Daily Devotional - 9/2/10 (10/2/09)

Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)



Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 32



"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said,' I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' - and You forgave the guilt of my sin." (vs. 1-5)



We all want to be blessed.  Here are some keys for us to consider.  We are blessed if we are forgiven. We are blessed if we have no deceit. Why is this?  First of all, we can be right with God and have a relationship with Him now and after death.  But secondly, and quite relevant while we are here on earth, we can walk with out fear and guilt. It is a terrible state to be in when there is something we are hiding.  The psalmist writes that when he was silent his bones wasted away and he groaned night and day.  He was miserable.  That is how undealt with sin affects us.  We can think that eventually we will forget, but we are still haunted.  Only when we get things out can we feel that light free feeling that comes with a transparent life. It is a truly blessed feeling.  I have been in both places.  I know. We need to be open channels for God's love to flow through us. There is so much that needs to be done in this world, that we just can't let sin, clutter, confusion, and disorder of any kind block us and stop us up. We will lose the strength and power that is available to us.  We will miss the opportunities that God has in store for us.  We need to just open up our lives and then call out to God to search us and heal us.




"Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 
     I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.  Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.  Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." (vs. 6-9)


We do this by confessing and then by going to God in prayer.  We can't wait.  We must pray while God can be found. There are opportunities when God is calling us and we can miss them.  People miss out on God and eventually our hearts can get so hardened to everything that it will be almost impossible for us to change.  Unfortunately, there are deadlines in life. Whether or not we want them to exist, they do. Thank God, however, that we can hide in Him. We don't have to run and hide somewhere when we are feeling guilty.  We can go to Him because He is much better place to hide than any real physical place. God will protect us and restore us. He will make us into someone incredible if we let Him.  He created us for great and glorious things and He will teach us and show us the way to go. He will counsel us and watch over us.

There is a catch to these incredible promises though.  We have to receive His direction. We need to not be like an animal who has to be forced to go where its master wants it to go. God is longing for us to follow willingly.  Our attitude should be, "I will do it!" Let's not force God anymore.  The road is much easier for us when we are not rebellious.  The way of the rebellious is hard the Bible states elsewhere, but unfailing love surrounds us if we trust in God.


"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" (vs. 11)


If I am righteous and upright in my heart, I will be able to do this. I will rejoice and be glad.  I will be able to see beauty in everything. This is God's world. Despite the sadness and difficulties, it still is good, and there is always hope.



Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We are grateful for Your forgiveness.  Help us not to be deceitful.  We are praying.  Help us to pray more.  We want to find You.  You are our hiding place and it is good to be able to run to You.  We do not want to run away any longer.  Grant us the strength to face where we have gone wrong and turn to You.  We need You and we long for Your unfailing love.  We will rejoice in You for You are good.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. How am I deceitful?   How can I become honest in all my ways?
2. Is there anything blocking the flow of God's love and communication through me? If so, how can I get rid of it?
3. Am I praying about my needs and the needs of others regularly? Why or why not? How can I get in the practice of praying for others on a regular basis?

4. How am I doing at receiving God's instruction? Am I willing to learn or am I like an animal that needs a bit and bridle in my mouth to force me to obey? Why am I like this and what results am I gaining from my attitude towards instruction?

5.  Am I rejoicing daily?  What is my attitude about life?  Have I let undealt with sin make me bitter?  How can I change and start seeing the beauty that God intended for us in the world?