Daily Devotion

June 4, 2006

Psalms 27:1  The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

The apostle John said, “For we know that God is light”. (1 John 1:5).  Light is present for all of us; even for the blind man.  He knows that it is there; he feels its warmth; people tell him about the colors it creates.  He may even learn about it in books written in Braille; he may become an expert in the matter of light, but to know that there is light doesn’t help him see his way, so he gropes in the dark in fear of falling.  The LORD Himself must be our Light so we can walk in surety, be enlightened from the darkness of sin, and not fear the pits of the enemies.

John also said that, “light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”  (John 1:5)  Let it not be so that when the Light shines upon our soul, we snuff it under a bushel of excuses.  Let it not be so that when it exposes error in our heart, we crucify it with the nails of self-justification.  We surely can understand a child who is afraid of the dark, but the real tragedy of life is when grown men are afraid of the Light!

David knew about strength.  He saw the armies of the LORD in all their apparatus of war fear and tremble before one giant.  But he rejected the armor and the sword of the king which failed him in his time of need.  He rejected their knowledge of strength which didn’t help them be strong.  He rejected their idea of power which left them helpless and afraid against the onslaughts of the enemies of God.  David went and said to the Philistine giant, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  (46)  This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  (47)  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.” (1 Sam 17:45-47) David knew about true strength, the LORD was his strength!

Paul admonished us and said, “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  (Eph 6:10).  Let it not be so that when He gives us a sling and five smooth stones to fight the giants of ungodliness, we despise His seemingly meager means, to rely on the useless carnal strength of man.  Let it not be so that when He gives us a prayer, a praise and a song to lift and teach our soul, we despise them to rely on the empty philosophies of man, we deny them to try and find strength in the ways and strategies of the world.  

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (10)  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Patrick Lumbroso
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