Seize the Moment – Day 1165
The Crucible of Hardships!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, May 26.
David was in mortal danger when he penned Psalm 59, as the title states, “when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.” Today’s psalm is David’s reflection upon the events of 1 Samuel 19:11, “Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, ‘If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.’” His wife, who was the daughter of Saul, rescued him from certain death, and David fled to the Prophet Samuel, where he encountered the Holy Spirit (18-24). It is possible that this psalm of rescue and deliverance was written in this time of revival, as Psalm 59:16-17 concluded with a shimmer of glory:
But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to You; for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.
Don’t let your life be defined by the hardships. The Psalms of David are reflections upon his life experiences through the lens of his faith in God. They capture his real human experiences, and the full range of emotions that go with them, from the vantage point of God’s victory. Just liked David’s, our souls are forged in the crucible of hardship. Who are you becoming through your experiences? It is not what happens to you that defines you; it is how you respond to it!
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 59, meditating upon God’s purposes for your hardships – “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.