July 19, 2006 - Psalms 23-25 and Acts 21:18-40
Have you come to know God as the All-Sufficient Lord, who can meet your every need? I pray that you know Him that way by faith and by personal experience. Today, as you read, thank Him for all of the times He has met your needs. If you are facing great challenges, cry out to Him as your Provider.
Psalm 23 is the classic statement of God's care for us as we trust Him. He is our Shepherd. Think about that. We are like sheep, and He is the one who takes care of us, because we are basically helpless and defenseless. You may not have come to the realization of that truth, but it is an accurate representation of your situation. If you do not have trust in God, and He is not taking care of you, you are in a desperate situation. Turn to Him right now.
Psalm 24 expresses the fact that not just anyone can come into God's presence. It takes clean hands and a pure heart. We can't come as idol worshipers or liars. We must come with hearts that are sincerely eager to seek Him like Jacob did. (v.6) You may not be seeking God now, but you better begin to seek Him. Jesus may be coming back any day. He is the King of Glory spoken of here. He will return to Jerusalem, and it could be soon. If He came today, how would He find you?
Psalm 25 continues this theme by reminding us that it is the one who fears the Lord who will be taught by God. (v.12) Mercy and truth are given to those who keep the covenant. (v.10) It is our integrity and uprightness that He is looking for. (v.21) In other words, His blessings are not automatic for everyone. He blesses those who trust Him and walk with Him. None of us are perfect, but we can have a heart that is set on Him. He sees our hearts. He knows if we are playing games with Him or if we are serious.
Acts 21 confirms the Holy Spirit's revelation about Paul being arrested in Jerusalem. He is arrested to save his life from an angry mob of Jews, who just assume he has done something wrong. He is blameless. He is there to show he is doing God's will, but they are acting on a lie. That is a difficult situation for any of us. It is hard to be punished for something we did not do. However, Paul realizes it is a misunderstanding, so we asks to speak to the people. He is not angry back at them. He wants to explain his beliefs and his actions. He wants to communicate the truth. That is what we all should want to do when there is a false assumption. We should want to clear up the misunderstanding.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 26-28 and Acts 22.
Psalm 23 is the classic statement of God's care for us as we trust Him. He is our Shepherd. Think about that. We are like sheep, and He is the one who takes care of us, because we are basically helpless and defenseless. You may not have come to the realization of that truth, but it is an accurate representation of your situation. If you do not have trust in God, and He is not taking care of you, you are in a desperate situation. Turn to Him right now.
Psalm 24 expresses the fact that not just anyone can come into God's presence. It takes clean hands and a pure heart. We can't come as idol worshipers or liars. We must come with hearts that are sincerely eager to seek Him like Jacob did. (v.6) You may not be seeking God now, but you better begin to seek Him. Jesus may be coming back any day. He is the King of Glory spoken of here. He will return to Jerusalem, and it could be soon. If He came today, how would He find you?
Psalm 25 continues this theme by reminding us that it is the one who fears the Lord who will be taught by God. (v.12) Mercy and truth are given to those who keep the covenant. (v.10) It is our integrity and uprightness that He is looking for. (v.21) In other words, His blessings are not automatic for everyone. He blesses those who trust Him and walk with Him. None of us are perfect, but we can have a heart that is set on Him. He sees our hearts. He knows if we are playing games with Him or if we are serious.
Acts 21 confirms the Holy Spirit's revelation about Paul being arrested in Jerusalem. He is arrested to save his life from an angry mob of Jews, who just assume he has done something wrong. He is blameless. He is there to show he is doing God's will, but they are acting on a lie. That is a difficult situation for any of us. It is hard to be punished for something we did not do. However, Paul realizes it is a misunderstanding, so we asks to speak to the people. He is not angry back at them. He wants to explain his beliefs and his actions. He wants to communicate the truth. That is what we all should want to do when there is a false assumption. We should want to clear up the misunderstanding.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 26-28 and Acts 22.