Daily Devotional for January 11, 2015
Psalm 72-73
Scripture:
Psalm 73:1–6 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence (NIV).
Observation:
Has the prosperity of an unbeliever ever caused you to question God’s provision in your life? In a day when many pulpits are declaring that God wants all Christians to have exorbitant financial prosperity, it can be confusing to see an unbeliever have their needs met while you struggle to make ends meet. The key to escaping this land of confusion is proper focus.
While the author of this psalm begins by declaring God’s goodness to those with pure hearts, he confesses that his focus was diverted from that reality. His attention was redirected toward the wealth of certain evil people. But later in the chapter, he records entering God’s sanctuary and regaining proper focus. He first saw the eternal destinies of the wicked, in spite of their temporal prosperity. Then rather than continuing to focus on the wicked, he ended the chapter with a new, more accurate focus on God as his refuge.
Though it can be difficult to keep our focus on God as provider when we see unbelievers prosper, it’s the key to living a life of godly contentment and one that pleases Him.
Application:
- Personal Application: Remember every day to live a life of gratefulness to the Father. By keeping Him and His blessings in view, you can overcome being distracted and maintain proper focus.
- Family Devotional: Read Psalm 73 to your family. Take a few moments to encourage them to keep their focus on the good things God has blessed them with. Take turns recounting the many blessings God has given your family. Finally, lead in a prayer of thanksgiving for those blessings.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Spend a few moments in prayer thanking God for the blessings He has provided for you.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that God’s continual provision will extend both physically and spiritually over every aspect of your family’s life.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, January 10 – Sunday, January 17:
- Sunday, January 10: Psalm 70-71
- Monday, January 11: Psalm 72-73
- Tuesday, January 12: Psalm 74-75
- Wednesday, January 13: Hosea 1
- Thursday, January 14: Hosea 2
- Friday, January 15: Hosea 3-4
- Saturday, January 16: Hosea 5
- Sunday, January 17: Hosea 6
—Gene Crawford is an editor for the Assemblies of God Division of Publishing.
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