Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 37:35-40
Ps 37:35-40
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Matt 6:25-26
"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
After preaching for more than fifty years, a few things seem to finally soak into my brain. It seems the more I know about the Word, the less I really know. Also, I have found that it is much easier to tell others how to think and live than it is to put it into practice consistently in my life. There is head knowledge and then there is the practice of what we know. The practice may be hampered by our past experiences, or it may be altered by our emotions, or even by our ego.
But we can turn our worries, our anxiety, our doubts, and our fears over to the Lord and he will lift our load, so that we can be free from them, be happy, and be at peace. In the writings of Paul, there are several times that he presents a bad dilemma and then begins the next sentence with “But God” as he gives us the solution and answer. So, we need to remember, no matter what: “But God.”
Jesus has been through all of the trials, hurt, pain, suffering, abuse and even the hunger and homelessness that any of us may face. He sees when we are abused. He knows when one is mistreated. He understands when life is unfair. He feels our pain, both physical and emotional. He was able to deal with it because he kept entrusting himself to the Father. We can do the same thing in our life.
O Lord, I need your help every day. The longer I serve you, the more I need your wisdom, strength, and greater faith. With each victory in life, I have more and more reason to trust you, but sometimes this fades away. Help me remember to re-commit my life to you each day and to truly trust you all day. Use me to serve others and help them be faithful to you. Help me be a “Barnabas” and encourage others in their struggles. Thank you for all you have done for me, all you have given to me, and all you have kept from me. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
