July 19 Edify Devotional

Today’s Devotional Theme      Never Forsaken Daily Scripture Psalm 102:3-5, 11 (HCSB)  “For my days are like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is afflicted, withered like grass; I even forget to eat my food. Because of the sound of my groaning, my flesh sticks to my bones...My days are like a lengthening shadow, and I wither like grass." Encouragement This is a psalm with which I am familiar. Here the psalmist feels, with all his suffering, that the Lord has forsaken him. He feels as if his own faith has forsaken him and he is in the middle of a proverbial desert with no one who sees him. All who do come along have forsaken him, and even scoff at his troubles. He feels utterly alone and in complete pain. But then something happens which I have experienced only happens to those with true faith in God... He sees the bigger picture, and the truth that God never forsakes the ones who are His true children... No matter what (see Hebrews 13:5-6). Take Action! Faith and feelings have been at war with one another since the dawn of time. The battle turns spiritual because Satan will throw everything, including the kitchen sink at those undergoing the struggles of life. Couple that with the seeming powerful feelings outweighing one's faith, and you've got a struggle that can explode like a stick of dynamite! But just as the Psalmist points out to us, God is always with us, even in the midst of struggle (see Psalm 91). So don't lose heart when you find yourself in the deepest, darkest valley of life, and everything is screaming at you to give up on God or doubt His plan and/or even His very existence. This is the time to quiet down and listen to hear God's voice and ask Him to open your spiritual eyes (see James 1:5). Come into His Presence Father, life can sometimes be very, very difficult. Help me to see what You are doing in the midst of struggle and show me what I need to learn. I choose You over how I feel and not the other way around. Help me to really mean that. In Jesus' name, amen.   Greg Minassian Pastor Email Pastor Greg

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