Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 115:1-8
Ps 115:1-8
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. 2 Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" 3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. 4 But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; 6 they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; 7 they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
Acts 14:26-28
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
I heard a professional fund raiser say that he had never received a large donation for a charitable organization that did not come with the stipulation that some building or other physical thing be named in honor of the donor or at least a large plaque be hung in their name. We all like to be recognized for our efforts.
Barnabas had the attitude we should follow. It was he who got the church at Jerusalem to accept Saul after his conversion. It was Barnabas who went to Tarsus and convinced Saul to come back to Antioch and work with the church. When the Holy Spirit sent them out on the first mission trip, they were always named as Barnabas and Saul. By the time the trip was over and from that time on, it was Paul and Barnabas. We can just imagine someone we know complaining that “we did all that work and we were responsible for all Paul did and look who gets all the credit.” But we never hear this from Barnabas, the son of encouragement.
When they returned from this first mission trip, they gathered the church and told all that God had done through them. Paul learned this great lesson from his close companion, Barnabas. Later he wrote that all he had attained he counted as loss for the sake of Christ. He declared that he was all he was by the grace of God.
Heavenly Father help me never forget that all I have is from you. All my abilities, great or small are from you. Every opportunity to do good is because you have given it to me. You placed me in the family where I was born with godly parents and all the blessings that came with being a part of it. You gave me my wife and family that are such an encouragement to me. You have allowed me to be able to work with so many wonderful fellow Christians. Help me show my love to you by being all you want me to be. I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord and King.
Robert
