February 25th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional
We all have people in our lives that we only see when they need something from us. You know, the kind of people a bumper sticker I saw on a pickup truck the other day are written about: “Yes, this truck is mine. And, no, I will not help you move.” Thankfully, our God does not think that way. He desires for us to call on Him when we need something. He wants to hear from us in the middle of our problems and struggles just as much as when we are in our victories and triumphs.
This verse contains 3 parts, and all 3 are related to prayer:
“Call upon me in the day of trouble.” The first part is a command from God to call on Him when we are in trouble. We certainly shouldn’t only pray when trouble comes, but according to this command, we should definitely pray when we are in times of trouble.
“I will deliver you.” The second part is an amazing promise God makes to us. If we call on Him, He will deliver us. He gives no limits as to how often we can pray. He only gives us His promise to answer.
“And you shall glorify Me.” The third part is another promise from our Father and may be the real reason for prayer in the grand overarching plan of heaven. Prayer is not so much the mechanism we use to get rescued, as it is a means of displaying God to the watching world. When God provides, even when we haven’t prayed, we are tempted to forget Him and think we have taken care of our problem ourselves. But when we pray and He answers, we recognize His hand of provision and are careful to honor (glorify) Him. We rob God of honor and fail to glorify Him when we don’t recognize that He was the one who rescued and provided for us.
“LORD, we want to honor You today in all we say and do. We pray that You would lead us and keep reminding us all along the way of Your presence with us.”
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Psalms 50 KJV
1 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.
8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.
9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.
18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.
21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an oneas thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
