Ithaca Devotions

Sunday November 23, 2025

[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. [4] Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, [5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; [6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; [7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. [8] Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. [9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. [10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. [11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. [12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. [13] And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Exceeding Great & Precious Promise

My help cometh from the LORD, which made Heaven and earth. Psa. 121:2

A general lesson is taught by the fact that the Ark preceded and remained in the river-bed until all had passed over. This to them was the Lord's guarantee of the safety of their passage....A lesson to all Spiritual Israelites should be, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3:6);..."Without Me ye can do nothing";..."My help cometh from the Lord";..."I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"; and..."All things are yours, for ye are Christ's and Christ is God's."...Let us in the strength of these Divine promises enter into the blessings of the Lord more and more day by day, and allow His leadings past and present to give us courage and fortitude for the future. "Who led us last will lead us still, Be calm and sink into His will." R4064,c1,p1,2

Daily Heavenly Manna (November 23)

Ye have need of patience, [cheerful endurance, constancy] that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36

HERE we see that it is not merely to do the will of God that is the test, but that after having attained to that point, that mark of character in our hearts, in our wills (if only partially in the flesh) we should, by patient endurance, establish God's righteous will as the law of our hearts, the rule of life under all circumstances and conditions. Then, and not until then, will we be in the heart condition of fitness for the Kingdom. The Apostle James says, "The trying of your faith worketh patience [patient endurance"]; that is to say, if our faith stand the trial it will work this character of patient endurance. Of course, on the other hand, if we do not attain to patient endurance, it will mean that our faith has not stood the test satisfactorily, that we are not fit for the Kingdom. `Z. '01-117` R2792:1

Weekly Manna (November 20)

If ye do these things, ye shall never fall. 2 Peter 1:10

THE contingency is not in the doing of these things perfectly, and regardless of the righteousness of Christ to cover our transgressions and compensate for our daily shortcomings; but if, added to our faith in the imputed righteousness of Christ, we have cultivated all these graces to the extent of our ability, we shall not fall. When we have done all that we can do, we are still unprofitable servants, not daring to trust in our own righeousness, but in the ample robe which is ours by faith in Christ, while, with consistent "diligence," we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that the righteousness of Christ is only applied to such as desire to forsake sin and pursue that "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." `Z. '97-148` R2155:6