Ithaca Devotions

Saturday October 24, 2026

[1] And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: [2] and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

[3] Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[4] Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

[5] Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

[6] Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

[8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

[10] Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. [12] Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. [14] Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. [15] Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. [16] Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Exceeding Great & Precious Promise

For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Heb. 12:6,7,11

He explains that such discipline is not prompted by anger...but by His love, and if we are rightly exercised by the disciplines, trials, experiences of life, they will "work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;"* – they will work out in us such characters as the Lord will be able to use in the service to which He has called us....The proper response of all who have the true spirit of sonship is expressed in the language of our Lord and Master, "Not my will but thine be done,"* O Lord; "I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea thy law is within my heart."* Such as thus respond to the chastisement of the Lord, step more and more into Divine favor, and hear other words of comfort, of grace, of help. R3059,c2,p2

Daily Heavenly Manna (October 24)

And as they led Him away, they laid hold upon one Simon,...and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. Luke 23:26

WE HAVE often wondered, where were Peter and John and James that they did not see the Master's burden and run to proffer assistance? If disposed to envy Simon his privilege of assisting the Master in the bearing of the cross, let us reflect that many of the Lord's brethren are daily bearing symbolic crosses, and that it is our privilege to assist them, and that the Lord agrees to reckon any service done to His faithful followers as though it were rendered to His own person....As the wooden cross was not our Lord's heaviest burden, so, too, His followers have crosses which the world sees not, but which the "brethren" should understand. "Bear ye one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ." `Z. '04- 155` R3369:6

Weekly Manna (October 22)

Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? Matthew 20:22

THE courage of our Lord in the narrow way fills us with admiration. What a strong character was His! He had no thought of turning back; He was intent upon accomplishing His Father's will – upon sacrificing Himself in the interest of others. A noble pattern the apostles saw before them – greatness in humility, victory through service. It is well that we should have clearly before our minds that unless we partake of His cup and are immersed into His death, we can have no share in His Kingdom of glory. Let us then count all things else as loss and dross to obtain this necessary experience. As it comes to us let us not be fearful, nor think strange of the fiery trials that shall try us, as though some strange thing had happened unto us. On the contrary, even hereunto were we called, that we might now suffer with the Lord and by and by be glorified together with Him. `Z. '04-138,139` R3362:2,5