Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 60:1-12
Ps 60:1-12
You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry--now restore us! You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking. You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph." Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
Rom 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The enemy is too great, the battle is too strong. We were trying to serve the Lord but the temptation is too great and we give in to it. “If you only understood what this is doing to me, you would give up too.” Life is hard. Life is not fair. The pain is too great or the hurt is too bad to bear. Paul said he even despaired of life because his burden was beyond his strength to bear. So he gave up.
But he didn’t quit. He only gave up on his own strength to bear his burdens and to remain faithful to the Lord. Like David, Paul put his trust in Jesus and then learned a valuable lesson. “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Our joy and our peace comes only when we trust in the God of hope. We can always depend on God.
It is easy to talk about God and his mighty power. We often say that he is in control of things and we have no need to worry. We love to speak of his great love for us. All of these are a part of our faith but the total of faith is trust. It is trust that makes us wait on the Lord, accept his way for us and follow it, even when we do not understand it or we just do not like where it looks like it is taking us.
O Sovereign God, Ruler of all the earth, Lord of lords and King of kings, to you I come and bow down in my weakness and ask for strength. In your wisdom and as the source of all knowledge and truth, you know what is best for me. Help me understand it, accept it, and live it. Give me a servant heart so I will be willing to help others, no matter what their need. God of hope, fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in you, so I will overflow with hope. In Jesus name.
Robert
