Get the appCalvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale Daily DevotionalSample
Just God
After spending some significant time in the Psalms, it starts to strike you that they're written in a rather solitary way. It's really just the Psalmist and God, one-on-one. There's no appeal to a pastor, priest, or any other person for that matter. There's no dialog with other friends or acquaintances. The Psalms strip away everyone else and leave man standing alone with the Lord.
We see this depicted very vividly here in Psalm 94. Notice in the verse above how the Psalmist is asking himself who would rise up and defend him against the evildoer and enemy. And notice the answer:
Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. Psalms 94:17 (NKJV)
Much is to be learned from those three words, "Unless the Lord." They represent the radical reliance inside the Psalmist's heart. Again, everyone else is stripped away, and it's just God who is left. There's no appeal to man or hope placed in him. Everything hinges on "unless the Lord..."
That's actually a very healthy place to be. It's good to be in that spot where we aren't looking to man or the things of this earth for our answers. It's far safer to dwell in the place of being fully focused and reliant on God, of having complete conviction that apart from Him there's absolutely nothing to hope in. Jesus spelled this out for us in no uncertain terms:
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 NKJV)
All-sufficient Father, may we be and stay in that place where our appeals and expectations are in You and You alone.
After spending some significant time in the Psalms, it starts to strike you that they're written in a rather solitary way. It's really just the Psalmist and God, one-on-one. There's no appeal to a pastor, priest, or any other person for that matter.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
After spending some significant time in the Psalms, it starts to strike you that they're written in a rather solitary way. It's really just the Psalmist and God, one-on-one. There's no appeal to a pastor, priest, or any other person for that matter. There's no dialog with other friends or acquaintances. The Psalms strip away everyone else and leave man standing alone with the Lord.
We see this depicted very vividly here in Psalm 94. Notice in the verse above how the Psalmist is asking himself who would rise up and defend him against the evildoer and enemy. And notice the answer:
Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. Psalms 94:17 (NKJV)
Much is to be learned from those three words, "Unless the Lord." They represent the radical reliance inside the Psalmist's heart. Again, everyone else is stripped away, and it's just God who is left. There's no appeal to man or hope placed in him. Everything hinges on "unless the Lord..."
That's actually a very healthy place to be. It's good to be in that spot where we aren't looking to man or the things of this earth for our answers. It's far safer to dwell in the place of being fully focused and reliant on God, of having complete conviction that apart from Him there's absolutely nothing to hope in. Jesus spelled this out for us in no uncertain terms:
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 NKJV)
All-sufficient Father, may we be and stay in that place where our appeals and expectations are in You and You alone.
After spending some significant time in the Psalms, it starts to strike you that they're written in a rather solitary way. It's really just the Psalmist and God, one-on-one. There's no appeal to a pastor, priest, or any other person for that matter.
Think about it...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Scripture
About this Plan
Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, founded in 1985, has grown to be one of the largest churches in the country, and now has nine regional campuses in Florida in addition to the main campus in Fort Lauderdale. The church has established and now operates dozens of ministries to answer the needs for foster care, addiction recovery, and discipleship training. The church's mission is simply, "make disciples."
More
We would like to thank Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale for providing this daily devotional. For more information about the church and other media resources it provides for personal discipleship, please visit www.calvaryftl.org
