Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 77:16-20
Ps 77:16-20
16 The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. 17 The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. 19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
1 Cor 10:1-5
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
The same event is described in both accounts with two very different reactions. In one we find faith, comfort and resolve to both trust and obey God. In the other we find rebellion and a lack of faith. How can this happen? We determine the outcome of so many events and circumstances in our lives by the attitude we have as we approach and deal with things. It sounds trite but when we face trials in our lives we can either allow them to “make us better or make us bitter.” It is up to us which happens to us.
In this Psalm we find one who begins with doubting God and his goodness. We see one who feels that God has forsaken him and will not hear his prayers. From this he moves to a stronger and stronger faith in God because of what has been done in his life and in the lives of others in the past. Actually, he faces reality with God in view and in so doing, he knows he can trust God in all things.
We can make excuses for our lack of faith. We can wallow in self-pity and think we have to be able to explain everything and in the process doubt God will keep his word. Or, we can throw ourselves on him, his mercy and his faithfulness and know that all things will work for the best in our lives. God is faithful!
O Lord God, I am so thankful for your faithfulness. Unlike the shadows of the day or the waves of the sea, your word is always sure. You are my fortress in the battles of life and my rock in the time of storms. Yet, in your strength you console me with your tender hand and you lift me up with the assurance that you love me and care about my needs – not just the needs of “the world” but my very own needs. Help me use your very nature to make me a better person. Use me in your service; in your way and in your time. I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Robert
