Devotions Psalm 3- 5/29/21

Wow I am humbled by things about David. I never sent a man to war to die but man was I a spiritual struggler in the heart about stuff…

From the bible NKJV:

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” (Selah_) But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. (Selah) Psalm 3:1-4

Have you ever struggled and tough stuff just continued? I can give you examples of that but also I can also tell of times I struggled a different battle and I cried out to God so loud and I knew He had heard me.

From a worldly perspective a person who is in peril or problems people think they should just accept their “fate” and be done with life. Or they think “Oh, that person apologized? Off with their head (Well not that dramatically, but you get what I mean)!”

We live in a strange demeaning as well as seek and destroy type of culture here in America. Everything has to be protested. People must be angry about anything they see day to day or else no one will be able to understand why they are so mad.

A woman online wanted a restaurant shut down because Caucasian people were making Korean or Asian types of food. It made her furious (on Twitter, bet you didn’t see that coming…..? sarcasm) and because of cultural appropriation, some “rule” where people who are actually in and a part of the culture have to actually be the ones showing that culture she wanted the place gone since those people were doing something she saw as wrong.

Sometimes if people don’t get what they want they will get more people to fight alone with them. They will “increase” their numbers so more will see their plight and join in.

It is bad to publicly apologize it seems nowadays. Because others think it’s like you exposed a vein in your neck and so ones will say “Welp, they admitted it, let’s ‘bleed them dry’!”

There seems to be no accepting, forgiveness, and love, at least in most of the news.

Is it just the Lord who forgives now…? At least people had some form of values in the past. Forgiving was seen as a nice thing. It may not have been real biblical forgiveness seen in this culture in America but at the very least on shows in television, etc., there was media publicly “practicing” it!

Life, love, freedom from peril (at least for a while), and seeking the Lord for a dwelling place with Him was something David was all about!


Apparently it says in my bible that he wrote Psalm 3 while fleeing from Absalom who was getting ready to usurp the throne from David!

David was a king in Israel but fell after letting himself be tantalized by lusts. He went out of his way (!) to get onto the roof of his house and peered over in hopes of seeing something. He saw Bathsheba, nude.

Then he coveted in his heart, I must take her. I want her! After doing many awful things including sending a man to war to die who was her husband, he then took her for himself.

After God punished David, now he was facing consequences. His family as a result of His punishment was thrown into chaos, violence, and some death! David walked every day knowing this happened because of the awful things he did while reflecting a king (a knower of the Lord) in Israel.

If you are curious about David’s plight, read 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel in the bible: It is both amazing and sad to read the things that happened in his life!



So maybe ones David suggested said “There is no help for him in God.” had a shallow view that a lot of people felt in Israel. But that was something that Israelites did towards people who didn’t deserve any form of punishment. This was David!

King David was facing consequences for his actions. He was still being protected by the Lord (the “shield”) being His glory and being the one who “lifts up” his head when he was feeling overcome and weary by circumstances. He probably felt afraid yet encouraged that the Lord somehow was still with him, terrified at the actions he had were now turned into patterns he was facing because of his sin, and maybe humbled that He cried out to God and was heard from the “holy hill.”

Have you ever cried out to God from your circumstances? I have. I was so deep in sin I wanted some way out. I got so fed up with myself and had no one in my family to turn to so instead I threw myself onto my bed and, not just yelled to God, I cried out so loud!

I am known as a usually “quiet” person but in this case I yelled in desperate prayer so loud in my head I think the heavens heard me!

I realized after that moment I didn’t just pray to God but lamented, poured out my spirit, and I screamed because I found out I was broken and could not live without Christ.

Have you ever heard of Roman culture? The people there had many desires towards others who were winners of battles. Immoral, feelings, lusts towards the ones who won. The human body is an amazing thing but ones should not look intimately or ponder about it for too long…

Well I was like David as I coveted in my heart and had thoughts I knew were not good. I also went “out of my way” to see them, not just imagine them!

Recently a bunch of months back I checked out a “figure” online. That one was just like Bathsheba! I heard that something controversial had happened and a person who was active on social media was actually secretly on the side sharing vids and images to someone they didn’t know. I had heard for a while there was some content that people could possibly find online, so I went and sook that person out. Then I desired. Wanted. Thought I “needed” that person though it was just lustful thoughts.

Man was that wrong! It was disgusting. Messed up. And I realized that all I did was give in to stuff that was seemingly seductive in its so-called “best” places and yet actually demonic in its worst places…!

And then I battled and fought a lot not just against staying away but internally in my heart as well.

Wow this has ended up more humbling than I thought it would be! I started writing this not thinking I would share about the blog note above.

So apply your life to Psalm 3. Think of what you’ve learned. Take time to read the bible for your own spiritual life!

And also know we must live for good not because we seem good but because God makes us better and better through his Son Jesus every time we ask Him to help us! Whether we are asking for forgiveness or guidance, or if we need Him for the first time! Jesus will come and rescue you.

Cry out and He will answer you, if you are truly sorry…

Weakness in God’s Strength-10/11/14

I felt blessed today going to a Bible Study and a man from a far off land came to tell the Gospel. Praise God in all He is doing… I wanted to post something like THIS for a while but now I really am going to since he shared it as part of the message.

I have always felt I am not a very strong man. Not used to labor I kept assuming that I don’t have much strength. That is not the kind that I am talking about though.

Close to what I mean I realize that without God in our lives we can do nothing.

If you are really “Broken” before God you know that you cannot live without Him. We are weak without His help, His guidance, His conversation with us through the Bible.

With all of my heart and with God’s help I hope I can deeply encourage you today. The Holy Spirit has laid some things on my heart and I want to share this with you.

Where do I start? I know; I could focus on the verse one of my favorites from the bible and see if this helps draw you toward a wonderful path.

“Ephesians 4:29 ‘Let no unwholesome talk come from your mouths but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Do you want to live for God? Do you want to be in Him in all that you do? Are you there yet to that realization that people need the Lord in their lives just as much as you need Him?

If so, that is wonderful! People need Him so much and sometimes all people will need is just a person who will help them or show a good example to ones when there are others who are not like that.

Do you know what your calling is? A pastor, just a preacher, do you just want to share the gospel with others? Do you write, draw, or want to do crafts or et cetera for the Lord? If so listen up.

First off if you are into serving I hope you see or get the idea of the film “The Second Chance.” (I hope to review this sometime soon). Know that all it takes is real heart for God and He can use you in all things and for whatever your calling could or is going to be.

Just a quick suggestion (and hopefully more than a plug for a future article, haha).

But if you want to be a doer of the word know that humility must come with it. Being humble is like a king who bows to a higher one, a husband saying to his wife “I don’t know why you ended up loving someone undeserving like me,” a wife who tells loved ones in public her married one is her “better half.” And they all sincerely mean it!

We also must realize that we can nothing apart from God. But the best part of this is that in Christ you can do anything!

The Lord will guide you and the father watches over you as you do His will and who knows what can happen? All of this is wonderful and amazing and worth it.

What I can hone in on is that we are weak if we think we can do it on our own strength. There were times I said “God keeps me strong” but there was more pride to that statement that I was so-called quote unquote “fine.”

Could I share the Gospel effectively with that? Not really.

I praise God for doing so much for me that I didn’t deserve, my heart wasn’t always into going to church. My dad was consistent with making sure I definitely went to church whether I wanted to cry, didn’t want people to know how I was feeling, didn’t realize that through anything God still loved me… once, even went while covered in bugs and felt like they were eating me alive! (Seriously, they went into places they shouldn’t have!!).

Slight kidding aside my dad showed God’s patience by knowing that I needed to hear His word when I wasn’t listening to His ways, didn’t think God had enough mercy to care about me, and realized best of all, Jesus’ heart through it all. My father still loved me.

And whether you believe it or are struggling in heavy guilt and just don’t feel like even going to a bible study instead of a church because of that believe me… He still does.

The father has always loved you. When you didn’t even know what love was, He first loved you.

With His redeeming power He can transform you too. He can do amazing things if you trust in Him and by His will lead you on a way that is not meant to harm you but help you.

But sometimes Satan leads you into thinking you won’t be able to do enough or that God doesn’t really love anyone that much. Or maybe you think that one day… just one day… you will be used by God. Guess what, shed that last belief because He has strength for you today. He may not love the sin you sometimes do but He cares for you and knows the way for your journey to go.

God does. In His strength there is no power from evil, nothing from anywhere that will separate you from the love of Christ. Amen?

Listen to this story of the power of Christ’s transforming power:

This was a man that believed he was doing God’s will by killing people who believed in Christ. He went to prisons that were kept in harsh ways, rats, all kind of lack in upkeep. Then as he went down the road to Damascus when he encountered a light that shone around him.

 

A voice then said “Why are you persecuting me?”

In his state he this man Saul probably had nothing to say but he had fallen to the ground after hearing this.

 

Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?” The one he called Lord in that moment said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

 

He was trembling and astonished. “Lord, what do you want me to do?” Then the Lord said to Him “Arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do…”

 

The men who journeyed with him heard a voice but saw no one. Saul arose from the ground and when he opened his eyes and saw no one. But they led him by the hand into Damascus.

 

Three days he had no physical sight, and did not eat or drink.

 

Ananais was then called by the Lord in a vision to see a person, one called “Saul of Tarsus” for behold he is praying.

 

And in a vision sees a man, you, coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he will receive his sight.

 

Ananais seemed troubled about Saul because of the deaths he caused in Jerusalem and there in Damascus had authority from chief priests to tie up ones who call on Him.

 

But the Lord wanted Him to go because he was a chosen vessel of the Lord’s to bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

 

So after all of that Ananais did a wonderful thing by following the Lord’s orders. When that happened ‘scales’ fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again! He arose and was baptized.

Do you know what he changed as? He became a fully devoted believer in the Lord. More than that because of his weakness as being known as ‘that Sanhedrin’ who was leading people to murder, he was changed. The people who belonged to God and followed Him faithfully kept him protected because he was a light for the Lord though there were many Jewish people who as a twist, wanted him dead!

But the Lord through His people did not let that happen… and much later he was known as “Paul,” a disciple long after Christ’s death and resurrection but as real to him as you or me of Christ today!

Isn’t it amazing that Jesus wanted Him to live even though he didn’t deserve God’s mercy? That is just like us (or me anyway…). We do not deserve His mercy though we may go to church, have fellowship with people who are devoted to God… the Lord loves us though he has to show us new mercies every day. We must ask God for forgiveness from things going on from our old life, or that we might think we can do things in our own power, well guess what? We can’t!

We just can’t do it.

Maybe you already show His strength in your weakness or you see other examples and you want to be like that. Do you know of a blind man who has passionately memorized scripture? Do you have a heart for God but because you can “do it” on your own you don’t know where to start? Do you think that you don’t know what God’s love is?

Well you can once you just ask Him. Maybe He can reveal wisdom if you want to love Him but we must “die” first, let the old man pass by, maybe tell others of His great love about things you have struggled with in the past… something for God!

Just do something. The supposedly little thing you can do in His will can become great for His Kingdom. You just might have to realize you are “weak” first and by that moment He will shine the way.