From my newest book, Soul Songs for Summer, devotions for July 25-August 1sr
July 25 Scripture
And I pray that that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-20)
What a wonderful confirmation that we can, with Christians from the first century, recognize this universal blessing given to thousands of Christians, and that we can be among the cloud of witnesses that presents this blessing to future generations as well. What a uniting principle that we might know the immensity of Christ’s influence in our lives, and that through Christ, who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or even think, and that the glory of the church and Christ Jesus is given to all generations.
Prayer:
Almighty God, I thank You for these words from Your ambassador Paul not only to the church at Ephesus but to us in the twenty-first century and to the church universal as long as Christ tarries in His return. I praise You for this rich legacy and willingly pass this blessing on to those even yet to be touched by Christ’s life and the good news of the gospel. May this spur me onward to witness to Your redeeming power, even as it was recognized by the early church fathers. A grateful Amen.
July 26 Scripture
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and He will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:1
I love reading the book of Proverbs. There are thirty-one chapters, one for each day of the month if you’re looking for a devotional study for your family or for yourself. This verse in chapter 19 should spurn us on to helping those less fortunate than we. Does your family or church help support a food bank? I know ours does. Members of the congregation shop for items requested by the church near us which weekly gives food boxes to over two hundred families who are vetted for their assistance. Then, when our members turn in their receipts, they are, if they wish, reimbursed for the expenses of the groceries they purchased, or it is added to their tithes as claimable donations at the end of the tax year. It seems poverty will always be with us. As Christians, we cannot ignore those who are needy, can we?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to help others. Help me to see the problem and be part of the solution. Use me as an activist for families that are hurting. Help me to consider fostering or adopting children as part of the solution to children growing up thinking they are unlovable. Help me volunteer to aid the elderly with daily care or to at least offer companionship. Help me to relieve caregivers who cannot leave their loved ones alone. Show me where I can be compassionate and loving in Jesus’ name, and to pass on this practice to our children so they too can know the joy of blessing others in Your Name. Amen.
July 27 Scripture
Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (Romans 14: 18-19)
I urge you to read chapters thirteen and fourteen of Romans, written by Paul to the early church. It has good advice for this group of people who apparently disagreed on several practical matters. They were standing between the secular and the spiritual. Paul urges his listeners to accept each other in the brotherhood as Christians, in spite of differences. Some were political (like today), some were about what to eat and what not to consume, some had to do with practicing holidays or special occasions, and some involved other cultural matters. Many a church has descended into squabbles that left members in bitter arguments. Some churches have failed because of differences of opinion or incidentals like what kind of music is worshipful. Paul urged peacemaking. It is a good thing. Bitterness and arguing solve few difficulties between men, churches, organizations, families, congregations and nations. Agree?
Prayer:
Lord, You sent Jesus as Prince of Peace. Let me not, especially in churches, allow disagreements to fester and see tempers rise. Let me not be judgmental, but live in love and forgiveness with my brothers and sisters, peacefully. Let not my pride or stubbornness or gossiping provide inroads for Satan. Teach me grace, mercy, forgiveness in honoring others in love. Thank You for allowing all people to worship Your holiness in all matters of our lives. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
July 28 Scripture
He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear His voice, and He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
(John 10: 2-6)
God uses many images of sheep and shepherds in the Bible, noticeably Psalm 23, and in the New Testament the concept of God’s separating the sheep from the goats in judgment. A church I attended had a stained glass window depicting Jesus carrying the lost sheep back to the flock. My understanding is that sheep identify with their shepherd as the one who cares for them, heals their wounds, provides food and shelter, and calls them by name. Jesus is called the Good Shepherd. His followers know Him and know He even died for us.
Jesus taught in parables. The Holy Spirit brought all these parables to their minds after the resurrection and made their meaning clear. He promised that they would recall all that He taught them. We can count on the Holy Spirit which dwells in us to lead us to the Good Shepherd of our souls through this life and the life to come.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we thank You for loving us so much that You sacrificed all for us. You left paradise to dwell in poverty. Shepherds attended Your birth in the stable, and You still lead us by still waters and in the peace of Your care. Thank You for loving us. Amen.
July 29 Scripture
So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come. (Psalm 71:18)
This “Legacy Verse” is in honor of our upcoming eighty-sixth birthdays. Allow me to show that teaching our children and grandchildren the truths of the faith is vital. We encouraged their decisions for Christ at an early age. We live near our grandchildren; our family worships together. And both sets of Christian grandparents live nearby. What a blessing.
Understandably, this is not everyone’s experience. Job changes interfere often these days. However, with internet and messaging and videochats, there’s no excuse for our not using every possible chance to pass on our faith tradition to our little ones. We even did that during Covid, when our family of teachers and students protected us elderly folks. I wish you the blessing of sharing Bible verses daily with your kids and grandkids through Messenger or any other means possible to counteract the world’s messaging which can damage their personalities and their commitment to the Lord of Lords. The world can be confusing to young minds.
Prayer:
Almighty Father, Abba, Daddy, I thank you for the opportunity to school our children and grandchildren in the faith, to assure that future generations know the path we’ve taken. Let me help nurture our church’s youngsters by loving them, assuring the future church remains strong and vibrant because I and others passed on Your truth to future generations. Amen.
July 30 Scripture
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)
What a spectacular transformation God promises when we die to our old self because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We are indeed “new creation,” with new goals and a mindset of following Jesus, throughout our mortal lifetimes and with Him in glory. What a magnificent gift, a present joy, and a future spent with our Lord. When God promised in John 3:16 to save the world, He did it one soul at a time, and in His children, there will one day be a peaceable kingdom where there is no sin, no darkness, no tears, but the joy of being in His eternal presence
Prayer:
Lord, whatever difficulties, illness, sadness, sorrows temptations, stumbling, worrying, rumors of war, suffering, I may face in this life, even persecution for my belief in Jesus, in the end, when I am committed to following Jesus, I can overcome this dark, fallen world because of Your redeeming grace. If I set my sites on Jesus, I can endure all the temporary mortal complaints by trusting in Your redemption, Lord, which gives me a peace that passes all understanding, the gift of grace and mercy, knowing that You are the Savior of my soul, and I am Yours. May I be a witness to Your love and pass it on to others. Thank You for that knowledge and my changed heart. In grateful obedience to Your voice, Amen.
July 31 Scripture
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you— sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[ with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3: 5-11)
Ah, how do we show the world, and the Lord, that we are followers of Jesus? Here’s the recipe for our changed lives. Among the top ones for me, is the contrast of knowing that as women, we are free to express our faith, to lead our children to obedience, and are not wearing black burkas or hidden from society. Grandmothers rocked cradles and passed on their faith. We are new creations. No gender restrictions exist in God’s kingdom! We live in love for our world and want to make the world a better place because we are Christ followers
Prayer:
Lord, I pray others will know I am walking with You, even moment by moment, because You have changed my heart. Direct my steps and guard my actions to reflect Your Name and let me never compartmentalize those whose heritage is not the same as mine. Thank You that Christ died for all. Amen.
Psalm 150:3
Praise Him with trumpet sounds;
praise Him with lute and harp!
AUGUST 1 – AUGUST 31
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For You have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
Psalm 59:16
Psalm 150: 4
Praise Him with tambourine and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe;
August 1 Scripture
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3: 12-15)
When we get rid of the junk, expressed in the previous verses in Colossians, we need to replace it with the means of grace, evidence of our changed nature as new creatures. God directs our steps, leading to perfect harmony when we are part of His kingdom. Death to self, the old creatures we were before Christ, tarnished by the fallen world. Even if we grow up in the church, we are to guard against selfish actions, thoughts, attitudes and practices, and live in obedience to our higher calling.
Then we will know the joy of living in perfect harmony with others and know the blessings of being right with God because we hold ourselves to a higher standard.
Prayer:
Lord, direct my steps in my new walk as a redeemed lover of Your kingdom. Help me to live in love for my fellow believers, and to be, as much as possible, compassionate, kind, humble, meek, always thinking about the other person and putting to death my personal desires in order to serve Your kingdom with grace, mercy, and love. And when I fail, teach me to immediately ask for Your forgiveness and also ask forgiveness from others I may have harmed. Renew a right spirit within me. In Your name. Amen.
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