Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 78:17-24
Ps 78:17-24
But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the desert? When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?" When the Lord heard them, he was very angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
1 Cor 3:18-20
Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."
The strongest person is the one who depends on the strength of Jesus, because in him we can do all things. The wisest person is the one who accepts the wisdom that comes from above because it gives us all the things that we want in life but cannot attain on our own. But, for us to have this wisdom, we must abandon our own and “foolishly” accept God’s way, his thinking and his plan for our lives.
This requires us to give up our ego, our control, and our desire to be recognized by others around us. In doing so, we find that God has a better life in store for us than we ever realized was possible. Pursuing happiness, fulfilment, and peace of mind is futile because they are as illusive as the rainbow. The pot of gold is just over the horizon or just around the corner, but it never becomes reality.
In Christ, with his wisdom, we find peace that surpasses our comprehension. It is an inner peace that is based on our peace with God and allows us to be at peace with almost everyone around us. This eliminates our worry because we now have strength to overcome and accomplish whatever aligns with his will for us. In Jesus a righteousness from God is revealed that is based on faith from first to last.
O Lord, help me give up myself, my will, and my desires to allow your Spirit to work in me and mold me into your image. Forgive my past failures, my apathy at times, my anxieties, and my lack of faith. Instill me with your strength, give me your wisdom, and fill me with your love, combined with patience and compassion toward others. Help me become a servant without concern for who gets the credit for what you accomplish in me. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
