August 7 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Titus 2:

¹But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
²That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
³The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
⁶Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
⁷In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
⁸Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
⁹Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
¹⁰Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
¹¹For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
¹²Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
¹³Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
¹⁴Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
¹⁵These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Devotional

The grace of God has appeared. It has appeared in Christ, and it teaches us, or disciplines us, that we may know how to live to the glory of God. It teaches us to deny ungodliness; that is re­nounce every thing that is not in harmony with a godly life. As Peter puts it: "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." Moses chose rather "to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

The grace of God enables us to live soberly with regard to ourselves; to act righteously, that is, deal justly with our neighbor, and to have an attitude of fear and reverence toward God. In this present world there is nothing that can make us truly happy. We must look forward to the coming of our Saviour, and the glories of his heavenly kingdom. We must wait for the fulfillment of that blessed hope at the glorious appearing of our great God, even Jesus Christ, our Saviour. That blessed hope is the hope of eternal life. So let us not cleave unto the things of this world, but let us longingly look forward to the coming of our Lord. He said, "Surely I come quickly. Amen." And may we pray: "Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen."

Prayer

Our Father in heaven. We must deplore before Thee that we are so earthbound; we cleave to earthly things. The evil lusts of the flesh even appeal to us. We pray Thee, Deliver us from evil, and help us to live lives with an eye single unto Thy glory. In the temptations, conflicts and sorrows of life, may we not grow weary or faint, but may we look forward to that blessed hope set before us. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Titus 2:11, 1 Pet. 4:2; Heb. 11:35; 1 John 2:16, 17; Titus 3:7; Rev. 22:20.

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