Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 86:12-17
Ps 86:12-17
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life — men without regard for you. But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
1 Thess 2:13
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
Life is usually easier when we do what is right. This helps us avoid many problems that would otherwise destroy our happiness, as well as our relationships with others. We learn what is right from the Word of God. He designed us as well as the concepts of family, society, and government, so he knows what is best for us in every situation. His Word gives us all we need for life and godliness.
The general rule for life that will never lead us astray is that we do what will honor God and bring glory to Jesus Christ. An old hymn that has been sung for almost a century and a half, entitled “Trust and Obey”, hits the nail on the head. Life is about trusting the Lord enough to obey him by doing his will. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” This is the path to happiness and joy that cannot be taken from us by the world.
But sin is filled with fun and even gives us momentary joy. If this were not true, we would never be tempted to do things that are wrong. It often gives us a temporary high, or it fulfills our desires, or it gives us a shortcut to get what we want. Sin is all about “me” while righteousness is about God and Jesus Christ. Do not be fooled, we reap what we sow. Sin brings death, both now and in eternity. But when we “trust and obey” we can live forever with Jesus and the Father in total bliss!
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder. Your power throughout the universe is displayed. Then I humbly bow before you, the creator and Jesus the sustainer, and proclaim: my God, how great you are! The greatest mystery in my mind is how can someone so great, so wise, so powerful, love someone like me? Yet, you do love me and so I want to live in a way that will please you and honor your holy name. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
