesses, our troubles, our anxieties, and all of the things that can pull us from him. But in Jesus Christ, we have the power of his Spirit giving us strength to overcome. Praise the Lord!
You, O Lord are mighty in power but gracious and loving. As I look at your creation and see your unfathomable wisdom, I stand in awe before you. It is beyond my understanding to know how anyone can love as you love me, especially the one who formed every part of all that exists in your mind and then spoke it into existence. All glory to the Lamb that was slain as a sacrifice for my sin but has risen from the grave, and now reigns in heaven above, over all the earth. Give me a pure heart, fully devoted to serving you. In your Son’s name I pray.
Robert
