Early Morning
Early Morning
Morning Devotional
Eyes on Revenge?
Scripture Reading — Judges 16:23-30; Matthew 5:27-30
“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out. . . .” — Matthew 5:29
Samson’s eyes got him into trouble, and without them Samson triumphed over the enemy. Forced to entertain his captors, blind Samson asked the Lord for strength one more time. His reason? To “get revenge on the Philistines for [his] two eyes.”
In his human weakness and pride, Samson could not forget his eyes. Even so, God used him as an instrument to rescue his people. Without the eyes that provoked passionate desire in his heart and led him away from God, Samson, now blind, “killed many more when he died than while he lived.” And Samson died with them.
Unlike the stories of other judges, the Samson story does not end by telling us that Israel had peace from their enemies. Rather, it shows us a Samson who saved Israel without his offending eyes. Would God’s people too have to endure a time of blindness before they could see what is right in God’s eyes? (See Matthew 13:13.)
Samson was blind not so much because the Philistines took his eyes but because his eyes caused him to sin. He didn’t need his eyes to save Israel. But he couldn’t let go of them without seeking revenge.
Unlike Samson, Jesus Christ died for our offending eyes, our wayward hands and feet, our deceitful hearts, and our loose tongues. And instead of seeking revenge, he died so that “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” with God (John 3:16).
Father, forgive me, for Jesus’ sake, for I know the offensiveness of my eyes, hands, and tongue. Amen.
~ Arie Leder
Morning Prayer
ASSURANCE OF CHRIST’S SALVATION
Ephesians 1:17; Titus 2:11 -14; 1 Peter 1:13
In Jesus’ Name, I Pray God’s Will for You Today
I pray that you will have the assurance of your salvation, knowing full well that it is only through Christ that you might have eternal life. May this truth come alive in your heart and cause you to give your life to Him. May you give thanks to the Lord for the gift of eternal life which He has freely given to you. May God give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that as you experience this life with Him, you will know Him better. May your relationship with God continue to flourish.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Quiet Time
Cleanse thou me from secret faults.
~ Ps 19:12
The world wants men who are saved from secret faults. The world can put on an outside goodness and go very far in uprightness and morality, and it expects that a Christian shall go beyond it, and be free from secret faults. A little crack will spoil the ring of the coin…. The world expects, and rightly, that the Christian should be more gentle, and patient, and generous, than he who does not profess to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus. For the sake of those who take their notion of religion from our lives, we need to put up this prayer earnestly, “Cleanse thou me from secret faults.”
~ Mark Guy Pearse
Early Morning Prayer
TEACHER OF THE WORD
2 Timothy 2:23-26
In Jesus’ Name, I Pray God’s Will for You Today
I pray that you will gently instruct those who are opposed to the gospel. May you avoid quarrels and arguments with them. May you not hold resentment against them, but be kind. I pray that through your gentle instruction, God will grant them the repentance that leads to the truth. I pray that as you teach them patiently, they will come to their senses and escape the deception of the enemy who has taken them captive to do his will. May you be a good teacher today.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Early Morning Prayer
GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU
Psalm 138:8; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:2; Philippians 1:6
In Jesus’ Name, I Pray God’s Will for You Today
May you accept that God has a specific purpose for you that He will surely fulfill. I pray that you will bring the fulfillment of this purpose closer, through your obedience. May you be assured that what He has in store for you is good, pleasing and perfect, for His plans include prosperity, protection and a great future. May you trust that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. I pray that you will submit to His molding and allow Him to work out His intentions. May His plans be fulfilled in you for His glory.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
