Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 55:1-8
Ps 55:1-8
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest--I would flee far away and stay in the desert; Selah I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm."
2 Tim 4:9-12
Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
Over the years, I have heard several lessons based on the words: “Demas has forsaken me” because he loved this world. Some think that this means that Demas had lost his faith and given up on serving Christ. Others think that he had just become more interested in physical things than in going with Paul on this teaching trip. Some have other ideas blaming Paul or blaming the hardships of the job.
While I cannot answer why Demas left Paul, I can say for sure that most of us, and especially elders and preachers, have had moments that we wished for wings like a dove so that we could fly away from it all and be at rest. The task of being a spiritual leader can be daunting and it can become tiresome. It is enough to make one want to give up the job or at times, just want to give up, period.
But we like David can turn to the Lord and get strength. We are in a daily spiritual battle and it will not end until we leave this world. The good news is that Jesus has already won the victory over sin and death. Paul recognized his job. Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the increase. For this reason he told Timothy to preach the word but warned him that there would be some who would refuse to hear it and some would pervert it. God is faithful, he will not give up on us.
O Lord God, creator of all things, giver of life, all powerful and all wise, I praise you as the only true God. Give me a submissive heart as I study your word. Help me share the good news of Jesus and the victory he offers. Lord, be with my family and those I love dearly. As we face things in life, remind me that none of what we face is unique to us. Thank you for holding our hands and giving us the strength to carry on, one day at a time. Use me today to lift the spirit of someone who is down or lonely. Give them your peace. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
