Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: January 17, 2020


Psalm 140:4-6   "Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.  (5)  The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.  (6)  I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD."

As we read these verses, no doubt our minds go to other people. We may know them personally. We may know of them through the news. We may know them in our own minds and imaginations. But as I read them this morning, I ask are these wicked, violent, and proud found in me? "What do you mean?" you ask. I'm glad you asked.

Because of the sin nature with which I was born, I have to realize that I have the full capability of having wicked thoughts. I do not want to think I am violent; yet, within me are those thoughts of anger, envy, and other carnal matters. I am fully capable of setting the traps for myself. I must constantly be on guard against myself.

"Keep me, O LORD. Hold me and protect me from myself. Keep me from damaging others. Keep me from damaging my own spirituality. Thank you Father that I am covered and protected by the blood of Jesus Christ."  In that prayer, it is very important for us to confirm that God is my God. There is definitely power in our lives when we verbalize our faith. "If you believe in your heart and CONFESS with  your mouth." There is strength in hearing ourselves confirm our love for the Lord. When was the last time you, or I, spoke it?

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...

Daily Devotion: An Important Question

In one of the great Psalms of thanksgiving, the writer asked a most pertinent question. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits toward me” (Psalm 116:12) ? We may observe two elements in this question. The psalmist acknowledges having received many benefits, or blessings, at the hand of the Lord. For the believer, to be the receiver of blessings from the Lord is a fact beyond question. That is one facet of a proper perception of reality. However, for the unbeliever, or even for the nominal believer, such things come in the course of nature, or as a matter of deserving them. But to fail to see that such benefits and blessings come from the Lord is to lose touch with reality. The other element of the question is that the writer expresses a sense of obligation to the Lord and reveals a desire to do something in response to the amazing goodness of God to him. It is the reflex of the godly heart to desire to do something in response to the perceived go...