November 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 56:

¹Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
²Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
³What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
⁴In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
⁵Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
⁷Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
⁸Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
⁹When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
¹⁰In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
¹¹In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
¹²Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
¹³For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Devotional

God has put enmity between Satan and the woman and be­tween the seed of Satan and the seed of the woman. The wicked, the godless, the unbelievers are the deadly enemies of the children of God and would destroy them if they could. And the children of God are in themselves so weak, that they "cannot stand for a moment against their deadly enemies." Is it any wonder that they are often sore afraid? When the Egyptians came upon the children of Israel at the Red Sea, the Israelites were sore afraid. When Goliath the giant defied Israel, "all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid."

But men are also sore afraid when God reveals some of his glory unto them. When the angel of the Lord came upon the shepherds on Bethlehem's field, "and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; they were sore afraid." The three disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration were sore afraid.

Only when a child of God is assured that God is with him can he put his trust in him and be not afraid. Then he can say, "In God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! there­fore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings." "Precious hiding place, precious hiding place, in the shelter of his love." There we are safe.

Prayer

O Lord, Thou art our strength and fortress, our refuge in the day of affliction. When we are afraid, speak Thou unto us. May we hear Thee say, Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Strengthen us that we may be able to withstand our spiritual enemies. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Ex. 14:10; 1 Sam. 17:24; Luke 2:9; Mark 9:6; Ps. 36:7.

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