Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 18:37-45
Ps 18:37-45
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them--to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets. You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
The grass always seems to be greener on the other side of the fence but if we move the cows to the next pasture, they try to eat from where they came. Israel cried to the Lord from Egypt because they were in bondage. Anything would be better than where they were. But as soon as they began their journey to the land God had promised, they began to complain and wanted to go back to Egypt where they had plenty of food and it was more tasty. They tried the Lord.
As the children of God, we are delivered from bondage to Satan and to sin but do we really appreciate the liberty we have been given. We are free to do what is right and we are free to serve God. In doing this, we can have freedom from our worry, from our anxiety and the false anticipation of all that possibly lies ahead, which comes from depending on ourselves instead of depending on God.
The stories of the heroes of faith are recorded for us to learn how to trust God, even when things are not going our way. In fact, the test of faith is not only when things are all going well for us but when everything crashes in around us and on us. With each trial in life comes the opportunity for us to depend on God and to grow in our faith. Faith is not doing it ourselves until we are overcome and then turning to God as our parachute. Faith is admitting that we cannot direct our own steps in life and trusting him to lead us in all we do. Now that was easy to type (or say), but in real life, I know that it is not nearly as easy for us to live.
O Lord God, increase my faith. Help me look to you as my Father who loves me and who has promised to take care of me. Give me faith to depend on you. I need your wisdom to make the right decisions in life. I need you to guide me into the right places so I can help others live for you. As I learn to yield to you, open my eyes to see the opportunities you give me each day to serve, to grow, to become more like you. Perfect your love in me so that I love Jesus more than I love myself and I share that love with others around me. I pray in his holy name.
Robert
