From: September 17, 2024
“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:1-2 ESV).
David wrote this psalm, crying out to God to lead him to a place that was safe and secure. When his heart was “faint,” perhaps by the attacks of enemies or by the disappointments of life, David cried out for a place where his heart could find rest and his clouded vision could find clarity. David cried out for both a higher power and a higher perspective.
We can pray like David. We can ask for the “Rock that is higher.” For we have access to that Rock, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 10:4). For in Christ, we can do all things (Phil. 4:13). And in Christ, we can seek God’s will and perspective. For we have the “mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are surrounded by so much change and challenge that we don’t know how to manage it. It overwhelms us. Yet You are able, Lord. For You are the Rock of Ages, the eternal and unchanging God. We turn our desire for control and overwhelmed hearts to You. Take control. We surrender afresh today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 17, 2023
“God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ” (Galatians 3:16 NLT).
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul referred to Genesis 22:18, where God had promised Abraham that in “your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” He pointed out that the word “seed” was singular, not plural, so that it pointed to a “child” not “children.” He did this to make the case that Christ Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise. And therefore, believing in Christ had always been God’s plan for salvation, not the law.
Why did Paul go all the way back to Genesis to make his case? Because certain Judaizers had come to Galatia teaching that the new Gentile believers needed to start keeping all the law as given through Moses. Paul warned them that the law could not save. For the “righteous will live by faith” (Gal.3:11). Paul went back to the covenant God had made with Abraham to show its superiority over the covenant of the law made through Moses.
Why was the promise superior to the law? Several reasons. First, it came first. Paul noted that it preceded the Mosaic covenant by “430 years” (Gal. 3:17). Second, the promise was given by God as an unconditional covenant with Abraham that was irrevocable, while the Mosaic covenant was conditional upon Israel’s ability to obey it. Third, the promise was given for salvation, while the law was given because of sin. The promise was given to bring blessing to all nations through the Promised Seed, Christ Jesus.
I’m thankful for the Promised Seed, Christ Jesus today. As Tim Keller said, “For a promise to bring a result, it needs only to be believed, but for a law to bring a result, it has to be obeyed.”
Christ Jesus is God’s promise to believe.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we love how Your Word, from Genesis to Revelation, fits together as a whole. Thank You for the Promised Seed, Jesus Christ. For we have believed in Him and received adoption as Your children. Strengthen us today to walk not by rules and duty, but by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 17, 2022
TRUST IN THE LORD ALWAYS
When all else fails, we tend to finally shift our trust to the Lord. Yet Isaiah calls us to a better way. Trust in the Lord “always.” Those who try to take a stand on sand soon discover it only seems to work on sunny days. As soon as clouds and storms and seas rise, they find themselves sinking and everything they’ve built falling. But the LORD God, which is Jehovah (or Yahweh) never fails. He is the everlasting Rock.
And who is this Rock? Isn’t it Christ Jesus? For Christ is the stone the builders rejected (Matt. 21:42). He is the rock in the wilderness from which waters burst forth (1 Cor. 10:4). Those who come to Christ, trusting always in Him, will find salvation, peace, rest, and continuous refreshment for their souls.
Let us put our trust in the Lord always.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we trust in You and in Your Son, Jesus. For He is the Eternal Rock that you have set as the Cornerstone of Your church. Christ is the Rock on which we take our stand. We pull our trust off of lesser things and put our trust on You, O Lord. All good things come from You. And only You can save us and sustain us. Today, we again place our full trust in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: September 17, 2016
What is the “curse of the law?” Does Paul teach that the law itself is accursed? Certainly not. The law of God is perfect. The law teaches us of righteousness, the difference between right and wrong. Yet, this teaching cannot empower us to keep it, nor can it save us when we inevitably break it. The law is like a mirror, revealing our sin-blemished, leprous flesh, but not able to heal us from its terminal progression. So, what is “the curse of the law?” It is the curse that falls on anyone who does not keep every word of the law. For the one who would live by the law, seeking to be justified by their own effort at righteousness, must keep every word of it (Gal. 3:10, Deut. 27:26). But the good news is this: Christ has “redeemed,” bought us out from under the “curse,” so that we might experience God’s “blessing” (Gal. 3:14). We are to live by faith in Christ’s redemption, not by claiming to be good enough through our own effort.
From: September 17, 2015
Written by David, this psalm cried out to God to lead him to a place that was safe and secure. When his heart was “overwhelmed,” perhaps by the attacks of enemies or by the disappointments of life, David cried out for a place where his heart could find rest and his clouded vision could be restored. We can pray like David. And when we ask for the “rock that is higher,” we have access to that Rock, which is Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). He invites all those who are “weary and heavy-laden” to come unto Him and to find rest for their souls.