“If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains.  “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of male goats?”  (Psalm 50:11-12)

The Lord does not need our counsel, for He already knows all that is, past, present and future.  He is not in need of things, for He is the creator of all things.  All that the world contains is in His hands.  What need does the Lord have of us?  Yet, although He has made us a little less than the angels, He has invited us to be in Him and with Him forever.  Come into the Lord and taste and see that He is good.

Lord, I am easily distracted by all of the unending hurried pace of this world.  It goes fast, but accomplishes nothing.  Help me simply turn to You knowing that You hold all things in Your hands and that everything is in Your power.  Guide me to walk with You now and always knowing that in You is hope and an eternal future.  You are God, there is no other.

Lord Jesus, Guide me in Your will and way to walk according to the principles You have laid down from eternity.  Lead me O Lord according to the will of the Father to do what is right in Your sight.  Help me to not be led astray, but to learn from You how to be faithful and true.  Guide me this day O Lord in the way I should go that I may walk in the way You have established.  Amen.

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  “I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine.”  (Psalm 50:9-10)

God created everything.  It is all His.  “Who’s likeness is on the coin?,” Jesus asked, but He did not ask who made the material the coin was made from.  The order of this world has been set up for awhile, but never forget who it is that made all of this.  God knows all that is His and He shares it with us willingly.  Come to the One who holds all things in His hands and know His goodness.

Lord, You are the Maker of all things.  Help me to never forget this.  Guide me according to Your goodness that I would forever hold fast to the truth and thank You for entrusting to me what You have placed at my disposal.  Guide me O Lord always to be a good steward of what is Yours knowing that You know all things and graciously share them as there is need.

Lord Jesus, You did not participate in the mad scramble of this world to provide this that and the other thing for Your disciples.  Instead, You have given the better portion by speaking truth.  Guide me O Lord now and always to seek after the kingdom knowing that all else that is needed will be provided.  You are the One who leads the way; lead me O Lord in the way I should go.  Amen.

“I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are continually before Me.  “I shall take no young bull out of your house nor male goats out of your folds.”  (Psalm 50:7-8)

What can we sacrifice for the Lord?  What can we give Him that is not already His?  He desires our love.  God who is love desires that we would have hearts for Him alone.  This cannot be commanded, nor demanded, but must be given freely and without compunction.  Come to the Lord, learn His goodness and see in Him the truth of the ages.  In Him is life, love, fullness and goodness.

Lord You call to me that I would come and obey all that You have commanded.  Guide me O Lord in Your goodness that I would learn from You.  In the gentleness of You grace., guide me ever upward to You that I might know the truth You have revealed and live that truth today and forever.  Help me O Lord by placing in me a new and clean heart that desires Your ways.

Lord Jesus, You have come and modeled the godly life.  Help me now and always to see through the clouds of this age the truth You have revealed.  In Your goodness, change my heart to look to You, the author and finisher of my faith to see all that I can and should do in preparation for all that is to come.  In You and by Your grace may I live now and always knowing that You are the way, truth and life.  Amen.

In crises the people cry out to God.  Even those who do not believe.  Yet during most times they remain silent.  The evidence of the Lord is all around and any who will look only need to open their eyes to see.  Yet many will not.  The godly ones gather together and look to the Lord.  In Him is all that is needed.  Come to the Lord while you may and learn from Him truth and life.

Lord, like many around me I am a fair-weather friend and do not look to You at all times.  Lead my heart away from where it is to where it needs to be.  Guide me according to Your principles to live into the life to which You have called me.  Help me now and always to be with You and in You following where You lead.  Guide me to live into the covenant You have established.

Lord Jesus You have come to reveal God.  Guide me now and always to live in the way You have established and keep me from veering off of the path.  You have made the possibility of living in the covenant established possible through Your grace.  Lead me by grace to live into the life to which You call me.  Help me now and always to live seeing You as my Lord and Savior.  Amen.

In crises the people cry out to God.  Even those who do not believe.  Yet during most times they remain silent.  The evidence of the Lord is all around and any who will look only need to open their eyes to see.  Yet many will not.  The godly ones gather together and look to the Lord.  In Him is all that is needed.  Come to the Lord while you may and learn from Him truth and life.

Lord, like many around me I am a fair-weather friend and do not look to You at all times.  Lead my heart away from where it is to where it needs to be.  Guide me according to Your principles to live into the life to which You have called me.  Help me now and always to be with You and in You following where You lead.  Guide me to live into the covenant You have established.

Lord Jesus You have come to reveal God.  Guide me now and always to live in the way You have established and keep me from veering off of the path.  You have made the possibility of living in the covenant established possible through Your grace.  Lead me by grace to live into the life to which You call me.  Help me now and always to live seeing You as my Lord and Savior.  Amen.

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.  Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.”  (Psalm 50:1-2)

Look around and what do you see?  All around you is splendor and beauty.  Is this an accident?  Is this mere chance?  The fool says it is.  There is the hand of the Lord in all that you see.  Look plainly and see the magnificence of the Lord’s handiwork.  Be guided by the Holy Spirt and understand more fully the author of all that exists.  Know the Lord and come to know His handiwork.

Lord, the skeptics are all around.  They deride and jeer, mock and make much ado about nothing.  Help me move beyond this foolishness to come into Your presence and walk humbly with You, the One who made all things.  Lead me O Lord that I may follow You wherever You would take me.  Help me see in You the hope of glory and the way of living life now and forever.

Lord Jesus, God who took on flesh, You have come to lead the way of glory for all those who would follow where You lead.  Guide me O Lord today to walk humbly in Your ways.  Teach me O Lord to follow You wherever You would lead me.  May I be faithful to the calling You have given me knowing that only in You is there hope and glory now and for all time and eternity.  Amen.

Monday, October 2, 2017 Devotion

‘Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.”  (Psalm 49:16-17)

How many in our day look to wealth as the answer to their problems.  It is not, for look to the rich and you will see that they are no better off than the poor.  More comfortable perhaps, but their families have just as many problems.  Everything belongs to the Lord, so what He gives in stewardship is only temporarily ours.  Let your wealth be the relationship you have with the Lord.

Lord, I do see this principle, but this world is so steeped in greed and avarice that I do not see when it grabs hold of me.  Guide me O Lord to look to You knowing that only in You is there hope and an eternal future.  Lead me according to Your never-failing Word to walk with You all the days of this life in preparation for all that is to come.  Guide me by Your Word to walk with You now and always.

Lord Jesus, You have come that we may have life and have it eternally.  Through You and by Your grace, You enable all who walk with You to live into the life to come.  You are the way, truth and life and only in You is there hope.  Lead me Lord Jesus in Your way that I would walk with You every moment of every day as You do what needs to be done in and through me.  Amen.

“Though while he lives he congratulates himself – and though men praise you when you do well for yourself – He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light.  Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish.”  (Psalm 49:18-20)

Man in his pomp, like the beasts will amount to nothing.  How vain are the attempts of mortals to gain immortality.  Do not pursue those things which are here today and gone tomorrow.  Seek instead the things of the Lord which are forever.  Seek character, a good reputation and the knowledge of the Lord.  Walk in His ways and know what is good and righteous.  Seek the Lord while He may be found.

It is hard Lord with all of the temptations of this world.  My immediate needs are tugged by this world’s incessant pleas to go in many different directions.  Clear my mind to be still and know that You are God.  Help me walk purposefully in the way I should go and then equip me to walk in that way.  Through all things, lead me to be with You now and always.

Lord Jesus, you came into the world with nothing, but in Your resurrection gained all those who would follow You through the cross.  By Your example.  Help me see the fruits of good living and walk in the path You have established.  Lead me into a life that seeks Your way first and walks in the righteousness You teach through Your Word.  Lead me Lord Jesus where I should go.  Amen.

“As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd; and the upright shall rule over them in the morning, and their form shall be for Sheol to consume so that they have no habitation.  But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me.”  (Psalm 49:14-15)

Sheol is death.  It awaits us all.  No one has left the life alive.  God did not exempt Himself from this, for Christ dies, even on the cross.  But what is promised is that we shall be redeemed from Sheol through grace by faith.  Those who are united with Christ are untied with a death like His in order to have a resurrection like His.  You are not ruled by death, but by the author of life.

Lord, I want what I see as the good things of this world.  I desire what I see those around me have.  I am not content with where I am, but want to go where I am not.  Loose me from this bondage to seek You in and through all things that I may live life in preparation for what You have intended from the beginning.  Guide me O Lord according to Your ways that I would walk in them.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead us away from the futility of this world in order to live according to the eternal purpose the Father established from the beginning.  Guide me O Lord in Your will that I may walk with You all the days of my life.  Help me see that only in You will I be established forever that death would have no hold on me.  Though I die, yet shall I live in You.  Amen.