Devotion for Thursday 2 September
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from Psalm Twenty-Five verse Twelve, “Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose,” (NRSVB). King David writes in this psalm that he dedicates his life to the Lord and brings it to God to inspect and instruct. David asks God to point out to him where he has not acted correctly, to forgive his flaws and failures, and to teach him to walk with reverent fear in the ways of the Lord. The commandments that the Lord has given Israel, and imprinted on the hearts and minds of humans, are given through God’s loving-kindness and mercy. The teachings of the Lord are sound and aim to lead believers on the path of righteousness and joyful living. These laws of the Lord should be humbly followed by humanity. Through these laws they will receive a door to enter into the secret of sweet and satisfying companionship with the Lord.
Those who come to the Lord, and search him through studying his word, will be rewarded with deep revelations of the inner meaning of the instructions of the Lord. It will be unto them as the prophet Isaiah foretold in Chapter Thirty verse Twenty One, “You will hear a voice behind you saying: This is the way. Walk in it,” (KJV). David trusted in the Lord, the One whom he leaned on, relied on and confidently waited on to never disappoint him and his hope in God was not put to shame. God delivered and saved David from his foes and failures. God showed him mercy and loving-kindness throughout his life. This is the same God that we serve today. God waits on us to instruct us in his ways and to deliver us out of all our troubles. God is the one who anoints our heads with oil, who leads us in the paths of righteousness, and who spreads a banquet table before us to bless us.
The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians, in Chapter One verse Nine, “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight,” (NRSVB). The members of the Philippian church were a constant blessing to Paul and the believers. They showed the love of God, exhibited in their midst, through their worship and faith in God and loving-kindness towards each other and strangers. They were concerned and anxious for the safety of Paul, as he was taken to prison for his witness regarding the love and work of Christ. Paul encourages the congregations to continue in the studying of the word of God, to have faith and trust and to be reliant on God, despite the outward circumstances and persecutions. “Now I want you to know and continue to rest assured, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me, this imprisonment, has actually only serve to advance and give a renewed impetus to the spreading of the good news, the Gospel of Christ,” as we read in Philippians Chapter One verse Twelve, (Amplified Bible).
The Apostle Paul, like King David, knew that their hope in God, and their expectation of deliverance, would not be disgraced. They would not be ashamed, for God would lead them to continue to would walk in the paths of righteousness, and to fulfil the mission that God placed on their lives. God invites us to daily turn to him and be instructed in the ways that we have to go, these ways are ways of truth and light, ways of knowing God and the fulness of his salvation.
Dear Father God, we thank you that you come to us and instruct us as a loving and merciful Father, making us able to walk in your ways, and teachings others the gospel of good news. Help us to come to you with humble reverence and lay our lives before you, Amen.
