Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 119:153-160
Ps 119:153-160 Resh
153 Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law. 154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. 155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees. 156 Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws. 157 Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes. 158 I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word. 159 See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. 160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
John 17:13-18
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
We see so many promises in the word that God will be near, he will see all of our problems and he will take care of our needs. He has promised this to his people of all ages and the promise still stands. But how do we reconcile this with the death of a child, the sickness of loved ones, the accident that leaves us paralyzed or so many other things that happen to us? Where is our loving and caring God when our relationships are broken, our best friend betrays us, our job is terminated or we have no money to pay our bills? We just don’t see or understand!
Jesus said that his people are not of this world any more than he was of this world and that is hard for us to grasp. We are born into the world and every part of our lives are related to this world in one way or another. In fact, the only part that is above the world is our relationship with God and the entire world is working against us in this. This last dilemma is actually the answer. Satan is using every part of the world and its desires to lead us away from God. When we realize that this world is not our home but God is getting us ready to go home, we see things in a different light and from a heavenly view point. This is the love of God for us.
O Lord my God, I stand in awe at your wisdom, your power and your great love for me. I do not understand how a God of the universe and over all time can care about me and love me enough to make it possible for me to live with you. I do accept your forgiveness in Jesus Christ who died for my sin. Give me a pure heart of genuine love for you and all around me. Thank you for the freedoms and the opportunities I enjoy every day in this country. Please be with our leaders and guide them and give us peace. I pray in the name of Jesus my King.
Robert
