July 13, 2006 - Psalms 7-9 and Acts 18
We are tempted to give up when we face opposition from other people, but usually God does not want us to give up. He wants to give us the grace and the strength to trust Him through it all. He wants to get the glory for giving us the victory. I do not know what opposition you are facing now, but I urge you to allow the Lord to give you what you need to overcome. Then, praise Him for all of His grace and power.
In Psalm 7 David seems to have been praying to God about a man who had told lies about him. It is hurtful for people to say things about us that are not true, and it is very difficult to clear up the falsehoods they spread about us. However, we need to turn it all over to the Lord, and let Him handle it for us. If we have done anything wrong, we need to repent. Then, we need to allow God to bring justice to those spreading the lies and to vindicate us. God can show others that we are in the right. He is the only one who can take care of all of those details, so we should not take it on ourselves.
In Psalm 8 We read David's praise to God for His desire to be close to us. He is so great. He made us. We are simply His creatures. He could treat us as slaves, but instead He wants to have a relationship with us. Isn't that a marvel? The God of the universe cares about each of us individually. We must constantly praise Him for His wonderful love to us.
In Psalm 9 David seems to be taking solace in the fact that the destruction of enemies is temporary, but the work of God is eternal. There are times when we can think that enemies will destroy us or our world, but we are forgetting that God is in control. He will bring justice at the right time. He will bring down the enemies and cause the righteous to be saved. Let's not allow Satan to convince us that the forces of evil will win. God will be victorious, and that should help us continue to trust the Lord each day, not matter what happens around us.
Acts 18 is a wonderful testimony to God's goodness in the face of opposition. Paul went to Corinth after he preached in Athens. Aquila and Priscilla were in Corinth because of the persecution in Rome. They became friends with Paul to aid in the ministry. Then, God led Paul to stay in Corinth for a year and a half, even though there was opposition. Look at verses 9 and 10. God exhorted Paul to stay, because there were so many people that needed to come to the Lord. If Paul had focused on the opposition, he might have left Corinth. However, God wanted Him to focus on His will and on the people who needed the Lord. That would sustain him in his work. I urge all of us not to be deterred by trouble, but to follow the will of God. That is always the best for us. He will protect us and see us through any attacks.
tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 10-12 and Acts 19:1-20.
In Psalm 7 David seems to have been praying to God about a man who had told lies about him. It is hurtful for people to say things about us that are not true, and it is very difficult to clear up the falsehoods they spread about us. However, we need to turn it all over to the Lord, and let Him handle it for us. If we have done anything wrong, we need to repent. Then, we need to allow God to bring justice to those spreading the lies and to vindicate us. God can show others that we are in the right. He is the only one who can take care of all of those details, so we should not take it on ourselves.
In Psalm 8 We read David's praise to God for His desire to be close to us. He is so great. He made us. We are simply His creatures. He could treat us as slaves, but instead He wants to have a relationship with us. Isn't that a marvel? The God of the universe cares about each of us individually. We must constantly praise Him for His wonderful love to us.
In Psalm 9 David seems to be taking solace in the fact that the destruction of enemies is temporary, but the work of God is eternal. There are times when we can think that enemies will destroy us or our world, but we are forgetting that God is in control. He will bring justice at the right time. He will bring down the enemies and cause the righteous to be saved. Let's not allow Satan to convince us that the forces of evil will win. God will be victorious, and that should help us continue to trust the Lord each day, not matter what happens around us.
Acts 18 is a wonderful testimony to God's goodness in the face of opposition. Paul went to Corinth after he preached in Athens. Aquila and Priscilla were in Corinth because of the persecution in Rome. They became friends with Paul to aid in the ministry. Then, God led Paul to stay in Corinth for a year and a half, even though there was opposition. Look at verses 9 and 10. God exhorted Paul to stay, because there were so many people that needed to come to the Lord. If Paul had focused on the opposition, he might have left Corinth. However, God wanted Him to focus on His will and on the people who needed the Lord. That would sustain him in his work. I urge all of us not to be deterred by trouble, but to follow the will of God. That is always the best for us. He will protect us and see us through any attacks.
tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 10-12 and Acts 19:1-20.