“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:6-7
To walk in the light is to walk in the truth and allow the light of God’s Word to shine into our hearts and upon our lives, revealing our sins and failures under God’s law but also revealing to us the redemption God provided for us through the blood of His Son which was shed on the cross to atone for our sins and the sins of the world.
O God, grant that I not hide from the light but allow the light to expose my sin and point me to Christ Jesus, who shed His blood on the cross to atone for my sins and restore me to fellowship with You. Amen.
“By faith we understand that the ages were set by the word of God, so that things that are seen were not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3
The ages, which include the universe and the world in which we live, were created and established by the Word of God at God’s command. He said, “Let there be …” and “there was” (Gen. 1). What we see and know today in this world and the universe was created from nothing and exists solely by God’s command and decree.
O Creator of all, grant us faith to believe Your Word and to trust in Your wisdom and power to create and preserve all things by Your command. In the name of Christ Jesus, the eternal Word made flesh to redeem us, we pray. Amen.
“But as for me, in the abundance of Your mercy I will enter Your house; in fear of You I will worship at Your holy temple.” Psalm 5:7
Nothing we can do will make us or our worship acceptable to the LORD God. It is only because of God’s abundant mercy in Jesus Christ — for the sake of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins — that we can, by faith, enter into His presence and honor Him with our worship and praise.
Have mercy upon me, O God, for the sake of Jesus Christ and His innocent sufferings and death in my stead, and receive my worship and praise. Amen.
“When I shut up the heaven and there is no rain, or when I command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence on My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
The only real solution to droughts, plagues, and pandemics is to humble ourselves before the LORD God, pray for His mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus, and repent of our evil ways. Only then will God forgive our sins, deliver us from His judgments, and heal our land.
Have mercy upon us, O God. Pardon our sins in the shed blood of Your Son, our only Savior, and give us the wisdom and strength to turn from our wicked ways. Mercifully grant healing to our people and to our land. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6-9
It is amazing to look at the beauty of the stars, to consider the vastness of the universe, and to think about the earth and all its creatures, and then to realize that God made them all by simply saying, “Let there be …” (Gen. 1).
Almighty and everlasting God, Your wisdom and power are beyond human comprehension. We praise Your glorious name and look to You for mercy in Christ Jesus, Your Son, and our Savior. Amen.
