Devotion
What doest thou here?
David Jacobs
In my teenage years I was in love with a beautiful girl. We dated for many years after that, growing to be best friends. Eventually, we realized that we wanted to go our separate ways. We spent so much of our time together that it was difficult to adapt to being alone. I became insecure that her family and our mutual friends no longer liked me and that I was alone. It took me a long time to understand that we were simply not meant to be together and the friendship that we had was still strong.
Elijah is fleeing from Jezebel in these verses, fearing for his life, thinking that he is alone. In his moment of terror, God approaches him, asking him what he is doing. Elijah tells God that he has been devoted to God and that he is the only believer left in Israel. Similar to how I felt at my low point post-breakup, it can feel that way sometimes. Also similar to my situation, Elijah was not abandoned. He was scared and felt alone and helpless. God reassured him that he was not alone, because God was there and also told him that there were still 7000 true believers in Israel.
If you feel alone, like I have, like Elijah did, do not despair. Turn to the Lord and he will reassure you. In your moment of fear, listen to God asking you what you are doing. Answer Him with prayer and you will be comforted. He is our shepherd and will lead you where you need to go.
Prayer
O Lord my shepherd, I shall not want. Strengthen my heart in my times of despair, reminding me to go to you when I feel alone. I forget, my God, that you have never abandoned me and never will. I pray that you also comfort others that feel that they are alone, granting me the wisdom to notice and comfort them, as you have noticed and comforted me. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Inspiration
Sin rules our lives until we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. When we invite Him into our lives, our old sinful heart dies, and God creates within us a new one, where sin no longer rules our life; God does! Our thoughts and actions begin to change because we no longer desire a sinful lifestyle. We joyfully devote our lives to serving Him and inviting others to understand His promise of salvation.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we are sinners born again and recreated to live according to Your will. We are grateful for Your love and the peace we experience by abolishing our old sinful self. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
Satan Has Been Defeated
Frances Taylor
Salvation and power have come with Christ and Satan has been defeated. Sin and death have been conquered by the actions of one man, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, both human and divine who came into the world to bring the Good News of salvation by living, dying and rising for us. As Christians we claim to believe this but our actions sometimes deny it. Unfortunately, people seem to resurrect Satan all the time. We allow him to lead us away from God, forgetting the way to the Father that is love, and giving in to Satan's path of hatred, anger, pride, lust, chaos and destruction.
Satan, of course, doesn't present these as bad things, he makes them seem attractive. He presents sin as goods to be desired, as things to make us happy or give us pleasure. It can be hard to stay on the path that leads to God when the world seems to be crowding us and pushing us off of it. How easy it is to forget the sacrifice that bought our freedom! Which of us ...
Morning Prayer
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Inspiration
It is right for us to defer to others and to rejoice with others when they have cause to rejoice over some blessing in their life, instead of sorrowing before them over some problem in our life. It is right also to weep with those who weep, showing compassion and feeling for them in their grief instead of "dancing joyfully before those who mourn" as if insensitive to their sorrow.
Prayer
Give me a discerning spirit, Lord, to know when to rejoice and when to weep. Let me show concern for others and their situation and life events instead of just focusing only on my own. Let me show true compassion and genuine joy in the right way and time to others. Amen.
