For God and His Word to be honored and consulted in the new administration that leaders may prosper
The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.
�Jeremiah 10:21
Lord God, You reign on high in heaven and all truth is contained in You. There is nothing that is true that does not have its origin in You. You have shown us the wisdom of consulting Your word in matters both large and small. You indwell Your holy word, and I praise You for Your kindness in providing with everything we need to prosper when we confer with You.
Lord God, we know that for our leaders to succeed they must be grounded and secure in a source of truth that goes beyond themselves and beyond the wisdom of men. Today, I ask that the members of the new administration�from President Obama to all who serve under him�will yearn for Your holy word regularly. Cause them to consult with You daily, seeking wisdom and guidance from Your word, so they will prosper. I ask this in Your wonderful name, amen.
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.
"...there is no stupidity more brutish than forgetfulness of God."
"When persons retain in their heart any sense of religion, they must necessarily have some modesty, and be in some measure restrained and prevented from entirely disregarding the dictates of their conscience. From this it follows, that when the ungodly allow themselves to follow their own inclinations, so obstinately and audaciously as they are here represented as doing, without any sense of shame, it is an evidence that they have cast off all fear of God."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
1 Timothy 4:10-16
Paul gives Timothy a list of instructions, which has been passed down to us.
It's interesting, too, that most of the instructions relate to Timothy's interaction with other believers. The word "teach" is used multiple times. "Teach all these things." "Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity." "Stay at your post, reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching."
Then the word "keep" figures heavily. "Keep that dusted off and in use." (In reference to his gift of ministry.) "Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching." "Just keep at it."
I believe that we can take part in these instructions, no matter how old we are, and I always rejoice to see young people standing firm for Jesus. This past year, when "See You At The Pole" came around, Stephanie wanted to take part in it, so I dropped her off in front of her high school. There were several groups of kids circled around the two flag poles, and they welcomed Stephanie into their circle. She didn't know any of them, but the bond of Jesus made them all brothers and sisters. Right now, she has recently become involved in a group at school called "Youth Alive."
I think the primary instruction here that can be applied to any believer is this: "Teach...with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity." If we do nothing else, we ought to do all of those things.
At this point, the author of the devotion asks me to rate my "spiritual fitness" on a scale of 1 to 10. I'm probably at about 6. I'm sure some that I know would rate me higher, but I'm tough on myself. There is much room for growth and improvement. For example, when I apply the instruction just mentioned, do I teach by word? I'm pretty good at that, yeah. But what about my demeanor? Oops. Not always good. If I'm in a bad mood, it shows. I can't hide it very well. What about my love? I'm still working on that one. Still struggling. But it is getting better. Faith? Faith is ok, but definitely could be stronger. And integrity. I usually do what I say I will do. My word is pretty good. And I usually am pretty good about practicing what I preach. Hence, I give myself a 6.
Grace and peace, friends.