Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* SATURDAY 29TH AUGUST, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD’S GRACE. *TOPIC:* REVERENCE GOD. *TEXT:* ECCLESIASTES 12:12-14. 12. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. *TOPIC:* REVERENCE GOD. *THE MESSAGE:* Man may not fully grasp God's ways; he must hold fast to His reverence and trust in Him as Creator. The Preacher cautions his listeners not to substitute wordly knowledge with God's wisdom. They must fear God and keep His command as a duty and live in view of His judgement. To fear God is to make Him the centre of your life - loving Him deeply, honouring His greatness and grace; and letting this reflect in your choices, words, and actions. Many young men claim to fear God, yet their lifestyle tells a different story. They can be seen to be very active in church but consult a marabou, practice harlotry, form a gangster to commit evil in society, or lead a bandit to attack communities. Does your life truly reflect your reverence for Him? Check what takes your time and allegiance. Time is fleeting. Take a stand today! *REFLECTION:* Fear God and keep His commandments. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to reverence You. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 2 TIMOTHY 2:21. "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* DANIEL 1-3. ED.ii. GET TO THE ROOTS "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." - Hebrews 12:15 One day our son John-Henry had an outdoor survival event. At one point he had to jump from a three-meter high bridge into a deep, dirty ditch which was full of water and mud. He did not know that there was a sharp tree stump in the ditch, this penetrated his leg for 20 cm. He screamed in pain and was taken to the hospital by the team leaders. The wound was cleaned, but the x-ray image showed that a wood splinter was still in his leg. The wound was bandaged and seemingly it looked good. We were told that the splinter would naturally go out. However, a few days later when we removed the bandage, the wound looked worse and unclean. We prayed to God to touch him and anointed him with oil. The next day a sister from our church who was a nurse saw the wound and said that John-Henry had to go to the hospital right away. There the doctor concluded that John-Henry immediately had to undergo surgery. When that root of the problem, the splinter, was removed, the healing process began. The root of the problem We often do the same in life. As God's children we take care of the outward appearances but do not go to the root of our problem. We try to become different, to improve, but if we do not go back to the root of the problem, this will not help much. Do not apologize by saying: it is my upbringing, or it is my life environment. We often justify ourselves. To simply polish yourself on the outside does not solve the problem. The root cause must be dealt with. Maybe you are facing something similar in life today. Pray then: 'Lord, show me what the root is which causes me trouble every time.' Jesus can help you if you open your heart to Him. He will take the complete problem out of your heart and life. Then you will be saved forever. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com. 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ⏤ Psalm 4:8 Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work. ⏤ Oswald Chambers What can we say to You, O God, tonight, to express our gratitude for all the goodness of this day? We can only bring You our hearts' humble worship and ask You to accept it. We lay the work of this week upon the altar. Cleanse what is wrong in it. Accept and use what is right. Our thanks are due to You for all You have been to us this week. You have been our Shepherd, leading us into green pastures and beside still waters. You have been our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. You have been our fortress, into which we have run in times of danger, finding deliverance. You have been our companion along the way, our guide, our guardian, our friend, our deliverer, our helper. Impress Yourself on our lives. Saturate our very being with Your own life, so that we may be transformed into Your own character! We pray tonight for the world outside. Much of it is without You and without hope. Remember the homes around us that are godless and prayerless. Find a way, O God, to enter these homes so that the children, at least, may be saved. We also pray for those who have sorrow in their homes and cry out for comfort. Wipe away their tears by revealing the truths that bring true consolation. We commit our own home to Your protection for the night. You who never slumber—be our keeper. Let no danger come near us. May Your peace rest upon our home. Prepare us for the duties of Sunday. May it please You to spare us and bless us in every good way. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/55/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.