“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalms 13:1 ESV).
I remember being in the back seat of our family’s Buick on a long trip and asking my Dad, “How much longer?” And he’d say, “Son, you just asked me that five minutes ago. Why don’t you take a nap? We’ll be there soon.”
It was so hard to be patient on such trips as a little kid. But the truth is, I don’t know whether we ever truly outgrow such feelings and questions. It’s hard to live in the moment, especially when you’re stuck in the back seat with no control of your destination and don’t know how long the trip is going to last.
It must’ve been a similar kind of time for David when he wrote this psalm. He cried out to God, “How long, O Lord?” He felt that God had forgotten him. But did God really “forget” David? Was He really hiding his face from him? No, this was the language of David’s heart. This was how David felt and so he expressed his feelings to God through questions.
Psalm 13 is a short prayer. It begins with David’s questions and ends with David’s firm resolve to keep trusting, rejoicing, and singing in and to the Lord. David was going through a season of spiritual dryness. He didn’t sense the Lord’s presence. He despaired at how long the season would last. Yet, he still believed in God’s mercy and salvation, and he knew that God had always “dealt bountifully” with him in the past. David prayed out his doubts by asking questions, but he also prayed out his firm faith.
Have you ever gone through a challenging time that you thought would never end? Have you ever prayed like David, asking God, “How long, O Lord?”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are your children and we sometimes feel impatient and afraid about the times in which we live. We wonder “how long” it will be before we hear from You or see you act. Yet, like David we believe in You. We trust You and know that You will answer and act according to Your perfect will and timing. Help us to rest in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’” (Genesis 32:12 ESV).
When Jacob heard that his brother Esau was approaching with 400 men, he was afraid. So, he prayed to the Lord for protection. In his prayer, he admitted his fear, yet clung to God’s promises, quoting them back to the Lord word for word. Praying out his worries, he declared his faith in God’s promises saying, “But You said.” Jacob decided to believe what God said above what others, including his own heart, might say.
Isn’t this how we should pray? When we are afraid, we can lean on the promises of God, repeating them word for word back to the Father. Where are you afraid? Where has anxiety stolen your joy? Search out the promises of God. Meditate on them. Stand on them. Pray them back to the Father. His Word never returns void.
PRAYER: Dear Father, when our hearts are fearful, when the voices around us are filled with woe, we will choose to believe what You have said. We will stand on Your promises and declare them back to You in prayer. For Your Word is the final word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!” (Genesis 32:10 NLT).
As Jacob returned to the land of Canaan with his wives, children, servants and flocks, he remembered how he had left there with only the clothes on his back and the staff in his hand. His prayer reflected that it wasn’t only the outward blessings that were different. His heart was changing too. He credited God’s “unfailing love and faithfulness” for all that he had, not his own scheming or self-effort. The Hebrew word, “chesed” (חָ֫סֶד – kheh’-sed), is the word translated, “unfailing love.” It is the Hebrew word that comes closest in meaning to the New Testament Greek word “agape,” which speaks of God’s unconditional love. Jacob recognized that it was God’s faithful and unfailing love that had brought him thus far.
When have you had a moment like this, when you became aware that it was God who has blessed you with all that you have? Think back to when you first started. Look how far God has brought you!
PRAYER: Dear Father, we remember how we began. Help us not to forget how far You have brought us. Father, we give you all the credit for our lives. We are thankful for Your unfailing love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This statement from Jesus to His disciples is very disconcerting, until you understand its meaning. Jesus is claiming the priority love that belongs to God alone. He is not saying you cannot love your family and be His follower too. No, far from it. He is saying that we must love Him above all others, even our very families.
Since Jesus is God, He appropriately claims our first devotion. Yet, choosing to love Christ first, above all others, we are actually filled with the love of God which causes us to truly love not only our families, but our neighbors and even our enemies.
The thing that grieved Christ about the church of Ephesus was not that they had fallen into sin, or that they had become heretics. No, He commended them for their faithfulness in these areas. What grieved Christ is that they had “forsaken” their “first love” for Him (Rev. 2:4).
Following Christ is a priority commitment of the heart as well as the head. When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).
We are called to love Jesus as He loves us.
PRAYER: Lord, it amazes us that You not only love us, but You desire us to love You back. Why are You mindful of such things concerning us, Your creatures. Yet, You became one of us and died for us, so that we might be redeemed. Such love is beyond our understanding. So, we give You our first love willingly. We declare our priority love for You this day. In Jesus name, Amen.
DON’T LET COVER-UPS AND CONSPIRACIES CAUSE YOU FEAR
Jesus warned his disciples that as His followers, they would sometimes suffer persecution. Yet, He instructed them not to be afraid. For the hateful and ugly nature of their persecutors would be revealed to their shame and reproach. If not in this life, certainly in the next. And in like manner the innocence and integrity of His disciples would also be revealed. For in times of persecution, both sides reveal their true nature, and the gospel actually shines more brightly.
Are you afraid today? Does the 24 hour news frighten you? Do you feel that there are cover-ups and conspiracies being carried out against God’s people? Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid of them.” For one day soon everything will be “uncovered” and revealed for what it is.
PRAYER: Dear Father, You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. Strengthen us to replace our fear of this world, with faith in You. You have not called us to keep secrets, but to shout what You’ve told us from the housetops. We walk in the light for Your are our Light. We look to You for all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.
As Jacob returned to the land of Canaan with his wives, children, servants and flocks, he remembered how he had left there with only the clothes on his back and the staff in his hand. His prayer reflected that it wasn’t only the outward blessings that were different. His heart was changing too. He credited God’s “mercies” and “truth” for all that he had, not his own scheming or self-effort. The Hebrew word, “chesed” (חָ֫סֶד – kheh’-sed), is the word translated, “mercies.” It is the Hebrew word that comes closest in meaning to the New Testament Greek word “agape,” which speaks of God’s unconditional love. Jacob recognized that it was God’s faithfulness and favor that had brought him thus far.
When have you had a moment like this, when you became aware that it was God who has blessed you with all that you have?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we remember how we began. Help us not to forget how far You have brought us. Father, we give you all the credit for our lives. We are thankful for Your “chesed” love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This statement from Jesus to His disciples is very disconcerting, until you understand it’s significance. Jesus is claiming the priority love that belongs to God alone. He is not saying you cannot love your family and be His follower too. No, far from it. He is saying that we must love Him above all others, even our very families. Since Jesus is God, He appropriately claims our first devotion. Yet, choosing to love Christ first, above all others, we are actually filled with the love of God which causes us to truly love not only our families, but our neighbors and even our enemies. The thing that grieved Christ about the church of Ephesus was not that they had fallen into sin, or that they had become heretics. No, He commended them for their faithfulness in these areas. What grieved Christ is that they had “forsaken” their “first love” for Him (Rev. 2:4). Following Christ is a commitment of the heart as well as the head. We are called to a love relationship with the One who redeemed us.
PRAYER: Lord, it amazes us that You not only love us, but You desire us to love You back. Why are You mindful of such things concerning us, Your creatures. Yet, You became one of us and died for us, so that we might be redeemed. Such love is beyond our understanding. So, we give You our first love willingly. We declare our priority love for You this day. In Jesus name, Amen.
When Jacob heard that his brother Esau was approaching with 400 men, he was afraid. So, he prayed to the Lord for protection. In his prayer, he admitted his fear, yet clung to God’s promises, quoting them back to the Lord word for word.
Isn’t this how we should pray? When we are afraid, we can lean on the promises of God, repeating them word for word back to the Father. Where are you afraid? Where has anxiety stolen your joy? Search out the promises of God. Meditate on them. Stand on them. Pray them back to the Father. His Word never returns void.
Did God really “forget” David? Was He really hiding his face from him? This was the language of David’s heart. This was how David felt and so he expressed his feelings to God through questions. Psalm 13 is a short prayer. It begins with David’s questions and ends with David’s firm resolve to keep trusting, rejoicing, and singing in and to the Lord. David was going through a season of spiritual dryness. He didn’t sense the Lord’s presence. Yet, he still believed in God’s mercy and salvation, and he knew that God had always “dealt bountifully” with him in the past. David prayed out his doubts by asking questions, but he also prayed out his firm faith. Have you ever gone through a spiritual dry spell? Have you ever prayed like David?
As Jacob returned to the land of Canaan with his wives, children, servants and flocks, he remembered how he had left there with only the clothes on his back and the staff in his hand. His prayer reflected that it wasn’t only the outward blessings that were different. His heart was changing too. He credited God’s “steadfast love” and “faithfulness” for all that he had, not his own scheming or self-effort. The Hebrew word, “chesed” (חָ֫סֶד – kheh’-sed), is the word translated, “steadfast love.” It is the Hebrew word that comes closest in meaning to the New Testament Greek word “agape,” which speaks of God’s unconditional love. Jacob recognized that it was God’s faithfulness and favor that had brought him thus far. When have you had a moment like this, when you became aware that it was God who has blessed you with all that you have?