>From: "rishie" <[log in to unmask]>


>I'm not qualified to write devotionals as such, I'm no pastor or bible
>scholar, just a child of God studying His word, but I felt lead to do this
>so here goes:
>
>Psalm 18, 1-19: NLV says:


>1 I love You, O Lord, my strength.
>2 The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me 
>out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my 
>safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower.
>3 I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am 
>saved from those who hate me.
>4 The ropes of death were all around me. The floods of death make me afraid.
>5 The ropes of the grave were all around me. The traps of death were 
>set for me.
>6 I called to the Lord in my trouble. I cried to God for help. He 
>heard my voice from His holy house. My cry for help came into His ears.
>7 Then the earth shook. The mountains were shaking. They shook 
>because He was angry.
>8 Smoke went out from His nose and the fire that kept coming from 
>His mouth burned everything around it.
>9 He parted the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under His feet.
>10 He sat upon a cherub and flew. He travelled on the wings of the wind.
>11 He made darkness His hiding place, the covering around Him, the 
>dark rain clouds of the sky.
>12 Through the light before Him passed His dark clouds, hail stones and fire.
>13 The Lord made thunder in the heavens. The voice of the Most High 
>spoke out, hail stones and fire.
>14 He sent out His arrows and divided them. He threw down lightning 
>and sent them running.
>15 Then the deep part of the sea could be seen. And the deep part of 
>the earth was opened up, because of Your sharp words, O Lord, 
>because of the powerful breath from Your nose.
>16 He sent from above, and took me. He lifted me out of many waters.
>17 He took me away from the powerful one who fights against me, and 
>from those who hated me. They were too strong for me.
>18 They stood against me in the day of my trouble. But the Lord was 
>my strength.
>19 He brought me out into a big place. He gave me a safe place, 
>because He was pleased with me.
>
>The first thing I notice when I read this is the immense and awesome power
>of God. he is truly worthy of reverence and respect. Look at how much
>power he has at his disposal!


>11 He made darkness His hiding place, the covering around Him, the 
>dark rain clouds of the sky.
>12 Through the light before Him passed His dark clouds, hail stones and fire.
>13 The Lord made thunder in the heavens. The voice of the Most High 
>spoke out, hail stones and fire.
>14 He sent out His arrows and divided them. He threw down lightning 
>and sent them running.
>15 Then the deep part of the sea could be seen. And the deep part of 
>the earth was opened up, because of Your sharp words, O Lord, 
>because of the powerful breath from Your nose.
>
>One verse that I love is found in Hebrews:
>Hebrews 1:3.
>The Son shines with the shining-greatness of the Father. The Son is 
>as God is in every way. It is the Son Who holds up the whole world 
>by the power of His Word.

>How powerful is our God! His word alone holds everything together. He is
>worthy of our honour and worship.
>
>The other thing I notice from the scripture reading is that God is on our
>side and He is powerful enough to answer all our prayers.


>3 I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be 
>saved from my enemies.
>4 The cords or bands of death surrounded me, and the streams of 
>ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me.
>5 The cords of Sheol (the place of the dead) surrounded me; the 
>snares of death confronted and came upon me.
>6 In my distress [when seemingly closed in] I called upon the Lord 
>and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple (heavenly 
>dwelling place), and my cry came before Him, into His [very] ears.
>7 Then the earth quaked and rocked, the foundations also of the 
>mountains trembled; they moved and were shaken because He was 
>indignant and angry.
>[amp]
>
>And further down we read:


>16 He reached from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
>17 He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated and 
>abhorred me, for they were too strong for me.
>18 They confronted and came upon me in the day of my calamity, but 
>the Lord was my stay and support.
>19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me 
>because He was pleased with me and delighted in me. [amp]
>
>So we see that God is not only willing, but able, to help us when we 
>are in need. there is no need of ours too big for God to meet, and 
>there is no need too small for Him to worry about.
>
>The last verse of a song I really like called "Be Still" goes like this:
>
>"Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place,
>He comes to cleanse and heal, to minister His grace.
>No work too hard for Him, in faith receive from Him,
>Be still, for the power of the Lord is moving in this place."
>
>
>Let us pray:

>Father, I thank You that You are Sovereign, You know everything that 
>we are going through, and You are in control. Thank You that You 
>want us to pray to You, and You have promised in your word that 
>"Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it and you 
>will", so we stand on Your promises and bring our needs to You with 
>thanksgiving. Help us to put our trust completely in You. We thank 
>You for Your awesome love and Your faithfulness. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
>
>[scriptures taken from the New Life Version and the Amplified Bible.]
>
>Best wishes from
>Rishie Crookshanks and Speedy.
>Skype: rishie01.
>*****
>He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. [Psalm 147:3]
>*****
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