27th. October. 2020. Daily Devotion.
One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy. Psalm 27:4-6
God’s beauty is His nature of love which flows freely for every human. He is the “Being” made and living through us that instigates and enables our “doing.” Do we focus on “doing” which is motivated by self? Or do we focus on the “Being,” which is Holy-Spirit-driven action?
Paul kept His eye on Jesus. Yes, he did pursue a goal toward a prize. However, the prize was selfless, not selfish. Paul’s motivation was God’s upward calling through Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:14.) We must ask ourselves, “What is our pursuit born from?” Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.”
If we worship God only in fear of hell or hope in paradise, we may be missing the true beauty of His merciful grace. It motivates us, not by fear, to a goal that calls us onward and upward. We must let His everlasting beauty shine through us to a world that so desperately needs something beautiful. J Calvert.
Praise to God
O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips praise you.
Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me, and if there be any, return me to your path, and lead me in the way everlasting. All glory and praise be your now, and forever, Amen. From Psalms 63 and 139.
For Strength and Peace
O Thou who art my quietness, my deep repose,
My rest from strife of tongues, my holy hill,
Fair is Thy pavilion, where I hold me still.
Back let them fall from me, my clamorous foes,
Confusions multiplied;
From crowding things of sense I flee, in Thee I hide.
Until this tyranny be overpast,
Thy hand will hold me fast;
What though the tumult of the storm increase,
Grant to Thy servant strength, O Lord, and bless with peace. Amen.~ based on Toward Jerusalem by Amy Carmichael
O God, whose love we cannot measure,
nor even number thy blessings:
we bless and praise thee for all thy goodness,
who in our weakness art our strength,
in our darkness, light,
in our sorrows, comfort and peace,
and from everlasting to everlasting art our God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, world without end.
(Supplement to the Indian Book of Common Prayer)
