August 12 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 25:

¹Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
²O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
³Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
⁴Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
⁵Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
⁶Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
⁷Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
⁸Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
⁹The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
¹⁰All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
¹¹For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
¹²What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
¹³His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
¹⁴The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
¹⁵Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
¹⁶Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
¹⁷The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
¹⁸Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
¹⁹Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
²⁰O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
²¹Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
²²Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Devotional

Moses, the man of God, who led the children of Israel through the wilderness, prayed, "Show me now thy way." We, too, as children of God, are on our way to the heavenly Canaan, and we constantly need to pray, "Guide me, O Thou, great Jehovah, pil­grim through this barren land." We do not know the way which lies ahead of us, and often we do not understand God's dealings with us. We must commit our way unto the Lord; trust also in him: we must learn to walk by faith and not by sight. God has made his covenant of grace with us. He said, "I am the Lord, thy God." He has given us his precious promises in his Word, his testimonies. Now, if we keep his covenant and believe his pro­mises, we shall experience that all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. He does not deal with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities. He fulfills his gracious promises, and makes all things work together for our good.

But we always want to see, and if we do not see, we begin to fear and to doubt. So we must pray with the psalmist, "Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths." The Lord's promise is "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shall go." Christ says, "I am the way." Paul says, "As ye have therefore re­ceived Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." Colossians 2:6. Thus all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.

Prayer

Teach us thy way, O Lord; we will walk in Thy truth: unite our hearts to fear Thy name. We will praise Thee, O Lord our God, with all our heart: and we will glorify Thy name for evermore. For great is Thy mercy toward us: and Thou hast de­livered our souls from the lowest hell.

O God, the proud are risen against us, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after our souls; and have not set Thee before them. But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering; and plenteous in mercy and truth. We thank Thee. Continue to bless us for Thy name's sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Ex. 33:13; Ps. 37:5; 2 Cor. 5:7; Ex. 20:2; Ps. 103:10; Rom. 8:28; Ps. 25:4; 32:8; John 14:6; Col. 2:6.

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