Devotion
Abraham’s Sacrifice
Frances Taylor
Did you ever wonder what went through Abraham's mind when he believed that God wanted him to sacrifice his son? Of course, at that particular time in history, sacrifice of the first-born was not unusual and seen as an offering to the gods who would then allow the rest of the children to live. Did Abraham think that God was like the other gods? We will never know in this world. But God did not want sacrifice in the flesh, but sacrifice in the heart. Abraham was prevented from sacrificing Isaac and was given a ram instead, and for his willingness was promised great blessings. What are we willing to sacrifice for God?
Today, in America, we celebrate our independence. Many men and women sacrificed a great deal for this to happen and many people all over the world have sacrificed a great deal for their independence, independence from tyranny, independence to practice their religion, freedom from fear. Isaac was freed so that he could become the father of Esau and Jacob and thereby the grandfather of Israel. Jesus has freed us, has given us independence from the tyranny of law by giving us the law of love to follow. He has freed us so that we might experience the joys of eternal life. We all have much to celebrate today no matter where we live, so let us thank God for freedom.
Prayer
Loving God, you gave Abraham back his son and you give us so much. May we always be grateful for all your gifts, and today, especially, we thank you for the gift of freedom of fear of death and the gift of salvation. Amen.
Night Prayer
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Inspiration
Christ died for our sins when we were weak and feeble. We did not deserve to be saved and never realized we needed His merciful salvation. This act says something special about God. He knows what we need before we do, and He loves us enough to complete such a selfless act without expecting anything in return. He did not wait around for us to become wiser or more worthy of His grace because His unconditional love is precious, selfless, and pure.
Prayer
Dear God, we are thankful for Your grace and mercy. You saved us before we knew we needed saving, and You love us beyond our understanding. We happily surrender our sinful nature to serve You. We love You because You first loved us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Devotion
Rejoice in Your Youth
Frances Taylor
Ecclesiastes is an interesting book to read. The theme seems to be that all is vanity. In this passage the young are advised to remember that God watches over us all and all our actions are subject to his judgment. If you continue reading in chapter 12, you will find that the youth is being warned that he will someday be old with all the infirmities that this will bring. We need to rejoice in every day we are given and not waste them. Don't take your youth for granted and spend them doing evil. How often have you heard someone excuse the young by saying that he is just sowing his wild oats. There really is no such thing. There is no excusing bad behavior because someone is young.
Our moral compass has become skewed in recent years and it seems that there are no moral boundaries. Adultery, hooking-up, pornography, sexual harassment and abuse are normal and even celebrated! Both men and women are looked at as sexual objects to be used instead of ...
