Daily Devotional

Scripture Psalms 137:9 Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

Observation: This psalm was written about Jerusalem’s captivity in Babylon. The writer of the Psalm wants Babylon to pay for what they did to them. Things haven’t changed much in a few thousand years. We want those that hurt us to pay, we want them to suffer worse than we suffered. We even ask God to take care of them as if He was a divine hit man.

Application: My thoughts constantly turn to anger and I think the worse of people. I need to ask God to allow me to see them through His eyes and whatever might have happened to me that I can patiently ask my Lord what He desires me to do and be able to show God’s love to others.

Prayer: My Lord soften my heart and fill it with kindness towards your children. Help me realize that whatever happens that you are in control and maybe you are guiding me. Help me trust you totally and that I will be the man that would please you.

Scripture Psalms 136:1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Observation: Giving thanks for some reason doesn’t come easy to me. Not that I don’t want to, it’s just that I forget to do it. I don’t think of all God has blessed me with and I’m more focused on what is happening to me at the moment. I always have something to be thankful for and if anything, else I should be thankful that God is good and that His mercy endures forever.

Application: I need to make it a point to stop during the course of the day and take a moment to thank God for the blessings He gives me. To thank Him for the Father that He is and for His mercy He gives me daily. To thank Him for my provisions and the people that He puts in my life and for my eternal home that I get to go to when all of this is over and spend eternity with Him.

Prayer: My Lord thank you for all that you bless me with, thank you for never giving up on me, for my salvation, gifts and family. Use all that I have to glorify you and may this life show my gratitude for all you do.

Scripture Psalms 135:5 For I know that the LORD is great, And our Lord is above all gods.

Observation: I first read this and thought to myself there are no other gods, but then I think of what I worship in the course of the day. Money and the things of this world have become a god to me to the point I think of them more often than I think of my true God. What I do in the course of the day has more to do in what I desire on this earth than consulting God on what He calls me to do. So, is my God above all gods? So often in my days it doesn’t seem to be.

Application: My God needs to be the only God. There should be nothing in my life that is above my Lord and His will for my life. My Lord needs to sit on the throne of my life and command me on what He desires of me and not what I desire of Him. He is the God above all gods and at all times.

Prayer: My Lord forgive me for placing anything above you. You are my God and my first love. I need your help to strengthen me and to always put You first in all that I do. I love you Lord above all with all my heart, all my mind and all my soul.

Scripture Psalms 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD.

Observation: Every day I ask God for blessings, but when was the last time I blessed the Lord. Normally we don’t think of blessing God because we are too busy asking for our own blessings. What a privilege we have that we can bless God by praising Him, obeying His commands, treating each other with the love He calls us to give and telling others about how wonderful our Lord is. If I could only bless Him half as much as He blesses me that would really be something.

Application: I need to try to bless God as much as He blesses me. It might be an impossible task, but I need to try. I need to live a life that blesses Him and each day look for opportunities to please Him.

Prayer: My Lord I thank you for all of the blessings you give me each day. Help me now learn to bless you through praise and worship. May a day not go by that I don’t bless you in something I do or say. I love you and I want to be a blessing in this life.

Scripture Psalms 133:1 A song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

Observation: I read this and the first thing I thought about was my home fellowship. Christians gathered together to talk about our first love, God. That is our common reason we gather together and it causes unity as we praise Him and discuss His word. To be gathered in unity we must have a common purpose and focus and that needs to be our God something unchanging and something we love.

Application: I need to seek more opportunities to meet with fellow Christians. To strengthen myself in His word with a group of believers to help prepare me and strengthen me to do God’s will in my life. I need to get off the couch and get involved with my church family and be united with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayer: My Lord open doors for me to gather with your children. Take this laziness and excuses from me and gather me to your children. You call me to love my brothers and sisters and in less I’m around them I’ll never know them. Unite me with the church.

Scripture Psalms 132:5 Until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Observation: The psalm was David telling the Lord He was going to build a temple for Him, a place for the Lord. God has called my body a temple, but do I have a place for Him. My whole being should be a place for the Lord. What I do with my body, my thoughts, my actions, my words should glorify God, because this is His place. I want my Lord to feel at home here.

Application: I need to make my life ready for the Lord to reside in. I need to clean up my thoughts, actions and deeds so that my Lord will be comfortable. I need to give up my ownership of what I want and to sign over the papers to the rightful owner, My Lord.

Prayer: Make this temple your home, a place for you. Help me clean out my sinful ways and make it the home you desire. Remodel it so it has all the features you desire of me.

Scripture Psalms 131:1 A song of Ascents. Of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.

Observation: I wish I would be able to say this. It’s almost the opposite of how I am. My heart is haughty and my eyes lofty. I’m overwhelmed with the concerns of things around me and I’m always trying to figure out things that are beyond me or don’t concern me.

Application: I need to be more of what David is saying in this Psalm. I need to be at peace with my Lord and trust Him and not myself. I need to have a still heart and focus on the things God desires of me. My mind should be set on the things of the Lord and not worry about things that are none of my business and out of my control.

Prayer: Dear Lord guide me through this life and strengthen your servant. Give me a peaceful heart and calm my spirit. Open my eyes to the things you desire me to see and may I glorify you. I love you Lord help me draw closer to You.