Today’s scripture: Psalm 18:37-50
Today covers a lot of verses, but I want to focus on one word: deliver.
I talk a lot about God’s grace and mercy, His everlasting love, His divine attributes.
But I don’t know if I’ve looked at His being my deliver often.
I have been delivered … from so much.
Abuse. Heartache. Suffering. Pain. Uncertainty. Doubt. Rebellion. Fear.
When I look back over my 54 years on earth, I see time and again how God has delivered
me. I think about how I used to do such stupid, reckless things, things that
could have led to catastrophe. And He delivered me.
Most of all, He delivered me from myself. From my poor choices. From my wanting
my own way.
Because He delivered me, I know I’m following His plan, fulfilling His purpose,
doing His will.
And I am blessed.
Today’s scripture: Psalm 18:35-36
It’s been a long time since I’ve been around little ones on a regular basis,
but I have fond memories of watching my nieces and nephews learning to walk.
First, they’d pull themselves up on a chair or table. Then, they’d take a step
or two. Finally, they’d fall on their diapered behinds.
We grown-ups would applaud them for their attempt, and they’d just grin!
What I really loved doing, though, was taking their little hands and pulling
them up. With my guidance, they’d take more steps than they could on their own.
That’s what I picture when I think of God’s “right hand [holding] me up.”
Sometimes, when I try to take steps on my own, I fall. But when I reach out for my Daddy's hand, He guides me along the path
He designed just for me.
When I follow His path, “my feet [do] not slip.”
Today’s
scripture: Psalm 18:31-34
There is no other God but our Lord. None.
He is the one who “arms [us] with strength, and makes [our] way perfect.” He
leads and guides and protects.
He gives energy and power. He showers with grace and mercy.
He loves beyond comprehension. Peace and joy and hope come from Him.
There is nothing we are, nothing we have, that is not from Him.
Today’s society (and even some “churches”) spout that we are in control. We can
find our own happiness. We can become our own “god.”
But no!
There is one God. One Creator. One Lord. One Savior. One Redeemer.
One.
Today’s
scripture: Psalm 18:28-30
Have you ever been in darkness? I mean, complete darkness? Years ago, we toured
an underground cavern, and after walking several hundred feet into the lowest
part, the tour guide turned off the lights for a moment or two.
Complete, utter darkness.
Then he lit a single match, and the cavern was illuminated.
Many of us have experienced spiritual or emotional darkness. Times when God
seems so far away.
Complete, utter darkness.
But when we turn back to Him, when we seek His face, when we confess our sin,
He shines a light that chases the darkness. He is light itself, and “in Him is
no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
Are you feeling the darkness press from all sides? Go to the Light. Ask Him to
illuminate your darkness. Turn to Him. Seek His face. Confess.
And the Light will shine.
Today’s
scripture: Psalm 18:25-27
So many times in the Bible, we’re shown how God promises to shower blessings
upon His people if they obey Him. And so many times, we see how His people
refused to obey. Not much has changed …
However, God still promises to show mercy to those who are merciful. When we
show love to those who hurt us, we show the mercy of God.
Blameless and pure are a bit more difficult, though. Only God Himself is both of
these, so how can we be either? The Contemporary
English Version interprets these as faithful and sincere. The New Living Translation uses the word integrity in place of blameless.
The Message replaces pure with truth.
What can we conclude?
Well, this is just my opinion, but I believe God calls us to be merciful, just
as He is. And to be people of integrity, striving to be blameless as He is. And
to live in His truth, knowing that by following it, we will be purer as we
become more like Christ.
And that’s the goal, isn’t it?
Today’s scripture: Psalm 18:20-24
As I often do, I looked at today’s scripture in a couple different versions.
Words like “recompensed” sometimes need a more contemporary rendering. Two of
my favorite paraphrases are the Contemporary
English Version and the New Living Bible.
Both help to clarify the psalmist words.
I’m especially taken with the NLT version. The psalmist writes: “The Lord rewarded
me for doing right …” (20).
That sounds great, doesn’t it? But the question must be asked: What is right?
I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
Wow.
Can I say the same? Can you? Am I worthy of a reward? Are you?
I don’t know about you, but these verses make me long to say, “Yes!”
And so, while I’m far from perfect, I’m encouraged again to seek God with a
stronger focus, striving to be more and more like Jesus.
Today’s scripture: Psalm 18:4-19
Last week, we talked about how King David faced enemies of all kinds. Today’s
verses describe vividly how the Lord helped David vanquish his enemies and delivered
him.
I’ve never faced anything quite so terrifying nor have I seen God’s power as the
psalmist describes. But I have faced my own enemies, some of them within my own
heart. I’ve cried out for deliverance from pain. I’ve pleaded for help to
forgive. I’ve battled my own sins.
And every time—every time—God was my “support.” He brought me through very dark
places. He lifted me when I couldn’t walk. He gave me grace—and helped me to
show grace to others.
And I believe, as David did, that He delivered me then—and will deliver me in
the future—because He delights in me. He loves me as His precious daughter.
So I don’t need to fear or fret. My loving Abba will always take care of me.
Today’s scripture: Psalm 18:1-3
The psalmist describes the Lord God with several words that bring me—and I hope
you—encouragement.
First, he writes of God’s strength. I often write of how difficult it can be to
get through poor-health days, but I know that Jesus will always give me
whatever strength I need to get through those days.
Second, he writes of the Lord’s being a rock. My husband and I love to take road
trips visiting different areas of this beautiful nation. A couple of our favorites
are Yosemite National Park in Northern California and Zion National Park in
Utah. Two must-sees in these breathtaking (in the truest sense of the word) parks are Half Dome in the
former and The Narrows in the latter. Both are examples of solid rock. Seemingly-immovable.
Powerful. Magnificent. Amazing. Our God is stronger, more powerful, and truly
immovable.
Third, he writes of God as a fortress. I just finished watching a six-part BBC
series on castles in Great Britain, and each was built as a fortress to protect
its inhabitants from all enemies. Our God protects us even more than any
manmade fortress.
Finally, while he also writes of His being a stronghold (which to me seems very
much like strength and a fortress) and a shield, the final word that touches my
heart is “deliverer.” God has delivered me from so much. From my own sin. From
abuse. From pain. From depression.
I know I can “call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,” and He will
hear me. He’ll be my strength, my solid rock, my unconquerable fortress, and my
faithful deliverer.
He’s the same for you.
Today's scripture: Psalm 17:15
The Bible tells us that the first man was made in the "image of God"
(Genesis 1:27). Adam and Eve, before the fall, communed with the Creator
Himself. Then sin entered the world, and everything was skewed.
Perhaps that image was skewed as well. Perhaps we don't carry the image of God
on our faces. When we commit our lives to the Lord, though, we begin a journey
to become more and more like Jesus.
We strive to be more loving, kinder, and gentler. We demonstrate more patience
and joy. We are more forgiving.
In these ways, we are indeed showing God's image. The more we live like Christ,
the more like Him we are. The more we are like Him, the more we may attract
others to Him.
One day, we will do more than see Christ through our fellow believers. One day,
we will see our Lord face-to-face. We will see His work in us and in the lives
of others who follow Him.
While we linger on earth, our goal should be to live like Christ, being a godly
influence on those around us. The, we can look forward to the day when we see
Him ... face-to-face.
Today's scripture: Psalm 17:13-14
On Wednesday, we looked at how God
helps us deal with the enemy of our souls, but some of us also deal with the
"wicked" here on earth. Wicked humans, I mean.
Some of us have been—or are being—abused. Some of us have been betrayed. Some
of us have been on the wrong end of a business deal gone wrong.
As often happens, many of us will never see the one (or ones) who hurt us
punished on earth. In fact, it seems—more often than not—that the bad guys are
always winning. Otherwise, why would there be that old saying, "Nice guys
finish last"? The assumption is that bad guys finish first.
It just doesn't seem fair.
So, what do we do when the bad guys win? When they finish first?
We have to give it over to God. That might be the easy part. We also have to
forgive. This is not the easy part,
but it's oh-so necessary.
I experienced sexual abuse at the hands of multiple perpetrators, and for a
very long time, I let the hate and anger I felt toward them nearly destroy my
faith. When I finally found my way back to the Lord, one thing I really
struggled with was His telling me that I needed to forgive those who hurt me.
To be honest, I really didn't want to. After all, they never asked for my
forgiveness. They certainly didn't deserve it.
Then I was reminded of how Jesus had forgiven me when I didn't deserve it. So,
with the help of the Lord, I forgave ... and it was the most freeing
experience. I wasn't bogged down by hate or anger any longer.
I don't know if any of my abusers has suffered human judgment for their acts,
but I do know that God "as delivered my life from the wicked." They
no longer have any control at all over my life.
If you're struggling with an earthly enemy, I encourage you to give it over to
God. Let Him judge. Let Him take care of the situation.
Live in the freedom of a forgiven—and forgiving—heart.
Today's scripture: Psalm 17:10-12
King David, the author of Psalm 17, faced enemies—real enemies that wanted to
see him dead. Many times through the psalms he wrote, he cried out for God's
deliverance from those enemies.
We may not face human enemies, but we are certainly under attack. As Paul
wrote, "We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers
of darkness and powers in the spiritual world" (CEV, Ephesians 6:12).
The enemy of our souls, Satan himself, wants nothing more than to keep us from
serving and worshipping God. He knows he's lost the war because I truly believe
we can never lose our salvation, but he can keep us away from God. He can
whisper words of doubt. He can make us question our faith. He can keep us
stagnant, keeping us from growing as children of God.
When we find ourselves doubting or questioning, we need to go immediately to
the One who loves us. We need to open our hearts to Him, sharing what's deep in
our souls. He will cover us with His love and remind us that He is the Victor,
and one day, He will vanquish the enemy (Revelation 20:10).
We can live in hope that God will help us fight the enemy while we're on earth,
and we can rejoice in the assurance that He, one day, will conquer the enemy
forever.
Today's scripture: Psalm 17:6-9
I love how much truth and hope and encouragement I can find in just a few
verses. As I read today's scripture, I find:
God hears me every time I call on Him.
No matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing, He hears me. He "incline[s
His] ear to me ..." This assurance encourages me so much!
He shows me "marvelous
lovingkindness." My God, the Creator of the universe, loves me. Me.
Flawed, fleshly, fallible me. He demonstrates His love in so many ways.
Provision. Protection. Peace through the storm. Carrying me when I can't take a
step (see yesterday's devotional).
I am the "apple of [His] eye."
According to the Urban Dictionary,
this phrase means "one's favorite person; the one you love most."
While I don't believe God loves anyone more than others, it's encouraging to
remember that He thinks I'm special ... and you are too!
He hides me "under the shadow of
[His] wings." I don't have to worry about what the day will bring
because He protects me. When the storms come, He covers me from the rain. When
I face crises or difficulties, He will keep me safe.
Our God is so very good, and He loves to shower us with blessings ... and He
loves to encourage us by reminding us of His love and care.
Today's
scripture: Psalm 17:4-5
We all have them ... those mornings when we just want to burrow under the
covers and hibernate for the day. You know exactly what I'm talking about,
don't you?
When I face those morning—knowing full well I can't just stay in bed—I often
plead, "Lord Jesus, would You please hold my hand more tightly this
morning?" Then I read words like verse 5 of today's scripture:
"Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip."
Our Savior, our Shepherd, walks alongside us every day. Every moment. He never
leaves us (Hebrews 13:5). We're never alone. Not only will the Lord
"uphold [our] steps," but He will also carry us when we can't even take a step: "Care for [us]; carry
[us] like a good shepherd" (MSG, Psalm 28:9).
I don't know about you, but these words bring me hope. If it weren't for the promise
of the Lord's constant presence, I wouldn't want
to get up each morning. If it weren't for the promise of His carrying me, I
wouldn't be able to get up each
morning.
You're not alone. When you can't seem to pull yourself out of bed, when you
can't take a step, call out to your Lord and Savior. Cry out to Him and ask Him
to hold your hand more tightly ...
today and every day.
