Shema
CF Ambassador
An Emoji Devotions for Sun 9th May 2021
Topic: Thanksgiving for the Lord’s guidance
By H.U. Wenger
Highlight: Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:20)
The highlight is the very last verse in Psalm 66. It is an exclamation of a person who has experienced the Lord’s guidance in the midst of hard and inconvenient circumstances. “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you — vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.” (Verses 10 – 14) In such testing times we are often afflicted by the devil with thoughts like, God has forgotten me, my guilt is way too big that he would save me from the dire circumstances. He does not love me, his punishment is upon me, and so on. We might even get angry at him, as did the Israelites facing the read see in front of them and the Egyptians behind them. Why could we not die in Egypt? Why that tedious journey, just to be slaughtered in the desert? But Moses was among them, and Moses was a man who believed God according to his word through the Holy Ghost, who was in him.
Believers in the New covenant have all received the Holy Ghost and can count on the word of Jesus in John 7:38: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” He obeyed God and he made the impossible happen. The biggest danger turned into the biggest victory, orchestrated by God alone.
It is therefore not astonishing that Psalmist exclaims: “Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name. Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot — come, let us rejoice in him. He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations — let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. (Verses 1 – 9) You may say: “How can I praise him as I am in the midst of troubles, crying out for his help and he does not seem to care?” You can do it by faith! “Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation.” (Psalm 50:23) Jesus makes in Mark 11 clear that he, who has faith in God will eventually see, what he has believed: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Psalm 66 gives us just one warning. God does not hear us, when we live in sin: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” (Verses 18 – 20)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to praise you with Psalm 66. I am confessing to you all my conscious sin and I ask you to search my heart for everything that is not dedicated to you. Thank you for your abundant love to me and for the gracious acceptance of my prayer. I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)
