NorMel House Devotions

  PSALM 16: You Will Not Abandon My Soul.  Psalm 16 is a song of joy and praise. David rejoices not only for all that God has given him but also for who God is. He joyfully shares the beauty of God’s character, thankful that God is our security and strength. God is our refuge (vs 1). The dictionary defines a refuge as a “safe place, state or source of protection, shelter, or relief from danger, trouble or hardship.” This shows that God’s character is deeply personal, reliable, strong, and protective of His people. A refuge is no good if you can't reach it. As a refuge, God shows that He isn’t a distant or detached deity; He is accessible and has a personal relationship with those who seek Him. Being a refuge also shows that God is unchanging and secure; a physical fortress can crumble, but God is an unshakeable, permanent reality. Being our refuge means that no matter how bad our situation is, God’s power, faithfulness, and presence are a steady, reliable anchor for His people...

 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...

Psalm 6: My soul is greatly troubled. God’s wrath against sin is great and something that unrepentant sinners should truly fear. David was very ill, and people were saying that his sickness was a punishment from God for his sin. He was greatly disturbed by this and afraid of dying because of his sins. David wept and pleaded with God because he did not want to die in his sin; he wanted to live in remembrance of and praise to God. There are times in our lives when we, like David, live in fear. We may fear the possibility that our sins are so great that they’re unforgivable, or we may be afraid of what lies ahead in our future. When we struggle with our health, or disputes and controversies with others, or perhaps even the consequences of our own sins, we may, like David, fear death, but also the possibility that we may fall further into our sin and then be punished by God for it. As believers, these fears are often misplaced; Jesus took God’s full wrath against all sin. “For our sake...

Psalm 5 –  LEAD ME IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (See Below) Psalm 5 is a lament but also a reminder of who God is. He is our King and our God. He is just but also shows steadfast love and preserves His children. This should have a profound effect on how we live our lives. Our relationship with God is the most important one in our lives, and as such, we ought to make it our priority. You’ll notice that both Psalm 4 and Psalm 5 start with a cry for help at different times of the day. Psalm 4 speaks of going to sleep in peace, whereas Psalm 5 reminds us that God hears our prayers in the morning. These prayers show us that we ought to start and end our day with prayer. Prayer is how we communicate with God and therefore an important part of our relationship with Him. Prayer not only helps us grow in our relationship with God, but it also allows us to commit our whole lives to Him. Every morning we can start fresh; before the chaos of our lives fills our minds with other things, we are bless...