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SUMMARY:June-02-0437-A heartfelt prayer
DESCRIPTION:437_A heartfelt prayer \nPsalm 5 Give ear to my words\, O Lord;\n    consider my groaning.\n2 Give attention to the sound of my cry\,\n    my King and my God\,\n    for to you do I pray.\n3 O Lord\, in the morning you hear my voice;\n    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. \n4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;\n    evil may not dwell with you.\n5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;\n    you hate all evildoers.\n6 You destroy those who speak lies;\n    the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. \n7 But I\, through the abundance of your steadfast love\,\n    will enter your house.\nI will bow down toward your holy temple\n    in the fear of you.\n8 Lead me\, O Lord\, in your righteousness\n    because of my enemies;\n    make your way straight before me. \n9 For there is no truth in their mouth;\n    their inmost self is destruction;\ntheir throat is an open grave;\n    they flatter with their tongue.\n10 Make them bear their guilt\, O God;\n    let them fall by their own counsels;\nbecause of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out\,\n    for they have rebelled against you. \n11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;\n    let them ever sing for joy\,\nand spread your protection over them\,\n    that those who love your name may exult in you.\n12 For you bless the righteous\, O Lord;\n    you cover him with favor as with a shield. \nWhen we pour out our hearts to God in honesty and trust\, our words and our groans express the attitude of the heart accurately. Thus\, Psalm 5 invites us into the deeply personal world of prayer. \nThe psalm expresses groans and sighs more than polished phrases. David pleads\, “Give ear to my words\, O Lord\, consider my groaning.” He does not try to impress God. He is not performing a religious ritual or reciting a prayer. He is simply pouring out his heart\, threatened\, weary\, and desperate. \nWhen we suffer betrayal\, slander\, criticism\, or physical danger\, we hit back by instinct. We try to defend ourselves if possible\, and strike back. But David’s response is that of a godly man. He brings his pain to the Lord. He does not let the deep hurt control him. As he bows\, weeping\, before God\, he knows that even his tears are understood by God. As Romans 8:26 reminds us\, “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” \nDavid’s relationship with God is not that of a superstitious adherent of a distant or abstract deity but as the servant of  “my King and my God.” David\, king of Israel\, understood that his authority was delegated. He ruled only by God’s appointment and for God’s glory. His position was not one of entitlement but of dependence. \nHe says\, “O Lord\, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” His first waking thought was of God\, but with great reverence and love. He did not come empty-handed before his King and his God\, but with a prepared sacrifice. Moreover\, his prayer was not rushed or mechanical. Like the sacrifice on the altar\, David released his burdens in prayer and watched for God’s salvation to manifest itself.  \nThis waiting is not passive. It’s not boredom or inactivity. It is a watchful\, hopeful posture. David is alert because he knows God will act in love and righteousness\, even if the timing is beyond his knowledge. Isaiah 40:31 captures this beautifully: “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” \nDavid uses strong language to describe the wicked—evildoers\, liars\, bloodthirsty\, deceitful.  Despite their outward appearances of strength\, success or capability\, they cannot stand before God. Rather\, they are like chaff blown away by the wind. David is affirming a central truth: holiness is all that matters. Doing God’s will is the key to life. God is not indifferent to evil. He does not turn a blind eye to injustice or falsehood. \nIn verse 7\, David draws himself in stark contrast: “But I\, through the abundance of your steadfast love\, will enter your house.” He rejoices in his access to the presence of God\, but he confesses that it is only because God loves him and is faithful in his devotion. This is the posture God honors—not prideful self-righteousness but humble dependence. \nWhen surrounded by enemies\, it’s easy to become distracted\, to compromise\, to take matters into our own hands. But David prays\, “Lead me\, O Lord\, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” He wants to walk with God even when it is difficult to make out the right path. He recognizes that the only recourse in this situation is to be led by God. Therefore he prays that God will lay out the path plainly for him to follow.  It might be easier to retaliate or give in to pressure\, but he prays\, not just for protection but for direction\, that he may honor God even under pressure.  \nHis enemies are not insignificant. “There is no truth in their mouth. Their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.” Their weapon is their speech—lies\, flattery\, deceit. James speaks of the tongue as a fire\, a restless evil\, full of deadly poison. Words can build or destroy\, heal or wound. And once spoken\, they cannot be unsaid. \nDavid asks God to judge these enemies. They are his enemies only because they are God’s foes. It is no personal vendetta that David seeks\, but righteousness and justice. In so praying\, he makes it plain that he will not retaliate\, but commit his matter to the righteous Judge in the heavens.  \nAnd in so doing\, David taps a fountain of unexpected joy. He remembers how good and faithful God is\, how just and holy are his ways. By faith he asks God to vindicate and deliver those who trust in him\, so that they may sing for joy. He claims God’s protection of his faithful people\, as a man covers his bride with his cloak. Being bound to God by covenant is inseparable from joy. We do not rejoice because life is easy\, but because God is faithful. Those who know God\, those who love Him and trust him\, are those declared to be his righteous people. They are wrapped in His protection. \nDavid ends with a powerful affirmation: “For you bless the righteous\, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” God’s favor is a shield\, strong and encompassing. It doesn’t mean we will never face danger\, but it keeps us secure within his will.  \nWhen life overwhelms us\, when we are surrounded by deceit and enmity\, let us pour out our hearts to God. Let us never rush to defend ourselves\, or to lash out. Instead\, let us entrust ourselves to the One who sees\, who hears\, and who judges righteously. \nOur standing before God is grounded on His mercy. Let us come boldly before the throne of grace and find grace to help in time of need. Let us come\, not in self-righteousness but with humility and reverence.  \nLet us wait for Him to act\, even if the silence stretches on. Let us wait with expectation\, not frustration. Let us rejoice in the deliverance that he always brings.  \nOur song comes from the fact that 1) we are not forgotten. 11) We do not suffer unseen. 3) God surrounds us with favor like a shield.  Though this world may never celebrate our faith\, heaven does. Therefore\, let us keep praying. The answer will arrive from the throne of grace. God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-02-0437-a-heartfelt-prayer/
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SUMMARY:June-03-0438-A prayer drenched in tears
DESCRIPTION:438_A prayer drenched in tears \nPsalm 6 O Lord\, rebuke me not in your anger\,\n    nor discipline me in your wrath.\n2 Be gracious to me\, O Lord\, for I am languishing;\n    heal me\, O Lord\, for my bones are troubled.\n3 My soul also is greatly troubled.\n    But you\, O Lord—how long? \n4 Turn\, O Lord\, deliver my life;\n    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.\n5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;\n    in Sheol who will give you praise? \n6 I am weary with my moaning;\n    every night I flood my bed with tears;\n    I drench my couch with my weeping.\n7 My eye wastes away because of grief;\n    it grows weak because of all my foes. \n8 Depart from me\, all you workers of evil\,\n    for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.\n9 The Lord has heard my plea;\n    the Lord accepts my prayer.\n10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;\n    they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment. \nIn the biography of Leonard RavenhillI\, Light of Eternity\, it is recounted how he used to pass by the Salvation Army building in a poor cotton town in England. This was one of the largest of its kind outside London. At the front stood two large stones. One bore the inscription: “William Booth of the Salvation Army opened this corps\, 1910.” The other stone read: “Kate and Mary Jackson\, officers in this corps.” \nKate and Mary Jackson were two young women sent to serve in that poverty-stricken place. They worked with all their strength. They did everything they had been trained to do. They organized meetings\, taught\, evangelized\, and served the poor. But nothing changed. They could see no fruit. After a couple of years of exhausting effort\, they were discouraged and desperate. They wrote to General William Booth\, the founder of the Salvation Army\, asking to be transferred to another place. Back came a telegram: “Try tears.” \nKate and Mary didn’t just pray—they travailed. They wept. They poured out their souls in anguish and desperation. And the broken town stirred at last\, not because of new strategies or better sermons\, but because God answered the prayer of the broken heart.  \nThis is the essence of Psalm 6. It is not a neat\, composed prayer. It is not polished or formal. It is drenched in tears. Psalm 6 is the first of what we call the penitential psalms\, that includes also Psalms 32\, 38\, 51\, 102\, 130\, and 143. It opens with a trembling cry: “O Lord\, rebuke me not in your anger\, nor discipline me in your wrath.” \nHere is David\, the man after God’s own heart\, burdened with guilt\, fear\, and anguish. Both his body and his soul are in torment. “Be gracious to me\, O Lord\,” he pleads\, “for I am languishing; heal me\, O Lord\, for my bones are troubled.” And then he adds: “My soul also is greatly troubled. But you\, O Lord—how long?” \nIn that place where the pain runs so deep it feels like your very bones are shaking\, we must do what David did. What the brokenhearted always must do—he brought his pain to the only one who could hold it. \nEven in the middle of this lament\, David knows that God is good\, and God is merciful. “Turn\, O Lord\, deliver my life\,” he prays. “Save me for the sake of your steadfast love.” “Steadfast love” is the translation of hesed—a word that means covenantal\, unfailing mercy. David knows that God’s mercy is deeper than his failure\, stronger than his sin\, and bigger than his sorrow.  \nDavid is neither bargaining with God nor trying to justify himself. He throws himself on the mercy of the Lord. For this is the only ground on which he can stand. That’s why\, even in his brokenness\, he can ask for healing\, for help\, for deliverance. \nThen he says\, “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.” He is exhausted with his sorrow. There is nothing left for him to say. His broken heart becomes his offering. \nTears have a language of their own. They confess the overburdened heart. The Lord Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. He wept over Jerusalem\, “Would that you\, even you\, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” (Luke 19:41).  And when Jesus was walking to Calvary\, bearing the cross\, he turned to the women weeping for him and said\, “Do not weep for me\, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”  \nWe need that heart today! A heart that is broken not just for our own suffering\, but for the spiritual decay around us. Are our hearts heavy because of the lost ones around us\, our lukewarm churches\, and broken families? \nBack in Psalm 6\, something begins to shift.  David begins to speak with a newfound confidence. “Depart from me\, all you workers of evil\,” he says\, “for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.” \nWhat changed? His enemies were still around. His body may still have been weak. But he was bold in the consciousness that God had accepted his prayer. God has heard. God has seen. And God will act. \nMary Magdalene stood outside the tomb\, weeping because she could not find the Lord. And then a man appeared and asked her two questions: “Woman\, why are you weeping?” and “Whom are you seeking?” Why are you weeping today? Are you sorrowful because you lost something—or because you seek someone? \nFor Mary\, the answer was clear: she longed for her Lord. And Jesus revealed himself to her in that moment of weeping. He called her by name—“Mary”—and she knew it was him.  \nDavid ends the psalm in triumph: “All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.” This is the voice of a man who knows his God. The same God who allowed him to be broken now lifts him up and fills his mouth with praise. \nWe don’t have to hide our pain or pretend to be strong. We can come to God—tired\, trembling\, and tear-stained—and he will not turn us away. When we have no words but only tears\, we can still pray. God who sees our weeping will also bring us to rejoice. \nLet us take heart. Let us cry out when our hearts are overburdened. He cares for us\, so let us cast our burden on him. Let us weep for our sin and that of our families and our churches\, so that we may be healed. Let our tears of sorrow awaken the pity of Christ\, that we may see him and know him better than ever before. \nAnd every sincere heart that weeps will finally know for itself: “The Lord has heard the sound of your weeping. The Lord has heard your plea. The Lord accepts your prayer.” God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-03-0438-a-prayer-drenched-in-tears/
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SUMMARY:June-04-0439-Responding to slander and lies
DESCRIPTION:439_Responding to slander and lies \nPsalm 7 O Lord my God\, in you do I take refuge;\n    save me from all my pursuers and deliver me\,\n2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart\,\n    rending it in pieces\, with none to deliver. \n3 O Lord my God\, if I have done this\,\n    if there is wrong in my hands\,\n4 if I have repaid my friend with evil\n    or plundered my enemy without cause\,\n5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it\,\n    and let him trample my life to the ground\n    and lay my glory in the dust. Selah \n6 Arise\, O Lord\, in your anger;\n    lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;\n    awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.\n7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;\n    over it return on high. \n8 The Lord judges the peoples;\n    judge me\, O Lord\, according to my righteousness\n    and according to the integrity that is in me.\n9 Oh\, let the evil of the wicked come to an end\,\n    and may you establish the righteous—\nyou who test the minds and hearts\,\n    O righteous God!\n10 My shield is with God\,\n    who saves the upright in heart.\n11 God is a righteous judge\,\n    and a God who feels indignation every day. \n12 If a man does not repent\, God will whet his sword;\n    he has bent and readied his bow;\n13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons\,\n    making his arrows fiery shafts.\n14 Behold\, the wicked man conceives evil\n    and is pregnant with mischief\n    and gives birth to lies.\n15 He makes a pit\, digging it out\,\n    and falls into the hole that he has made.\n16 His mischief returns upon his own head\,\n    and on his own skull his violence descends. \n17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness\,\n    and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord\, the Most High. \nA man once visited his rabbi\, burdened by the guilt of having spread a false rumor about someone in his community. He wanted to know how he could make things right. The rabbi handed him a feather pillow and asked him to cut it open and shake its contents out the window. The man did as he was told\, and feathers flew in every direction. “Now\,” said the rabbi\, “go and gather every feather.” The man looked at him in shock. “That’s impossible!” he replied. The rabbi nodded and said\, “Exactly. Words\, once spoken are like those feathers. You can’t get them all back.” \nProverbs 18:21 tells us\, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Words can breathe encouragement and hope\, but they can also crush spirits and destroy lives.  \nSlander is a weapon that leaves deep wounds. It can shred a person’s reputation and destroy trust. These wounds are invisible\, but they pierce the soul. David\, the man after God’s own heart\, describes this pain in Psalm 7. It is his cry to God when he is falsely accused by a man named Cush from the tribe of Benjamin. It can guide us on how to respond when we too are attacked unfairly\, misjudged\, or maligned. \nDavid begins with a desperate plea: “O Lord my God\, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me\, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart.” (Psalm 7:1-2). He runs straight into the arms of God rather than defending himself before men. For God truly knows him. Slander makes us feel cornered and vulnerable\, but let us not retaliate. Rather\, let us flee to the Lord. \nDavid turned to God not just for protection\, but for vindication. And he did so with a willingness to be examined\, expressed in verses 3-5: “O Lord my God\, if I have done this\, if there is wrong in my hands… let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it.” David is willing to be judged and to bear the consequences if he is guilty. What boldness! Before demanding justice\, let us be humble enough to open our hearts to the searching eye of God. Sometimes\, what we see as slander may have a core of truth. If so\, we have to acknowledge it and confess it.  \nBut David is confident in his integrity. From verse 6 onwards\, he calls on the righteous Judge to act. He says\, “Arise\, O Lord\, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies… Let the Lord judge the peoples; judge me\, O Lord\, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.” David trusts God’s justice\, even when human justice seems out of reach. For “God tests the minds and hearts\,” he says. Human judges see only the outside and the visible\, but God cannot be deceived. Every thought\, every intent\, every hidden agenda\, is known to him.  \nWe cannot pretend with God\, but when we are being misrepresented\, we can rest in the fact that he sees the truth and stands up to vindicate you. He who sees your pain and hears your prayer has weighed your heart\, and will be your defender\, even when no one else stands by you.  \nYet David acknowledges that God’s justice is not hasty. He is patient and gives room for repentance. On the other hand\, verses 11-13 tell us\, “God is a righteous judge\, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent\, God will whet his sword.” God delays judgment even when he is angry with evil. That’s why we must never rush to take revenge. For God still longs to redeem the slanderer. \nYet if repentance does not come\, God will act with complete authority and accurate punishment. Evil never goes unnoticed. There is an appointed time for truth to triumph over lies. \nDavid describes how sin operates. “Behold\, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.” (v.14). Desire gives birth to deceit\, which in turn leads to destruction. James says\, “Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin\, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” Lies grow and spread\, once they are planted. Yet finally they trap the liar. In David’s words\, “He makes a pit\, digging it out\, and falls into the hole that he has made.” (v.15). \nThis poetic justice exemplifies the pattern of divine justice. God allows the wicked to be caught in their own schemes. And so David ends in praise: “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.” (v.17). \nThis is the song of faith. David’s circumstances may not have changed yet. His name may still be smeared. But he rests in the righteousness of God. He can sing the praises of God\, who is a strong refuge for the righteous in the midst of the storm.  \nWhen we are accused wrongly\, slandered\, or misrepresented\, let us avoid the temptation to fight back or defend ourselves. Let us go to God and take refuge in his justice. Let us open our lives to his examination\, that we may be corrected and even disciplined if we are wrong. And let us sing knowing that the God of justice sees and knows everything\, and he will act for us at the right time. His vindication will be better than anything you could arrange for yourself.  \nLet us praise him for who he is -righteous\, faithful\, and true. “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness\, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Even in the face of slander\, let David’s song be our heart’s anthem. God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-04-0439-responding-to-slander-and-lies/
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SUMMARY:June-05-0440-Man created for God's glory
DESCRIPTION:440_Man created for God’s glory \nPsalm 8 O Lord\, our Lord\,\n    how majestic is your name in all the earth!\nYou have set your glory above the heavens.\n2     Out of the mouth of babies and infants\,\nyou have established strength because of your foes\,\n    to still the enemy and the avenger. \n3 When I look at your heavens\, the work of your fingers\,\n    the moon and the stars\, which you have set in place\,\n4 what is man that you are mindful of him\,\n    and the son of man that you care for him? \n5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings\n    and crowned him with glory and honor.\n6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;\n    you have put all things under his feet\,\n7 all sheep and oxen\,\n    and also the beasts of the field\,\n8 the birds of the heavens\, and the fish of the sea\,\n    whatever passes along the paths of the seas. \n9 O Lord\, our Lord\,\n    how majestic is your name in all the earth! \nYears ago\, a well-known astronomer lectured publicly on the universe. He spoke about galaxies billions of light-years away\, of stars thousands of times larger than our sun\, of nebulae that glowed with colors we would never see with the naked eye. After the lecture\, a small boy approached him timidly and asked\, “Sir\, if the universe is so big and we are so small\, do we really matter at all?” The astronomer had no answer. But Psalm 8 does. \nDavid\, the shepherd-king of Israel\, asked the same question centuries earlier as he looked up into the night sky. His heart was overwhelmed with of all he saw. But he also realized that God\, the Maker of so much beauty and grandeur\, cares about man. It is an astonishing truth. God knows each of us\, not in general but personally and thoroughly. This is not because of our greatness – but because God is great. \nPsalm 8 opens and closes with the same majestic refrain: “O Lord\, our Lord\, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” David begins with an upward look rather than looking inward at himself. His gaze is filled with God. He calls him “Yahweh\,” by the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush\, the name by which God made a covenant with his people Israel. He also calls him “Adonai\,” meaning Master or Sovereign. He is the God who exists of himself\, uncreated\, sovereign\, the God and King of Israel and of all the earth.  \nGod\, eternal and uncreated\, wise beyond all measure\, immeasurably creative\, — the One who made galaxies and atoms\, the One whose voice thunders and whispers — makes Himself known to human beings. More than that\, He has entered into a covenant with them. And this is of his own free choice.  \nGod’s name\, expressing His character and His deeds\, is recognized as that of the king\, unique in all the earth. When God delivered Israel at the Red Sea\, they sang\, “Who is like you\, O Lord\, among the gods? Who is like you\, majestic in holiness\, awesome in glorious deeds\, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). Psalm 148 echoes this call to praise that name — His nature and His fame : “Let them praise the name of the Lord\, for His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven.” \nThe majesty of God is real\, displayed in His creation and his unquestioned authority over all that he has made. His name is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. His glory is not only seen in the stars but also felt in the succor he provides for all who love him. \nThe God of glory displays His strength not through power or might alone\, but in unexpected ways. He stills the enemy and the avenger “through the mouths of infants and nursing babies.” His praise comes not from the great or learned\, but from the mouths of the ignorant and weak. \nWhen our Lord entered Jerusalem\, riding on a donkey\, crowds shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David!” Yet it wasn’t the religious elites who recognized Him — it was the children and the ordinary people. Matthew 21 tells us that the children shouted their hosannas to him as he healed in the temple. The chief priests were indignant\, but Jesus answered them: “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies\, you have prepared praise.” It is the humble and weak who recognize his glory.  \nFrom the mouths of babes\, David lifts his eyes once again to the heavens. “When I look at your heavens\, the work of your fingers\, the moon\, and the stars\, which you have set in place — what is man that you are mindful of him\, and the son of man that you care for him?” \nAcross millennia\, people have wondered how we matter\, in a universe so vast. We are only dust\, fleeting\, fragile. But God has created us to have dominion over all he has made. And he is unceasingly mindful of us.   \nDavid says\, “You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands.” At the very beginning\, God created man in his own image\, to reflect himself and rule over his creation as his appointed authority.  \nBut when man fell through disobedience to the will of God\, his dominion was weakened. He misuses his authority. He corrupts his design. And yet we still bear the imprint of our Creator\, a trace of our original dignity. \nYet Christ our Lord has regained man’s destiny. Hebrews 2 picks up on this psalm. God created man so that he might put all things under his feet. But now we do not yet see everything under his feet. But we see Jesus\, who for a little while was made lower than the angels\, for the suffering of death\, so that by the grace of God\, He might taste death for everyone. And he is crowned with glory and honor.  \nJesus\, the Son of Man\, resisted sin even unto blood\, delighting in the will of God. Where Adam failed\, He succeeded. In Him\, God’s original purpose is restored. Those who trust in Him are forgiven\, renewed\, and crowned again with the glory that was lost. \nIn Christ\, we are seated with Him in heavenly places. It is to man that God has subjected the world to come. We are the heirs of God’s kingdom\, that we may finally surrender it all to him. We regain authority and purpose in life through our death with Christ on the cross. We will see its full blossoming when he comes in glory\, and we are manifested with him.  \nThis truth can change our lives. We are not accidents. We are not consumers. We are the image of God. Every human being — regardless of race\, status\, age\, or background — bears the image of God. This makes us look at others differently.  \nBelieving this truth\, we begin to live for something beyond ourselves. Creation becomes our responsibility since it reflects its Creator and has been entrusted to us by Him. We value life because it is sacred. We worship in awe because our God is also our Father.  \nLet us pause in our busyness and consider the heavens. But let us also consider our own hearts. Let us live for the glory of God in whose image we are created. Let us follow Jesus Christ the Son of God\, who is the captain and leader of man to salvation. \nIf we feel small\, or life has crushed our sense of worth\, it is worth remembering that it was God’s hands that knit us together in the womb. The same God who created the stars and calls them each by name cares for us\, is mindful of us\, and calls us to be reconciled with him\, to know him\, and to once again reflect the glory of his love and kindness\, as the stars can never do.  \nLet us not only gaze at His marvelous creation\, but also worship Him as his children\, created and reborn in His image. Let our worship shape our lives in righteousness and godliness\, giving glory to him for whose sake we exist.  \n“O Lord\, our Lord\, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.” God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-05-0440-man-created-for-gods-glory/
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UID:4139-1749168000-1749254399@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-06-0441-God remembers His people
DESCRIPTION:441_God remembers His people \nPsalm 9 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;\n    I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.\n2 I will be glad and exult in you;\n    I will sing praise to your name\, O Most High. \n3 When my enemies turn back\,\n    they stumble and perish before your presence.\n4 For you have maintained my just cause;\n    you have sat on the throne\, giving righteous judgment. \n5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;\n    you have blotted out their name forever and ever.\n6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;\n    their cities you rooted out;\n    the very memory of them has perished. \n7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever;\n    he has established his throne for justice\,\n8 and he judges the world with righteousness;\n    he judges the peoples with uprightness. \n9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed\,\n    a stronghold in times of trouble.\n10 And those who know your name put their trust in you\,\n    for you\, O Lord\, have not forsaken those who seek you. \n11 Sing praises to the Lord\, who sits enthroned in Zion!\n    Tell among the peoples his deeds!\n12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;\n    he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. \nYears ago\, during the Second World War\, a Dutch woman named Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested by the Nazis for hiding Jews in their home. Her father died soon after. Her beloved older sister died after a year of great suffering in Ravensbrück\, the notorious women’s labor camp. There were days of starvation\, humiliation\, and unspeakable cruelty. In the depths of that darkness\, having lost everything\, Corrie was sustained by the simple truth: God remembers His people. She would later write\, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”  \nPsalm 9\, written by King David\, echoes this same deep conviction— in the most desperate situation\, facing the strongest enemy\, God remembers His people. This song of praise is a bold declaration of faith in a God who sees\, who judges rightly\, and who never forgets the afflicted. \nDavid begins this Psalm not with complaints or fears but with wholehearted praise. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” His exuberant and deeply personal words reflect his ingrained awareness that God’s deliverances had been too many to allow doubt or block his full-throated praise. \nThis passionate worship was on display when David danced before the Ark of the Covenant as it entered Jerusalem. During the first attempt\, God struck down Uzzah for touching the ark\, reminding David of the reverence with which God is to be approached. The second time\, he danced for joy\, unashamed. Half-hearted worship does not do justice to God’s wholehearted love. He has saved us\, preserved us\, and shown us mercy. We cannot help but respond with our whole hearts. \nDavid says in verse 5\, “You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.” The victories of David weren’t merely military successes\, but the results of God’s righteous intervention. His enemies were not just political threats\, but they were opposing the purposes of God. \nBut how do we reconcile a God of love with a God who judges? Psalm 9 helps us understand that God’s acts bring about justice rather than revenge. God does not let oppression\, wickedness\, and violence go unanswered. David trusted God not just as his Savior but as the Judge who sets all things right. \nDavid moves from God’s judgment on his enemies to God’s authority over the whole world. He acknowledges that God is impartial. Israel\, God’s own people\, were not exempt from discipline. Throughout history\, they faced consequences when they turned from God. This explained the exile\, the defeats\, and the famines. Yet even wicked cities like Nineveh found mercy when they repented. Ethnicity\, position\, or heritage counts for nothing with God\, for He judges with uprightness. \nThis brings us both comfort in God’s just protection of the weak and helpless\, and fear because we know he judges all alike\, irrespective of religious identity or the rituals of piety.  \nIn verse 9\, David declares\, “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed\, a stronghold in times of trouble.” This is the summary of his own experience and that of his forefathers. Whenever injustice seems to reign\, whenever we are in trouble\, God is the refuge of his servants. He is no distant observer. For the heart that trembles at his word\, he is a present help.  \nDavid reminds us that “those who know your name put their trust in you\, for you\, O Lord\, have not forsaken those who seek you.” This is his testimony. Hunted by Saul\, betrayed by his own son Absalom\, and passing through seasons of despair\, David knew God as his defender. In the cave\, with Saul and his soldiers near\, God was nearer. On the battlefield\, God’s strength was his assurance. In his repentance\, he knew God’s mercy. \nDavid says in verse 12 that God “does not forget the cry of the afflicted.” The weak may not get the ear of earthly kings\, but the God of gods inclines his ear to hear the cry of the weak\, the poor\, and the afflicted. He sees every tear born of oppression and records every injustice done in secret.  \nTherefore David prays: “Be gracious to me\, O Lord… lift me up from the gates of death.” He longed for the joy of God’s deliverance. More than victory and prosperity\, he wanted to see the gracious hand of God in his life.  \nDavid also reflects on the hallmark of God’s justice. “The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid\, their own foot has been caught.” This captures the self-destructive nature of sin and evil. Pride leads to downfall. Deceit is caught in its own web. People who turn from God shake the foundations of their own well-being\, and their lives collapse on them. “The wicked shall return to Sheol\,” he writes\, “all the nations that forget God.” \nThe Psalm closes with a cry: “Arise\, O Lord! Let not man prevail.” When God takes His rightful place\, he reveals to the world their rightful place. How easily we forget that\, with our technological advances\, our power\, our pride! But history shows\, again and again\, that when independent of God\, the result is always the same: oppression\, injustice\, and ruin. From the Tower of Babel to modern democracy\, forgetting God leads to destruction. \nThe “survival of the fittest” is a concept becoming of a world where only the strong survive. But in God’s kingdom\, things are different. He lifts up the weak. He defends the orphan\, and shelters the outcast. He chooses the foolish things to shame the wise. He is the God who rules over all alike\, and in him alone is the defence of all his creatures\, great and small.  \nLet us respond with wholehearted worship. He scorns the lukewarm praise we offer while our minds are occupied with other things\, or worry about what others think. He deserves everything.  \nSecondly\, let us trust him completely. In times of oppression or personal crisis\, let us run to Him as our refuge. Let us not be so impressed with our achievements that we forget we are dust. \nWhen we wonder if we have been forgotten when we feel life has crushed us and passed us by unheeding\, let us remember that God sees. He knows. He remembers\, and in his time\, he will act. Let us entrust ourselves to Him today with all our hearts. The God who remembers His people will never forget us. God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-06-0441-god-remembers-his-people/
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DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250610
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250608T182956Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250606T044445Z
UID:4146-1749427200-1749513599@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-09-0442-God the helper of the fatherless
DESCRIPTION:442_God the helper of the fatherless \nPsalm 10 Why\, O Lord\, do you stand far away?\n    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? \n2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;\n    let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.\n3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul\,\n    and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.\n4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;\n    all his thoughts are\, “There is no God.”\n5 His ways prosper at all times;\n    your judgments are on high\, out of his sight;\n    as for all his foes\, he puffs at them.\n6 He says in his heart\, “I shall not be moved;\n    throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”\n7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;\n    under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.\n8 He sits in ambush in the villages;\n    in hiding places he murders the innocent.\nHis eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;\n9     he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;\nhe lurks that he may seize the poor;\n    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.\n10 The helpless are crushed\, sink down\,\n    and fall by his might.\n11 He says in his heart\, “God has forgotten\,\n    he has hidden his face\, he will never see it.” \n12 Arise\, O Lord; O God\, lift up your hand;\n    forget not the afflicted.\n13 Why does the wicked renounce God\n    and say in his heart\, “You will not call to account”?\n14 But you do see\, for you note mischief and vexation\,\n    that you may take it into your hands;\nto you the helpless commits himself;\n    you have been the helper of the fatherless.\n15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;\n    call his wickedness to account till you find none. \n16 The Lord is king forever and ever;\n    the nations perish from his land.\n17 O Lord\, you hear the desire of the afflicted;\n    you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear\n18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed\,\n    so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. \nA few years ago\, a little boy named Sam stood in the hallway of a crowded courtroom in a foster care building\, clutching a worn-out teddy bear. He was just six years old. He had been abused\, neglected\, and abandoned. That day\, a decision was to be made—would he be sent back to a home that had failed him\, or would someone finally intervene on his behalf? \nA volunteer advocate\, a kind woman in her late fifties\, bent down and said to him\, “Don’t worry\, Sam. I’m here to speak up for you.” For the first time in a long while\, he felt some hope. Later that day\, the judge gave him into the care of a foster family that had been waiting to welcome him. As they walked out together\, the advocate said something Sam never forgot: “Even when it feels like no one sees\, God sees. And He cares.” \nPsalm 10 is a cry for justice\, for the intervention of God who is king. It begins with a common question that arises when Heaven seems silent and evil thrives\, while the helpless suffer: “Why\, O Lord\, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”  \nYet this is no atheist\, but a man of faith who looks to God to make sense of his world. Knowing that God exists\, he wonders why he does not act. Beyond the suffering of the trouble itself is the hurt of missing the presence of God.  \nThe wicked\, meanwhile\, are proud\, oppressive\, and utterly confident that they are impregnable. They chase down the poor\, boast about their evil desires\, and mock God Himself\, in utter security. “He says in his heart\, ‘I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.’” Their bodies are tools of evil. They curse\, deceive\, oppress\, watch for their prey\, and crush the weak. “God has forgotten\,” they say in their hearts. “He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”There is no fear of God before their eyes\, no accountability in their minds. \nBut Scripture reminds us:“The eyes of the Lord are in every place\, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3). “His eyes are on the ways of a man\, and He sees all his steps. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves” (Job 34:21–22). God is not blind nor forgetful.  \nThis is why the man of God pleads\, verses 12 and 13: “Arise\, O Lord; O God\, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.” He knows that God is just and will call each person to account for his words and deeds. His comfort lies in his knowledge that even if the wicked do not change\, God will judge the world in righteousness.  \nAnd this confidence is reflected in verse 14: “But you do see\, for you note mischief and vexation\, that you may take it into your hands. To you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.” \nBeyond the poetic language\, this reveals the nature of the Holy One. God shows Himself as the Defender of the defenseless\, the Father to the fatherless\, the Judge who rights every wrong\, Psalm 68:5 This is His holiness.  \nAnd therefore\, the psalm ends in calm reaffirmation of God’s sovereignty: “The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.” Confusion and sorrow turn to hope and certainty. God reigns\, and he will do justice. Man\, who is of the earth\, a creature of dust\, a frail mortal\, should not\, and cannot strike terror in the hearts of the righteous. For their cries are heard and heeded by God\, who judges their oppressors with impartiality. He is enthroned forever.  \nWhen we suffer pain or feel abandoned\, our faith is in the truth\, loving kindness and justice of God. He may seem silent at times\, but He is never absent. Trust His heart when you cannot trace His hand. \nWhen we live in comfort\, let us reflect his kindness and mercy to the weak and helpless. Let us speak for those in our communities\, churches\, and streets who need to be spoken for. Let them know\, through us\, that God has not forgotten them. Volunteer\, encourage\, advocate.  \nAnd let us rest in God’s justice. Let us leave matters to him. Let us wait patiently\, trust deeply\, and hold fast to His promises. For God is on the throne\, and his kingdom rules over all. He is still near to all who call on him in truth. God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-09-0442-god-the-helper-of-the-fatherless/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250610
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250611
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250609T182906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250606T045319Z
UID:4151-1749513600-1749599999@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-10-0443-God's righteousness is a refuge to the righteous
DESCRIPTION:443_God’s righteousness is a refuge to the righteous \nPsalm 11 In the Lord I take refuge;\nhow can you say to my soul\,\n    “Flee like a bird to your mountain\,\n2 for behold\, the wicked bend the bow;\n    they have fitted their arrow to the string\n    to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;\n3 if the foundations are destroyed\,\n    what can the righteous do?” \n4 The Lord is in his holy temple;\n    the Lord’s throne is in heaven;\n    his eyes see\, his eyelids test the children of man.\n5 The Lord tests the righteous\,\n    but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.\n6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;\n    fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.\n7 For the Lord is righteous;\nhe loves righteous deeds;\n    the upright shall behold his face. \nIn 2011\, a tsunami hit Japan. One of the videos that went viral showed a man standing on the rooftop of a sturdy building. Waves crashed around him\, and debris swept through entire neighborhoods. While screams of panic rent the air\, he stood calm\, just because the structure beneath his feet held firm. \nThat’s what Psalm 11 is all about. When social and moral order seems to be collapsing\, chaos all around\, and evil seems to be winning\, the righteous stand strong because they have a firm foundation.  \nThe psalm begins with confidence. “In the Lord I take refuge\,” he says\, and asks his unnamed adviser why he should flee “like a bird to its mountain.” David’s friend warns\, “The wicked have bent their bows. The foundations are being destroyed. What can the righteous do?” When laws are ignored\, when violence is applauded\, when standing for truth brings mockery and hardship\, what can the righteous possibly do but run? \nBut David’s answer is simple.  “The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven.” God’s throne stands firm\, on its foundation of righteousness and justice. He is still sovereign over the world he made.  \nDavid doesn’t deny the danger. He acknowledges the wicked are aiming in the dark\, seeking to destroy. But his eyes are lifted higher\, to the throne of God. Despite the turmoil below\, God is still in control. This is the root of hope.  \nDavid reminds us that “His eyes see\, His eyelids test the children of man.” These words remind us that God is not a distant observer. He is carefully observing and discerning what goes on in the hearts of all people. Far from being a passive gaze\, the divine examination has a purpose. \nVerse 5 is key: “The Lord tests the righteous.” Throughout Scripture\, we see God testing those He loves — not to punish or destroy them\, but to strengthen them. In Zechariah 13:9\, we read\, “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say\, ‘They are my people\,’ and they will say\, ‘The Lord is our God.’” \nThe end of testing is deep-seated and steadfast trust in his justice and mercy\, and to collapse all other false supports. Deuteronomy 8:2 expresses this perspective. God tested Israel in the wilderness\, “to humble you and to know what was in your heart\, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Trials reveal what’s truly inside.  \nJames 1:2-4 exhorts us to “count it all joy when you face trials… for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” God’s tests are meant to make us mature and complete\, lacking nothing. \nAs a skilled metalworker refining gold\, he sends his fire to remove impurities and reveal the faith that reflects him clearly. Proverbs 17:3 says\, “The crucible is for silver\, and the furnace is for gold\, and the Lord tests hearts.” Trials are temporary\, but the faith they forge is eternal. \nJob\, who endured unimaginable loss\, said in Job 23:10\, “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me\, I shall come out as gold.” Peter\, writing to believers suffering persecution\, echoes this truth in 1 Peter 1:6–7: “You have been grieved by various trials\, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold… may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  \nWhile the righteous are tested\, the wicked are judged. Verse 5 continues\, “[God’s] soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” David affirms that God’s justice will not sleep. The Lord will rain fiery judgment on the wicked in his wrath. The same God who tests the righteous will not let evil go unpunished. \nThis gives David the strength to stand firm. He doesn’t need to run to the mountains\, because he is already hidden in the refuge of God’s righteousness. He ends the psalm on a glorious note: “For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face.” This is the hope that anchors the soul. The righteous will see God. Those who live with the integrity of faith\, who endure trials because they see God’s sovereign and loving hand in all things  — they will behold His face. \nIn biblical language\, to see someone’s face is to be assured of closeness\, favor\, and acceptance. To see the face of God is the ultimate reward of the righteous — to be accepted and acknowledged as his own. Not only is he our deliverer\, but our God and the source of all our good.  \nHebrews 13:5–6 reminds us: “He has said\, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say\, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” \nWhen we are tempted or warned by the world or well-intentioned friends to flee from our calling\, to hide our identity in Christ\, to give up our God-assigned duties\, let us take refuge\, not in the mountains\, but in God’s unshakable righteousness. Though heaven and earth may pass away\, God’s word stands firm and his kingdom rules over all. His eyes pierce every veil. Therefore let us stand firm\, for though we are tested\, we are not alone. And we shall surely behold his face in righteousness.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-10-0443-gods-righteousness-is-a-refuge-to-the-righteous/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250611
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250612
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250610T182957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T043949Z
UID:4159-1749600000-1749686399@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-11-0444-Mans words Vs Gods words
DESCRIPTION:444_Man’s words vs God’s words \nPsalm 12 Save\, O Lord\, for the godly one is gone;\n    for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.\n2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;\n    with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. \n3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips\,\n    the tongue that makes great boasts\,\n4 those who say\, “With our tongue we will prevail\,\n    our lips are with us; who is master over us?” \n5 “Because the poor are plundered\, because the needy groan\,\n    I will now arise\,” says the Lord;\n    “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”\n6 The words of the Lord are pure words\,\n    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground\,\n    purified seven times. \n7 You\, O Lord\, will keep them;\n    you will guard us from this generation forever.\n8 On every side the wicked prowl\,\n    as vileness is exalted among the children of man. \nIn the early 1940s\, World War II was crushing Europe. A young German pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer stood before his small underground congregation. The Nazi propaganda machine was in full force\, filling the airwaves with lies\, half-truths\, and a twisted version of morality that exalted power\, crushed dissent\, and redefined evil as good. In the face of that cultural pressure\, despite the danger\, Bonhoeffer boldly declared\, “The Word of God is a sword\, and it cuts through every lie.”  \nPsalm 12 reflects not just David’s world\, but that of today. Truth is scarce\, flattery is a currency\, and words are crafted to conceal\, deceive\, manipulate\, and dominate\, rather than to bless or heal. In such a world\, God’s Word remains the only trustworthy anchor. \nThe psalm begins with a cry of desperation: “Save\, O Lord\, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.” Evil seems so widespread\, so unchecked\, that it feels like there’s no one left to stand for what is right. Yet there are always those\, like the 7\,000 in Elijah’s day\, who haven’t bowed their knees to Baal—but they are in hiding. As Proverbs 28:28 puts it\, “When the wicked rise\, people hide themselves.” \nIn this atmosphere\, truth-speaking seems to be almost extinct. “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” These aren’t meant to politely pass over unpleasant realities or make the other person feel better when faced with embarrassment. These are calculated distortions and carefully planned flatteries. They arise from a double heart that says nice things to one’s face but conceals cruel and destructive motives.  \nWhether in politics\, media\, business\, or religious circles\, words are denied their only true function\, of being vessels of truth. They are used as weapons to influence and oppress others. Sound bites and spin are more powerful than facts. Image trumps substance. “With our tongue we will prevail\,” they say. “Our lips are with us; who is master over us?” These words reflect arrogant independence\, a belief that the speaker reshapes reality with clever speech and persuasive rhetoric. The tongue becomes an idol. \nBut the Lord is not silent. Verse 5 reminds us\, “Because the poor are plundered\, because the needy groan\, I will now arise\,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” God’s justice may seem delayed\, but it is never absent when the weak are trampled and the helpless cry out.  \nAll of Scripture echoes this. Proverbs 22 warns us not to rob the poor or crush the afflicted\, for “the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.” Again\, Exodus 22 makes it clear: if a widow or an orphan cries out because of mistreatment\, His anger will burn\, and He will execute swift judgment. These are not idle threats. They are promises rooted in the holiness and compassion of God. \nBut the focus here is not on God’s actions alone\, but also His words. In stark contrast to the lies and flattery of man\, “The words of the Lord are pure words\, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground\, purified seven times.” This image is emphatic. It speaks of utter purity\, robust truth\, unalloyed integrity. God’s Word doesn’t just contain truth; it is truth. There is no deceit\, no error\, no exaggeration. It has been tested\, tried\, and found to be perfectly trustworthy. \nProverbs 30:5 affirms this: “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” God’s Word demands our trust\, and those who believe his truth find shelter and safety from the barrage of falsehoods that surrounds them. It guards our hearts and minds from being deceived\, discouraged\, or defiled by the lies we constantly hear. \nTherefore Psalm 119:140 declares\, “Your promise is well tried\, and your servant loves it.” It was not the beauty of the language or the magic virtue of its recitation that prompted this. Rather\, the one who trusts God’s promise enough to act on it\, to stake their lives on it\, will realize God’s truthfulness is time-tested and proven. They find in it the only sure foundation in a world of sinking sand. \nMoreover\, Psalm 19:8 tells us that “The precepts of the Lord are right\, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant\, giving light to the eyes.” The truth of God’s Word underpins its essential rightness\, in contrast to the subtle or overt wrongness of merely human conceptions and plans. Because it is right\, it brings clarity out of confusion. Because it is pure\, reflecting God’s heart\, it lights the true path amidst the darkness of sin and mixed motives.  \nIn Psalm 12:7\, the psalmist rests in this assurance: “You\, O Lord\, will keep [Your words]; you will guard us from this generation forever.” God’s Word will not be corrupted\, compromised\, or forgotten. He will preserve both his word and His people who trust in it even when lies seem louder than truth. \nThe closing verse offers a sobering reality: “On every side the wicked prowl\, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.” When evil rulers dominate society and government\, cultural and moral standards evaporate.  \nIn the middle of such chaos\, let us recognize the difference between man’s words and God’s Word. Let us not be led astray by flattery\, catchy slogans\, or noisy new trends. Instead\, let us prayerfully understand the word of our God. Let us memorize it so that its meaning may permeate our attitudes and determine our actions. Let us evaluate every opinion\, every trend\, every philosophy\, not by its popularity or power\, but by its agreement with the unchanging truth of God’s Word. \nLet us also be honest with ourselves. Let us never rely on our words to manipulate or protect ourselves. Let us never flatter others to gain favor or spin half-truths to save face. Let His Word confront us. Let us purify ourselves by the washing of God’s Word so that we are protected against lies and prevented from being part of the problem.  \nLet us be bold in our faith\, knowing that we are standing on firm ground because we hold by God’s word. Even in the most dangerous of times\, we are witnesses to the truth of the Word that never fails. And as we remain faithful unto death\, we shall receive the crown of life.  \nFor “the grass withers\, the flower fades\, but the Word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8). Let us trust him\, stand on his word\, speak it\, and let it shape our lives.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-11-0444-mans-words-vs-gods-words/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250612
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250613
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250611T182903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T045000Z
UID:4164-1749686400-1749772799@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-12-0445-Gods delays are not His absence
DESCRIPTION:445_God’s delays are not his absence \nPsalm 13 How long\, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?\n    How long will you hide your face from me?\n2 How long must I take counsel in my soul\n    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?\nHow long shall my enemy be exalted over me? \n3 Consider and answer me\, O Lord my God;\n    light up my eyes\, lest I sleep the sleep of death\,\n4 lest my enemy say\, “I have prevailed over him\,”\n    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. \n5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;\n    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.\n6 I will sing to the Lord\,\n    because he has dealt bountifully with me. \nA young girl planted a seed in a small pot on her windowsill. Each day\, she watered the soil and sat by the pot\, watching\, waiting\, expecting. When nothing happened even after a week\, she grew restless. Two weeks in\, still nothing. She tapped the soil\, poked at it gently\, and even tried moving the pot to different windows to catch better sunlight. Finally\, she gave up. But her grandmother quietly continued to water it. A week later\, a tiny green sprout appeared. The seed was never dead—it was just working in silence. \nWaiting for deliverance can be frustrating\, sometimes agonizing. Especially when you feel forgotten. Especially when there is no answer\, though you pray persistently\, and trust God with your deepest desires. Yet heaven remains silent. Psalm 13 voices this cry. Four times in just two verses\, David asks\, “How long\, O Lord?”  The question breathes his feeling of abandonment.  Like many of us\, when God delays\, David starts to wonder: Has God forgotten me? \nWhen we are overcome by our foes\, we assume God isn’t listening. We confuse His silence for indifference and His delays for rejection. But Scripture repeatedly shows us that God’s delays are not His denials. Often\, they are the sign of his deep\, loving work in our lives\, hidden beneath the surface\, preparing us for something greater than we imagined. \nJacob’s favorite son Joseph was sent dreams that prophesied his future greatness. He was favored with intelligence\, charm\, and administrative capacity. He was honest\, diligent and obedient. Yet he was betrayed by his brothers\, sold into slavery\, falsely accused\, and unjustly imprisoned. For years\, his life seemed to spiral further away from God’s promises. Once\, it looked like a break might come. He rightly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker\, and the cupbearer was restored to Pharaoh’s favor. But he forgot to intercede for Joseph’s release. Hope turned into disappointment. Two more years passed in that prison. \nFrom a human perspective\, those years seem to be a waste\, a cruel delay. Yet God had his great purposes. If released earlier\,  Joseph might have gone home to resume his life as a shepherd. But he was destined to save his clan\, God’s chosen people\, from extinction. During the years in Egypt\, including his time in prison\, Joseph learned the management of a large semi-royal household\, the culture of the palace\, the who’s who of the court\, and how to deal with courtiers. Each step of his journey was a detail in God’s plan to polish his skills and his manners\, until he became fit to assume the highest office in Egypt seamlessly. He matured from being a favored boy to a wise\, seasoned man. And at the appointed time\, not a moment too soon or too late\, God exalted him. \nGod’s delays are often His most precious work. They’re not voids of inactivity. In these furnaces\, character is forged\, faith is tested\, and His perfect plan works out\, one quiet moment at a time. \nAs David cries out\, “How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” he expresses the crushing weight of delay. His faith is under pressure. His thoughts trouble him. He fears that his enemies will humiliate him with their triumph at God’s silence. For them\, it only means one thing – God’s powerlessness and David’s destruction.  \nBut David’s tortured heart still turns only to God. Feeling abandoned\, he cries to the very God who seems to have abandoned him. “Consider and answer me\, O Lord my God; light up my eyes\, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” He pleads for God to act lest he die. It is a matter of God’s glory and of his own survival. “Lest my enemy say\, ‘I have prevailed over him.’” \nYet God is glorified through our willingness to trust him\, through long moments of suffering\, not only when he speaks or acts\, but even when heaven greets us with silence. And even when everything seems to be mixed up\, God is still God.  \nAs in many of David’s psalms\, the mood changes at this point to trust. “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord\, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” David reminds himself of God’s unchanging love\, the assurance that God will be faithful tomorrow\, just as he was yesterday. Today’s silence doesn’t wipe out yesterday’s goodness. \nDavid rejoices because he knows who will deliver him. He sings because he knows who will fight for him.  \nThe Israelites had witnessed the plagues\, and God’s deliverance from Egypt with the death of the firstborn of Egypt. But as they waited in front of the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army closing in behind\, they panicked and doubted. Yet salvation is eternal\, and God’s faithfulness never ceases. He parted the waters\, made a way\, and showed them that even in their doubt\, He is a God who delivers. \nWhen we ask in desperation\, “How long\, O Lord?” David knows the answer. God has not forgotten us. He sees our distress and hears our cry. He is at work\, even in the silence. The hidden seed is growing and the sprout will soon appear. The song will rise again. \nRomans 8:32 reminds us\, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all\, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” God didn’t withhold His Son for our salvation. Will he not help us with all our needs and deliver us from evil?\nThe cross is the ultimate proof that God is for us—even when it seems He is silent.  \nWhile we wait for God to break his silence\, let us do exactly what David did. When God delays\, we don’t stop talking to Him. Honest prayer is not only allowed but essential in seasons of waiting.  Let us pour out our hearts to him\, let us keep trusting him and singing our confidence in his promises\, even in the dark.  \nEven when the enemy threatens to flatten and humiliate us\, let us sing. God is at work\, after all\, and he is never late\, neither does he fail. At the right time\, He will make everything beautiful in its season. God’s delays are never wasted time. So let us trust him. He has dealt bountifully with us\, and he will again.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-12-0445-gods-delays-are-not-his-absence/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250613
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250614
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250612T182923Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250612T063211Z
UID:4171-1749772800-1749859199@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-13-0446-Consequences of rejecting God
DESCRIPTION:446_Consequences of rejecting God \nPsalm 14 The fool says in his heart\, “There is no God.”\n    They are corrupt\, they do abominable deeds;\n    there is none who does good. \n2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man\,\n    to see if there are any who understand\,\n    who seek after God. \n3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;\n    there is none who does good\,\n    not even one. \n4 Have they no knowledge\, all the evildoers\n    who eat up my people as they eat bread\n    and do not call upon the Lord? \n5 There they are in great terror\,\n    for God is with the generation of the righteous.\n6 You would shame the plans of the poor\,\n    but the Lord is his refuge. \n7 Oh\, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!\n    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people\,\n    let Jacob rejoice\, let Israel be glad. \nA man on a hiking trip with his friends stood for a moment\, gazing at the starlit sky. He murmured\, almost without meaning to himself\, “Do you really think all of this just happened by chance?” His question lingered in the cold air like smoke from a dying fire. What followed wasn’t a debate but a deep and honest conversation. What if God is real? And if He is\, how should that change our lives? \nSuch conversations have echoed in every generation. But Scripture declares a sobering truth. This is the jarring line with which Psalm 14 begins. “The fool says in his heart\, ‘There is no God.’” David does not speak here of philosophical atheism\, but something far deeper and more dangerous: the practical rejection of God’s presence and authority in our inner lives. \nThere’s a difference between questioning God’s existence and rejecting Him in our hearts. A questioning heart may still be seeking truth\, but a rejecting heart has turned away. And that rejection doesn’t just affect what we think; it shapes our morality\, how we live. It produces moral rottenness\, in the form of corruption\, injustice\, and spiritual blindness. \nThere’s a form of practical atheism that is even more dangerous than theoretical disbelief. If people profess faith in God\, take part in religious observances\, and pray regularly\, yet if their hearts do not revere him and if they do not acknowledge His presence in their everyday choices\, they reveal that they are living as though he is absent in this universe. \nAs Alexander Maclaren said\, “To strip Him of His justice and rob Him of His control is the part of a fool. For the Biblical conception of folly is moral perversity rather than intellectual feebleness\, and whoever is morally and religiously wrong cannot be in reality intellectually right.” To reject God in our hearts is not merely a philosophical error. It is to become spiritually blind and morally adrift. \nThis is why David goes on to write\, “They are corrupt; their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Without the fear of God\, there is no good in man. All noble actions in human life have their source in God alone. Otherwise\, our best deeds are tainted by self-interest and pride\, rather than love.  \nPsalm 14 continues\, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand\, any who seek God. All have turned away\, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good\, not even one.” Godlessness is universally linked to moral corruption. Without the fear of God\, no man does what is right on his own.  \nRejecting God doesn’t always manifest as open defiance. Most commonly\, it shows itself in neglect. It reveals itself in the way people drift or push ahead in life without thinking of their duty to God or enquiring his will. They plan their days and their lives\, they make their decisions\, they pursue their desires. God is nowhere in their hearts or minds. The longer this goes on\, the harder the heart becomes. There is no longer any sense of right or wrong. \nThe godless devour the people of God “as they eat bread”. The ungodly oppress and persecute the righteous to enrich themselves at their cost. Without the fear of God\, we no longer see others as God’s image-bearers but as obstacles to be removed for our own advancement\, or tools to be exploited for our own profit. Injustice thrives when people no longer believe they are accountable to a higher authority. \nAmidst the chaos of widespread injustice and oppression\, the eye of faith sees God still and forever on the heavenly throne. He has not turned His face away. He sees. He knows. And He defends the righteous. “They may frustrate the plans of the poor\, but the Lord is their refuge.” What a comfort that is! The world may seem out of control\, but He is still our protector\, still our righteous judge. \nThe psalm ends with the longing for restoration. “Oh\, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people\, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” This goes beyond the need for political rescue or material blessing. It is a yearning for spiritual renewal—a hope for the day when God would intervene and restore what has been lost. \nAnd God has answered\, in Christ Jesus. Paul quotes these words in Romans 3: “There is no one righteous\, not even one. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God\, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” No nation or race is righteous by culture or religion. In Christ alone\, the ungodly find salvation. They find forgiveness and righteousness through the mercy of God\, shown on the cross and at the empty tomb.  \nThe good news is that though we have all\, at some point\, rejected God in our hearts\, and turned aside from his way\, he has not rejected us. He still calls us to seek him with our whole heart. He still seeks us\, promising\, as Jeremiah 29:13 says\, “You will seek me and find me\, when you seek me with all your heart.” \nKnowing this\, let us live constantly and consciously under his authority\, deferring in all things to God. Let us live knowing he is present and sovereign in every part of life. Let us not only publicly acknowledge him but also obey him in public and in private. For the one who has faith must also have virtue. Those who have faith must act out what they believe. God bless. \nLet us seek God humbly\, not to get answers to our intellectual difficulties but to give him our wholehearted and simple trust and obedience. Let us obey the voice of conscience\, and walk in righteousness\, submitting to his lordship in our hearts and in our lives.  \nLet us be joyful for God has revealed his salvation from Zion. Jesus Christ will restore the fortunes of his people.  He gives us the free gift of righteousness\, not because we are good\, but because He is. In following him\, we inherit eternal life. As Romans 6:23 reminds us\, “The wages of sin is death\, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” \nThe consequences of rejecting God are not only future. They are present realities: moral confusion\, spiritual emptiness\, and broken relationships. But the rewards of seeking Him are life\, joy\, peace\, and the restoration of all that was lost. \nLet us reject the ungodliness of the fool. Instead\, let us set the Lord always before us\, living in the joy of obeying his righteous and perfect will. Thus\, walking humbly with our God\, he will abide with us\, filling our lives with His presence. He is near to those who seek Him. And if we draw near to Him\, He will draw near to us.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-13-0446-consequences-of-rejecting-god/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250616
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250617
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250615T182954Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250618T045619Z
UID:4177-1750032000-1750118399@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-16-0447-Who will abide with the Lord?
DESCRIPTION:447_Who will abide with the Lord? \nPsalm 15 O Lord\, who shall sojourn in your tent?\n    Who shall dwell on your holy hill? \n2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right\n    and speaks truth in his heart;\n3 who does not slander with his tongue\n    and does no evil to his neighbor\,\n    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;\n4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised\,\n    but who honors those who fear the Lord;\nwho swears to his own hurt and does not change;\n5 who does not put out his money at interest\n    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.\nHe who does these things shall never be moved. \nYears ago\, a well-known British preacher was invited to speak at a large evangelical conference. As he stood on the platform before thousands\, he asked: “If you could choose to spend a day with anyone in the world\, living or dead\, who would it be?” Murmurs and whispers filled the air. After a minute\, he went on: “The God who made the heavens and the earth calls you\, not just to spend a day with him\, but to live with him forever. How will you respond to that invitation?” \nThis is the very heart of Psalm 15. King David\, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit\, asks the greatest question of all: “O Lord\, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1). Who gets to live with God? It’s not merely about a visit to the house of the Lord\, but remaining in close\, ongoing fellowship with the Creator. This is the deepest longing of the human soul\, though it often goes unrecognized. \nFrom the very beginning\, God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. They were created to be in his image. They would come to see the world through his eyes. They would know reality through his wisdom. But sin entered the world through unbelief and disobedience. In eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil\, they chose to know right and wrong apart from God. That choice broke apart their relationship with their Maker\, and brought death into the world.  \nThe pain of this loss has never left the human heart. The ache in David’s question echoes this longing. And David answers by describing the qualifications – not in terms of nationality\, status\, achievements\, or religious rituals\, but of character. \nThe first step is the visible life: “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right.” The one who seeks God lives with integrity. His actions reflect moral uprightness. The next words carry us from outward behavior to inner truth: “…and speaks truth in his heart.” Speaking truth in our hearts goes beyond verbal honesty. For the godly\, life is shaped by inward sincerity\, where motives align with godly values. \nThe story of Doeg the Edomite illustrates the opposite of this. When David fled from Saul and sought provisions from the priest Ahimelech\, Doeg witnessed the encounter. Later\, when Saul asked his servants for information about David’s whereabouts\, as of a potential assassin\, Doeg responded by telling the king what he had seen and heard. By feeding Saul’s unjust suspicions\, he caused the massacre of innocent priests. On the surface\, Doeg told the “truth.” But Psalm 52 which was written in this context\, unveils the true character of his words: \n“Your tongue plots destruction\, like a sharp razor\, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good\, and lying more than speaking what is right.” (Psalm 52:2–3) \nDoeg’s words were factual but his motives were malicious. He plotted the destruction of the priests\, by whom he was detained before the Lord.  David rightly exposes this as slander and evil. \nDavid continues: the godly man “does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor\, nor takes up a reproach against his friend.” The tongue is a weapon of truth. He does not destroy others by his words. He is faithful in his relationships\, treating his friends with dignity and honor. \nMoreover\, in the eyes of the righteous\, “a vile person is despised\, but [he] honors those who fear the Lord.” This is not a call to hate people\, but reflects a right evaluation of others. The godly do not honor others because they are powerful\, rich\, or influential. Instead\, they honor those who fear Him\, because they share God’s values and God’s perspective on people. \nThe man who abides with God “swears to his own hurt and does not change.” In a world where promises are often lightly broken\, the godly person stands out. He keeps his word even when it costs him dear\, for his word reflects his heart of commitment to the truth. \nThe friendship between David and Jonathan\, the son of king Saul\, reflects this trait. Jonathan held to his covenant with David even though his father nearly killed him for it. Knowing that Saul’s kingship was doomed\, he continued faithful to his father\, but he also remained loyal to his friend\, encouraging him with the assurance that God would fulfil his promise to David to give him the throne. David swore that he would in turn remain faithful to Jonathan’s descendants for his sake. \nYears later\, after Jonathan’s death\, David remembered his covenant and sought out Mephibosheth\, Jonathan’s crippled son. Regardless of the political risk\, David restored Saul’s extensive possessions to Mephibosheth\, and brought him to his own table\, making him equal to a prince of the land (2 Samuel 9). This is what it means to “swear to one’s own hurt and not change.” \nThe righteous man “does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.” Leviticus 25:36 warns against charging interest to the poor\, and Exodus 23:8 forbids bribery. David had reflected deeply on the Law\, which reflects God’s heart. Psalm 15 is the fruit of such sustained reflection. \nAnd how does David conclude? “He who does these things shall never be moved.” This is the assurance of stability in this shaky life\, through abiding\, unshakeable fellowship with God now and forever. \nSadly\, none of us live up to this standard. Even David\, “a man after God’s own heart\,” fell short. Yet we hope to see our God and abide with him one day. This hope comes through Jesus Christ\, who knew no sin. He walked blamelessly\, spoke truth in His heart\, loved what is good\, kept His word even unto death\, and embodied perfect justice and mercy. As a man\, he dwelt in God’s presence without interruption.  \nAnd the good news is that through His death and resurrection\, He revealed the open way back to God. We can repent and return to fellowship with God. We can choose to deny ourselves and follow our Lord. As 1 John 1:7-9 says\, “If we walk in the light\, as He is in the light\, we have fellowship with one another\, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin… If we confess our sins\, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” \nAs people of God\, forgiven and cleansed\, anointed with his Spirit\, let us walk in the light of his love and holiness. Let us live in daily fellowship with God as we keep his commandments\, knowing them to be good and perfect. Let us abide in the Lord\, not because we have never sinned\, but because he receives us in grace. When we acknowledge our transgression in repentance\, and come back in faith to obey him in love\, he forgives and cleanses us.  \nLet our chief occupation be to glorify God and honour his saints. Let us keep our integrity intact. Let us keep our word as God keeps his promises to us. Let us refuse to love money\, but rather love our neighbor as ourselves. Let us speak of others in justice and goodness\, refusing to gossip or slander.  \nPsalm 15 calls us\, not just to admire the standard\, but to abide in and walk with the Savior who fulfills it. In this heartfelt and loving obedience of faith\, nothing can move us. Let us draw near\, not in fear\, but in faith—because the One who invites us to live with Him gave his Son to be the way\, the truth\, and the life. In him\, we live in unshakable hope. God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-16-0447-who-will-abide-with-the-lord/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250617
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250618
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250616T182924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T051017Z
UID:4184-1750118400-1750204799@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-17-0448-Pleasures at His right hand
DESCRIPTION:448_Pleasures at His right hand \nPsalm 16 Preserve me\, O God\, for in you I take refuge.\n2 I say to the Lord\, “You are my Lord;\n    I have no good apart from you.” \n3 As for the saints in the land\, they are the excellent ones\,\n    in whom is all my delight. \n4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;\n    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out\n    or take their names on my lips. \n5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;\n    you hold my lot.\n6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;\n    indeed\, I have a beautiful inheritance. \n7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;\n    in the night also my heart instructs me.\n8 I have set the Lord always before me;\n    because he is at my right hand\, I shall not be shaken. \n9 Therefore my heart is glad\, and my whole being rejoices;\n    my flesh also dwells secure.\n10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol\,\n    or let your holy one see corruption. \n11 You make known to me the path of life;\n    in your presence there is fullness of joy;\n    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. \nMany years ago\, the famous missionary Jim Elliot wrote in his journal\, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” And he did. At the age of 28\, Jim Elliot was killed by the very tribe he sought to reach with the gospel. But his story didn’t end in a jungle clearing in Ecuador. It lives on in the testimony of a man who found joy in doing the will of God. It lives on in the testimony of scores of people from that tribe who came to know and love the Lord that Jim Elliot obeyed. He looked forward\, not to the highest offerings of this world\, but to the pleasures of being in God’s presence forever.  \nPsalm 16 is not the cry of a desperate man clinging to survival\, but a joyful hymn of undiluted praise\, from one who has tasted something better than life itself. David may have written this psalm in a time of difficulty—he opens with a plea\, “Preserve me\, O God\, for in You I take refuge”—but his tone makes this a song of delight. For he knew\, as Jim Elliot knew\, that fullness of joy is in doing the will of God.  \nDavid begins by saying\, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” The NKJV puts it even more strikingly: “My goodness is nothing apart from You.” David\, a king\, a warrior\, a poet\, traces all that is good in his life and in his heart to the Divine presence. The Spirit’s fruit is goodness\, originating not in our sinful decisions but in the fear of the Lord. Goodness is fruited as we turn away from loving our own will to delighting in His.  \nThis fact creates a deep bond between God’s people. “As for the saints in the land\,” he says\, “they are the excellent ones\, in whom is all my delight.” Where we often admire the powerful\, the popular\, or the successful\, David\, the servant of God\, delights in the saints. His delight in God spills over into delight for his fellow servants\, those who bear His name. This is the mark of the one who has the mind of Christ. \nBut this is not David’s only joy.  “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” As one chosen by the Lord\, he knew the joy and certainty of his heavenly inheritance. His portion was God Himself. \nWhat an amazing reversal of values. The world measures inheritance in terms of wealth and possessions and position. But David says\, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed\, I have a beautiful inheritance.” He saw what the world could not see. God Himself is the portion that satisfies. \nWe find echoes of this truth throughout Scripture. Peter speaks of an inheritance that is imperishable\, undefiled\, and unfading\, kept in heaven for us. Asaph writes in Psalm 73\, “My flesh and my heart may fail\, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” The Levites had no territory of their own in Israel\, because\, as Deuteronomy 10:9 says\, “The Lord is their inheritance.” And the Lord spoke of a man who sold all he had to buy a field containing a hidden treasure\, and of a merchant who sold all he had to buy a single pearl of great price (Matthew 13). He was offering each one of us the chance to gain the one thing worth having – the knowledge of Christ\, the image of the invisible God\, the author and finisher of our faith. If we have truly seen this\, we will joyfully and unhesitatingly let go of all else to have Him.  \nAnd David\, living with God as his portion\, says. “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” The godly one is guided in heart day and night. As he abides and hides himself in the Lord\,  so also the Lord abides in him. The living Word treasured in his heart comforts\, instructs\, and warns him in time of need and in hours of quietness. \nHe adds\, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand\, I shall not be shaken.” David didn’t stumble upon this joy accidentally. He set the Lord before him—deliberately\, constantly\, purposefully. He consciously ascribed to God all authority and lived always in that presence. It’s not a feeling; it’s a choice. Joseph refused to sin with Potiphar’s wife\, saying\, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” David\, too\, was deeply aware of God’s eyes on him\, in love and watchfulness.  \nGod may be with us in love and faithfulness\, and yet we may not walk with him. God was with Ishmael\, and with Solomon. Yet they did not walk with him\, did not set him on their right hand. This led to their eventual downfall.  \nDavid describes the consequences of his choice\, saying\, “Therefore my heart is glad\, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” There is no fear of exposure. No dread of judgment. Nothing hidden. When the Lord is your treasure and your constant companion\, your heart and flesh rest in security. \nAnd beyond the grave\, David fairly shouts with praise: “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol\, or let your holy one see corruption.” The prophet speaks here\, in words taken up by Peter at Pentecost and applied to Christ. For David’s body did see corruption—he died\, was buried\, and decayed. But Jesus Christ did not stay in the grave. He rose from the dead. And because He lives\, we have a sure and living hope. The resurrection is not a metaphor. It is the guarantee that the joy we taste now will be made full forever. \nDavid concludes joyfully: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” This is life with God—not rules\, not rituals\, not even theology\, but righteousness\, joy\, and peace in the Holy Spirit. This is real joy\, that the world cannot give and cannot take away. \nThis joy doesn’t come from shallow entertainment or temporary success. It comes from knowing and obeying God. It is the life we were made for. When the Lord is your portion\, your inheritance\, your treasure—then you begin to walk the path of life. And you find that the path leads straight into His presence\, where there is fullness of joy. \nThe treasure that we live for\, think about\, and protect at all costs requires time and dedication. If it is anything less than God\, you will find that it cannot satisfy you—and you cannot keep it. \nOur identity is not in our achievements but in His approval. We find pleasures not in what we consume\, but in the one we have communion with. We live in hope because God is our future. And when this life ends\, we shall awake fully satisfied in His presence. \nThere is nothing greater than this. For those who treasure him alone\, we find fullness of joy in his smile\, and pleasures forevermore in his presence.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-17-0448-pleasures-at-his-right-hand/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250618
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250619
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250617T182955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T053821Z
UID:4189-1750204800-1750291199@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-18-0449-Satisfied with His likeness
DESCRIPTION:449_Satisfied with His likeness \nPsalm 17 Hear a just cause\, O Lord; attend to my cry!\n    Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!\n2 From your presence let my vindication come!\n    Let your eyes behold the right! \n3 You have tried my heart\, you have visited me by night\,\n    you have tested me\, and you will find nothing;\n    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.\n4 With regard to the works of man\, by the word of your lips\n    I have avoided the ways of the violent.\n5 My steps have held fast to your paths;\n    my feet have not slipped. \n6 I call upon you\, for you will answer me\, O God;\n    incline your ear to me; hear my words.\n7 Wondrously show your steadfast love\,\n    O Savior of those who seek refuge\n    from their adversaries at your right hand. \n8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;\n    hide me in the shadow of your wings\,\n9 from the wicked who do me violence\,\n    my deadly enemies who surround me. \n10 They close their hearts to pity;\n    with their mouths they speak arrogantly.\n11 They have now surrounded our steps;\n    they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.\n12 He is like a lion eager to tear\,\n    as a young lion lurking in ambush. \n13 Arise\, O Lord! Confront him\, subdue him!\n    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword\,\n14 from men by your hand\, O Lord\,\n    from men of the world whose portion is in this life.\nYou fill their womb with treasure;\n    they are satisfied with children\,\n    and they leave their abundance to their infants. \n15 As for me\, I shall behold your face in righteousness;\n    when I awake\, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. \nSome years ago\, a famous American businessman who had amassed incredible wealth was interviewed.  He had everything—real estate\, private jets\, luxury cars\, and access to power. When asked what he still longed for\, he replied: “Just a little more.” That phrase stuck with me. Just a little more\, says every man—whether money\, fame\, recognition\, pleasure\, or security. But there’s a deeper question underneath that craving: What\, if anything\, will ever truly satisfy us? \nKing David also had everything—success\, status\, songs written in his honor\, military victories. Yet in Psalm 17\, we find that his longing was not for more of everything. He wanted something much greater – to behold the face of God in righteousness\, and to be satisfied with His likeness. \nPsalm 17 begins as a plea: “Hear a just cause\, O Lord!” Indeed\, the psalm reads like a man in a king’s court\, crying to the king for justice. David is surrounded by enemies and under threat. Rather than resorting to revenge\, or seeking human help\, he turns to God the righteous judge. He does not hope for partiality\, but puts his hope in God’s knowledge of his innocence. It is not that he is sinless. Rather\, in this matter\, he knows he has done nothing to provoke his enemy. And he knows that God hears the prayer of the righteous. \nDavid knew from painful experience that God does not show partiality. Even though he was “a man after God’s own heart\,” his sin brought down great sorrow and death on his family. Despite the scars of his failures\, he appeals now with a clear conscience\, for he has been justified. The Lord has put away his sin. And more\, he knows that God has tested and tried him by day and by night\, and found no secret disloyalty\, no dallying with sin in him. \nDavid’s integrity was a result of his spiritual discipline\, his conscious decision to follow the Lord rather than the ways of wicked men. He kept guard over his words\, choosing not to transgress with his mouth. He honored the word of God by guiding his steps by it.  \nAnd he found his refuge. It was not in his mighty armies or political alliances\, but under the wings of God. “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings\,” this brave warrior asks of God\, like a little child longing for the shelter of his parents’ love. David\, the giant-slayer\, the man of war\, knew the secret of strength: true safety is found in the presence of God\, not in the prowess of man. \nDavid had seen what earthly power could do. He had watched the wicked rise—ruthless\, arrogant\, self-absorbed. They speak proudly\, and lurk to pounce on their prey. They live for the here and now\, leaving behind wealth for their numerous children. He did not ask for revenge but for safety. \nBut while others are satisfied with earthly achievements and joys\, David declares in verse 15\, “As for me\, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake\, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” While the grave ends the hopes and joys of the wicked\, for David\, his eternal joy is just beginning.  \nDavid knew that he would see God’s face “in righteousness.” David’s righteousness was counted to him because he trusted in God who had made an eternal covenant with him. His integrity was the natural outflow of that trust in God. His was a life that earnestly sought to walk in the fear of God. And the result? He would be satisfied. He would awaken—whether from literal sleep or from death itself—to find himself bearing the likeness of God\, and to be satisfied.  \nThus\, centuries before the Word became flesh\, David saw death as a gentle sleep\, as the Lord Jesus did\, speaking of Lazarus\, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep\, but I go to awaken him.” And to awaken from that sleep is not just to see God but to be like him\, in his righteousness. As John said\, “When we see him we shall be like him\, for we shall see him as he is.” The joy of eternal life is not just living forever but being\, once again\, in the likeness of God.  \nIndeed\, this joy was his daily pursuit. Psalm 27:4 reflects this\, “One thing have I asked of the Lord\, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life\, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” F. B. Meyer described this: “The mind will be satisfied with His truth\, the heart with His love\, the will with His authority. We shall need nothing else.”  \nLike David with Bathsheba\, we get distracted. We chase satisfaction in this world. But whether it is our career goals\, relationships\, financial security\, or religious activity.\, they will never fill us. We will keep seeking just a little more. \nLet us live with David’s perspective\, waking each morning with a holy hunger—not to chase the world’s rewards\, but to behold the face of God in righteousness. Let us throw aside our time on social media and do the will of God. Let us worship not only with our lips but with lives of integrity and humility.  \nLet us open our hearts to God’s searchlight. What do we truly seek? What do we reach for to fill our emptiness\, allay our anxiety\, calm our restlessness? Are we not hungry all the time because we are seeking something other than God? Let us\, like David\, set our hearts on his righteousness\, in faith. Let us seek to ascend his holy hill through the way of our Lord. Let us seek only one thing\, to dwell for ever in his house. And so\, we shall be filled with satisfaction\, not by what we’ve earned\, accumulated\, or achieved\, but when we awake in his likeness.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-18-0449-satisfied-with-his-likeness/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250619
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250620
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250618T182935Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250618T043705Z
UID:4197-1750291200-1750377599@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-19-0450-God gives strength and skill
DESCRIPTION:450_God gives strength and skill \nPsalm 18: 25-36 With the merciful you show yourself merciful;\n    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;\n26 with the purified you show yourself pure;\n    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.\n27 For you save a humble people\,\n    but the haughty eyes you bring down.\n28 For it is you who light my lamp;\n    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.\n29 For by you I can run against a troop\,\n    and by my God I can leap over a wall.\n30 This God—his way is perfect;\n    the word of the Lord proves true;\n    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. \n31 For who is God\, but the Lord?\n    And who is a rock\, except our God?—\n32 the God who equipped me with strength\n    and made my way blameless.\n33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer\n    and set me secure on the heights.\n34 He trains my hands for war\,\n    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.\n35 You have given me the shield of your salvation\,\n    and your right hand supported me\,\n    and your gentleness made me great.\n36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me\,\n    and my feet did not slip. \nEric Liddell was an Olympic gold medalist\, missionary\, and inspiration for the film Chariots of Fire. Born to Scottish missionaries in China\, he wanted to serve God with all his heart. He became a world-class sprinter. Yet\, in the 1924 Paris Olympics\, he refused to run his best event\, the 100-meter race\, because the heat was scheduled on a Sunday. He believed that the Lord’s Day was meant for worship and rest. That decision made headlines. People mocked and castigated him. But he stood firm in his convictions. Later\, he ran the 400-meter race instead—an event he wasn’t expected to win—and set a world record. \nEric once said\, “God made me fast. And when I run\, I feel His pleasure.” That statement captures the truth that God manifests his skill\, beauty and strength through us\, to fulfil his creative pleasure\, to show his grace and his power. As we walk in obedience to his will\, he enables us to accomplish what we were never meant to do alone.   \nPsalm 18 is David’s intensely personal version of that story. He knew that every victory in his life was achieved in God’s strength and through God-taught skill. This song commemorates the day when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies\, and from the hand of King Saul. Interestingly\, Saul is mentioned separately\, perhaps because David never did consider him or treat him as his enemy. To David\, Saul was God’s anointed\, until the day he died. His heart was trained in the ways of God. \nTo put this psalm in context\, David was anointed by the prophet Samuel when he was a lad. But he didn’t become king until he was 30. Through many years of hardship under the threat of king Saul\, he stayed barely a step ahead of death\, as he told Jonathan on one occasion (1 Samuel 20:3). Even when Saul died\, David ruled only the southern part of Israel. It was another seven years before he became king of all Israel.  \nAnd then he spent years subduing his enemies and bringing about peace for Israel. This led to the opening words of Psalm 18: “I love you\, O Lord\, my strength.” They come from a man who has walked through fire and has come out knowing he owes his life and wellbeing to the One who held his hand through it all. David describes God with a series of vivid metaphors: “my rock\, my fortress\, my deliverer\, my God\, my shield\, the horn of my salvation\, my stronghold.” These are not poetic flourishes—they are how God came to his rescue in moments when David had nowhere else to turn. \nOthers saw the hand of God on David too. Abigail\, the wise wife of the foolish Nabal\, said to David\, “The life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God\, and the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling” (1 Samuel 25:29).  \nIn verses 7 to 19 of Psalm 18\, David describes how God responded to his cries. The language is dramatic—earthquakes\, thunder\, smoke\, and fire. God moved heaven and earth to rescue his servant. But the most moving words are where David says\, “He rescued me because he delighted in me.” There’s no bragging here. The great warrior knows that he is what he is because God chose him. It’s as simple as that. God loved him\, and therefore he delivered him. \nBut David also says: “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.” David was not sinless. But he walked humbly with his God\, directing his steps by God’s word. He sinned\, he fell away from God’s commands. But his life was marked by repentance and dependence. And as he walked in justice and mercy before God\, refusing to take revenge on Saul\, keeping his word to Jonathan\, he experienced the justice and mercy of God’s ways. “With the merciful you show yourself merciful… but with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.” \nConfidence radiates from David when he says\, “By you I can run against a troop\, and by my God I can leap over a wall.” This is not human optimism—it’s faith forged by persevering through hardship. He had learned to be strong in the Lord\, in the might of his power. He had learned that God’s word proves true\, that His way is perfect\, that He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. \nDavid uses another powerful image: “He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.” Anyone who has seen a mountain goat or deer go leaping up mountain cliffs knows the sureness of their feet. As David set the Lord always before him\, God trained his feet to climb higher surely and steadily\, even in dangerous places. \nAt first\, others doubted his ability. Before his readiness to fight Goliath\, Saul protested\, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him\, for you are but a youth.” But David had already fought lions and bears\, for the Lord was with him. He says\, “He trains my hands for war\, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” God not only protected him\, He equipped him. \nAnd gratefully\, he acknowledges: “Your gentleness made me great.” That word “gentleness” could also be translated as humility or compassion. David knew he was flawed. He had seen the dark corners of his own heart. But he had also felt the tender and steadfast mercy of a Father who doesn’t abandon His children. \nDavid goes on to testify of his victories. When he became king of Israel\, foreign nations submitted to him. His kingdom expanded widely\, like never before. Attributing all his victories to God\, he declares: “Great salvation he brings to his king\, and shows steadfast love to his anointed\, to David and his offspring forever.” \nIn our world\, people are chosen for jobs based on their qualifications—strength\, intelligence\, skill. But David was a shepherd boy\, Moses a wandering exile\, Peter and John uneducated fishermen. God often chooses first\, and then he trains and equips those who respond. Isaiah 66:2 says\, “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” That is the kind of person God strengthens and uses.  \nAre we willing to be trained by God? Do we walk through difficulty\, not as victims\, but as students? For God is teaching us and training us to run against troops\, to leap over walls\, to bend bows of bronze through His strength. \nNo matter how ordinary we are\, how unqualified we feel\, Psalm 18 is a reminder that when we walk closely with the Lord\, with surrendered hearts and our eyes on him\, He will give us both the strength and the skill you need. He will train your hands for battle\, make your feet sure\, and set you on high places. \nLet us pray today: “Lord\, let me do Your will. Strengthen me and train me to do what you have appointed for me.” Then\, like David\, one day we’ll testify\, “He rescued me because He delighted in me.” God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-19-0450-god-gives-strength-and-skill/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250620
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250621
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250619T182930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250618T044424Z
UID:4202-1750377600-1750463999@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-20-0451-Our response to God's revelation
DESCRIPTION:451_Our response to God’s revelation \nPsalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God\,\n    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.\n2 Day to day pours out speech\,\n    and night to night reveals knowledge.\n3 There is no speech\, nor are there words\,\n    whose voice is not heard.\n4 Their voice goes out through all the earth\,\n    and their words to the end of the world.\nIn them he has set a tent for the sun\,\n5     which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber\,\n    and\, like a strong man\, runs its course with joy.\n6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens\,\n    and its circuit to the end of them\,\n    and there is nothing hidden from its heat. \n7 The law of the Lord is perfect\,\n    reviving the soul;\nthe testimony of the Lord is sure\,\n    making wise the simple;\n8 the precepts of the Lord are right\,\n    rejoicing the heart;\nthe commandment of the Lord is pure\,\n    enlightening the eyes;\n9 the fear of the Lord is clean\,\n    enduring forever;\nthe rules of the Lord are true\,\n    and righteous altogether.\n10 More to be desired are they than gold\,\n    even much fine gold;\nsweeter also than honey\n    and drippings of the honeycomb.\n11 Moreover\, by them is your servant warned;\n    in keeping them there is great reward. \n12 Who can discern his errors?\n    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.\n13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;\n    let them not have dominion over me!\nThen I shall be blameless\,\n    and innocent of great transgression. \n14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart\n    be acceptable in your sight\,\n    O Lord\, my rock and my redeemer. \nSeveral years ago\, a group of scientists set up a telescope in a remote desert\, far from the light pollution of the city\, to capture a better view of the stars. On a cold\, clear night\, one of the researchers gazed at the night sky through the lens. After a long moment\, he said to a colleague\, “It’s so vast… it almost feels like Someone is trying to say something.” An atheist by conviction\, he had stumbled across the truth that creation does speak. The question is: Are we listening? \nPsalm 19 reflects on how God has revealed Himself to us—and more importantly\, how we ought to respond to that revelation. The psalm opens our eyes to two primary ways God makes Himself known: through His creation and through His Word. \n“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” The glory of God here refers not to something vague or mystical\, but to the very essence of who God is—His love\, power\, creativity\, intelligence\, and wisdom. The universe is God’s canvas\, painted with purpose and beauty. And the skies—the sun\, moon\, and stars—speak daily of His creative skill \nThis revelation is not limited to a privileged few but is given to all alike. The sun rises and sets every day\, its presence and warmth experienced by all. The moon glows in the night\, and the stars sparkle like diamonds across the heavens. No one on earth is beyond their reach. In fact\, the psalmist says their voice goes out through all the earth\, though they use no words.  \nHe then paints a vivid picture of the sun\, rising each morning with purpose\, with consistency and delight\, fulfilling its role as if with eager anticipation. Its light covers the earth’s surface\, and nothing escapes its heat. It is fulfilling its creator’s desire with joy and precision.  \nAnd all creation follows suit. Jonah\, the prophet who disobeyed God’s command to go and prophesy to Nineveh\, found this out to his cost as he sailed instead to Tarshish. The wind and the sea obeyed God’s will to entangle the reluctant prophet in a storm. The great fish appointed by God to swallow Jonah did so\, saving the prophet’s life and spitting him out on the dry land after three days. Later\, God caused a plant to grow and provide shade to the prophet. And finally\, he ordered a worm to destroy the plant bower. All alike obeyed the voice of their Creator. \nYet we who are made in His image and destined for eternity so often struggle to yield. We hesitate\, negotiate\, and resist.  \nThe psalmist then turns to the Scriptures. Creation tells us that a God of splendor and might exists\, but His Word tells us who He is—what He desires\, what He promises\, and how we can know Him personally. \nDavid describes the Word of God with six rich expressions. First\, it is perfect\, reviving the soul. In its completeness\, it expresses the fullness of God. Nothing is wanting\, nothing is outdated. The Word of God is not flawed\, nor does it fade. It gives insight for living and strength for trials. Unlike books that entertain or inform\, the Bible transforms. It is alive and powerful\, able to cut through the noise and reach our innermost being. \nNext\, he says God’s statutes are trustworthy\, making wise the simple. Because scripture accurately reveals the nature of God\, we can direct our thinking and our actions by it. Thus\, anyone who lives by the knowledge of the God given in the Bible can gain wisdom\, even without formal education or great intellect. It reveals the way of righteousness and eternal life. It shows us what it means to fear God.  \nThe precepts of the Lord are right\, giving joy to the heart. They are in accordance with the will of God\, and therefore when we live by them things fall into order in our spirits and souls and minds. When our lives follow his design\, we are richer and happier for it.  \nHis commands are pure\, giving light to the eyes. Their singleness of viewpoint shows us ourselves and our God in great clarity. This sight leads us to depend on his love and his power\, and give him the glory that he deserves in our humble obedience. \nThe fear of the Lord is clean\, enduring forever. There is no impurity of motive or of character mixed with the revelation of the scripture\, which explains why they stand forever\, and are forever binding upon us though heaven and earth should pass away.\nthe rules of the Lord are true\,  and righteous altogether. The word of God expresses with complete accuracy the nature of God in his holiness\, the sum of all that makes God God. The truth of his revelation in the law ensures that it is righteous and good and perfect\, able to show us the path of holiness. \nThey are more precious than gold and sweeter than honey.  God’s commands\, often perceived as restrictive\, are instead liberating and delightful to the one who understands their purpose. \nAnd the Word also warns us that choices have consequences. There is great reward in keeping God’s commands\, but also great danger in ignoring them. That awareness leads David into prayer. \n“Who can discern his errors?” he asks. “Forgive my hidden faults.” The best intentions are not enough. We need forgiveness for the sins we know nothing about\, but also to be kept from presumptuous\, willful sins that brings irredeemable judgment. We need to be blameless\, not in the eyes of men\, but before God. \nThus he ends with the heartfelt plea\, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight\, O Lord\, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Let every word\, every thought\, every motive be directed by the revelation of God that we too may be aligned with his will.  \nCreation listens. Creation obeys. Unceasing and never-failing obedience is manifest every day all around us. The stars never fail to shine\, the sun never forgets to rise\, the oceans respond to the moon’s pull without question. Yet we\, the crown of God’s creation\, often resist His voice. Why is it so? \nPerhaps it’s because God has given us a choice. The sun is glorious\, but it cannot love. The seas are powerful\, but they cannot pray. The stars are consistent\, but they cannot worship. Only we can do that. Only we were made to respond not just in obedience\, but in love. \nThe psalm is a call to action. Let us not merely marvel at the heavens\, forgetting the One who made them? Let us not just read His Word like any other book\, but let it pierce our hearts and change our lives. \nGod has revealed Himself—through the rising sun\, through the whisper of wind\, through His enduring Word. Now is our brief window of opportunity to listen and obey. The world passes away\, but those who heed His voice endure forever. \nLet us then be people who listen—not just with our ears\, but with our hearts. Let us seek to obey—not reluctantly\, but joyfully. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts reflect lives that are aligned with His will\, in faithfulness and joy.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-20-0451-our-response-to-gods-revelation/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250623
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250624
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250622T182939Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250620T044951Z
UID:4210-1750636800-1750723199@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-23-0452-Whose battles are we fighting?
DESCRIPTION:452_Whose battles are we fighting? \nPsalm 20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!\n    May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!\n2 May he send you help from the sanctuary\n    and give you support from Zion!\n3 May he remember all your offerings\n    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah \n4 May he grant you your heart’s desire\n    and fulfill all your plans!\n5 May we shout for joy over your salvation\,\n    and in the name of our God set up our banners!\nMay the Lord fulfill all your petitions! \n6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;\n    he will answer him from his holy heaven\n    with the saving might of his right hand.\n7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses\,\n    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.\n8 They collapse and fall\,\n    but we rise and stand upright. \n9 O Lord\, save the king!\n    May he answer us when we call. \nA young soldier was deployed in a war zone. On the eve of a major battle\, he sought a quiet corner to read his Bible and pray\, while others around him were joking in an effort to keep up their courage\, or looking over their gear. When asked why he wasn’t anxious like the others\, he replied\, “My battle was fought last night. I settled with God that I’m not fighting for myself—I’m fighting where He leads.” He survived the battle. Later\, he spoke of the peace he experienced during that battle. It came from his trust in the Lord whom he served. \nPsalm 20 reflects this calm assurance. This prayerful song may have been sung by the people of Israel before they set out for war. The focus is not on fighting harder\, or training better. Rather\, it opens with a cry for divine intervention: “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!” (v.1). Rather than being about the strategies and weapons of successful battles\, the psalm reveals the unseen wars of the heart\, where priorities are set and where trust is exercised. The writer knows what are the battles that we really fight. \nThe people’s voice makes it clear: “We will shout for joy over your salvation\, and in the name of our God set up our banners!” They are united in fighting behind the banner of the king whom God has appointed over them. Yet their hope is not in his strategies or military strength. Rather\, they rally in the name of God\, who will answer\, help\, and uphold the king. They recognize that unless the Lord fights for them\, no victory is certain. \nThe psalm speaks of burnt offerings to God\, a sacrifice completely consumed on the altar. This symbolizes total devotion\, a heart dear to God. Not ritual without relationship\, not religious activity without heart. True worship isn’t about merely words of worship\, but aligning our actions\, desires\, and plans with God’s will.  \nAnd thus verse 4 is a prayer: “May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.” It’s tempting to take this as a blank check. But this prayer is spoken of David\, a man after God’s own heart. When our delight is in the Lord—as Psalm 37:4 says—then His desires become ours\, and our plans reflect His will. Then we may pray for our heart’s desires to be fulfilled. But we cannot make our own plans\, seek our own goals\, and then come to God expecting Him to rubber-stamp them. \nThroughout his life\, David was marked by this deep dependence on the Lord. He enquired of God before he set out on battles. He didn’t assume he knew God’s will. He didn’t rush or act on impulse. And when God directed\, he moved forward boldly. A gifted leader\, a mighty warrior\, he still put his reliance entirely on the help of God. \nIn verse 6\, David declares: “Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed.” His ringing tone speaks of his confidence in the “saving might of his right hand.” That statement—“some trust in chariots and some in horses\, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God”—is more than poetic language. It was a radical declaration in a time when nations measured their strength by the number of chariots they possessed.  \nIn fact\, Israel’s kings were explicitly warned not to amass horses or chariots\, lest they begin to rely on human power rather than divine help. David obeyed this command\, refusing to place his trust where it didn’t belong. Even when he captured hundreds of fine war horses in battle\, he hamstrung almost all of them—rendering them useless. In contrast\, his son Solomon\, living in a time of peace just as God had promised\, still built up huge numbers of both chariots and horses. In doing so\, he lost sight of the source of true security. \nDavid understood well that real victory is spiritual. Verse 8 says\, “They collapse and fall\, but we rise and stand upright.” Those who rely on their own strength\, wealth\, influence\, or intellect collapse in time of trouble. Only trust in the living God can uphold us in the conflict with the powers of evil\, and lead us to victory. \nWhen an enemy army surrounded the city where Elisha and his servant were staying\, the servant panicked.  But Elisha reassured him\, “Do not be afraid\, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And in answer to his prayer\, God opened the servant’s eyes to see the hills around the city full of horses and chariots of fire—God’s heavenly army. His prayer was not for more strength\, for God’s limitless strength surrounded them\, but to see reality. \nThat is why we need to live by faith. It lifts our eyes beyond the visible to the invisible. As Romans 8:31 says\, “If God is for us\, who can be against us?” And thus Psalm 20 ends as it began—with prayer: “O Lord\, save the king! May he answer us when we call.” For trust always takes refuge in prayer\, not as a last resort\, but as a first response. And the people of God are not spectators but intercessors\, lifting their king and their cause to the throne of God\, that God’s purposes might be fulfilled.   \nWhose battles are we fighting? Are we pursuing personal agendas and asking God to bless them\, or are we fighting the battles He calls us to? David fought Goliath or the Philistines to make a name for himself\, but because he mocked the name of the God of Israel. He didn’t compare his strength with the giant’s; he simply said\, “The Lord will give you into my hands.”  \nDavid refused to fight back against Saul’s unjust pursuit. He waited for God’s time. He fought God’s battles. Abigail\, wife of Nabal who insulted David in his adversity recognized this and told him\, “The Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house\, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord.”  \nSo often\, our struggles come from trying to fight wars God never asked us to fight. We defend our pride\, protect our comfort\, chase our dreams\, and then wonder why we’re defeated\, exhausted and anxious. Let us surrender our ambitions\, our reputations\, and our security to God. Let us seek His kingdom and His glory. Then we will fight his battles\, for his glory\, and in his peace and his strength we shall always overcome.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-23-0452-whose-battles-are-we-fighting/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250624
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250625
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250623T182955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250620T050103Z
UID:4215-1750723200-1750809599@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-24-0453-Rejoicing in His strength
DESCRIPTION:453_Rejoicing in His strength \nPsalm 21 O Lord\, in your strength the king rejoices\,\n    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!\n2 You have given him his heart’s desire\n    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah\n3 For you meet him with rich blessings;\n    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.\n4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him\,\n    length of days forever and ever.\n5 His glory is great through your salvation;\n    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.\n6 For you make him most blessed forever;\n    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.\n7 For the king trusts in the Lord\,\n    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. \n8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;\n    your right hand will find out those who hate you.\n9 You will make them as a blazing oven\n    when you appear.\nThe Lord will swallow them up in his wrath\,\n    and fire will consume them.\n10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth\,\n    and their offspring from among the children of man.\n11 Though they plan evil against you\,\n    though they devise mischief\, they will not succeed.\n12 For you will put them to flight;\n    you will aim at their faces with your bows. \n13 Be exalted\, O Lord\, in your strength!\n    We will sing and praise your power. \nCharles Spurgeon once told a story about a humble village blacksmith. Every day\, the man labored with fire and hammer\, pounding metal into shape. His arms were strong\, his back muscled with years of service. One evening\, someone asked him\, “How do you continue to work so tirelessly every day?” The blacksmith\, pausing and wiping the sweat off his brow\, pointed upward and said\, “All my strength is borrowed. It is He who lends it daily.” \nThat response humbles and empowers. Instead of celebrating his own strength\, independence\, and willpower\, the blacksmith was assured of the truth – strength comes from God. Psalm 21 celebrates victory—not as a monument to human effort\, but as a testimony to divine power. \nPsalm 21 is a continuation of Psalm 20. In Psalm 20\, the people cry out to God\, interceding on behalf of their king—asking God to grant him victory and fulfill his heart’s desire. It’s a picture of dependence and expectation. But in Psalm 21\, that cry turns into praise. The prayers have been answered. The battle is over. Victory has been granted. The people are rejoicing. The king exults in the Lord’s strength. \nDavid\, though a seasoned and mighty warrior\, never credited himself for his triumphs. “O Lord\, in your strength the king rejoices\, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!” (v. 1). This is not the voice of a man boasting in his accomplishments but the voice of a heart surrendered to divine help. David knew he was fighting the Lord’s battles\, and because of that\, the Lord would provide strength and victory. \nThis psalm lays bare the relationship between David and his God. In Psalm 20\, the people prayed that God would grant the king’s heart’s desire. That prayer  was answered: “You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.” God delights to answer prayers rooted in his will rather than in selfish ambition or personal agendas. David walked close to the Lord\, and wanted God to be glorified. His prayer was to fulfil the desires of God’s heart.  \nIn verses 3 through 7\, David celebrates God: “You make him glad with the joy of your presence” (v. 6). The king’s joy is not in his victory or blessings but in the nearness of God. This echoes Psalm 16:11: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  \nAt the heart of all this is trust. Verse 7 says\, “For the king trusts in the Lord\, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.” Trust in God is not passive fatalism but both dynamic and stabilizing. David stood firm on the solid ground of God’s steadfast love. Trust in God’s character keeps us stable even in the midst of raging battles. \nVerses 8 to 12 describe God’s judgment on His enemies. For David\, through all his physical battles\, the real foe was spiritual and the battle belonged to God. And God was not finished with those who opposed Him. “You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath\, and fire will consume them.” (v. 9). These are strong words\, and rightly so. The enemies of God are not the poor and ignorant\, but those who persist in deliberate rebellion. Their judgment is just. “Though they plan evil against you…they will not succeed.” (v. 11). \nDavid’s confidence was not in his sword but in God’s justice. God’s power would not only protect him but also defeat all forces of evil—whether visible or invisible. This is our comfort\, in a world often overrun with injustice. God’s power is still active\, still righteous\, and still victorious. \nThe psalm closes the way it began—with praise: “Be exalted\, O Lord\, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.” (v. 13). David does not bask in glory; he sees only the glory of God. His heart beats with worship\, not pride. \nGod’s strength over man’s strength is a theme that runs all through Scripture. Man’s power is limited; God’s is unlimited. As Jeremiah 32:17 reminds us\, “Ah\, Lord God! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”  \nOur strength is borrowed; His is self-sufficient and eternal. The Lord declared the truth\, in John 15:5\, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” In Acts 17:25\, Paul tells us that God “is not served by human hands\, as if he needed anything. Rather\, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” \nMan’s power is often misused; God’s power is always righteous. King Nebuchadnezzar sought to burn God’s faithful children for refusing to bow down to him\, but his own servants were consumed while the prisoners walked free in the fire. In contrast to man’s unrighteous use of power\, Psalm 145:17 says\, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.” \nMan’s strength fails in crisis but God’s strength prevails. Peter sank when he saw the stormy sea. But in Exodus 14\, when Israel stood trapped at the Red Sea\, God declared\, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” \nMan takes pride in his power\, but God displayed His greatest strength through weakness. When Peter slashed with his sword to defend his Master\, the Lord reminded him that He could summon legions of angels. Instead\, he chose the path of the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18 describes it thus\, “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing\, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” In the weakness of complete surrender to the sovereign will of God\, the Lord Jesus overcame sin and death once for all\, and led captivity captive.  \nKnowing this\, we don’t have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We don’t have to win battles in our own strength. We can rejoice in His strength\, for he fights for us\, not against us. God demonstrated his greatest power\, not by destroying his enemies\, but by sending his Son to hang on a cross for us\, dying in weakness to save sinners. That’s the power we rejoice in. That’s the strength we depend on. \nIn every battle we face—whether it’s a struggle with sin\, a storm of suffering\, or a season of uncertainty—let us remember that His strength is ours\, if we just trust him. As David rejoiced in God’s strength\, so can we. Let us look at the end of our own strength and stretch out our hands to His. Let us rejoice in his victorious presence with those whose only desire is to do his will. \nIn His strength\, we find peace\, and hope\, and victory—not just for today\, but for eternity. \nBe exalted\, O Lord\, in Your strength. We will sing and praise Your power. God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-24-0453-rejoicing-in-his-strength/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250625
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250626
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250624T182916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250624T043859Z
UID:4223-1750809600-1750895999@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-25-0454-Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
DESCRIPTION:454_Hallelujah! What a Savior \nPsalm 22:1-8 My God\, my God\, why have you forsaken me?\n    Why are you so far from saving me\, from the words of my groaning?\n2 O my God\, I cry by day\, but you do not answer\,\n    and by night\, but I find no rest. \n3 Yet you are holy\,\n    enthroned on the praises of Israel.\n4 In you our fathers trusted;\n    they trusted\, and you delivered them.\n5 To you they cried and were rescued;\n    in you they trusted and were not put to shame. \n6 But I am a worm and not a man\,\n    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.\n7 All who see me mock me;\n    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;\n8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;\n    let him rescue him\, for he delights in him!” \n27-31 All the ends of the earth shall remember\n    and turn to the Lord\,\nand all the families of the nations\n    shall worship before you.\n28 For kingship belongs to the Lord\,\n    and he rules over the nations.\n29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;\n    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust\,\n    even the one who could not keep himself alive.\n30 Posterity shall serve him;\n    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;\n31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn\,\n    that he has done it. \nA few years ago\, a young missionary couple living in a remote African village in Africa lost their first child. Their grief was deep and raw. But those who knew them saw not just their sorrow—but their worship. A few days later\, they knelt beside that tiny grave and sang\, “Man of Sorrows\, what a name\, for the Son of God who came\, ruined sinners to reclaim—Hallelujah\, what a Savior.” That hymn\, sung through tears\, testified their knowledge that the Lord was still their faithful\, present\, and victorious Savior. \nLikewise\, Psalm 22  opens in the pit of despair but ends with the shout of victory. It begins with “Why have You forsaken me?” and ends with “He has done it!” As the Lord cried out on the cross\, “It is finished!” The psalm has two distinct movements. The first part\, from verse 1 to 21\, is a lament of abandonment and suffering. The second part\, from verse 22 onward\, is a song of triumph\, a proclamation of praise and of resurrection hope. \nDavid may have written these words in the anguish of betrayal\, perhaps fleeing from Saul or Absalom. Yet his words\, intense and poetic as they are\, stretch far beyond his own experience. 1 Peter 1:10-11 explains how the prophets “searched and inquired carefully” about the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. The Spirit of Christ in David pointed forward—across a thousand years—to the day Jesus Christ would hang on a Roman cross. \nQuotations from Psalm 22 abound in the New Testament. The Gospel writers saw in it the crucifixion\, described in graphic detail in verses 12 to 18- though this method of execution was not yet invented in David’s time. The description is chillingly accurate: bones out of joint\, heart weakening\, mouth dry\, surrounded by evil men\, pierced hands and feet\, the soldiers gambling for his clothing. The psalm reads like an eyewitness account\, but it was written centuries before the event. \nIt begins with the bitterest cry a man can utter: “My God\, my God\, why have you forsaken me?” As Jesus hung in agony on the cross\, he spoke these very words. But where he typically addressed God as Father\, here he cries out to his God. For here he is the sin-bearer—the Lamb of God who gives himself in sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is the Son of man who is willingly rendering a man’s duty to God. He demonstrates perfect obedience to God in love\, even in the throes of humiliation and physical suffering.  \nTo the watching world\, it seems as if God has cast him off. He reminded the watchers of this psalm through these words. Yet he clings to faith\, calling out “My God” rather than “God”. It’s the language of faith in the midst of seeming abandonment.  \nAs the victim remembers God’s past deliverance\, he says\, “Our fathers trusted you and you delivered them\,” he says. “But I am a worm\, and no man.” In that one line we glimpse the humiliation of the Lord’s passion. Being equal with God\, he emptied himself to become a man\, a servant\, and to be treated like a criminal. Despised\, mocked\, stripped\, and crucified\, he who knew no sin was made an offering for sin. He bore his pain in silence\, refusing to take revenge or throw off the burden.  \nThe insults hurled at Jesus on the cross also echoed the very words of Psalm 22. “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now\, if he desires him\,” they sneered (Matthew 27:43). The devil often deals in half-truths. The Lord trusted in his God\, but his deliverance was not immediate. There was no rescue at the cross. It was in God’s own time that he vindicated and glorified him.  \nThe change occurs in verse 21. “Save me from the lion’s mouth… You have answered me.” The tide turns. The cry of pain becomes a declaration of praise. Resurrection light has broken through the gloom. The agony of seeming abandonment and the resulting mockery ends in peace\, as the Lord says at the end\, “Father\, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” \nThe rest of the psalm is a celebration of victory. “I will declare your name to my brothers\,” he says. Hebrews\, speaking of Jesus Christ\, quotes this to prove that he is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. The beginning allusion to psalm 22 takes us all the way to its victorious close. The Son of man has conquered sin and death\, and is raised in triumph to the right hand of God\, praising him for his deliverance.  \nThe gospel\, the good news\, doesn’t stop at the cross. It begins there\, but it spreads outward—to the congregation\, to the meek\, to all nations\, to future generations. Verse 26 says\, “The meek shall eat and be satisfied.” Those who choose to follow the path of Christ will be satisfied for ever with the goodness of his atonement on the cross.  \nAnd then\, “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.” From every tribe and tongue\, from every nation\, people will worship the One who cried out in agony so that we would never feel that pain. All the ends of the earth shall bow before him one day. Those who could not keep their souls alive will gratefully acknowledge his redemption. Even the unborn\, generations yet to come\, are included in this great chorus of redemption. Verse 30 says\, “Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation.”  \nThe psalm ends with the phrase\, “He has done it”—or in Hebrew\, literally\, “It is finished.” The final words from the cross were not a cry of defeat\, but of victory. The curtain was torn\, the price was paid\, the grave was defeated\, and we were saved. The cross\, once a symbol of shame and horror\, is now a glorious altar. And the One who hung there is no longer in agony—He is risen\, reigning\, and returning. Hallelujah! What a Savior. \nNo matter how dark the valley\, or how silent God seems\, there is hope and victory for those who are Christ’s in the obedience of faith. Our Lord Jesus testifies\, from the path of seeming aloneness\, that God never forsakes his own. Through his obedience he has atoned for our sin\, our shame\, and our separation\, so that we may keep his commandments and walk in the light of His love. In seasons of sorrow or silence\, let us remember Psalm 22. Our Lord\, our mediator\, has been there as a man. He knows. And because of Him\, our sorrow will also end in song. \nLike that grieving missionary couple\, let us choose to worship—even with tears in our eyes. Let us trust the God who answers\, even when He seems silent for a time. The cross proves His love. The resurrection proves His power in us who believe. And nothing can separate us from his love. All the earth will see the riches of his grace and power in his kindness towards us.  \nHallelujah! What a Savior.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-25-0454-hallelujah-what-a-saviour/
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DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250625T182938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250624T044754Z
UID:4228-1750896000-1750982399@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-26-0455-The good Shepherd
DESCRIPTION:455_The Good Shepherd \nPsalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.\n2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.\nHe leads me beside still waters.\n3     He restores my soul.\nHe leads me in paths of righteousness\n    for his name’s sake. \n4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death\,\n    I will fear no evil\,\nfor you are with me;\n    your rod and your staff\,\n    they comfort me. \n5 You prepare a table before me\n    in the presence of my enemies;\nyou anoint my head with oil;\n    my cup overflows.\n6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me\n    all the days of my life\,\nand I shall dwell in the house of the Lord\n    Forever. \nYears ago\, a well-known actor stood on stage before a packed audience. His resonant voice and commanding presence held his audience. That night\, he was asked to recite something from memory. He chose to recite the 23rd Psalm. His performance was flawless. With poise and flair\, he spoke the beautiful old words\, each word measured\, each pause intentional. When he finished\, the audience erupted in applause. \nLater that evening\, an elderly pastor was invited to the same stage and asked to say anything he chose. He chose the same psalm. His voice was failing\, and his frame frail. At the end\, there was no applause. There was silence\, followed by the sound of soft weeping across the room. \nWhen someone wondered aloud later why the responses had been so different\, the actor told them\, “I knew the Psalm. He knew the Shepherd.” \nPsalm 23 is not merely beautiful poetry; it is personal testimony of trust and truth. It reflects a relationship to be experienced. And this relationship begins with one powerful word: “my.” “The Lord is my shepherd.” \nPsalm 23 is central to a triad of psalms. Psalm 22 paints the picture of the suffering of the Christ who was pierced for our transgressions. Psalm 24 reveals the returning King in glory\, ascending the hill of the Lord. Nestled between them is Psalm 23\, the reality of life with the Good Shepherd who came to seek and to save that which was lost. This reflects God’s order\, for without the crucifixion there could never have been redemption for the flock that had gone astray. And through the cross and resurrection the Lord has been raised to the highest place in heaven and earth.  \nDavid was a shepherd himself. He had spent days and nights caring for vulnerable sheep—leading them\, protecting them\, providing for them. Their safety and well-being of the sheep depended entirely on him. That is why everything in this Psalm flows from the declaration of the first verse. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Without this personal relationship with God\, the rest of the psalm remains for the reader only poetry\, not a promise. \nThe world chases security through wealth\, possessions\, or status. Yet insecurity remains\, plaguing even the richest and most powerful with insecurity\, fear\, and anxiety. In contrast\, David was completely content\, for he had a Shepherd. He had nothing else to desire. Not for him the restless anxiety and constant fear of the wild.  Psalm 34:10 echoes this truth: “The young lions suffer want and hunger\, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” \nOur Lord also demonstrated the fearless contentment of the life of trustful obedience. Born in a borrowed manger\, preaching from a borrowed boat\, buried in a borrowed tomb\, He still had everything he needed when he needed it. His life was marked not by accumulation but by perfect peace\, grounded in the constant presence of his Father. And so he urges us to follow his footsteps. Philippians 4:19 declares\, “My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” \nIn the Shepherd’s tender care: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” These were welcome oases in the arid lands of the Judean wilderness. The shepherd needed skill and courage to guide his sheep from one grazing meadow to another. And so it is with our Shepherd—He knows where to lead us\, how to provide for us\, and when to give us rest. \nBut God’s care goes deeper than our physical needs. “He restores my soul.” The Hebrew speaks of turning back or reviving something that was lost. Our souls are wrecked by sin\, tied to death of fear. But Christ our Shepherd does not simply patch us up or leave us to heal as best as we can. He is our new and living way back into the Paradise of God. he leads us in the paths of righteousness\, where we may find eternal life. And all of this goodness is poured out on us “for his name’s sake”\, because he is a faithful God who will never break covenant with his own.  \nLife\, however\, is not all green pastures and still waters. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death\, I will fear no evil.” The valley is real\, but so is the Shepherd. The journey through the shadow of death is no sign of being forsaken. They are the shortest route to the high ground ahead. In such moments\, we are still safe with the Shepherd. His rod and staff are our guarantee of care. These are tools\, not of cruelty or severity\, but of protection and guidance. The rod defends the sheep from predators and disciplines them when they wander. The staff guides them back to the path. Even when it hurts\, it is the pain of love. \nThen David’s imagery shifts. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” The Lord’s servant is seated at the Lord’s table\, even as his enemies watch helplessly—whether human or demonic. In those days\, a little oil on the head was cooling after the blazing sun outdoors. The Lord anoints his servant with oil\, to welcome\, honor\, and refresh him. And the overflowing cup of wine speaks of overflowing joy. Life with the Shepherd is a banquet of lavish love despite all the outward difficulties. He more than meets our needs. \nAnd behind us is a trail of blessing. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” While others chase them\, they pursue the one who walks with God.\nAnd the journey ends in eternal fellowship\, for “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  \nJohn 10:11 shows us the true Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Not merely a guide or teacher\, our Shepherd died and rose again to save us. Isaiah 53:6 testifies: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Every one of us has followed our own paths\, trusting in our own wisdom\, living for our own glory. Because of the Shepherd’s love\, we are now on the way home. \nHebrews 13:20 calls him the great Shepherd who was raised from the dead\, and in 1 Peter 5:4\, He is the chief Shepherd who will reward his faithful under-shepherds. Under His care\, we can rest content. He meets our needs\, restores our souls\, leads our steps\, skilfully guides us through trials\, follows us with blessing\, and is our eternal destination. But life is full of distractions. Our hearts are easily led astray. 2 Corinthians 11:3 expresses this fear: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning\, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” \nLet us open our eyes and ears to see only our true Shepherd. Let us trust him\, love him\, and follow His commands day after day. Let us humbly accept his discipline. Let our souls rest in him. Then we will find not only peace in the pasture but purpose in the valley\, provision in the wilderness\, and joy in the journey. \nIs the Lord your shepherd? Have you placed your trust in Him who died and rose again to bring you into eternal forgiveness and fellowship with your Maker and Judge? If not\, today is the day to enter eternal life with the Shepherd. \nAs his people\, let us be satisfied in the path He chooses\, assured of His presence\, and confident in His promise. “My sheep hear my voice and they know me\, and I give them eternal life\, and they shall never perish\, nor shall anyone pluck them from my hand.” Let us live in the deep security of his love.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-26-0455-the-good-shepherd/
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DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250626T182906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251111T113847Z
UID:4233-1750982400-1751068799@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-27-0456-The coming King of glory
DESCRIPTION:456_The coming King of glory \nPsalm 24 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof\,\n    the world and those who dwell therein\,\n2 for he has founded it upon the seas\n    and established it upon the rivers. \n3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?\n    And who shall stand in his holy place?\n4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart\,\n    who does not lift up his soul to what is false\n    and does not swear deceitfully.\n5 He will receive blessing from the Lord\n    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.\n6 Such is the generation of those who seek him\,\n    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah \n7 Lift up your heads\, O gates!\n    And be lifted up\, O ancient doors\,\n    that the King of glory may come in.\n8 Who is this King of glory?\n    The Lord\, strong and mighty\,\n    the Lord\, mighty in battle!\n9 Lift up your heads\, O gates!\n    And lift them up\, O ancient doors\,\n    that the King of glory may come in.\n10 Who is this King of glory?\n    The Lord of hosts\,\n    he is the King of glory! Selah \nIn 1953\, the world watched as Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey. The event was marked by grandeur—ornate carriages\, trumpets blaring\, cheering crowds. A military parade stretched for miles\, and the whole nation paused to witness their sovereign take the throne. Yet with all that regal splendor\, the monarch was painfully subject to the limits of time\, mortality\, and fallibility. \nBut a coronation is coming\, that will mark the coming to power of a King far more majestic\, infinitely more powerful\, and eternally glorious. Psalm 24 points us to the moment when the King of Glory will make His triumphant entry. This is no mortal\, but Jesus Christ—the One who came in humility to taste death for every man\, but will return in the divine majesty of immortality. \nPsalm 22 presented Him as the suffering Savior. Psalm 23 showed Him as the Good Shepherd. And now\, Psalm 24 lifts our eyes to see Him as the Coming King of Glory. David\, the psalmist\, was writing more than poetry. This was prophecy\, as Peter declared in Acts 2:30: “Being therefore a prophet…” David glimpsed something far in the future\, the day of the Lord’s power.  \nPsalm 24 begins with the declaration\, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof\, the world and those who dwell therein\, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” \nNo billionaire\, no ruler\, no global leader can claim universal ownership – of every continent\, every ocean\, every breath of every living thing – for none can claim universal creatorship but our God. Psalm 50:12 reinforces this: “If I were hungry\, I would not tell you\, for the world and its fullness are mine.” Acts 17:24 reminds the Athenians that God “made the world and everything in it… nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything.” \nBut the question is\, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). For man was made in God’s image\, and our spirits were made to be one with His. We were made for fellowship with God. Anything less is not life\, but a doomed existence—“death.” \nPsalm 24:4 reveals the answer\, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart\, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” Keeping our hands clean and our hearts pure is not a self-righteous act but the result of faith in God. If God had not revealed himself\, could any of us claim this to be true? Does our own heart hold us to this standard? Paul quotes the psalmist in piercing denial\, in Romans 3: “None is righteous\, no\, not one… no one seeks for God… all have turned aside… no one does good\, not even one.” But those who seek God in response to his revelation obey him in faith. Those who have heard his word and received it in faith fear him beyond all else.  \nActs 10 describes Cornelius\, a devout Roman centurion who feared God\, gave generously to the poor\, and prayed regularly. He heard the law of God and responded in faith. And he was led further in faith. In Acts 11:14\, Peter recalls the angel’s instruction: “Send to Joppa and bring Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved\, you and all your household.” And as Peter spoke the word of Christ\, he received it in faith. Therefore the Spirit of God was poured out on him\, a sign of his acceptance by God.  \nPsalm 24:6 continues\, “Such is the generation of those who seek him\, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” As Zephaniah 2:3 pleads\, “Seek the Lord\, all you humble of the land… seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.” \nAnd for such\, the King of Glory himself is the way.  Verse 5 of Psalm 24 says this: “He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Those who respond to the King’s command in faith receive righteousness – not earned\, but given as a blessing from the God we fear and trust.  \nBut now the new question is. “Who is this King of Glory?” No longer is it about the people ascending. The King himself is entering\, and the gates are commanded to lift up their heads.   \nThe first coming of Jesus Christ was in poverty and weakness\, as he came to seek and save the lost. He was born\, a helpless baby\, to parents only able to offer a pair of pigeons – the sacrifice reserved for the poorest (Luke 2:24). He had nowhere to lay his head\, as he served his Father’s will. Zechariah 9:9 prophesied\, “Behold\, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he\, humble and mounted on a donkey.” This marked his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Days later\, He was crucified.  \nYet He was none other than “The Lord\, strong and mighty\, the Lord\, mighty in battle… the Lord of hosts—He is the King of Glory.” The Lord came in flesh\, not to overthrow the Roman Empire\, but a far more ancient and powerful array of foes. Through death he overcame the Devil\, who had the power of death\, the tempter of our souls.  \nAnd for his people\, united with him in baptism\, they are not just his subjects but his flesh and his blood. As Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 put it\, we too are buried into death with him\, that we might also live with him. Our old self\, our past life\, our self-desires\, are all gone. Our life is now hidden with Christ in God. He ascended the hill of God in holiness\, and we in him.  \nWhen He appears in glory\, we shall be manifested with him. And His second coming will be nothing like the first. No longer an obscure carpenter’s son\, He will return as the Sovereign of the world. His coming will be in power and glory\, to reign and to judge the wicked\, and deliver his saints.  \nRevelation 19 describes his coronation: “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude\, like the roar of many waters… crying out\, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!’” Every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. What gladness for those who joyfully humble themselves before their King right now! What rage and defeat for those who oppose themselves in pride and rebellion\, for those who say\, as in Luke 19\, “We do not want this man to reign over us.”  \nLet us open up the ancient gates for the Lord of Glory to ride in and be enthroned in victory\, not just in the heavens\, but in our lives. He is our Shepherd\, our Savior\, and our Sovereign. Let us live today in holy reverence\, and in surrendered obedience to the King of Glory. Then with joyful expectation\, let our lips declare\, with our lives\, “Come\, Lord Jesus!” God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-27-0456-the-coming-king-of-glory/
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250630
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250701
DTSTAMP:20260627T204107
CREATED:20250629T182903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250627T043407Z
UID:4244-1751241600-1751327999@livingwatersgb.com
SUMMARY:June-30-0457-God guides the godly
DESCRIPTION:457_God guides the godly \nPsalm 25:1-15 To you\, O Lord\, I lift up my soul.\n2 O my God\, in you I trust;\n    let me not be put to shame;\n    let not my enemies exult over me.\n3 Indeed\, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;\n    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. \n4 Make me to know your ways\, O Lord;\n    teach me your paths.\n5 Lead me in your truth and teach me\,\n    for you are the God of my salvation;\n    for you I wait all the day long. \n6 Remember your mercy\, O Lord\, and your steadfast love\,\n    for they have been from of old.\n7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;\n    according to your steadfast love remember me\,\n    for the sake of your goodness\, O Lord! \n8 Good and upright is the Lord;\n    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.\n9 He leads the humble in what is right\,\n    and teaches the humble his way.\n10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness\,\n    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. \n11 For your name’s sake\, O Lord\,\n    pardon my guilt\, for it is great.\n12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?\n    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.\n13 His soul shall abide in well-being\,\n    and his offspring shall inherit the land.\n14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him\,\n    and he makes known to them his covenant.\n15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord\,\n    for he will pluck my feet out of the net. \nHave you ever tried navigating a dense forest without a map\, compass\, or guide? A group of hikers tried it once in the Appalachian Mountains. Confident in their GPS and a general sense of direction\, they ignored the marked trail. A few hours in\, their signal dropped. Every direction looked the same. It became dark. Panic set in. A fun weekend adventure became a desperate search for the way home. \nThe turning point came when they decided to stay put\, keep warm\, and wait for help. Rangers found them the next morning\, exhausted and humbled\, but safe. They were easy to find because of their posture – of stillness\, dependence\, and expectation. \nIn many ways\, Psalm 25 is the cry of a soul that has decided to stop wandering and wait for divine help. David is not charging ahead in self-confidence. Instead\, he pauses to think and to wait. He calls for guidance to the only one who knows the way.  \nThis psalm is an acrostic\, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. While this is perhaps a poetic technique to aid memorization\, it also captures the A-to-Z of what it means to be guided by God. \nThe psalm opens in a cry: “To you\, O LORD\, I lift up my soul. O my God\, in you I trust.” This is all we can say once we learn that the only safety is in God. David declares his trust in God\, as he declares: “Indeed\, none who wait for you shall be put to shame.” (v.3) \nWaiting is not passive resignation but the quietness of expectancy\, a readiness to move when God speaks. Like the hikers who stopped trying to find the way out and waited for help\, David recognizes that the best thing for him is not to try to forge ahead\, but to wait and listen.  \nA passionate prayer follows: “Make me to know your ways\, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me\, for you are the God of my salvation.” (vv.4-5) David asks neither comfort nor success\, but to know and walk in the path that leads to life. David doesn’t assume he knows the way. He begs the God of his salvation to both teach him and lead him.   \nAnd the humble prayer: “Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me.” (v.7) Who among us doesn’t wish our youthful mistakes could be erased? Without minimizing his sins\, David appeals to God’s mercy. God’s guidance comes only from His steadfast love. \nAnd David’s praise begins as he speaks of God’s goodness. “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right\, and teaches the humble his way.” (vv.8-9) David testifies of his experience. God’s guiding hand and teaching are for the humble who seek his mercy – not the proud or the self-sufficient. \nAnd what rich promises the next verses hold! “Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose… The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him\, and he makes known to them his covenant.” (vv.12\, 14) God doesn’t just give directions like a GPS. He teaches his way\, but he also leads his people like a shepherd. He not only commands\, but he also befriends. He makes a covenant with his people\, he opens his heart to those who fear him in reverent obedience. \nGod reveals his plans and his mysteries only to those whose hearts are tuned to Him. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14\, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God… they are spiritually discerned.” Trying to explain these things to the natural man is like describing color to the blind or music to the deaf. But to the godly—to the one who fears God—these living truths convict\, correct\, encourage\, instruct\, and renew.  \nGod is a revealer of secrets. Amos 3:7 says\, “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” The prophets were not just religious mouthpieces; they were one with their God in spirit. But they paid the price. They spoke the very words of God to rebellious generations\, through great personal and social suffering. Yet they remained in step with his purposes\, for that was their life.  \nAs the psalm draws to a close\, David pleads: “Turn to me and be gracious to me\, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses… Guard my soul\, and deliver me!” (vv.16-20) In his life of struggles\, he clings to what he knows: God is a gracious and strong guide\, a guardian\, and a friend to the godly. \nHis last prayer is not just for himself\, but for the nation: “Redeem Israel\, O God\, out of all his troubles.” (v.22) As Israel’s anointed king\, he knew his own guidance and deliverance was tied to the larger story of God’s people. His own walk with God was fraught with implications for his people. \nThe message of Psalm 25 is clear and timeless: the beauty of the godly life comes from God’s goodness. God guides those who fear him. He teaches them\, walks with them\, and shares His secrets with them. But none of this is automatic. God speaks to and leads those who are humble\, who are longing to be taught and led\, who walk in his fear.  \nIn a world filled with noise\, speed\, and endless opinions\, let us wait\, seek\, and listen. Not only will our God guide us day by day\, but he will be our friend – a closeness that sustains and transforms us. Let us walk in step with the Spirit\, and not run ahead or wander off. Psalm 32:8 promises\, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”  \nAs we face decisions\, uncertainties\, or distress\, let us practice prayer and obedience. Let us trust his steadfast love. Let us confess our past sins and become teachable that we may be wise. Let us open our hearts to listen. The God who guided David\, the prophets\, and countless believers through history is guiding us\, not with flashing signs or booming voices\, but through His Spirit. Let us wait on him. God bless.
URL:https://livingwatersgb.com/daily-devotional-podcasts/june-30-0457-god-guides-the-godly/
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