KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Chapters: Psalms 3-4, 12-13, 28, & 55
Message: God Sustains Me
Hello My Friend,
As Christians, it may look like God is afar, especially if we have done something we are not proud of, but the truth is He is always with us. The amazing thing is that no matter how many times we mess up, no matter how many times we kick, scream, and try to walk away, God never leaves us because He knows our true hearts and whether or not we are trusting only in His Son to save us from all our sin. We are mere sinners saved by the grace of God through our faith in Christ and because of that He sustains us and promises to never let us go. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” – I Timothy 1:15-16.
Like us, the Psalmists knew they were sinners saved by grace of God and rejoiced over the things that He brought them. Sometimes they wrote about their joys, other times sorrows, they cried for forgiveness of sin, pleaded with God, had questions for Him, and even praised Him when they were afflicted by their own hands. There is not one Psalm that does not touch us in some way, whether it is something we are happy, sad, mad, or convicted about. When David had his own son turn on him to avoid bloodshed in Jerusalem he and began to pray. “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.” – Psalm 3:1-5.
“I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.” It took him a while, probably because he never got over the guilt of what he had done, to truly reach out to God, but finally did and realized God was still there for him. We may be sinners, but we are God’s sinners and because we are His He will sustain us, even if we sin again. There is a difference between a sinner that lives for God and one that lives for themselves. The ones that live for God feel deep sorrow over having sinned against Him, they may even distance themselves from God for a while because of their shame, but He never leaves nor forsakes them. God knows our true heart, and will hear us when we wake up and acknowledge the fact that He is faithful and will cleanse us of all our unrighteousness when we confess our sins to Him. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” – I John 1:9-10.
The devil likes to make us believe that if we get caught in sin that God will never forgive us, but that is not true. Never let chastening be confused with rejection. God is our Father, naturally since we are His kids He expects us to behave ourselves in a way that reflects His Son. People should be able to see Jesus in us, if they cannot than we are not walking with Him as we should. Of course, circumstances come, but we do not have to let them control us, we have a Big Father that can help see us through.
“Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” – Psalm 4:4-8.
“Thou hast put gladness in my heart,” Once we get over the guilt of what we have done and realize that God is still with us, we find gladness in our heart, and that enables us to reconcile our relationship with God. Feeling like he’s all alone, David cries out to God.
“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” – Psalm 13:1-6.
“having sorrow in my heart daily?” Our faith in God is never constant, that is because our heart is not always faithful, but we do not need gigantic faith, we just need faith. In fact, all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed to see God move mountains. David had a lot of enemies, and since he was such a powerful force in the military he could actually understand why he would, but quite often, his enemy turned out to be someone he knew. He ponders why someone he knew, in fact, knew God as well, would betray him.
“My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. 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. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:4-7,12-14,17-18,22.
“he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Move; To impel; to carry, convey or draw from one place to another; to cause to change place or posture in any manner or by any means. Sin or the guilt of sin can cause is to distance ourselves from God, but those who are truly His will not be moved because they belong to Him and He will not let them go. Those who turn on God completely have issues with Him to begin with. The world should be able to see Jesus in the Christian, if they cannot than they are not walking with Him as they should. While we cannot always understand people, we can understand that God is always with us and will bless us through our afflictions, even if we caused them. As much as it hurts, we must trust God in every situation that He allows in our lives. “Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.” – Psalm 28:6-8. Praise God!
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” – Psalm 3:8.
Today’s Prayer: God, I will not even begin to understand Your reasoning, it is much to complex for my mind, I do understand that You love me, want the best for me, and use my suffering to make me more like Your Son. Lord, You are my comfort, my peace, my joy, and my strength, but much too often I let my affliction blind me from seeing that I am a sinner saved by grace, that You love me, and that You are putting me through this for a reason, not to punish me, but to bring me to the reality that You love me unconditionally and are there to help me always. Give me Your power to endure all affliction, judge me according to my integrity and not my doubt because I truly believe that You will never move me nor will You forsake me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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