Time Out! Devotions

Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

The One to whom we pray knows our feelings. He knows temptation. He has felt discouraged. He has been hungry and sleepy and tired. He knows what we feel like when the alarm clock goes off. He knows what we feel like when our children want different things at the same time. He nods in understanding when we pray in anger. He is touched when we tell Him there is more to do than can ever be done. He smiles when we confess our weariness.

He wants us to remember that He, too, was human. He wants us to know that He, too, knew the drone of the humdrum and the weariness that comes with long days. He wants us to remember that our trailblazer didn’t wear bulletproof vests or rubber gloves or an impenetrable suit of armor. No, He pioneered our salvation through the world that you and I face daily.

(from No Wonder They Call Him the Savior by Max Lucado)

I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up.

(Psalm 30:1 – NKJV)

In God’s book man is heading somewhere. He has an amazing destiny. We are being prepared to walk down the church aisle and become the bride of Jesus. We are going to live with Him. Share the throne with Him. Reign with Him. We count. We are valuable. And what’s more, our worth is built in! Our value is inborn.

You see, if there was anything that Jesus wanted everyone to understand it was this: A person is worth something simply because he is a person.

That is why He treated people like He did. Think about it. The girl caught making undercover thunder with someone she shouldn’t — He forgave her. The untouchable leper who asked for cleansing — He touched him. And the blind welfare case that cluttered the roadside — He honored him. And the worn-out old windbag addicted to self-pity near the pool of Siloam — He healed him!

(from No Wonder They Call Him the Savior by Max Lucado)

Psalm 124 (New International Reader’s Version)

¹ Here is what Israel should say. Suppose the Lord had not been on our side.
² Suppose the Lord had not been on our side when our enemies attacked us.
³ Suppose he had not been on our side when their anger blazed out against us. Then they would have swallowed us alive.
⁴ They would have been like a flood that drowned us. They would have swept over us like a rushing river.
⁵ They would have washed us away like a swollen stream.
⁶ Give praise to the Lord. He has not let our enemies chew us up.
⁷ We have escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap has been broken, and we have escaped.
⁸ Our help comes from the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth.

Do you ever feel trapped by overwhelming odds? David compared this feeling to that of a bird outwitted and snared by a hunter.

With God, there is always a way out because He is the Creator of all that exists. No problem is beyond His ability to solve, no circumstance is too difficult for Him. We can turn to the Creator for help in our time of need, for He is on our side. God will provide a way out, we need only trust Him and look for it.

Psalm 126 (New International Reader’s Version)

¹ Our enemies took us away from Zion. But when the Lord brought us home, it seemed like a dream to us.
² Our mouths were filled with laughter. Our tongues sang with joy. Then the people of other nations said, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
³ The Lord has done great things for us. And we are filled with joy.
⁴ Lord, bless us with great success again, as rain makes streams flow in the Negev Desert.
⁵ Those who cry as they plant their crops will sing with joy when they gather them in.
⁶ Those who go out sobbing as they carry seeds to plant will come back singing with joy. They will bring the new crop back with them.

God’s capacity for restoring life is beyond our understanding. Forests burn down and are able to grow back. Broken bones heal. Even grief is not a permanent condition. Our tears can be seeds that will grow into a harvest of joy because God is able to bring good out of tragedy.

When burdened by sorrow, know that your times of grief will end soon and that you will again find joy. We must be patient as we wait. God’s great harvest of joy is coming!

“No, Lord! Don’t punish me in the heat of Your anger. Pity me, O Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, for my body is sick, and I am upset and disturbed. My mind is filled with apprehension and with gloom. Oh, restore me soon.” (Psalm 6:1-3 – The Living Bible)

David accepted God’s punishment, but begged God not to punish in anger. Jeremiah also asked God to correct him gently and not in anger (Jeremiah 10:23-24). David recognized that if God treated him with justice alone and not with mercy, he would be wiped out by God’s wrath. Often we want God to show mercy to us and justice to everyone else. In God’s kindness, He often forgives us instead of giving us what we deserve.

“Come, O Lord, and make me well. In Your kindness save me. For if I die I cannot give You glory by praising You before my friends. I am worn out with pain; every night my pillow is wet with tears. My eyes are growing old and dim with grief because of all my enemies.

Go, leave me now, you men of evil deeds, for the Lord has heard my weeping and my pleading. He will answer all my prayers. All my enemies shall be suddenly dishonored, terror-stricken, and disgraced. God will turn them back in shame.” (Psalm 6:4-10 – The Living Bible)

Pouring out his heart with tears, David was completely honest with God. We can be honest with God, even if we are filled with anger and despair, because He knows us thoroughly and wants the very best for us. Anger and despair often result in rash outward acts or turning inward which can lead to depression. Because we trust in our all-powerful God, we don’t have to be victims of circumstance or be weighed down by the guilt of sin. Be honest with God and He will help you turn your attention from yourself to His wonderful presence.

David’s feelings shifted from fear to confidence. To defend ourselves against the lies and propaganda of our enemies, our best preparation is to be saturated with the knowledge of God and filled with His presence. Our daily study of His Word, our prayers, our worship, and our confidence in His presence will keep us strong.