Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 6:1-5
Ps 6:1-5
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. 3 My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? 4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. 5 No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?
2 Cor 1:8-10
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9 indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope.
There are times in most our lives that it seems that the burdens have piled in on us until there is no hope. Everything that can go wrong seems to have done so and then one more thing happens to us. It may be sickness piled on by financial problems and then we lose our job or it may be an accident and a sudden death that is followed by some other tragedy in our lives. How do we react?
Paul said he had been burdened beyond his strength. Yet, this is the same apostle who wrote elsewhere that God would not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. This is not a contradiction but Paul explains that God does indeed give the needed help and strength but we have to trust him and not trust ourselves. The same God who raises the dead can raise us up from any problem, trial or load that comes on us. It is he on whom we have set our hope.
We must remember that we never walk alone in this world. We have one who will hold our hand and lead us gently through all the trials and troubles into a land that is free from sin and hardships. He knows the way because he has been here and already faced all we face while never losing his trust in God. He was falsely accused, he was maligned, cursed, spit on, beaten and finally killed by hanging on a cross. But God raised him from the dead and now he sits with the Father and intercedes on our behalf. He is our man in heaven, Jesus the Son of God.
Thank you Lord for your wonderful love, your constant care and your ever faithful watchfulness for me. It is so easy to become despondent, to get depressed and to even begin to doubt but I know you are faithful and you will always be with me to help me. Help me to be able to get up and do your will, even when things are not going the way I want them to go. Increase my faith. Thank you for my family and for the memories of those who are now gone. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
