Daily Devotional Thought--For Monday

Collect of the Week (Proper 20-C)

O Lord, keep Your Church in Your perpetual mercy, and because without You we cannot but fall, preserve us from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Genesis 1:1-19 (From the Daily Bible Story Lectionary)

¹ In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.  ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.  ⁶ And God said, "Let there be an expanse¹ in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."  ⁷ And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.  ⁸ And God called the expanse Heaven.¹ And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

⁹ And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.  ¹⁰ God called the dry land Earth,¹ and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

¹¹ And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants¹ yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so.  ¹² The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons,¹ and for days and years,  ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so.  ¹⁶ And God made¹ the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars.  ¹⁷ And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,  ¹⁸ to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  ¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Catechism: The Creed—The First Article

What is the First Article?

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

What does this mean?

            I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, an dstill takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house, and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

Devotion

In the name of T Jesus.

God speaks, and His Word does what it says.  We see it over and over in Genesis, chapter 1; God said…and there was.

Sometimes we forget that the creative power of His Word did not evaporate, but continues on still today.  But where it gave creation in Genesis, it gives new creation now.

Hearts that were complete sinful are given a new and right spirit (Psalm 51).  Minds that were alienated and hostile to God are renewed through the preaching of repentance and forgiveness.  Wills that were weak and bound to sin, in Baptism, are freed from sin’s bondage and incorporated into Christ.

And all of it happens by a Word.  All of it happens through a powerful, CREATIVE, Word that does what it says.  For the Word which brought creation, now brings the new creation, even among us.

In the name of T Jesus. Amen.

Prayer

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:10-12).

Daily Prayer (For Monday)

We pray…for faith to live in the promises of Holy Baptism; for one’s calling and daily work; for the unemployed; for the salvation and well-being of our neighbors; for schools, colleges, and seminaries; for good government and for peace.