Dear LifeSpring Family,
I wanted to share with you my devotions on July 2 from The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller.
Please read Psalm 78:1-8
Psalm 78
A maskil[a] of Asaph.
1 My people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their ancestors—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
The Lord was challenging me not to be like my “ancestors”, the children of Isreal. The negative lessons from their constant rebellion should not be repeated in my life. My obedience to the Lord God should be a matter of my heart and not only exterior behaviors. In verse 7, I am reminded not to forget all His deeds in my life. This remembrance should lead me to put my trust in God deep into my heart. Which will result in a changed life of obedience. Or am I going through the motions of “religion” monitoring and altering my exterior behaviors to suit the situation I am in?
Prayer (from the book)
Lord, I can obey you dutifully, but that will not satisfy you. You want my heart. But like Paul I see impulses within me that resist you. Replace my still-stony heart with a heart of flesh. Help me love you and want you. Amen.