Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 21:8-13
Ps 21:8-13
8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. 9 At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. 11 Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; 12 for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow. 13 Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.
Mark 1:9-13
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13 and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
Often we are faced with trials and God gives us strength to overcome but then after the great victory, we face depression or even defeat in our lives. This may be because when we overcome one temptation, we are faced with another that is even harder to overcome. One win in a battle does not win the war.
Think of Elijah and his great victory over the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel. We might think that after this he would never have a low moment in his life again but it was only a few days and he was asking God to let him die. He had gone from the pinnacle of high to the depths of low. He trusted God when things were outward and he faced the physical enemies – even five hundred of them. Now it was just him and his mind facing Satan whom he could not physically see or hear.
Jesus went from the announcement of God to hunger and temptation but he put his trust in the one who could save him and he overcame; not just once but three times. We can follow his example and overcome daily in our lives.
O God, my heavenly Father, I thank you for your love and your constant care over my life. Help me keep from focusing on myself, my victories or my defeats and focus on you, on Jesus and on things above. Keep me ever counting my blessings instead of numbering my trials, hardships, pains or sufferings. Use me in your service to help others overcome their trials. Help us together to be stronger and trust you more. Be with those who are serving you in places that do not have the freedoms I enjoy so bountifully. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
