Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalm 96:7-13
Psalm 96:7-13
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. 11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; 12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; 13 they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.
God is God and no matter what I think or the world around me thinks, he is still God. The “greatest minds” in our time can deny his existence but that does not change the reality of his majesty. Professors can teach that the entire universe is here by chance but that does not negate the creation or the creative power of our God. He spoke and the world came into being from nothing. He did not make the world, he created it. That is the God we serve.
Satan has deceived so many people into believing that God is like man because they serve gods made after the similitude of mankind. The truth is that mankind is made in the image of God and we are to seek to become like him. One of the things that makes our God so different from all other gods is that he loves us and wants what is best for us. Other gods and their ensuing religions demand that people appease the gods or do works to satisfy the gods or offer sacrifices to stop their anger and wrath against mankind. The concept of grace is unique to the Christian religion and to our God.
A Muslim clergyman was asked about forgiveness in Islam. He said they did not even have word for forgiveness. If one did enough good deeds in this life they would receive the reward in the next life. The extent or magnitude of the reward would depend on how many good deeds and the nature of them were performed while alive on earth. In other words, the good must outweigh the bad.
Lord God, I thank you for your majestic power that is controlled by your great love and mercy shown toward me in Jesus Christ. Give me a heart controlled by your Spirit so I can become more like you today. Use me to comfort and encourage those who are hurting and struggling. Thank you God for the many brothers and sisters you have given me in Christ and the encouragement and the help they give me every day. Give me wisdom in teaching your word to know the truth and to be able to explain it plainly. I pray in the name of Jesus.
--Robert
