Daily Devotion for September 14, 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.
(Highway to Heaven)
Refrain:
It’s a highway to heaven.
None can walk up there,
But the pure in heart.
It’s a highway to heaven.
I am walking up the king’s highway.
1. If you’re not walking,
Start while I’m talking.
Walking up the King’s highway.
There’s joy in knowing
With Him I’m going.
Walking up the King’s highway.
2. My way gets brighter;
My load gets lighter.
Walking up the King’s highway.
If you be confessing,
There is a blessing.
Walking up the King’s highway.
(Christ walks beside me;
His love to guide me.
Walking up the King’s highway.)
Music and Lyrics by Mary Gardner and Dr. Thomas A. Dorsey
To Walk in the Spirit Today
Holy God, in the daily journey from sunrise to sunset, remind me always of your holy presence hovering near, both within me to guide me, and surrounding me to protect me. Free me from shame and self-doubt; and help me, and all of my fellow believers, to see the myriad opportunities to walk our path in the courage, honesty, and wisdom inspired by your Holy Spirit.
For Increase in Wisdom
Dear God, I pray that I may proceed with boldness in the few things I know as a certainty, especially that my eternal salvation can come only from Christ Jesus; that He is my Lord and Savior; and that through my repentance of sin and my faith in Him, I will be saved. May I never shrink from your Great Commission, oh Lord, to share the Gospel with the world, so that those with ears to hear it might join me in salvation; for this is your express command to me, and to all Christians.
But also, I pray that my mind might be open and that I may always have an attitude of seeking and learning, for I realize that on many matters I might be wrong and not know it; or there may be wisdom that I do not even realize exists, awaiting discovery, as I live and grow in my walk with you. Give me grace through your Holy Spirit always to seek wisdom, to admit where I have been mistaken, even in attitudes I have held my entire life. Make me fresh every day in your word, Holy God; and let the light of your wisdom shine throughout the world, that we all might grow in our knowledge and love of you, throughout our lives.
For Those Praying with Me
Heavenly Father, there are people praying with me, right now, whom I will never meet. I don't know their names, or what country they live in, or what they may look like, but I will know their souls, for we are brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that we might be united in the Holy Spirit, and that I will know and feel the kinship and love, in my spirit, of those who share these prayers with me.
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.
Today’s “Remember the Bible” Question
Where in the Bible is the “Great Commission” found?
Worry
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.”
~ Corrie ten Boom
Genesis 46:28-34 (ESV)
Jacob and Joseph Reunited
He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.
Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”
Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’
When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
Notes on the Scripture
Jacob had thought both of his sons by the true wife of his heart, Rachel, had died; but now, the bitterness of his life has been replaced by joy, for not only are they both alive, but Joseph has provided the means for his entire clan to survive the great famine.
otice that it is Judah who is sent ahead. Reuben, not Judah, is the eldest son; Judah is actually the fourth-born. But if you read carefully, you will notice that Judah takes the forefront much of the time. He seems to be the natural leader and, in fact, his descendants, the tribe of Judah, will become the greatest of all the tribes of Israel. The tribe of Judah will be the home of Jerusalem and the tribe of King David; thus, it is the tribe of Jesus.
Moreover, although the unified kingdom was called “Israel” in honor of Jacob’s alternative name, the Kingdom of Judah was always preeminent — larger, richer, and more inclined to keep God’s commandments. After Solomon’s death and the kingdom split, “Judah” embodied Hebrew faith and independence as the northern Kingdom of Israel became corrupt and weak. The Romans called their province Judea, after Judah. But Israel became the catchword for the Jewish homeland after the diaspora, in honor of Jacob’s name.
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