Good devotions

From Amy Carmichael's book, Edges of His Ways:

August 14
Ps. 47:4  "He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved."

"Have you ever looked longingly at another life and wished that you had as much as it has to offer?  But He shall choose, and He does not call the inheritance of any Jacob 'poor'.  He calls it the excellency of Jacob.
The marvel is not that we have so little to offer, but that we have anything at all.  There was no worthiness in Jacob.  Whom He loved is the only explanation. 

But - and is not this comforting? - God needs each separate soul, each personality with the inheritance of His choice, for the perfecting of His purpose in the spiritual creation.  And when it is perfected He will be satisfied, and we too shall be satisfied, 'lost in wonder, love and praise' that we ever were allowed the smallest share in it.

August 15
Ps. 18:2 "The Lord is my firm support."

Samuel Rutherford knew God as his firm support.  In 1637 he wrote in one of his letters: 'I know that no man hath a velvet cross, but that the cross is made of that which God will have it.'

Another of his words which can encourage us today is: 'When I lose breath climbing up the mountain, He maketh new breath.'

What a firm support our Lord is, to even the weakest of His children! "

~~( I highly recommend reading any of what this great old saint wrote!)

I am continually amazed at my own need of the daily reading of the Word, and His firm support!

Why do I seem to forget it so easily?  And when I have spent time reading thoughtfully His Word, I am put at peace, and blessed by His presence.  But guess what!  I am easily distracted by other things on my Ipad ( a sweet gift from one of my daughters!) or my phone.  When I start out the morning with great intentions of spending a full hour reading and praying, the "other things" draw me to themselves, and my mind makes excuses of why I need to check something right then. The still small voice of the Holy Spirit does speak, and yet, sadly,  I "put Him off!"  I know it grieves Him and I have to ask forgiveness for the giving in to this world's distractions and attractions.  He is so much more worthy of my time than they are! Oh, that we could fully and wholeheartedly give our attention to HIM alone, and let the other things take 3rd and 4th place in our day, not the first and second place of my day.  May my mind and heart be united in fearing Him, and may my resolution be firm to give HIM the worship, attention, and praise that is due Him.   May I be like Caleb, who wholeheartedly served the Lord all his long life, and be a woman who eagerly gives her first hour to Him alone, who only satisfies.