Daily Devotion for April 26, 2018
This glazed terracotta masterpiece is in its original location, an isolated convent in Tuscany called the Sanctuary of la Verna (Santuario della Verna).
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.
Without hope walked the shell of a man;
Then a hand with a nailprint stretched downward,
Just one touch then a new life began.
Chorus:
And the old rugged cross made the difference
In a life bound for heartache and defeat;
I will praise Him forever and ever
For the cross made the difference for me.
Barren walls echoed harshness and anger
Little feet run in terror to hide;
Now those walls ring with love, warmth and laughter,
Since the giver of life moved inside.
There's a room filled with sad, ashen faces
Without hope death has wrapped them in gloom;
But at the side of a saint there's rejoicing,
For life can't be sealed in a tomb.
Music and Lyrics by Bill and Gloria Gaither
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 in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.
Let me follow holy Christ and all his saints: Let me shine as a light, a beacon in a world where darkness seeks to overcome us in every thing 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 honor,
For Those Who Protect Us
Almighty God, I commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women who put themselves in danger for our protection. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Closing
Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked will I return. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the 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.
Today’s “Remember the Bible” Question
Name a Bible verse that specifically tells us, that our suffering on earth cannot compare to the joy that awaits us?
Psalm 25:1-2 (NKJV)
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
John 2:23-25 (ESV)
Jesus Knows What is in Man
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
Notes on the Scripture
ere again we see John using the word “signs” to refer to the acts, miraculous or otherwise, that Jesus had begun to perform. People who see or hear about the signs begin to believe in him and actually, “believe in his name.” Believing in his name indicates a deeper kind of belief. We can believe in someone simply because we trust their nature or their abilities, but to believe in someone’s name? That is a religious matter; it indicates that they consider Jesus to be holy so that the knowledge and use of his very name has power.
It is not simply Jesus’ teachings that are important; it is his person. He teaches about God, but he also embodies God. He will bring good news to mankind, and teach many people — all who can hear him, who have not shut out the Word. But again, it is his person that is most important, because the physical suffering and resurrection of his body is what will come to define him most vividly.
The words “did not entrust himself to them” is a bit difficult. Literally, he did not put himself in their hands because he knew what was in their hearts; he didn’t trust them because he already knew them. But man also refers to Christ himself. He did not need witnesses because he already knew what was within him.
Also, we might conclude that he didn’t want to start a religious movement in Jerusalem, with a group of people who would start spreading his word, because they weren’t the people he wanted as the foundation of his church. He would entrust his teaching mission, and the spread of his story after his death, to only twelve carefully chosen apostles, not to whoever in Jerusalem decided that Jesus was their new rabbi. He knew that his apostles would remain faithful to his teachings; but he knew that, if he allowed the people who had come to him in Jerusalem to spread his word, they would corrupt it, because he could see into their hearts.
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