Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 118:8-14
Ps 118:8-14
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
John 14:1
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
“Trust in the Lord.” That is easy to say but not always so easy for us to actually do it. We turn our cares over to the Lord, feel his relief, then the next thing we know, we realize we have become anxious all over again. On several occasions, Jesus began or ended a statement with “O you of little faith.” He also said: “if you believe, you will….”. Trusting the Lord was one of his main lessons to his disciples.
Do we doubt the strength of God? Do we doubt the ability of Jesus to fulfil his promise of taking care of us? Do we think that the Lord doesn’t love us or care about us enough to provide for us? Is he too busy to notice my problems? Do we not want to give up what we think is control over our lives? (Although, we really don’t control much of anything.) Why do we not turn our cares over to him completely and allow him to carry out his will for us and for our lives?
Trust in the Lord. Study his word and try to apply it the best we can, in every situation we face. Remember, that real trust will cause us to want to obey him and to follow his will. Pray. The more we trust, the more we will pray. The more we pray, the more we will trust. But our prayer is not to be just asking for things. It is to be filled with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for what he has done, for what he is doing, and for what he will do in the future. Trust, obey, and pray in thanksgiving.
From time to time, rehearse what the Lord has done for us in our lives. I have heard some say that since we don’t know for sure what the Lord has done, we are not to do this. I disagree! When things happen, give him the credit, praise him for it, and give thanks to him for his loving kindness, his mercy, and his grace.
O Lord God, I am so thankful for all you have done for me in my lifetime. You gave me loving parents and a house full of wonderful and caring siblings. You have given me a family of my own that is such a blessing to me. You have provided so many opportunities in my life that I cannot even begin to count them all. You have allowed me to live in time and a country that affords me so many freedoms which others in the world do not have. Thank you, Lord! I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
