Devotion
We Will Serve the Lord
Frances Taylor
Joshua has brought the Israelites into the Promised Land and conquered the land. Now he is about to die and gives the people the choice as to whether they will follow the Lord or follow the false gods of the land. He declares that he and his household will serve the Lord. They will have to choose every day to follow God just as we do, and sometimes we make the wrong choice, just as they did.
Deciding to be a Christian is not a one day or one time decision. We are tempted every day to go in the wrong direction. The Israelites promised to give up their false gods in order to follow the one God. The false gods of that time were pretty easy to identify with Baal being the most prominent. The false gods of today are a little harder to identify and can be different for each person. We all have our demons that we need to be rid of. For some, it can be the need for money, and I don't mean for survival, I mean for itself. For others it can be the best car, the best house, the latest technology, or the most gadgets. People who follow sports might choose to spend more to attend an event than they do on food for their families. We see the results of wanting power or fame all the time, and it isn't pretty! We have declared our willingness to serve the Lord, now we need to rid ourselves of our false gods that prevent us from doing this with our whole hearts.
Prayer
Dear God, Joshua tells the people that you are a jealous God, but you are also loving and forgiving, and for that we are grateful. Please show us our false gods so that we may rid our lives of them and be able to serve you better. Amen.
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.
