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Day 5 Psalm 73 Devotional

By October 21, 2016Daily Devotional

Pray:

Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.

Read:

Psalm 73:27-28

“27 Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. 28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.”

Understand:

Asaph begins the psalm with “But as for me, my feet almost slipped.” At the close he responds with, “But as for me, it is good to be near God!” He ends with a declarative statement. He wants us to know without any doubt that he is committed to making God his refuge. His envy has turned to hope. His hope has become his refuge. He wants all people to draw near to God and experience His goodness and protection.

Asaph has moved from disorientation to reorientation. He has a new understanding of his own heart and a renewed sense of God’s presence.

Apply:

There is a peace, a sense of assurance, which envelopes a person when they surrender their life to God. Despite all that is going on around us-the unfairness of situations we find ourselves in, the lack of resources or daily comforts we may or may not have-we can still have the same kind of confidence we see the psalmist portraying. It’s not a secret; he tells us clearly what we’re to do, “But as for me, it was good to be near God.” Yes! We are to draw near to God.

James tells us the same thing in James 4:8 when he writes, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

So what’s keeping you from drawing close to God today? Why don’t you take a moment right now and just ask God to search your heart?

Confession is the starting point for drawing close to God. Whatever is troubling you, whatever is keeping you from trusting God today-your thoughts and your uncertainties-would you give them to Him?

Now reflect on the truth that you’ve already been forgiven and ask God to restore and strengthen you. Take refuge in Him today as you go about your day.

Live:

(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.) Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.

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