Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 59:1-5
Ps 59:1-5
Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men. See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight! O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah
Rom 9:14-17
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
Why did God harden the heart of Pharaoh? I have heard many try to explain that God did not actually harden his heart, even when the scripture says he did. Why did God allow David to be hunted and his life threatened by King Saul? How can we understand when it says that God sent an evil spirit on Saul? Why was Peter delivered when jailed by Herod and James was allowed to be killed? If God opened the heart of Lydia, why does he not open the hearts of all sinners?
The answer to these questions is that God is God. That means that he can do as he pleases, even if it seems inconsistent with our reasoning of scripture. Our faith should not be based on what we can explain because that would mean our faith is in ourselves and our understanding. Faith is seeing the unseen. Faith is believing what we cannot understand or reason on our own. In fact, the greater the mystery presented about God, the greater our faith is in believing it, as it is stated.
God is in control of the nations. God is in control of individuals. God is in control of his people. He sustains the earth and no matter how vile humans become and no matter how smart or how stupid we may be, we cannot destroy what he has said he will sustain. What we do control is our faith and thus, our eternal salvation.
O Lord God, great and mighty, how marvelous are your ways in the earth. Give me a heart of understanding for the things you want me to know but give me greater faith to accept what you have hidden from me. Give me wisdom in my teaching and in leading your people. Fill my heart with love, even as you love me. Help me feel the urgency of teaching those who are seeking to know you, even those who do not realize they are seeking you. Help me to want to serve others and to be willing to serve when the opportunities are present. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
