Hope in God

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Psalm 43:1-5. The Psalmist begs God to judge him, to plead his case against the enemy and deliver him. He says, God is his strength or refuge and asks why God has rejected him. Have you ever felt like God has deserted you? Have you ever wondered if He heard your prayers?

The Psalmist asks God to shine His light and truth on him and to lead him to God’s dwelling place. He says God is his joy. He declares he will praise God with his harp. Have you ever felt discouraged or depressed due to your circumstances? The Psalmist reminds himself and us to have hope in God and praise Him. He proclaims that God is his helper.

I can tell you from personal experience that if somehow you can stop focusing on your situations and put your focus on God and praise Him, He will encourage you and help you get through your situation. As long as you focus on your circumstances you will be defeated, but when you switch your focus to God your circumstances have to take a back seat. God is bigger than all of our circumstances.

In the book of Esther, the circumstances of the Jewish people were devastating. They were in sackcloth and ashes worrying about their future. Esther asked them to spend three days with her fasting and praying and God turned their situation around. They took their focus off of their circumstances and put their focus, trust, and faith in God and He saw them through their situation. Have you put your hope in God?

 

Daily Bible Reading:

Psalm 43:1-5

1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

 

Things to think about:

• Have you ever been distressed because of your circumstances?
• Did you refocus and put your eyes on God?
• Has God helped you to get through a difficult situation?
• If you are going through a difficult time now put your focus on God and He will help you get through it.

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for this Scripture in the book of Psalms. We thank You that no matter what we are going through with Your help we can make it. Help us to put our faith, trust, and hope in You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Excerpt from: PURIM Celebration: 28 Daily Devotionals by Deborah H. Bateman and Friends

If you haven’t read the story of Esther and learned what she had to do with Purim check out my book:

The Book of Esther: A Story of Love and Favor

 

FREE EBOOK Giveaway

PURIM Celebration: 28 Daily Devotionals

by Deborah H. Bateman and Friends

FREE Friday 2/26 – Tuesday 3/02

Go to: http://bookShow.me/B00B8X1SAE

Get your copy now!

 

Featured Book:

PURIM Celebration: 28 Daily Devotionals

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

PURIM Celebration: 28 Daily Devotionals is a Daily Bible Reading Study Book by Deborah H. Bateman and friends. It is a compilation of 28 Daily Devotionals by Deborah and fourteen of her author and writer friends.

Purim is a holiday that was started back in the days of Queen Esther and is still celebrated today. Deborah took the letters of PURIM and created categories for the contributors to write about:

• P=Praise
• U=Un-forgiveness or Forgiveness
• R=Relationships
• I=Inspirational
• M=Marriage

One of the traditions of Purim is giving gifts to the poor. In light of that tradition we have decided that a portion of the proceeds of this book will go to charity.

PURIM Celebration was created as part of Deborah’s Book Launch for her book: The Book of Esther: A Story of Love and Favor which was published in 2012.

PURIM Celebration includes devotionals from: Mary Pacheco, Penny Zeller, Katherine Harms, Dave Moore, Marlo Schalesky, Judith Robl, Lynn Dove, Buffy Crabtree, Deborah McCarragher, Shawn Lamb, Serge Roux-Levrat, Lily Brenner, Heidi Faith, and Lisa Buffaloe. The book is edited by Lisa Lickel, one of my friends in the John 3:16 Networking Group.

Some of the contributors are from the John 3:16 Network Marketing group Deborah belongs to. Some of the writers are from a coaching program that Deborah participates in. One of the authors is from the Palmetto Christian Writer’s Network Deborah is a member of. The rest of the writers and authors are friends Deborah has made over the past few years online.

Go to: Amazon

Get your copy now!

 

Click Here to Subscribe to Deborah H. Bateman author site to receive Daily Bible Reading Lessons in your inbox.

 

Christian Music Video:

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us for Bible Study.

 

Have a blessed day,

Deborah

Recipe for Life