Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 10:1-6
Ps 10:1-6
Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
Matt 23:23-24
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
“Jesus wept” because he cared about Mary and Martha. They were hurting and he cared. Paul tells us that we need to pray about everything and not worry about anything because “The Lord is near”. He doesn’t say that the Lord will be near, or the Lord has been near, but the Lord is near. No matter where we are in life, no matter what we are facing, the Lord is near.
When we fall or we are about to sink in the waves of doubt, the Lord is near, and he extends his hand to lift us up. When we are overwhelmed with grief, the Lord is near, and he weeps with us and holds us in his arms. When life is hard and we cannot see any way to go forward, and even wonder if it is worth it, the Lord is near, and he will carry us over the rough road ahead. The Lord is near!
In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees had the Law all figured out, down to the smallest detail. They proudly kept it too. They felt sorry for all the poor Jews who did not have their level of knowledge and who did not know how to be as holy and righteous as they felt they were. Jesus told his disciples that unless their righteousness exceeded that of these self-righteous religious leaders, they would not enter the kingdom of heaven. Pure religion that is acceptable to God is taking care of the needs of the widows and orphans. Like Jesus, we must learn to weep.
O Lord God, give me a heart of love, compassion, and mercy toward those around me. Use me to extend a hand to lift those who are down. Help me know how to just listen to the person who needs to unload, but then to be willing to help where I can. Lord, there are so many who are faced with all kinds of problems in this life so let them feel your presence every day and know that you are near at all times. Let others see Jesus in me. It is in his wonderful name that I pray.
Robert
