September 21 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 36:

¹The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
²For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
³The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
⁴He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
⁵Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
⁶Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
⁷How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
⁸They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
⁹For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
¹⁰O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
¹¹Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
¹²There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Devotional

God's lovingkindness is good, great, and precious. He extends this lovingkindness to all his children. Because God is loving and kind, therefore the children of men put their "trust under the shadow of his wings." What a beautiful illustration from nature! As a bird covers its young with its wings, to keep them warm and safe from all enemies, so God protects and shelters all those that put their trust in him. He is their hiding place. He keeps them as the apple of his eye; He hides them under the shadow of his wing. There will be dangers; even calamities will come, but the child of God is not afraid; he has a refuge. "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." He confesses, "My soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." His trust shall not be put to shame. The promise is, "Surely he shall deliver thee . . . he shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." And having experienced God's help, He confesses, "Be­cause thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice." And yet, there are those who spurn the invitation to come to this refuge. Jesus exclaimed, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . . how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Reader, have you found this precious hiding place ?

Prayer

Merciful God and Father, in the storms of life, in the dangers that threaten us from all sides by our enemies, be Thou our Refuge. May we hide under the shadow of Thy wings, and may we there find peace and rest. May our strength be in quiet­ness and confidence. May all who labor and are heavy laden come to the Saviour, for He alone can give us rest. May we willingly take his yoke upon us, and learn of him, learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart, and thus experience his rest. Wilt Thou beau­tify the meek with salvation. Hear us, and pardon our sins for Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Ps. 32:7; 17:8; 112:7; 57:1; 91:4; 63:7; Matt. 23:37.

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