“Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you.” Psalms 86:1-4 NLT
There are several things we need to see in these few verses. 1. David called out to God for help and protection. 2. He proclaimed his devotion to God. 3. He needed Gods mercy. 4. His prayer to God was diligent. 5. David knew that the only way to be truly happy was to surrender himself to God. We all qualify in this same way. We, too, need these same things. 1. As simple as it may sound, calling out to God is the first thing we should do in any situation. When we look to Him, we find a refuge from the chaos. There, we find help and protection. In His presence we find shelter from the storm. 2. Like David, we must draw the line in the sand and make our devotion known. We are children of God! Sometimes we need to restate and refresh the covenant between our Lord and us. Doesn't it make you feel assured when your spouse verbally reaffirms, and practically demonstrates, their covenant relationship with you? Circumstances can distract us and the affection that was once fervent in our relationship slowly fades. Recognizing this, and making a conscious effort to reawaken it, can spark the flame of our devotion and cause it to burn once again. 3. We all need God's mercy. Every day, we are given a fresh dose of it. When the night turns to day, God is saying "try again"! Aren't you glad? “It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV 4. Our service to God should be diligent. Diligence is essential to discipleship. We must be consistent in our walk, not just our words. Diligence is acting out our devotion. Anyone can say words. Devotion is proven in action. When God hears our words of devotion and sees our diligent conduct, His heart is moved on our behalf. Many people try to use God when they are in need, but don't diligently serve Him in their daily living. God wants us to call on Him in time of need, but He also wants our diligent service to Him. Our service is evidence of our devotion. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 KJV 5. Happiness is locked up in our relationship with God. The only way for us to be happy in life is to trust and obey the Lord Jesus Christ!
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March 2020
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