Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Psalms 48
Set – Psalms 48; Revelation 13
Go! – Jeremiah 42-44; Psalms 48; Revelation 13
Psalms 48
1 The Eternal is great and mighty, worthy of great praise
in the city of our True God, upon His holy mountain.
2 Situated high above, Mount Zion is beautiful to see,
the pleasure of the entire earth.
Mount Zion, in the north,
is the city of the great King.
3 In her palaces, the True God
has revealed Himself as a mighty fortress.
4 Not long ago, enemy kings gathered together
and moved forward as one to attack the city.
5 When they saw Mount Zion, they were amazed;
amazement became fear, then panic. They fled for their lives.
6 They were overtaken by terror, trembling in anguish
like a woman in childbirth.
7 God, You shattered the ships of Tarshish
with the mighty east wind.
8 As we have heard stories of Your greatness,
now we have also seen it with our own eyes
right here, in the city of the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies.
Right here, in our God’s city,
the True God will preserve her forever.
9 We have meditated upon Your loyal love, O God,
within Your holy temple.
10 Just as Your name reaches to the ends of the earth, O God,
so Your praise flows there too;
Your right hand holds justice.
11 So because of Your judgments,
may Mount Zion be delighted!
May the villages of Judah celebrate!
12 Explore Zion; make an accounting,
note all her towers;
13 Reflect upon her defenses;
stroll through her palaces
So that you can tell the coming generation all about her.
14 For so is God,
our True God, forever and ever;
He will be our guide till the end.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
My city. Zion. The City of God. Jerusalem. The place goes by many names, but I know it as My home on earth. The place where My Temple resided for centuries. It was the capital of My chosen people. The place I established the religion that I wanted to share My message of hope and grace. Unfortunately, My people became self-absorbed and wanted a human king like all the nations around them instead of the theocracy under which I wanted to rule them.
Under the kingship of many who failed to follow Me completely, My people no longer worshiped Me but instead worshiped the material things around them. They began to think their city more important than Me. Their material luxuries became their goal and their military prowess grew to expand their borders rather than being content with the land I gave them and the riches I placed in their hands and their hearts.
Korah sang about the strength and power of the city. Those who came after Korah forgot that its power rested solely in Me. When Nebuchannezar’s forces destroyed it and turned it to rubble, they learned a terrible lesson. All who think their power rests in the instruments and strength of man find they put their faith in the wrong thing. Nothing can stand against Me. Nor can anything stand in the way of My plans. I can heal and I can destroy, but My greatest desire is to have you follow Me.
Satan tries to tell you that your power lies within you. He tries to disguise My protection and My good gifts as his own or tell you it comes from your strength and wisdom. It does not! You can do nothing apart from Me. After all, I’m the one who gives you breath. I’m the one who allows your heart to beat each beat in rhythm. How would you accomplish anything if suddenly I decided to strip the air from the earth? What would your focus become if suddenly your heart stopped beating?
So much of what society then and now focus on is temporal. It doesn’t last. Even the ancient city of Jerusalem crumbled to nothing and has been built upon century after century. Acheologists find ruins of the old city, but most of what was there when I gave it to My people in the years of the birth of the nation crumbled to dust. What is left are long faded memories of people long dead. The only things that really last are the intangibles of life, the relationship you have with Me and those who follow Me.
I only include the group of those who follow Me as relationships that will last because in the final judgment, if banished to an eternity without Me, you will find yourself in an eternity alone. An immortal soul longing for companionship but unable to find anyone to console you. You will be isolated from Me and so isolated from those who live with Me. You’ll also be removed from any love. Completely isolated. Completely alone. I didn’t create humankind to be alone. I created you with the need for relationships. The worst part of hell will be the isolation you feel from every other person.
Don’t pay the price by failing to listen to My voice and following Me. You can choose to believe My word and obey My voice. I want you with Me. Make the right choice.
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