August 16, 2006 - Psalms 94-96 and Romans 15:14-33
These passages from God's Word are very practical for us today. I pray we will all let Him speak to our hearts through these verses.
Psalms 94 reminds us to stop worrying. Do you have a problem with anxiety? The psalmist was worrying about the wicked people around him, but then, he realized he should have been going to the Lord for comfort. (v.19) Do not get stuck in the worry mode of life. Pray for the Lord's comfort, so you can move on to more constructive things. Worry never helps us. It always hurts us.
Psalms 95 warns us not to harden our hearts. (v.8) It is easy to do. It happens gradually, as we decide not to listen to God in different ways. Slowly our hearts become hard to the things of God. This hardness causes us not to be able to hear God, so we go astray. Then, we are in big trouble because we can't rest in the Lord; we are doing it ourselves. That will wear us out. Don't harden your heart. Trust the Lord, and enter His rest. He will fight for you, and give you the victory in life.
Psalm 96 exhorts us to worship the Lord in sincerity. This is a cure for worry and hard hearts. It is a barometer of our hearts. If you can't fully worship God, there is a problem. It could be worry or a hard heart or something else, but you must ask God to show you what it is and confess it. Then, you can worship Him sincerely. When you do, you will see that there is no reason to worry or to have a hard heart.
Romans 15 ends with several insights that are practical. We need to admonish one another. (v.14) Are you able to admonish your fellow believers? We need to have fellowship with other believers. We need to support each other in prayer and with our lives, even our money. In other words, we are all on the same team. Let's work together in unity and love. What do you need today? Maybe God wants to fill that need through another believer. Be open to the people whom God sends you, and ask God to show you to whom you should go.
Tomorrow, I intend to read psalms 97-99 and Romans 16.
Psalms 94 reminds us to stop worrying. Do you have a problem with anxiety? The psalmist was worrying about the wicked people around him, but then, he realized he should have been going to the Lord for comfort. (v.19) Do not get stuck in the worry mode of life. Pray for the Lord's comfort, so you can move on to more constructive things. Worry never helps us. It always hurts us.
Psalms 95 warns us not to harden our hearts. (v.8) It is easy to do. It happens gradually, as we decide not to listen to God in different ways. Slowly our hearts become hard to the things of God. This hardness causes us not to be able to hear God, so we go astray. Then, we are in big trouble because we can't rest in the Lord; we are doing it ourselves. That will wear us out. Don't harden your heart. Trust the Lord, and enter His rest. He will fight for you, and give you the victory in life.
Psalm 96 exhorts us to worship the Lord in sincerity. This is a cure for worry and hard hearts. It is a barometer of our hearts. If you can't fully worship God, there is a problem. It could be worry or a hard heart or something else, but you must ask God to show you what it is and confess it. Then, you can worship Him sincerely. When you do, you will see that there is no reason to worry or to have a hard heart.
Romans 15 ends with several insights that are practical. We need to admonish one another. (v.14) Are you able to admonish your fellow believers? We need to have fellowship with other believers. We need to support each other in prayer and with our lives, even our money. In other words, we are all on the same team. Let's work together in unity and love. What do you need today? Maybe God wants to fill that need through another believer. Be open to the people whom God sends you, and ask God to show you to whom you should go.
Tomorrow, I intend to read psalms 97-99 and Romans 16.