Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 61:5-8
Ps 61:5-8
5 For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6 Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. 7 May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. 8 Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day.
1 Peter 2:9-11
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
There have been few (if any) people who have ever lived that have experienced the personal hand of God in their lives more than David. He was a lowly shepherd in the fields and his greatest concern in life was to protect his sheep. He trusted God to help him and protect him in this seemingly small endeavor. When he was faced with a bear and then later a lion, he trusted God who delivered him and his sheep. It was these kinds of experiences that emboldened him to fight Goliath by trusting God and not his own armor or his own strength.
Unlike Saul, he was not a man of large or impressive physical stature. Samuel was not impressed by his looks but God said he was looking on the heart and this was the man to lead his people. God took this lowly shepherd and made him the king over his people. He became king, mighty warrior and wonderful musician.
Today God takes those who come to him and makes them his own people, his holy nation and his royal priesthood so that we too can praise him, serve him and worship him. As David, we fulfil our vows to God as we declare his glory in our lives and share his salvation with our words. He will make us strong when we trust his strength and he will protect us when we depend on him. We rejoice in him.
O Lord God, giver of life and protector of the weak, I praise you for your goodness and your grace shown to me in Jesus Christ. I see my own weakness every day and I need you every hour to guide me, protect me and empower me to overcome my doubts and the temptations that I face. Help me never look at myself and think that I have accomplished anything on my own. Keep me ever aware that I am what I am by your grace and your strength. Give me wisdom to live for you better each day and to allow your Spirit to mold me more and more into your image. Use me to help others and not be selfish. I pray in the name of Jesus my King.
Robert
