Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 80:1-4
Ps 80:1-4
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. 3 Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 4 How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?
Rom 8:26-27
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
What a wonderful thought to know that God actually hears us and cares about our problems. What a joy to be able to talk with the God of the universe and to know that he will give us strength to overcome whatever we face. This is why the apostle Paul tells us that as we give God our cares, his peace will fill our minds and our hearts in Christ Jesus. As his children, we are blessed by his continual presence in us and in our lives by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
One of the lessons we learn from Old Testament history is that God kept his word to Israel. When they first became a nation, they were told that when they obeyed God, he would bless them. When they disobeyed him, they would be cursed and their enemies would prevail over them. God warned them, was patient with them and then finally carried out his word against them. When they repented, he forgave them and restored them; their lands and their fortunes. God was faithful.
We serve the same God and he is still faithful today. While his is not an earthly political kingdom today, we are in his spiritual kingdom and our battle is against the spiritual forces of evil. But just as Israel never had to face their enemies alone, we never face ours alone either. God is our strength, our shield and our advisor and he gives us the victory in Jesus every time as we trust him and battle in accord with his word. In fact, Jesus sealed the final victory over Satan when he arose from the grave because the ultimate weapon in the enemy’s arsenal is death. In Jesus, we have the promise of being raised to live in eternity with our Lord.
Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for all you give me both physically and spiritually. It is such a blessing to know you care about me and the things I face in life. Help me keep my mind focused on you and all the good in my life and help me let go of everything that would cause me worry or anxiety. Please give your strength to those who are really struggling to overcome sin and addictions in their lives and use me to be a help and encouragement to them. Give your peace to those who are grieving and help them to rest in knowing you are faithful. Thank you for the many friends and family who encourage me. Help me grow more to be like you as your Spirit molds me into your likeness. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
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