Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* THURSDAY, 7TH MAY, 2026 *SUB-THEME:* RESPONSE TO GRACE. *TOPIC:* LOVING OTHERS. *TEXT:* MATTHEW 5:46-48 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? Luk 6:32 47 And if you greet only your relatives, that’s no great thing you’re doing, is it? Even the unbelievers do the same, don’t they? 48 So be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” *TOPIC:* LOVING OTHERS. *THE MESSAGE:* In this text, Jesus teaches that believers should love others the way He loves them. He urges the believers to love everybody and extend courtesy to the different and the difficult. It is in doing so that we stand out. While other religions teach their adherents to love and bless only their kind, Jesus teaches believers to love everyone, even their enemies. You love others when you identify with them in their plight, by lending a helping hand, be it in kind or cash. You can visit, mourn, counsel, clothe, feed, and rejoice with them. You also demonstrate love when you forgive and accept others rather than slandering and spreading bad reports about them. Loving others pleases God, brings us joy, and fosters bonds between people, making them feel a sense of belonging and spurring them to function more effectively. *REFLECTION:* Show love to someone today *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to love others regardless, in Jesus’ name. Amen. MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH: TITUS 2:12. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* NEHEMIAH 3-4. ED.ii. Skip to content Dalily Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth Posted onMay 7, 2026 by Editor Vanity of Vanities Christian Applications Store:: Christian devotional App Store; Explore Recommended Christian Books and Devotionals Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2 The Lord knows those who are His.” 2 Timothy 2:19 Brink of Despair God will bring us to the brink of despair in ourselves, to attain His fullness in us. To achieve this a sentence of death must be planted at the core of our old life. It is despair of MY life and no hope in MY-self that God is waiting to discern in me, When we discover we can do nothing of ourselves, His Life starts to be formed in us. Full Purpose God wants to achieve His full purpose in the life of every believer – but some refuse. God wants to bring out His supreme purpose in His own – but few hear His voice. God wants His life wrought in us – executed through Christ’s cross and resurrection.. and the Lord knows those who are His. He knows those who will respond to His call. Inborn Assets But God will not share His glory with another. He will wait until all opponents are gone. He knows we’ll never be effective in His work, while the natural life seeks supremacy. All our inborn assets however fine and splendid, are alien to the New Life in Christ. All our natural resources and inbuilt indemnities are strongholds resisting His will. Bitter Example Yesterday I walked along the canal bank and reflected on the ‘wisdom’ of Solomon. No-one has been more amazingly equipped with wisdom than this young king… yet His life which started so wonderfully became a bitter example of self indulgence. Foolish Vanity Wisdom poured out of His mouth and He astonished kingdoms with his sagacity, Yet he demonstrated much folly until recognising his foolishness and his vanity. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity – all in this self-life is vain foolish stupid folly, except to love God and to serve Him forever. Various Vanities It is vanity to seek after riches and money – for the wealth of this world is perishing. It is vanity to hunt out worldly honour and acclaim – for this worlds’ wisdom is folly. It is vanity to seek fleshly fulfilment – for it lasts a fleeting moment and then flees. It is vanity to seek long life – for this life is a transient breath in eternity’s fullness. It is vanity to set your heart and hope on things that pass in the twinkling of an eye. It is vanity to lust and long for the things of this world and its sordid, satanic system. False Foundation This world and the things within it are built on a foundation that will fail and fall. Nothing in this world – and the self-life that seek supremacy in your life, is of value. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity – all in this self-life is vain, foolish, stupid folly; except to love God and serve to Him – But it must be done His way in order to achieve His purpose. Deceitful Balance Hosea tells us, that the world holds in its hand.. a deceitful balance If you seek after wisdom you will gain wisdom but be careful that you use it wisely… for there is only one, truly wise choice in this life, and that is death to the self-life – and living for Christ. Sentence of Death What an oxymoron – what a contradiction to the vanity of this world.. yet this biblical mystery is a truth that defies all human logic. This biblical truth is a mystery that defines the measure of spiritual effectiveness. It is only as His life comes to us by means of the sentence of death in ourselves, that we begin to be effective and fruitful in this world. Crucified Self Paul sees great advantage in all things from which we shy away, and try to avoid. He sees opposition, adversity, trials and afflictions as an advantage for those in Christ; for this eliminates self to its only advantageous position : crucified and dead – and we discover we can do nothing of ourselves and start to rely on Him alone. New Life in Christ So often this self-life we nurture and tend – is the wrecker of our fruitfulness.. Yet this sentence of death to self is not the end of the story in your life or in mine.. This sentence of death is the start of a New Life In Him. Post navigation Previous Post Previous The Death Sentence Proudly powered by WordPress. 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. ⏤ Psalm 55:22 Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near. ⏤ Dwight L. Moody O Lord, You have taught us to cast our burdens upon You, with the assurance that You will sustain us. So, we come to You tonight with our burdens. Life is too hard for us. Our duties are too great for us. We have no power of our own to do the things we need to do. We can’t meet our responsibilities alone. We owe duties to each other in our home, to Your church, to society, to the state, to our friends, and to the world. We are in debt to everyone, even to those in distant lands who don’t know You. Who is sufficient for these things? We can’t carry the burden of our personal responsibilities alone. We have our burdens of duty, and temptation puts additional burdens on us. The world’s sorrow weighs heavily on our hearts. There are burdens that come from our circumstances. It’s hard for us to be holy. It’s hard for us to keep going day after day, year after year, in the often dreary routines of our tasks. It’s hard for us to endure life’s frictions and irritations—and always keep a sweet spirit. It’s hard for us to be patient with all kinds of people, in all sorts of trying experiences—never losing our temper, never giving in to exasperation. We have burdens that are hard to carry, daily crosses that are hard to bear. We could never do it without the privilege of casting them upon You. We don’t ask that these burdens be taken off our shoulders, because it may be that we need to bear them for the good of the world or our own growth. But we do ask that You sustain us and help us to walk beneath our load quietly and confidently, leaning on You. Help us, O God, so that we can bear our burdens without fainting, through Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/32/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.