Category: Devotions

Psalm 84
Day 84: Be blessed

The Archbishop of Canterbury wrote in a national newspaper a few days ago regarding the expected arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge new-born baby. He writes, “What difference does this baby make to this country? In one sense, none at all. One more member of the population, one of many to be born on that day. In another sense, a huge difference. With plenty of drama and a good excuse to party, we discover a future of hope, a promise of stability, the challenge of love and – above all – another miracle from God. Just as with every baby.”
A future of hope.
That is what every parent thinks waiting for their baby to arrive.
When my first child was born we received a congratulations card from a family friend (one of those who were referred to as auntie). In the card she had written a message. But this was not a message of hope but of gloom. She warned the child that the world was not a good place and it was going to get a whole lot worse. That it would be a difficult life etc. Not one hopeful word. It’s a good job our child couldn’t read the card for himself!
Today there is hope for you.
Even if you are in a valley.
There is a reason why God has set you in the place of discomfort and it is to rise. Consider Israel in Egypt. The more the enemy caused them to suffer the more they grew. Sometimes the worst times in our lives do more to develop us than any great moment.
The enemy of our lives want to lull us into the place of acceptance whereby we consider ourselves unable to alter the circumstances that limit us. But those who are blessed know differently.
The valley is a place of possibility not limitation.
The Valley of Baca (or weeping) became a place of springs.
These are perhaps difficult days for you.
Today this Psalm tells us to:
Put our strength in Him
Set our hearts for the journey of moving forward.
Keep going knowing we will pass through the season of tears.
Make the most of every opportunity and the difficult place will become a refreshing place. Good will come from bad.
This is the blessed life.

Psalm 83
Day 83: Be blessed

Over the last 10 years one man more than any other has repeatedly called for the destruction of the nation of Israel.
President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s comments are well documented:
• That the Zionists should be moved to Europe if Europe are truly sorry for the make-believe Holocaust.
• (On the day of Israel’s 60th anniversary) “The Zionist regime is on its way to annihilation.”
• “The very existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to humanity.”
He’s not the only one and he surely isn’t the first one.
Asaph records what the nations around God’s people were saying in his generation:
“Let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be reminded no more.”
So nothing much has changed. Nothing will.
Until the day is over the enemy will seek to destroy everything God chose:
Whether that be Israel.
Or His Son, Jesus.
Or you.
You are blessed today because you are known by the Most High over all the earth (v18).
No matter what threats and slander you face.
No matter what today or tomorrow brings.
You belong to Him.
You will still be standing the day after the attacks have ended.
This is why you are blessed.

Psalm 82
Day 82: Be blessed
I always get excited when I come across a section in the Old Testament that Jesus quotes. To be reading what Jesus spoke of is an honour all in itself.
At a time when Jesus clearly states that He was one with God the Father having the ability to grant eternal life, doing what only the Almighty could do and as a result claiming to be God Himself (John 10), He quotes v6 of this Psalm, referring to it as the Law.
Why?
In the Psalm, Asaph uses the words God and gods. The so-called “gods” are the representatives of God, the spiritual leaders of Israel who in Psalm 82 are not doing the work of God in relation to the poor and needy. They should behave in a God-like manner and are to resemble Him as a son does his father. These judges of Israel are ‘sons’ of God because they reflect their Father. But they fail doing so.
Therefore, Jesus in John 10 faced with the pressure of declaring his identity could easily have said, “I am God”, for that is what He is. But staying true to His incarnation He likens His relationship to His Father in the way God desires for the spiritual leaders in Psalm 82. Jesus never imposed His identity on people. He chose to demonstrate through miracles, parables and His approach to the outcast and downtrodden that he was God. He wanted people to come to that understanding for them. And so …
“I am God but I function in my incarnation as God’s Son doing what you and your previous spiritual leaders failed to do.”
Fantastic isn’t it?!!
Today commit yourself:
To being the one who represents God.
Demonstrate this through your approach to the weak and fatherless, poor and oppressed, needy and those held in the hand of the evil one.
Be incarnate.
In doing so, even in your own imperfect way, you will be revealing Jesus who perfectly represented God because He is God.

In doing this you will be a blessing!

Psalm 81
Day 81: Be blessed
Time and again we have found that the introduction has helped us to understand the Psalm. Today this Psalm is to be played according to Gittith. This is either a musical instrument from or the type of music coming from Gath, one of the 5 major cities of the Philistines.
Gath is the city that Goliath and his brothers came from. Gath is also the city where David hid when escaping from Saul’s chase; a place where Israel’s enemy once lived and a place where Israel’s leader had to flee terrible persecution. Not surprisingly then the meaning of Gath is winepress.
Often we find ourselves in a winepress, a place of strain and Asaph has written this with what can be described as strained music for that reason.
Strain and crisis is not the end of opportunity but the start of it. The future is in the balance and life can go either way.
Asaph wants to communicate God’s message that in the winepress of crisis we are often the ones that plot out our futures.
If we would but listen to me.
If you do not follow other gods.
If you open your mouth towards me.
If you would follow my ways.
You can follow your own devices but one word, a simple yet powerful word comes through every crisis.
If.
Those who choose wisely are blessed.

Psalm 80
Day 80: Be blessed
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.
How do our brothers and sisters survive the traumas of persecution?
When the vine is cut down and burned in the fire, when God’s people perish, how do they remain steadfast?
Asaph prophesying unwittingly but probably speaking of Israel gives us the answers more relevant today than in his day:-
They stand because of the one at God’s right hand.
They remain because they look to the Son of Man.
They survive for they call on His name.
We know the name.
There is no other.
Jesus.
And those who suffer are blessed.

Psalm 79
Day 79: Be blessed
Composed long after David’s death but exactly when and what happened is almost impossible to know. Except this was a traumatic persecution of God’s people.
As we read this Psalm today spare a moment to think of people in the family of God who this Psalm speaks of.
“People invaded, defiled, reduced in size, killed, objects of reproach, scorned, ridiculed, devoured, groaning and condemned.” Right now members of your family are experiencing these very things.
Egypt is at the moment under great strain. But one supporter of the ousted President said on video: “I am a religious Egyptian lady. I tell the Christians one word. You live by our side! We will set you on fire! We will set you on fire!”
The Islamic jihad against Christians in Nigeria is proving to be the most barbaric. A new report states that 70% of Christians killed around the world in 2012 were killed in the African nation.
There are so many stories. Right now, your brother and sister in Christ is crying out as in the day of Asaph.
Join with them as they call out:
“O God. How long O Lord? Let your mercy come quickly. We are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Saviour. Deliver us. May the groans come before you. Preserve us who are condemned to die. Pay back. We are your people, the sheep of your pasture.”

Let those who are robbed be blessed.

Psalm 78
Day 78: Be blessed
Asaph begins his longest Psalm by far with a deep longing for people to hear him, he calls them to listen and to follow his teaching.
Covering the story from Egypt and the Exodus to the present day where David is leading them as a shepherd-leader, there is no doubting Asaph’s passion.

His passion is for the next generation.
I woke this morning to the news that the two 16-year-old Chinese girls who died in the fiery crash at San Francisco International Airport of Asiana flight 214, were planning to attend a three-week academic church camp in Southern California. There are many questions once again. Yet in the difficult world we live in let our passion match that of Asaph’s.
That they may know, trust and not turn away from God no matter how difficult it gets.
That through an honest appraisal of the past they learn from the sins of the previous generation.

His passion is for the fathers.
In the UK 1 in 3 children now live without a father– that’s nearly 4 million fatherless children. Of course in some cases the children are safer and it is the best thing for them not to be with their cruel, abusive father. However you read this, there is an absence of fathers. Then there are fathers present who are absent from their responsibilities. We need the passion that Asaph had.
That fathers pass on their experience and knowledge of God.
That fathers testify of His power causing their children to believe that God can do all things.

His passion is for David.
David came from the sheep pen to the royal court leading the whole nation. But his rise is not as important as how he leads. Many start well but don’t continue. We need to have passion like that of Asaph to see our leaders:
Lead with integrity
Lead with ability and skill.

With these 3 passions being fulfilled the world will be blessed.

Psalm 77
Day 77: Be blessed

If He is walking with you then where are the signs of Him?
Where are His footprints?
Some days you just cannot see Him.
Yet the circumstances see Him.
The waters, the very depths, the clouds, thunder and lightning, they see Him.
Your circumstances are at work even right now, responding to the command of God, just like they did when the Red Sea was parted, when a way was created for God’s people.
He is making a way for you.
He is commanding your circumstances into obedience to Him.
He has your future in His hands even if you cannot see His footprints.
This is blessing.

Psalm 76
Day 76: Be blessed

Whatever happened to inspire this Psalm what is known is that it took place at the centre of the nation. In Salem, otherwise known as Jerusalem, the most important city to the Jew. Out of this place flows the laws, values, culture of the Jewish nation.
It is here that God is known.
It is here that His name is seen as great.
It is here where He is dwelling.
It is here where He shines.
It is here where the enemy is plundered, rebuked and stilled.
It is here where He is feared.
It is here where promises to Him have been made.
Asaph writes this Psalm for the people of this city to remind them of these things.
Today the local church needs to be reminded of the same things. Something has happened, a special victory has been won and the result is in the above for every church, for every Christian.
This is the blessed life.
Look at Asaphs list again and share it today.

Psalm 75
Day 75: Be blessed!
What about you?
What do you say?
Yes you can look at the insecure world around you.
You can pay attention to those who are arrogant and even wicked.
There is so much flexing of muscles.
But let God say and do what only He can.
What about you? What do you say?
Asaph recognises the power of community where:-
They give thanks to God
They recognise His close presence to them
They testify of what God has done.
Asaph also recognises the power of one:-
As for me …
I will declare this for ever
I will sing praise to God.
The key to staying blessed in your difficult world is found in the community of believers who are looking to God positively and also in your own attitude. What about you? What do you say?
By doing this Asaph was able to cut off the strength and effect of the wicked on his life and at the same time saw the strength of himself and God’s people empowered.
These are the keys to being blessed today.