Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 119:129-136
Ps 119:129-136 Pe
Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees. Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.
Matt 6:22-23
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
What I am about to say may be totally off track from the true meaning of these verses, but I believe it is true. How we look at things determines what we see. We can look at life, events in life, the way we are treated, what others do or say and we can be lifted up and encouraged our we can see how bad things are or how unfair things are around us. We see what we expect to see.
This is one of the problems of proof-reading my own writing. I know what I meant to say, so when I read it over, it says what I meant for it to say. The words may be misspelled, the grammar may be wrong, the wording may be poor, but it is hard for me to see it because I know what I want it to say. So my wife reads it for me.
So many people go to worship the Lord and when they leave, they are impressed with how bad the song leader was, how dragging the singing was, or the preacher went on and on without saying anything that even made sense. Some person slighted them and did not speak or someone said something that hurt their feelings. These people probably do not like what I wore, my tie didn’t match.
That lady with the misbehaving kids is really trying to teach them. That person that left without speaking is battling depression and needed someone to stop her and speak before she got out. We can make allowances because we are not perfect. We can see the good if we will just look. We can serve if we will take off our fancy clothes, get a towel and get down on our knees and wash some feet.
O Lord, help me see the best in everyone and in every situation in my life. I know that others are trying to serve you and even though they may be different than I, they are just as sincere and just as honest in seeking to please you, so keep me from ever judging them by my life and my standards. Use me to help others, to lift them up, to say kind words and to show them your love. Give your peace to those who are living with troubled minds. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
