Devotions

Perception Is Not Reality

1 Sam 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees, man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart

What You See is What You Get

We live by this mantra that what you see is what you get, but unfortunately that is not the case. Perception is very rarely reality. Much of what you see in people is manufactured. A teenage girl, with the help of makeup and clothing, can make herself look like she is in her twenties. That is what we see in today’s scripture. Samuel was looking at the physical attributes, but God was looking at the heart

Surely, This is the One

David was no slouch. He was good-looking in a ruddy kind of way, and he was accomplished with both the slingshot and the harp. That’s a pretty good resume, but he was the youngest of many brothers, and someone had to watch the sheep, so David wasn’t included in the group that had a feast with Samuel. As Samuel went down the line of the sons of Jesse, each one seemed worthy in his eyes. “Surely this is the one,” Samuel thought, but God rejected them. When Samuel got to the end of the line, he asked: “Are there any more?”

Looking for a Good Heart

God chastised Samuel for looking at the outward appearances. Saul had already ticked those boxes and was a complete disaster. God can do more with a person with a good heart than with someone with all the looks and abilities. David was a man after God’s own heart. He wasn’t perfect and blew it big time, but his heart for God never changed. 

Passed Over but Perfect

Maybe you have been passed over because you didn’t have the looks or abilities that are valued by the world. Sounds to me like you are a perfect candidate to be used by God. If your heart is right with Him, He will use you in incredible ways. Submit your spirit into His hands and watch as He guides you into His will. 

Into Your Hands Lord

Psalm 31:5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God

One of the Best Things We Can Do

One of the best things that we can do as Christians is commit our spirit into the hands of the Lord. Sometimes it is the only thing that we can do. Committing our spirit into the hands of the Lord means leaning on and depending on the Lord. In Proverbs 3:5-6, Solomon famously tells us not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust in the Lord. Many of us have memorized that passage, but there is a much deeper meaning to it than we realize, and to this morning’s text as well. 

Put Your Full Weight Behind It

The word “lean” in Proverbs 3:5-6 and the word “commit” here in Psalm 31:5 essentially mean the same thing. It means to put our full trust in the Lord. If you were to lean upon the Lord, it would mean putting your full weight into it. Complete trust is put into the Lord because you no longer control your life. To commit means to give everything to the Lord and trust Him with the direction of your life. This often has to happen daily, and many times, when we get afraid, we take back our trust.

Paid in Full

Why is it essential that we commit our spirit to the Lord? First off, we have been redeemed by Him. He has paid the debt of our sin that we were incapable of paying. He became our substitute on the cross, and forgiveness became available to us. The term “redeemed” is a financial term meaning “Paid in full.” When a debt was paid off, the invoice would be stamped with the word “Tetelestai,” which is what Christ cried out on the cross. 

Remain Faithful

We can also trust the Lord with our life because the Lord is faithful. Did you know that if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful because it is impossible for Him to be unfaithful? We can turn our backs on Jesus, but He will continue to pursue us. Don’t hesitate to put your trust in the Lord. Commit your spirit into His hands and watch as He guides you along the path. 

Joy Comes in the Morning

Ps 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning

Temporary Chastening

Many people look at God like they do a school principal. If they get called into the office, they know they are in trouble. David does a good job of explaining the process of when God deals with us. His anger is for a moment, but joy comes in the morning. Don’t despise the chastening of the Lord. It is meant to mold and shape our faith or get us back in line. 

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The thought of an angry God is off-putting to most people. They want to picture a loving God who accepts them for who they are. The problem with that is that it betrays His holiness. He can’t let sin slide because it goes against His nature, and He will war against it in your life. While He is quick to forgive, He also wants the best for your life and will do what is necessary to make that happen. 

A Time of Sorrow

David tells us that weeping may happen through the night. This can be a metaphor for the struggle while we resist the change. Nights are a symbol of dark times, and weeping is a symbol of mourning. While we deal with the Lord’s discipline, there will be sorrow; there is hope at the end of the tunnel. 

Joy Comes in the Morning

When dawn arrives, the Morning Star brings joy. Jesus is our morning light and that ray of hope when darkness is creeping in. Look to the light and trust in the work He can do for you. Joy comes in the morning when Jesus is our Morning Star. Let Him bring your everything you need. 

When the Lord Speaks

Jer 51:15-16 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. 16 When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Prophets had a unique relationship with God. He spoke directly to them and often gave them difficult assignments. Many had their lives threatened, and they lived in isolation from the general population. This kept them pure before the Lord and also opened a very close relationship in which they saw God perform miraculous works. 

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet because he endured great persecution from the king and leaders of Israel. He was the last prophet standing before Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. His job was to deliver bad news to the king about what was going to happen, and it was not well received. He was thrown into a miry pit where he sank up to his knees and had to be rescued. 

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When the Lord speaks, the earth moves. It can physically move, but most of the time it moves because it’s being spoken into a situation that doesn’t want to hear it. The same God who spoke in a soft whisper to Elijah after rain, wind, and fire still speaks in our lives today. Are you open to hear it?

We should get into the habit of listening when the Lord speaks. He is the one who made the earth. It was his wisdom and understanding that put all of this into motion. If He speaks, we need to not only hear it, but do it. Today, we hear the Lord speak through His Word. In Revelation 2, He told the church in Pergamos to repent, or he would fight against them with the sword of his mouth. This is a figure of speech for the Word of God. 

Leave It to God

Rom 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord

Revenge is never good, although it is enticing in our minds. Someone wrongs us, and all we can think about is getting even. We dream of the person being judged by God and are ready to pounce at any sign of retribution or justice. The people in Rome know how you feel. They were being persecuted by the emperor, and at one point they had to flee to the catacombs for safety. They just wanted to live in peace, but it was easy to fall into the trap of wanting revenge.

When you’ve been hurt, it is natural to want to get back at the person. If they said hurtful words, we want to come back with a zinger. If they hurt us in any other way, we want to see them get what is coming to them. The interesting thing is that it never happens how we want it to. Then we run the risk of becoming bitter, because bitterness is getting hurt and not getting our way out of it. Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. We can let it take root in our heart because it is hard to uproot it.

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If you’ve been hurt, never avenge yourself; leave it to the wrath of God. Once you pick yourself up, get along with life. Don’t look back. Just ask the Lord to heal your hurt. Most of all, don’t rehash it in your mind or endlessly talk about it with other “concerned people.” We need to leave it in God’s hands and move on. He sees the full picture and can handle it way better than we can. God sees when His children are hurt, and He will take care of His own. Trust in that.

You are loved by God. The word beloved means near and dear to my heart. That is how God looks and feels about you. He loves you and wants His best for you. Live in that love and desire everything He has for you. People will mistreat you because you follow Jesus. Accept it and take it as an entrance into an exclusive club. Whining or complaining will only stagnate your spiritual growth. Focus forward and start moving in that direction.