Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 81:1-16
Ps 81:1-16
Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand. He says, "I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah "Hear, O my people, and I will warn you — if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. "But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So, I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. "If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."
When we read Psalms like this one, it makes us wonder what we are missing from God because we do not serve him with a whole heart. We live in a culture that makes gods out of greed, possessions, pleasure, and even ourselves. This is because so many serve the moment, without regard for consequences, because God has been removed from their minds. We must not serve other gods.
Do we learn from the past, from history? One of the main lessons found for us in the Old Testament is that when we submit to God in faith and serve him, he will bless us. When we ignore, reject, or disown him, he will disown us. Without him in our lives, we will go farther from him, and things will get worse for us. This is true for us as individuals, as families, as a church, and as a nation, so it must start with me in my personal life. Every group of people is made up of individuals like me.
O God, my heavenly Father, I am so thankful for all you have given me and all you do for me every day. Increase my faith so others will see Jesus living in me and you will be glorified. Give me strength to stand against the ungodliness in our modern culture. Please be merciful to our nation, because as a nation, we have banned your name from our schools and government. Give us leaders that respect you and who will lean on you and follow your word. Give me wisdom and strength to be what you want me to become. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus.
NOTE: There will be no devotionals for the next several days (maybe as much as 2 weeks).
Robert
