Daily Devotions

Your friendship and cousel is a fact even when we don't feel well. Help us notice all that is lovely and good in Your creation as evidence of the fact of Your love.

We are so tempted to remind others of how we have served You, that it embarrasses us when we reflect on our error. Please turn our tendency to be prideful into joyful humility in serving You. Joyful humility sounds like a non-sequitur but we know that You expect both of us. It is just a little tough to do both at the same time!

Father, You have taught us that fidelity counts, both in our relationships with others and in our relationship with You. Help us understand how serious a matter this is. Let us make no vow to You or to others that we are not able to keep.

Father, we see that there are different ways to serve You and that You want to equip us to be as Jesus among men. Teach each of us what Your expectations are this day and every day and then enlighten us and lead us as we seek to serve You.

If we only honor the good and gentle we have not distinguished ourselves from others in the world. We are to be known by our love for You and for our neighbor and if our neighbor has been granted authority by You (You, Father are sovereign), so be it. The test is theirs.

Father, it seems that the only way we could possibly feel joyful about experiencing trials, is to know that You permit the trial and that the trial will force our faith to be stronger.

Father, if King David, a man after Your own heart, said, “teach me, lead me, revive me”, we surely want to look to his example and do the same. Our lives are so full of decision-making opportunities from very minor things to life-changing things, that we confess we need Your direction, Your counsel.

Jesus, Paul reminds us that when judgment is dispensed it will be a righteous thing because it will be based upon justice. We know Father that the mercy seat sits upon the top of the Ark of the Covenant (the Law) and that mercy will prevail for those who seek it.

Father, when we read of Peter’s life, prior to the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, he was quite a problem, not in things of faith, but in things of temperament. We too are ill-tempered at times but here we read the words of a Spirit filled Peter, a perfect example of a changed heart and an example of what You c [...]