05/18          Psalm 55:15-16 

Let death stalk my enemies; let the grave swallow them alive, for evil makes its home within them.  16 But I will call on God, and the LORD will rescue me. 

RESCUE

The Lord will rescue me.  He says He will never leave me.  He will not let go of me.  The Lord God Almighty will rescue me.  He is my protector, my strength, my deliverer.  Jesus is Lord. 

05/17          Psalm 55:11-14 

Everything is falling apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets. 12 It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them.  13 Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend. 14 What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. 

RELIGION

Religion counts the things we do for the Lord.  Religion finds sanctuary in a place, always place over people.  Jesus died for people.  People count with the Lord.  He will deliver you. 

05/16          Psalm 55:8-10 

How quickly I would escape— far from this wild storm of hatred.  9 Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans, for I see violence and conflict in the city. 

10 Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city. 

EVIL

Evil in me is my greatest fear Lord.  I carry it with me.  It blossoms in my heart and steers me away from obedience.  Cleanse me from unrighteousness and I will stand with you against the evil in my life.  Walk me through this veil of tears Father for I am in desperate need. 

05/15          Psalm 55:6-7 

Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!  7 I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude 

GREENER

The grass always looks greener over there.  The tragedy of flying away from this present fear Lord is that I will carry that fear with me.  Only you Lord can quiet by heart.  Only you Lord can solve the troubles I fear. 

05/14          Psalm 55:2-5

Please listen and answer me, for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.  3 My enemies shout at me, making loud and wicked threats. They bring trouble on me and angrily hunt me down.  4 My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me.  5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking. 

TROUBLES

I find myself overwhelmed again Lord just like the last time.  When am I going to grow up?  Why do I keep being afraid when I know you are there and that your love for me will see me through this trouble?  I’m here Lord and I know that you are here too. 

05/13          Psalm 55:1
Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! 

HELP
Help me Lord this day to hear you as you speak to me.  You give me your mercy and grace renewed each day-if covers me giving me what I need and can never earn.  Dear Father equip me to feel your boundless love.  I desperately need your help each day.  Hear me Lord, hear me for I stand in great need.  My sin washes over me.  My disobedience follows me and pulls me aside.  Help Lord I need your forgiveness and your presence.  Thank you Lord.  Thank you. 

05/12          Romans 1:26-32
That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.  27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.  28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.  29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.  30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.  31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.  32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

TODAY
This sounds like today-our day, yet Paul wrote this nearly 2,000 years ago.  Turn from evil.  Turn to Jesus.  He is the Lord of life and will give you the light you need to walk out of the darkness.  Follow Jesus. 

05/11          Romans 1:21-25 

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.  22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.  23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.  24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.  25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 

LIE

The world lies.  All of its systems work together to perpetrate this lie.  A lost world upholds the Evil Ones ideas and hate.  Jesus is the truth.  He is life and light.  He saves us from the big lie.  The truth is that God loved you so much that he stepped down off his throne in glory and came into our world, died for our sin and was raised from the dead by the power of God.  He destroyed death.  He gave us a right relationship with the Father.  That is the truth. 

05/10          Romans 1:19-20
They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.  20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 

YOU
You are responsible to know God.  He says there is no excuse for not know Him.  Ask Him to forgive you and to give you new life in Christ.  Jesus is the only way to the Father.  Know Him. 

05/09          Romans 1:18

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 

EVIL
There are truly evil people in this world.  Tragically we often become evil by our toxic living.  Focus on Jesus.  Ask Him to reveal your sin.  Stop the sin.  Turn over your life to Him and do what He says.