July 15, 2006 - Psalms 13-15 and Acts 19:21-41
I think we can all see by now what I mean when I say that the psalms are so personal. Each of us has to try to relate David's situation to our own lives to get the meaning out of each psalm. I hope that is working for you and that God is speaking to you at the point of your need.
Psalm 13 speaks to us during those times when we think God has forgotten us. Have you ever felt that way? It is easy to slip into discouragement when we don't see things happening as quickly as we would like. However, David seems to stop and think back in verse 5 about all of the past times that he trusted God and how He came through for him. So now, he is ready to praise Him, because he knows He will come through for him again. I pray that you have that confidence in God when things are moving more slowly.
In Psalm 14 we remember that fools act like there is no God, and even the rest of us are so sinful. No one is righteous on his own. However, we can run to the Lord and ask for His forgiveness for our sins, and He gives us His righteousness. He is our refuge, and we can run to Him and be safe, even from sin. That is what each of us must do to be saved. We must admit that we are sinners and put our trust in Him as our only refuge
Then, we are to live a righteous life of true worship before Him. That is what Psalm 15 tells us. It gives several characteristics of the type of person who can truly come before the Lord in worship. I urge you to ask yourself if you are this type of person. Stop for a few minutes today and examine your life in light of these statements. If you are not living up to these standards, confess your sin and repent. Tell God that you will begin to trust Him more completely and worship Him more sincerely.
Acts 19 tells us about the riot in Ephesus because so many people were becoming Christians. Don't you wish that were true today? I would settle for a good newspaper article or editorial complaining about how too many people were believing in Jesus. However, it was a serious situation for a while. Satan stirred up a spirit of confusion, and it could have led to serious injuries or death. The disciples kept Paul from going out t address the crowds for fear of his life. It soon subsided, and things got back to normal. It just shows you how upset the forces of evil can get when the kingdom of God is being advanced. We need to be in continual prayer for God's protection during these perilous times of life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 16-17 and Acts 20:1-16.
Psalm 13 speaks to us during those times when we think God has forgotten us. Have you ever felt that way? It is easy to slip into discouragement when we don't see things happening as quickly as we would like. However, David seems to stop and think back in verse 5 about all of the past times that he trusted God and how He came through for him. So now, he is ready to praise Him, because he knows He will come through for him again. I pray that you have that confidence in God when things are moving more slowly.
In Psalm 14 we remember that fools act like there is no God, and even the rest of us are so sinful. No one is righteous on his own. However, we can run to the Lord and ask for His forgiveness for our sins, and He gives us His righteousness. He is our refuge, and we can run to Him and be safe, even from sin. That is what each of us must do to be saved. We must admit that we are sinners and put our trust in Him as our only refuge
Then, we are to live a righteous life of true worship before Him. That is what Psalm 15 tells us. It gives several characteristics of the type of person who can truly come before the Lord in worship. I urge you to ask yourself if you are this type of person. Stop for a few minutes today and examine your life in light of these statements. If you are not living up to these standards, confess your sin and repent. Tell God that you will begin to trust Him more completely and worship Him more sincerely.
Acts 19 tells us about the riot in Ephesus because so many people were becoming Christians. Don't you wish that were true today? I would settle for a good newspaper article or editorial complaining about how too many people were believing in Jesus. However, it was a serious situation for a while. Satan stirred up a spirit of confusion, and it could have led to serious injuries or death. The disciples kept Paul from going out t address the crowds for fear of his life. It soon subsided, and things got back to normal. It just shows you how upset the forces of evil can get when the kingdom of God is being advanced. We need to be in continual prayer for God's protection during these perilous times of life.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 16-17 and Acts 20:1-16.