Today’s Reading: Psalm 9:1-10
Psalm 9:9 — The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
God promises to be our place of safety. A stronghold is a fortress or a castle where people can go for shelter from an enemy attack. Our God is a stronghold. He is our refuge that we can run into when the enemy oppresses us.
What is oppression? Oppression is a feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, anxiety, and negative circumstances. Satan oppresses both unbelievers and believers. He wants to keep unbelievers under his power, and he tries to keep believers from living in their God-given freedom from Satan’s influence.
Satan attacks the minds and emotions of people with fear, doubt, worry, and torment that will eventually cause physical problems. If a believer walks by sight and feelings and listens to negativity from media and people, that believer’s soul will become oppressed and a heavy spirit will preoccupy them.
Jesus came to deliver us all from Satan’s oppression (1 John 3:8). Jesus came to show us how to think and how to live in times of trouble. Jesus did not walk by sight, but by faith in God and God’s Word. Jesus did not listen to negativity and evil reports and meditate on them. Jesus set His mind on things above through fellowship with His Father.
Jesus knew what the Bible said about how He would be betrayed and mocked and rejected and crucified, so He prayed for God to help Him do God’s will. When Jesus sensed the devil’s attack of oppression, He went to the One who was His stronghold. Jesus found safety in God’s thoughts and in knowing God Himself. Make the Lord your stronghold.
09/25/2024
Devotional
"God’s Word, God’s thoughts, and God’s will governed Jesus’ soul. Spiritual rest gave Jesus’ soul and body rest, so He lived a healthy life."
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
[28] Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 6:34 NLT
[34] “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
I need you, Jesus!
09/23/2024
Devotional
“If a believer walks by sight and feelings and listens to negativity from media and people, that believer’s soul will become oppressed and a heavy spirit will preoccupy them.”
If believer walks by sight: 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight." This means that Christians should not rely on their own understanding or experiences to guide them in life. Instead, they should trust in God's promises and guidance.
If believer walks by feeling: I don’t feel like God has forgiven me. I don’t feel like I am loved. I don’t feel like I am healed. Then we tend to fall into unbelief.
Faith is not feeling.
If believer listens to negativity from media and…