Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 147:12-20
Ps 147:12-20
12 Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion, 13 for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. 14 He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. 15 He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 16 He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. 17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? 18 He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. 19 He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. 20 He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD.
To have been born as a Jew during the time of David would have been one of the greatest blessings anyone could have asked for and would have given them the best heritage possible. The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people and existed only because God had made them what they were. He had taken one small family who lived as nomads and gave them a son. From this one son the entire nation of Israel came and by the providence of God, became a world empire. God took care of them, protected them from their enemies and gave them abundant riches. He even gave them a king who loved God and who did all in his power to make the entire nation of Israel live according to God’s law.
As great as this was, you and I have something far better. We can be born into the kingdom of God. As Jesus told Nicodemus, we must be born again and by doing so we inherit the greatest blessing of all, we are born into the family of God. As great as David was and as wise as Solomon was, neither one compares to our King who is all knowing, all wise and all powerful. Since he is also the very Son of God, he only wants what is best for each one of us.
Jesus is our King. He is our leader, our Lord and also our Savior. When we are born into his family and his kingdom we are promised that he will always be with us and will always protect us from our enemies. He will give us strength when we are weak and comfort when we are depressed. We can walk with him daily and know that when we leave this world we will move into his eternal home.
Father and God, thank you for providing me the opportunity of being born into the great nation of the United States. Thank you for the many freedoms and opportunities this affords me. I pray you will be with our country and give us leaders who will want to follow your will. Even more than this, thank you for the opportunity of being in your kingdom and your family where my freedoms and my opportunities are magnified. Help me not be selfish but give me wisdom to use all you have given me and all I am to your glory. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
