Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 78:23-31
Ps 78:23-31
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; 24 he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. 25 Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. 26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens and led forth the south wind by his power. 27 He rained meat down on them like dust, flying birds like sand on the seashore. 28 He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents. 29 They ate till they had more than enough, for he had given them what they craved. 30 But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths, 31 God's anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.
1 Cor 10:11-13
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
After President Kennedy and his brother Bobby were shot there was a folk song that in the chorus repeated the words “when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?” While this was political in nature, the lesson being taught was that we should learn to love each other and get along; even when we don’t agree on everything. An even greater lesson was that we need to learn from the past.
For our nation to be truly great, we must learn from our past mistakes and yield to the morals and standards set by God. For the church of the Lord to be all that God wants us to be, we must learn from past mistakes (no matter how well intended they may have been) and allow only the word of God to control us and guide us. As individuals, we need to not only learn from our past but also the past mistakes of others who have gone before. This is why we need to read, study and know the history as well as the teachings of the Scriptures.
Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing not only the good things your people have done but also the sins they committed and the consequences that followed those transgressions. Help me learn from the faith of those of old and also from the lack of faith of many who rejected you. Father, I am mindful with a heavy burden today for some who are really struggling to be faithful to you. As they seek to overcome addictions and a past full of sin they need your strength to hold on every day. Use me to help them. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
