Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 147:1-6
Ps 147:1-6
1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! 2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
God took a group of seemingly worthless slaves from the land of Egypt to a land that had been promised to their forefathers and made a great nation of them in that place. This family became the mighty kingdom of God on earth. Under the rule of David and Solomon it was a world empire and all nations feared them.
He gave them his Law to guide them as individuals, as families and as his nation of people. Along with his Law he gave them a curse and a promise. As long as they followed his Law they would prosper. He would bless them beyond their wildest imagination. He kept his word and did this in the early days of the nation.
But he also kept his word concerning the curse that came with his law. He told them if they did not obey him, they would be plagued by the surrounding nations and would be punished because of their sin. As they rebelled and worshipped idols, he began to afflict them. In his love, he sent prophets to warn them but they would not listen. They were eventually taken into captivity. In his mercy he brought them back and restored the kingdom to them in their homeland.
As God’s people today we must obey him and serve him. As we follow him, he will continue to forgive our sins and will take care of us. When we put him first in our lives, he will provide our needs and deliver us from temptation and evil.
Heavenly Father I am thankful for your love, your mercy and your grace. Thank you for providing a way of salvation for me in the sacrifice of Jesus. Thank you for taking care of me and my needs. You have blessed me beyond anything I ever dreamed was possible in this life. I give you all praise and honor for allowing me to be a part of your family, your kingdom on earth and for the encouragement that each member gives me every day. Keep me in your will and wisdom so I will serve you with all you have given me. I pray in the name of Christ Jesus.
Robert
