Bible League: Living His Word Why am I so sad?Why am I so upset? I tell myself, "Wait for God's help! You will again be able to praise him, your God, the one who will save you." Sometimes sadness and being upset can creep up on us. We go about the daily affairs of life and these twin perturbations of the soul sneak up on us and bring us down emotionally without us fully realizing it. Finally, when the discomfort they cause dawns on us, we ask the questions of our verse for today. "Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset?" For people of faith, however, the questions we put to ourselves are not straightforward in nature, but rhetorical. They are rhetorical because the answer is assumed and obvious. There is no reason for sadness and upset. As people of faith, we have a resource that can render unnecessary any need we feel to be sad and upset. We have God. God can help us with whatever it may be that has afforded sadness and being upset the opportunity to sneak up on us. If we wait for God's help, we will not wait in vain. After all, "God is our protection and source of strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble" (Psalm 46:1). God specializes in helping His people out of the troubled situations of life that trouble our souls. If we wait on God, then we will place our trust in Him. We will believe that He can help us in our time of need and He will come through when the time is right. Waiting on God includes trusting that he knows when the time is right. If it were up to us, of course, there would be no waiting at all. For us, "now" is always the right time. God, however, has His own plans and His own purposes and people of faith are willing to wait on God. They are willing to wait because they believe in faith that God's timing is better than their own timing. If we wait on God, then the time will come when we will once again praise Him for what He has done. Since God is the one who will save us, it is only appropriate that we acknowledge that fact by giving Him the praise and glory. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 17, 18 Psalm 17 -- Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; Give ear to my prayer NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 18 -- I love you, O Lord, my strength. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 19:1-20 Acts 19 -- Miracles, Preaching and Riot in Ephesus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn't in our group.”But Jesus said, “Don't stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.” Insight The disciples were jealous. Nine of them together were unable to drive out a single evil spirit, but when they saw a man who was not one of their group driving out demons, they told him to stop. Challenge Our pride is hurt when someone else succeeds where we have failed, but Jesus says there is no room for such jealousy in the spiritual warfare of his kingdom. Share Jesus' open-arms attitude to Christian workers outside your group. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Mark 16:9 He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.Jesus "appeared first to Mary Magdalene," probably not only on account of her great love and persevering seeking, but because, as the context intimates,she had been a special trophy of Christ's delivering power. Learn from this, that the greatness of our sin before conversion should not make us imagine that we may not be specially favored with the very highest grade of fellowship. She was one who had left all to become a constant attendant on the Saviour. He was her first, her chief object. Many who were on Christ's side did not take up Christ's cross; she did. She spent her substance in relieving his wants. If we would see much of Christ, let us serve him. Tell me who they are that sit oftenest under the banner of his love, and drink deepest draughts from the cup of communion, and I am sure they will be those who give most, who serve best, and who abide closest to the bleeding heart of their dear Lord. But notice how Christ revealed himself to this sorrowing one--by a word, "Mary." It needed but one word in his voice, and at once she knew him, and her heart owned allegiance by another word, her heart was too full to say more. That one word would naturally be the most fitting for the occasion. It implies obedience. She said, "Master." There is no state of mind in which this confession of allegiance will be too cold. No, when your spirit glows most with the heavenly fire, then you will say, "I am thy servant, thou hast loosed my bonds." If you can say, "Master," if you feel that his will is your will, then you stand in a happy, holy place. He must have said, "Mary," or else you could not have said, "Rabboni." See, then, from all this, how Christ honors those who honor him, how love draws our Beloved, how it needs but one word of his to turn our weeping to rejoicing, how his presence makes the heart's sunshine. Daily Light on the Daily Path Job 34:3 "For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." 1 Corinthians 10:15 I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Revelation 2:29 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' 1 Corinthians 2:15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. Mark 4:24 And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. Revelation 2:2 I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 1 Thessalonians 5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; John 10:3-5 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. • "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. • "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |