Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 5:1-6
Ps 5:1-6
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. 4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. 6 You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
James 4:4-6
4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
When Jesus told us not to worry about anything but to put our trust in God, he gave a condition, which was that we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. It seems to me that the kingdom to which he refers is what some today would call the “universal church” or all of those who belong to God, in all ages, past, present and future. This is the kingdom that will be transferred from this world to the eternal and is the kingdom over which Jesus is King today.
But the point that Jesus is making is that we live like God wants us to live and that we set our priorities in the same order as God would have them set. That means that this world is not what is important to us. It is easy for one to pontificate on this but to live it is not always so easy. Yes, I want to go and be with the Lord in eternity but a part of me is not ready to leave my family, my friends, what I know and love now. But living for God now, is a foretaste of heaven in eternity.
In order for us to become like God and for us to get ready for that eternal home, we must put God first in our lives. The most important command ever given by God is that we love him with all our being. Then when we take on his qualities, we will love others as we love ourselves. We will be filled with his mercy, his kindness and his love. This will prompt us to show his grace to others as well.
Heavenly Father it is such a joy to live for you and to know that you are in my life, directing and protecting me. Keep my eyes focused on you, on Jesus and on the home above. Help me enjoy every moment of this life and especially as I have the opportunity to serve you by serving others. Use me to encourage and build up others in all I do and say. I pray for our nation and our leaders that they will look to you for guidance and that we can live in peace. Even more, I pray for your church that we can show your love and reach the lost. In Jesus name.
Robert
