Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 32:6-11
Ps 32:6-11
Therefore, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Reach out to the Lord and he will hear you. James says that when we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. He wants us to be near him and in fellowship with him. God longs for us to have a good relationship with him because he is our Father and he is the one who made us to be like him. But he will not force us to be in his family or to accept Jesus, either as our Savior or our example.
The great thing about being in the family of God is that we have someone with whom we can connect at any time. We can reach out and know that Jesus is near and that he will understand what we are facing – good or bad. We know that the Father is always ready to let us come into his presence and empty our hearts to him. But we also have the love of other people who are struggling alongside us, who want to help us and be there for us. But we must be open to help.
One of the sad things I have seen over the years is how many times when people are struggling, they turn away from their church family instead of turning to them. They gradually quit coming to the services and gradually pull away from the very people who love them and want to help them. Why? Maybe fear of being judged by them. Maybe afraid people will talk about them. Maybe because the devil has convinced them that their church family will not understand, or even worse, that they don’t care. But it goes both ways. When hurting we need to reach out to our Jesus family. But when we see someone hurting or struggling, as family, we need to reach out to them and try to help them. Love your family as yourself.
O Lord God, help me appreciate my family in Jesus. I know that this church family is not perfect, just like my physical family is not perfect, but keep me from ever giving up on either one. Give me wisdom to turn to people who love me when I am hurting or when I am struggling. Help me to be available and willing to listen to others in their pain and to be ready to help when needed. Thank you for so many who have helped me in the past to get through some very difficult times in my life. Give me wisdom and a loving heart. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
