May 6 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 29:10-18:

¹⁰Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
¹¹Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
¹²Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
¹³Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
¹⁴But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
¹⁵For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
¹⁶O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
¹⁷I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
¹⁸O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

Devotional

God has a kingdom in which He rules by his Word and Spirit. It is not of this world. It is not eating and drinking. It does not come with observation, that is, with outward show. It is a spiritu­al kingdom, a kingdom of faith. Its walls and bulworks are sal­vation. It is an everlasting kingdom. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Are we citizens of that kingdom? We are not, unless we are born again. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the king­dom of God." But if by faith we have entered into that kingdom, we have "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." As citizens of the kingdom we are poor and despised in this world, and hated by the self-righteous. But "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the king­dom."

Should we not pray, pray earnestly, that this kingdom may come? that we may be obedient citizens of this kingdom, and that the works of the devil may be destroyed until the full coming of the kingdom? Then shall the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever. And we shall reign with him. O let us pray continually, "Thy kingdom come."

Prayer

O Lord, do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion; build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. So govern us by Thy Word and Spirit, that we submit ourselves to Thee always more and more; preserve and increase Thy Church; destroy the works of the devil, every power that exalteth itself against Thee, and all wicked devices formed against Thy Holy Word, until the fulness of Thy Kingdom come, wherein Thou shalt be all in all. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: John 18:36; Rom. 14:17; Luke 17:20; Isa. 26:1; Ps. 145:13; Matt. 16:18; John 3:3; Rom. 14:17; Matt. 5:3; Luke 12:32; Rev. 11:15; 2 Tim. 2:12.

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