26th. May. 2020. Daily Devotion.

This poignant scripture caught my attention yesterday:

Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.’ Hosea 6:1-3

There is a lot of pain in the land, and many people are wounded and angry. We are living through an unprecedented time, unlike anything since the Second World War. The prophet Hosea lived in the 8th Century BCE and is noted for his call to Israel to repent from idolatry. His name means “He saves,” or “He helps.” Although he is said to be a prophet of doom, Hosea’s call to repentance is always balanced by the promise of restoration and healing. Pray for individual and national healing today.

For Wisdom

Almighty God bestow upon me, and upon all of us who pray together, the meaning of words, the light of understanding, the nobility of diction and the faith of the true nature. And grant that what we believe we may also speak. Amen. St. Hilary, 345 CE

When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

Meditation

“One man seems silent in speech but is condemning other people with his heart . . . he is really talking incessantly. Another man seems to talk all day, yet keeps his silence, for he always speaks in a way that is useful to his hearers.” ~ Abba Poemen

Troubled by Sin

Holy god, Lord most gracious!
Rebuke me not in your anger, nor chasten me in your wrath!
Holy you have called me to come to you.
I feel unworthy, for I have failed you again and again.
I feel like running away, yet you keep calling me.
Have mercy on me, and all of us, O God.
Have mercy!

Holy God, Father most gracious!
Rebuke me not in your anger, nor chasten me in your wrath!
Heal me from my sin, for I am troubled.
Deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
My sins trouble me, O God.
I am troubled by how they have hurt others.
I am troubled by how they have hurt myself.
Your ways are right! O righteous God!
And whenever I have failed to follow them
I have found out how right they are.
Have mercy on me, O God.

Holy God, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me for the sake of your Son,
who died to free us from our sins.
To you be honour and glory! Amen. James Oliphant Old

Psalm fragment

11 Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name for ever.
13 For great is your love towards me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead. Psalm 68:11-13

Benediction

Finally, may I go forth filled with the joy and confidence of your Spirit; and may everything I do this day, in word or deed, be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Amen.