[Sample]
Daily Devotional Materials
for the
Week of the
Ninth Sunday after Trinity
– Tuesday –
Devotion
I will run the way of Thy commandments when Thou shalt enlarge my heart. – Psalm 119:32.
No man as he is by nature delights in doing according to God’s commandments; neither, indeed, can he; for sin has taken possession of him. But it is quite different with one who is justified through faith in Christ. Such a one knows that he is loved hy God. And knowing that God loves him, he realizes his sinfulness all the more. In the light of the loving grace of God his sinfulness appears so much darker to him. And that pains him. And notwithstanding all this, he knows that God loves him, and that He sees and desires to see nothing upon him but the righteousness of Christ. And his heart becomes enlarged in view of this great and wonderful grace of God. His heart is filled with consolation, and being comforted, it opens wide toward God and the love of God towards him: and in a heart thus comforted and opened the love to God is born, the love towards Him who loved him first. And then, yes, then man begins to run the way of God’s commandments. “I will run the way of Thy commandments when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.” Then there is no need of the rod of the Law, no need of an oppressor, of any compulsion. Within the justified sinner there is a new law, the law of love to God; he is mightily impelled by the Spirit of Christ. And the love of Christ constrains him – it is a sweet compulsion – to do what is well pleasing to Christ, to God. The Law of God no longer needs come to him from without, as a stranger, with insistent demands; no, it is written in his very heart and mind: he wants to, he really, truly, wants to do it. Justification through faith in Christ is the means, the only means, and the strong and sure means, through which man becomes desirous of doing according to God’s commandments. My dear Christian, do you know this from experience? Do you know what this means: “I will run the way of Thy commandments when Thou shalt enlarge my heart“?
PRAYER. – O Lord, this is my life and my only consolation, that You daily and richly forgive all my sins and thus justify me, a poor sinner, for Jesus Christ’s sake. How great, O God, is Your love and Your compassion, which You have promised me to know through Your Word and Holy Ghost. My poor heart can hardly realize it, But, O Lord, I love You and delight in Your commandments after the inward man. O that I might love and serve You better! Help Your poor child – O faithful God – help me! Amen.
O Love, who thus hast bound me fast
Beneath that gentle yoke of Thine;
Love, who hast conquered me at last,
Enrapturing this heart of mine – O love,
I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.
Hymn 348, 5 (ELHB)
Bible Readings
MORNING:
2 Corinthians 9:1-15
9:1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
EVENING:
1 Kings 4:22-34
22 And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, 23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.30 And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
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