Devotion
When the going gets tough . . . Pray?
David Jacobs
David is a dynamic figure in the Bible, performing incredibly good deeds as well as heinous sins. He is anointed by God, the King of Israel, the slayer of Goliath (1 Samuel 17), but also murders an Amalekite for putting a dying Saul out of his misery (2 Samuel 1), and forces Uriah the Hittite, the husband of a woman that David committed adultery with, to the front lines because David wants Uriah's wife to be his own (2 Samuel 11). Why does God care so deeply about David when he is so emotional and sinful? The answer lies in these verses.
David is consistently faithful and obedient to God. With the Philistines closing in on him, David turns to God in prayer as he often does. God cares so deeply about David because David cares so deeply about God! It is as simple as that. Does David sin? Absolutely. Does he stray from God at times? Certainly. Does he always come back to God and trust the Lord with all of his heart and soul? He does. God rewards his loyalty and obedience once again, smiting the Philistines and avenging the death of his former friend Saul. He stays calm, keeps his faith, and is strengthened by God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, purveyor of truth, I humbly come to you seeking to be more faithful to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. May the blessings of my mind and meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Lord, I am yours. Like David before me, I will come to you in times of trouble. You know that I have sinned and will sin again, but I vow to come back to you, this day and everyday. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
