May 24

Morning

Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld from me His loving devotion! — Ps 66:20 BSB

When we reflect on our prayers with honesty, we can’t help but be amazed that God has ever answered them. There may be some who, like the Pharisee, think their prayers are worthy of acceptance.

But the true believer, when looking back with clear understanding, is often moved to tears over their prayers and wishes they could go back and pray with more earnestness. Think about how cold your prayers have been, Christian. In moments of private prayer, when you should have been wrestling with God like Jacob, your requests have been faint and half-hearted. Far from the passionate, persevering faith that says, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” And yet, wonder of wonders, God has heard your cold prayers, and not only heard them but answered them.

Also, think about how infrequent your prayers have been—unless you were in trouble, of course. During times of hardship, you may have often gone to the mercy seat, but when things got better, where were your prayers then? You’ve neglected the practice of constant prayer, and yet God has not stopped blessing you. Even when you’ve been absent from the place of prayer, God has remained there, with the light of His presence shining between the wings of the cherubim.

How incredible it is that God should respond to these occasional bursts of prayer, which come and go with our needs. What an amazing God, who listens to those who only call on Him when they’re in distress but almost forget Him when their blessings are plentiful! Let this gracious kindness stir our hearts, so that from now on, we may be found "praying always—with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”

Evening

Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel, — Phil 1:27 BSB

This refers to the entirety of our lives and behavior in the world. What kind of life is this?

First, the gospel is simple, and so the lives of Christians should also be simple and straightforward. In everything—our words, actions, clothing, and conduct—there should be a simplicity that reflects true beauty.

The gospel is true. It is pure gold without any impurities. And the life of a Christian will be dull and worthless if it doesn’t reflect that same truth.

The gospel is bold, proclaiming the truth fearlessly, whether people like it or not. We must be just as faithful and unshakable.

Yet the gospel is also gentle. Look at the spirit of its Founder—“a bruised reed He will not break.” Some people are harsh and sharp, like a thorn bush, but that’s not how Jesus was. Let us win others through the gentleness of our words and actions.

The gospel is loving. It is God’s message of love to a lost and fallen world. Jesus' last command to His disciples was, “Love one another.” Oh, how we need more genuine, heartfelt love for all the saints—and more tender compassion for even the worst sinners!

But we must not forget that the gospel is holy. It never excuses sin. It forgives sin but only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. If our lives are to mirror the gospel, we must avoid not just the obvious sins but anything that would hinder us from fully conforming to Christ.

For His sake, for our own sake, and for the sake of others, we must strive every day to live in a way that reflects the gospel of Christ!