June 15 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Colossians 3:1-17:

¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
³For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
⁵Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
⁶For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
⁷In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
⁸But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
⁹Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
¹⁰And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
¹¹Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
¹²Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
¹³Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
¹⁴And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
¹⁷And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Devotional

The first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is, "What is the chief end of man?" And the answer is, "To glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." The main reason of our life and being, the purpose for which we are here is not merely to make a living, nor to heap up earthly riches, not even that our souls should be saved; but that God should be honored and glorified. Surely we have reason to honor and praise him. He is our Crea­tor. In Christ Jesus He has provided salvation for us. He daily loads us with benefits. From day to day He is our Helper and strong Deliverer. But none of these benefits would come to us if Christ had not obtained them for us by his suffering and death. Only through Christ we have free access to God. So in his name we must not only pray, but also in his name give thanks. What­ever we do or say should be in his name. Paul writes to the Cor­inthians, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." A German poet said,

O that each pulse beat thanks would bring,
And every breath his praise would sing.

Peter admonishes us. "As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God .... that God in all things may be glo­rified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Prayer

Most merciful God, we must deplore before Thee that we are continually inclined to seek our own honor and glory instead of glorifying Thee. We are often so thoughtless, or rather, we think of self, and seek to promote selfish ends, instead of remembering that all glory belongs to Thee. Yea, we eat and drink, and go about our daily business, and our thoughts are far from Thee. Father, forgive us we pray. Incline our hearts unto Thee, and we will praise Thy great and holy name. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: 1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Pet. 4:10, 11.

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