9th June. 2020. Daily Devotion.

Psalm 18:25-32

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
the Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.

Have you experienced disappointment or loss during the past three months? Many have had to rethink a holiday, a wedding, a graduation, a family gathering or something much bigger. These things can try more than our patience. Here is a commentary on Psalm 18:30

The ways of God are perfect.

When God does not do what we want, it is not easy. It never has been and never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and he will get us through it.

Remember, disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.

I like the story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. It seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it.

The next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to feed the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.

He felt cheated that he’d been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.

“What do you want,” the store owner responded, “a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?” Good question for times of disappointment. From He Still Moves Stones M Lucado.

Prayers

For a Cheerful Disposition in All I Do Today

Holy God, who has filled me with the joy of your grace and salvation, assist me this day that I may do all things I am called to do without grumbling or disputing. I call on your Spirit to assist me, that I may be blameless and innocent, a child of God without blemish amid a crooked and twisted generation.

Let me follow holy Christ and the example of all his saints: Let me shine as a light, a beacon in a world where darkness seeks to overcome us in everything and at every moment. And help me to hold fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ’s return I may be proud that I did not strive in vain.

I pray this not for my own glory, but in all humility before you, to whom be all glory and honour, Amen.

Thanks for God’s Comfort

How near You are in the day of sickness. You Yourself visit the sick; You Yourself bend over the sufferer’s bed. His heart speaks to You, and Your Spirit speaks to him. In the throes of sorrow and suffering You bring peace and unexpected consolation. You are the comforter. You are the love which watches over and heals us. To You we sing the song: Alleluia! Amen. ~ Gregory Petrov, shortly before his death in a prison camp in 1940.

Christian Aid Prayer in time of Coronavirus

For the health workers tending the seriously ill
for the scientists working on a vaccination
for the researchers analysing data and identifying trends
for the media outlets working to communicate reality
for the supermarket workers, hygiene, and sanitation providers
for the good news stories of recoveries and effective planning
for the singing from balconies by locked-down communities
for the recognition that isolation does not need to mean loneliness
for the notes through letterboxes offering help and support
for the internet and telephones and technology that connects
for the awakened appreciation of what is truly important
Thanks be to God.

For those who are unwell and concerned for loved ones
for those who were already very anxious
for those immune suppressed or compromised
for those vulnerable because of underlying conditions
for those in the ‘most at risk to coronavirus’ categories
for those watching their entire income stream dry up
for those who have no choice but to go out to work
for those who are afraid to be at home
for those who are lonelier than they’ve ever been
for those who are bereaved and grieving.
God be their healer, comfort, and protection,
be their strength, shield, and provision
be their security, safety, and close companion

And raise up your Church
to be your well-washed hands and faithful feet
to be present to the pain
to respond with love in action
if even from a safe distance.
God, in your mercy, Hear our prayers. Amen