READING: Psalms 41-45, Romans 8:18-9:5
As a young preacher boy, I loved preaching the Word. I’m sure I was terrible at it, but I couldn’t wait to open the Bible and teach it. One of the things I loved was watching folks nod in agreement if they agreed with my points.
I still love preaching the Word—now more than ever. And, I still love it when eyes light up when others hear and understand the Bible. What I’ve learned over the years, though, is that I need to preach the gospel to myselfmuch more often. I need to hear and apply the gospel to my own life as much as I want others to apply it to their lives.
Psalms 42 and 43 reflect this same kind of thinking. For some reason, the psalmist did not have access to worship in the temple. He remembered times when he used to sing on his way there, but now he could not get there. Meanwhile, his enemies taunted him and grief characterized him. Waterfalls of despair swept over him – that is, until he began to preach the Word to himself: “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psa 42:5, 11; 43:5).
Three times he asked himself the same questions, and he reminded himself to put his hope in God and continue to praise Him. In faith, he looked forward to coming to the temple again to worship God, his “greatest joy” (Psa 43:4).
PRAYER: “God, be my greatest joy—and help me to turn to You daily.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Review and catch-up day
