Daily Devotion for August 8, 2024
Nativity by Brian Kershisnik, modern.
Prayers
Scripture
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Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.
Kim Hopper leads us in a timeless old hymn.
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Love Lifted Me
by James Rowe
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
:
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me!
All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I'll cling,
In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul's best songs,
Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs.
Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He's the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.
Prayer for Renewal
As I start this day, oh Lord, I wonder: How will this day be different from any other day? Has my faith in you grown into a stale routine, or will I grow this day, closer to you than I have ever been?
Shake me up, Holy God! Rattle the door of my cage, set off my smoke detector, ring my doorbell until I answer the door! Let me read your Word until something new sinks in; let me pray until I hear your voice, until all smugness has given way to gratitude. By the power of your Holy Spirit, renew me afresh in your Word and power, today and every day, energizing me in your great commission. In Christ’s name, I pray.
Amen.
Mason Barge 11/15/2014
Prayer of St. Basil the Great
O God and Lord of the Powers, and maker of all creation, who, because of your clemency and incomparable mercy, sent your only-begotten son and our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, and with his venerable cross tore asunder the record of our sins, and thereby conquered the rulers and powers of darkness: Receive from me, a sinful person, O merciful Master, these prayers of gratitude and supplication, and deliver me from every destructive and gloomy transgression, and from all visible and invisible enemies who seek to injure me.
Nail down my flesh with fear of you. And do not let my heart be inclined to words or thoughts of evil, but pierce my soul with your love, that always contemplating you, being enlightened by you, and discerning you, the unapproachable and everlasting Light, I may unceasingly confess my misdoings and show my gratitude to you: The eternal Father, with your only-begotten Son, and with your all-holy, gracious, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
Meditation
You’ll never be able to plow a field by turning it over in your mind
Parting Prayer
Good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to your fold again. Deal favourably with me according to your good pleasure, until I may dwell in your house all the days of my life, and praise you forever and ever with them that are there.
Amen.
from a prayer of St. Jerome, 408 A.D.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Proverbs 13:24 (NKJV)
He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
Note on Prov. 13:24
I love the spin that The Message puts on this verse: “A refusal to correct is a refusal to love.”
This really leads to some hard thinking, however, as the Bible repeatedly tells us to accept the faith of others and not to quibble over words and, as we just read in Romans 14, not to “quarrel over opinions.” So we want to be careful about correcting others. And also, we must be ever wary not to judge.
Proverbs, however, seems to be addressing parents and children, in the specific verse.
Romans 15:8-13 (ESV)
Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles
or I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”
And again it is said,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”
And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Notes on the Scripture
Paul is beginning to wind up his letter. The difficult theological discussions of Chapters 1-14 are done. He starts his goodbyes today with a pep talk for the Gentiles, reminding them that the coming of Christ to save the Gentiles is not a radical new notion, but something that has been foretold for hundreds or even thousands of years. He gives them equal status: they are not only full members of the new Christian church, but also inheritors of the establishment of God's kingdom through the history of the Hebrews.
In truth, he pushes the point a bit. The word for non-Jews used in several of the Old Testament quotes would more properly be translated “heathens” instead of the nicer-sounding “Gentiles.” The quote from Deuteronomy, at the time it was written, seems more of a warning to the heathens not to mess with God’s chosen people, than an invitation to worship with them.
Still, the central meaning of Psalm 117 is to invite all the world to praise the one true God; and we know that Isaiah repeatedly prophesied that Christ would come to save, not simply the Jews, but all the nations of earth.
