Nov 19 2024

Today's Bible Verse

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

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Psalm 42 was written by a Hebrew who longed to worship in the sanctuary but could not because enemies of Israel prevented him. Even though he was discouraged by the situation, he reminded himself that his hope was not in worshipping in a particular place, but in God Himself. Today, we will consider the hope that comes from God. The psalmist takes a step back from his situation to confront himself and his emotions. He reminds himself of truths about God that are deeper than feelings. When his circumstances cause him suffering and pain, he has something deeper to hold onto: truths about a loving and gracious God who sees him right where he is. Like the psalmist, when we begin to feel hopeless, we should take a step back from the world around us and remind ourselves of who God is.

Why does thinking about God bring the psalmist relief? He knows that God is faithful, loving, and true. He has not abandoned him. The character of God gives the psalmist hope because he knows that God has not changed and that His promises are never broken. Because of this, the psalmist can make the decision to praise God. He has not yet gotten what he wants in his heart—relief from his enemies—but he no longer needs it to praise God because he remembers who God is. Even though he cannot worship in his emotions at first, he can worship in truth. This verse is a reminder that God is our source of hope. Truths about Jesus can break through every circumstance and every pain. They give us a reason to praise Him regardless of what we are facing day by day. When the Lord is our source of hope, our joy is unshakable because it is no longer found in the world, but in the eternal love of God.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you so much for being my perfect source of hope. There is none like you, and you are the source of all of my strength and my salvation. Thank you for filling me up with truths that comfort and encourage me. I love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Nov 18 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.:

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Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse from Proverbs, we learn that we should not try to seek vengeance against those who have harmed us. Instead, we should wait for the Lord, who will save us. His salvation could take various forms; He might save us from direct danger, help us forgive, or remind us of His presence in the midst of suffering. Today, we'll talk about how we can wait for the Lord when someone has harmed us. Waiting for the Lord can be tough. When we wait, we are choosing to stop our impulses from taking over. Rather than looking for a quick fix or taking action without seeking the Lord first, we surrender to Him, trusting that He knows exactly what to do at the right time. This takes a powerful act of our will.

Trusting the Lord makes it possible to wait for Him. We can trust that He is always moving, even when we cannot see what He is doing at the moment. Sometimes He is working in our hearts or the hearts of other people, or waiting for something to fall into place. Even if it doesn't seem like anything is changing on the outside, we can trust that the Lord is never stagnant. He is always working for His glory and our sanctification. We know the Lord will be the one to "recompense evil," meaning He will take care of justice as He deems necessary. He will see to it that sin is punished; in fact, He already did. The cross is the ultimate intersection of grace and justice. It shows us what God thinks of sin and how sinners must be punished—while at the same time, it is a place of enormous, incomprehensible grace. Our sins, and the sins of those who have hurt us, have been fully accounted for once and for all.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, I ask that you would help me to wait for you, trusting that you know how to deal with this situation much better than I do. You are a good and faithful God and I will trust you always instead of relying on myself and my own ways. I love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.
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