"A God Like No Other"
Sep. 17, 2018
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. He will return the evil to my enemies; in Your faithfulness put an end to them. With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your Name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
~ Psalm 54:4-7 (ESV)
Have you ever felt weighed down with something: some pressing personal or family problem, some issue with your job or studies? It's the proverbial "monkey on your back," riding along with you whenever and wherever you go. Try to shake him, and he squeezes ever tighter. Try to forget he's there, and you can't stop thinking about him.
Not surprisingly, then, we may find our lives marked more by the difficulties we face than the goodness we've enjoyed? This joy robber is ruthless and, sadly, often a thief of our own making. While we may sense God's hand of blessing on our lives, a nagging undercurrent of angst and worry colors our thinking, dyes our perspective, and subdues our contentment.
The psalms are full of verses where the writer is grappling with some demanding life situation. It might be a spiritual conflict or some outside treachery; it might be some deep-rooted sin that leaves the psalmist stuck and crying out to God for help. But the psalmist knows that there is relief in sight. Things may be bleak, but God will not fail His people. His promises are trustworthy. His Word is sure.
How liberating it is to know the God we worship, love, and adore is a good God. This was hardly the case for the pagan nations surrounding Israel and Judah in antiquity. Their gods were capricious, vindictive, vengeful, and downright untrustworthy. The gods of Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria (and there were many) were out for themselves and could turn on their worshipping subjects without batting a golden eye.
But such is not our God.
In the verses from Psalm 54, God is our "helper" and "upholder." He is our faithful deliverer, granting us triumph in His procession, and victory through His good Name. Elsewhere in the psalms He is called "merciful and gracious" (Psalm 103:8). He is One who performs "mighty acts," "wondrous works," "awesome deeds," One who is known by His "abundant goodness" (Psalm 145:4-7).
The God we serve is worthy of our service. He keeps His Word to us. His mercy and grace, awesome deeds and abundant goodness are best known to us through the mission and ministry of Jesus, His beloved Son. Through His faithful obedience to the Heavenly Father, He has delivered us from every trouble. By His death and resurrection, we conquer in His Name.
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, by Your mighty arm our enemies are defeated. By Your merciful grace we are redeemed. Remind us each day of the victory we have in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by a contributing writer from LHM. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you ever felt weighed down with something: some pressing personal or family problem, some issue with your job or studies?
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