-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)
What a great day to be in Christ and have the praise of our Father on our lips and in our hearts. Is there truly anything else we can do for God? Our gifts to Him can only be from our hearts and lips. Psalm 95 gives us the beautiful music of this praise of our hearts.
Psalms 95:1-7(NLT) Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
3 For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
4 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
5 The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
7 for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care.
We are the flock cared for by the God who is our Shepherd and help in time of need. Jesus is now given the power to gather the church of God today with the same care as the Father who has loved us. He is the shepherd of our hearts and lives today.
Hebrews 2:11-15(NLT) So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.” 13 He also said, “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.” 14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
How does it feel to know that you are the child of God Almighty and the brother of the Christ who died for you. Raised with him from the grave and set free from the chains of sin and death. Only God and His Son are worthy of our praise.
Ephesians 1:5-11(NLT) God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
Reflection Questions
Why did God choose YOU?
What is the response of your heart to Him and our Lord Jesus Christ?
What do we need to do today?
Prayer
Father, Father, we love You so much and look in awe on all You have done for us. We praise You with our hearts and mouths. Be with us this day as You have promised and give us the bread and help we need to do Your will. We love You because You first loved us. In our precious Savior’s name Jesus Christ
Seek Grow Love 