Devotional:
How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:4)

I will praise and thank the Lord because He hears me when I cry to Him. Have you cried out to the Lord during a time of deep, heartfelt pain? In this Psalm, the people of God were captives in a foreign land and their captors taunted them to sing a song of joy about their home. The people of Israel had no song in their hearts. No false spirituality and “gentle Jesus” here! They called to God asking for severe pain and punishment for their tormentors. Some of the stark realities of life can be infuriating. Tell God all about it. But vengeance belongs to Him alone; God will surely take care of evildoers. We can trust Him.

Pray it:
Father, I thank you that you hear my prayers and cries at all times. Help me to remember that you never forget your people or your promises and that you always have a plan and a purpose, even when it is not clear to me. Amen.

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Devotional:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1)

I will praise and thank the Lord whose love for me is rock solid and forever. This Psalm tells us 26 times that God’s steadfast love endures forever! Allow this truth to sink deeper into your soul. The Psalmist provides one example after another of God’s love and faithfulness. Repetition is incredibly helpful in much of life. When we love someone and we tell them over and over again, that person learns to believe us and trust us. If we renege on that love, it can be devastating to the other person. God assures us that He is not like us, and He will not renege. He will love us steadfastly and forever.

Pray it:
Father, thank you for all the demonstrations of your faithful love that I read about in Scripture and have witnessed in my life. Help me to remember them over and over again so that I can praise and trust you more and more. Amen.

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Devotional:
I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. (Psalm 135:5-6)

I praise and thank God because whatever pleases Him, He does. A god that does whatever he pleases could possibly be a dangerous god. But our God, the Lord of heaven, is good, and His name is pleasant. The false gods of other nations have no life in them. They have no power to forgive and no heart to love; they are nothing. But the Lord, our creator, loves to bless His people and care for us. Blessed be the Lord who is pleased to love me, save me, have mercy on me, cradle me, guard me, and claim me as His own. I am so glad it pleases Him to love even me!

Pray it:
Father, I thank you that you have the power to do all things and that you use this power for your glory and my good. Help me to trust that you can do all things and that all that you do is what is right and good. Amen.

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Devotional:
Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.  (Psalm 134:1-2)

I praise and thank the Lord because He enjoys when I bless Him. In this Psalm, the clergy of Israel are in the house of God worshiping Him with lifted hands and voices. Then, they turn to the worshippers and bless them on behalf of God. How do we go about blessing the Lord? Think about what we have already been learning in the Psalms: remember Him daily, call on Him and no other, obey Him, sing and pray to Him. God loves when His children gather together to worship Him. We are His family and He likes to gather us under His wings! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1)

Pray it:
Father, you are worthy of unending and wholehearted praise. Help me to both praise you with all that I have within me and invite others to praise you as well. Amen.

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Devotional:
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1) 

I will praise and thank the Lord because His people can live in unity. People long for peace, but we often seek it in the wrong ways and places. Human beings were not created for the stress of unrest. Unity is a blessing that begins by first making peace with God through Christ. Hearts that are first surrendered to God can be molded by the Holy Spirit to extend that love to others in the church and outside of the church. Have you taken that first step to peace? There is no shortcut.

Pray it:
Father, help me to live in peace and unity among your people through surrendering to the Holy Spirit and seeking what is good for others, not just myself. May the unity found in your church speak to our world of division and testify to the reality of the gospel message. Amen.

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Devotional:
The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: “I will place one of your descendants on your throne. (Psalm 132:11)

I will praise and thank the Lord because He has not left us alone. Often, we do not value something until it is lost. When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their intimate relationship with God; even so, God promised future restoration. For a long time, God resided with Israel within the tabernacle and then the temple. They remind God about His promise to put an heir of David on the throne. In fact, God fulfills His promise through Jesus Christ. We are His temple. He lives within us and we are never alone. One day it will be even better when He establishes a new heaven and a new earth. THAT is worth singing about!

Pray it:
Father, I thank you that you have kept your promise to save us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Help me to remember and rejoice in the truth that because of Jesus, I am never alone. Amen.

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Devotional:
Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Psalm 131:2)

I will praise and thank the Lord because He calms and quiets my soul. David respectfully addresses God with great love and humility. He knew that his status on earth as the King of Israel and a general of a mighty army was nothing compared to the Lord of heaven and earth. He makes time to rest in God’s arms like a weaned child with its mother. A weaned child no longer craves milk…now mother’s presence provides contentment. Security with God results in David enjoying the blessing of a calm and quiet soul. His example is our encouragement to make peaceful time with God our priority.

Pray it:
Father, thank you for the peace and security that comes in your presence. Help me to turn to you and experience this reality through humbling myself and seeking you. Amen.

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Devotional:
But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. (Psalm 130:4) 

I praise and thank the Lord because He is forgiving. Our sin is our death sentence except for the fact that our great God forgives any person who turns from sin and seeks His forgiveness. When we contemplate the depth of His power, might, righteousness and justice, we begin to have a healthy respect for the One who personally purchased forgiveness for us on the cross. Here is a “big question” to consider: How can it be that the God we sin against sacrificed His own Son to pay the price of our guilt? “Amazing love! How can it be, that thou, my God, should die for me?”

Pray it:
Father, thank you for the promise of forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Help me to praise you as I acknowledge the reality of my sin and experience the reality of the forgiveness that is found in Jesus. Amen.

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Devotional:
But the Lord is good; he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly. (Psalm 129:4)

I praise and thank the Lord because He cuts the cords of the wicked. This Psalm is written for Israel as a community. They sing about years of affliction they felt emotionally and physically; they were treated badly. But the song is not so much about lament as it is a song of confidence in their God to take care of the matter. God, Himself, has cut the cords of hate and evil so that the result of wickedness fails. The wicked will reap God’s judgment in God’s time. The people of God will be restored. The long furrows on their backs will be fully healed on that day and the strong voices of hate will forever be extinguished. They will have nothing to say…only silence. Praise God because He will have the last word.

Pray it:
Father, I thank you for your promise that you will bring justice at Christ’s return. May this promise comfort me when I see the injustices found in our present world and propel me to seek righteousness as I await that day. Amen.

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Devotional:
How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! (Psalm 128:1)

I will praise and thank the Lord because His ways lead us to find happiness. This isn’t hard to understand, is it? Those that fear the Lord and walk in His ways will experience true and ultimate happiness. This principle reminds us that there are blessings found in trusting God and that these blessings are available to all. You can be blessed, your spouse can be blessed, your children can be blessed, and your grandchildren can be blessed, your neighbor can be blessed, your co-worker can be blessed. In fact, it is not just you who are blessed, but also those around you as through your presence as a blessing. So, what are you waiting for? Obey Him today and find the happiness that awaits in following God’s best for us!

Pray it:
Father, help me to remember the blessing that is found in following your ways and to experience such blessing and happiness by remaining faithful to you. Amen.

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Devotional:
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. (Psalm 127:1) 

I praise and thank God because His work is never in vain. Do you work to the point of excess, expecting your legacy to be in your misplaced priorities? God warns us that unless He does the building, our work is in vain. Be sure your time is spent where God wants you to be. Then, He seems to point out that if you want a legacy, look at the children He has given you or placed in your life. Value them as a soldier values his tools for the battle. Raise your children to love and respect the Lord and they will grow to bless you, their community, and maybe even the world, and come alongside others as they seek to raise children this way.

Pray it:
Father, I confess that I have often sought to build my life in my own strength and for my own glory. Help me instead to look to you in all things, doing them in your power and for your praise. Amen.

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Devotional:
When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! (Psalm 126:1)

I praise and thank the Lord because He restores our fortunes and dreams. When we gather with family and long-time friends, we enjoy reminiscing about our shared memories. They have meaning because those blessings help to bind us together and we want more times of blessing with those we love. In this Psalm, the people remark, “Remember when God blessed us? It was beyond our wildest dreams!” After an exceedingly difficult time of tragedy and affliction, the Lord blessed His people to the point that other nations noticed and commented. Then the people called for God to bless them again the same way…abundantly! It is a time of great joy. Do you expect God to bless you abundantly? Do you call on Him to do it?

Pray it:
Father, forgive me for my forgetfulness, of failing to remember all the blessings that you have bestowed upon me. Help me to remember the ways you have restored me in the past so that I might praise you today and have hope for tomorrow. Amen.

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Devotional:
Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever. (Psalm 125:2)

I praise and thank God because He surrounds His people. Many science fiction movies include an invisible and impenetrable force field that is a part of the story line. Nowadays, many people use an invisible fence to keep their dog in their yard. The dog is free to roam the yard but cannot get out because the special tag on his collar prevents him from passing through the electronic fence. The dog cannot see it, but it is there. God guards us in ways we cannot see with our eyes. He uses a variety of methods, including His angels. Even though we cannot see them, they are an impenetrable force. Thank the Lord for surrounding you with His protection.

Pray it:
Father, thank you for your surrounding protection of your people, for your surrounding protection of me. Help me to live in confidence and hope because of this reassuring reality. Amen.

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Devotional:
Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 124:8)

I praise and thank God because my help is in His name alone. A child who needs help calls for mom or dad because the child knows they will come. Mothers sleep with one ear open so that when a child calls in the night, she recognizes the voice and she responds to that bedside in an instant. Fathers will guard their children, even to the point of shielding them with their own body. Parents can experience deep hurt if their children call another name for help. It is the same with our heavenly Father. When you need help, it gives God great joy to hear you call His name.

Pray it:
 Father, I confess that I am often afraid or ashamed to cry out to you for help. Forgive me for my pride and self-reliance, and help me to recognize that I can and need to cry out to you. Amen.

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Devotional:
I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. (Psalm 123:1) 

I praise and thank God because He tells me where to find him. Where is God? This is one of many Psalms that tells us to look up. God is on His throne in the heavens, but He does not hide from us. He wants to be found, and He wants to be known. This is so important that He helps us with the finding and the knowing. Another reason He tells us where to find Him is because He does not want us to look in the wrong place. When we look in the wrong place, we may find the wrong god. Look for God in His holy Word. Then, look up while you praise Him.

Pray it:
Father, help me to look up to you and remember that you are so much greater than any trial or obstacle I might face. Thank you for always having your eyes on me; help me to always keep my eyes focused upon you. Amen.

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Devotional:
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1)

I praise and thank God because He gives me joy! When sickness or a tragedy prevents us from corporate worship, we feel the absence of brothers and sisters in Christ – their voices, their hugs, their prayers, their testimonies and proclamation of God’s Word. Gathering to worship God is not merely an activity, it is a huge purpose for our existence. Worshiping God with His people is life to us.  

Pray it:
Father, thank you for the gift of community that is found in your church. Help me to cherish this gift and also to offer support and encouragement to those in my church. Amen.

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Devotional:
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. (Psalm 121:8)

I praise and thank the Lord because He guards me in any direction that I may come and go. Sometimes we do not know which way to turn. Should I say “yes” or “no”? If I do the right thing, it might put me in danger! What should I do when no one is looking? God is very aware of our struggles and wants us to trust Him. We do not know from one minute to the next what we may face but God does, and He assures us that He has our back. His Word is part of the help that He provides. When we put God’s Word in our mind, it is there for the Holy Spirit to bring to our recall. In the end, the best way to learn that you can trust God is to trust God!

Pray it:
Father, thank you for both protecting me and for guiding me. Help me to trust you by choosing to go in the direction that pleases rather than my natural desires. Amen.

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Devotional:
Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:11, 13)

The world today is geared toward convenience and ease. We actively seek ways to make our lives easier and more profitable. But doing what God wants isn’t always easy. Sure, we can find ways to make life simpler, but are we using that to spend more time and energy doing the work of the Lord? There is a fine line between being busy at work and being a busybody. Let’s encourage one another to get busy doing the things God has called us to. Ask God for the strength to never weary of doing good.

Pray it:
Father, I confess that I can busy myself with the wrong things or for the wrong reasons. Help me to be focused on doing the right things and for the right reasons, and give me the strength not to become weary in doing these good things. Amen.

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Devotional:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

This chapter starts with a grave warning of the lawlessness and rebellion that is to come before Christ’s return. It can be scary to know that things will get worse before they get better, but we have a God who provides comfort and hope even in the worst of times. Take courage! Take heart! The God who loves us anchors our hearts to the hope of Christ’s return! Even when the world seems to be falling apart, we can cling to the faithful promise of Jesus’s triumphant return.

Pray it:
Father, remind me of the comfort and hope that I have in all circumstances because of your love for me in Christ. Strengthen my words this day to reflect the truth of your promises and the limitlessness of your power.

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Devotional:
We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

Life can be difficult at times, and it might be tempting to seek comfort from the world instead of from God. But when our faith stands strong and steadfast through trials, it is a reason for boasting. Not boasting to bring attention to ourselves but to point to a God who can sustain even through the most damaging storms. Jesus is enough no matter what we may face in this life. Tell someone about what God has done in your life today!

Pray it:
Father, I confess that I am tempted to boast about my own strength and achievements. Help me to instead boast about your grace and power at work in my life that is made clear in the moments of my weakness and how it shows the truth of your Word and your presence in this world. Amen.

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Devotional:
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. (I Thessalonians 5:23-25) 

We serve an awesome, powerful God! He does what we cannot. He completes our sanctification (making us holy), and He can keep us blameless as sin incessantly tugs at our hearts. He is faithful and keeps His promises. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of this and then immediately asks for prayer. Jesus can save and will save, but he gave us each other to encourage one another along the way. Do you need prayer? Ask for it. Do you know someone who needs encouragement? Talk to them today! We are the body and bride of Christ, and we’re better together!

Pray it:
Father, continue and complete your work of making me more and more like you as I await the return of Jesus. May your faithfulness to your promises empower me to become more faithful in my promises to pray and care for those around me. Amen.

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Devotional:
But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more. (I Thessalonians 4:9-10)

Yes, we’ve been taught by God to love one another, but how are we doing at living it out? We live in strange and stressful times. It’s easy to find disagreement and see the flaws in others, yet we are not called to judge but to love. Do we walk properly before outsiders, or expect them to walk properly before us? Loving one another isn’t always easy. It takes work. Let’s put in the work of loving one another more each day.

Pray it:
Father, thank you for your great love for me shown in Christ. Help me to remember this love and to have it transform the way I interact with others, loving them more and more as I have been taught and shown by you. Amen.

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Devotional:
and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. (I Thessalonians 3:2-3)

Trials and afflictions should not surprise us. Jesus warned us that following him would not be easy (see John 16:33), just as Paul warned the Thessalonians (and Timothy – see 2 Timothy 3:2). Hard times can strengthen our faith, or they can damage it. The key is to be prepared. Don’t wait to cling to Jesus until times get tough – cling to him now! When we deepen our faith in the love and knowledge of our Savior, we establish a foundation that will weather the storms. Cling to Jesus. He will carry you through the good times and the bad!

Pray it:
Father, help me not to be shaken by hard or difficult times. Sustain and strengthen me by your Spirit and through your people so that you may be glorified and I may become more like you. Amen.

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Devotional:
For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. (I Thessalonians 2:4) 

Sometimes it may seem difficult to share the gospel. We wonder what people will think or if we will have the right words to say, but if you know Jesus, you know the Truth. And God chose you to be entrusted with the gospel! Sharing the good news of Jesus not only changes others, it grows us as well. Paul shared the gospel and his life with the Thessalonians (see 2:8), and they all grew to deeper faith in Christ. Who are you sharing the gospel and your life with? Share the gospel that’s been entrusted to you and see what God has in store!

Pray it:
Father, thank you for entrusting me with your message. Help me to share it faithfully with others, not in an effort to please them but rather please you with my words and actions. Amen.

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Devotional:
So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia. (I Thessalonians 1:6-7) 

Doing what’s right isn’t always easy, and following Christ can be hard. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean that life will suddenly go our way…at least that seemed to be the case with the new Christians in Thessalonica as it says they experienced much affliction. It wasn’t easy for them to become Christ followers, but they had the joy of the Holy Spirit to carry them through, which in turn, inspired others. Life isn’t always easy. When life gets you down, ask the Holy Spirit for joy. It won’t just be good for you it will be an example and inspiration to others as well. 

Pray it:
Father, thank you for the examples of Christians who have and are living joyfully and faithfully for you in the midst of persecution and affliction. Help me to live faithfully and joyfully for you in all circumstances and to inspire those around me to follow you as well. Amen.

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