Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 18:1-6
Ps 18:1-6
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Gal 6:7-10
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
In 2008 I began writing a devotional for my wife each morning. Some friends were in our home and saw one of them lying on a table and asked if they could get it sent to them by email. Since that time, I have been sending them to a list that has been added to, only by request. We have covered the Proverbs once and are now going through the Psalms for the 10th time. A few years ago, I began trying to tie a New Testament passage with the Old Testament reading.
One of the things that I have noticed is that there are basically three topics that almost all of the Psalms will fit into. There are many Psalms that are cries and pleas to God for help in times of trouble. Usually that trouble is caused by the enemies of the Psalmist. Secondly, there are Psalms of thanksgiving for what God has done. It may be deliverance from his enemies, or it may be for being made king, or it may be other more general blessings. Thirdly, many of the Psalms are praise, extolling the greatness of the Lord, who is God above all gods. Of course, some are a combination of all three of these categories. Each of these can give us comfort, strength, joy, and peace because we serve the same God today. He will never forsake us and will deliver us from every peril when we trust him.
O Lord God, thank you for giving us your word. Thank you for the beautiful poetic style of the Psalms. Thank you for the wisdom that abounds in the Proverbs. Thank you for the joy, and encouragement all of these give me today. Help me read and study them more often so I can know you and see you better, both when things are really great in my life, and when things go badly. Thank you for showing me your greatness, your majesty, and your love for me. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
