Use this devo as you are able, in whole or in part. Don’t feel compelled to read it all. Simply read and meditate upon whatever catches your attention. The goal is enjoying time with God through His Word and in prayer. Questions about the devotional elements?
Call to Prayer
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
Prayer of Confession
Confession is formative. It trains us to recognize the ways our hearts have become de-formed and how Christ is at work bringing redemption in our lives. Pray with this in mind.
Heavenly Father, your love brings life to dead souls, light to darkened minds, and strength to weak wills.
Depending on our own strength we stumble; proclaiming our own goodness we sin; glorying in our own righteousness we corrupt everything we touch; indulging in self-pity we blind ourselves to the needs of those around us.
Please forgive us and help us to believe that no wrong we have done, and no good we have failed to do, is too great for you to forgive through the merits of Jesus Christ your Son. Amen.
Take a moment to confess your sins, knowing that he hears you.
Reading Plan
This reading plan will help you to develop the habit of being in God’s Word each morning and evening. Come to this time with expectation. Expect God to reveal himself to you. Expect that he delights in you being there, even when you’ve wandered away. Growing a spiritual habit is a slow, patient process. So be kind to yourself as you grow!
Readings are hyperlinked. Simply hover over the passage or click Morning/Evening Reading (email version).
Morning Readings:
Pray Psalm 119:97-104 | Read 1 John 4
- Praying the Psalms: Read slowly. Take note of words and phrases. Bring them before the Lord in prayer and personalize the passage as you pray.
- NT Context: The apostle John explains how our understanding (or lack thereof) of God’s love affects the way that we view ourselves and others. God’s love is key in knowing that we have eternal life in Jesus Christ. Meditate on the passage, noting a few words or a phrase that stood out. Take them to God in prayer.
Evening Readings:
Pray Psalm 119:105-112 | Read Nahum 3
- OT Context: Nahum prophesied destruction to Ninevah at the height of its power, and Nineveh fell just sixty years later. Nahum reminds us that God is still in charge even when His people are not. God uses everything for His purposes and there is no nation that can intimidate God. Reflect on the passage. Who was the original audience, and what was their situation? How is that relevant to you today?
“Psalms Mix” Readings
We took a break from our Psalms series on Sunday, so this week we are going to sample some excellent devotionals on the Psalms as sort of a Psalms Devo Mix. Makes a great midday reflection, or group discussion guide.
Today’s devotional comes from the Tim and Kathy Keller’s The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms.
Read Psalm 124
covenant. Four times (verses 1, 2, 6, and 8) God is called the Lord, the God who enters into a covenant with us by grace. This unfamiliar word means his love is “locked on to us” in unending commitment.
Thus he is always for us (verses 1–2). But the psalmist could not see what we see. God is ever on our side, because in Christ our sins can’t bring us into condemnation (Romans 8:1, 34–35).
So not “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword … will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 39).
Since the maker of heaven and earth is (through Christ) our help, we will not fear (verse 8). What could be against us (Romans 8:31)?
Prayer: Lord, you are a covenant-keeping God. Your Son vowed to save us, and not even hell itself, coming down on him with its full force, could stop him from keeping his promise. Now make me like him. “Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take myself, and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee.” Amen.
Questions to Ponder:
What fears do you have that God might be addressing through Psalm 124? How has God been “on your side” this week? In you life? Take some time to worship and thank him.
Evening Prayer of Examen
- Where did you move with or feel close to Jesus today?
- Where did you resist or feel far from Jesus today?
- Where is Jesus leading you tomorrow? Ask for joy as you follow him.
Benediction
May the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom to capture your hearts for Christ, to comfort your hearts in Christ and to humble your hearts before Christ. Amen.