This week’s Scripture Passage: 

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Romans 5:1-8

Hi everyone,

With all that has been happening in the world, it was difficult to grasp the type of peace that this passage describes.  As I continued to read the passage over and over again, I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of hope.  In this hope, I was able to find peace in knowing that all the struggles we go through are a part of God’s design.  In the same way that a bird requires the experience of breaking through the shell of their egg to develop, we too require perseverance to build our character.  If we can learn to lean on God as our cornerstone, He will deliver us through any sufferings we face and we will find ourselves surrounded by a grace that we don’t deserve, but God has given out of love.

– Josh

This Week’s Playlist:

For the Master Playlist and archive of each week's playlist, please go to the Psalms of Devotion homepage.

Psalm 8

 O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
 Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.

 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
    and crowned them with glory and honour.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

 O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
 

This week’s passage talks about God’s great majesty over all things in this universe – and yet, He cares for us and has placed us in a position of honour, where we do not deserve. With this honour God bestows to us, we also inherit a responsibility to uphold and represent God’s will here on earth. That our actions be responsible to all the creatures and land he has created, and most of all, to all of God’s children, no matter their age, gender, religion, or race.

Reflecting on the events of this week and all the activity surrounding anti-racism, I see this passage as an opportunity to reflect on the honour God has bestowed on us, and how we should set His example by pursuing unity and peaceful justice, despite the temptation to lean on pointing out differences and acting in violence. 

The songs for this week focuses on God’s ultimate glory and on keeping our hearts and souls open to hearing God’s message, living our lives in His example.

Jon

For the Master Playlist and archive of each week's playlist, please go to the Psalms of Devotion homepage.

Passage of the week: 
“no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

– 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

Hi everyone,

The passage for this week speaks to the various gifts God has blessed us with and that no one gift is greater than the other.  While there are various ways we’ve all been called to serve, all of the gifts we’ve been given are from the same spirit.  Collectively we all make up the body of Christ and have been asked to bring what we can in service to God.  Service comes in many shapes and forms – some being more obvious and others more hidden.  God asks that we give and contribute abundantly and regardless of what gifts you’ve been blessed with, you can find peace and confidence in knowing that it all comes from God’s spirit.

This Weeks Playlist:

For the Master Playlist and archive of each week's playlist, please go to the Psalms of Devotion homepage.

Passage of the week: “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” – Ephesians 1:15-23

Hi everyone,

This week’s passage is focused around the importance of never stopping giving thanks to God. During the best times, and also during the darkest times, when we continue to give thanks, it opens our hearts to receive His wisdom, calling, and His power. Even if we’ve stopped giving thanks, it’s never to late to start again. God is always knocking on the door of our hearts and when we give thanks, we set ourselves up to be open and receive these gifts He is granting to us. This week, our Psalms of Devotion are focused on thankfulness to God and the blessings that can happen when we do.

I hope that you are blessed by these songs.

Jon

This Week’s Playlist:

For the Master Playlist and archive of each week's playlist, please go to the Psalms of Devotion homepage.