Devotional: Even as a young man, David knows both himself and God. Having taken off Saul’s armor, he goes up against the nine-foot Goliath with only his sling shot and a few stones, confident in the living God. Unlike David, however, the vast majority of us go to our graves without really knowing who we are. We unconsciously live someone else’s life, or at least someone else’s expectations of us. We are unaccustomed to being our true self that it can seem impossible to know where to begin. Thomas Merton describes what we so often do: I…love to clothe this false self…and I wind experiences around myself with pleasures and glory like bandages in order to make myself visible to myself and to the world, as if I were an invisible body that could only become visible when something visible covered its surface. But there is no substance under the things with which I am clothed. I am hollow…And when they are gone there will be nothing left of me but my own nakedness and emptiness and hollowness…The path we must walk to remove the layers of our false self is initially very hard. Powerful forces around and inside us work to smother the process of nurturing the seeds planted in each of us. At the same time the God of the universe has made His home in us (John 14:23). The very glory God gave Jesus has been given to us (John 17:21-23).

Have you been shutting out feelings of self-doubt, uncertainty? Have you been putting up a face for the rest of the world to see, hoping that by convincing others of something, you’ll convince yourself? Do you neglect your feelings, your identity, the state of your soul and spirit? Out of personal experience, I will tell you that if you continue to do this you’ll get to a point (if you haven’t already) where you will completely drain yourself, and you’ll be unable to keep up the act in front of others, but more importantly, in front of yourself. Take it from a woman who’s had a lot of experience in the masquerade department. You DO NOT want to keep neglecting yourself. Had I acknowledged what was inside me much earlier, I may not have been in such a state as I am now. What sad excuse for a bandage are you trying to wrap your wounds in? Maybe it’s time you stopped trying to just stick a bandage on it, and you examined it, maybe put some “antibiotics” on it, because the longer you leave a wound untreated, the more likely it will become infected and become systemic. If you don’t take care of something inside of you, it will inevitably spread and lead to other problems. Stop the neglect. Open your wounds, and give them to the Healer. Just like an earthly physician, He can’t heal you if you don’t come to Him seeking care first.

God bless!

Marina

PLEASE KEEP THE PERSECUTED AND THOSE SERVING THEM, AS WELL AS THE ORPHANED IN YOUR PRAYERS!

Revelation 22

The River of Life

¹ And he showed me a pure^[a] river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³ And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. ⁴ They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. ⁵ There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Matthew 5

The Beatitudes

¹ And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ² Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
³ “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Fellowship with Him and One Another

⁵ This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Trustworthy Prophetic Word

¹⁶ For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. ¹⁷ For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ¹⁸ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
¹⁹ And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,^[a] which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,^{[b] 21} for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God^[c] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 143

A Psalm of David.

¹ Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.
² Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

³ For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
⁴ Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.

⁵ I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
⁶ I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.  Selah

⁷ Answer me speedily, O LORD;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
⁸ Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.

⁹ Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
In You I take shelter.^[a]
10 Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.

¹¹ Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
¹² In Your mercy cut off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.