Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 137:1-9
Ps 137:1-9
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it down to its foundations!" O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us — he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
Rom 15:2-4
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Everybody is different. The writer of Hebrews says that we are to throw off “the sin that so easily entangles us.” That sin is probably different for you than it is for me, but we all have “the sin” in our lives. For some it is drugs or alcohol, for others it is a battle with sexual sins. For many it is being deceitful or untruthful, while others are prone to gossip or constantly complain. But one sin that so many face is doubt, the lack of faith in God that gives us the peace that passes understanding.
Some sins we must throw off as a filthy piece of slime, while other sins must be outgrown as we mature spiritually. But with most, we find that they come back to us if we are not constantly vigilant. This is why Paul said that when we think we are doing really good, watch out! this is when we will fall!
The good news is that God forgives us when we turn away from the sin and turn back to him. As his children, he empowers us with the indwelling of the Spirit in our hearts. When we trust him, we can overcome any temptation. Jesus did.
O Lord God, I am thankful for the continual cleansing by the blood of Jesus and the assurance that there is no condemnation for those who are in him. I need your wisdom every day and I need your strength every moment. Use me to help others follow you and want to be just like Jesus. Thank you for your church, your people on earth, and for the encouragement we can give to each other. Be with our nation, guide our elections, give us leaders who will respect you as God and who will follow your wisdom, so we can live in peace. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Robert
