Daily Devotions

Psalm 131 - Where Can you Find PEACE?

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When was the last time you were really calm & quiet?

- When was the last time you were sitting still and not worried or thinking about a million things that you could be doing or that needed to be done.

- When was the last time, you found peace and rest. 

- When you read Psalm 131, note where peace and rest begins.

- It does not begin with you.

- It does not end with you.

- It comes in the middle, in v.2 out of 3. 

- It is surrounded by recognizing WHO GOD IS and Who You Are...

- When we REALIZE the Overwhelming Love, Grace, Mercy, Majesty and Might of our LORD... We can finally stop striving to “do it all ourselves”. 

- What is ONE THING today, that you are worrying about, that you need to ask GOD for Help to Trust HIM With..

- Focus on just ONE THING, and write down what you could do... then write down what GOD could do and began to pray that GOD would help you trust HIM, with that one thing!

- GOD’s Plan are always better than our plans, but that is really hard to remember, in the midst of busyness. 

- Let’s Pray for & Pursue this Peace Today!

Psalm 130 - Praise GOD for HIS Mercy!

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Mercy... My Soul cries out for Mercy!

- Think back upon a time when you were REALLY GUILTY and you REALLY DESERVED PUNISHMENT but someone gave you GRACE & showed you MERCY!

- Maybe it was at work when you messed up a project or broke a piece of machinery.

- Maybe it was at school when you did not get your work done or do your part on a project?

- Maybe it was at home, when you completely forgot about an event, dinner, guest, etc.

- Maybe it was the store, when you made a mistake and they let you return something or helped make it right.

- We find mercy in so many places in our lives.

- We desire mercy in so many places in our lives.

- With GOD, we find the ultimate mercy, here in Psalm 130 and Romans 5:8.

- Spend time today, not thinking on your past sins, but thinking on GOD’s Great Mercy, shown to sinners, on the cross, where HE paid for all that we could never pay for on our own!

- PRAISE GOD, for HIS Great Mercy!

- Amen!

Psalm 129 - Let us REMEMBER what GOD has brought us from!

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What a wonderful Psalm to see what it is to read the psalms well.

- Think about the context of this Psalm.

- they are walking up to Jerusalem to remember what the LORD has done for them.

- On the way, they sing a song of history... honestly a song of oppression.

- they remember when they were under the judgment of nations around them, when they were enslaved to the small countries around Israel, because they had walked away from GOD (Read this during the time of Judges).

- They don’t sing about how they went their own way and were in sin, but they remember that GOD brought them back from this affliction.

- GOD brought them out and saved them from a time when others took away their harvest and money, as payment for simply existing.

- We can similarly, remember what GOD has brought us from.

- Even if is was a time of hardship that we brought on ourselves by our own sin, we can remember that GOD has brought us out of that time and brought us to where we are today.

- And we can praise the LORD for HIS Provision and worship HIM, just as the Israelites were preparing to do in Psalm 129.

- Praise GOD, for HIS Great Grace!

- Amen!

Psalm 128 - Reading the Psalms Well.

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There are two main points of confusion on Psalms like Psalm 128. 

1. The First Point of Confusion:

People claim promises of GOD’s Word as things that GOD “owes” them.

- We forget to consider the context of the writing and the message of wisdom that it teaches.

- These are general principles that very well may have been specific things that were being seen when this was written.

2. The Second point of confusion:

- This was written to the people of GOD, Israel, before CHRIST,

- Israel was the nation that was to represent GOD to the World and make known the fact that there is ONE TRUE GOD, One Creator and that all idols are false gods and not to be worshipped. 

- Today, we are the people of GOD, believers who are meant to be Ambassadors for GOD and to represent GOD to the entire world, regardless of the nation we were born into. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

SOLUTION to the CONFUSION:

- Read the context of the Psalm.

- Remember when it was written.

- Take the Timeless truth of the psalm as a timeless truth.

- What truth do you see all over the Bible in other scriptures as well. 

For Psalm 128...

- We are blessed when we fear God.

- We are blessed when we labor well and teach our families to fear GOD.

- We pray for the prosperity, the growth the blessing of GOD’s Church in our lifetime, that is GOD’s People, around the world representing HIM to the World!

- We Pray for GOD to use us, in a corrupt world to shine like stars in a darkened night (Philippians 2:12-18). 

- Let us Praise the LORD today for HIS Provision and seek to Honor with how we live... That is a timeless truth that we see confirmed again and again in the rest of Scripture, including the New Testament! (Philippians 1:27; Ephesians 4:1)

Psalm 127 - Do We Trust GOD with Our Daily & Life-Time Labor?

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Have you ever had a day where you felt like it was easy, you enjoyed your labor and you were amazed at the work you were able to get done?

- You may have been at the office, or you may have been gardening, building a fence, cleaning the house, writing a paper etc.

- I Love the picture of Psalm 127.

- the two parts of Psalm 127 seem to be talking about two completely different things.

- Ultimately I think it is talking about one thing, 

---> Trusting the LORD with the Labor, the Work that HE gives us to do today.

- Doing that work for GOD’s Glory and then going to rest, trusting GOD for what was accomplished and what was left undone.

- That is hard for all of us, and in labor, working hard, we can depend on ourselves, deprive ourselves of sleep, make ourselves sick and convince ourselves that if we don’t keep working the world will end.

- We know the truth. 

- Whatever happens with that job, project, etc. The Sun will come up tomorrow, because of GOD’s Mighty hand, not because of our efforts.

- The Question is, at the most stressful and least stressful times of labor, with daily work, or the life-long work of raising Children... “Are We Trusting GOD with that work?”

- That is a question and a daily prayer request for GOD to help us trust HIM, more than we trust what we ourselves can “get done” today.

- Let’s Pray for GOD’s Help today!

Psalm 126 - GOD’s Great Provision!

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Praise the LORD for HIS Provision.

- Yesterday we looked at worrisome things from Psalm 125 and how we must Remember that GOD is with us and can do anything HE pleases with our hard situations.

- Today, we read a psalm of Rejoicing over GOD Providing in a mighty way and brining HIS people out of a hard time.

- We see Amazing Pictures of GOD’s provision, in a manner that could only be from GOD’s hands, as people seem to leave their house in the morning, with seeds to plant and then come home with a harvest in hand. 

- Today, let’s think about things that we are worried about having provided for us or that we may worry about trying to acquire on our own through work or wisdom.

- It is good and necessary and a blessing to work.

- It is good and necessary to ask GOD for Wisdom & to use it!

- It is always NECESSARY FOR FAITH, to Trust GOD in all these things.

- I love this Psalm, because it reminds us, that is we need $20 or $20 million, GOD can move in mighty ways, even in a day.

- I am often reminded that Joseph went from being a slave in Pharoah’s dungeon to ruling the country in less than a day.

- Let’s remember that, as we look to the future and let this psalm and GOD’s Word remind us to LOOK TO THE LORD AND PRAY for Any Needs we have, big and small!

- Praise GOD, that we have a GOD who Hears us and is With us!

- Amen!

Psalm 125 - REMEMBERing That the LORD is With HIS People!

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Think upon whatever you face today or in the future that you are afraid of or could be afraid of.

- Do not think about it in a worrisome way, but think about what you could fear in the future.

- Like losing a loved one, losing financial security, losing a home you have spent so long building.

- Finding out you have a sickness that is long-term or debilitating.

- Think about those things and then THINK about what GOD could do, In the midst of those things.

- I Love these few psalms that talk about GOD being the provision, the protection, the answer to our greatest needs.

- Too Often when I think about things like those mentioned above I turn to solutions like, more savings, better investments, eating healthier and preparing for the worst. 

- Those are good things that I can and probably should be doing anyway... BUT, how often do we think about those things and forget the following...

- Death - Brings Eternal Life in CHRIST, for the Believer!

- Financial Shortage - Brings Greater Dependence upon GOD.

- Debilitating or failing health, brings patience, waiting, a new perspective and a moment by moment dependence on the LORD.

- And in All these things... the One who owns every amount of financial security in the World is GOD, and if we need anything, People of Faith are called to ask the GOD Who can Provide - Jehovah Jireh! --> This is the same GOD who can immediately Heal and Who offers even the death bed critique forgiveness and faith for whosoever will believe.

- When worries or Really Hard Times come into our lives, let us ask GOD to help us Remember the LORD Surrounds HIS People and is the first place we should turn when we worry or when or worries become a new reality.

- In All this, let us REMEMBER the LORD is With Us! Amen!

Psalm 124 - Let Us Remember & Praise the LORD Today!

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Let the People of GOD, the followers of CHRIST, the Believers in the World, recognize GOD’s personal protection, provision and watching over their lives.

- Think back over how GOD has protected you from 

1. Your own bad decisions (I have many of these)

2. Those who wanted to hurt or slander you for Christ’s name, but failed.

3. Situations that affected everyone around you, but not you, perhaps because of GOD’s Peace in your soul.

4. All the heartache and pain that others have struggled with, that you were helped through by Faith in GOD, rather than your circumstances.

5. How GOD is helping you and has blessed you even today, in ways you may not even see yet.

--- Let us Praise the LORD today, for HIS Mighty Provision, even when we don’t see it all clearly. 

--- Let us take some time today, to remember what HE has already brought us through.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Psalm 123 - Looking to Be A SERVANT, for the LORD!

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What are some of the Ways you SERVE THE LORD?

- In your home, showing GOD’s Love, Sharing the Gospel, leading others to hear and trust GOD’s Word... 

---> Write down how you have done those things this past week (successes / failures) and how you hope to do them in the future. 

- At Your Workplace, as a light and witness to others, who may just want to criticize, demean, tear down or speak negatively about everything. How do you show them Hope and even share GOD’s Word as opportunity allows. This is your personal witness, so there is no option to say, “I’m not allowed” to be nice, show love and encourage others... 

---> Write down how you have done those things this past week (successes / failures) and how you hope to do them in the future. 

- At the Local Church, how have you been able to humbly serve, not seek your own glory and encourage others in CHRIST. That could be holding a door, bringing snacks, sending encouraging messages to others, serving in a ministry role with games, tech team, making coffee, nursery, etc. 

---> Write down how you have done those things this past week (successes / failures) and how you hope to do them in the future. 

- Psalm 123, gives us the picture that we are to be as servants, always watching for where GOD is working and calling us into HIS Ministry. 

- Always listening for opportunities to speak, encourage and direct others towards the GOD Who Loves them and sent HIS SON to make the way for them to have a relationship with HIM. 

- We will always have failures during every week in serving or not serving the LORD. Let’s look for the little ways we can have successes and ways we can plan for success, even when things don’t work according to our plans.

Psalm 122 - Daily SEEKING to Pursue CHRIST, Together.

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“O How good it is, when the family of God, all dwell together, in faith and unity...” - Keith & Kristyn Getty

- This is a picture of the people of GOD coming to Worship at Jerusalem, at the temple, where the presence of GOD dwelt. 

- Listen to how they are for the good of that fellowship.

- they are for the good of the city and the temple and want it to be protected so that they will have a place to gather and worship.

- Since JESUS has come, GOD The HOLY SPIRIT dwells within every believer... 

- GOD Dwells with us, wherever We Go, As the Church, GOD’s People.

- Today, what we protect is not a building or a city, but the unity of the body of CHRIST. 

- We pray & Seek for purity, that we would remain submitted to GOD’s Word and living Godly lives. 

- We Pray & Seek Fellowship with those who love GOD. 

- We seek our security, not in a temple or a building but in CHRIST.

- We seek our fellowship, not just in a festival a few times a year, but in daily touching base, texting, calling, contacting, praying for and seeking out those who are pursuing the same faithfulness to CHRIST.

- We seek out fellowship, that helps us Pursue Christ Daily, that together, we may encourage, spur on and strength one another.

- This is the picture of Hebrews 10:19-25 and so many other places in the New Testament, from Colossians, to Ephesians, to James, and more. 

- Today, let’s remember, that GOD is with us and seek fellowship with others that are truly Seeking to Follow Christ Well, Today!

- Until we hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master”... (Parable, in Matthew 25 & Luke 19)