Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 10-20-20

Psalm 63:4-8 TPT

Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart.
My arms will wave to you like banners of praise.

I overflow with praise when I come before you,
for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else.
You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul.
6–7 
I lie awake each night thinking of you
and reflecting on how you help me like a father.
I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow,
offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!

With passion I pursue and cling to you.
Because I feel your grip on my life,
I keep my soul close to your heart.

In our passage today, we continue to join David in the wilderness with God. Even in this challenging place and under very difficult and emotional circumstances, David has no doubt God has a grip on his life. So, in the midst of sleepless nights, David sings praises to God in order to release the inner torment of his soul and finds great pleasure and satisfaction in the presence of his spiritual Father. David offers what Scripture calls a sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13:15).

Most of the time, praise rises up from our spirits to express our gratitude during victorious times. However, this kind of praise David demonstrates requires personal sacrifice; a sacrifice our souls will fight. When we offer God a sacrifice of praise, we place our whole being before God and trust him when life takes a turn and does not go the way we thought it would go. Our souls—minds, wills, emotions—will put up a fight if we are going to actually trust our lives to God in these moments because we are trying to figure life out in our flesh. David uses real wisdom as he turns his sleepless nights into a time of praise and worship. If you find yourself having difficulty sleeping due to the torment trying to occupy your flesh, turn your attention from the demands of your soul and reach for your Father. He alone can bring you pleasure, satisfaction, and peace for your soul.

Prayer: Lord, I place my whole being before you. May praise be released in my life during the triumphal times, as well as the challenging ones. You made a great and eternal sacrifice for me on the cross. May I turn to bring a sacrifice of praise before you when I face things that I do not understand. In Jesus’ name. Amen.