Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 38:9-16
Ps 38:9-16
9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. 11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away. 12 Those who seek my life set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception. 13 I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute, who cannot open his mouth; 14 I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. 15 I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, "Do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
2 Cor 1:9-11a
9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers.
There are times that we have to “hit the bottom” to learn to really trust God to deliver us. It may be the death of someone we love, or it may be an accident or some terrible sickness that brings us to a new understanding. When we get caught up in some sin and find it has destroyed our lives and relationships, we can wake up, turn to God for deliverance, and then with a renewed heart, we give him our lives in a way we have never known before. Our God is gracious.
Is sin therefore good? Of course not! Should we look for trials and problems? Of course not! But Peter tells us these are the things that refine our faith as gold is refined by a fire. Adversity builds character, character which is grounded in a renewed faith and commitment to God. Our hope is then in Jesus Christ, and not in ourselves. Our confidence lies in his work on the cross, not our own doing.
This is why John says that if we say we have no sin, we are liars. But when we are faithful to confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us. As we go through this day, let’s pray for each other. No one but God knows each person who will read these words, but we can be united in prayer for each other to trust him today.
Heavenly Father, I come to you today, humbly asking you to be with each person who reads these words. I don’t know what each one faces in the way of trials or hardships, sickness or temptations but you know, and you care. So, I ask your wisdom, your strength, your comfort and your peace on each of us as we seek to serve you. As we each determine to serve you, we need your forgiveness because we all fail in our pursuit of perfection. Use each of us to encourage and lift up others and not just look to ourselves. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
