Devotion
What are the Demons today?
Frances Taylor
You notice that I didn't ask IF there are demons today. The Gospel speaks of Jesus driving out demons and we are still in need of this! True, we can think of personal demons such as drug abuse and alcohol addiction, but what of more systemic demons such as violence and discrimination, poverty, hunger and greed. We have been commissioned as disciples of Jesus in order that we may carry on his mission. I can already hear the wheels turning: How can I make a difference? The answer is one day at a time. Every journey begins with one step at a time. For those who may be affected by a personal demon, there is help available once we recognize that we can't do it alone. For systemic demons, it's a little harder, but we can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Doing nothing is being part of the problem. Let's take violence. Think about your language. Are your words hurtful or helpful? Do you put people down or raise them up? The tongue is the first line of defense when it comes to violence. We may not be able to stop the violence in the world, but we can limit it in our homes, our neighborhoods and in our city. Once kindness replaces violence, it will be easier to replace discrimination with respect, poverty and hunger with sufficiency and greed with temperance. We each have a role to play in driving out today's demons, are you up to it?
Prayer
Lord, help us to be part of the solution to casting out the demons in our lives. Help us rid ourselves of prejudice and discrimination. Give us the courage to ask for help to end our addictions. Give us the strength to face the demons in the world and work for change. Amen.
Devotion
The Problem with Guilt
Frances Taylor
Does anyone sin anymore? We have a problem with admitting the existence of sin in our world today. We feel little responsibility to ask for forgiveness or to acknowledge that our actions have consequences. And so what happens with guilt? In today's psalm, there is joy in the knowledge that God has forgiven the sins of the psalmist. He talks about how he felt carrying the guilt of his sins. They can be a heavy burden. Just because the moral code of today doesn't like to admit that sin exists, our psyches as well as our bodies bear the brunt of our feelings of guilt. Many years ago I read an interesting piece of advice. Guilt can be heaped on us by others who didn't get what they want from you and is therefore not real, and it can be because of something we actually are responsible for. The advice was to hang onto guilt for no more than 3 hours – enough to suffer for something false and enough time to ask forgiveness for anyone we might ...
Morning Prayer
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
Inspiration
The day is coming when the Messiah will "be great to the ends of the earth. " He will reign on the earth and take all the kingdoms of this world as his own possession. He will establish justice and rule in might. Today, there is much injustice in the world, and governments are often corrupt. In that day, however, we will see the perfect righteous rule of Jesus Christ.
Prayer
O Lord, we look expectantly to the time of your Millennial and then Eternal reign. This age is passing us by, and its injustice will not long endure. We are glad to endure suffering for your glory now, but we rejoice in hope of the Kingdom of God that is yet to come. Let this future hope motivate us, we pray, to holy living in the present. Amen.
Night Prayer
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Inspiration
When you enter a race, you prepare by training, eating well, and wearing the right clothes and shoes. And when the race begins, you keep your eyes on where you are going, staying on the track or course that leads to the finish line. Our spiritual race is much the same, we must be diligent in maintaining prayer, study, and fellowship. And we must direct our sight (and our feet) to the prize that God is leading us to.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I want to live faithfully for You. For You are a reward of immeasurable worth. Grow me in discipline, Lord, so that I may be fit and healthy, prepared to run the race that You’ve prepared for me. And help me to not lose sight of You, so that my feet may stay on the course You’ve set for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
