Daily Devotional for December 10, 2015
Psalms 69
Scripture:
1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. 3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. 4 Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. 5 You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you. 6 May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel. 7 For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. 8 I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons; 9 for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
Observation:
Some days when I am reading God’s Word, I notice a promise or a principle that gives me incredible hope and puts a smile on my face; however, this is not one of those days. Today, I noticed that we may experience persecution at times for no apparent reason (verse 4). We may face ridicule or scorn for simply being followers of Christ (verses 7 and 9). I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of persecution or scorn. I do not look forward to it, nor am I excited about it.
This verse may cause us to evaluate the risk vs. reward in life, or try to determine our pain tolerances; however, we should have no hesitation when we say, “My God is worth it!” The psalmist agrees with that statement in verse 9 when he declares, “my zeal for your house consumes me.” The goodness of God and the promise of eternity with Him is more than enough to help us endure. Keep your eyes on the Lord and He will direct your path. This psalm ends with a declaration of God’s salvation. In Jesus Christ we hold the promise of God’s salvation and the blessed hope of eternity in His presence.
Application:
- Personal Application: Keep your eyes focused on God and His presence in your life. We may not always understand the question, “Why?” When that is the case, remember the hope we can find in Jesus and cry out to Him for salvation.
- Family Devotional: Read this psalm to your family. Ask them if any part of it spoke to them as you read. Talk about their answers and show them that one important aspect of this chapter is remembering that God’s goodness outweighs any temporary discomfort. Pray for them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God for a fresh sense of His presence in your life.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that God will give them the strength to endure any situations that don’t seem to make sense in their life.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, December 6 – Sunday, December 13:
- Sunday, December 6: Lamentations 4
- Monday, December 7: Lamentations 5
- Tuesday, December 8: Psalms 66-67
- Wednesday, December 9: Psalms 68
- Thursday, December 10: Psalms 69
- Friday, December 11: Proverbs 30
- Saturday, December 12: Proverbs 31
- Sunday, December 13: Acts 1
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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