“Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)

When all is said and done, what is there besides the Lord? Man struggles to gain what He cannot have in order to lift himself to where He cannot go. It is vanity. The Lord created each one of us for His own purpose and it is to that to which we are called. Come then into the Lord’s presence and walk with Him all the days of Your life that You may find joy in all He gives you to do.

Lord, I wrestle as the world wrestles and do things the way the world does them and it ends up a vain thing. Help me, O Lord, to walk in Your ways, that Your strength would be my portion. I will die, but in You alone is eternal life. Guide me, O Lord, to walk in Your ways and to love Your statutes, for You have lifted me up by faith through grace to be with and in You always.

Lord Jesus, apart from You this life is vanity. In You is the hope of every age. Guide me, O Lord, to walk in the way You have taught me to walk and grow in me Your likeness. Lead me according to Your will that I would forever live in the truth of Your presence, the Holy Spirit’s guidance and all to the Father’s glory. You have given me through Your shed blood the blessing of  becoming a child of the Father. Amen.

“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.” (Psalm 73:23-24)

Lord, though I have wandered, You have never left nor forsaken me. In You is the hope of all ages. You are the rock of salvation which is the hope of all people. Only by taking Your hand are we safe. Only in You is Your glory made known. You are the One who gives good counsel and the only One who can and does save us from ourselves. You lift up those who turn to You.

Lord, all have gone astray and not obeyed Your Word of truth. You have spoken and the wicked of this world do not hear the truth of Your word. Open my ears to hear and my eyes to see that I may be altered by Your grace. Nay, not altered, but the old Adam slain that I may be united with Christ on the cross in order to be resurrected with Him to be Your child now and forever.

Lord Jesus, You invite all who will to join You through your death where sin and evil is forever banished and in Your resurrection where all who join You are eternally united. Guide me in the narrow path to see my life transformed as only You can do. Lead me today and every day that I may learn to hear as the Holy Spirit speaks and learn to act as You have shown me. Amen.

“When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.” (Psalm 73:21-22)

Lord, you know how easily we are enticed by the wickedness of our day. In a moment, my faith goes out the window and my words are replaced with those no different than the wicked. I become angry at the evil that is around me and desire vengeance. Things do not go my way and I become senseless and act like a beast in the field. My heart is not trustworthy, nor true.

Lord, Your Word tells me to call upon You that You would create in me a clean heart. Through You, Christ, You promise that I will be made new. Create in me a new and clean heart that I would leave behind the senseless animal behavior and live as a new creation in the grace and mercy You offer. Guide me, Lord, from where I am in this wicked world to where I desire to be in You.

Lord Jesus, only through You can the desire of my heart be enriched in Your grace. Guide me today both to see the truth of that which is in me and also a willingness to have You go to work this day to move me in faith to where You know I need to be. Lead me, O Lord, in Your ways and let them be from the innermost parts of me outward that I may become more like You. Amen.

“How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.” (Psalm 19-20)

The time of the wicked on this earth is short. They live a few years and then succumb to death, as we all must. Their plans die with them. Why do sinful men plot against the Lord? What do they seek but their own destruction? Come to the Lord and you will not meet His anger, but His mercy and grace. Live in the hope He gives to those who turn to Him. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Lord, I am limited by my life’s span, and in my lifetime, it seems as though the wicked are prospering. They have wealth and fame, yet if I look closely, so many seem empty and without hope or reason for their continuous plotting. Guide me away from such things, Lord, for You have placed me where I need to be and You provide for all my needs. Bring me to where I am content to remain in You always.

Lord Christ, You have come to save the lowly and humble from the destruction assured the wicked who walk in the ways of evil. You have come in mercy to give grace to those who cry out to You. The wicked will go down to the pit, but You lift up to join with You in a resurrection like Yours those who turn to You. Lift me up Lord and hold me close to You forever. Amen.

“Until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.” (Psalm 17-18)

The Sanctuary of God is Christ, built not with Human hands, but begotten. In Christ, judgement is already announced and the wicked are already condemned. Those who plot their own destruction reject the only hope of the ages. Come unto the Lord and know the salvation He gives to those who leave behind the wickedness of this age to follow righteousness.

Lord, it is a slippery slope that leads to destruction. How easy it is to slip and fall down on the paths the wicked of this world set up. Lead me along the right path for Your name’s sake that I would walk in Your ways humbly and look to You as my hope and provision. Lead me, O Lord, to the place I belong. Guide me according to Your goodness to walk away from destruction.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead me in the way of life. Help me now and always to see in You the way of life that I may follow Your lead. Keep me from those places where I would slip and hold me up in times of trouble. The wicked have chosen their doom. You have rescued those who hear Your voice and answer the calls of those who cry out to You. Lead me, Savior, and I will follow. Amen.

Thursday, March 22, 2018 Devotion

“If I had said, “I will speak thus,” behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight”(Psalm 73:15-16)

Left to myself in my times of trouble, I would have betrayed You Lord. In my heart, I already have. Lift me up to understand what troubles me and then come to You in whom all things rest. Help me see once again that You are working all things together for good for those who love You. Raise my spirit to rejoice in God my Savior and lean not on my own understanding.

In times of trouble I want to preserve my skin. Yet, my skin will thus be destroyed. Lift up my spirit to see that like Job in times of adversity, I simply need to keep on the path You have laid before me and live according to Your purposes. I need Your strength and Your guidance to accomplish what You lay before me. Lead me, O Lord, and give me strength to follow You.

Lord Jesus, You know what it is to be weary. You know the fickleness of the days upon this earth. You have come to rescue the lost, lonely, weary, and downtrodden. Lift me up to wage the daily battle in this age against the forces of darkness that rail against me. Help me to follow You always Lord Jesus. Amen.

“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence; for I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning.”  (Psalm 73:13-14)

We often tire of the struggle to do good, fighting against the stream of the culture.  It hammers at us and weakens our resolve.  We need to be saved.  Salvation is not just some cosmic event that catapults us from here to there, but the daily struggle to keep from being pulled back down into the pit.  The Lord is our help and an ever-present support in time of need.  Turn to the Lord and live.

Lord, I need Your grace and I need the help of the Holy Spirit to guide me through the pitfalls of this world.  Every day I am tempted to give it up and give in to the world’s chastening.  Keep me in Your arms, for I am weak and cannot fight against the wicked.  Lead me to praise You in season and out of season knowing that in You alone is the hope of life and life eternal.

Lord Jesus, You have come to rescue the downtrodden and weary.  You have called for me to place the load on You.  I struggle and want to carry the load myself.  Help me place the load upon You and then look to You for guidance every step of the way.  You are the One who must lead, for I cannot overcome this world and do not need to, for You already have.  Help me, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

“They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue parades through the earth. Therefore his people return to this place, and waters of abundance are drunk by them.  They say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?”  Behold, these are the wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth.”  (Psalm 73:9-12) 

People of violence speak against the Lord.  Look for the inconsistencies.  They say love while speaking  Their tongues are wagging and they constantly harass others for their own benefit. Look to the Lord and do not be swayed by the wicked of this world.  God knows all things. He is not bound by time, but created it.  He knows that which He has created. Be guided by the truth that God knows all things and not by those who hate Him.

Lord, I am too often swayed by the lofty words of those who are constantly speaking and leading me away from You. You alone have the words of eternal life and there is no other place to go.  You alone know all things.  All things have their being through You.  Guide me, O Lord, to look to You alone that I would forever hold fast to the truth You have revealed once for all. Guide me in Your goodness that I might shut my ears to the cacophony of this world.

Lord Jesus, You walked humbly and boldly through this world of wickedness for our sake. You know all the things people say.  Grant Holy Spirit that I would not listen to all the noise, but learn to listen to You.  Open my ears to the sweet music of Your Word and drown out all the noise that would lead me away from You. Keep me close to You that I may abide only in You and be led only by You. Amen.

“Their eye bulges from fatness; the imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high.” (Psalm 73:7-8)

Riots and mayhem are in the streets as the wicked stir up the crowds by their proud and boastful imaginary thinking. They mock the will of the Lord and persecute those who are faithful to Him and this leads to oppression. Do not listen to the wicked who yell, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind in the Word which abides in you from on high.

Lord, there is a war of words that goes on in the world. I see in your word that it has always been this way. Lead me in the way of righteousness that I would walk in Your ways and learn from You so as not to be carried away by the wicked imaginations of those who seek wicked ways. Lead me, O Lord, according to Your Word that I may live in righteousness before You now and always.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead the way for as many as would follow You in the way of truth. Guide me, O Lord, this day and open my ears to hear the contrast between Your Word and the words of the wicked that scream in the streets. Grant a discerning mind that I would now and always hold fast to the truth You have revealed for the ages and walk in the grace You grant me. Amen.

“They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; the garment of violence covers them.” (Psalm 73:5-6)

Pride goes before the fall. One can see the pride worn by others as if it were an outer adornment around their neck. Sometimes it is we who wear it. There is a warning here to avoid thinking of oneself first, for it brings violence to others. Sometimes it is just violence of thought, but sometimes it is violence against another person. The Lord has come to remove the haughtiness we have and replace it with His goodness and kindness.

Lord, there are many haughty and prideful people around me. Sometimes I am one of these people. Guide my heart in the way of truth to see in myself those things which must be given to Christ to be slain that I may be freed from violence of the heart. Lead me by grace to live according to Your will and, by seeing the truth of the ages, be conformed to the image of Your Son.

Lord Jesus, You know well the issues of sin that reign in this age. You encountered all manner of people as You walked the earth. Guide me in Your goodness to have hope in You and what You have accomplished from the cross. Guide me to not fear others, but to fear being separated from You. Lead me to choose the better portion and follow You all the days of my life. Amen.