Prayer Focus - Dreams
Day 2
Pray for:
One dream you have for yourself
One dream you have for your family
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 101
"I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will You come to me?
I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.
Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.
My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me, he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.
No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." ( vs. 2 - 7 )
What a challenging call this is for us to live differently. It calls us to be careful how we live our lives and to be different from the people around us. Not many people in our society value living carefully anymore. It is almost looked down upon to try to watch what we do. Our society prides itself on being open and free. We want to be free to do and say whatever we want even if it hurts others in some way. Yet God has called us to check ourselves; to deny ourselves and to follow certain guidelines so that we will have something better in the long run. Sin often feels good in the here and now, but it is later that we regret and reap consequences that are not always pleasant. Self-control on the other hand is almost always difficult and uncomfortable in the immediate and yet it produces wonderful results that we look back on with gratitude.
Let's look at a few of the things set out for us to watch out for in the verses of this psalm. First, it mentions walking in our homes with blameless hearts. I think this is especially interesting, because it is in our homes that we most often let our true selves come out. It is here that we are not so guarded and we indulge in behavior that we would never do in public. It is important to think about this and evaluate if we have a double standard in our lives. We should be the same in our homes as we are everywhere else.
Then we are called to not set any vile thing before our eyes. When I read this, it makes me think about the movies and shows we watch and the books and magazines we look at. Are we being righteous in this area or are we trying to be "relevant" by watching what is popular even if it has questionable content? Do we really need to fill our minds with some of the stuff that we do? Once something has entered our mind, it is almost impossible to get those thoughts and pictures out. A good question I ask myself is - "Could I imagine Jesus watching and enjoying this?" Even news can fill us with negative and vile images. I like to look at all the current news stories on the Internet and do so nightly, but even this is not always a productive activity for me. It tends to make me very down and upset. I also waste a lot of time reading these negative articles when I could be doing something more productive like spending time with my girls or getting some sleep.
The next stanza of the psalm talks of staying away from men of perverse heart and from evil in general. It speaks to us of watching the company we keep. This is also not a popular concept in our world today. We tend to want to hang out with whoever we want to. We want to do what we want and become who we want to become. There is often little thought to plans beyond our desires. We are often draw to people with wild lives. Look at the celebrities that we hold up and esteem by buying their albums, watching their movies, or reading about. Our heroes today are more often than not, not people of strong character. They are not people that most of us would want our children to become like.
The issues of slander and pride are also addressed here. God says He will silence those who slander their neighbors, even if it is in secret, and He also states that He will not endure proud hearts and haughty eyes. In another part of the scriptures, it states that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble ( James 4:6 ). This is very concerning as pride and slander are commonplace. We are even considered unusual if we do not talk about others. It is difficult to get through a day with out hearing gossip and often we are immersed in it before we even realize what is going on. Our society also looks up to and admires a certain amount of pride. We strive to be independent and confident. Often this goes over board and we become self righteous and arrogant.
Finally, the passage talks about deceit and lying. It says that we will not be able to dwell with God or stand in His presence if we practice deceit or speak falsely. How can we stay away from doing this, however, when it is almost expected that we will lie in certain situations. People will even ask us to lie for them and we have found many ways to defend our deceit. We are thought to be odd if we say no to others when they ask us to lie for them and we are often ridiculed if we take a stand for honesty; often by friends and family members.
What a high calling this psalm is to us. We are challenged to change and stand out in so many ways. It seems overwhelming just thinking about it. But God promises that His eyes will be on the faithful and that He can and will take care of us. If we lead a blameless life, God will come to us and provide for us. It must be possible or the scriptures would not for call us to do it. We can with Christ. We can if it is important to us. It all comes down to our heart. If our heart is right and we are striving with all we have to obey God, He will make up the difference. He will see our faith and count it as righteousness as He did with Abraham (Galatians 3:6). Let us then sing of God's greatness and be careful to live a blameless life. It is worth it.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We want to lead a blameless life. Help us to put aside all of these sinful ways and embrace You. It will be alright to walk a different road than those around us. It will be worth it. Help us to fear You and not men. You are the one worth following. You are the true one. We praise You and sing of Your love and justice.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I act the same in my home as I do elsewhere? Do I have any double standards? What do I struggle the most with at home? Why? How can I change?
2. Am I careful about what I look at? How are my standards when it comes to movies and TV? How are my standards with what I read and the magazines that I look at? Am I spending too much time on the Internet and am I unproductive/unrighteous in any way with this area? What do I need to change? What is going well?
3. Do I stay away from people that are a bad influence on me? Why or why not? Am I drawn to people that are not very godly? Why or why not? Who are my heroes? Why? How do I feel about this concept of watching who I associate with?
4. Do I slander others, even if it is just in my mind (in secret)? Do I engage in gossip or listen to it? What harm does this do? How can I change? Am I prideful or arrogant in any ways? Do I look down on anyone? Why? How can I deal with this?
5. Am I deceitful in any way? Why? How do I justify this? Do I lie? Do I feel there is a difference between "big" and "little" lies? Why or why not? How does God feel about this? How can I stop lying and stop being deceitful if this is something I do?
Showing posts with label evildoers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evildoers. Show all posts
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Daily Devotional - 10/4/15
Prayer Focus - Needs
Day 2
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 94
"Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Does He who disciplines the nations not punish? Does He who teaches man lack knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows that they are futile.
Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law; You grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' Your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul." ( vs. 9 -19 )
God knows. God knows everything. He knows every thought that comes into our mind. He is completely beyond our comprehension. We are finite and our thinking is finite. God is infinite. We are stuck to time and space. We can only be in one place at a time, and we can only know what is in our minds and hearts; sometimes not even that. So how is it that we think somehow that we are smarter than God or that we have something figured out that He hasn't yet? God knows us. God is not surprised by anything.
To me, this makes it all the more amazing that God pays attention to us at all. God knows everything about each and every one of us. He knows who will listen to Him and who will not. He knows all of the things we do in secret and all of the sinful leanings of our heart. And yet, He still cares. He still died. He still forgives. He invests His time to train us up; to discipline us. And He has a plan and a dream for us to make a difference in the world. He wants to see change. He desires change in each of our hearts and He is calling us. He asks, "Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand? Who will make a difference? Who will love as I have loved?" It is an overwhelming task but we have been called. If we look at the task, we will slip as the psalmist states. But God will help us. God will support us in the task if we go and try. God will calm the anxiety that comes and God will bring us joy as we obey. We just need to start and go and try.
Here are some of my favorite quotes on these thoughts:
"The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step"
Chinese Proverb
"If the Lord calls you, He will equip you for the task He wants you to fulfill."
Warren Wierbe
"Have thy tools ready. God will find the work."
Charles Kingsley
"You will invest your life in something or you will throw it away on nothing."
Haddin Rosisson
"Employ whatever God has entrusted you with in doing good, all possible good, in every kind and degree."
John Wesley
"Start by doing what is necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you're doing the impossible."
St. Francis of Assissi
"Discipline yourself so no one else has to."
John Wooden
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are not deaf or blind or dumb. You know exactly what is going on here. You know exactly what is going on in my heart. You know and still care. That is amazing to me. I am so grateful that You have called me and given me a part in Your amazing work. Help me to rise to the occasion. Help me to live a life worthy and to cling to You because You will make it all work out.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I feel about the difference between God and me? Do I ever find myself thinking that I know better than God? How might my actions show this even if I don't think this outright? What can I change to have a better view of God and myself?
2. Do I allow God to discipline me? Do I listen to His word and to the people God has put in my life? Do I take advice? Why or why not? Am I teachable? Am I learning or have I become set in my ways? What can I do to become a lifelong learner?
3. Am I taking a stand for God? Do I stand up for God's word? If I am standing up for God and His ways, am I doing so in a loving and respectful way or do I just let people "have it"? What can I do to be more effective in the way I talk to people about God and His ways?
4. Do I feel that God can use me? Am I allowing myself to be a part of God's plan to change and transform the world? Why or why not? Do I want to do this? Do I see the importance of it? What can I do to change and allow myself to answer God's call.
5. Do I feel anxious or hopeless? Am I turning to God for help or am I trying to do everything on my own power? How can I allow God to support and console me? What role do my friends and fellow believers have in helping me? Do I allow others into my life so that they can be there for me? Why or why not? What should I change so that I can strengthened and receive joy?
Day 2
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 94
"Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Does He who disciplines the nations not punish? Does He who teaches man lack knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows that they are futile.
Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law; You grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance. Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' Your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul." ( vs. 9 -19 )
God knows. God knows everything. He knows every thought that comes into our mind. He is completely beyond our comprehension. We are finite and our thinking is finite. God is infinite. We are stuck to time and space. We can only be in one place at a time, and we can only know what is in our minds and hearts; sometimes not even that. So how is it that we think somehow that we are smarter than God or that we have something figured out that He hasn't yet? God knows us. God is not surprised by anything.
To me, this makes it all the more amazing that God pays attention to us at all. God knows everything about each and every one of us. He knows who will listen to Him and who will not. He knows all of the things we do in secret and all of the sinful leanings of our heart. And yet, He still cares. He still died. He still forgives. He invests His time to train us up; to discipline us. And He has a plan and a dream for us to make a difference in the world. He wants to see change. He desires change in each of our hearts and He is calling us. He asks, "Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand? Who will make a difference? Who will love as I have loved?" It is an overwhelming task but we have been called. If we look at the task, we will slip as the psalmist states. But God will help us. God will support us in the task if we go and try. God will calm the anxiety that comes and God will bring us joy as we obey. We just need to start and go and try.
Here are some of my favorite quotes on these thoughts:
"The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step"
Chinese Proverb
"If the Lord calls you, He will equip you for the task He wants you to fulfill."
Warren Wierbe
"Have thy tools ready. God will find the work."
Charles Kingsley
"You will invest your life in something or you will throw it away on nothing."
Haddin Rosisson
"Employ whatever God has entrusted you with in doing good, all possible good, in every kind and degree."
John Wesley
"Start by doing what is necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you're doing the impossible."
St. Francis of Assissi
"Discipline yourself so no one else has to."
John Wooden
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are not deaf or blind or dumb. You know exactly what is going on here. You know exactly what is going on in my heart. You know and still care. That is amazing to me. I am so grateful that You have called me and given me a part in Your amazing work. Help me to rise to the occasion. Help me to live a life worthy and to cling to You because You will make it all work out.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I feel about the difference between God and me? Do I ever find myself thinking that I know better than God? How might my actions show this even if I don't think this outright? What can I change to have a better view of God and myself?
2. Do I allow God to discipline me? Do I listen to His word and to the people God has put in my life? Do I take advice? Why or why not? Am I teachable? Am I learning or have I become set in my ways? What can I do to become a lifelong learner?
3. Am I taking a stand for God? Do I stand up for God's word? If I am standing up for God and His ways, am I doing so in a loving and respectful way or do I just let people "have it"? What can I do to be more effective in the way I talk to people about God and His ways?
4. Do I feel that God can use me? Am I allowing myself to be a part of God's plan to change and transform the world? Why or why not? Do I want to do this? Do I see the importance of it? What can I do to change and allow myself to answer God's call.
5. Do I feel anxious or hopeless? Am I turning to God for help or am I trying to do everything on my own power? How can I allow God to support and console me? What role do my friends and fellow believers have in helping me? Do I allow others into my life so that they can be there for me? Why or why not? What should I change so that I can strengthened and receive joy?
Friday, September 4, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/4/15 (11/4/09)
Prayer Focus - Strangers
Day 7
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to
One person that you have read about that is still alive
One person that you have not met but struggle to like
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 64
"Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy." ( vs. 1)
It is okay to pour out our hearts to God, even if what we have to say is not always lovely. There are difficult and evil things going on in the world, and sometimes even in our own lives. God desires to hear from us. He is waiting. How incredible is that, that the Creator of the Universe waits to spend time with us. He is there in the morning, hoping we will make some extra time to sit down and have a coffee with Him. He has an appointment with us all day long. He walks with us and lives with us. We can ever turn to Him. He is concerned about the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know that I like to hear all the little things that are going on in my children's days, and definitely if they look upset or unhappy, I want to know what is going on. God, of course, is even more concerned about us as He is the perfect Father. He will hear, and He will protect us.
"Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning. But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Hm; let all the upright in heart praise Him." (vs. 6b-10)
Men are devious. They think of so much evil, it is mind boggling. But in the end, God still wins. Sometimes He lets minor victories go to the enemy, but we know the final outcome. Evil men will be found out. Their words will incriminate them and bring ruin upon them. It is not for us to force, it will happen in God's timing. We need to remember this and we need to strive to keep our ways righteous because it is easy to envy the prosperous and those who go about seeking their own self interest. We are not living for the here and now, though. We are living for eternity and we need to take refuge in God and praise Him for His protection from the enemy. The rest will all come.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
It is easy for the world to get us down. There is such a lack of civility and morality these days. It seems that there is much evil around us all the time. It is enough to drive one's spirits down and cause desperation, but we know that in the end, You win. Help us to hang onto that thought. You will not hand us over to be destroyed and you will not allow other things to get in the way of our knowing and loving You. You are great and greatly to be praised.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I voice my complaints to God or to others? How can I work on not being a complainer around other people? How can I be positive and encouraging to others and only give my complaints and frustrations to God?
2. Am I making time for God? Do I realize that God is waiting for me to come and spend time with Him? What can I do to make my time in the morning with Him a priority?
3. Do I let evil discourage me? How can I become more resilient when faced with evil?
4. Am I proclaiming the works of God and the wonders of what He has done? Am I letting others know how awesome our God is and what He has done in our lives?
5. Am I developing a healthy respect and fear of God? How can I do this?
Day 7
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to
One person that you have read about that is still alive
One person that you have not met but struggle to like
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 64
"Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy." ( vs. 1)
It is okay to pour out our hearts to God, even if what we have to say is not always lovely. There are difficult and evil things going on in the world, and sometimes even in our own lives. God desires to hear from us. He is waiting. How incredible is that, that the Creator of the Universe waits to spend time with us. He is there in the morning, hoping we will make some extra time to sit down and have a coffee with Him. He has an appointment with us all day long. He walks with us and lives with us. We can ever turn to Him. He is concerned about the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know that I like to hear all the little things that are going on in my children's days, and definitely if they look upset or unhappy, I want to know what is going on. God, of course, is even more concerned about us as He is the perfect Father. He will hear, and He will protect us.
"Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning. But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Hm; let all the upright in heart praise Him." (vs. 6b-10)
Men are devious. They think of so much evil, it is mind boggling. But in the end, God still wins. Sometimes He lets minor victories go to the enemy, but we know the final outcome. Evil men will be found out. Their words will incriminate them and bring ruin upon them. It is not for us to force, it will happen in God's timing. We need to remember this and we need to strive to keep our ways righteous because it is easy to envy the prosperous and those who go about seeking their own self interest. We are not living for the here and now, though. We are living for eternity and we need to take refuge in God and praise Him for His protection from the enemy. The rest will all come.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
It is easy for the world to get us down. There is such a lack of civility and morality these days. It seems that there is much evil around us all the time. It is enough to drive one's spirits down and cause desperation, but we know that in the end, You win. Help us to hang onto that thought. You will not hand us over to be destroyed and you will not allow other things to get in the way of our knowing and loving You. You are great and greatly to be praised.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I voice my complaints to God or to others? How can I work on not being a complainer around other people? How can I be positive and encouraging to others and only give my complaints and frustrations to God?
2. Am I making time for God? Do I realize that God is waiting for me to come and spend time with Him? What can I do to make my time in the morning with Him a priority?
3. Do I let evil discourage me? How can I become more resilient when faced with evil?
4. Am I proclaiming the works of God and the wonders of what He has done? Am I letting others know how awesome our God is and what He has done in our lives?
5. Am I developing a healthy respect and fear of God? How can I do this?
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/29/15 (10/29/09)
Prayer Focus - Strangers
Day 1
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 59
"Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O Lord. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight ...
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. See what they spew from their mouths - they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?" But You, O Lord, laugh at them; You scoff at all those nations.
O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.
God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me...
But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." ( vs. 1- 4, 6 - 10, 16 - 17)
Problems and evil people bother us. They overwhelm us and fill us with dread. We worry. I know I do. Sometimes I can be so worried about all the bad things that could happen that I feel paralyzed. But God is different. God is not worried by evil people. He laughs at them and scoffs at them because He knows their days are numbered. God is also not overwhelmed by our problems and difficulties. He knows the big picture, and so therefore, all I need to know is God. I need to get my eyes off of my problems and get them on God. I need to watch for Him and for His deliverance.
I am reminded of Peter walking on the water when I think about focusing on God (Matthew 14: 23 - 33). As the story goes, Jesus sent his disciples out ahead of Him on their boat. A wind came up during the night, and so the sea was rough. It was at this point, that Jesus came out to them, walking on the water. At first they were afraid, but when Peter realized it was Jesus, he said, "Lord, if it's you...tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus told him to come and Peter did indeed walk on the water. As long as he was looking at Jesus, he was able to do the impossible. It was only when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the wind and the waves, that he became afraid and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus to save him and so Jesus took ahold of him and helped him into the boat.
We are like Peter. We can walk on water, or we can sink. It all depends on our focus. When we focus on our problems, or on the evil in the world, we will sink. When we look up, and watch for God, we will overcome. We do not need to worry. We are called not to worry. As verse 9b states, God is going before us. He is the trailblazer, carving out a path for us. We just need to follow Him.
We are to watch and then we are follow. We are to pray and then we are to watch for answers. I will watch for God's provisions and for His ways of escape from the troubles that seem to outnumber me. For God is my fortress. I can run to Him when I am troubled or under attack. He is my loving God. I am special to Him in spite of all the trouble that overwhelms me. The troubles that I have do not mean that God does not love me. Nothing of the sort. The trouble and hardship I face are just a part of life. They are a part of what I need to grow. They refine me for eternity. I am to view hardship as discipline and training (Hebrews 12: 4 - 13), and in fact, evidence of my Father's love.
God is going before me and I will not falter. I will not falter if I let Him clear the way and if I stay in the path He has for me. God is strong and He will do it. I will praise Him yet.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You go before us to clear the way. Help us to walk in the path that You have prepared. You are good. We are grateful that nothing can hinder Your plan and that evil people are nothing but something to laugh and scoff at. We get so worked up and worried over evil men but we need to leave them up to You. Help us to let go of this. You are our fortress. Help us to run to You when we are tempted to worry or be discouraged. You will keep us safe. You love us. We are so grateful for Your love.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I realize that evil people are best left up to God? What do my actions show of what I believe? Do I pray for these people? Do I care about their eternal destiny?
2. Am I focusing on God and His power, or am I focusing on my problems and evil men? What am I worrying about right now? What are the issues in my life that will make me sink? How can I give them to God so I can walk on water?
3. Am I watching for God? Am I asking God for anything? Am I praying and waiting in eager expectation? How can I improve this aspect of my relationship with God?
4. Do I believe God is going before me and clearing a path for me? How do I know what the path He is preparing for me is? How can I ensure I am following it?
5. What is God using in my life right now to train me? Do I see my hardships as discipline and training from a God who loves me? How have I seen good come out of my struggles?
Day 1
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 59
"Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O Lord. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight ...
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. See what they spew from their mouths - they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?" But You, O Lord, laugh at them; You scoff at all those nations.
O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.
God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me...
But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." ( vs. 1- 4, 6 - 10, 16 - 17)
Problems and evil people bother us. They overwhelm us and fill us with dread. We worry. I know I do. Sometimes I can be so worried about all the bad things that could happen that I feel paralyzed. But God is different. God is not worried by evil people. He laughs at them and scoffs at them because He knows their days are numbered. God is also not overwhelmed by our problems and difficulties. He knows the big picture, and so therefore, all I need to know is God. I need to get my eyes off of my problems and get them on God. I need to watch for Him and for His deliverance.
I am reminded of Peter walking on the water when I think about focusing on God (Matthew 14: 23 - 33). As the story goes, Jesus sent his disciples out ahead of Him on their boat. A wind came up during the night, and so the sea was rough. It was at this point, that Jesus came out to them, walking on the water. At first they were afraid, but when Peter realized it was Jesus, he said, "Lord, if it's you...tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus told him to come and Peter did indeed walk on the water. As long as he was looking at Jesus, he was able to do the impossible. It was only when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the wind and the waves, that he became afraid and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus to save him and so Jesus took ahold of him and helped him into the boat.
We are like Peter. We can walk on water, or we can sink. It all depends on our focus. When we focus on our problems, or on the evil in the world, we will sink. When we look up, and watch for God, we will overcome. We do not need to worry. We are called not to worry. As verse 9b states, God is going before us. He is the trailblazer, carving out a path for us. We just need to follow Him.
We are to watch and then we are follow. We are to pray and then we are to watch for answers. I will watch for God's provisions and for His ways of escape from the troubles that seem to outnumber me. For God is my fortress. I can run to Him when I am troubled or under attack. He is my loving God. I am special to Him in spite of all the trouble that overwhelms me. The troubles that I have do not mean that God does not love me. Nothing of the sort. The trouble and hardship I face are just a part of life. They are a part of what I need to grow. They refine me for eternity. I am to view hardship as discipline and training (Hebrews 12: 4 - 13), and in fact, evidence of my Father's love.
God is going before me and I will not falter. I will not falter if I let Him clear the way and if I stay in the path He has for me. God is strong and He will do it. I will praise Him yet.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You go before us to clear the way. Help us to walk in the path that You have prepared. You are good. We are grateful that nothing can hinder Your plan and that evil people are nothing but something to laugh and scoff at. We get so worked up and worried over evil men but we need to leave them up to You. Help us to let go of this. You are our fortress. Help us to run to You when we are tempted to worry or be discouraged. You will keep us safe. You love us. We are so grateful for Your love.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I realize that evil people are best left up to God? What do my actions show of what I believe? Do I pray for these people? Do I care about their eternal destiny?
2. Am I focusing on God and His power, or am I focusing on my problems and evil men? What am I worrying about right now? What are the issues in my life that will make me sink? How can I give them to God so I can walk on water?
3. Am I watching for God? Am I asking God for anything? Am I praying and waiting in eager expectation? How can I improve this aspect of my relationship with God?
4. Do I believe God is going before me and clearing a path for me? How do I know what the path He is preparing for me is? How can I ensure I am following it?
5. What is God using in my life right now to train me? Do I see my hardships as discipline and training from a God who loves me? How have I seen good come out of my struggles?
Daily Devotional - 8/28/15 (10/28/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 7
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
One person who you believe will never apologize for the pain they have caused you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 58
"Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be." ( vs. 3-5)
This is a hard teaching. Some people are evil early on. We do not understand this and we wonder why? Perhaps we will never know, but God knows; the God who looks on the hearts of all men. He knows everything about these people. He knows they are people who will not listen to anyone. He knows they are set on seeking their own will, no matter what the consequences are. He even knows they have trouble looking past today. Often these people do very well in life and they succeed in their ways. Sometimes, they do better than those of us who are striving so hard to do what's right. We struggle with this. We become angry and bitter. We desire revenge. Sometimes we even do stupid things to "pay them back". But this is not what God desires. God desires for us to let go and let Him take care of it. God does see. He does know. He says in Romans 12:17 - 21:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Bottom line, we need to still do good, no matter what anyone else is doing. Our salvation and well being is not worth throwing away because of some evil person. We are worth so much more to God than that. He does not want for us to ruin our lives. He continually says, "I will take care of this! You do what's right!" God WILL take care of it. It may not be on our timing, but it will happen. We need to let it go and give it to God. We need to pour out our feelings and emotions to God and then wait patiently. He is the only one that can change a man's heart. All our strivings will do nothing but destroy our lives. Our bitterness and hatred does no damage to the evil person, only ourselves.
This takes us to another layer of trust. We need to trust that God will win in the end. We need to trust that God will purge out the evil and then the righteous will find relief. It is not up to us to do the purging. We are to stay righteous and to love our enemies. We are to leave justice and revenge up to God, who is sinless. He will do it in the most effective way possible and we, we will be rewarded for walking the high road; for not seeking revenge, for loving our enemy and overcoming evil with good. So let us remember the final promise of this psalm:
"The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, ...Then men will say, 'Surely the righteous are still rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.' " ( vs. 10a, 11)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We pray that we are never like the wicked men. Keep our hearts in tune to Your word and receptive to the help and assistance of others. Help us to always be willing to learn and grow. Help us to train our children so that they will not grow up into wicked men and women. It is a serious responsibility that You have given us and we pray for Your strength, wisdom, and guidance. We are waiting on You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I feel about this idea that some people are wicked early on? How have I seen this in my life or in the lives of those around me?
2. Is it difficult for me to accept the idea of God's judgment? Why or why not? How can I develop a greater understanding and appreciation for this aspect of God's character?
3. How do I feel when I see injustice? How do I feel when I see justice done? Why? What do I do about unjust situations? Is there a better way for me to deal with what I see around me?
4. Do I seek revenge? Why? How do I see myself being vengeful? What should I do instead? How can I get help with this?
5. How do I treat my enemies? Am I overcoming evil with good or am I acting evil as well? How can I do this? Are there any situations that I am in right now that I am not handling correctly? How can I change?
Day 7
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
One person who you believe will never apologize for the pain they have caused you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 58
"Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be." ( vs. 3-5)
This is a hard teaching. Some people are evil early on. We do not understand this and we wonder why? Perhaps we will never know, but God knows; the God who looks on the hearts of all men. He knows everything about these people. He knows they are people who will not listen to anyone. He knows they are set on seeking their own will, no matter what the consequences are. He even knows they have trouble looking past today. Often these people do very well in life and they succeed in their ways. Sometimes, they do better than those of us who are striving so hard to do what's right. We struggle with this. We become angry and bitter. We desire revenge. Sometimes we even do stupid things to "pay them back". But this is not what God desires. God desires for us to let go and let Him take care of it. God does see. He does know. He says in Romans 12:17 - 21:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Bottom line, we need to still do good, no matter what anyone else is doing. Our salvation and well being is not worth throwing away because of some evil person. We are worth so much more to God than that. He does not want for us to ruin our lives. He continually says, "I will take care of this! You do what's right!" God WILL take care of it. It may not be on our timing, but it will happen. We need to let it go and give it to God. We need to pour out our feelings and emotions to God and then wait patiently. He is the only one that can change a man's heart. All our strivings will do nothing but destroy our lives. Our bitterness and hatred does no damage to the evil person, only ourselves.
This takes us to another layer of trust. We need to trust that God will win in the end. We need to trust that God will purge out the evil and then the righteous will find relief. It is not up to us to do the purging. We are to stay righteous and to love our enemies. We are to leave justice and revenge up to God, who is sinless. He will do it in the most effective way possible and we, we will be rewarded for walking the high road; for not seeking revenge, for loving our enemy and overcoming evil with good. So let us remember the final promise of this psalm:
"The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, ...Then men will say, 'Surely the righteous are still rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.' " ( vs. 10a, 11)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We pray that we are never like the wicked men. Keep our hearts in tune to Your word and receptive to the help and assistance of others. Help us to always be willing to learn and grow. Help us to train our children so that they will not grow up into wicked men and women. It is a serious responsibility that You have given us and we pray for Your strength, wisdom, and guidance. We are waiting on You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I feel about this idea that some people are wicked early on? How have I seen this in my life or in the lives of those around me?
2. Is it difficult for me to accept the idea of God's judgment? Why or why not? How can I develop a greater understanding and appreciation for this aspect of God's character?
3. How do I feel when I see injustice? How do I feel when I see justice done? Why? What do I do about unjust situations? Is there a better way for me to deal with what I see around me?
4. Do I seek revenge? Why? How do I see myself being vengeful? What should I do instead? How can I get help with this?
5. How do I treat my enemies? Am I overcoming evil with good or am I acting evil as well? How can I do this? Are there any situations that I am in right now that I am not handling correctly? How can I change?
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/23/15 (10/23/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread."
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." ( vs. 2 - 5a, 6)
When we think about our lives and the lives of those around us, we see a lot of failure. Even the best of us, those of us who are really trying to be good, fail; sometimes miserably. What is interesting, however, is that, although the Bible speaks of the universality of sin, it also differentiates between those who sin. The psalms consistently speak of a difference between people. There are the "evildoers" and there are the "righteous". Yet we all have turned away and become corrupt this passage says. This seems contradictory but the psalmist in this psalm outlines two ways that we can become what is referred to as "evildoers".
The first way to become an "evildoers" is to use others ("Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread"). We eat bread. We use it to stay alive. So someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we call someone only when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them? We are not thinking of them or of how they are doing. We are only thinking of what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then leave after we feel better? Isn't that using others? I am sure that we could come up with even more ideas of how we do this. Take for example our involvement in church, our work, or even our citizenship. Are we focused more on what we are getting out of our church services or our small groups rather than what we are giving to them? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about as citizens of our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not getting involved to help others and make the world a better place to live in? We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers if we do not want to become "evildoers". I know I do. Righteous people give. There are so many passages in the Bible about giving. This is one of the key differences that we have to pay attention to. We are by nature selfish so we need to deal with this daily. It is not something that will just go away once we make a commitment to God.
The second way to become an "evildoers" mentioned in this passage is to not acknowledge and turn to God (and who do not call on God). This little phrase is so easy to just read over and not pay that much attention too. It doesn't seem that serious. We can tell ourselves we are okay with God because we don't do any of the "BIG" sins like murder or adultery but here is this seemingly insignificant thing listed instead. Not calling on God or paying attention to Him is actually the root from which all the other sins grow out of. Because we do not value God, we do not care what we do to others or what we engage in. When we value God and are turning to Him on a regular basis, we do not want to do wrong. It is so easy to not call on God though. It is easy to not pray or listen to God. Often, no one even knows. Rarely do people ask us how we are doing spiritually these days. It is just not the focus of our society. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about being mean but not calling on God is all within us. We can cover it up for quite awhile, perhaps even a whole lifetime.
But using people and not calling on God does have consequences. In eternity, there will be consequences, but here on earth right now as we live, we will also suffer. I believe these things cause dread. They cause an unsettled feeling to stay with us. Almost as if we are always looking over our shoulder; always worried about what people know or will find out. So when we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it is a good idea for us to look for these two qualities in our lives. There will not always be one of these issues at the root of our feelings but sometimes there will be a connection. I know when I make a deeper inspection of myself when I am feeling uneasy, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to Him, and draw near again, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Our consciences and the feelings of guilt we have sometimes were put in us by God and they help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing our consciences and accept that they are there and that they are there for a good reason. Thank God we can change and deal with our lives and our characters. I am grateful that God can enable us to overcome our sinful natures and that He can transform us. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. Salvation will come out of Zion. He can and will do it and we will feel joy.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? What can I do to make amends? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this? How can I stop?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What evidence is there for what I think I am? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it?
5. Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? What will I do to deal with this? When will I deal with it? If there is not an issue, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread."
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." ( vs. 2 - 5a, 6)
When we think about our lives and the lives of those around us, we see a lot of failure. Even the best of us, those of us who are really trying to be good, fail; sometimes miserably. What is interesting, however, is that, although the Bible speaks of the universality of sin, it also differentiates between those who sin. The psalms consistently speak of a difference between people. There are the "evildoers" and there are the "righteous". Yet we all have turned away and become corrupt this passage says. This seems contradictory but the psalmist in this psalm outlines two ways that we can become what is referred to as "evildoers".
The first way to become an "evildoers" is to use others ("Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread"). We eat bread. We use it to stay alive. So someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we call someone only when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them? We are not thinking of them or of how they are doing. We are only thinking of what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then leave after we feel better? Isn't that using others? I am sure that we could come up with even more ideas of how we do this. Take for example our involvement in church, our work, or even our citizenship. Are we focused more on what we are getting out of our church services or our small groups rather than what we are giving to them? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about as citizens of our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not getting involved to help others and make the world a better place to live in? We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers if we do not want to become "evildoers". I know I do. Righteous people give. There are so many passages in the Bible about giving. This is one of the key differences that we have to pay attention to. We are by nature selfish so we need to deal with this daily. It is not something that will just go away once we make a commitment to God.
The second way to become an "evildoers" mentioned in this passage is to not acknowledge and turn to God (and who do not call on God). This little phrase is so easy to just read over and not pay that much attention too. It doesn't seem that serious. We can tell ourselves we are okay with God because we don't do any of the "BIG" sins like murder or adultery but here is this seemingly insignificant thing listed instead. Not calling on God or paying attention to Him is actually the root from which all the other sins grow out of. Because we do not value God, we do not care what we do to others or what we engage in. When we value God and are turning to Him on a regular basis, we do not want to do wrong. It is so easy to not call on God though. It is easy to not pray or listen to God. Often, no one even knows. Rarely do people ask us how we are doing spiritually these days. It is just not the focus of our society. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about being mean but not calling on God is all within us. We can cover it up for quite awhile, perhaps even a whole lifetime.
But using people and not calling on God does have consequences. In eternity, there will be consequences, but here on earth right now as we live, we will also suffer. I believe these things cause dread. They cause an unsettled feeling to stay with us. Almost as if we are always looking over our shoulder; always worried about what people know or will find out. So when we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it is a good idea for us to look for these two qualities in our lives. There will not always be one of these issues at the root of our feelings but sometimes there will be a connection. I know when I make a deeper inspection of myself when I am feeling uneasy, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to Him, and draw near again, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Our consciences and the feelings of guilt we have sometimes were put in us by God and they help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing our consciences and accept that they are there and that they are there for a good reason. Thank God we can change and deal with our lives and our characters. I am grateful that God can enable us to overcome our sinful natures and that He can transform us. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. Salvation will come out of Zion. He can and will do it and we will feel joy.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? What can I do to make amends? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this? How can I stop?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What evidence is there for what I think I am? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it?
5. Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? What will I do to deal with this? When will I deal with it? If there is not an issue, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
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