Devotionals

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Day by Day     by Karen Pourbabaee

“This is the day the Lord has made…” Psalm 118:24 NAB

We journey dad by day, in days created by our Lord. They are strung together by His grace, attended by His angels, and guided by His Spirit, creating the fullness of our lives which is written in His book. What are we to do with this gift of days allotted? The words of an ancient prayer held close to my heart offers an answer:

“Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, brother and friend, may I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.”

The answer is to know Him, love Him, and follow Him; this should form the essence of our days. The prayer of St. Richard of Chichester is a scriptural legacy he left to us. The tenets were also revived in the song “Day by Day” from the 1971 musical Godspell. I really can’t help but sing it as I pray it. And after all, we are told throughout the psalms to sing to the Lord a new song (98:1) and to come before Him with joyful singing (100:2). This lovely prayer also reveals scriptural instructions the Lord has given to us:

KNOW: “Be still and confess that I am God.” (Psalm 46:11) We can only confess what we know and believe. Our confession comes with knowledge of truth that has settled in our hearts. It takes some time to settle anything. So listen and be still! Rest in the Lord and observe. Hear His wise voice. Feel His comforting presence. See His might on your behalf. Then you will know Him. Count knowledge of God as Paul did: “…I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord…” (Philippians 3:8)

LOVE: “Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 ) Simple command. But as we come to know Him, love will become the fruit of that knowledge. According to 1 John 4:7, all love originates from God and those who love are both born of God and know Him. There is a progression developing here.

FOLLOW: “…come, follow Me.”(Mathew 19:21) Yes, like Mary, we can sit at His feet a while to listen and to learn. Have a time of worship and prayer. But Jesus was a walker, always on the move, always with a mission before Him. We must rise with Him and be ready to move. We must follow Him when He calls. Knowing Him and loving Him will motivate us to follow.If we hesitate with obedience and following the Lord, we may need to go back to step one---to know Him. This divine cycle is a continuous movement in our lives. We must continue gaining knowledge to love and follow the Lord in His mission on this earth and to realize our divine purpose in being.

Today is the day the Lord has made. By His grace may I grow in knowing Him, loving Him, and following Him, day by day. Amen

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