Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 102:12-17
Ps 102:12-17
12 But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. 13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. 14 For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. 15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. 16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. 17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
1 Peter 2:9-11
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
When Israel occupied the land of Canaan, the one thing they were warned about over and over was that they not become like the nations around them. They were to be a holy people and they could not mingle, make covenants or intermarry with the people of the land. They were to be separate to the glory of God. One of the great tragedies that happened to them was when they demanded that God give them a king so they could be like all the other nations.
As the people of God today we are to be his holy nation. We are not a political kingdom but rather we are his spiritual Israel. We are not to be so caught up in the world around us that we become one of them but we are to be holy, even as God himself is holy. One of the great tragedies of today is that so many churches have gotten so involved in the things of this world that they hardly have time to do the spiritual work of God and are afraid to denounce sin.
Our earnest prayer must be for God to deliver us from this world in our thinking and in our lives so that we are willing to stand for him and his will. In doing this, he will work in us and through us – never for our glory but for his alone.
Heavenly Father, what a wonderful God you are. Help me never measure you by me or my standards but help me remember to measure myself by you and your holiness, your purity, your compassion and your love. Keep me from all evil; even those things that are accepted by society. Never let me forget that I have sinned against you and I am only righteous because you have forgiven me through the blood of Jesus. I ask a special blessing on those who are sick and have had surgery that they may have healing, strength and peace. I pray in Jesus name.
Robert
