Open before the Lord
If you are confident that God really loves you, you will neither doubt nor drift in your response. Instead, you will find great delight in pleasing Him. There is nothing quite like love to motivate us from within.
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
If you are confident that God really loves you, you will neither doubt nor drift in your response. Instead, you will find great delight in pleasing Him. There is nothing quite like love to motivate us from within.
If I were asked to give a popular title to Psalm 26, it would be: "How to Do Right When You've Been Done Wrong."
As David brings his song of the sheep to a close, having reflected on the Lord's faithful care throughout his life, he then considers his future.
As David's song of the sheep concludes, he suddenly drops the analogy to consider his own experience of God, both as a simple man in need of a Saviour and as a king in need of divine guidance.
As a former shepherd keeping watch over flocks in the wilderness, the composer of Psalm 23 understood the nature of sheep, including their bad habit of wandering.
Like many of the songs found in the Bible, Psalm 23 states its case in the first verse and simply verifies it in the remainder of the song. The key thought is this: Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing! No uncertainty should frighten me.
All have endured the daily grind of uncertainty. When the trials of life push us to the limit and our hearts are heaviest, this magnificent "Psalm of the Shepherd" offers comfort and assurance, especially for those who lack the secure feeling of God's perpetual presence.
Stay in the Word this week, my friend. Claim His blessings—dare Him to fulfil His promises. The "words of your mouth" and "meditation of your heart" will take on a whole new pattern of godliness and power.
As David considers the impact of God's written communication in the second section of Psalm 19, he's prompted to appraise the value of Scripture.
While the Lord isn't likely to speak audibly to you, He is not silent! He has said—and continues to say—more than we can absorb and apply.