NorMel House Devotions

Psalm 14: The Fool Says, There Is No God Poetry often springs from strong emotions, love and anger, longing and defeat, laments and cries for help; with the right words, an author can stir the readers' emotions. It’s easy to be moved by poetry that puts words to our emotions when we ourselves cannot seem to express them. The Psalms are filled with emotion, and while many start in lament, most end in praising God. When we feel as though God isn’t answering us, we need to remember that God’s timing is perfect and He always hears the prayers of His children. It’s quite possible the answer to your prayer is “not yet” or “no”. Regardless of the answer, we need to trust in God’s unfailing love for His people. He will do what’s best for His children, whether we understand it or not. Many of us feel the need to “talk out” our problems. It helps us to organize our thoughts and release some of the emotions we’re holding on to. As Christians, we have the perfect friend and counsellor. God wan...

Thanksgiving. A word we all know and even celebrate. On Thanksgiving Day, we often ask each other what we're thankful for, but thanksgiving and thankfulness are not exactly the same. Thankfulness is an internal feeling, an emotion or state of being pleased and appreciative, that should resonate deeply within us and inspire genuine faith and humility. Thanksgiving is the active, outward expression or communication of that feeling. Basically put, thankfulness is the feeling; thanksgiving is the resulting action.  The Bible says a lot about thanksgiving; as Christians, we ought to be characterized by thankfulness and intentional in our thanksgiving. We can be thankful about something without showing thanksgiving, but that ought not to be; the Bible tells us in Colossians 2:6-7, " Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. "  Think of thankfulnes...

 Psalm 13: How long, O LORD? “I’m at the end of my rope!” “I’m running on empty.” “I’m just done.” Do any of those sound familiar? We all go through difficult times; many of us even face despair when we feel like we can’t go on. It feels as though the weight of the world is on our shoulders, and the burden is more than we can handle. Life can be tough, but as Christians, we have Someone we can lay it all on. Someone who carries us and always provides us with what we need. David was obviously struggling when he wrote Psalm 13. The psalms include several laments he wrote, beseeching God to act on his behalf. He poured out his heart before God, even as he wrestled with impatience and possibly doubt. David felt alone and abandoned and sought the only One who could truly help and comfort him. Despite the way he felt, he knew God would never “ forget ” His people, but in his struggles, he needed God to help him feel the comfort of the gospel. Sometimes in life, we too may str...

Psalm 12: The Faithful Have Vanished Just as Elijah cried out to God in his loneliness in 1 Kings 19, so too does David in Psalm 12. Both men felt they were the only ones left who were still faithful to God. All around them they saw lying, boasting, and deceit, and so they brought it before the only God, the God of justice and righteousness. Psalm 12 is a profound lament that recognizes the breakdown of truth and integrity in society. There are times in life when we too struggle with loneliness and the wickedness of the world around us. We may go through times and situations where we feel surrounded by hatred, evil, and violence. But we are never alone. God answered Elijah’s cries and told him there were 7000 other faithful servants still in Israel. God promises He will never abandon or forsake His children. We are reassured of this in Psalm 94:14, which says, “ For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage .” When we feel alone, we need to bring it t...

Psalm 11 – The Lord is in His Holy Temple There aren’t too many people in 1 st- world countries who will know what it's like to have to flee for their life because of injustice. David, however, was forced to flee for his life on more than one occasion. Though he was God’s anointed king, we know Saul forced David to run, and later, so did his own son, Absalom. When people go through trials, we're quick to doubt God and question why. David, however, remained firm and steadfast in his faith in God. Though men sought to kill him, he didn’t run out of fear; in wisdom he avoided conflict that would have resulted in many deaths. In verses 1-3, David seems to be responding to advisors who told him to flee because they were afraid. They looked at the situation, saw what the wicked were doing, and asked, “ What can the righteous do? ” (Psalm 11:3). Persecution is hard enough on its own; David's advisors made it that much harder by doubting the only One who could save them. God pu...

  Psalm 10: Why Do You Hide Yourself? There are times in life when we feel alone, as if we carry the weight of the world and oppression on our shoulders, with no end in sight. From our limited view, it seems there is no one to help us in our struggles and difficulties in this life. We may even feel as if God is too far away, or that He has forgotten us. In verse 1 of Psalm 10, it would seem as if the writer felt this way; however, if we read the entire Psalm, we can see that he isn’t complaining. The writer is asking God to hasten to his aid. There’s an expression I’ve come to love: Pray hardest when it’s hardest to pray. When we struggle the most, when we feel alone or oppressed, we need to continue turning to our gracious God. We need to tell Him all our hurts, struggles, and feelings, and ask Him to give us a right heart and to give us wisdom, comfort, and strength. Who do you turn to in times of need? If you have a strong relationship with God, then you will bring everythin...

Psalm 9: I will recount Your wonderful deeds In Psalm 9, David once again praises God and expresses joy for all that God has done. His heart is filled with thankfulness for who God is and all “His wonderful deeds” . Like David, we ought to be thankful for God’s divinity, His awesome work, and unfathomable power. A truly thankful heart can’t help but express that thankfulness in word and in deed; the more we know who God is, the more thankful we will be. God desires a living relationship with His people and has therefore given us ways to get to know Him. Not only has He given us His word, but Romans 1:19-20 tells us, 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. When we learn to see how awe-inspiring, loving, just, and gracious He is we o...

Psalm 8: How great is our awesome God! Ever heard the expression “a childlike faith”? There’s a reason that we, as Christians, talk about having faith like a child: children can trust and praise God without hesitation, reservation, or doubt. As adults, we ought to desire and ask God for this kind of faith because, often, the older we get, the more cynical and distrustful we can be. There’s something truly beautiful about seeing a child singing loudly, praising God with great enthusiasm. They have no barriers; they don’t worry about how they sound; they sing praise to God with their whole heart. David starts Psalm 8 with the same unfettered love; he praises God and acknowledges God’s glory and majesty. This is how our days and prayers ought to start. David points out the stark contrast between the open praise that comes from children and the failure of those who oppose God. Though children are considered the weakest in our society, the praise that passes their lips is a strong and p...

Psalm 7 – In You do I take refuge (see below) Persecution comes in many forms. In Psalm 7, David cries out to God because people were making false accusations against him and wanted him dead. He feared them as one fears a lion, afraid they would tear him apart. This is not an unusual encounter for God’s children; In Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus said, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Many verses in the Bible remind us that anyone who follows Christ will be persecuted. John 16:33 tells us, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We know that this life won’t be easy; the type of p...

My father once said, "There's no artist like The Artist," and that sentence has stuck with me ever since. It's what comes to mind when I see a beautiful sunset or a blooming flower; indeed, so much of creation reminds me of God's power. The overwhelming sense of grandeur when standing on the edge of a canyon, or hearing the thunder boom, is a gift. It's incredible to think of all the amazing, intricate,  and beautiful things God has, and continues to, give.  Everyone has been given talents, but I find myself drawn to the ones that evoke feelings and emotions. I admit I'm a little envious of those whose talents lie in the arts. Hearing a beautiful voice singing, or a well-played instrument, or absorbing the beauty of a painting or sculpture, can have a profound impact on one's emotions. So often I find peace in the beauty of this world that our awesome God has created. Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above procla...