The gospel of Matthew records Jesus saying, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” God is always right. When we follow Him and do what He says, we are right(eous).
When we walk in righteousness, we are walking well with Jesus Christ. This will require us to make difficult decisions from time to time, but as long as we choose God, without compromise, we will be okay. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 112:6-9 6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. 7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. 9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. Today’s Reading: Psalm 112
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Psalm 111 is a list of the goodness of God. I encourage you to meditate on this Psalm. Allow the Lord to remind you of His goodness.
You may be in a difficult season of life. Is this the first one? Odds are you’ve survived your fair share of difficult times. The same God who brought you through those still sits on the Throne. Trust Him. He cannot fail! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 111:1 & 10 1 Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Today’s Reading: Psalm 111 You may recognize this passage from Jesus quoting it during His time on earth. Let it be a reminder to you that Jesus is Lord and He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf.
I encourage you to share the gospel with those people in your sphere of influence. Please do not say, “there’s plenty of time for that.” People die suddenly everyday. It would be sad if they never had the opportunity to accept what Jesus did on the cross for the forgiveness of their sin. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 110:1 1 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Today’s Reading: Psalm 110 Psalm 109 is a reminder to allow God to avenge any wrong done to us. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy.
Psalm 109:1-6 1 My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, 2 for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. 3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. 4 In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. 5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. 6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. Today’s Reading: Psalm 109 BE SELF-AWARE!
This is a phrase I find myself using frequently as a teacher. Many of us are not self-aware and it leads us into trouble. As I read this passage, I thought, “clearly David is self-aware.” He realizes that God has allowed Israel’s enemies to have their way with them because of their own rebellion against God. Are you self-aware? Are you asking God to do this, that, and the third in your life, but you do not realize you are out of right fellowship with Him. Remember this: God does not owe you anything based on who you are. He only “owes” you salvation based on who Jesus is in your life. You, without Jesus, will NEVER have a right relationship with God. On that, you must BE SELF-AWARE! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 108:10-13 10 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? 12 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. 13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. Today’s Reading: Psalm 108 Psalm 107 is a good read. Take your time and allow the Lord to teach you about Him in this moment. He is faithful. Think about what He has done in and through your life.
I have some friends who, just a few years ago, were crying out to the Lord because they wanted to start a family. They went through some difficult times. They cried many tears as it seemed like the Lord was saying “No” to their prayer to have children. But God is gracious. A couple of days ago, they welcomed their SECOND daughter into their family. PRAISE GOD! Please understand, not every painful story will end like their’s. You may not get the answer you seek. But one thing is true, you have been redeemed from the hands of the enemy. And for that, you should tell anyone who will listen. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 107:2-3; 43 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 43 Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord. Today’s Reading: Psalm 107 Sitting in my quiet time, I’m thinking about the grace of God. Reading the final section of Psalm 106, I cannot help but marvel at the goodness of God. The Israelites were rebellious. God gave them over to their enemies because they were following false gods. Then the Psalmist says that God heard their cry and He showed them mercy.
That is difficult to comprehend. The people rebelled against God by worshipping false gods, yet God remembered them as His and showed them mercy. This is why I follow Him without doubt. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 106:40-46 40 Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. 41 He gave them into the hands of the nations, and their foes ruled over them. 42 Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power. 43 Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. 44 Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; 45 for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. 46 He caused all who held them captive to show them mercy. Today’s Reading: Psalm 106:32-48 I wrote yesterday that the Israelites turned away from God despite the good He had done in their sight. The thing they did not realize is there’s a price to be paid for choosing not to follow God.
When the Israelites realized they had rebelled against God, it was too late. They were destined to pay the consequences of “forgetting” who God is and what He has done. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 106:21-23 21 They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, 22 miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. 23 So he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them. Today’s Reading: Psalm 106:13-31 This section of Psalm 106 reminds us of what God did to save the Israelites from the Egyptians at the beginning of the exodus. As I read verse twelve, I pondered this question. Why would a person who witnessed what God did at the Red Sea ever turn away from Him and lose faith?
I look at the current landscape and see many people who have experienced God’s move in their life, but have turned away from Him. I do not understand that. I encourage you to keep the faith. God is in control. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 106:10-12 10 He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. 11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. 12 Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. Today’s Reading: Psalm 106:1-12 Imagine witnessing God work miracles in and around you. Think about how that might impact you as you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is who He says He is and He has shown Himself to you.
This is what the Israelites experienced when they walked out of Egypt. They knew that God had saved them. Yet, whenever times of trouble came, they lost their faith. That fascinates me. Do you lose your faith in God because things don’t look like you think they should? I encourage you to meditate on all that God has done in and around your life. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 105:39-41 39 He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. 40 They asked, and he brought them quail; he fed them well with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert. Today’s Reading: Psalm 105:37-45 This section of Psalm 105 is a lesson in the life of Joseph (sort of) and the beginning of Moses’ ministry among the Israelites. If you are unfamiliar with this story, I encourage you to head over to Genesis 37 and read thru Exodus 12:32. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy.
Psalm 105:16-17 16 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; 17 and he sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. Today’s Reading: Psalm 105:16-36 I have heard this passage quoted often. I think about this passage often. As I consider what happened to the Israelites as depicted in Isaiah and Jeremiah, I realize that God did not let the actions of the Babylonians and Assyrians go unpunished.
Think about this, God removed His hand of protection from the Israelites because of their rebellion. He allowed those two nations, among others, to have victories over His chosen people. Then He punished those nations for their actions against the Israelites. WHY? This passage says it all. Paying people back, getting revenge, or actions of the like are not for us to do. We are incapable of having righteous revenge. Our revenge is always wrongly rooted. WHY? We do not know the full story. When it comes to vengeance, take a page from David’s book. Let God have His way. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 105:15 15 “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.” Today’s Reading: Psalm 105:1-15 *HOMEWORK ALERT*
Take a few minutes and look up what Leviathan is. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 104:24-26 24 How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. 26 There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. Today’s Reading: Psalm 104:24-35 Last night I was talking to myself, as I often do, and in the course of the “conversation” I said, “not this version of me.” I had to pause.
It reminded me of a meme that says something like, when are you gonna realize that people are “judging” you based on a person that no longer exists. Again, that’s roughly what it says. When we encounter Christ and receive His free gift of salvation, He begins to change us. God prunes away the parts of our lives that do not honor Him. This process continues for the rest of our lives on this earth. It’s impossible for people to keep up with the changes God is making. Therefore, they may interact with you not realizing that who they thought you were is not who you are. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 2 Corinthians 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Today’s Reading: Psalm 104:1-23 This passage is one you should hide in your heart. It is a wonderful reminder of the love and sovereignty of God.
What are you going through? Let these words remind you that our God is on the throne and nothing is too great for Him. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 103:8-12 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Today’s Reading: Psalm 103 I love how Psalm 102 begins. I sense the Psalmist familiarity with God. It is a prayer to a familiar God, not an unknown one. There is a faith connected to his words. He fully expects God to answer his prayer.
Do you pray with this same level of confidence? If not, why? I encourage you to seek God first in all you do. As you seek Him in earnest, you will grow closer to Him. As you grow closer to Him, your prayer life will improve. For me, my prayer life is not about God answering my prayers how and when I want them answered. It is about me taking my partitions to Him and trusting that whatever He does is best. And for that, I rejoice! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 102:1-2 1 Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. Today’s Reading: Psalm 102 This is a simple reminder. How you live matters. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy.
Psalm 101:6-8 6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. 7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. 8 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord. Today’s Reading: Psalm 101 Every word of Psalm 100 points us to a gracious and loving God. I encourage you to take in this short Psalm and allow the words to remind you of the love and grace of our Father. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy.
Psalm 100:5 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Today’s Reading: Psalm 100 Psalm 99 starts and finishes strong. It is a reminder of who God is. Do you ever forget how great our God is?
Spend time meditating on this Psalm. Notice God’s patience and love for us. Israel was disobedient, yet God remained faithful. As you seek God, it is possible that you will falter along the way. Take courage knowing that, just like He restored Israel when they came to their senses, He will restore you when you come to yours. So, what are you waiting for?! Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 99:1-3; 9 1 The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. 2 Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy. 9 Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy. Today’s Reading: Psalm 99 There is hope in this passage. God’s salvation is known throughout the world. Our “job” is to continue to make it known.
The purpose of man is to live for God. To bring honor to His name. This is done by sharing Him wherever we go. We share Him in our actions. We share Him with our words. Both are necessary. To whom is God calling you to share Him with? Go in obedience and share Him. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. Psalm 98:1-3 1 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Today’s Reading: Psalm 97-98 |
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AuthorDr. Gregg Mays shares his daily devotion. Archives
November 2024
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