Daily Devotionals

Daily Devotionals

Daily Devotional: Psalms 31:11-13

Ps 31:11-13

Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. For I hear the whispering of many — terror on every side! — as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.

Phil 3:4b-7

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

As I read this part of the Psalm, I could not help but think of Job and how he was scorned and rejected because of the disfiguration brought on by his sores, his grief, and probably his drastic loss of weight. Even his closest friends turned away from him. This brought to mind what Isaiah said of our Lord at the time of his crucifixion; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him. He was despised and rejected, and they hid their faces from him.

Then I thought of Saul of Tarsus, after he became Paul, the apostle of Jesus. He had been in a position of authority, one who was regarded as a young man on the move among the elite in Jerusalem. After he rejected all of this and followed Jesus, the ones who had lauded him now sought to kill him. Those who had shown him respect and honor now regarded him as a traitor and heretic.

All of this to say that we are who we are, regardless of what others think. David was a man after God’s own heart but was scorned. Paul was one of the greatest of the apostles, yet among the religious leaders, he was deserving of death because he had turned his back on all that he had been taught. Jesus, the Son of God in the flesh was never found to be with fault by any who were honest, yet he was treated as badly as anyone who ever lived. Form your convictions on scripture and stand for them. Popular? Probably not. Scorned? Very possible.

O Lord God, help me to be at peace with all men, as much as is possible. But help me remember that it is not always possible and that standing for you and for your word may not always be popular. Give me wisdom to understand your word and to know how to apply it to my life. Use me to serve you by serving those around me. I ask you to give strength and greater faith to those who are struggling to be faithful because of the circumstances in their lives. Be with your people that we can love each other and show Jesus to the world. In his name I pray.

Robert