May 18: Morning Devotion

Good Morning, Lord!

I Am Baptized

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal. 3:27 ESV)

Make the sign of the cross as you say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

A Morning Prayer

O God, wake me today. Shake off my slumber and draw me to your Word and prayer to spend some time with you before I move on to the tasks of the day. Let my conversation today be sincere, my intentions pure, my thoughts innocent, my words encouraging, and my actions beneficial. As the hymn says, “Direct, control, suggest this day all I design or do or say that all my powers with all my might in thy sole glory may unite.” Amen.

I Believe …

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the

virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He

descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge

the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the

forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Bible Reading – Psalm 4

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

4 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
    You have given me relief when I was in distress.
    Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

² O men,^[a] how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
    How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
³ But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
    the Lord hears when I call to him.

⁴ Be angry,^[b] and do not sin;
    ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
⁵ Offer right sacrifices,
    and put your trust in the Lord.

⁶ There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
    Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
⁷ You have put more joy in my heart
    than they have when their grain and wine abound.

⁸ In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
    for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Part of the beauty of the Psalms is the way they reflect the author’s dialogue within his mind. He speaks to God in one place, to the world around him in another, to himself in yet another, and to you, the reader, too. It is a reminder that all of our life is lived in relationship, and no matter what we do there is always someone who is touched by our actions – God, our neighbor, ourselves, even our environment.

David begins this Psalm in prayer, calling upon God to answer him. Notice that he calls God, “God of my righteousness.” What does this mean? It means that God makes David righteous. This is our relationship with God, too. We do not approach him on the basis of our righteousness – our ability to do all things as they should be done. If it were, we would be doomed. Paul says it this way in Romans 3:21ff - But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

You come to God through Jesus – the righteous one who makes us righteous. This is Jesus’ prayer, placed on your lips through David’s pen. You come to God with prayer, perhaps a little uncertain that God should hear your prayer, but then you remember that he is the God who made you righteous in his sight. Jesus, the God Man, and taken your sin upon himself. He bore that sin upon the cross and died there to leave your sins in the grave, his blood washing them all away. So lift up your voice and pray, “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!”

Questions for Meditation

What does this reading teach you about Jesus, what He said and did, or what He wants His followers to believe? What does it teach you about God’s love and forgiveness?

What does this reading lead you to be thankful for?

What behavior, thought, or attitude does this reading challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?

How might you pray for God to have a richer impact on your life through this reading?

Prayer

Pray for God to help you to understand and believe His Word.

Pray for increased faith, hope, and love.

Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer

The Second Petition: “Thy kingdom come”

O God, everlasting Father, Your kingdom comes even without our prayer, but, please, let it come to us, too! Please give us Your Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we may believe Your Word, and live godly lives here in time and there in eternity. Amen.

Benediction

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21 ESV)