YEAR 1, WEEK 28, Day 7, Sunday, 14 July 2024

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 14 July 2024:

Psalm 28:3 – Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts.

You cannot tell what is really in a person’s heart simply by what they say. People disguise selfishness with pleasing words. People also disguise pain with happy words, fear with confident words, and guilt with prideful, self-righteous words. None of us know the heart of another person – God does. Our mission is to offer the message of reconciliation to everyone, and let God deal with hearts.

Psalm 28:8, 9 – The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

God wants you to learn from Him, to rely solely on Him in complete confidence, to follow Him, and to have fullness of peace and joy in Him. Christians are God’s anointed and His heritage. 1 John says, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge…. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie — just as it has taught you, abide in him.” (1 John 2:20, 27) Revelation 21 says, “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:7) “For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage.” (Psalm 94:14) The Lord Himself is your strength, your shield and your rock; call on Him, trust in Him, and give Him thanks. (Psalm 28:1, 7) He will never abandon you.

Psalm 28:2, 6 — Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary…. Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

In verse 2, David prays for mercy, which demonstrates David didn’t feel he necessarily deserved a certain response from God, though he saw himself as different from “the wicked… workers of evil.” David approached God humbly, recognizing his sinfulness, but what separated him from the others was that, despite his sinfulness, he honored God as God, sought his will, prayed to God in his despair, and then trusted in the Lord. By verse 6, David was already thanking the Lord for hearing his prayers and praising His name — “The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” (v. 8) David prayed with confidence and thanksgiving because he trusted God and His love, mercy, grace, sovereignty, and perfect providence.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 14 July 2024: Today, rest in the sufficiency of God’s mercy and grace, and give Him all the glory. Trust God with both your successes and failures, and be further conformed to the character of Christ.