Psalm 84 Devotional

Key Verses: 2 and 10-11 "(2) My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God…(10) For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (11) For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Spurgeon Insights: "To feel His love, to rejoice in the Person of the Anointed Savior, to survey the promises and feel the power of the Holy Ghost in applying precious truth to the soul, is a joy which worldlings cannot understand, but which true believers are lavished with. Even a glimpse at the love of God is better than ages spent in the pleasures of sense."

To experience an awareness of God's presence satisfies the human soul. When you are in a relationship with God through faith in Jesus the presence of God is refreshing to your spirit. The Psalmist knew that when they authored Psalm 84. They knew that strength came from the renewing presence of the LORD.

I have looked for the refreshment that only the presence of God can bring into my life in a lot of different things. Sex, drugs, causes, politics, and music have all been part of my pleasure pursuit. None of them satisfy like the Person of God. The Holy Spirit in me is the reality of God's life inside me. The only true spiritual source of revival for churches, families, and individual Christians is an experience of God personally. We must have a personal life with God. This is what we need in our meetings as follower's of Jesus. We need the manifest presence of God which He desires to grant. Praise Him. Pray with me…

Father, I pray that You would continue to draw me into times of renewal and revival in one on one settings with you, as well as with your people. I need to know Your presence, not just believe correct facts about You as I read them in the Bible. Fill my soul with Yourself. Pour Your life into me so it can be lived out through me by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Psalm 73 Devotional

Key Verses: 27-28 "(27) For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. (28) But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works."

Spurgeon Insight: "(Unbelievers), who are far from God, perish…The greater our nearness to God, the less we are affected by the attractions and distractions of earth…He who is ready to believe the goodness of God will always see fresh goodness to believe in, and he who is ready to declare the works of God will never be silent for lack of wonders to declare."

The author of this Psalm is a guy named Asaph. Asaph wrote this Psalm to share a valuable lesson he had learned in his life with God. There was a time for Asaph when he was a bitter believer. He was upset as he saw how many totally messed up people seemed to get whatever they wanted out of life. He was a child of God and struggled a lot in life with different types of suffering and persecution. Did God not love Him?

What Asaph learned is that people who have whatever they want in life and die without a relationship with God really have nothing. They go into an eternity of suffering and judgment. The child of God who suffers their entire life on earth, and remains faithful, and goes to heaven with Jesus for eternity, never really missed out on anything consequential in the grand scheme of life. If we are followers of the Jesus Christ of the Bible today, right now, we have the nearness of God, His guidance, His presence. Though we die tonight, we live! We live in utter joy and fulfillment with our God and Savior Jesus Christ for time unending! My hope is that all who read this know without a doubt they have this kind of confidence because they have put their faith in Jesus, and know Him as a real person today. Ask Him to come into your life and cleanse you with forgiveness if you have never done that. True life and hope await you!

If you are a follower of Jesus, pray with me…

Father, Ie ask You to protect me from letting my heart get infatuated with fleeting pleasures. Help me to keep the joys of this life in perspective. Jesus, You died to bring me into relationship with You. You are the gift of salvation above all else. My mind knows that You ae all I need, but I need my heart to feel that reality today! Satisfy me with Yourself so I can be free from idolatry in the soul. You are all I need, my God. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Psalm 67 Devotional

Key Verses: 1-2 and 7 "(1) God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us, (2) that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations…(7) God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him."

Spurgeon Insight: "We are blessed for the sake of others as well as ourselves. God deals in a way of mercy with His saints, and then they make that way known far and wide, and the LORD's name is made famous in the earth…God shall bless us is our assured confidence; He may smite us, or strip us, or even slay us, but He must bless us. He cannot turn away from doing good to His elect."

This Psalm invokes the blessing of God on His people for the purpose of showing His goodness to those who don't yet know Him. They want to be blessed so that the entire world will see how loving God is with His people.

This Psalm really challenges my motivation in desiring God's blessing. The Psalm is liberating in one aspect because it shows that it is biblical and fine to simply ask God to bless me. Yet, the Psalm is challenging because it also shows that a primary reason I should want God to bless me is that others may be blessed through seeing how He has worked in my life. I shouldn't just want to benefit from God for myself. I should pursue His gifts so other people can see what God is in my life and be astonished at how great He is to people who don't deserve His love. I should want to be blessed by Jesus so that others can be blessed in seeing the good things they too can have in a relationship with Him.

Ask yourself some penetrating questions with me. Why do I want God to bless me? Is it just about me, or something bigger? Do I want His love to be lavished on me for the purpose of showing the goodness of Christ to other people? Is it even in my spiritual faculties to think that way?

Father, I want the type of heart that wants to be blessed so that those around me will catch a glimpse of Your love in my life. I pray others would see Your goodness in my life and want to know You so that they can experience Your goodness too. I thank You for those who have seen Your blessings in me and my family and been drawn to You. Praise You, LORD. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Grace and Peace

Psalm 62 Devotional

Key Verse: 8 "(8) Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah"

Spurgeon Insight: "We should trust when we can see, as well as when we are utterly in the dark…You to whom His love is revealed, reveal yourselves to Him; His heart is set on you; lay bear your hearts to Him…Sheep may well lay down when such pasture is before them."

This is another Psalm of David. He wrote it during a time when people were spreading lies about him. He was tempted to defend himself, but knew he couldn't really change anything in his situation by his power. He chose to entrust himself to the LORD, and that encourages me when I face similar situations, to do the same.

I have people in my life right now that are spreading lies about me. They are saying that I have done things I haven't done. They are telling people close to me that I said things I didn't say, that are hurtful. Their lies are driving a wedge between me and people close to me whom I greatly love. It is hard to deal with! I want to take vengeance. But David has a good reminder for me here. I need to wait on the LORD and entrust my future to Him. I have done what is biblical in the situation, and I need to rest in God's care now. He is my refuge and protection, not my own devices.

So what injustice are you facing today? Who is it? What is it? Make Jesus your Refuge. He is able to handle everything. None of it has taken Him by surprise! He's going to work in all that is heavy for you right now. Trust Him! Go to Him with me in prayer. He hears!

Father, give me the strength to wait on You when I am falsely slandered. I want learn to entrust myself to Your care instead of trying to control things. I pray for those who have hurt me, that You will convict them, and restore our relationship. Do a miracle of grace in our lives.

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Grace and Peace