Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 121:1-8
Ps 121:1-8
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
1 Peter 5:6-9
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
The Psalmist was doing exactly what Peter tells us to do today: he was casting all of his anxieties on the Lord. Let me use an illustration that tells us both what we are to do and what we are not to do. When we go fishing we “cast” the baited hook away from us. It is thrown away. We are to throw all of our cares away from us so that we no longer have them. However, unlike fishing we are not to have them tied to a line that we can reel in and retrieve them.
Too often because of our lack of faith or because we want to think we are in control or because we are too proud to admit we need help or for some other unknown reason, we give the Lord a few of our problems or we “sort of” let him have them but we continue to hold on and worry that he either will not or cannot take care of them. We are to throw all of our burdens and cares on him.
God knows exactly what we need and what we do not need. He knows when we need it. He knows how to give it and he has the power to do so. A big part of our problem is that we want to tell God what, how and when to answer our prayers and when we don’t see it happen we begin to doubt. Give it to God, he is able.
O Lord God, thank you for taking care of so many problems in my life. As I look back I can see so many times when you were answering me but I just could not see it at the time. At other times I can see how you were getting me ready for the answer while also getting “circumstances” ready at the same time. Give me more faith to always trust you in all things. Thank you for giving me an escape from temptations and strength to overcome. Please continue to guide me and deliver me, give me wisdom and strength to live for you. In Jesus name.
Robert
