Good even ing, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* SUNDAY 26TH JULY, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* THE CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING GOD'S GRACE. *TOPIC:* MENTAL AFFLICTION. *TEXTS:* 1 SAMUEL 16:14; 18:6-11 *1 SAMUEL 16:14.* 14. Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. *1 SAMUEL 18:6-11.* 6. When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” 8. Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands, he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9. And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. 10. The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand. 11. and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. *TOPIC:* MENTAL AFFLICTION. *THE MESSAGE:* Rejecting God's grace leads to mental affliction. Excessive jealousy can lead to mental disorders or health issues. Today's text reveals how God gave David victory over Goliath and was praised for bringing honour to Israel. But King Saul became jealous of him. Consequently, the Spirit of God left Saul and an evil spirit possessed him that he became mentally disoriented and loss the path of peace. David sang and played the harp to bring respite to Saul. But Saul always wanted to kill him. Are you jealous of your neighbour's achievements and will want to harm them? Be careful, and do not incur God's wrath upon yourself. You stand to enjoy peace and other benefits when you rejoice and celebrate the achievements of others. *REFLECTION:* Jealousy devastates the mind. *PRAYER:* Lord, may your Spirit continually dwell in me. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* HEBREWS 10:29. How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* Isaiah 44-45. ED.ii. WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD FATHER? "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." - Proverbs 22:6 A growing problem in the world today is fathers who are absent. For some reason, more and more fathers are leaving their families. Another problem is that though fathers are physically present, they are not available for their children. Of course, there are many fathers who take good care of their families, but they are only a provider and not an educator. Every child needs a good upbringing. A father has an important role in the family structure. Love, time and attention Dear fathers, your children do not envision you as a good father because you bring home a bag of money. They do not judge you if you give an expensive gift or not. The most important thing for your child is your love, time and attention. Is your career, sport or hobby more important than your children? Children sense this and are deeply hurt if there's a lack of love, time and attention for them. When you give birth to a living soul, you have to understand in advance that there will be sacrifices too. Many fathers think they are indispensable at work, but nobody is indispensable. As the father of your children though, you are irreplaceable. You are the only father they have on earth. Yet I want to tell all fatherless children that God in heaven wants to be your Dad. He is the best Father. He will never leave you. Children copy behavior Fathers, if you acknowledge this message is for you, go also to your Heavenly Father. Read the Bible, you will find the answers there. Children copy behavior, they imitate you when they hear you talk, swear or curse. When they hear such things at home, they think it is normal. However, they will also copy you if you pray and read the Bible every day, if you forgive, love, attend church meetings, etc. Are you willing to adjust your lifestyle when needed? God will help you and give you strength for this. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening prayer for today. ED.i. Evening Prayer Come unto me, all [ye] that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ⏤ Matthew 11:28 If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest. ⏤ Corrie Ten Boom This quiet Sunday evening, our Father, we come to You with glad hearts. We thank You for the Sunday that comes after six days of work, giving us the opportunity for rest and renewal of strength. If we had to go on without rest, we couldn't bear the burden. Sunday reminds us of Your love for us, providing little sanctuaries among the days. We thank You for Sunday because it keeps the memory of our Savior's victory over death alive in our hearts. It tells us that we have a living Savior, who lives to be our Friend, Companion, and Guide! We also thank You for all the Sundays that have been part of our lives. We thank You for this Sunday, now ending, and for all the grace, comfort, and renewed strength it has brought us. We have looked into Your face and received blessings in Christian fellowship. We have read and heard Your word, and its truths linger in our hearts. We have sung Your praise and called upon You in prayer. May all this day's impressions stay with us as part of our character from now on. May the strength we have received make us stronger in body, mind, and spirit for the tasks of the coming week. May the songs of this day keep singing in our hearts for many days to come. So may this day indeed be a blessing to us, leaving us with a richer character, new visions of beauty, and higher ideals to strive for. Draw us close to You now for a blessing, then fold us away in Your love for the night. We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/21/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.