Devotion
Wherever You Go
Frances Taylor
"Wherever you go, I will go" is the first line of a song that was quite popular at weddings as it signified the willingness of the spouses to put each other first and to be faithful to one another "till death do us part." Ruth was to become the grandmother of David, an ancestor of Jesus. Ruth is known for her love and for her fidelity, an example to all of us. Fidelity is a virtue not often practiced today. Fidelity in marriage is seen as a goal rather than a given. One cannot depend on the fidelity of employers in this day of closures and mergers. My sister retired with a gift for forty years of service. Today, well, you're lucky to work for the same company for 10 years. It works both ways, of course, because employees can't be depended on to stay with a company for too long either. Is fidelity important to us? What about fidelity to God and his word?
The one thing we know is that God is always faithful. God keeps his promises. He will never abandon us. Can we say the same? We are so lucky that God forgives us when we are unfaithful and sin. God has promised us since the time of Abraham that he will remain faithful no matter what; that even if we abandon him, he will never abandon us. May we work harder at being faithful as did Ruth, and know that when we die, we will rest in the arms of God.
Prayer
Faithful and forgiving God, thank you for always taking care of us and never abandoning us. Give us the grace we need to be faithful to you. 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.
