The Daily Devotionals of The Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States for Friday, 27 May 2016

The Daily Devotionals of The Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church of Wichita, Kansas, United States for Friday, 27 May 2016

Today, Please pray for:

Susan Evans Manhattan Blue Valley UMC Flint Hills District

Dennis Ackerman Manhattan College Avenue UMC Flint Hills District

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Lectionary Readings
Sunday, 22 May 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
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Scripture Texts for Proverbs 8:1

 Wisdom is calling!

Understanding is raising her voice!

2 On the heights along the road,

where the paths meet, she is standing;
3 by the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 “People, I am calling you,
raising my voice to all mankind.
22 “Adonai made me as the beginning of his way,

the first of his ancient works.

23 I was appointed before the world,

before the start, before the earth’s beginnings.

24 When I was brought forth, there were no ocean depths,

no springs brimming with water.

25 I was brought forth before the hills,

before the mountains had settled in place;

26 he had not yet made the earth, the fields,

or even the earth’s first grains of dust.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there.

When he drew the horizon’s circle on the deep,

28 when he set the skies above in place,

when the fountains of the deep poured forth,

29 when he prescribed boundaries for the sea,

so that its water would not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 I was with him as someone he could trust.

For me, every day was pure delight,

as I played in his presence all the time,.

31 playing everywhere on his earth,

and delighting to be with humankind.

Psalm 8:1

 (0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:

2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious

is your name throughout the earth!

The fame of your majesty
spreads even above the heavens!
3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast
you established strength because of your foes,
in order that you might silence

the enemy and the avenger.

4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and stars that you set in place —

5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;

humans, that you watch over them with such care?

6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels,

you crowned him with glory and honor,

7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made,

you put everything under his feet —

8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them,

also the animals in the wilds,

9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,

whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious

is your name throughout the earth!

Romans 5:1 So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. 2 Also through him and on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand; so let us boast about the hope of experiencing God’s glory. 3 But not only that, let us also boast in our troubles; because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance produces character, and character produces hope; 5 and this hope does not let us down, because God’s love for us has already been poured out in our hearts through the Ruach HaKodesh who has been given to us.
John 16:12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative but will say only what he hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and announce it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine; this is why I said that he receives from what is mine and will announce it to you.-------
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Verse 1
[1] Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
Wisdom — It is a great question what this wisdom is. Some understand it of the Divine wisdom; others of the second person in the Godhead: and it cannot be denied that some passages best agree to the former, and others to the latter opinion. Possibly both may be joined together, and the chapter may be understood of Christ considered partly in his personal capacity, and partly in regard of his office, which was to impart the mind and will of God to mankind.
Verse 2
[2] She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
High place — Where she may be best seen and heard.
Paths — Where many paths meet, where there is a great concourse, and where travellers may need direction.
Verse 3
[3] She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
Gates — The places of judgment, and of the confluence of people.
The entry — To invite passengers at their first coming and to conduct them to her house.
The doors — Of her house.
Verse 4
[4] Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
O men — To all men without exception.
Verse 22
[22] The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
Possessed me — As his son by eternal generation, before the beginning.
Of old — His works of creation.
Verse 23
[23] I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Set up — Heb. anointed, constituted to be the person by whom the Father resolved to do all his works, to create, to uphold and govern and judge, to redeem and save the world.
From the beginning — Before which, there was nothing but a vast eternity.
The earth — Which together with the heaven, was the first of God's visible works.
Verse 24
[24] When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
No depths — No abyss or deep waters.
Brought forth — Begotten of my father.
Verse 26
[26] While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
The earth — The dry land called earth after it was separated from the waters Genesis 1:10.
Fields — The plain and open parts of the earth distinguished from the mountains.
Dust — Of this lower part of the world which consists of dust.
Verse 27
[27] When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
I was there — As co-worker with my Father.
Depth — Of that great abyss of water and earth mixed together, which is called both earth and water and the deep, Genesis 1:2, when he made this lower world in the form of a globe.
Verse 28
[28] When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
Strengthened — When he shut up the fountains in the cavities of the earth, and kept them there as it were by a strong band.
The deep — Which have their original from the deep, either from the sea, or from the abyss of waters in the bowels of the earth.
Verse 31
[31] Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
My delights were — To uphold them by my power and providence, to reveal myself and my Father's will to them from age to age, to assume their nature, and to redeem and save them.
Psalm 8
Verse 1
[1] O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
In — Not only in Israel, but among all nations. Which shews that this psalm speaks of the Messiah, and the times of the New Testament.
Heavens — Where thy throne of glory is established, where the blessed angels celebrate thy praises, where Christ sitteth at thy right hand in glorious majesty, from whence he poureth down excellent gifts upon babes.
Verse 2
[2] Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Babes — Weak and foolish, and contemptible persons, who are frequently called babes or children. Such are very unfit to grapple with an enemy: and therefore when such persons conquer the most powerful and malicious enemies, it must needs confound them, and advance the glory of God: as indeed it did, when such mean persons as the apostles, and disciples of Christ, maintained and propagated the gospel, in spite of all the wit, power, and rage of their enemies.
Ordained — Perfectly or firmly settled strength; that is, the praise of his strength or power, Matthew 21:16, it is rendered praise.
Still — Silence and confound them.
Avenger — The devil, and all who are his vassals and espouse his quarrel.
Verse 3
[3] When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
The moon — Either the sun is included under this general title: or he omitted it, because he made this psalm by night.
Ordained — Placed in that excellent and unalterable order, and directed to their several motions.
Verse 4
[4] What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
What is man — How mean and inconsiderable a thing is man, if compared with thy glorious majesty.
Man — Heb. infirm, or miserable man. By which it is apparent that he speaks of man, not according to the state of his creation, but as fallen into a state of sin and misery, and mortality.
Mindful — Carest for him, and conferest such high favours upon him.
The son — Heb. the son of Adam, that great apostate from God, the sinful son of a sinful father, his son by likeness of disposition and manners, no less than by procreation. All which tends to magnify the following mercy.
Visitest — Not in anger, as that word is sometimes used, but with thy grace and mercy.
Verse 5
[5] For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
For — Thou hast in Christ mercifully restored man to his primitive estate, wherein he was but one remove below the angels; from which he was fallen by sin.
Crowned — Man, fallen and lost man: who is actually restored to glory and dominion in Christ his head and representative, who received this crown and dominion for man's good, and in his stead; which he will in due time communicate to his members. And so the two expositions of this place concerning mankind and concerning Christ, may be reconciled. For he speaks of that honourable estate conferred first upon Christ, and then by his hands upon mankind. But the words more literally rendered are, Thou madest him a little less than God. And hence some have inferred, that man in his original state was the highest of all creatures.
Romans 5:1-5
Verse 1
[1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Being justified by faith — This is the sum of the preceding chapters.
We have peace with God — Being enemies to God no longer, Romans 5:10; neither fearing his wrath, Romans 5:9. We have peace, hope, love, and power over sin, the sum of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters. These are the fruits of justifying faith: where these are not, that faith is not.
Verse 2
[2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Into this grace — This state of favour.
Verse 3
[3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
We glory in tribulations also — Which we are so far from esteeming a mark of God's displeasure, that we receive them as tokens of his fatherly love, whereby we are prepared for a more exalted happiness. The Jews objected to the persecuted state of the Christians as inconsistent with the people of the Messiah. It is therefore with great propriety that the apostle so often mentions the blessings arising from this very thing.
Verse 4
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And patience works more experience of the sincerity of our grace, and of God's power and faithfulness.
Verse 5
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Hope shameth us not — That is, gives us the highest glorying. We glory in this our hope, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts - The divine conviction of God's love to us, and that love to God which is both the earnest and the beginning of heaven.
By the Holy Ghost — The efficient cause of all these present blessings, and the earnest of those to come.
John 16:12-15
Verse 12
[12] I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
I have yet many things to say — Concerning my passion, death, resurrection, and the consequences of it. These things we have, not in uncertain traditions, but in the Acts, the Epistles, and the Revelation.
But ye cannot bear them now — Both because of your littleness of faith, and your immoderate sorrow.
Verse 13
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
When he is come — It is universally allowed that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost dwell in all believers. And the internal agency of the Holy Ghost is generally admitted. That of the Father and the Son, as represented in this Gospel, deserves our deepest consideration.
Verse 15
[15] All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine — Could any creature say this?

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Today's Daily Devotion is:
Numbers 14:1 At this all the people of Isra’el cried out in dismay and wept all night long. 2 Moreover, all the people of Isra’el began grumbling against Moshe and Aharon; the whole community told them, “We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died here in the desert! 3 Why is Adonai bringing us to this land, where we will die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken as booty! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”
5 Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire assembled community of the people of Isra’el. 6 Y’hoshua the son of Nun and Kalev the son of Y’funeh, from the detachment that had reconnoitered the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the whole community of Isra’el, “The land we passed through in order to spy it out is an outstandingly good land! (iii) 8 If Adonai is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us — a land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Just don’t rebel against Adonai. And don’t be afraid of the people living in the land — we’ll eat them up! Their defense has been taken away from them, and Adonai is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
10 But just as the whole community were saying they should be stoned to death, the glory of Adonai appeared in the tent of meeting to all the people of Isra’el. 11 Adonai said to Moshe, “How much longer is this people going to treat me with contempt? How much longer will they not trust me, especially considering all the signs I have performed among them?
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Link to GBOD Devotional
Contact Information:
Great Plains Episcopal Office
9440 East Boston, Suite 160
Wichita Kansas 67207, United States
316-686-0600
800-745-2350
info@greatplainsumc.org
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