Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 106:24-31
Ps 106:24-31
Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. So, he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert, make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; they provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.
2 Cor 6:14-15, 17-18
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? "Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
The children of Israel, the nation of God, saw his mighty works in Egypt and then as they crossed the Red Sea. He fed them and gave them water to drink. Yet, they were so influenced by the nations around them that they rejected God and tied themselves to the worthless idols of these nations. God punished them and many of them were put to death. When Phinehas, a priest, stood up for God and his holiness, it was counted to him as righteousness. We must stand up for God.
The danger of being influenced by the world (anything or anyone) is that it is usually gradual and is done without our even knowingly thinking about it. We gradually begin to accept the sin around us as being acceptable, and then before long, we may even begin to participate in it. This is why we are warned to not allow ourselves to become unbelievers by drifting away from God.
This is why God has warned us that “pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” It is why Paul told the Corinthians that “if you think you are standing, be careful that you don’t fall.” And “Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good morals.” We need to check our hearts daily and be faithful to God.
O Lord God, my heavenly Father, I need you every hour. I need your strength. I need your wisdom. I need your mercy and your forgiveness. Help me realize how small I am in your sight and how my best deeds are but rags before you. As I seek to humble myself, keep me from becoming proud of my humility, and thus falling because of pride. Please be with our nation and our leaders so that they will look to you for wisdom. Give your peace to the troubled. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
