Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for September 17

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2 NKJV).

From: September 17, 2020

THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER

Written by David, this psalm cried out to God to lead him to a place that was safe and secure. When his heart was “overwhelmed,” perhaps by the attacks of enemies or by the disappointments of life, David cried out for a place where his heart could find rest and his clouded vision could be cleared.

We can pray like David. We can ask for the “Rock that is higher.” For we have access to that Rock, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 10:4). He invites all those who are “weary and heavy-laden” to come unto Him and to find rest for their souls.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are surrounded by so much change and challenge that we don’t know how to manage it. It overwhelms us. Yet You are able, Lord. For You are the Rock of Ages, the eternal and unchanging God. We turn our desire for control and overwhelmed hearts to You. Take control. We surrender afresh today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock” (Isaiah 26:4 NLT).

From: September 17, 2019

TRUST IN THE LORD ALWAYS

When all else fails, we tend to finally shift our trust to the Lord. Yet Isaiah calls us to a better way. Trust in the Lord “always.” Those who try to take a stand on sand soon discover it only seems to work on sunny days. As soon as clouds and storms and seas rise, they find themselves sinking and everything they built there falling. But the LORD God, which is Jehovah (or Yahweh) God, never fails. He is the everlasting Rock. And who is this Rock? Isn’t it Christ Jesus? For Christ is the stone the builders rejected (Matt. 21:42). He is the rock in the wilderness from which waters burst forth (1 Cor. 10:4). Those who come to Christ, trusting always in Him, will find salvation, peace, rest, and continuous refreshment for the souls.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we trust in You and in Your Son, Jesus. For He is the Eternal Rock that you have set as the Cornerstone of Your church. Christ is the Rock on which we take our stand. We pull our trust off of lesser things and put our trust on You, O Lord. All good things come from You. And only You can save us and sustain us. Today, we again place our full trust in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat” (Isaiah 25:4 NLT).

From: September 17, 2018

THE LORD IS A TOWER OF REFUGE FROM THE STORM

In the midst of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the nations, he makes this declaration concerning the Lord. The Lord is a strong tower of refuge and a shelter for the poor and distressed. As we consider the aftermath of Hurricane Florence on Eastern NC, may we take encouragement from Isaiah’s words. Many are getting up this day and feeling discouraged. But the Lord is a shelter from the muggy heat and distress that follows a storm.

Let us offer help and serve those who are in need in the name of Jesus. And let us also make sure to pray for them and offer this word from Isaiah to them, that the Lord is a strong tower and refuge from the storm!

“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made” (Galatians 3:19 NKJV).

From: September 17, 2017

If the law cannot save, what purpose does it “serve?” Paul asked this rhetorical question after making the point that the “promise” of God was given 430 years before the law of God was added. The “promise” was given to Abraham that through his “Seed” all nations would be blessed (Gen.22:18). This “Seed” is Christ. So, since faith in the “Promised Seed” is the only way of salvation, why was the law given? It was given “because of transgressions.” The promise is for salvation, but the law is “because” of sin. Paul goes on in his epistle to the Galatians to give what some have called the three “R”s of the law, which answers his question, “what purpose does the law serve?”

THREE “R”s OF THE LAW:

1) Reflect our guilty condition (Like a perfect mirror). 

 2) Restrain our sinful behavior (Like a prison guard). 

3) Reveal our need for a Savior (Like a pedagogue). 

The law is good and useful, but it cannot save. Only faith in Christ saves.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…” (Galatians 3:13 ESV)

From: September 17, 2016

What is the “curse of the law?” Does Paul teach that the law itself is accursed? Certainly not. The law of God is perfect. The law teaches us of righteousness, the difference between right and wrong. Yet, this teaching cannot empower us to keep it, nor can it save us when we inevitably break it. The law is like a mirror, revealing our sin-blemished, leprous flesh, but not able to heal us from its terminal progression. So, what is “the curse of the law?” It is the curse that falls on anyone who does not keep every word of the law. For the one who would live by the law, seeking to be justified by their own effort at righteousness, must keep every word of it (Gal. 3:10, Deut. 27:26). But the good news is this: Christ has “redeemed,” bought us out from under the “curse,” so that we might experience God’s “blessing” (Gal. 3:14). We are to live by faith in Christ’s redemption, not by claiming to be good enough through our own effort.

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2 NKJV)

From: September 17, 2015

Written by David, this psalm cried out to God to lead him to a place that was safe and secure. When his heart was “overwhelmed,” perhaps by the attacks of enemies or by the disappointments of life, David cried out for a place where his heart could find rest and his clouded vision could be restored. We can pray like David. And when we ask for the “rock that is higher,” we have access to that Rock, which is Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). He invites all those who are “weary and heavy-laden” to come unto Him and to find rest for their souls.

“In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you” (Isaiah 26:9a NLT)

From: September 17, 2014

Isaiah sought the Lord. As he lay his head down at night, he searched for God’s presence. When he awoke in the morning, he listened for God’s voice. Do you have this habit? Are your last words and thoughts at the end of the day for the Lord? Do you open your eyes looking for Him and listening for His voice? If you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him (Jer. 29:13).

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)

From: September 17, 2012

“Perfect” peace. Not partial or mixed, but whole, complete peace. The Hebrews called this shalom. For God to keep us in this state we must “take every thought captive” to bring our thinking into focus on Him. Pulling our thoughts from self-talking worry to talking to God in prayer. Emptying ourselves of any thought that isn’t surrendered to Christ until only thoughts of Him remain. Christ is our peace.

“Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy.” (Isaiah 26:19)

From: September 17, 2011

Isaiah prophesied the resurrection of the dead. Jesus is the firstfruits, the firstborn from among the dead. Someday, at the sound of His voice, all the dead will rise. The unrighteous to judgment, the righteous to eternal life. Do you believe this?