Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 76:7-12
Ps 76:7-12
7 You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? 8 From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet--9 when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah 10 Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained. 11 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them; let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the one to be feared. 12 He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.
2 Thess 2:16-17
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
When we think of the power of God, do we think of his punishment or do we think of his deliverance? God does not change so it is up to us to decide if we are on his side or the side of his enemies. When we are on the Lord’s side, we win every battle and live in assurance that the war has already been won. If we chose to live on the side of the enemies of God, we are already defeated and only look forward to his punishment. So the power of God is either my solace which gives me hope or it is the greatest dread that can fill my heart with fear.
It is my faith in God, in his power, his compassion and his love that keeps me from being filled with anxiety. No matter what I face in life, whether I am alone or with others who trust him, I can know that God cares about me and will protect me from all evil. He will provide my every need. He is my constant companion, even in the darkest night and the most dangerous storms of life.
Jesus is my Savior and he is my Lord. But he is also my brother and my friend who will never leave me. The apostle Paul said that he could do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthened him. He also described the power of the Spirit of God in his life as being exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all he could ask or think. We are the ones who put the limits on God and his working in our lives. We are the ones who can quench the Spirit or open our hearts to his bidding.
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you for allowing me to be your child in Jesus Christ. I am truly honored but exceedingly humbled that you allow me to come before you in the name of Jesus with the assurance that you will hear me and answer my prayers. Increase my faith so I will give you my worries and my cares and live in the peace you provide. Help me always treat others as I want to be treated; to count them better than myself. Use me to be an encouragement to those around me as they seek to serve you. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
