To the Work
Oh my, I am struggling this morning, Father. An early and full day at work followed by the special service at Beulah last night sure made getting up a challenge. And even being up, keeping my eyes open has not been entirely successful. But, I know spending time with You is vital to my spirits well-being. Starting off my mornings with You sets the pace and mentality for the day. May I hear you loud and clear.
James 1:27 (<<click here)
Reading this passage brings to mind the old Fanny Crosby hymn, “To the Work”.
To the work! To the work! We are servants of God.
Let us follow the path that our Master has trod.
With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,
Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.
Toiling on… Let us hope (and trust) let us watch (and pray)
And labor till the Mater comes.
Lord, I cannot be idle. There are too many hurting and needy people in the world. There are material needs, which is an area we are most apt to respond to – we have resources and share. But there are also social needs – there are over 7 billion people on this planet but many are alone. And most importantly, the spiritual needs of humanity impact us all. We must be “to the work!”
Jesus, help me to “follow the path” that You have trod. May I daily, routinely, be about investing myself in the lives of other – at home, at church, at work, with loved ones, with acquaintances, with adversaries – with any and every one! Fill me with Your wisdom and strength so I may not grow weary of giving myself away.
Aug 21st, Sun, 5:55 am
Control Your Tongue
Who needs an alarm clock when I have a Father who loves me so much that he gently wakes me at just the right time so we can spend time together every day? And just about every day is different as to when I have to get up! Thank You, Father, for loving me so much! Thank You for Your patience and for never giving up on me. I am so grateful and blessed to be Your child!
James 1:26 (<<click here)
Lord, I know James will address this topic in more detail later but he mentions it here. “If you…don’t control your tongue…your religion is worthless.”
There is absolutely no way to count the number of times my tongue has gotten me into trouble. From childhood until now, it continues to be unwieldy. It moves before my brain has engaged. Now I must say, Lord, that You have helped me so much in this area. Because of You I stop… and think. I am by no means perfect but You have helped me over and over again to not jump into a gossipy conversation. You have stilled my mouth when I have been tempted to share an unconfirmed “truth” just because I wanted to be “in” or to impress someone. Some things…many things…are better left unsaid.
As Your child, Lord, how can I, on one hand, build people up as You would have me do and then in the very next breath tear them down? If I don’t control my tongue…my religion is worthless.
Holy Spirit, work through me this day. May the words of my mouth clearly communicate to whom I belong and serve with joy!
Aug 20th, Sat, 5:44 am
Deeper Still
Father, I pray that You would strengthen me and my resolve. Yesterday, I touched on our time together but other things lured me away. Not that they were evil things but our time together is of utmost importance. Help me to get up when I need to and for You to be the first thing on my agenda. Amen.
James 1:22-25 (<<click here)
Lord, we’ve been in a relationship for some time now. You have always (literally!) loved me and for a majority of my life, I have loved You. I’ve loved You but at varying degrees. As a child, it was simple and pure. As a teen, it was real but other things began to vie for that love. As I continue to grow and mature into adulthood, my love has been tested…and sometimes I have failed. My love has been thin and many times insubstantial. But You have never given up on me.
And because of Your commitment, because of the depth of your love… I am where I am today. My love is deeper than it has ever been, though it is by no means as deep as it can go. Help me, Lord, to go deeper still. As the old hymn puts it, “Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus daily let me go…”
A big part of that love is immersing myself in Your love letters to me – Your Word the Bible. It is challenging, it is applicable to my everyday life even though it is thousands of years old. But as today’s passage stresses, I can’t just “listen” to it, I “must do what it says.” To truly be effective in my life I must allow it to affect my “behavior and attitudes,” as the notes in my Study Bible* point out.
I know it does. I feel Your presence, Holy Spirit, and You regularly bring to mind Your Word. May I continue to listen and may I continue to do what it says. Amen!
Aug 19th, Fri, 7:00 am
*New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible
You Are the Rudder
Father, daily I am enjoying the book of Puritan prayers loaned to me by a dear friend. May this portion of today’s reading be my prayer.
Thou hast loved me everlastingly, unchangeably,
may I love thee as I am loved;
Thou hast given thyself for me,
may I give myself to thee;
Thou hast died for me,
may I live to thee,
in every moment of my time,
in every movement of my mind,
in every pulse of my heart.
May I never dally with the world and its allurements,
but walk by thy side,
listen to thy voice,
be clothed with thy graces,
and adorned with thy righteousness.
Lord, oh what a life I would have if I were able to live it this way. Following You is not boring. It is not out of touch with the reality of life. It is not about avoiding contact with the world.
It is living life to its fullest. You are the rudder that keeps the ship of my life headed to the correct port instead of just aimlessly floating about with no direction whatsoever. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for all that You do and all that You are. May I stay the course and daily remain at Your side. Amen.
Aug 17th, Wed, 7:23 am
Grafted In
Oh, Father, the gentle, flowing thoughts of this early morning hour bring me great comfort. The world is crazy and is seemingly spinning out of control but You are the deep settled peace running beneath it all. May my thoughts be on You. May Your peace flow through me to touch the lives of others. Amen.
James 1:21 (<<click here)
Looking more closely at the second half of this verse, James directs us to “humbly accept the word God has planted in our hearts.” The KJV uses the word “engrafted.” Lord, we are spiritual beings created to have an intimately close relationship with You. But because of sin, we are rebellious and wild. Solely because of Your sacrificial death – a death we deserved because of our sin – can Your word be “engrafted” “in our hearts, for it has the power to save our souls.” We are incapable of saving ourselves – salvation is found only in You.
Your word is “engrafted” in us but Romans 11:17 says that we are also “grafted in” to the tree of Your making so that we can now tap into the blessings and promises of God, “sharing in the rich nourishment from” its root.
Lord, I readily acknowledge that I am utterly dependent upon You for my spiritual vitality – the sustenance I so desperately need comes only from You. I am eternally indebted to You for engrafting Your word in me and for engrafting me in You. There is no place I’d rather be! We both realize that I must remain in You throughout my life here on earth – outside of You, I am lost. How I long for the day when I won’t just have Your presence in me but I will live in Your presence for all eternity!
Aug 16th, Tues, 5:33 am