What to Do In Difficult Times?

Text:

Psalm 56:1 (NLT) 

1 O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. 

Observation:

David did what Jesus did during his earthly ministry, and it is a wonderful example for us to follow today. David's first priority was to call upon God in prayer.

It is so important for God's people to remember to call upon God for all of our needs. There is nothing too difficult for God. Our problems are God's raw material for miracles.

Notice in the following verses what the Lord did for David in his season of difficult days.

Psalm 56:8-9 (AMP) 

8  You number and record my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle—are they not in Your book? 

9  Then shall my enemies turn back in the day that I cry out; this I know, for God is for me. 

God knows where you are, He sees what is happening in your life, He knows your feelings, and how deeply you are hurting. God will hear, and answer your prayers.

When He does, don't forget to give Him the praise from a thankful, and grateful heart. It is believed by commentators that David wrote Psalm 34 after God answered His prayer for deliverance from the enemies he was facing in Psalm 56.

Psalm 34:1-4 (ESV) 

1  I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 

2  My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 

3  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! 

4  I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, we exalt and bless Your name. Father, we are so grateful that You are a God who hears and answers the prayers of Your people.

Father, help us to remember to place a high priority on prayer, and to have the faith to persevere in prayer until we hear for heaven; to never give in, and to never give up because it is in trusting in You that we receive from You the things we ask for in prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

--

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Will My Troubles and Trials Ever Go Away?

Text:

Psalm 55:1-5 (ESV) 

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! 

2  Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, 

3  because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. 

4  My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 

5  Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.

Observation:

In this Psalm David writes about the troubles and terror that he was facing in a season of his life. The troubles were from within, and without, but they both drained him of his peace, and his joy.

Psalm 55:6-8 (ESV) 

6  And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; 

7  yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah 

8  I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest." 

When we find ourselves feeling like this, when we think will I ever get out of this pit. This is the time to be still, and remember who we are, and whose we are. It is time to connect with our Father in heaven.

Psalm 55:16-17 (ESV) 

16  But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. 

17  Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. 

Yes, there is nothing in this world that will satisfy our souls, and heal our wounded hearts like the presence of the Lord. That is why David writes this near the end of his Psalm, and you can claim this promise in your season of trouble, and pain.

Psalm 55:22 (ESV) 

22  Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. 

The Apostle Peter draws upon this wisdom, and writes this encouragement to the first century believers, and it speaks to us today.

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV) 

7  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 

Prayer: 

Father, I exalt and give praise and honor to Your name; the name that I cherish above every name on earth below, and in heaven above.

Father, hear our cry; hear our plea as we cry out to You in prayer for others, and for ourselves. Father, we declare that our hope is in You, and that our help comes from You.

Father, we know that You can, and that You will hear our prayer. We watch, and wait for Your answer to our prayers. Amen.

--

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

Who Do You Turn to When You Have Problems?

Text:

Psalm 54:1-2 (ESV) 

1 O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might. 

2  O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. 

Observation:

In this Psalm David took the problems he was having with his enemies to God in prayer.

Was that a good plan? Let's see what God says about His creation. This is God's view of His created beings.

Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV) 

26  Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 

27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 

28  And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 

This is what God said about the creation of the first man and woman, "And God blessed them".

We need to see people through the eyes of God. I remember Judas, who I just read about in the gospel of Mark; he betrayed Jesus. If we have problems with people, and we all do, we need to take our problems to their Maker in prayer.

There is nothing beyond the reach of prayer, when we have faith in God, and take all of our cares to Him in prayer.

Notice two important things about prayer that David mentions in Psalm 54. First, he says that God hears my prayer.

Psalm 54:2 (ESV) 

2  O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. 

Then he says God is my helper.

Psalm 54:4 (ESV) 

4  Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.

The secret to effective prayer is to pray, watch, and wait. Then, when God answers your prayers,  be sure to give Him the praise.; 

Psalm 54:6 (ESV) 

6  With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good. 

Prayer:

Father God, it is such a privilege to be able to live in Your presence, and to be able to take everything to You in prayer.

Father, we approach You in faith, and with a heart filled with thanksgiving, and gratitude for You are a great and good Father.

Father, hear the prayers of Your people, as we each cry out to you for the needs of others, and our needs. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

--

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

How to Turn Victory Into Defeat?

Text:

Exodus 15:6 (ESV) 

6  Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. 

Observation:

Last week I had the privilege of leading a small group discussion on the topic, "Drama in the Desert". There are lessons we can learn from this recount of God's people then that has application for us today.

Exodus 15:24-25 (NLT) 

24  Then the people complained and turned against Moses. "What are we going to drink?" they demanded. 

25  So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the LORD set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. 

The Lord had delivered the children from many years of slavery in Egypt. He parted the Red Sea, and they arrived safely in the wilderness, where He intended for them to worship Him, and continue to the Promised Land. 

They got off to a good start; they begin to worship the Lord for all He had done for them. 

Exodus 15:1-2 (NLT) 

1  Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. 

2  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— my father's God, and I will exalt him! 

However, they went from worshipping to murmuring and whining.

Exodus 15:23-24 (NLT) 

23  When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means "bitter"). 

24  Then the people complained and turned against Moses. "What are we going to drink?" they demanded. 

When you face difficulties in your journey toward God's promises to you, don't languish in the valley of despair. Rise up, and look up to our Father in heaven. God is willing, ready, and able; He is your hope and help. 

Oh, that we can learn from this story, and be encouraged to be better, and do better by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in our heart.

Prayer:

Father, help us to see the realities we face through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us. Then, we will see our life, and our circumstances as you see them. 

Father, we confess, and turn from whining, and we turn to worshipping the God who saved us, keeps us, and has prepared a home for us in heaven. Father, we trust in You, and know that You will never let us down. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

 

How to Deal With People Who Are Problems?

Text:

Psalm 52:1 (ESV) 

1 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. 

Observation:

This is the setting for Psalm 52:

"To the choirmaster. A Maskil of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul "David has come to the house of Ahimelech."

In this Psalm David is referring to Doeg, who was not only the enemy of David, but also the enemy of God. Doeg was a proud man who boasted about his sin.

There should be a difference in the way proud people talk, and the way godly and humble people talk. David, a man after God's heart, boasted about God.

Psalm 34:2 (ESV) 

2  My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 

Notice the difference in the responses of Doeg and David when they got stressed about a person.

Doeg boasted about his sin, and he went to King Saul and told lies about David.

What did David do? How did David respond? David did not take matters into his own hands. He did not talk about Doeg the sinner, and tell others what an evil man Doeg was. Rather, he rested in the knowledge that God would take care of Doeg.

Psalm 52:5-7 (ESV) 

5  But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 

6  The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, 

7  "See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!" 

We need to choose our battles carefully. We need to ask the question before opening our mouth in judgement of others, "Who does this battle belong to?"

David learned an important lesson in his season of trouble. He found God to be his protecter in a time of trouble, and wrongs done to him. When you trust in, and give glory to God's name, He will protect your name. What he did for David, He will do for you.

Psalm 52:8 (ESV) 

8  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. 

Why not join with David, and give the name of the LORD some praise for His greatness, and His goodness.

Prayer:

Father, we humble our lives before You, and we give You praise, and exalt your name. Father, we trust in you to protect our name. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Psalm 52:9 (ESV) 

9  I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly. 

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

What Do You Need Most?

Text:

Psalm 51:1-3 (ESV) 

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 

2  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 

3  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 

Observation:

Some people would say that our greatest need is to have justice. However, that was not the greatest need of David. He said in this Psalm that his greatest need was mercy.

Every person ever born with a human father needs mercy. This is what the bible says about the human condition.

Romans 3:22-23 (HCSB) 

22  —that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 

23  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Psalm 51:3-5 (ESV) 

3  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 

4  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 

5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

The Psalmist acknowledged that he was included in the all who have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The only solution to our greatest problem is Jesus, and what He did for us on the cross at Calvary. Our greatest need is to repent; to turn from our sins, and to turn to God. We give Him our all, and He gives us His all.

Psalm 51:9-10 (ESV) 

9  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 

10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 

The goodnews is that Jesus has already paid for our sin debt. He has already blotted out our transgressions when He died our death to enable us to live in His presence forever. Fully justified, and fully alive in Christ.

Is this your testimony?

Galatians 2:20 (ESV) 

20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

Prayer:

Father God, I am so pleased to associate myself with the host of people who have received the gift of love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy that was provided through the gift of Your only begotten son; Jesus the Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Father, thank You for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Father, I pray for any who have not received this precious gift, which alone satisfies our greatest need. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

How to Get Answers to Prayer?

Text:

Mark 11:22-23 (ESV) 

22  And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 

23  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 

Observation:

The answer to fear is faith in God. I woke up this morning with the Lord on my mind, and the needs that so many people have in their lives. Some of those people have asked for prayer. 

God began to speak into my heart, and He led me to the passage that is our text for today. Jesus teaches His followers some important things about prayer, and getting answers to prayer.

Jesus gives the first principle of prayer, and it is this, "Have faith in God". The object of faith is God himself. The most important thing is not your faith, but the object of your faith. It's not the quantity of your faith that determines the results, it is God who gives the results.

Faith has no power in itself, but if the object of your faith is God, there is nothing that is impossible for Him.

Faith requires that you know the object of your faith. Do you know the God to whom you are praying? The more you know God, the more you believe in Him.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) 

6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

Do you believe in God? Do you believe that He is sovereign, and that nothing is impossible for Him? If so, then go to Him in prayer, and tell Him all about your problems. Give your problems to Him, and leave them with Him.

My heart is singing this hymn:

"Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

◦ Refrain:

◦ Leave it there, leave it there,

◦ Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there;

◦ If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out—

◦ Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Prayer:

Father God, I am so thankful for the privilege of prayer, and to know the God who hears, and answers prayer.

Father, I pray that each of us will be willing to bow the knee, look up to You, and take all of our burdens to you in prayer, and leave them in Your capable hands. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry