“And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 7:5 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible) Solomon had accomplished so much at the…
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” Psalm 5:3
The morning glory lifts its face as a new day has begun.
The petals slowly open to catch the morning sun.
Dewdrops glisten on each bloom, perfume fills the air.
The vines stretch upward to the sun, their beauty with us to share.
How wonderful to start each day with arms outstretched in praise.
The gentle presence of the Lord reflecting on our face.
Awakened from a night of rest we seek His grace and love,
And peace descends upon our hearts like showers from above.
To share His beauty to the world is the task that He has given.
May His glory shine through us to lead someone to Heaven.
Prayer: Thank you Lord, for another new day, guide my steps and make me a blessing to someone today.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. (Psalm 100:2, Holy Bible, New Living Translation).
How many times have you entered a sanctuary or a place of worship saddened by life’s situations? You may have been there from an obligatory sense of duty or attended from habit. Perhaps your intentions were good, but your prayers shifted to complaints, hoping that God would see how unfair life has been to you. Your problems made it difficult to immerse yourself in worship. Joy was absent.
When life is a downer, don’t wait for joy to find you. Try the opposite. Worship with gusto. Sing with joy even if you don’t feel it. Your positive attitude can make a difference in your life and be an example to others.
Prayer: Lord, I will lay aside my problems and complaints when I enter the sanctuary. I will remember the words of the Psalmist and worship You with gladness with songs of joy. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
“I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.” Psalm 104:33-34
When the Lord created man in the beginning, He could have made us in such a way that we would be forced to do whatever He wanted. But instead He gave us a free will. He only gave Adam and Eve one rule to follow, and they broke that. How much different it would have been if they had made a choice to obey God rather than disobey Him.
Serving the Lord today is a choice we make. We decide to lay aside our own will and listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in everything we do.
Worshipping and praising God is also a choice. In the different circumstances of our life, we decide—to grumble and complain about our lot, or to praise the Lord for His blessings and His guidance, knowing that He knows what is best for us. He will never allow anything to come our way, that He does not give us the strength to bear.
I choose to worship God, how about you?
Prayer: Jesus, you have met us so many times in the past, and we will praise and worship you, knowing that you will see us through every situation.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25, Common English Bible)
This admonition written to the Hebrew Christians about 64 A.D. is still relevant today. Many people claim to be Christians but prefer to enjoy weekend sports. Some say church is boring. Others say they don’t believe in organized religion. Modern research has proved that group singing improves health. Other studies say people who meet with other like-minded people are more likely to be content. This works both ways. Your attendance is a blessing to others and their presence encourages you.
Instead of chanting for your favorite sports team today, try praising God in His sanctuary. If this is your worship day, be there. Keep on going.
Prayer: Lord, there are many places I could be today, but I choose to attend a worship service to honor You. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
“O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” (Psalm 95:1 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.) This Psalm is without a title, but is attributed to David. It is believed to have been composed during…
Jesus answered, It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only. (Luke 4:8, Holy Bible, New International Version)
When Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness, Satan tried to convince Jesus (Luke 4:7) to worship him. Jesus didn’t assess the situation. He didn’t discuss the options. He didn’t debate the issues. He simply quoted the holy Word God established through Moses.
In temptations, we have a divine example to follow. “It is written” is still the best response to temptations today.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for setting a positive example for me when You spoke from ancient Scripture. In temptations or discouragement, I will follow Your pattern and remove temptations of things not like You by speaking Your holy Word. I will speak on the authority of Scripture and say, “It is written.” Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
From In the Right Place: A Gallery of Treasured Moments © 2006, Violet Carr Moore
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible) Who, but God, would think of such an incredible…
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of…