Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 78:65-72
Ps 78:65-72
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine. 66 He beat back his enemies; he put them to everlasting shame. 67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph, he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; 68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. 69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that he established forever. 70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; 71 from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. 72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.
Matt 2:3-6
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'
God does great things with the smallest and least expected resources with which to work. After all, he spoke and everything came from nothing. He took a handful of dirt and made Adam and then used his rib to make woman. We see ourselves in comparison to God or to Jesus and we feel so worthless and small – and rightly so because in that light, we are nothing. But God can use us for his plan.
Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob. And then, instead of Joseph becoming one tribe, he was made two by his sons. Ephraim was blessed by Jacob as the greater and seemed to be the heir apparent. So in our minds, the Messiah would surely come from the greatest and largest tribe, the family of Ephraim.
But not so. God chose the smallest of towns for the boy who would become the greatest king of Israel, the shepherd boy who became King David. Thus it was from the tribe of Judah that the Messiah came, descended from David. Jesus, our King eternal reigns today and will reign forever. To the young girl named Mary our Lord was born, Jesus our Savior and also our High Priest. Praise the Lord!
Heavenly Father I know you can take the smallest thing and make it great. Use me in whatever way you want me to be used. Give me a yielding spirit to submit to your Spirit in every part of my life. Help me use all that you have given me to your glory and to the good of others. Let me use the time I have to serve, the abilities you have given me to teach and encourage and all I am to love. Keep me from thinking life is about me or what I can accumulate but is about serving you. Thank you for the freedoms we have in our land. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
