Devotional Word for Wednesday, March 18, 2020
My mom’s favorite chorus was Praise the Name of Jesus. You may be familiar with it, or maybe not. Here’s how it goes:
Praise the name of Jesus, Praise the name of Jesus.
He’s my Rock, He’s my fortress,
He’s my Deliverer, in Him will I trust.
Praise the name of Jesus.
Earlier this week my wife and I sang that chorus as part of our morning devotions. The reason it had come to our minds was because we had read Psalm 18 that morning. Those words come directly from Psalm 18:2. Well, the part of about Jesus does not come directly from Psalm 18, but Jesus is part and parcel of Psalm 18 – and of all the Old Testament.
Psalm 18 is a long Psalm. It has 50 verses. In it, David relates many of the things he had faced in his life, his many times of distress, the calamities that he experienced, afflictions that came upon him, and the contentions of people against him. He acknowledges that all these things “were too mighty for me.” [v.17] Yet in all those circumstances God delivered David. What was the secret David learned?
It’s a simple secret, one he states at the outset of the Psalm, at various points throughout, and he concludes the Psalm with it: David is committed to singing praises to the Lord, which includes calling on the Lord in times of great need, trusting in God when all seems chaos around him, seeking after God when his enemies are arrayed against him. He will praise God; he will call upon God; and he will trust God.
In these days in which we live we would do well to follow the pattern of David’s secret:
Let’s take time today to praise God, to acknowledge Him as our Rock of Stability, as our Strong Defense, as the One who is our Rescuer.
Let’s also lay out to the Lord what our concerns are, the calamities that seem to loom over us, the fears that surge up from within, and whatever it is that seeks to cause you alarm today. Call out to the Lord about those very things.
Then, let us trust in God. Let us go forward and do what lies before us, convinced the Lord is with us. Our going forth may be in our homes, it may be in our jobs, or it may be in duties that are not yet clear. Regardless, let us press on, let us live, trusting in the Lord Jesus.
We make mention specifically of the Lord Jesus because Scripture tells us “. . . as many as are the promises of God, in Him [Jesus] they are YES.” We are assured that God is for us, not against us, because of the mercies of the Lord Jesus that we have received. Praise be to God!
Let’s pray: O Lord God, You are the everlasting God, the One who made all things, and the One who continues to rule over all things. Be with me today. Help me be faithful in each circumstance. Protect me from all harm. Guide me in what I say and what I do. I want to be Your faithful servant. May Your light shine even through a frail vessel such as myself. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your goodness to me. Amen.