Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 44:17-22
Ps 44:17-22
17 All this happened to us, though we had not forgotten you or been false to your covenant. 18 Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. 19 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21 would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? 22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
Rom 8:35-37
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
One of the things that stands out in a study of trials, problems, troubles and even persecutions in the New Testament is that the word “if” is never used relative to them. What we read is always “when” these things happen or come upon us. We will face health issues, we will have loved ones die, we will have temptations (some of which we will give in to and have to face the consequences), we will have personal relationship problems and the list goes on and on. It doesn’t matter if we are faithful to God or not, we still face these things. In fact, there are times that serving God actually makes things worse from an earthly view.
The prevailing religious philosophies that rely on “feel good” religion or the idea that serving God will make us physically prosperous are just false religions. God does indeed love everyone but that does not mean everyone will be freed from all trouble and eventually have eternal life with him.
Jesus could not have been more specific or exclusive than when he said he was the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to God except through him. Peter said that salvation is in no name other than the name of Jesus. Paul explained the gospel as the good news of salvation based on the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus which we copy in becoming Christians.
Thank you God for loving me. Thank you for providing forgiveness of my sin in Jesus and the hope of eternal life. Give me wisdom to share this good news with others and never see myself as being above or better than them because you have forgiven me. Fill me with you Spirit and help me know how to trust you in all things, to love others as you love me and thus to be kind, compassionate and tender hearted and forgiving. I pray in the name of Jesus my Savior.
Robert
