Morning Devotional

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.

Eve (Soprano), Adam (Baritone): By thee with grace, O bounteous Lord, are earth and heaen stored. This world, so great, so wonderful, thy mighty hand has framed.

Chorus: O blessed be his holy might; his praise we sing eternally.

Adam: Thou star of morning, O how fair thy tidings of the day; What radiance rare, O sun, is thine, thou eye and soul of all!

Chorus: Proclaim, in your extended course, your maker's power and glory bright!

Eve: And thou, the tender queen of night, and all ye starry host, proclaim in every land his praise in heaven's harmonies!

Adam: Ye mighty elements, by his power your endless changes make; ye misty vapors, which the wind doth spin and roll through air,

Eve, Adam, Chorus: O sing the praise of God the Lord. Great is his name, and great his might.

Eve: Soft flowing fountains, tune his praise, and trees adoring bow. Ye fragrant plants, ye flowers fair, with sweetness fill the air!

Adam: Ye that on highest mountains climb, and ye that lowly creep, ye whose flight doth cleave the skies, and ye that swim the deep,

Eve, Adam and Chorus: Ye, ye creatures of our God and King, praise, praise him, all ye breathing life!

Eve, Adam: Ye shadowed woods, ye hills and vales, your thanks with ours unite and echo loud from morn to eve our joyful hymn of praise

Chorus: Hail, mighty God, Creator, hail! The world springs forth at thy command. Adoring earth and heaven stand. We praise thy name for evermore.

Prayer for the Morning

Oh Lord, most heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who has safely brought me to the beginning of this day; I give you thanks for my creation, preservation, and all the blessings of my life. Grant that this day I fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all my doings, being governed by your will, may be righteous in your sight. Through Christ our Lord, I pray.

Prayer for Grace and Strength

Lord God, I pray that you will fill my heart with the blessing of your Holy Spirit. Grant me this day the strength to be temperate in all things, diligent in my duties, and patient under my afflictions. Direct me in all my ways. Give me grace to be just and upright in all my dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all people, according to my abilities and opportunities. For the sake of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Community of Prayer

Heavenly Lord, I know I am not alone saying these prayers or reading your Word this morning, but many people unknown to me, from all stations of life, have joined together in this brief moment of devotion. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be among the community of all who pray in the name of Christ this morning, and remain among us always.

Psalm 111:1, 9-10

Luke 9:57-61

Procrastination

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Notes on the Scripture

This passage directly follows that of yesterday; Jesus is on the road, headed for Jerusalem and death. The three quotes, however, are a bit cryptic in their meaning.

The first comment probably was occasioned by the preceding verses, in which we are told that he attempted to stop in a Samaritan village but was told to keep moving. Jesus literally has nowhere to sleep for the night. But he also lets us know, by implication, how difficult it might be for the disciples to follow him. In fact, in one sense, he is leaving his earthly home altogether, and the disciples will not be able to follow him (at least not immediately).

The second and third paragraphs are easier to interpret. Two people tell Jesus that they will follow him, as soon as they get done with some other things. This is a great parallel for something we face in our own lives, day after day. We want to do something of ultimate importance, but there is something else that we think requires our immediate attention. We postpone what is important for something immediate. We will go on a diet or start exercising next week, after the party. We will spend some time with our children when we have finished doing the cleaning or yardwork or whatever. We will go visit a sick relative but not today because of . . . fill in the reason. And most important, we will begin to pay some attention to Christ and the salvation of our immortal souls, but there is something else we have to do first.

Don't let this happen. Do what is important. Think about what you really want to accomplish and do that; don't let yourself get sidelined by a thousand little chores or pleasures that will eat up your entire day, your entire week, your entire life.