Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 108:1-13
Ps 108:1-13
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered. God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my wash basin; upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph." Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
Who am I to question God? If we really trust him as God and if we really believe that he is all powerful, all wise and forever guided by his love, why would we ever question what happens to us? God is love. God is faithful. God is full of mercy and compassion. But God is just, and God is a consuming fire, bringing vengeance on those who do not know him as God or obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
One of the great things we learn from studying Old Testament history is that God never failed to keep his word. Also, he holds everyone accountable for the way they live and for their actions. As we focus on the people of Israel, we sometimes forget that they were a relatively small part of the population of the world. Just because the Bible is the history of the coming Messiah through the lineage of Israel, does not mean that God ignored the Gentiles or how they lived.
Each person was being held accountable for their own lives and there were those who served the Lord God. In fact, we read of some among the Gentiles who were priests to the God of heaven. This is because God wants everyone to serve him as God and to be saved from sin. God made us in his image with the purpose of living with him in eternity and he makes it possible through Jesus Christ.
Lord God, what a blessing to be your child and to know that you have forgiven me of all my sin in Jesus Christ. Thank you for the love you show to me every day in more ways than I can count. But as I look at you and realize your holiness, your glory, your majesty, and your wisdom, I see just how weak and frail I am. I need you every hour of every day to lead me, guide me, to empower me, and to move me in the right direction. Use me to serve you as you show me ways to serve those around me. Continue to forgive me when I fail. I pray in Jesus name.
Robert
