Daily Devotionals

2 Peter 3:3–4

Nine-year-old Danny burst out of Sunday school, eyes darting in every direction trying to locate his mom or dad. After a quick search, he grabbed his daddy by the leg and yelled, “Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!”His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him about it.

Psalm 27:4–6

When fear has us in its icy grip, we quickly turn toward self-preservation. We hope to avoid loss, escape pain, or cheat death. Not David! His composition, preserved for us as Psalm 27, gives priority to eternal matters. Verses 4–6 revolve around the idea of David’s desire to maintain constant, intimate fellowship with his Lord.

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD

Psalm 27:1–3

As David faced his fears and expressed them to God in Psalm 27, he began with worship, celebrating the power and faithfulness of his God.

Declaration of praise

The key to the entire song is verse 1. It consists of two similar sentences, each ending with a rhetorical question.

Psalm 27:1–14

Psalm 26:9–12

As David concludes his song about the grinding pain of unjust treatment and his chosen responses, he then commits to patience.

Resolved: I will patiently stand and wait for relief (vv.9–12)

Do not take my soul away along with sinners,

Nor my life with men of bloodshed, In whose hands is a wicked scheme,

And whose right hand is full of bribes.

But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;

Redeem me, and be gracious to me.

Psalm 26:8

David's prayer for protection while enduring mistreatment didn't merely ask God for help; the king's song included a commitment on his part.

1. Resolved: I will be faithful in public worship (v.8)

O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house

And the place where Your glory dwells.

Psalm 26:4–7

King David knew the sting of unjust treatment as keenly as anyone in history. To keep mistreatment from undermining his relationship with God, he put some resolutions into a song. Having committed to remaining open before the Lord and to remembering His love, David committed to letting God be the judge of others' sin.

1. Resolved: I will refuse the temptation to get even (vv. 4–5)

I do not sit with deceitful men,

Nor will I go with pretenders.

I hate the assembly of evildoers,

Psalm 26:2-3

As David endured unfair treatment despite his doing what was right, He cried out to God in the verses of Psalm 26. As we read his anguished lyrics, we will uncover some resolutions David made which kept him (and will keep us) from slipping into bitterness and resentment during times of mistreatment.

Psalm 26:1

If I were asked to give a popular title to Psalm 26, it would be: "How to Do Right When You've Been Done Wrong."

Psalm 23:6

As David brings his song of the sheep to a close, having reflected on the Lord'sfaithful care throughout his life, he then considers his future.

Verse six