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.
Rom 5:6-8
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God’s timing is impeccable. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it in our lives. But his timing is based on his infinite wisdom and his desire to do what is best for us and do it in the best way possible. Our problem is that it often does not meet our expectations and does not fit what we think is best.
Why do good people die young and often the most wicked live long lives? Why did God not heal my loved one or why do the righteous suffer? Why did we lose that job after we had worked so hard, trying to be a loyal employee? Just when we think we have everything figured out in our lives and things are finally going the way we want, some terrible thing happens and we do not understand.
In the words of a former President (but applied to God and not country), “it is not ours to reason why, it is ours but to do or die.” When Mary was told she would have a child, conceived by the Holy Spirit, she said that she belonged to the Lord and he could do as he pleased with her. When Jesus prayed in the Garden, he concluded by saying that he would accept the will of God for him. When Jesus was tempted, he kept entrusting himself to the one who judges righteously. So whether we understand or not, we must trust God and allow him to work in us.
O Lord God, increase my faith so I will never doubt you or your timing. Keep me from being impatient and help me learn to wait on you. When your time is right, use me in the way you want me to be used so that all I do will honor you and bring glory to your name. Help me never seek glory for myself but to always be willing to do what is right and not worry about who gets the credit. Thank you for directing my life in so many ways over the years. Give your peace to those who are hurting and who are filled with grief. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
