First off, I really like the Treasury of Daily Prayer. Such a cool book for "devotions." It has a Psalm, an Old Testament and New Testament reading, a writing from a church father, a hymn stanza, and a prayer for every day.
Today was a rich day for me. Not necessarily with answers, but sometimes just creating more questions. Today's Psalm is from Psalm 20. It's particularly interesting because it starts out "May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble" so you automatically start thinking this psalm is about me. It even goes on to say "may he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!" That sounds pretty sweet. Then after in verse 5 it says "may we shout for joy over your salvation and in the name of our God set up our banners!" Hmm, now it seems like it isn't talking about me but about someone else. Vs 6 "Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed" ok, so this is probably about David or Jesus. But was this psalm written by David or someone else? I don't know. Then whose salvation are we rejoicing in? Then at the end it says "O Lord, save the king, may he answer us when we call" That's an interesting line "may he answer us when we call." IE. May the King answer us when we call. If speaking of David that's quite the responsibility he has to do. But it could also be talking about Jesus. Perhaps its another both/and situation, regarding David and Jesus.
On the side, I think, its interesting how people say "God save the queen." Salvation seems to entail a type of rule. (Sorry stream of consciousness here)
Then the OT reading was in Deuteronomy (the covenant renewed in Moab), the New Testament was the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant... then the writing was from Martin Luther:
"If the mass (holy communion) is a promise, as has been said, then access to it is to be gained, not with any works, or powers, or merits of one's own, but by faith alone. For where there is the Word of the promising God, there must necessarily be the faith of the accepting man. It is plain therefore, that the beginning of our salvation is a faith which clings to the Word of the promising God, who, without any effort on our part, in free and unmerited mercy takes the initiative and offers us the word of his promise. "He sent forth his word, and thus healed them," not: "He accepted our work, and thus healed us." First of all there is God's Word. After it follows faith; after faith, love; then love does every good work, for it does no wrong, indeed, it is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10). In no other way can man come to God or deal with him than through faith. That is to say, that the author of salvation is not man, by any works of his own, but God, through his promise; and that all things depend on, and are upheld and preserved by, the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3) through which he brought us forth, to be a kind of first fruits of his creatures (James 1:18).
The Hymn
"Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore,
That they may trouble us no more;
We, too, will gladly those forgive
Who hurt us by the way they live.
Help us in our community
To serve each other willingly" - Our Father, Who from Heaven
Amen.
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