Day 312

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Weekly Devotional

November 7— Psalm 118: God Understands

Reflection

In the Acts of the Apostles the Lord Jesus returns to heaven, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within his people on earth. Despite violent opposition, the body of Christ on earth—the church—begins reaching out with the Good News of new life in Jesus. Nothing could stop the will and the way of God. It's a thrilling story; one guaranteed to rekindle the flame in our own life.

Today let's rest once again on our journey and drink deeply from Psalm 118. Let its truths recharge our trust in our all-powerful God.

Our Unstoppable God!

"Judge a tree by its fruit; not by its leaves" (Euripides). "Examine the contents, not the bottle" (Jewish Talmud). "You can't judge a book by its cover" (Anonymous).

Three ways of saying the same thing: The only thing worse than making a "surface judgment" is being the victim of one!

What do you do when you suffer from superficial evaluations by your friends, superiors, or fellow workers? Where can you turn when your actions or motives are misunderstood?

Turn to the One who experienced being misunderstood himself—"The stone rejected by the builders has now become the capstone of the arch" (118:22). Christ knew what it meant to be rejected unjustly . . . condemned wrongfully . . . crucified unmercifully. He knows what you are going through. That's why you can come to him confidently to experience his presence (118:6), help (118:7), and protection (118:8-14) in times of misunderstanding.

Three times in the New Testament Psalm 118:22 is quoted to show that man's misunderstanding cannot thwart the good purposes of God (Matthew 21:42-44; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7-8). Put your initials next to one of these passages as your silent testimony of confidence in God's ability to do the same in your life today!

Prayer

Dear loving Father, your lovingkindness is indeed forever. It's marvelous to see you at work in the world . . . and in our lives. Thank you that you are working out your unstoppable purposes. And let us be a part of them in your will. You tell us in your Word to watch and pray so that we may not fall into temptation. Make us worthy of your Kingdom while we watch and pray. For we ask this in our Savior's name! Amen! 

Watch and Pray Always!




© Odessa Mathis about my Father's business! 2020

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