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Written by Francois Fenelon (1651-1715), a French archbishop, theologian, poet, and writer.

You trivialize authentic love when you assume that the small things that hold you hostage have also kidnapped love. This isn’t true. Love is wild and free; it goes straight to God with abandon and simplicity. Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He disguises himself beautifully, under the garb of things that seem spiritual. He will use a false, overwrought love or a guilt-wracked mind against you…You absolutely must have a courageous obedience and push back Satan’s very first advances. You must cut him down when he first raises his head or first slings his lies.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. [1 Peter 5:8-9]

From the ReformedWorship.org website.

In a divided world,
may we speak of our unity in Christ.
In the midst of a scarcity mindset,
may the church be generous in all things.
When the world is at war,
let the church work for peace and the flourishing of all.
Amidst the shouts of “hate,”
may we live “love”
and follow the God of love
to the cross.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. [Ephesians 4:2-3]

Written by Erika Allen, a contemporary writer.

Biblical humility can be understood as a posture of the heart and mind that is characterized by the absence of pride and a commitment to the well-being of others. A humble person recognizes his dependence on the Lord, and he willingly submits to God’s way over his own. Humility is simultaneously the hardest and one of the most fundamental Christian virtues we are called to master. The reason humility is difficult for us is because it runs completely counter to our sin nature, which insists that our focus should be primarily, if not exclusively, on our own happiness…The Bible’s teaching on humility focuses on putting others’ needs above our own…To do this consistently…Jesus must first transform us and give us a heart that is both God and others-focused. And even after we are redeemed, we will need the Spirit’s constant help to think of others as “more significant” than ourselves. Humility is a distinctly Christian attribute. We simply cannot get there on our own.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. [Philippians 2:3-4]

Written by Kallistos Ware (1934-2022), an English Eastern Orthodox bishop and theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “The Orthodox Way.”

Abraham journeys from his familiar home into an unknown country; Moses progresses from light into darkness. And so it proves to be for each one who follows the spiritual Way…We do not simply proceed from the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge, but we go forward from the light of partial knowledge into a greater knowledge which is so much more profound that it can only be described as the “darkness of unknowing.” Like Socrates we begin to realize how little we understand. We see that it is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery. God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of our wonder…Gregory of Nyssa states: “God’s name is not known; it is wondered at.”

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! [Psalm 8:1]

Written by Susanna Wesley (1669-1742), mother of John and Charles Wesley who were the founders of  Methodism.

Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things, in short, if anything increases the authority and the power of the flesh over the spirit, that to you becomes sin however good it is in itself.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. [Hebrews 12:15]

Written by Keri Eichberger, a contemporary writer.

If you ever end up empty of a sense of safety, serenity, comfort, or care, and you seek to find it in connection with someone, can I remind us both of something? We can do none of this apart from Jesus. We must first connect with him. And not just temporarily. Remain means to stay. So if and when we drift a bit, we need to return. Remaining in Jesus looks like refreshing our communion every morning, and then holding his hand through every moment we encounter, through the entire day. Going to him over and over. In all our work, in every decision, in each conversation. Talking to him, leaning on him, listening to him. And as we do our connection grows stronger, along with the sweet fruits we crave. Understanding, affection, attention, approval. Jesus gets you and me. He cares and comforts. And not like anyone else can. Apart from him—away and at distance from him—we will not find that which we want, that which we sometimes feel desperate for at the depths of our souls. Remain ever so close to him. And you will find the comfort, connection, and fulfillment your heart and soul are searching for.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [John 15:5]

Written by Barbara Boyd, a contemporary journalist.

If the distance between the Earth and the sun, which is 92 million miles, was the thickness of a piece of paper, the diameter of our galaxy would be a stack of papers 310 miles high. And our galaxy is less than a speck of dust in the part of the universe that we can see. And that part of the universe might just be a speck of dust compared to all the universe. And if Jesus is the Son of God who holds all this together with the word of his power, is this the kind of person you ask into your life to be your personal assistant? … If you intellectually assent, “Yes, I think Jesus is probably the Son of God; I think he probably died for our sins,” but he is not the center of your life, then you may think you understand, but you really don’t. It’s not just a matter of commitment or lack of discipline, there’s spiritual deadness; you don’t really see it, understand it, get it. Wake yourself up!

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [Psalm 91:1]

Written by John Mark Comer, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his course on Practicing the Way.

Ours is the digital age. Indeed, one interpretation of the sociopolitical chaos of the last few years in America and beyond is that it’s not about politics at all; it’s about the social disruption caused by the shift from an industrial to a digital world. We’re living through a key inflection point in human history, and we’re feeling the vertigo of an entire world turned upside down in just a few decades. I grew up in Silicon Valley, and I’m well aware of the power of tech for good. But for all the genuine value it’s added to the world, digital technology has had … disastrous effects on our generation’s formation. It’s formed us to expect life to be easy, fast, and controllable.  After all, we can just slide our thumb and dinner will magically appear at our door twenty minutes later…. As a result, we are conditioned to expect quick, fast results with minimal effort, all at our beck and call. We often carry this mindset over into our formation—we assume we just need to find the right technique or life hack to solve the problem of the soul. But in reality, formation into the image of Jesus is hard, slow, and we are not in control. There’s no killer app, no quick fix, no shortcut. The formation of the human soul is more like growing a vineyard than ordering takeout.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! [Psalm 139:23-24]

Todays devotion is from “The Sayings of the Desert Fathers,” a compilation of sayings from the desert monks of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine in the fourth to sixth centuries.

What is pure prayer? Prayer which is brief in words but abundant in actions. For if your actions do not exceed your petitions, then your prayers are mere words, and the seed of the hands is not in them.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. [Colossians 3:23-24]

Written by Uli Chi, a contemporary business leader, writer, teacher, and mentor.

The early 20th-century evangelist, Billy Sunday, was asked what the ideal Christian life looked like. He was said to have replied: “You walk down the ‘sawdust trail’ in the revival tent. You accept Jesus at the altar. And then you walk out of the tent, get hit by a truck, and go straight to heaven.” No backsliding, no spiritual growth necessary, “instant eternity!” That’s a far cry from the biblical story told about Jesus. To grow up like Jesus means learning to grow up as a human being. To learn to love God and to love your neighbor. To be curious about the world God created and entrusted to us. And to discover our vocation and contribution to that world. That kind of formation takes a long time and requires us to be immersed in the ordinary circumstances of life.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. [Galatians 6:9]