Daily Devotional - 8/11/10 (9/11/09)

Focus Letter - K



Pray for:
Five things you are thankful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to work on that begins with the focus letter


Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your ever present voice. I know You are always trying to communicate with me but often I fail to listen. Please grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 11



"In the Lord I take refuge.  How then can you say to me: 'Flee like a bird to your mountain.  For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.  When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?'  The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne.  He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them.  The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence His soul hates... For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face." (vs 1-5, & 7)

The Lord is in His holy temple.  Upright men will see His face. God examines the righteous. He looks us over and makes sure we are doing right. The wicked have punishment coming someday.

We often feel like running away when we see negative things happening. It is easy for me to avoid confrontation and want to escape. I am very nonconfrontational. There is a time to flee, however, and I appreciate those times but more often than not, we really need to stand strong and even fight. The psalmist says, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? (vs. 3)" He seems overwhelmed by what he sees happening around him. The evil is getting him down and people are even telling him to flee. He seems to be saying, however, that he can't do that. He can't just let evil take over without a fight.

He states, "In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: 'Flee like a bird to your mountain.' (vs. 1)" Once again, the idea of taking refuge in God in order to be able to do battle arises. We are to find the courage and the strength we need to fight in God alone. It is not in us. We have no power to save.

The psalmist then turns his eyes to God. He acknowledges there are dangers and problems. There are even wicked men waiting to destroy the righteous. Evil is there and it is destroying the foundations of their society, but still, he is not distraught. He looks to God and I can almost hear him declaring triumphantly, "The Lord is in His holy temple". He is saying, this is no problem for God. God is here, why are we afraid. The psalmist is clearly convinced of God's power and His presence. He believes in God's sovereignty over all the earth. He declares it by mentioning that God is looking down from His throne.

We need to remember this when the world is getting us down. God is not dead. God is here. God is in control. He is watching. He is examining each one of us and He knows. He knows who is righteous and who is evil. Nothing in all creation is hidden from the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account (Heb 4:12-13). The wicked won't make it, the righteous will.

We all love justice deep down. People protest when someone is treated unfairly. It is good to know that there is ultimate justice. There is a final righteous judge. Truth is not relative, regardless what society says. God has set a standard, and He won't make mistakes. In the end, the upright man will see God's face. I want to see His face. I want to make it and with God, I know I can


Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,

Thank You for being here with us and for us.  It is easy to let the world get us down, but we need to take refuge in You and fight the good fight of the faith.  Give us the strength we need to do this.  Grant us wisdom to know when to flee and when to stay and fight.  Help us to never take the easy way out.  We want to be Your man or Your woman.  We pray that we may be found righteous in the end, and some wonderful day be able to see Your face.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT

1. How do I feel about how my society is morally?  Do I feel like the foundations are being destroyed?  Why or why not?  What can I do to make my neighborhood/ city/ state/ country better?

2.  Do I usually run from problems or confront them?  Why?  When should I run and when should I confront? What steps can I take to decide when I am faced with a problem?

3. How can I take refuge in God?  How can I remember daily that He is here?  How does remembering that God is in heaven and on His throne help me to be encouraged?  Do I think about this often?  Why or why not?

4.  How do I feel about God examining me?  Is there anything I am ashamed of?  Is there anything that I wish He didn't see?  How can I change these things?  How can I get help?

5.  Do I feel truth is relative or is there an absolute truth? Why?  What is my personal standard for truth?  Why did I chose that standard?  If I believe truth is relative, how do I determine right from wrong?  How do I feel about God being the final judge?  Why?