Jesus’ Shining Face!
Scripture reading for September 8: Psalm 67:1-3, 6-7 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You!” . . . “The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear Him.”
John 20:21-22 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.“
Today’s psalm comes from a worshiper in Israel and was sent to the choirmaster as a song. It was a prayer for God’s grace and favor to be made known among His people. The Aaronic blessing was part of this song, and asked God to turn His shining and glorious face towards His people. This wasn’t just for a supernatural experience, but to fulfill God’s stated purpose of showing His saving and healing power to all the nations of the earth. As Israel sang praises to their Lord, Who was smiling on them and pleased with them, they would enjoy the blessings of His grace in salvation and forgiveness of sins, deliverance from their enemies, and healing of their sicknesses and diseases. All the ends of the earth would be drawn to the God Who smiles and blesses His people. The earth would yield its increase and God would pour out more blessings on all who praised Him. As praises go up, blessings come down.
God answered the prayer of this worshiper in the sending of His Son to reveal the smiling and gracious face of the Father Who wanted to pour out blessing on His people. God the Father sent His Son to heal the sick, deliver the bound, and seek and save the lost. He recruited disciples who would take His blessing to the ends of the earth. To equip them, He looked each one in the face and breathed on them, giving them the Father’s blessing–the Holy Spirit. They were sent in His peace to do as Jesus did!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for turning Your smiling face upon us and giving us grace and blessings. May we who have believed obey Your simple instructions to take this Good News to all the earth! Amen.
Prayer for a Clean Heart
Scripture reading for September 7: Psalm 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
Mark 7:20-21 “And He said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All those evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Heart disease is one of the major health issues of our culture. Most people are treating it as a medical condition only and there are vast specialists who major on treating a great variety of heart problems. There are real physical issues and the heart is a vital organ in our body, controlling the blood supply to each cell and member. Physical issues call for a physician.
But Scripture focuses on the heart of man as the source of evil and sin. When we allow our hearts to focus on our flesh and its demands, trouble and sin flows out from our heart. It is the center of our control of mind and body and the residing place of our spirit and the Holy Spirit if we are saved. This worship psalm was composed by King David when he was confronted by God through Nathan the prophet about his own sexual sin and the murder of his army commander and friend. David confessed his sin and took responsibility before God. He asked God to create in him a ‘clean heart’, one free from sin and evil. This request for a ‘new heart’ would be granted by God by ‘new creation’. David knew that the Holy Spirit dwelling in him could bring this about.
If you are suffering from heart disease as described by Jesus in Scripture, why not humble yourself and confess your need of God’s mercy and creative ability to give you a new heart and a right spirit? This is the only thing that can restore the joy of salvation and uphold you in this walk through earth.
Prayer: Father God, I have sinned against You and others. I need a clean heart and a willing spirit. Please send me Your Holy Spirit to create a clean heart in me. Amen.
God: I Will be Exalted!
Scripture reading for September 4: Psalm 46:8-11 “Come, behold the works of the Lord, how He has brought desolations on the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Fortress.”
Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Psalm 46 was written by the sons of Korah, a Levite worship leader. This psalm extols the virtues of God and His mighty works. It recognizes that God Alone promises to bring peace to His people by breaking the bow and shattering the spears and burning up the chariots. God is a Warrior and commands a mighty heavenly army. His Name is the Lord of hosts, which refers to the hosts of waring angels that do His will on earth as heaven directs.
In order to begin to understand God, His people are exhorted to be still before Him and begin to truly know the God Who fights for them. They are to exalt Him in worship as an example to the nations who God also desires to come under His authority and know His goodness and grace.
God fulfilled His own declaration by sending His own Son and exalting Him to the highest place of total authority. At the Name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth. Every tongue will confess that He is Lord- God with us! He truly is our fortress and defender and will quell all our enemies–even death itself!
Prayer: Jesus, I bow my knees to You as King and Lord! I confess You to be my Fortress and Deliverer from all forces of evil. I exalt You on earth! May all be still and know You are God! Amen.
Fighting Depression
Scripture reading for September 3: Psalm 42:7-11 “Deep calls to deep at the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my Rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my Salvation and my God.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
Another common malady of our day is depression and anxiety. When we don’t have God at the center of our life, our problems loom over us as giants that taunt us by day and by night. When we focus our minds on our problems, even believers can begin to question God as David did in this psalm of worship. He felt God had forgotten him and his enemies also taunted him with “Where is your God?” These questions, doubts and fears brought David down in his soul and there was turmoil.
To combat this attack of unbelief, David had a conversation with his soul. He asked himself why he would be in such turmoil and downcast? He spoke an encouraging word to his own soul: ‘Hope in God!’ He began to praise God for Who He was to him, his Salvation and personal Lord. This deliberate confrontation of his inner turmoil brought his soul back out of the mire of self-pity and doubt.
In the New Testament, Peter tells believers to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God by casting all their anxiety on Him. They are reminded that God cares for them and knows how to carry them through whatever trial is causing them turmoil. God will exalt them in the proper time. He is never early and never late, even though our soul feelings may say otherwise!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, today I humble myself to cast all my load of cares on You because You care for me! I will praise You for Your great salvation! You are my Hope! Amen!
Pay it Forward!
Scripture reading for September 2: Psalm 41:1-3 “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him: the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness You restore him to full health.”
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
God is merciful to the poor and needy. His example should flow to those who love Him and are filled with His Holy Spirit. In most societies, the poor are neglected or taken advantage of. They are often judged by others for their state of poverty. They are often called ‘lazy’ or labeled as bums or beggars. Sometimes they are homeless and many suffer from addiction and the consequences of their own sins. Some have physical deformities and others mental illness. But even in the covenant of law, God called His people to be kind and generous to the poor and Jesus was always mindful of the poor and needy.
King David spoke prophetically of the faithful believer who was blessed by considering the poor. He plainly stated that in their day of trouble the Lord would deliver them. It was kind of like paying it forward. If you cared for the poor and helped them, then God would assure that in your need, you would find help. If your enemy was bent on killing you, God would keep you alive. If you were cursed by your enemy, God would make you blessed and not give you up to the destructive purposes of your enemy. Finally, if you were attacked by sickness, disease, or plague, God would sustain you during the illness and restore you to full health. That sounds like the kind of deal I want in on!
Prayer: Lord, thank You for showing us Your heart of mercy for the poor and the incentives You offer Your people to care for them as an extension of Your hand. I want to receive Your blessings and say ‘Amen’ to the promises of protection, deliverance, and healing. Show me what You want me to do for the poor in my life. Amen.
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Sin leads to Disease
Scripture reading for September 1: Psalm 38:3-9 “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. O Lord, all my longing is before You; my sighing is not hidden from You.”
Psalm 38:21-22 “Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.”
Confession is good for the soul. Although he knew that God knew everything he was going through, the psalmist, King David, here took ownership of his own sin and iniquity. He stated the condition of his body, mind and soul as he endured the consequences of his sin. David likened the weight of sin as a heavy burden that crushed him down. The foolishness of sin brought wounds to his body that were festering and smelled rotten. David’s bones hurt and his sides were burning with pain. All these consequences had made the king feeble and he groaned out of the tumult of his heart. He shared his pain, suffering and longing before the Lord in this mournful song of worship.
The worship song has a faith-filled ending with a cry to God for help. He asked God not to forsake him in his sins and suffering. He called God ‘my God’ out of a personal relationship and ‘Lord’ out of respect and honor. He asked God to please hurry. He declared that God was “my salvation”, again a personal claiming of God’s saving ability from sin and it’s deadly consequences. Have you ever considered a song of confession to God? Have you personally addressed God as “my God” and “my salvation”?
Prayer: Father God, although I can’t sing well, I thank You for this example of a humble confession of sin and sickness by King David. His song reminds me that sin has terrible consequences and hurt us and others. It reminds me to honor God through calling on Him for mercy and healing. O Lord, hasten to help me! You alone are my salvation. Amen!
God Reveals the Path of Life!
Scripture reading for August 31: Psalm 16:7-11 “I bless the Lord Who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You have made known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one come to the Father except through Me.”
The psalmist was worshiping God with this psalm of declaration. He declared God as his Counselor, who is instructing him in the night seasons when darkness seeks to overwhelm. He declared that God is his “right hand” and that makes him secure in the darkness and shaking of the enemy. He declared that his flesh would dwell secure and that he lived a life of rejoicing because of God’s presence. In his rejoicing, he declared his belief that God would not abandon him to the place of the departed dead or allow his flesh to see decay. In God, he has found the path of eternal life leading to God’s presence and fullness of joy forever.
Our health and mental well-being are tied to our faith in God. When we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the sufficiency of God to meet our deepest needs, our faith brings vision and revelation of God’s ‘path of life’ available to all through faith. Jesus declared that He Alone was the Way to the Father and in Him was eternal life. These truths reveal to those who will believe that the path of life eternal is found in a relationship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is raised from the dead and now seated at God’s right hand. In Him we are seated there as well and find eternal pleasures forever!
Prayer: Father God, thank You for revealing the only path to Life eternal and joy forever in Your Son Jesus, our Lord! I bless the Lord at all times and His praise is in my heart and mouth. Amen!
Arise, O Lord!
Scripture reading for August 28: Psalm 10:12, 17-18 “Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand; forget not the afflicted. . . .O Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that the man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 “. . .for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
The psalmist in Psalm 10 struggles with thinking that the Lord is far away from him in his time of trouble. He questions ‘why’ he feels isolated from God. It appears that the wicked are prospering even though they forget God and even curse Him. They break His laws with impunity thinking in their hearts that God doesn’t see or care what they do. This is often the mindset of those suffering from sickness, disease, or oppression in its various tormenting forms. Their feelings are based on their visual observations and experience in the world and this leads to despair.
But God tells us to call out to Him in our afflictions. “Arise, O Lord” is the cry of the believer who trusts in God. They ask God to take notice and take action on their behalf. They confess in faith that God will not forget them as He has said that He would never leave us or forsake us. If God has promised, then that is the reality that the believer acts on. They don’t rely on their feelings or what the circumstances tell them through their natural senses. They trust God’s Word and His eternal power and ability to act on their behalf. They choose not to fear man or their enemy that is attacking them or sickness or disease. They confidently state; “I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Because they believe by faith that God hears and will act, they rest in Him Alone.
Prayer: Father God, thank You that in Your Son Jesus Christ, You arose and lifted up the Man of Your Right Hand. He bore all of our afflictions and oppression in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. We confidently confess: “The Lord is my Helper!” Amen!
Stronghold for the oppressed!
Scripture reading for August 27th: Psalm 9:9-11 “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know Your Name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the Lord, Who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples His deeds!”
John 16:23-24 “In that day you will ask nothing of Me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My Name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
There are many kinds of oppression in our fallen world. People are often oppressed because of prejudice against races or nationalities. They may be mocked and relegated to the lowest place in a country or people group. They may be taken advantage of or sold into slavery for labor or sexual pleasure. The psalmist declares a truth about His Lord concerning oppression and those in trouble: God is faithful! All who put their trust in Him and know His Name, calling on Him and seeking His help will never be forsaken or left to the enemy.
The Name of the Lord often declares His character and benefits. In the last devotion we found that God was our Shield, Glory, and the lifter of our heads. God is our Healer, providing remedy for disease as well as protection from disease. In the New Testament, Jesus encouraged His disciples to begin asking the Father directly in His Name for whatever they had need of and they would receive it. Our Lord Jesus is truly a ‘Stronghold’ in times of trouble or oppression. No weapon formed against us will prosper! Our God shall meet all our needs according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer: Father, in Jesus’ Name, we take You at Your Word today and ask You to lift our oppression from sickness and disease. You Alone are our Stronghold in oppression. We will worship You and tell among the peoples Your amazing deeds of answering our prayers! Amen!
Blessed Sleep
Scripture reading for August 26: Psalm 3:3-6 “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head. I cried to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy hill. (Selah) I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
One of the common health issues of our time is sleeplessness. This malady can come from a number of causes from worry and fear to physical problems like sleep apnea and insomnia. God’s Word in Psalms addresses this issue of sleeplessness coming from fear. The psalmist knows and declares by faith that God is his Shield of protection. Even if thousands were arrayed against him, he could still lie down and sleep because God would sustain him. God would nourish his soul and bring him through the night with refreshing sleep. God would also be his Glory and the lifter of his head when burdened down by worry or fear. When the psalmist contemplated God’s glory, his focus was on the greatness and splendor of God and problems melted into the background.
Jesus gave an invitation to all who were weary and heavy with the cares of life. He invited them to come to Him and cast all their cares on Him. They were to take His yoke upon them and learn from Him. He was gentle and humble and through surrender to Him, they would find the rest that they so desperately needed. If you struggle with sleep issues or rest issues, finding yourself tired all the time, why not take Jesus at His Word?
Prayer: Father God, I come to You at Your Word that promises refreshing and sustaining sleep and rest from life’s burdens. Teach me Your humble and gentle way of living, trusting fully in God to meet all my needs. I will find true rest in You. Thank You Lord! Amen!