January 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 15:

¹Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
²He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
³He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
⁴In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
⁵He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Devotional

With our hands we do most of our work, and how adaptable they are to perform all kinds of tasks. Our works are either good or wicked. There are hands and hands. There are hands that are holy, lifted up to God, and there are hands that are all stained with blood. Oh how much innocent blood has already been shed by wicked hands! The wicked do evil with both hands earnestly. Their hands are defiled with blood, and their fingers with iniquity. They provoke God to anger with all the works of their hands. The wicked go even so far as to lay their wicked hands on the Son of God. Paul tells the Jews, "him (Jesus of Nazareth) ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." And today the wicked in their self-righteousness "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens." May we lift up the hands which hang down. Let our hands be strong. He is faithful that promised. He will give us the victory, and we shall stand before the Lamb, with all the redeemed, clothed with white robes, with palms of victory in our hands. And to him shall be all the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we would come unto Thee in the name of Christ, for it is only in him that we can stand before Thee. Cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness, so that we may be enabled to lift up holy hands unto Thee. We acknowledge that even our best works in this life are imperfect and polluted by sin. But we pray, Sanctify us though Thy truth. Thy word is truth. Help us to confess the truths of Thy Word before men, so that others through our testimony may learn to know the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, and may Thy name thus be honored and praised on our account. For Jesus' sake we ask it. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: 1 Tim. 2:8; Isa. 1:5; Micah 7:3; Isa. 59:3; 2 Kings 22:17; Acts 2:23; Heb. 6:6; Lam. 3:40, 41; Heb. 12:12; Zech. 8:9; Heb. 10:23; Rev. 7:9.

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