Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 97:7-12
Ps 97:7-12
7 All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols--worship him, all you gods! 8 Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O LORD. 9 For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. 10 Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.
Phil 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We live in a world that is filled with sin and hate. We see evil abound all around us and in every walk of life. There are corporate scandals and corruption in the halls of government. Lying has become so common that many are not even expected to tell the truth. The biggest deterrent to hiring employees has become the inability of the applicants to pass drug tests. Satan is the god of this world.
Where sin abounds so does all kinds of inner turmoil. There is no peace to be found while living with a guilty conscience. So while many deny God and refuse to acknowledge him as God or give him thanks for his blessings, he has made himself known to them by his creation in a way that they cannot be free from guilt. In this knowledge of God comes an inner compass called a conscience that plagues those who live in sin. Sadly, the one thing that can deliver them they reject.
That one they spurn is Jesus Christ. He offers a peace that the world cannot know because it is only found when one is in him. Along with that peace comes a joy that is not determined by circumstance but by our relationship with God through his Son. The more we draw near to God, the closer he comes to us.
Lord God, I am so thankful that you are always near me when I face the trials of each day. Thank you for your Spirit who lives in me and moves me to be more what you want me to be. Help me open my heart to his bidding more each day and continue to change me from within. Forgive me when I fail but help me learn from each time I sin so I can be stronger and closer to you. There is so much more that I can do and I ask you to help me get it done – not for me but in your service and for your glory. I ask a special blessing on those who are sick and strength and patience for those who are their care givers. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
