Devotion
Make a joyful noise to the King of all gods
David Jacobs
As a musician, it always brings me great pleasure to be able share my musical gift with others. The one place I get to do that more than any other, besides singing in the shower, is at church. In the comfortable confines of the church is one of the few places I get to sing, play the piano, and play the violin for an audience of interested listeners. How joyful is the sound of heavenly music, and how joyful it is to be able to share this music with fellow Christians in a house of worship!
The Old Testament is filled with stories that may make God seem serious, vengeful, and even scary. Never forget how much God loves you! So much so that he sent His only son to die so that we may experience life eternal. Between the lines of thousands of verses within the Bible, one may find the joy and exultation of celebrating the name of the Lord. God is not spiteful and full of vengeance! He is as a Father unto us, endowing us with the gift of light, love, and even laughter. Perhaps no figure in the Bible is a better example of the joyful praise that can and should be shared with others and our Lord than King David. The Psalms particularly details the joyous relationship we have with God, recommending we make a joyful noise to the Lord. My joyful noise might be different from yours, but the Lord does not judge us on our musical abilities! Anyone can lift up their voice and sing – even my tone deaf mother – but singing is not the only way to make a joyful noise celebrating our love for God. Find yours, and lift it up in praise!
Prayer
When have you felt at your most 'joyous'? What does your joyful noise sound like?
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
