Time Out! Devotions

Psalm 25:1-7 (NCV)

¹ Lord, I give myself to you; ² my God, I trust you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies laugh at me. ³ No one who trusts you will be disgraced, but those who sin without excuse will be disgraced.

⁴ Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live. ⁵ Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. I trust you all day long.⁶ Lord, remember your mercy and love that you have shown since long ago. ⁷ Do not remember the sins and wrong things I did when I was young. But remember to love me always because you are good, Lord.

Enemies are those who not only oppose us, but also oppose God’s way of living. Enemies can also be temptations – money, success, prestige, lust. And our greatest enemy is Satan. David asked God to keep his enemies from overcoming him because they opposed what God stood for. If his enemies succeeded, David feared that many would think that living for God was futile. David knew that God would triumph, but he didn’t want his enemies’ success to be an obstacle to the faith of others.

David expressed his desire for guidance. How do we receive God’s guidance? The first step is to want to be guided and to realize that God’s guidance is found mainly in His Word, the Bible. Psalm 119 tells of the endless knowledge found in God’s Word. By reading it and constantly learning from it, we will gain the wisdom to perceive God’s direction for our lives (Hebrews 5:14).

God is unlimited, all-conquering, and has unrestrained authority over all of creation and over each individual. Therefore, He is the only source of salvation, hope, and true peace through the forgiveness of sins.

Psalm 25:8-11 (NCV)

⁸ The Lord is good and right; He points sinners to the right way. ⁹ He shows those who are humble how to do right, and He teaches them His ways.¹⁰ All the Lord’s ways are loving and true for those who follow the demands of His agreement.¹¹ For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my many sins.

We are bombarded today with unlimited appeals to “go my way.” TV advertising alone places hundreds of options before us, in addition to appeals made by political parties, cults, false religions, and dozens of other groups. Numerous organizations including Christian organizations seek to motivate us to “support the cause.” Add to that the dozens of decisions we must make concerning our jobs, our families, our money, our society, and we become desperate for someone to show us the right way.

If you find yourself pulled in several directions, remember that the Lord “shows those who are humble how to do right, and He teaches them his ways.“

Psalm 25:15-20 (NCV)

¹⁵ My eyes are always looking to the Lord for help. He will keep me from any traps. ¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me, because I am lonely and hurting. ¹⁷ My troubles have grown larger; free me from my problems. ¹⁸ Look at my suffering and troubles, and take away all my sins. ¹⁹ Look at how many enemies I have! See how much they hate me! ²⁰ Protect me and save me. I trust you, so do not let me be disgraced.

Life’s problems always seem to go from bad to worse. God is the only one who can reverse this downward spiral. He can take our problems and turn them into glorious victories. There is one necessary requirement – we, like the psalmist (David), must cry out, “Come, Lord, and show me your mercy.” When you are willing to do that, the worst can become something wonderful. But the next step is yours, for God has already made His offer.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

How would you respond if someone accused you of something you didn’t do? What if you were fired from your job or shunned by your church for actions you never committed? Or perhaps simply misjudged by your peers? What attitude should Christians take when confronted with situations like these?

The apostle Paul knew a lot about being misunderstood. He writes, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus chose to become a suffering servant so that we could have eternal life. This was God’s plan for Him. However, Peter could not understand the Messiah’s selfless behavior, so he fought against it. He protested, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happened to You!” (Matthew 16:22). The fisherman’s pride stood in the way of his understanding and led him to a very different response than Christ desired.

“Get behind Me, Satan!” was Jesus’ immediate response—one that struck at the core of Peter’s problem. God’s truth always hits the mark. Peter’s pride and desire to see Jesus become a reigning earthly king had surfaced, and the Lord knew He had to address the issue head-on. “You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (v. 23).

Do you have the right attitude when it comes to following Christ? Peter had to lay down his personal desires and selfishness. Paul had to surrender his way and forego his claim to a respectable position in society. Humility in the life of the believer is the mark of greatness—not because you shine when you are humbled, but because when you submit to God’s will, He shines through you.

Perhaps you are faced with a difficult situation but don’t understand why God has chosen that avenue for you. Allow Him to use this time in your life to teach you how to be humble. Peter did just this. And he discovered that once humility accomplishes its perfect work, God will exalt us at the proper time (1 Peter 5:6). Blessing follows the obedience of a humbled heart.

(by Dr. Charles Stanley from the March 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)

Hebrews 2:17 (NIV)

¹⁷For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

You’ve barely dipped a toe into Matthew’s gospel when you realize Jesus hails from the Tilted-Halo Society. Rahab was a Jericho harlot. Grandpa Jacob was slippery enough to warrant an electric ankle bracelet. David had a personality as irregular as a Picasso painting – one day writing psalms, another day seducing his captain’s wife. But did Jesus erase His name from the list? Not at all!

Why did Jesus hang His family’s dirty laundry on the neighborhood clothesline?

Because your family has some too. The dad who never came home. The grandparent who ran away with the coworker. If your family tree has bruised fruit, then Jesus wants you to know, “I’ve been there.”

The phrase “I’ve been there” is in the chorus of Christ’s theme song. To the lonely, Jesus whispers, “I’ve been there.” To the discouraged, Christ nods His head and sighs, “I’ve been there.”

(by Max Lucado from his book, Next Door Savior)

This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt

“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13b

It was reported in Isaac Asimov’s Book of Facts that following the Civil War, Jefferson Davis was captured and indicted for treason. Though many Northerners called for Davis’ execution, one group petitioned for his release. The group? The former slaves from Davis’ cotton plantation. Following a two-year imprisonment, Davis was freed, having avoided a trial.

In the above anecdote from the Civil War era, we see both grace and mercy at work on Davis’ behalf, being extended by his former slaves. A basic explanation of the concepts of mercy and grace is as follows: Grace is receiving something beneficial that we don’t deserve and mercy is not receiving some negative consequence for what we do deserve.

Whether these former slaves were followers of Christ or not, they demonstrated the same kind of mercy and grace that God has displayed toward us through Christ Jesus – and the same kind of grace that we are to extend to others.

Through our own sin, we deserve the wrath of God. Through the mercy and grace demonstrated on our behalf through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been forgiven and freed from the penalty of sin – and beyond that – we have received the great blessings of being adopted into the family of God. In return, God asks us to extend mercy and grace to others (see Matthew 6:14-15) As Christians, we talk a lot about the concepts of mercy and grace. But, the truth of the matter is that we show whether or not we really understand mercy and grace through our lives. The bottom line is this: Do we extend mercy and grace to others? If not, according to Jesus, we really don’t get it.

Has someone mistreated you? Have you suffered injustice from someone or some institution in our society? If so, I urge you – as difficult as it may be – extend God’s mercy and grace: forgive even as the Lord has forgiven you.

FURTHER READING :
Matthew 6:14-15; Luke 17:4; Ephesians 1:1-8; 2:4-5

Jim Liebelt is the Senior Editor of Publications at HomeWord

(from – http://bible.christianity.com/devotionals/homeword/11577763/)

Have a great day and God bless!