The Daily devotions for July 18 for the next week: Soul Songs for Summer
July 18 Scriptu re 
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.(1 Peter 3:3-4)
I was taught as a child to wear “Sunday Best” as part of the worship experience. Mom curled my hair, I always wore a dress-up dress, and hats and gloves were the order of the day. Now, most evangelical churches say “come as you are. God sees your heart, not your outward appearance.” I guess there’s probably a happy medium somewhere, but I’m glad that now I can cut my hair, put on a little lipstick, and even polish my nails if I wish. What’s important is that God looks at the heart, and in Peter’s day, he wanted women to have the “imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.” That never goes out of style for a Christian.
Prayer:
Lord, You tell me to come to You just as I am. I do not need to “clean up” to find Your acceptance, and I’m eternally grateful I don’t have to wear a hat or “act proper,” like Grandma who “kept Sundays.” Those afternoons, sitting on her scratchy horsehair settee were sedate—quiet conversation, no games, strict warnings to behave quietly. Legalism never saved a soul, Yes, I worship. Yes, I preserve family time. Yes, Sundays are special, but “warts and all,” You want us to come to You, Thank You for Your grace. We do not need to “clean up” to find Your acceptance and the gift of salvation. Praised be Your Name for that, Lord. Amen.
July 19 Scripture
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:19-20)
I love the book of James, an “advice column” like “Dear Abby” newspaper features in the “old days,” but James addresses the baby Christians of the new church being established in the first century. There’s lots to digest. Every verse is a jewel. I urge you to read it and see the gist of its message—not only good guidance through the ages, but very appropriate for today.
In this time of “speak your piece,” “anything goes,” podcasts and tweets and chatrooms, we can take guidance in verse 20: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and keep unstained from the world. Oh, do we need mercy here!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray the Holy Spirit will help me on my sanctification path.. Use summertime to assess where I am and lead me to become Your ambassador. With Your gentle pruning, I can demonstrate a changed heart because I sit at the feet of Jesus. Help me to love and serve you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others more than myself. Guide and direct my baby steps today, Lord. Amen.
July 20 Scripture
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction. They loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them from their distress. He sent out His word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of men! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of His deeds in songs of joy!
(Psalm 107)
I love this Psalm, the entirety of it. In my Bible, the heading at the top of this page introduces a litany of God’s blessings to the people of Israel, yet they often strayed from God. Hopefully, we do not. Yes, there were miracles in the Old Testament: Abel, Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Abraham, Rahab, and the list goes on: stories of faith and trust in God taught the Jews to look forward to Messiah Who made all things new with His teachings and His resurrection. I praise God that we have these testaments in our hands, God’s Word. How often do we honor it by literally devouring its truths every day?
Prayer
Lord, guide me and I’ll practice thanksliving aloud, verbally, today. Inspire me to talk of You on the way, from morning to night, and to worship You informally proclaiming, “It’s a God Thing!” “Thank you for that parking space,” “Bless the ambulance driver and the one he’s going to serve.” Almighty God, yet Abba, Father, I worship You today in the beauty of holiness and grace, and in chaos as well. For my good and Your glory. Amen.
July 21 Scripture
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
Moses laid down the law, given by God to the people before they entered the Promised Land. Read this chapter when you have the time and practice its tenets to affect the world. When you’re driving your children to their activities or taking a road trip, however short or long, play Christian music on the radio. Pray before meals, thanking God for those who grew, prepared, and delivered your food, to your table. Pray for those who wish they had food to eat. Then help feed the hungry with through charitable giving. Pray for a good appetite. Show your children how you steward God’s gifts to your congregation, to missionaries, and to other charitable efforts. Teach them memory verses: Learn them yourself so you can use them in disciplining and discipling. Arm your family with truths they can rely on in the workplace and when news broadcasts sow fury and discontent in this fallen world.
Prayer:
O divine Lord, help me intentionally include You in every conversation, Let me share this book with others. Help me to instruct others from morning to nighttime in a winsome manner so they want some of what we have too! Give us an appetite for YOU in all we do and say. Amen.
July 22 Scripture The Ten Commandments
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
(Deuteronomy 5:7-10)
Ah, because we broke and still break these commandments, the Messiah-Redeemer had to die for our sins. We are to put the Lord our God first in our lives. What are the idols that we allow to surpass our total allegiance to God? Think about it: job security? family? national pride? Achievements? Where do we spend the majority of our time and attention: grades, television commentators, materialism, entertainment, sports teams, taking vacations to “see the world,” or political activism, our social connections, our kids’ activities? What vies for our attention? What, indeed, are we putting first? I suspect we all have some analyzing to do.
Prayer:
Lord, I learned a few things during Covid-time. When I couldn’t worship with others, together, I learned to livestream. I tacked Bible verses to mirrors and said telephone prayers with friends when we couldn’t assemble. Show me new means of grace so we can always put You first. May my Christian music station always make it safe for the “little ears” in the backseat. Make me clever for You. For Jesus’ sake and ours, Amen.
July 23 Scripture
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” ( Hebrews 13:1-6)
The early church was facing persecution. In the last days we may find ourselves in the same situations. Let us be prepared for the onslaught of mockery, taking away property and ministries, and restricting our gathering together. Who knows? We are to care about, and perhaps rally against, social ills like false imprisonment, abortion, censorship, etc. It’s all out there. Can we, or should we be reticent, letting others fight the battles and efforts to suppress our truth in Jesus? Indeed, He overthrew the moneychangers’ tables, right? How far can we go to affect change in our world? Do we care enough? How do we recognize wolves in sheep’s clothing? The Antichrist?
Prayer:
Lord, Almighty God, In boldness, help me apply my faith. When I dare to say, “Have a blessed day” do others think I’m looney, intrusive, or genuinely caring? The 50’s song said, “They’ll Know we Are Christians by our Love.” Give me more
strength and daring, too. What Would Jesus Do? WWJD? Remember? Holy Spirit, help me dare for Jesus. Amen.
July 24 Scripture
You are the light of the world. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
(Matthew 5:14-16)
Let us be winsome in witnessing for Christ to those who do not yet believe He is our Savior, Lord, and King. Let it not be a pride thing; no one respects a “holier than thou miserable unsmiling Christian whose witness shows a person who lives by the “I don’t do that because I am a Christian.” Legalism. UGH. Remember that Jesus associated with sinners, tax collectors, lepers, prostitutes and others just so He could show them God’s love. Keep our motives pristine but give us courage to celebrate the peace that passes all understanding because God chose us before we were born and wants to adopt others. Because we took the time to tell sinners that the source of our JOY is Jesus, others may they join me for eternity.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, guide me to share the light of Your Presence before others, to not hide the best gift I could have received in this life, that of becoming Your child. Without Your love, I would be condemned and lost with no hope, joy, or worth. As Your child, I am blessed beyond my ability to comprehend. Thank You for being my Savior, in that while I was still a sinner (an always will be) You removed my sin and its penalty as far as the East is from the West, because of the saving blood of Jesus, who paid the full atonement for my salvation. Thank You for loving the world enough to send Jesus as Savior. Amen and Amen.
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