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Psalms 42:7 NIV
[7] Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
Growing up in BC I developed a passion for water. Streams, the ocean, waterfalls, rivers, crystal clear lakes. I was always known for being wet. For spending my time in the water. Fully dressed I would run into the water, just happy to be near it. Something about it drew me in. It still does. My college days in Castlegar BC I got into the habit of just having my swim suit with me, because I knew there would be sparkling water and I wouldn’t be able to keep out of it.
God is supposed to be like that for us. A constant draw to be with Him. Closer to Him. Deeper into His presence. As the Psalmist says earlier in this chapter, “when can I go and be with God?” We are meant to hunger after Him in that way. Unable to be far from Him because we desire His presence.
We are supposed to be drawn to Him like a wild animal is drawn to water.
Are we though?  When we the last time you desired above all else to be near God?

Take away:

We are supposed to desire God. To walk away drenched by His spirit. But we settle for shallow water,  ankle deep only. 
Dive in instead. Be lost to the current of His peace and grace. Don’t settle for the shore. Get wet!
Seek Him with passion and love.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · guidance · lent · power of God · psalms
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Psalms 40:4 NIV
[4] Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

False gods show up in the most unlikely forms. I discovered during my college days that studying was a false god. I thought I would always succeed if I studied hard enough. I was relentless in studying, panicking if I did not meet my self proclaimed quota. I needed to be reminded that my success and strength come only from God. When I would put my notes away and rest I was honoring Him and acknowledging that He was the one who controlled every outcome.

We rely so heavily on things that are finite. We rely on people, technology, stuff, books. Yet all these things can have errors. The only one who is all knowing and all powerful is God. You really do not want anyone or anything to be placed before Him. Idols are not just offensive to God, they’re also useless. They take up time and thought and give you nothing in return. Trust Jesus. He’s got the answers.

Take away:

False gods and idols show up in the most unexpected places. They take our energy and time and run us down.
We must focus on Jesus instead. Spending time with Him gives us energy, strength, and the ability to keep going.
Watch out for the pit traps in your life, before you fall so deep you can’t get out.

Psalms 38:21 NIV[21]  Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God.
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Psalms 38:21 NIV[21]  Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God.

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Psalms 38:21 NIV
[21]  Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God.
There is nothing worse than being forsaken by God. Without Him there is nothing. Yet only one has ever been left by Him, and that one was Jesus. That day on the cross, in the worst suffering a person can endure, Jesus was left to die alone. Our sins. The one you had ten seconds ago, the sin you will have ten years from now, all of it was on Jesus that day and because of that He was forsaken by God. His Father had to turn His face away.
We sometimes feel so pained by life that we wonder what we have done to cause God to leave us. Possibly because that’s easier than thinking that God could possibly let us go through this.
Sometimes bad things happen because the world is broken and God permits them because He has a reason we do not and will not understand. Most things God protects us from though. There are battles for our lives happening ever day without us even knowing it. That thought doesn’t make the pain easier, but maybe it help to make the love of God clearer.

Take away:

God is stronger than the devil, but that does not mean that He is not sometimes delayed from saving us by him. Remember when the demon of Persia way laid the angel of Lord when he was coming tl rescue God’s anointed? It can happen.
When bad things come don’t blame God. Turn to Him. Pray even if you feel cold. Even if you have no answer and never will. Even if your faith is shattered. Keep seeking Him. He will pull you through.

Psalms 37:35 NIV[35] I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
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Psalms 37:35 NIV[35] I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

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Psalms 37:35 NIV
[35] I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
I wonder of David was thinking of himself when he wrote this. He says he saw this man but he withered away and could not be found even though David looked for him. Perhaps he was thinking of a part of himself which he repented of. Perhaps not.
But it is a good point. Sometimes our former selves did better in this world then our Christian, God following selves.
There may have been better chances for promotion. You may have had more friends. Yet, when you chose Jesus, you died to that person who would fit in those groups. Choosing to leave all past behind you and seek Jesus instead.
We think of the verse about not being upset when the wicked prosper over us, as being about others, but what about who we were before letting Jesus change us. Sometimes we get upset when we think of how well the old us did in this life. Some days we may think unfair that following Jesus better means leaving things behind. But who God is, how He loves us, the way He provides, He is so much greater than anything you could have without Him.

Take away:

The verse above also leads on to say how David sought for the wicked man but could not find him.
When we die to the old us, that person us gone! We may seek them out, but we are better off if we don’t find them.

Psalms 36:9 NIV[9] For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
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Psalms 36:9 NIV[9] For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

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Psalms 36:9 NIV
[9] For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
In God’s light we see light.
Light is a funny thing. You can be in a room fully lit and have someone turn on a flashlight and you cam see the light from flashlight even though the room isn’t dark. It’s because they are often two kinds of light. The flashlight beam is often a more powerful watt than the one in your ceiling lamp.
We are called to be light to this world, so in a way, we glow. But our light is minimal compared to that of the light of Jesus. We are like glow worms in contrast to the sun, if you compare our light to His.
We need His light for us to be able to shine at all!
He burns within us and shines to those around us through us.

Take away:

God is light. With Him there is no darkness. We are called to also be light. However, in our shining we have to make sure we are staying close to Jesus, because our light comes from Him.

Psalms 35:14 NIV[14] I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
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Psalms 35:14 NIV[14] I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.

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Psalms 35:14 NIV
[14] I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
David was never shy about calling for the destruction of his enemies. Yet at the same time he knew his position and God’s. He would call for God to bring them to justice and to destroy them, but he himself treated them as he felt God would want them treated. Now we aren’t speaking of war times or when he fighting to protect his kingdom, we are talking about personal attacks against him. Did David ask God that he would bring to ruin those who spoke maliciously against him? Yes. But then he reminds people that this is God’s job and that he treated those who were against him as a friend. I chose this verse out of the rest in this chapter because I am a ‘rain down fire from Heaven’ person. I would rather see my enemies destroyed before me and be able to walk away satisfied. Which of course is not what God wants.
Instead of seeking justice for myself I have to remember that justice is God’s department, and that I need to heap burning coals of love on those I want to bury in my flower bed, instead of hating them. Which is not fun and really, really hard. But that is what we are called to do. It makes me feel like the people in the beginning of that older sitcom show. “I can change, if I have to, I guess.”
Loving your enemies is really hard, and feel unfair, But God will strengthen you to do so.

Take away:

No one ever said that loving your enemies would be easy, but God makes it possible. Hopefully through how you treat them, they will change.

Psalms 21:13 [13] Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.[13] Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
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Psalms 21:13 [13] Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.[13] Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.

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Psalms 21:13 NIV

[13] Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
It is often a pausing moment to read David and remember that he was king. He was king over all of Israel and yet he always, always gave the victory and glory to God.
When we are doing really well, and life is good, and we feel strong, do we still remember to give God the glory? Or do we turn to Him only when we are down and out and looking for a save?
David remembered God in each moment. In direct contrast, Saul turned his back on God and chose his own will and gave himself the glory.
Giving God the throne even when He has let you sit on it for awhile is honestly the smartest decision to make, because He knows what He’s doing and He will guide your life and your “kingdom” better than you ever could, trust me.

Take away:

God give us blessings and can even make us great. But how we treat those blessings will determine how long we are permitted to have them. Do we give them back to God? Or do we claim them and act as though we deserve them and God owed it to us?
How we treat God is very important. Jesus may have come as Prince of Peace, but He is still king of the world, let us not forget that.

Psalms 20:1 NIV[1] May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
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Psalms 20:1 NIV[1] May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

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Psalms 20:1 NIV
[1] May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
We fall into distress easily. We’re people, it’s natural. But do we remember that God is on our side? When we fall into distress/anxiety/fear/meltdowns, may the Lord answer us. Let us remember to go to Him.

Take away:

Life happens, and it can be terrible, but God is still with us. He alone will save us and protect us.
Life happens, but we are not al

Psalms 19:12 NIV[12] But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
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Psalms 19:12 NIV[12] But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

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Psalms 19:12 NIV
[12] But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
We all have hidden faults and errors. Pride, arrogance, anger, complaining, it goes on and on. Sometimes we even have faults and sins we do without thinking of it. Not a willful sin, but a sin that has crept into our lives and personalities in some cases. There are many great things about God, but one of them is that He does not just search the depth of our hearts to judge what’s there, He also brings to our attention what’s going on inside that might be wrong. Best of all, He forgives us. We do not even have to be specific, look at the simplicity of David’s prayer; God hears that, knows what you are talking about and forgives. He’s amazing!

Take away:

God searches our hearts and knows the depth, but He doesn’t just sit back and be judge of our mess, He comes to us and helps us see it and clean it up!

Psalms 18:1 NIV[1] I love you, Lord, my strength.
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Psalms 18:1 NIV[1] I love you, Lord, my strength.

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Psalms 18:1 NIV
[1] I love you, Lord, my strength.
When was the last time you told God that you love Him?
He loves us so much! Yet we tend to only ask for things, sometimes we thank Him, but when do we say “I love you Jesus”?
Tonight take some time. Even if it’s just a few minutes. Tell Jesus that you love Him -Let Him know from your words as well as your heart that He matters to you.

Take away:

With all we “love” in our day, let us remember to count Jesus in our list. No one loves us more than He does, we should love Him most in our lives as well.