January 26, 2017

THE SMOTHERER OF FLAME-SMOTHERERS

Psalm 18:25–50

Danay Robinson
Thursday's Devo

January 26, 2017

Thursday's Devo

January 26, 2017

Central Truth

This life will try to smother your faith and discourage your spirit, but the Lord will always have a promise ready to encourage you and keep you in the race.

Key Verse | Psalm 18:28

For it is you who light my lamp;
the LORD my God lightens my darkness.​
(Psalm 18:28)

Psalm 18:25–50

25  With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26  with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27  For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28  For it is you who light my lamp;
    the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
29  For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30  This God—his way is perfect; 1 18:30 Or blameless
    the word of the LORD proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

31  For who is God, but the LORD?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
32  the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
33  He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
34  He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35  You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36  You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
37  I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38  I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
39  For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40  You made my enemies turn their backs to me, 2 18:40 Or You gave me my enemies' necks
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
41  They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
42  I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

43  You delivered me from strife with the people;
    you made me the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
44  As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    foreigners came cringing to me.
45  Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.

46  The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47  the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me,
48  who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from the man of violence.

49  For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
    and sing to your name.
50  Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.

Footnotes

[1] 18:30 Or blameless
[2] 18:40 Or You gave me my enemies' necks

Dive Deeper | Psalm 18:25–50

To be honest, the season in which I am writing this devotional is a difficult one. I once heard an old saying that as the Bible speaks to us, the Psalms speak for us.

Right now, the psalm speaking for me is Psalm 69:3b, “My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” This cry is rooted in the truth that life is hard. Currently, my soul is unsettled by life and its happenings, and I am exhausted as I wait for my sight and situation to be restored.

Despite the fact that the Lord has gifted me with an incredibly joyful spirit, I’ve felt these unsettled thoughts countless times, and I am confident that you, Reader, have felt them, too. There is one thing that has pulled me out of that dark muck and mire every time—Him. His Word. His truth. His promises.

When Psalm 18:28 (NIV) states that He keeps our lamp burning, it means that, just as our flame of hope starts to dim, and the smothering presence of despair begins to seep in, the Lord re-ignites the flame with a truth like Psalm 126:5: "Those who sow with tears shall reap with shouts of joy." Throw Psalm 34:10 and Psalm 18:30 into the mix and you will soon be looking at the beginnings of a small bonfire.

So, here’s the deal: tomorrow this world will still be a mess. The news will be devastating. I will still grow exhausted as I try to master the multilayered complexities of human relationships. Things will still be difficult.

But what holds more weight than all those upsetting truths is this: He has a promise for every problem. For every item that will smother the flame, there is a truth in His Word ready to restore it.

So, today as I struggle, I can rest confidently that I won’t be here for long. His promise preserves my life, and in His Word I will put my hope. In sorrow and in joy, I accept the challenge to run to One who turns darkness into light.

Discussion Questions

1. What are the most common items that smother your flame? What is your default response to these flame-smotherers? 

2. What is the first verse/promise you turn to when you are struggling?

3. How can your community/church encourage you when you feel that your flame is dwindling? Are you bold enough to ask them to step in?