Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 25:16-22
Ps 25:16-22
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. 18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. 19 See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! 20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 21 May integrity and uprightness protect me because my hope is in you. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!
God put Adam and Eve in their own personal paradise called the Garden of Eden. It was a place where they could enjoy nature at its best and also had fellowship with God in a way that we can only imagine. In the cool of the day, God would come and walk with them and they could talk with him as we do with one another. It was a life with no problems and no disease and without any pain.
But all of this was destroyed when they disobeyed God and ate the fruit they had been told to leave alone. By their disobedience sin came into the world and by sin came death, disease, sickness, pain, suffering, worry and a whole list of other problems that did not previously exist in the world. Because of their sin, they were made to leave the Garden and the personal fellowship they had previously enjoyed with God who made them. The world has never been the same.
We all face problems in life. Some of us face problems that are bigger ones and some have more dire consequences than do others, but we all have them. Some problems are short lived and some remain with us our entire lives. As with Adam and Eve, we bring some of these upon ourselves and some are just a part of life in a world that is basically given to sin. What do we do with them?
We can focus on what is wrong in our lives and our problems multiply. We can fix our eyes on Jesus and the knowledge that he will help us and sustain us and many of our problems seem to dissipate. O, the sickness and the pain may still be with us but we know that we will overcome in the end. The hurt and the uncertainty remain but we rejoice in knowing that God will use us and our plight to help someone else in their battle with grief or depression or pain. God is good!
Lord God, my heavenly Father, I am so thankful that you love me and care about me as I face the problems in my life. Help me keep my eyes focused on Jesus and help me never doubt your goodness. Give me wisdom to know, strength to be and do what you want and more faith to let you work in me. Be with your people who are faced with persecution or daily problems that I cannot even imagine. Use me and what you have given me to help and encourage these and others in their struggles. Forgive me when I fail. I offer prayer and praise in Jesus name.
Robert
