SCRIPTURE
Psalm 140 (NRSV)
Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from those who are violent,
who plan evil things in their minds
and stir up wars continually.
They make their tongue sharp as a snake's,
and under their lips is the venom of vipers.
Selah
Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent
who have planned my downfall.
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net,
along the road they have set snares for me.
Selah
I say to the Lord, "You are my God;
give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications."
O Lord, my Lord, my strong deliverer,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot.
Selah
Those who surround me lift up their heads;
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
Let burning coals fall on them!
Let them be flung into pits, no more to rise!
Do not let the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil speedily hunt down the violent!
I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy,
and executes justice for the poor.
Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall live in your presence.
DEVOTION
Have you ever been at the end of your rope and prayed a prayer like this? Have you ever been so angry at someone that you asked God to "let burning coals fall on them?" Have you ever been so scared that you asked God to scatter your enemies--in no uncertain terms?
I am human enough to admit that I have prayed these kinds of prayers in the past and will probably pray them again in the future.
This is why I am so glad that it is God, and God alone, that is able to judge the heart of a human being. If I were the one throwing the lightning bolts in judgment and condemnation, I don't know how many people I would have burned to a crisp, only to find out later that we would become fast friends!
It is awfully hard to be patient and wait on God when we are in a big mess. Often we want God to fix and/or rescue us IMMEDIATELY (on our time table), rather than waiting on the perfect timing of the Almighty God.
Today, I want to remind all of us that God loves us more than we could ever think, hope, or imagine. God is more concerned about the affairs of our lives than we are. God has a good plan for our lives, not to harm us, but to give us a future and a hope.
When God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life, God proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God was willing--and able--to rescue us from the most dire of circumstances!
See, SIN was our greatest adversary and Jesus triumphantly dispatched this evil by dying on the cross and rising on the third day in victory! As we put all of our hope in Jesus, we are saved.
We will never face a bigger more serious enemy than sin. No matter what we are going through today, we can be assured that God is BIG ENOUGH, BAD ENOUGH, STRONG ENOUGH, AND WISE ENOUGH to save us.
Won't you give all of your trouble to Jesus?
Let us pray:
Holy God, thank you that you love me and you are more than able to "save" me from whatever ails, ills, or threatens my joy and peace. However, please help me to remember that your salvation will come on your own terms and in your time. Please help me to trust that you love me and have only my good in mind. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
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