August 18 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

These meditations are on the psalms. All those songs about Zion, the temple, and the Son of David really make sense when they are sung In the New Testament church.

Bible Reading:

Psalm 85

Bible Text:

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other (Ps. 85:10).

Devotional:

When we pray "Your kingdom come," we ask that our eyes may see the salvation of our God. We want to see the event the prophet describes in the second part of this psalm.

Before the prophet's eyes the clouds are breaking. God's glory is coming. "Salvation is near," he cries (v. 9). He sees the reestablishment of the kingship of God, the marriage of heaven and earth. God's works and virtues take over on earth. Hatred and treachery disappear, crooks and guns evaporate. Instead, love and faithfulness shake hands and celebrate. Righteousness and peace embrace and kiss.

Love and faithfulness, or "mercy and truth," as older translations read, are twin virtues of God's heart that transform the world. Salvation begins with love that stoops down. But God's love, as all true love, is not a one-night stand or a one-day flower. For faithfulness, or fidelity, is her twin. Therefore we sing that God's love is from everlasting to everlasting.

Righteousness and peace are the earthly harvest of God's love and faithfulness. They too are twins. As long as we are wicked, we can have no peace. But those who want peace must do what is right.

We who have received God's love and faithfulness now pledge to do good. Then righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.