In The Word
Read: Psalms 64-65
Prayer for Rescue from Secret Enemies.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
64 Hear my voice, God, in my complaint;
Protect my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret discussion of evildoers,
From the restlessness of the workers of injustice,
3 Who have sharpened their tongues like a sword.
They aimed bitter speech as their arrows,
4 To shoot from concealment at the innocent;
Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear.
5 They make firm for themselves an evil purpose;
They talk of setting snares secretly;
They say, “Who can see them?”
6 They devise injustices, saying,
“We are ready with a well-conceived plot”;
For the inward thought and the heart of a person are deep.
7 But God will shoot an arrow at them;
Suddenly they will be wounded.
8 So they will make him stumble;
Their own tongue is against them;
All who see them will shake their heads.
9 Then all people will fear,
And they will declare the work of God,
And will consider what He has done.
10 The righteous person will be glad in the Lord and take refuge in Him;
And all the upright in heart will boast.
God’s Abundant Favor to Earth and Mankind.
For the music director. A Psalm of David. A Song.
65 There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, God,
And the vow will be fulfilled for You.
2 You who hear prayer,
To You all mankind comes.
3 Wrongdoings prevail against me;
As for our offenses, You forgive them.
4 Blessed is the one You choose and allow to approach You;
He will dwell in Your courtyards.
We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, God of our salvation,
You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and the farthest sea;
6 Who establishes the mountains by His strength,
Who is encircled with might;
7 Who stills the roaring of the seas,
The roaring of their waves,
And the turmoil of the nations.
8 They who dwell at the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;
You make the sunrise and the sunset shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and cause it to overflow;
You greatly enrich it;
The stream of God is full of water;
You prepare their grain, for so You prepare the earth.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
You settle its ridges,
You soften it with showers,
You bless its growth.
11 You have crowned the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with fatness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness drip,
And the hills encircle themselves with rejoicing.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks
And the valleys are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, yes, they sing.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ requires that we consistently spend time with Him, walk in His ways, follow His teachings, and submit to Him in every area of our lives. We must follow Him fully, abiding in Him, and giving of our time, talents, and treasures to Him. When we do those things, we will find that we have lost ourselves in Him. It is no longer we who live, but it is Christ who lives in us and through us. People should see Him when they look at us.
When we live that kind of life, nothing can stand against us. The enemy should tremble when we wake up in the morning, or when he sees us begin our day spending time with our Lord. We must learn to recognize how the enemy moves and operates. When we do, we will see that the Lord reveals the snares and traps set by the enemy so that we can avoid them (2 Kings 6:9-12).
God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Our very life should be a living testimony that points others to Him. Then, even our enemies will declare the work of God and will stand in awe when they consider what He has done. Live for Him today!