KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2016
Chapters: Psalms 59-63
Message: A Shelter In The Storm
Hello My Friend,
I just watched it downpour outside my window, sometimes you can see a storm approach and be able to prepare yourself to escape it, other times, it comes sudden and you find yourself right in the middle of it. What do you do when you are caught in a storm? You find shelter until it passes. Life is the same way, sometimes we see something coming and can prepare to avoid it, other times, things happen rather quickly, and our only option is to weather the storm and seek shelter. Jesus is our shelter in the storms of life, He is our Rock, our only platform upon which we stand that shelters us when the rains are pouring down. “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” – Psalms 61:1-3.
“lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” When we try to do things on our own we can drown quickly as the rains pour down, but when we get under the shelter of Jesus He will lead us to higher ground. David faced many storms on his way to the throne, he wrote Psalm 59 when Saul surrounded his house in one of the first attempts to have him killed. Saul chased David nearly until the day he died, there was always someone willing to sell David out in order to catch him, and if anyone helped David escape, Saul attacked them too, he threw a javelin at his own son for siding with David. While David often complained to God, he also knew that He was his shelter in his storm. “Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.” – Psalms 59:9-13,17.
“Because of his strength will I wait upon thee:” It is Jesus that gives us the strength to weather any storm, He is our defense, our mercy, our grace, our shield. People will always let us down, even if it is unintentional, Jesus never will. To wait on Jesus does not mean to just sit there in a corner and do nothing, it means to go about your day, have hope and faith as you walk with Jesus during the storm, and after for that matter. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” – Colossians 1:10-13.
The word Selah means to pause, to stop and think about something that you just said. David often thought about the things his complaints to God, he ponders God’s displeasure with man, but later realizes He is their help. “Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” – Psalms 60:2-6,11,12.
“that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.” If you stop and think about it, the storms of life are what make or break us, for the most part, they teach us and grow us into the God fearing people God intended us to be. Over the years I have noticed that the majority of the time, those who allow their storms to break them do so because they never stop to think about the consequences of their actions to begin with. And when the storm comes, they are not prepared for it so they run into it rather than seek shelter. No one wants to go through storms, we cannot escape them all, but if we trust Jesus and get under His shelter He will keep us safe. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.” – Psalms 62:5-8,12.
“for my expectation is from him.” When you think about it, it is the devil that puts all those lies in our head that God will not get us through the storm. It is quite normal to want to handle things on our own the best we can, but there does come a time when we need His help. We must trust His decisions, and as much as we may never understand His reasoning, He knows what is best, if we just wait a little longer we will be blessed after we endure the storm. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – I Peter 5:10.
While David spends time in the wilderness, trying to keep his son from bringing bloodshed in Judah, he thinks about how God helps him day and night, and realizes His is better than anything. “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:” – Psalms 63:3-5.
“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,” The love of God is better than anything we will ever receive here in earth. If you stop to think about how merciful God was to the Jews before He sent His Son while they were living under the law, you would see that He really does not want to see anyone die and end up in hell. He sent His Son so we would no longer have to be subject to the law of works, but of grace. Our lives are but a vapor, in the blink of an eye we come and go, but with Jesus that changes everything, He gives us life after death. “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” – John 6:40.
Jesus Christ Magnified: Today, Jesus is magnified through the Rock, who is higher than I. Jesus is our Rock, the only one who can give us shelter from every storm.
Today’s Prayer: God, I know that I have been trying to weather my storm without You, my heart wants to go one way and You want me to go another. I have finally realized that You are my only shelter, in time You will bless me through it, and help me endure while the rains pour down. Thank You for loving me and not giving up on me, and being my shelter. You know what is best, and I have to accept that Your ways are best for me. Lord, I do want to live by Your Word and please You, give me Your power, wisdom, and guidance to resist the temptation to do things my way, and help me to endure my storm by seeking You morning, noon, and night. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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