Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 46:7-11
Ps 46:7-11
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
1 Peter 4:7-9
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
We only live once on this earth and life is short. So…? Are we going to spend it on pleasure and “get all the gusto” we can? Will we take advantage of our time to see how much we can accumulate? Should we spend our short life to leave a legacy by the things we build or that we accomplish? Solomon tried all this and much more, only to arrive at the conclusion that is was all vanity, like chasing the wind.
His summation for the purpose of life on earth was that we must “fear God and keep his commandments” because we will answer to him. This sounds rigid. It surely does not sound like fun or fulfillment. But when we put this wisdom with the teaching of Jesus, we find that it gives us the abundant life on earth.
Jesus was God on earth. We are to imitate his traits, we are to become partakers of the Divine nature. In doing this we will be filled with his love and overflow with his joy in our lives. We will enjoy an inner peace that the world cannot even begin to comprehend. Our patience will grow as we focus on others, on their needs and their hurts, instead of all about self. As Christ lives in us, we will show kindness toward all, and like him, we will go about doing good. We will be seen for our faithfulness toward God, toward his people, and toward those around us. We will always be dependable. Like our Lord, we will be gentle and humble in spirit, and in the strength of his might, we will have self-control, no matter what we face in life. Jesus came to serve, so as we become like him, we will live to serve others.
O Lord God, thank you for sending your Son to this earth to show me how to love and to serve. Give me a pure heart. Give me wisdom to control when to speak and what to say, and when to just keep my mouth shut. Help me take time to meditate on you and on your goodness. Open my eyes to see the opportunities you give me to serve others, and to take advantage of every one of them. Remind me that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Give your peace to those who are hurting or struggling in various ways. Help me to be like Jesus. In his name I pray.
Robert
