Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 91:1-8
Ps 91:1-8
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
2 Tim 1:11-12
11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
After Paul became a Christian, he lived with a determined focus on Jesus. All he did was guided by a single principle that kept a view of eternity instead of this world. He suffered a lot for the cause of Christ but he counted it as nothing to be able to know he would be with God in eternity in a home of bliss. He said the worst he could face now would not begin to compare with the glory of that home in heaven. This was because he trusted God and Jesus his Son.
Do we have that same kind of faith today or do we lose sight of our goal and get distracted by the things of this world? It is so easy to do. The things that lead us away from the Lord may not be wrong in themselves. It may just be our job or the kids activities and sports. It is possible to be so involved in the programs of the church that we fail to serve Christ. The difference is where we keep our focus and in whom we put our trust. Even for preachers and elders there is the danger that we put our trust in ourselves, in our thinking and in our execution of our plans. In doing this we have taken our eyes off of Jesus and lost our faith in him.
O Lord God, keep my eyes focused on you, on the Father and on the things above where you are seated at the right hand of God. Use me and forgive me when I fail to be all you want me to be. It is so easy to lose sight of who you really are, what you have done for me and how much you care about my life. I know that when I have done my best, I fall far short of your glory. Help me live what I teach others and in so doing, let me show them your way. Give your peace, comfort and healing to those in distress and who are sick. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
