Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 83:14-18
Ps 83:14-18
14 As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, 15 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. 16 Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. 17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. 18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD--that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Eph 1:3-6
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the one he loves.
In God’s covenant with Israel, he had promised that he would protect them and give them the victory over their enemies as long as they followed his commands but if they failed to keep them, he would allow the enemies to prevail. They had failed on their end of this agreement and he had allowed them to be punished. As they often did, they had turned back to God and were asking for him to deliver them and restore them. The motive of the psalmist was better than many since he was looking to vindicate the name of God among the nations.
Our service to God should be for this reason also. We do not serve God because of the blessings we may receive (although they are many and great) but we serve him to glorify his name in the earth. Jesus said we are to let our light shine before men so they will see our good works and glorify the Father in heaven. The verses above tell us that one of the reasons God saves us in Jesus Christ is to the praise of his glorious grace. Our lives are not about us but about God.
As God’s children there is nothing more important than bringing honor to him, his Son and to his holy name. There is nothing that brings more honor to him than when we submit to him as Lord and follow his will instead of our own.
O Lord, my Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth. Your glory is seen in all things you have created and your love is shown as your Son sustains all things. Give me a serving heart and a willing spirit to follow your will. Help me deny self and make my life about you in every way. As I go about my life today, among many who do not serve you or respect you as God, help me live and conduct myself in a way that will show them Jesus and honor you. Forgive me when I fail to be all you want me to be. I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Robert
