Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 89:46-52
Ps 89:46-52
How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men! What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave? Selah O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O Lord, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one. Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.
Acts 4:23-24a, 29-31
On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Paul and Peter both told us that when (not if) we suffer for our faith, we are to thank God and praise him that we are counted worthy of suffering with Christ. It is not easy for us to be thankful when we suffer, be it physical or mental. But notice that we are suffering with him, not just for him. That is because he has already suffered for us, and his suffering was much more than we will ever endure.
The result of the apostles on this occasion was that the believers were all one in heart and mind. When we share our pain with each other, it makes our bond even tighter, but it also strengthens our faith, and it encourages those who need it. Our pain may not be from persecution, it may be sickness, disease, accident, mental or emotional pain. James says we are to pray for each other, and the sincere prayer of a righteous person accomplishes a lot. So today, let’s each one pick that person we know that is hurting, and pray for them by name, for their specific need.
My Father in heaven, you know my heart and you know the friends on my mind this morning that are suffering. They all have cancer and two of them are already taking treatments. Give them healing! Give them the strength that can only come from your Spirit living in them. I know that all of them have put their trust in you, so I ask you to give them peace of mind as they rejoice in Jesus. Use me to be there for them and to lift them up when they are discouraged. Be with those that the readers of this are praying for also. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
