Devotion
Feed the world
David Jacobs
When I was young, I remember reading the stories of Moses avidly. The supernatural elements, moral protagonist, and evil antagonists would make for a great, Hollywood movie (as evidenced by the movie The Ten Commandments). I thought about how incredible it would have been to witness Moses call down plague after plague on the Egyptians, with each one increasing in severity. The Passover holiday, one of the most important in the Jewish calendar, is related to the tenth plague, when an angel of death "passes over" the Jewish households but kills the first-born son of every Egyptian home. Not wanting any more bloodshed, the Pharaoh finally relents, freeing the Jews, and has been celebrated ever since.
Many of the elements in place in Exodus related to Passover are mentioned in John 6. Jesus tells his disciples to gather the food and not waste any, just as Moses did in Exodus 16:19. There are other elements in John 6 as well, but the most important parallel between these verses and Exodus is how Christ and Moses were viewed after these events. As verse 14 explains: "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." Non-believers have been converted, the same as the Pharaoh with Moses. Jesus and Moses fed the hungry and freed their people. How can we do the same in our lives?
Prayer
We have been called to feed the hungry. This can be taken in the literal sense as well as the spiritual. We may lack the natural resources to feed everyone but we do not lack the spiritual. Go forth to Love the Lord, love the people, serve the Lord, and serve the people. Leave everything else to God. Amen.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
