8th February. 2021. Daily Devotion.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-9
These verses are a useful to reminder to us that we and others are equal before God, when we are tempted to lift ourselves or another person up as a figure of holiness. We may admire the learned, the pious, those who speak or teach well and lead others to grow in faith. But they are, ultimately, in the same boat as us: saved not by the devices of their person, but by the gift of grace. MB
Lord, let me never boast of piety, for my salvation comes solely by Your grace. Amen.
For a Heart Open to God’s Word
God, as you gave us the sun to lighten our days, so you have given us your Word to lighten our minds and our souls. I pray that you will pour out on me your Spirit as I pray today, that my heart and mind may be open to your Word, and that I may learn and accept your will for my life.
Shine within my heart, loving God, the pure light of your divine knowledge; open the eyes of my mind and the ears of my heart to receive your Word, this day and always, Amen.
My Soul Clings to Thee
When the lightning flash has lit up the camp dining hall, how feeble seems the light from the lamp. Thus, dost Thou, like the lightning, unexpectedly light up my heart with flashes of intense joy. After Thy blinding light, how drab, how colourless, how illusory all else seems. My soul clings to Thee.
Glory to Thee, the highest peak of men’s dreaming;
Glory to Thee for our unquenchable thirst for communion with God;
Glory to Thee, making us dissatisfied with earthly things;
Glory to Thee, turning on us Thine healing rays;
Glory to Thee, subduing the power of the spirits of darkness
And dooming to death every evil;
Glory to Thee for the signs of Thy presence,
For the joy of hearing Thy voice and living in Thy love.
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age, Amen.~ Gregory Petrov, just before his death in a prison camp in 1940.
Time
There is a certain rhythm in our life cycle of birth, growth, aging and death. With the pandemic, this passing of stages in life has been abruptly changed for so many people. Lord, help us at this time when our brothers and sisters are in pain and dealing with sickness and loss due to the corona virus Let us know in a deeper gift, that You are with us, now even in this time of uncertainty and illness. We place this prayer in the loving hands of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
