Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 103:15-22
Psalms 103:15-22
15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
While we don’t like to think about it, our lives here on earth are short, uncertain and then we are soon forgotten. As we reflect on this, it would be easy to get depressed and decide our lives make no difference to anyone. The Preacher concluded that life is futile, a waste of time and meaningless. What has been will be and then will be again. Everyone, rich or poor, wise or foolish, mighty or lowly, will live a while and then die. What we have worked so hard for all our lives is left to someone else who may just waste it. He tried pleasure with wine and women, wealth and work and decided the more we have the more we use and the more we want. It all was meaningless and like trying to catch the wind.
What he finally realized was that the meaning to life is not in this world but in the world to come. Life is not about us but about God. What gives true reason for living is when we have respect for God and seek to please him in every way we possibly can do so. In doing this we love others, feel for their needs and serve them, help them and guide them to follow God also. The ironic thing is that the more we give up self and allow Jesus to actually become our Lord, the more we find meaning to life and the happier we are in living it.
Jesus, in teaching his disciples to pray, asked that the will of the Father be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Our Psalm describes that by saying they always do his bidding and obey his word. This is to be our attitude and our life.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love for me and ask you to help me give up myself so you can have complete control of my life. Use me in your service and your will. Help me put others ahead of myself and my desires. Give me wisdom to know how to respond to others in love and lead them closer to you. Help me reach those who are lost so they too can live for you. I praise you for your great love, your majesty and your power that is seen in your creation all around me. Be with those who are recovering from surgeries and treatments. Give peace to those who are troubled and strength to the weak. I pray in Jesus name.
--Robert
