Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 128:1-6
Psalms 128:1-6
1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. 5 May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, 6 and may you live to see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel.
Living in a country where we have so many blessings and we take so much for granted, it is difficult to imagine how so many in the world actually live. Once in a while I hear stories of someone in another part of the world who does not have the freedoms we have or who live in poverty with no hope of things getting better and I am touched deeply. Recently I was told of some Christians in China (which in itself is not an easy task) who had been struck by a tornado. Fortunately, there were no lives lost and minimal damage to most. But living in an area that is often referred to as “tornado alley” I can identify with the devastation and loss that these are suffering. While most of us do not know any of these people personally, we can all join together to pray that their physical needs will be supplied and that their faith will be strong as they go through this trial.
We are promised that those who trust in the Lord will be blessed. It may not be the physical blessings we often seek or the material wealth that some falsely say God has promised but we know that God is with us and will take care of our every need. His blessing is often the grace to bear the trial or the wisdom to deal with the situation or the strength to endure the suffering. These are all things he gave Paul as he lived for Jesus and faced so much for doing so.
We so often want to understand why things happen or why they are as they are in our lives. This is often a mistake. If there is an obvious answer and we can do something about it, then we should do it. If not, then we don’t need to waste our time on “why” but rather how we are going to let God use it to make us better people or how it can help us serve others. We must never forget that the way of man is in the hand of the Lord so we trust him in all things.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love for all your children. I pray a special prayer for the Christians in China (and other countries where it is so hard to be faithful to you) and especially those recently hit by the tornado. Give them the ability to restore their physical losses. Even more, give them increased faith to trust you in all things. I ask you to give me a greater sense of gratitude for the blessing I enjoy every day and too often take for granted. Forgive my ingratitude. I pray in the name of Jesus, my savior and my Lord.
--Robert
