Daily Devotional - 8/6/10 (9/6/09)

Focus Letter - F



Pray for:
Five things that I am grateful for beginning 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 for you and your family to grow in that begins with the focus letter


Dear Lord - allow me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 6



"Be merciful to me for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony.  My soul is in anguish.  How long, O Lord, how long?" (vs. 2-3)

Sometimes life is overwhelming. When I sat down and wrote the background information piece (8/31/09), I laughed because, if it wasn't my life, I would have thought that it was made up - and I didn't even include everything that was going on. Somehow, though, I am making it through and I even have a pretty good attitude about it most of the time. I know this can only be God.


But it is overwhelming, nonetheless, and this is what the psalmist appears to be feeling as well. He is faint. I have felt faint. He is in anguish. I have been in anguish. He asks how long, and I too have asked how long. He even felt like he wasn't going to make it through. I have felt that way as well. All of us have probably gone through at least one period of time in our lives that is similar to this; where everything seems to be crashing down around us. I remember at one point recently being very upset and thinking that this was not the way my life was supposed to turn out. Things were supposed to go right for me. However, despite my best efforts, everything was turning out wrong and falling apart. The apostle Paul also wrote about feeling these emotions. He wrote that he was under such great pressure that he even "despaired of life" (II Cor 1: 8-11)

We feel these emotions when we are worn out and exhausted from battling all of our enemies - in my case it was my debt, my clutter, the various health issues, my discipline issues with my children, and the like. It was too much for me and this was because I was using my best efforts, not God's. But just like Paul expressed, all these things were happening to me for a reason. They were happening to turn me back to God in a greater and deeper way. I had been relying on myself to accomplish what I had to accomplish. For example, I was relying on worldly wisdom when it came to my finances. I was just doing whatever came naturally to me with my children. I was collecting "treasures" (junk) because that is what I liked to do. I was not really looking to God to find out what He had to say about these issues or if I did know, I was not taking it seriously.

I had to face the fact that most of my problems were of my own doing. They came about by my own failure to adhere to God's laws. I was in debt because I overspent and lived outside of my means. God says, "let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another" (Romans 13:8). I had clutter because I horded things and was often undisciplined with my housework. God says it is better to give than receive (Acts 20:35) and that we should not be storing up things for ourselves here on earth but in heaven (Matt 6:19 -21). He also says that I did not receive a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (II Tim 1:7). I had problems with my children because I was not consistent with them and because I was not training them up to know God's laws. I was not making them a priority. God says to show a child the way that he should go (Proverbs 22:6) and that it is up to us as parents to train our children to be godly (Deut 6:5-7).

"Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of Your unfailing love." (vs. 4)

Basically, I was putting a lot of effort into my life but it was not in the manner God desired. This was making me very unproductive and God was not able to bless what I was doing. I had to face these facts, as difficult as they were. I wanted to blame someone or something else, but I had to admit the responsibility was mine. When I came to grips with my responsibility, I could go back to God and ask Him to rescue me, to save me, because I now knew what I needed saving from. I also knew that it was only because of His love that He would rescue me. It was not because of anything I had done or would do. I had gotten myself into this mess, and yet, I could still ask God for help and deliverance.


"Away from me, all who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping.  The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayers.  All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace." (vs. 8-10)


I did have some responsibility though. I had to turn from my way of living, from depending on myself and running on my own power and reasoning. I had to get all my enemies (my sin of overspending, indulgence, laziness, etc.) away from me (vs 8). This is called repentance, the hating and turning away from all of those things that I did to get myself in such a mess. Then, I needed to cry out to God. I needed to have godly sorrow, not worldly sorrow (II Cor 7: 9 - 11). This is the weeping and sorrow that God will hear and acknowledge. God is strong enough to hear us and help us at any time, but our sin separates us from Him (Isaiah 59: 1-2). We have to deal with our sins first by acknowledging and confessing them, and then guess what, God hears (I John 1: 5-10). God hears and will continue to hear.

If He is pleased with us, He will accept our prayers and turn our enemies back in disgrace. The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective (James 5: 16). We will start overcoming whatever is plaguing us, if we deal with it God's way - acknowledge it, accept it, own it, turn from it, and turn to God. This is all that matters really, making sure that the Lord is pleased with me, that I am right with Him. When I focus on this, I will receive His forgiveness, and ultimately His blessing. My problems may not completely and immediately go away, but God is able. He can take away everything, solve every problem, if He desires. All my enemies - debt, clutter, lack of discipline - they can all be scattered back in shame. All I need to do is remember to do it God's way; set my reliance and my hope on God and continue to do so.


Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We come to You with our lives and our problems.  We acknowledge that we have failed in many ways.  Help us to turn to Your ways and Your word so that our lives can be pleasing to You.  The ways of the world will only lead us to frustaration but Your ways are ways of life and peace.  We want peace dear Lord.  Strengthen us so that we may obey.

In Jesus Name,
Amen


QFT

1. What in my life tends to make me feel faint?  What causes me anguish? 

2.  What are the underlying causes of these problems/ issues?  Do I have any responsibility in them? 

3.  Am I trying to solve my problems God's way or the world's way?  How do I know?  What are the results of my actions?

4.  Am I putting my enemies (sin) far from me?  What are my feelings toward the concepts of repentance and godly sorrow?  Do I feel bad about my sin because it hurts God or because it hurts my life?  Do I feel bad about my sin at all?  What do I need to change?

5.  Am I asking God for help and deliverence?   How is my prayer life?  Do I lift up my problems to God?  Do I pray for forgiveness and for spiritual transformation?  Am I righteous so my prayers are effective?  What can I change?