Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 149:1-5
Psalms 149:1-5
1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. 3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. 4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.
What a joy and privilege to serve the God of heaven! Contrary to what the devil would have us believe, it is a true joy to serve God. In fact, the more dedicated we are in our service, the more we will enjoy doing it. The more we give him, the more we get in return. True worship yields abundant rewards.
What we receive from God are things that money cannot buy, we cannot make for ourselves and it is what the whole world is seeking. We get true peace of mind, joy in our hearts and a love that is so strong, we even love our enemies, those who hate us and mistreat us.
Another benefit from serving God is that as we serve him, we grow to be more like him. As we constantly look to Jesus as our Lord, we allow his Spirit to work in us, change us and mold us into his image. As we follow the example of Jesus in our lives we find ourselves growing closer to God, stronger in our faith and more secure in our relationship with him.
Serving God is in many ways like being married. We constantly work to build and enhance that relationship. The more communication we have with each other, the stronger our bond grows. The more we serve each other, the more we are served. And it is not a part-time responsibility. We are not married just a few hours each week but it is a 24/7 proposition with each giving all we have to it all of the time. Someone has wisely said that divorce is 50%/50% but marriage is 100%/100%. But the great thing about a good marriage is that neither is counting or keeping up with what the other is doing. We do and we give because we love. So is our service to God and to Jesus our Savior and our Lord.
Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that I have been given the opportunity to serve you and to be your child. As I see your absolute and glorious nature, I realize how far short I fall in so many ways and I thank you for your continuous forgiveness. Give me a willing heart to accept your Spirit and his work in my life. Thank you for Jesus and your way of redemption revealed in the gospel. Strengthen my faith and help me serve you more fully every day. Use me in your will to help others. Take away my selfishness and fill me with your love and compassion. Be with those who are sick or hurting. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
