Daily Devotion for March 11, 2017
Prayers
Scripture
Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
For our “Saturday Oldie,” we turn to the Statler Brothers during their Gospel music days.
We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
Refrain:
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.
All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
Music by John J. Husband, 1815
Lyrics by William P. Mackay, 1863
Prayer for This Day
Heavenly Father, let me do my work this day; and if the darkened hours of despair overcome me, may I not forget the strength that comforted me in the desolation of other times. May I still remember the bright hours that found me walking over the silent hills of my childhood, or dreaming on the margin of a quiet river, when a light glowed within me, and I promised my early God to have courage amid the tempests of the changing years.
Spare me from bitterness and from the sharp passions of unguarded moments. May I not forget that poverty and riches are of the spirit. Though the world knows me not, may my thoughts and actions be such as shall keep me friendly with myself.
Lift up my eyes from the earth, and let me not forget the uses of the stars. Forbid that I should judge others lest I condemn myself. Let me not follow the clamor of the world, but walk calmly in my path.
Give me a few friends who will love me for what I am; and keep ever burning before my vagrant steps the kindly light of hope.
And though age and infirmity overtake me, and I come not within sight of the castle of my dreams, teach me still to be thankful for life, and for time's olden memories that are good and sweet; and may the evening's twilight find me gentle still.
Simple Thanks
For our restful sleep at night,
for the rain and sunshine bright,
For the love that Thou dost send,
For our homes and for each friend,
For the day and all its pleasures,
Grateful thanks I render now.
May our lives pass on the blessings,
None can give to us, but Thou.
Parting Prayer
Lord, pour your love into my heart, that I may love you above all things, and my neighbors as myself. Through Christ our Lord.
Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.
Psalm 88:13 (NKJV)
But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
Genesis 18:16-21 (ESV)
The Story of Abraham [21] - Sodom
Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.
The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
Notes on the Scripture
After their meal and discussion, Abraham and the three men apparently travel as normal men would — probably by donkey — until they reach a high point overlooking the city of Sodom, in the Jordan Valley.
The Lord speaks, not in true meditation, but in a form that Abraham is able to understand. He lets Abraham know, in effect, that He has taken him into his confidence. He is continuing the human relationship with Abraham by speaking to him as one person would to another.
e takes this form of interaction to an extreme. God has no need to “go” to Sodom in the form of a man, with limited mobility and vision, to investigate whether the allegations against it are true. He know exactly what has happened. But He is taking Abraham into His confidence; because He is to trust Abraham and his offspring with the sacred duty of representing Him on earth, He is making Abraham a full member of the team, so to speak.
This is also a kindness because Lot, remember, chose to establish his household in the area. So Abraham is to be consulted, although in reality He is consulting Abraham much as a parent would consult a child. A parent might tell a child, “Do you want to leave the cookies in the oven for a minute and see what happens?”, knowing full well that they need to cook for another minute.
In this icon of Abraham's three guests, the table has become an altar and the dish upon it resembles a Communion vessel.
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