Time Out! Devotions

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 (NIV)

¹ When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. ² When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. ³ He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. ⁴ For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

A lot of negative emotions accompany hardship: frustration, despair, fear, and doubt. People ruled by those feelings often make poor choices. This is why I recommend that you decide now to respond to troubled times the way the Israelites did: with praise. Even in the darkest hours, worshipping God fills the heart with joy and the mind with peace. A believer who is filled in this way can wisely keep a commitment to obey the Lord no matter what.

Worshipping the Lord enlarges our vision. By doing so, we begin to see how He is at work in the world, perhaps in ways and places we never noticed before. More particularly, we see what God is doing in our situation and notice areas where He requires our obedience.

Our human tendency is to plot a course through a situation toward the easiest solution. But believers who strike out on their own do not mature in faith. Moreover, they miss out on the blessings of following the Lord’s plan. Stopping to praise can divert us from the easy way out and direct us to the right path—namely, the way of God’s will. Taking a step forward in faith can be frightening. However, believers are completely safe risking their whole future on the Lord’s faithfulness. He has never disappointed anyone!

It’s hard to despair while honoring the Lord for His love and strength. We can dispel doubt by recalling His past faithfulness—and ease frustration by committing our future plans to Him. Praise is not the obvious reaction to hardship, but it is the wisest response.

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

Psalm 23:5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Some people never find satisfaction in the things they do have, but spend their entire lives wishing for things they don’t have. They are never happy with where their lives are going, they feel empty in their relationships, and therefore they find it impossible to give thanks for the many blessings they have been given. As Christians, we are people of praise. Every prayer we offer unto God should acknowledge the many wonderful things that He has done for us. Only a blind person can deny the beauty and splendor of this world. God gives good things to His children, and we should be thankful for all that we have.

Prayer: Lord, I cannot believe how much I have been given. Help open my eyes to the many blessings that have been bestowed upon me. Make me thankful, Lord. Amen.

(from Christianity.com – Wisdom from the Psalms)

“Where is God when we hurt? Where is He when sleep won’t come? Where is He when we awaken in a hospital bed with pain that won’t subside? He’s right here! He hung on the gallows to prove once and for all, with pierced hands and blood-stained face — that He’s here — that He didn’t create the hurt, but He came to take it away.

When you hurt, God hurts with you. When no one listens to you, God listens to you. When you wipe away tears of loneliness or frustration or anguish, in heaven there’s a pierced hand approaching a heavenly face wiping away a tear.

Sometimes storms of life come to teach us that God is in control, that we must lean on Him and learn to be thankful for the richness of his blessings to us. We should serve God even if there is darkness enveloping our life and even if we don’t understand what’s happening — even when the circumstances of our life don’t make sense. Because He is worthy of praise, because He is God.”

“Father, nothing is louder than the silence of our God. But, Father, forgive us for the times we’ve interpreted your silence as a lack of love. Give us patience, for we know you’ll answer, if only we’ll wait.”

(by Max Lucado)

“Trust God in all you do. Believe that He protects you and will guide you. He has everything under control, so be courageous. He is who He says He is, and will do what He says He is going to do. Then Satan cannot pierce you with doubt and worry.”

(BJ Higgins – “I Would Die For You”)