Here are some of the questions I asked myself in studying this morning's four readings from the St. James Daily Devotional Guide. Where is your self-examination leading today?
Psalm 104:1-35. Amid turmoil over politics and patriotism, in the spirit of this majestic psalm and the one before it, how can I focus better on having America bless God, not vice versa?
Ezra 5:1-17. In the same vein, how can I doubt God's providence over my country, spiritually imperfect as it is, when he instilled the rule of law even in Cyrus's pagan Persia?
Haggai 2:15-23. As the nation prepares to vote, can I be less fearful and less willful in the days ahead, remembering who really sets leaders up or down ("I have chosen you," verse 23)?
Luke 11:45-54. What is the key of knowledge that Jesus said the lawyers ignored and hid (verse 52, KJV)? Do I have it? Am I using it?
By the way, if you decide to join me in studying regularly from the St. James guide, be aware the editor, Patrick Reardon, has helpful comments online for one or more of each day's selections.