Devotional Thoughts

Psalm 63:1-2  A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.  "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;  (2)  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." "O God, thou art my God." We read these words and often think David is speaking the same thing about God. But in the original Hebrew, the word, God, used here are two different meanings. Let me try to explain what I see in these words. The first term, God, is used concerning the source of authority and power. He was saying that the Almighty God is the very One who directs his steps. We read back in Psalm 37:23, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD."  In other words, our ways are under the direction and authority of the Lord when we walk in the paths of righteousness. That is the first term used for God in today's verse. The second term for God ...

Romans 14:20-23     “For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed   are   pure; but   it is   evil for that man who eateth with offence.  It is   good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor   any thing   whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have   it   to thyself before God. Happy   is   he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because   he eateth   not of faith: for whatsoever   is   not of faith is sin.” In verse nineteen of this chapter, Paul has just admonished us to “follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” One of the reasons we are so often compared to sheep in the scripture is because sheep require a peaceful environment in order to thrive. Our Good Shepherd leads us into such environments by His grace. ...

Psalm 62:5-8    "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.  (6)  He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.  (7)  In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.  (8)  Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." This Psalm, as all of God's Word, is filled with wonderful instruction for us in our approach to each day. For me, each day becomes a battle of the mind and I often need reassurance from the Lord. Maybe that isn't your testimony, if so, then be sure to thank God daily for such a blessing of peace and calmness in your life. But if you sometimes get anxious over the things of this world and the daily news that wars and rumors of wars are all around us, then this Psalm is for you and me. David speaks twice in this one Psalm concerning the beautiful truth that "God is my salvation and my gl...

Romans 14:16-19    “Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ   is   acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” In the previous verses of this chapter, Paul has pointed out the fact that we are not all in the same place in our understanding. One brother is fine with eating meat while another will only eat herbs. Some celebrate certain days above others, and others treat every day the same. The common factor in all of this is that if we are doing it for the right reasons and in the right way, then God gets the glory. We have been admonished that handling things in the right way and for the right reasons includes not offending a brother whose faith is weaker. Now Paul tells us that it is our responsibility t...

Psalm 61:1-4  To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.   "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.  (2)  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  (3)  For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.  (4)  I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah." I must admit to you that there are times when I cry out to God without stopping to realize the very basis upon which He hears my prayers. There is indeed a reason upon which God hears us when we cry out to Him. It isn't simply because we are hurting; though, He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. It isn't simply because we have gotten ourselves into a mess and don't know how to get out. It isn't simply because we need help in any given situation. No, there is only one basis upon which God hears our prayers AND there is only one b...

Romans 14:13-15     “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in   his   brother’s way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that   there is   nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him   it is   unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with   thy   meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.” Paul’s instruction concerning judging one another is very simple: don’t do it. Where we might once have been tempted to do so, we now understand that we all belong to Christ. As such, we are His servants and we all answer to Him. If we truly understand this, then we should cease from judging His servants from this point forward. Now comes the part that many of us would rather avoid. Paul says if we are going to judge something, then turn that judgment wit...

Psalm 59:16-17    "But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.  (17)  Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy." In both Psalms 58 and 59, David is expressing his frustration and concern about those who were trying to overthrow him. King Saul was relentless in trying to discredit and ultimately trying to kill David.  Greed and envy are such terrible destroyers of both the vessels that carry them and those that are affected by it. But through it all, David was determined to keep His heart, mind, and eyes upon the Lord. At one point, he expressed the truth that those who were against him were there in order that he would not forget God. Other times, he would ask the Lord to destroy them in order for him to have peace. But the one thing that helped David throughout his entire life was his heart for the Lord. God even ...

Romans 14:10-12    “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written,   As   I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” A couple of verses previous to this Paul has told us that, whether we live or die, we belong to Christ. If we stand or if we fall, we belong to Christ. He has paid the price for us, and He alone has the right to claim us as His. In this, we are all the same: we are His as the result of what He has done and through no strength or our own. Knowing this to be true, why are often so ready to condemn our brother? If we understand that He belongs to Christ, we should be seeking ways to help him rather than condemn him. How can we despise our brother who belongs to Christ, and indeed, why should we? If we despise our brother, we h...

Psalm 57:1   To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." Psalm 57:7     "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise." Psalm 57:11   "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth." In this Psalm, David is making some declarations concerning his heart's position in the Lord. "My heart is fixed, O God." In my mind, I see three definitions of this word, "fixed". My heart is repaired, O God.  He is saying that the grace of God has done a procedure in his life where his heart has been made new. Then he also was saying, "My heart is in a set position, O God." I will not waver from my trust and confidence in you, O God. And the third definition could b...

Romans 14:7-9     “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.” Paul has instructed us that we owe a debt of love to one another (Rom 13:8). He has counseled us to live peaceably together without assuming to judge the Lord’s servants. We have been advised to not be so focused on our differences. Instead, we should recognize the intent with which we do things (Rom 14:3-6). No matter how independent we might consider ourselves to be, we do not live our lives in a vacuum. Our lives have an impact on those around us. This is true while we live, and it is true when we die. It is true because God has knitted our hearts together in His love. What wondrous love we have experienced to be blessed to realize th...

Psalm 56:3-4    "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.  (4)  In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." Psalm 56:8-11    "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?  (9)  When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.  (10)  In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.  (11)  In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me." Trust is a very important matter. We place our trust in others. We place our trust that our vehicles will move us from one place to another. When we are going to a place unknown, we trust the GPS system to help us arrive. There have been many times when I would pray, "Lord, I have no idea where I am if I lose connection with this GPS." Talk about blind trust. But even in that, I find myself going to a high...

Romans 14:4-6    “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day   alike.   Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth   it   unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard   it.   He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.” If we have been blessed with the mind of Christ, then we are able to discern whether or not someone’s actions are good or evil. The scripture certainly tells us that we can judge (know) a tree by its fruit. Having the ability to make this sort of judgment is necessary if we are to comprehend Peter’s instruction to eschew evil and do good (1 Peter 3:11). However, being able to ...

Psalm 55:16-17    "As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.  (17)  Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Psalm 55:22    "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." This 55th Psalm is a very interesting one, to say the least. Quite honestly, if I didn't know better, I would think it had been written within the past 4 years concerning our own nation. We read in the very middle of the Psalm, "For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance." (Psalm 55:12-13) One of Satan's most used tactics is to try to drive a wedge between people. And the wedge that is most often used is that of pride. We read in James 4:1, "Fr...

Romans 14:1-3     “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.” It becomes quickly evident as we begin to follow Christ that we do not all have the same measure of faith. We are often tempted to try and “correct” what we may perceive as a deficiency in a brother or sister. While I intentions may be good, this can come across as holding them on the fringes of our fellowship. This is not the way that Paul taught. We are not instructed to strengthen the faith of those that might be weaker in their understanding of the power of Christ to save. If their faith is in Christ, then we need to receive them and love them as fellow servants. Certainly, we should speak freely about our faith and our understanding, but we should d...

Psalm 54:1-7   To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us? "Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.  (2)  Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.  (3)  For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.  (4)  Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.  (5)  He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.  (6)  I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.  (7)  For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies." There is such a contrast between Psalm 53 and 54, in that previously the Psalmist declared, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."  In today's Psalm, he speaks of the importa...

Romans 13:11-14     “And that, knowing the time, that now   it is   high time to awake out of sleep: for now   is   our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to   fulfil   the lusts   thereof. ” We find Paul speaking with a sense of urgency here. He is speaking to the believers about a knowledge that they had. It is apparent that they Paul expected them to understand exactly what he was talking about. There was something very near to them. We who believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ also face life today with a certain knowledge. We know that it is needful for us to live our life in ...

Psalm 52:7-9     "Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.  (8 )  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.  (9)  I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints." The writer is presenting a contrast between those who trust in themselves and their own accomplishments and those who place their trust and confidence in God. The first six verses of this Psalm speak of the dryness and ultimate destruction of those who feel they can buy their way through life and ultimately into heaven. The Psalmist speaks of those people as loving evil more than good. There is an ultimate end to them. He says in verse 5, "God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out o...

Romans 13:8-10     “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if   there be   any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love   is   the fulfilling of the law.” For many of us, one of our goals in life is to get out of debt. We want to live our lives without owing anyone. This is an admirable goal in many levels. However, there is one thing that we should always feel the debt of. Regardless of how affluent or independent we may become in life, we owe it to one another to love each other. This is not some new age mantra or fresh world philosophy. This is the teaching of God’s word. Love is not just something we give: it is som...

Psalm 51:10-13    "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  (11)  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  (12)  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  (13)  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." This particular Psalm was written after David had been convicted of the sin in his life. He was brought to a place of humility when he realized the fact that sin brings separation. We can say that this Psalm was concerning a particular sin after David had committed adultery and then planned the death of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah. But any sin in our lives brings about the same result of separation of sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Father. This Psalm can be a parallel passage to the words of the Prodigal Son when he returned home. We are told in the book of James, "But every man is tempted, when he is d...

Romans 13:5-7     “Wherefore   ye   must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute   is due;   custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” Paul began this thirteenth chapter with instruction to obey the civil law. He gave counsel that government exists according to the will of God. When acting according to God’s will, the higher powers of government are there for our benefit. God established them to exalt good and to punish evil, but that does not mean that ungodly men will never come to power. We are cautioned here by Paul to be subject to government. This is not something we are to do only when it suits our personal desires. There are some who do so only out of fear of the consequences of not doing so. However, for the obe...