A Bad Day?
Psalm 118:15-24
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
16 The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Bee's Thoughts:
I tend to be able to identify myself with King David's Psalms most of the time. The above Psalm sounds like my life. It speaks of King David's near death, and how God delivered him from it (v17). It also speaks of God's dealing with his life (v18) to mould him to become a man after God's heart. In spite of the things he had gone through he said, "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (v24)
I have so much to learn from King David's life... his heart toward's God, attitude, repenting spirit, justice, thankfulness, faith, joy, loyalty, forgiveness, love and many more.
Yes, I should rejoice in the Lord always... yesterday, today, tomorrow, and the days to come. For God makes the days new for me.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that Your loving kindness never cease and Your compassion never fail, they are new every morning. Therefore, I can rejoice in You daily no matter what suituation I encounter. May Your joy in me be contagious to those around me, that they may experience Your joy too.
In Jesus' name I ask these. Amen.
Tommy's Thoughts:
Whenever bad things happen, situations gone out of hand or didn’t go the way I have planned, I’m quick to complain, feeling uneasy and restless. With my impatient attitude, I will either move ahead knowing God has asked me to wait or fell into self-pity and condemnation. I questioned God with “whys” on all my unanswered prayers. I wondered why I’m in such a situation while others are not. Why can’t my problems be solved now? Why I have to wait? Why I have to go through all these?
There’s nothing wrong voicing our thoughts and feelings to God. In fact, we have to be honest and tell Him everything our hearts truly feel. God knows us very well and He can take all our grumblings. But, instead of falling into self-pity or condemnation, we need to be like the psalmists, ending their prayers in praise to God.
Dear Lord, I know a lot of times You are working in the background; preparing something better for me in the future. I confess that too often I took them in the negative way, thinking you’re stopping me from getting what I want and deserve now. Forgive me also Lord for being so discontented at times, not being glad and thankful for what You have already given to me.
Lord, I trust You to know what’s best for me and I will follow Your timing in everything I do. I’ll obey You Lord each and everyday I live. Thank You for giving me a reason to rejoice everyday; to live and to serve You. AMEN!
.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy
