Psalm 115:1-18
The opening call in Psalm 115 is to give God the glory for the sake of His steadfast love and faithfulness (vs. 1). This is such a good psalm, full of reminders of who God is and how we need to trust and rely upon Him in all circumstances. (How about an "amen" to that?) I was really drawn today to verses 9-11. So I went back and read them again but substituted my name in certain places to make it more personal. This really helped me focus on putting God first as I headed out for the day. Here's what I did and I thought you might like to try it too?
O (put your name here), trust in the Lord! He is your help (put your name here) and your shield. . . .(put your name here) fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is your help and your shield.
So what can you do today to let the Lord know that you trust in Him and that you believe He is faithful to be your help and shield? Tami W.
P.S. Dr. Kroll starts a new weeklong series today on Back to the Bible called The God You Need to Know. We'd love to have you join us for today's study.
I was moved by the verse that says 'we are like what god (little g) we serve'. So, I believe we should take this to mean: if we want to become more like Jesus, then we'd better be certain we are serving Him. Our God had better be the Óne True and Living God, for He is a jealous God! We should take ALL our needs to the Lord FIRST, voice our concerns to Him, before confiding in man. This confirms our complete faith and trust in God's love for us. In the New Testament, we are told, 'Cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.!' WE can absolutely trust Him with US!
I will sing his praises during my day, and keep Him in my thoughts when I become frustrated, asking for the grace to overcome. He can protect me throughout the day, but also be my "coat of arms" as it were, showing others to Whom I belong: Jesus Christ, my almighty King!
I think we can show God we trust Him if we abide in His Word, and follow His commandments, God will do anything we ask for in Jesus' name (John 15:7). We can call on Him in times of weakness and stress, and He is there to comfort and support us. Apart from Christ, we are nothing (John 15:5).
The Psalm tells us that to God alone belongs glory. When we trust God, God knows it. He knows everything, whether we are true to Him or not so we do not have to worry about anything when we put our faith in Him only. Just continue to be in His Word so that Satan cannot sneak through. When the Holy Spirit dwells in us we can face any obstacle.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for life, for this day You have created for us. We thank You for our family and friends and for back to the Bible and Powered by 4. We ask You Lord to continue to strengthen us to become good ambassadors in Your name. Amen.
Today's passage is full of God's promises! I and many other special people in my life have been in the midst of evil warfare and although things don't always work out the way I would prefer, I'm confident that God will bless me/us in His perfect way and timing. Vs. 12-14 really resonated with me- esp. the verse "The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron". So, despite our earthly trials and tribulations, God is faithful and my trust will not falter. He will always bless His children and for that I will choose to praise Him and give thanks in ALL things...
I read verses 9-11 again also, Tami. Verses 9 and 10 talk about the house of Israel and the Jewish people. We have been grafted into that family. In verse 11 it says "all who fear the Lord."
That's everybody who chooses to trust in God. We have the promise that God is our shield, protection and help. How great is that.
We do so many things in our lives to make sure we are "safe". Retirement fund, a job, making sure to go to church,and the list can continue. I know personally that these are a few things I struggle with.
After listening to Dr. Kroll, I understand that no matter what you do, if it doesn't bring glory to God, then it is of no value. So yes, we can do these things, but rather than doing these to be "safe", let us do these to bring Glory to God!