May 13
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PSALM 44 REDEEM US FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR STEADFAST LOVE
18 Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! – Psalm 44:18-26
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GOD KNOWS THE SECRETS OF THE HEART! by ILMA
Lord, why have you not come to my aide
You know every secret of my heart
We are bowed down by too much pain and affliction
Why do you allow your people to go through oppression?
Lord, you are the only one who completely know me
Rise up, come and help me from all of the attacks of the enemy
Do not let another day of evil consume my life
I want to live only for you and be your shining light
Remove all hardness in my heart and let it be like your own
Give me courage and peace to live my life for you alone.
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REFLECTION
• Why is being secretive to God counter productive for Christians?
• How can we seek God’s own heart like David did?
Tag Archives: Psalm 4:4
PSALM 44 LIKE SHEEP FOR SLAUGHTER
May 12
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PSALM 44 LIKE SHEEP FOR SLAUGHTER
7 But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant. – Psalm 44:7-17
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ON BEING RIDICULED AND DISGRACED by ILMA
When you are being ridiculed, do not agonize
Remember that Jesus’ was mocked by the Pharisees
Like sheep being led for slaughter, he didn’t say a word
He silently took all the taunting of this cruel world.
When you are being disgraced and made a laughingstock
Recall how many times Christ was whipped, tortured and spat on
Continue to endure the adversities you go through in life
It will bring you strength and your faith will shine like a light.
Press on to the progress you have already made
You won’t be given anything you can’t handle
The Lord our God has his purpose for letting you suffer
Be strong and firm in trusting him and do not cower.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to cry out to God when you are being ridiculed or disgraced?
• What must we do when we are discouraged by persecution or being mocked?
PSALM 44 THROUGH YOU LORD WE PUSH DOWN OUR FOES
May 11
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PSALM 44 THROUGH YOU LORD WE PUSH DOWN OUR FOES
O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. – Psalm 44:1-3
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THE LORD GIVES; THE LORD TAKES by ILMA
All you people of God, you have heard of all his majestic work long ago
Remember to declare his goodness and steadfast love to the world
When you face all kinds of trials and sufferings, you are not alone
When you win battles and attacks of the enemy it’s not your own
The Lord gives whatever pleases him; he also takes it at his discretion
Never forget that everything comes from the Lord, have no illusions.
The Lord’s ways are not our ways; we can’t always comprehend His plans
Trust only in God so you will be able to follow his will and his ways
Our strength and victory only come from the Lord; do not boast
Do not take credit for everything that you achieve, it is not yours
The Lord gives and the Lord takes when the timing is right
Keep your eyes focused on Christ so you won’t lose sight.
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REFLECTION
• How can we avoid taking credit for anything we do since the Lord owns everything anyway and he is the Master and Maker of all things?
• How can we develop the habit of making God increase and us decrease mentioned in John 3:30?
MANAGING ANGER Poem Devotional
July 3 The Power of God’s Word
Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.– Psalm 4:4 (NLT)
MANAGING ANGER
A poem and essay by ILMA
Anger is an emotion created for a reason
It can protect you from the enemy’s treason
It can make you defend those who are oppressed
It can drive you to do something for the depressed.
Don’t sin by letting anger control you
Instead, control it by thinking it through
Remain silent until you reach tranquility
Then you will have victory over the enemy.
I was a slave of many generational sins before I became a born again. Among the list would be: seeking approval, perfectionism, performance, reasoning, judgment and anger. Each of these sins leads to the other. Because of rejection, it was a big deal for me to seek approval and attention which brought me to always perform. I reason and argue to prove my point and that I am right. When I don’t persuade others or they don’t live up to my expectations, I judge and then get angry. Sometimes this anger is manifests in many ways like irritations, sarcasms, jokes or confrontations and outbursts.
The bible tells us to manage our anger and not let it control us. Thinking about it overnight and remaining silent helps us calm down and win the battle.
PRAYER
Lord, give me strength to manage anger.
REFLECTION
How can awareness of anger and its source help us manage it?