Christian Daily Devotionals

by Skip Moen, D. Phil.

“I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul”.  Psalm 31:7 (NASB)

Known – Omniscience.  Oh, it’s a great doctrine.  God knows everything that can be known.  It’s a significant statement about the scope of His observation and understanding.  But it’s kind of sterile.  It’s one of those big ideas that lends itself to debates like, “If God already knows what I am going to do tomorrow, can it really be my free choice"?  I wonder if David ever concerned himself with such cognitive issues.  David’s approach is far more personal.  God knows the troubles of my soul.  When it comes to my relationship with the Lord, this might be all I really need.

The verb is quite familiar.  Yada covers the widest range of knowing in Hebrew, from knowing the facts about the enemy army to knowing the sexual intimacy of marriage.  It’s worth reflecting on this range.  We have many distinct verbal expressions for different kinds of knowledge.  We categorize our information.  There’s a box for facts, a box for opinions, a box for theories, a box for observations, a box for involvements, etc.  Nice, neat compartments where we can “know” the right thing in one area but never let it touch the things we feel or observe in another area.  But yada reminds us that everything is connected.  It isn’t possible to “know” something and keep it neatly separated from the actions that make up who we are.  If God knows the troubles of my soul, certain implications about this fact must follow.

God knows my tsarah.  He knows the distress I encounter, the adversities I face, the troubles life hands me and the vexations that plague me.  God knows these things.  That does not simply mean He observes them as facts. Yada-ata.  He knows them.  He experiences my troubles.

Think about this.  When I weep, is God weeping with me?  When I rejoice, does He dance?  When I shake with fear, is He there beside me?  When I battle with decisions, does He fight for the right?  Yada says “Yes"!  The full range of relationship dynamics is known to Him.  He is not the God of disengaged research or the moral policeman.  He is as close as my breath, my sight, my thoughts and my sighs.  He is the God in my need.

Would it make a difference in our struggles for righteousness if we contemplated the God of yada?  Would we feel His comfort, His guidance or His warning just a little more intensely if we engaged the Hebrew umbrella of knowing.  David worships a God who is intimately involved in life.  He doesn’t sit on His throne in Zion waiting for quarterly reports on our progress.  He sits by our side, asking us to lean on Him.  He is the ‘ezer', the benefactor who comes to our aid in times of need.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/03/14/sm_knows-me/
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By Vonette Bright

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come"! 
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Television commercials couldn’t be more clear!  The message is almost always, “It’s all about you”!  And for a product—that’s the greatest sales strategy.

Gwen’s life was pretty much on that same track.  It was about her career.  Her possessions.  Her priorities.  But you know what?  It didn’t make her happy.  No.  In fact, she grew more and more discontent.

But when Gwen’s friend Leah introduced her to the Lord—the change was incredible.  Her friends noticed it immediately.  She began to truly care about them.  To reach out in friendship.  Even her facial expression “beamed” with a new-found joy.

Dear friend, there is true contentment.  And it’s all about knowing and sharing Jesus.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/03/14/vb_about-god/

By Katherine J. Kehler

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you”  Isaiah 43: 1, 2

Fear not.  Those two words are found in the Bible sixty-two times.

Fear not, we are told—but what about when we get a phone call to tell us that our loved one has a terminal disease. Fear not – but what if your spouse loses their job.  Fear not - when you are pregnant and you begin to spot.

What do you do when the waves of fear begin to engulf your entire being? How do you "Fear not"?

First, talk to God. He will bring assurances and peace to your mind. Don't call or text message someone until after you have talked to the Almighty.  Talk to Him about your fear. Ask Him what to do next. He knows what has happened, but talking to Him will calm you down and give you His perspective. Ask Him for strength, for wisdom, peace, for His provision and for direction. Philippians 4:19.  Then do the next thing—the thing He puts in your mind.  Remember--take one day at a time and trust Him each step of the way.

Here is a personal example. While driving home one dark, rainy evening, a car, making a left hand turn at an intersection, drove right into the front side of my car.  This was my  first car accident. When the car finally came to a stop, I said to the Lord, "What do I do now, Lord"?  He sent a man to my car who asked if I was OK.  The man then phoned the police and my husband and daughter.  I was surprised that I was not afraid.

God sent someone to take care of me. I was not afraid.   The car was a write-off, but I was not hurt.

He will take care of you, too—no matter what happens.  He loves you.  Read Isaiah 43:1,2 once again.

Action point: Talk to God about your fears right now.  He cares.

Father, you are an ever present help in trouble. You have created us and know our tendency to fear, but you ask us to turn to You because you want to help us.  Thank you for your love, mercy, peace and strength.  Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/03/13/kk_fear-not/

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By Dr. Bill Bright

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears"
Psalm 34:4 (KJV)

Susie seemed outwardly to be a well-poised, lovely young wife and mother with everything under control. She was active in her church and attended other Christian gatherings during the week. But secretly she was filled with fear from which psychologists and psychiatrists with whom she consulted were unable to set her free.

She became very discouraged and depressed. "What can I do"? she asked through her tears. "I have everything to live for and no real reason to be afraid, but my days are consumed with worry and dread and fear, as I anticipate all kinds of evil things happening to me, to my husband , to my children".

"Do you believe that God in heaven has the power to remove your fears, Susie"? I asked.

"Yes, of course," she replied.

"Do you believe He loves you"?

"Yes, I believe that."

"Do you believe He wants to remove that fear from you?" And I read her the above passage.

We turned together to 1 John 5:14, 15: "If we ask anything according to God's will, He hears and answers." This is the promise that every believer can claim whenever there is a command or another promise. I asked her if she would like to join with me in a prayer of faith that God would deliver her according to this promise.

Together we prayed, and though there was no immediate, dramatic deliverance, with the passing of days God set her free. Day after day she claimed by faith this and other promises from God's holy, inspired Word.

Are you plagued with fears? Are your days consumed with worry? Saturate your mind with God's truth - God's supernatural promises - and begin to claim by faith this supernatural life which is your heritage in Christ.

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:1-7

Today's Action Point: At the first sign of a fear in my life, I will commit it to the Lord and trust Him for deliverance, and I will seek to help others whose hearts are filled with fear. I will seek to introduce them to the Prince of Peace - the God of all comfort.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/03/13/bb_deliverance