Our Daily Bread
Yes, I am old. I remember the Sammy Hagar song I can't drive 55. It was the theme for folks after the government made 55 mph the national speed limit (unless your state wanted to forfeit federal funds). I know LOTS of my friends sang this song while driving! ha!
The devotional speaks to me like the song -- sloooowwww down! ha! And like driving, I have a hard time slowing down my life! How about you? Frankly, I am not sure parents with busy kids do this! Can you teach your kids to slow down as well? How do you make time to "rest in the Lord"? I finally learned my lessons about this and am working on it. For example, I haven't scheduled myself every night of the week this Fall. I leave time open to study and pray. How about you? Maybe cut down on the TV time for prayer and Bible study? Uh oh, getting personal now! ha!
Lord, please help us use the time you gave us wisely, like to spend it with you!
Psalm Sunday
Let's read Psalm 109 today. It is an interesting prayer about the psalmist's accusers and about his prayers. While the prayer is so humanly honest it is almost uncomfortable, I am sure that Jesus would want us to bless our enemies instead of curse them.
Psalm 109
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
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.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his prayers condemn him.
8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.
9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before the Lord,
that he may blot out their name from the earth.
16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the brokenhearted.
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing—
may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like water,
into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil of me.
21 But you, Sovereign Lord,
help me for your name’s sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, Lord, have done it.
28 While they curse, may you bless;
may those who attack me be put to shame,
but may your servant rejoice.
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn them.
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The Lord gives us His grace to live purposeful lives of faith as we await His coming.- Our Daily Bread
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