Jennifer A

Today’s passage is Hannah’s prayer to the Lord which is found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. As a reminder, Hannah’s song of praise is in response to the Lord’s answer to her many prayers for a child, and her prayer contains great prophetic messianic significance.

Earlier this week, during Bible study, Pastor Mary brought us through Luke 1. When we arrived at “The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise” (v. 46-56), I was overwhelmed by the similarities between Mary and Hannah’s Songs of Praise and their circumstances.

Both, Hannah and Mary, experienced miraculous ways of conception, each mother dedicated their son to the Lord, their sons dedicated their lives to God (even though One is God Incarnate), both women were faithful in their response to the Lord’s blessing in being a vital part of bringing Samuel and Jesus into this world; and thus, we are able to witness God’s purpose and plan revealed through Hannah and Mary.

Some people do not believe that motherhood is as important as other roles. Like, Esther saved God’s people and Deborah was a leader of God’s people, while Hannah and Mary were “simply” mothers. But these two women raised up children who were prepared by their influence to serve God and in doing so their sons fulfilled their divine role in God’s plan to liberate His people.

What can you and I learn from Hannah and Mary? There is so much, but we can start by recognizing that they were both willing servants of God, and we need are called to do the same. Also, as a result of their faithful hearts God blessed them, and He wants to bless us. God was also able to use Hannah and Mary to further His Kingdom, which is what you and I can only pray He is able to do with each of us.

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NLT)
Hannah’s Prayer of Praise

1Then Hannah prayed:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me.

2 No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
he will judge your actions.

4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
and those who stumbled are now strong.

5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
and the woman with many children wastes away.

6 The Lord gives both death and life;
he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.

7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up.

8 He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
and he has set the world in order.

9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.

10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
the Lord judges throughout the earth.

He gives power to his king;
he increases the strength of his anointed one.”

Prayer: Jesus, please help us to be more faithful and to have servant hearts like Hannah and Mary. Please guide us with Your wisdom and grow us in our hope, peace, joy, and love so that we can have confident trust in Your call on our lives to serve the Kingdom. We ask all of this in Your Holy and Precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

If you joined us for worship yesterday, you may recall that Pastor Mary talked about how as believers we have a dynamic power, the Holy Spirit, working inside of us. She reminded us, that as God’s people, we have no clue just how powerful this dunamis (which is a Greek philosophical concept meaning power, potential, or ability) Spirit, that lives inside of us, truly is at any given moment. When we are operating in oneness with the Holy Spirit, no matter what is going on, we can stay in the abiding presence of Almighty God, and in His presence is the fulness of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23)

In today’s passage, Luke reminds us of just how powerful the Holy Spirit is and how it operated through the Apostles as they were performing many miraculous signs and wonders. We see that God’s people, the believers, were meeting regularly; yet no one dared to join them, but at the same time, more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord, crowds of both men and women (v.12-14). Regardless, of who didn’t dare join to them or why, because there are many theories, the Apostles were still “among the people” while “all the believers were meeting regularly” (v.12), it was through their evangelistic Spirit that “more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord” (v.13), and “crowds came from the villages…and they were all healed” (v.16). It’s amazing that we contain this same Holy Spirit within us.

So, we are all called to evangelism, or to share Jesus with others, and we all do it in different ways. The key is that each of us share the love of Jesus, and the miraculous gift of His Holy Spirit, that we are given through salvation.

One day a lady criticized D.L. Moody, the American evangelist and founder of Moddy Bible Institute, for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody’s reply was, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?” The lady replied, “I don’t do it.” Moody retorted, “Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.”

Acts 5:12-16 (NLT)
The Apostles Heal Many

12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Please help us to be more aware of this gift each day, and especially as we are sharing Your message of love with others. We ask for the fruit of Your Spirit to grow more and more within us each day. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

When I gave my life over to Jesus, I initially didn’t realize how unhappy that commitment would make Satan. I had no idea that I stepped into spiritual warfare with Satan. If I am being completely honest, at that time I didn’t even consider Satan. Which is exactly what Satan wants, to be out of sight, out of mind, to fly under the radar, hide in the shadows, cloud our judgement, and work to undermine what God is doing in and through us. When we welcomed Jesus into our hearts and handed our lives over to Him, simultaneous to heaven rejoicing for another heart saved for the Kingdom of God, Satan and his dark realm were plotting to win back our souls.

Do you realize that while God is seeking to shape us into the image of Jesus that Satan is seeking ways to win back our souls…actually, he is doing it right now, because he does it every second of every day. I know that isn’t a warm and fuzzy thought, but as we grow with Jesus through His written Word, we should begin to know that angels, demons, spiritual warfare, and certainly Satan are all real. We also should not fear the supernatural as God’s Word reminds us of Who God is, who we are in Christ Jesus, and how His Holy Spirit guides us to know what Truth is…and that should be our place of warm and fuzzy.

In today’s passage, Paul encourages us to have an active part in our salvation, which should be an ongoing daily process, during every second of every day, we are to be living in a way that pleases God. But let’s be real…many Christians have a lackadaisical attitude, and they tolerate certain sins. Friends, we need to get to the point where we understand that sin is sin. In fact, when we sin, we are in alignment with the unbelieving world and allowing Satan to work in and through us. Paul talks about sexual immorality in today’s passage, and everything he says is true. Let’s remember that anything that interferes with our godly living and growth with the Lord is immoral and sinful. We need to lay down our sins at Jesus’s feet, ask for His forgiveness, let go of immoral living, turn back to Jesus, and allow His wisdom to guide us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Satan has no place working in and through God’s people when we understand our holiness through Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 NLT
Live to Please God

1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the perfect example for what pleases God. Help us to be more like You. We want to be quick to turn from sin, to be encouraged by Your Truth, to not be indifferent, and to be responsible for our daily walk and growth with You. Please hedge protection, through Your angels, over us from Satan. Guide us with Your wisdom to see spiritual warfare and to turn towards You so that we can allow You to handle it for us. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

In today’s passage, from the book of Revelation, John describes the praises of heaven that will precede the victorious second coming of Christ to earth. We know that Jesus’ first arrival to earth was humble, and His purpose was fulfilled with His sacrificial death on the cross. However, when Jesus returns to earth for the second time, scripture tells us that He will come as a royal King of Heaven to judge the earth.

Today we are looking at the first nine verses of chapter 19 in Revelation. At this time the Great Tribulation will be coming to an end and John is revealing to us what heaven will look like. His vision is that of vast crowds in heaven shouting praises to the Lord. Joining in the celebration will be twenty-four elders and the four living beings, all who fall down and worship God.

In verses 7 – 9 John describes how the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and he goes into detail about the bride. These verses directly connect to what Matthew recorded about the “Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids” in chapter 25. If you recall, five of the bridesmaids were wise and ready for the wedding, while five of them were foolish and not ready. The wedding Jesus is referring to that is that of God’s people who are purely committed by salvation and faith to Him, and God’s people are represented as the bride, and we are symbolically dressed in white to reflect our pure and holy hearts before Christ. I don’t know about you, but I sure want to be prepared as the bride of the Lamb. If you have any questions about how to be prepared for “The Final Judgment” when Jesus’ returns, continue to read through Matthew 25, as Jesus gives us clear instructions in verses 31 – 46.

Revelation 19:1-9 NLT
Songs of Victory in Heaven

1 After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

2 His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.”

3 And again their voices rang out: “Praise the Lord!The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”

4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

5 And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.”

6 Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.

8 She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for providing us with clear instructions on how we are to be prepared for Your return. Please guide us each and every day with Your wisdom so that we can make choses that align with Your holiness. We want to be able to rejoice with all of heaven as You return and to not be sleeping. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Today’s devotion is Psalm 117, which is the shortest Psalm, as well as the shortest chapter in the Bible. Everyone is instructed three times, within these two verses, to Praise the LORD. Praise is a part of worship and prayer, a time of communing or connecting with God. The Bible guides us through many different expressions of praise, but each expression directly gives God the honor, glory, and recognition that He deserves as the most high, powerful, faithful, and true loving Creator of our lives.

As I read through these two verses, I kept thinking that this is truly the highest example of “less being more”. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Well, our brother Matthew taught us this Truth just prior to teaching us the Lord’s Prayer, he said, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (7:11-12) So, we must have grateful hearts and praise God for His enduring faithfulness to us. As His kids, our love for others should mirror His unfailing love for us, so we must use our two ears to listen better to our neighbor, and our one mouth must be used to be more loving like Jesus is to us.

Psalm 117 NLT

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.

2 For his unfailing love for us is powerful;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your unfailing love. Help us, Lord, to use our spiritual ears to be better listeners to others, and when things that are not of Your Spirit come out of our mouths, please forgive us Lord. We praise Your Holy Name, Jesus, and we want to be more and more like You, so please shed those things that are not of You off from each of us. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

As far back as I can remember, after my sister and I would fight as kids, my Mom would tell us that we were not allowed to go to bed angry at one another. Apparently, her Dad had told her and her siblings the same thing when they were kids, and now as a parent, my Mom was passing along those same words of wisdom to us. Currently, as a parent, I too, encourage my daughter to release anger and to not carry it into tomorrow. God wants us to release anger immediately to Him, as anger is not of or from God, and if we hold onto it, it will breed far worse consequences then what the present moment contains.

I’m not sure if my grandfather knew that what he was passing along to his children, and to the next generations, was the Truth that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus. But, in our passage today, we learn that exact Truth from Paul as he urges the entire church, past, present, and future, to stop being angry, “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” (v. 26-27).

Paul goes on to urge us, as the children of God, to not be thieves, to not use foul or abusive language, and to not bring sorrow to God by how we live. You might say that you don’t do any of these things; and maybe you don’t, but when you compare your words, actions, inactions, thoughts, and the deepest places of your heart from just yesterday, are you able to say that you walked, talked, thought, and acted exactly as Jesus? I can honestly tell you that my yesterday would not have been Jesus’s yesterday. So, what do we do in this case?

Well, Paul goes on to tell us that we are to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” (v. 31) We must remember that anything that is not of God, is of Satan, who is evil. Sin is evil! So, when our words, actions, inactions, thoughts, and hearts are sinful…we are in a place of evil behavior and we must turn back to Jesus, repent, and move forward by living out His Truth. Paul continues by telling us to “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (v. 32)

Ephesians 4:25-32 (NLT)

25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your tender heart and for Your sacrifice that allows for our sins to be forgiven. Give us Your heart, Lord, for others, so that we can be more and more like You each day. Help us to release anger and our sins to You, so that we can be more forgiving and have a kinder heart. We love You, Jesus, and ask all of this in Your Name. Amen.

When Peter’s name is mentioned, most of us remember him for denying Jesus three times during the night of Jesus’ trial and just before His crucifixion. But, prior to that moment and following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus took great care of ensuring that Peter understood that he was eternally loved beyond measure and fully forgiven.

If you recall in Matthew 16, just before Jesus Predicts His Death, He asks His disciples, ‘who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ (v.13) If we move forward a few verses, “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon, son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all of the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.’” (v. 16-19)

God used Matthew to pen this important moment of Peter’s Declaration about Jesus so that we would not forget who Jesus declared Peter to be… the rock upon whom He would build His Church. So, as we read Peter’s words today, let us keep in mind that Jesus’ eternal love for Peter is no different than His eternal love for you and me. Jesus wants to build us up as His Church so that we can go out and share His eternal loving message of salvation. Jesus seeks to build His Kingdom through us, but it also requires that you and I live godly lives that reflect our committed faith to Him so that His qualities can shine through the works that He leads us to do.

In Peter’s second letter, which was written to the persecuted Christians at the time, as well as to you and me now, Peter reminds ALL believers of his presence with Jesus during His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). Peter wants believers to understand the power of Christ which he miraculously witnessed in-person. He also wants believers to connect the Old Testament prophecies of Truth to the New Testament Truth of Jesus, the Messiah, and His return. Today’s passage begins with Jesus’ transfiguration, which took place about 6 days after Peter’s declaration that Jesus was the Messiah. Image, Jesus invites you and me up a mountain and He begins to change, His face shines like the sun, His clothes become white as light, and we hear directly from God (Matt 17:2-5). There is no question, that you and me, would fall down on our faces in pure reverence of His holiness. Peter explains this miracle, and much more, in today’s passage:

2 Peter 1:16-21 NLT

16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your Word which brings us Truth through our Biblical brothers and sisters. Help us, Jesus, to be lamps that shine Your Truth for others to see within this dark world. Keep us rooted in Your Word, growing ever so closer to You. Allow us to be filled with joy, each day, for our salvation and for the daily miracles that You provide to us. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

I have mentioned before that Pastor Mary, and I follow the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings for the passages that we include within these daily devotionals. What I may not have mentioned is how God is always timely with His Truth, and as I prepare to share, sometimes His Truth can be difficult to study and even more difficult to pen for all of you to read. When that happens, I usually know that there is most likely an area of repentance and/or refinement, within me that needs to take place so that I can continue to grow in my own relationship with Jesus and allow Him to strengthen and keep moving me forward in my faith.

So, I recently witnessed fellow believers inside the Church passing judgment on what they probably believed were the sins of others outside the Church. The fellow believers did not know that I observed their interaction, and my immediate reaction was to cry like a baby. I am sharing this situation with you because it directly connects with today’s passage. Also, since I am responsible for my own heart before the Lord, I share this with you because I was not blameless within this situation. I have since repented for my inaction to lovingly talk and pray with my fellow Family inside the Church.

In today’s passage, Paul addresses relationships and sin in the Family of God, “the Church”. He helps us to understand that we need to know the difference between inside the Church or outside the Church.

Paul was writing again to the believers in Corinth (inside the Church) because they were ignoring incest within their community. That is why Paul begins by pointing out sexual sin. He continues to mention many other kinds of sinful actions from people in the world, because the Corinthian believers (as well as us) are not to avoid unbelievers. Rather, believers are expected to have contact with the unbelievers of the world, because that is how we bear witness to Christ in the world and act as His Salt and Light to spread His redeeming message of love. Jesus is the Great Physician Who wants to bring physical, spiritual, and soul affliction healing. He seeks out the lost, and we know this because He ate with the tax collectors, He associated with prostitutes, and He held the lepers. Jesus is the corner stone who brought all of these unbelievers to faith in Him; so, if we say that we live in God, then we should live our lives as Jesus did (1 John 2:6) and seek to also bring the lost to Him.

When we read about “judging” our fellow believers we must remember that “God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17). This Truth means that our judgement of others is a sinful place of self-righteousness. Paul isn’t telling us to be the judge of one another, rather he is guiding us to love our Family of God, “the Church”, towards the much-needed repentance for the judgement of sin. Continuous sin has no place in the Church and real love confronts sin. Together, as a Family, with the leadership of the Church, we pray and seek for the love of Christ to guide us towards repentance, redemption, and wholeness. If someone inside the Church wants to hold onto sin and continue to sin, then they must go.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NLT

9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for not coming to judge, for we are all guilty. Help us to love as You love, and to put away the spirit of self-righteousness and judgement. Give us a heart like Yours, Jesus, so that we may love unbelievers like You love them. Help us to bear witness to You. Guide us with Your courage and wisdom, as a Family, to deal with sin in our own lives and within Your Church. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

The Apostle Paul warned and encouraged the Christians in Philippi that as believers they had been given the privilege of trusting in Christ, but they also had the privilege of suffering for Him too. (Phil 1:29)

In today’s passage, the Apostle Peter also warned and encouraged the same message as Paul but to the persecuted Christians living in five regions of Asia Minor.

These messages were not only for the Christians who were being addressed at those times, but also for Christians for all time. You and I must hold firm to these warning and encouragements of Truth because our Judge is returning. Just as Jesus suffered so must we because we are following Him, and the world wants nothing to do with Him.

As Americans, who currently have the freedom to practice our faith, you and I presently only have to endure a “normal” level of persecution for living in a pagan world: slander, mockery, laughter, hatred, etc. But we must not forget that around the world, our Christian brothers and sisters face a great deal of suffering. According to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2022, an average of more than 16 Christians were killed every day in 2021, 360 million Christians, or 1 in 7 believers around the world, suffered significant persecution for their faith, and there were close to 6,000 total martyrs worldwide. So, 2021 saw a 24% increase in Christians killed for the faith.

I read about these losses, and my heart breaks knowing that today, 16 of my brothers and sister in Christ, somewhere in the world, will die in His Name. It is the sinful hatred of the world for God’s Family that brings us closer and closer to Jesus’ return…and it should bring us closer and closer to Him within our faith.

Friends, I have been mocked for my faith, people have questioned the sincerity of my faith, and loved ones have laughed behind my back and to my face about my faith. Jesus allows me to learn about these moments because I believe He wants to see where I will turn. I always have a choice, either turn to Him in prayer and trust that He will handle it, or turn to the world and attempt to get even? We all go through suffering for our faith, and Jesus is refining us for a time of greater suffering. Each time we trust in Him and allow Him to use our suffering for good, He grows us up in our faith more and more, so we learn to trust in Him more and more, and in return He blesses us.

1 Peter 4:12-19

Suffering for Being a Christian

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? 18 And also,

“If the righteous are barely saved,

what will happen to godless sinners?”

19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your example of suffering. Help us to cling to You when we feel persecution for our faith. Please fill us and our brothers and sisters around the world with Your strength, Jesus. No matter what this world throws at us, we claim our faith, trust, hope, joy, peace, love, and salvation in You, Jesus. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

In Psalms 57, 58, 59, and 75 we see a clear distinction between David wanting God to destroy the wicked and to protect the righteous. Today we will be reading and reflecting on Psalm 57. In verses 1 – 6 David is devotedly praying and seeking for God’s merciful protection; and then in verses 7 – 11 David is praising God for His constant love.

Please keep in mind that David was being chased by King Saul who was seeking to kill him. Despite those frightening circumstances, David knew, undoubtedly, Who to turn to for his safety. He cried out to God, the Most High, because he knew that God was faithful, and His love endures forever.

Our faith and trust in Jesus should be like David and not waiver no matter what we are facing. God wants to use our difficult circumstances to draw us closer to Him, to grow our trust in Him, and to increase our faith. At the same time, Satan wants us to be debilitated by anxiety, worry, fear, sadness, loneliness, anger, frustration, doubt, etc. so he can draw us closer to him, decrease our trust in God, and decrease our faith.

We must never forget that both heaven and hell are working hard to gain our attention and trust. If we are anchored in our faith and securely trusting in Jesus, we will not only survive the most frightening of current or future circumstances, but on the other side of them we will prosper as the faithful servants of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 57 GNT
A Prayer for Help

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,
because I come to you for safety.
In the shadow of your wings I find protection
until the raging storms are over.

2 I call to God, the Most High,
to God, who supplies my every need.

3 He will answer from heaven and save me;
he will defeat my oppressors.
God will show me his constant love and faithfulness.

4 I am surrounded by enemies,
who are like lions hungry for human flesh.
Their teeth are like spears and arrows;
their tongues are like sharp swords.

5 Show your greatness in the sky, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.

6 My enemies have spread a net to catch me;
I am overcome with distress.
They dug a pit in my path,
but fell into it themselves.

7 I have complete confidence, O God;
I will sing and praise you!

8 Wake up, my soul!
Wake up, my harp and lyre!
I will wake up the sun.

9 I will thank you, O Lord, among the nations.
I will praise you among the peoples.

10 Your constant love reaches the heavens;
your faithfulness touches the skies.

11 Show your greatness in the sky, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for Your unending protection, guidance, and love for each of our lives. Please increase our trust in You and grow us up in our faith. We need to be bearers of Your Truth, who are unaffected by the chaos of this world. Help us during difficult circumstances to see You moving and working on our behalf and for our good. Keep us tied closely together, as Your Family, so we can bring Your encouragement to one another during the challenges. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.