Prayers Devotionals

  On the holy spirit It is quite right that you should feel that “something terrific” has happened to you (It has) and be “all glowy.” Accept these sensations with thankfulness as birthday cards from God, but remember that they are only greetings, not the real gift. I mean, it is not the sensations that are the real thing. The real thing is the gift of the Holy Spirit which can’t usually be—perhaps not ever—experienced as a sensation or emotion. The sensations are merely the response of your nervous system. Don’t depend on them. Otherwise when they go and you are once more emotionally flat (as you certainly will be quite soon), you might think that the real thing had gone too. But it won’t. It will be there when you can’t feel it. May even be most operative when you can feel it lea st.   C. S. Lewis 

  The LORD [is] good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. ( Nahum 1:7 ) Reflection Not only is the Lord an unbreachable defence to those who find their identity and righteousness in Christ, but He knows intimately each whom He defends. He is aware of our every need and every weakness, and thus, we, His people, can be supremely confident i n His ability to bolster us in the face of even the fiercest enemy. Rejoice, O believer, for He is our great shield and high wall of bastion!

 What does John 8:42 mean? https://biblehub.com/john/8-42.htm Jesus is using the analogy of fatherhood to explain why His critics refuse to accept His claims. Children inherit the nature of their fathers. So, those who are the "true sons" of Abraham will do as Abraham did. He obeyed God, and accepted God's words. Jesus brings the words of God ( John 8:38 ), and the will of God ( John 6:38 ), proven by both Scripture and miracles ( John 5:30–47 ). And yet, these religious leaders have ignored His message and attempted to have Him killed ( John 5:18 ). Their actions suggest that they have a spiritual father other than Abraham, and other than God ( John 8:44 ). In continuing to make this point, Jesus once again claims that He is acting in submission to God the Father ( John 6:57 ). The critics' responses have become less and less meaningful, and recently sank to the level of petty insults ( John 8:41 ). As Jesus continues to hammer home their hypocrisy, they will accuse

  These are such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Observe, the great truths of the gospel are things lying out of the sphere of human discovery: But, lying out of the sphere of nature, we cannot discover them but by the light of revelation. And therefore we must take them as they lie in the scriptures." -Matthew Henry

On grief R eal sorrow ends neither with a bang nor a whimper. Sometimes, after a spiritual journey like Dante’s, down to the centre and then, terrace by terrace, up the mountain of accepted pain, it may rise into peace—but a peace hardly less severe than itself. Some times it remains for life, a puddle in the mind which grows always wider, shallower, and more unwholesome. Sometimes it just peters out, as other moods do. One of these alternatives has grandeur, but not tragic grandeur.  C. S. Lewis

Psalm 119 TAU 1 69  Let my complaint come before thee, O Lord, and give me understanding [ cx ] according unto thy word. 170  Let my supplication come before thee, and deliver me according to thy promise. 171  My lips shall [ cy ] speak praise, when thou hast [ cz ] taught me thy statutes. 172  My tongue shall entreat of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteous. 173  Let thine hand help me: for I have chosen thy precepts. 174  I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord, and thy Law is my delight. 175  Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, and thy [ da ] judgments shall help me. 176  I have [ db ] gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.)

Psalm 119 TZADDI 137  Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are thy judgments. 138  Thou hast commanded [ ce ] justice by thy testimonies and truth especially. 139  My zeal hath even consumed me: because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. 140  Thy word is proved [ cf ] most pure, and thy servant loveth it. 141  I am [ cg ] small and despised: yet do I not forget thy precepts. 142  Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy Law is truth. 143  Trouble and anguish are come upon me: yet are the commandments my delight. 144  The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: grant me understanding, and I shall [ ch ] live.)

  Psalm 119 SAMECH 113  I hate [ bq ] vain inventions: but thy Law do I love. 114  Thou art my refuge and shield, and I trust in thy word. 115 [ br ] Away from me, ye wicked: for I will keep the commandments of my God. 116  Stablish me according to thy promise, that I may live, and disappoint me not of mine hope. 117 [ bs ] Stay thou me, and I shall be safe, and I will delight continually in thy statutes. 118  Thou hast trodden down all them that depart from thy statutes: for their [ bt ] deceit is vain. 119  Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth like   [ bu ] dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 120  My flesh [ bv ] trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments.)

  Psalms 119 NUN 105  Thy word is a [ bl ] lantern unto my feet, and a light unto my paths. 106  I have [ bm ] sworn and will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. 107  I am very sore afflicted: O Lord, quicken me according to thy word. 108  O Lord, I beseech thee, accept the [ bn ] free offering of my mouth, and teach me thy judgments. 109  My [ bo ] soul is continually in mine hand: yet do I not forget thy law. 110  The wicked have laid a snare for me: but I swerved not from thy precepts. 111  Thy testimonies have I taken as an [ bp ] heritage forever: for they are the joy of mine heart. 112  I have applied mine heart to fulfill thy statutes always, even unto the end.)

Psalm 119 HE 33  Teach [ s ] me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I will keep it unto the end. 34  Give me understanding and I will keep thy Law, yea, I will keep it with my whole [ t ] heart. 35  Direct me in the path of thy commandments: for therein is my delight. 36  Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies: and not to [ u ] covetousness. 37  Turn away mine [ v ] eyes from regarding vanity, and quicken me in thy way. 38  Stablish thy promise to thy servant, because he feareth thee. 39  Take away [ w ] my rebuke that I fear: for thy judgments are good. 40  Behold, I desire thy commandments: [ x ] quicken me in thy righteousness.