Devotion
The Transfiguration
Frances Taylor
The feast of the Transfiguration is considered important enough to celebrate it twice a year, once on the second Sunday of Lent and today. In March, I concentrated on how Jesus reveals himself to us; today I would like to think about the apostles and their reaction and to what ours might have been. Peter tells Jesus that it was good for them to be there. The week before, Peter had declared that Jesus was the Christ, but had rejected the idea that he would suffer and die. When they come down from the mountain, Jesus will be approached to heal a boy whom the other disciples had failed to heal. Jesus was giving them a foretaste of the resurrection. They must have been amazed at Jesus as well as the appearance of Moses and Elijah. They wanted to stay there at the top of the mountain. They were enclosed in a cloud and heard the voice of God; of course they wanted to stay there! We can't stay at the top of the mountain any more than the apostles could. The wedding is beautiful, the honeymoon wonderful, but we go home to reality and after a while the glow fades and the work of marriage begins. The new baby is a miracle you have prayed for but the two a.m. feedings can put a strain on the marriage. No one stays on the top of the mountain. Life is a journey that takes us up the mountain, a view from the top, and then the journey back down the mountain. God gives us the top of the mountain experiences so that we will have hope in the valleys of our lives. Let us give him thanks for the view.
Prayer
Lord, you were kind to Peter, James and John to give them this vision of the future so that they would have hope during the darkness of Good Friday. We thank you for the glorious moments of our lives that give us hope. Amen.
Night Prayer
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Inspiration
We seek the Lord and find Him because He is always ready to accept the invitation to live inside our hearts. He loves us beyond our understanding and extends salvation to everyone. We want to share His promise of salvation with the nations and allow everyone to accept Christ as their personal Savior. We will continue to minister to the broken world around us so they may feel God's presence in their lives.
Prayer
Dear God, You make Yourself available to everyone because You love us beyond our understanding. Please guide us as we continue to minister to others so they may also feel Your presence in their lives. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Morning Prayer
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Inspiration
Without fear of Jehovah-God, there is not true wisdom. For when you see "LORD" in all capitals in the KJV, that is the translation of the Hebrew word for Jehovah. And there is not true understanding without a true knowledge of the Holy One undergirding it. If we are wrong about God, we are in all important respects, "wrong about everything. "
Prayer
You, O Great Jehovah, are the only true God, and without fearing and knowing about you, all other knowledge is made faulty. And without knowing you personally, pursuit of knowledge is futile and unable to help us. Let us not be like those who are "ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, " but let us delve ever deeper into your truths. Amen.
Night Prayer
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Inspiration
God planned our redemption from the very beginning. He explains that He is the only God and salvation is the only way to receive eternal life. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. We depend on His love and strength to overcome our sinful nature. He is our shelter, refuge, and perfect dwelling place. We accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and continue to grow closer to God each day.
Prayer
Dear Father, We are humbled in Your glory. Please forgive our sin, and guide us closer to You daily. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
