Here in Acts 2, God keeps His word and completely empowers the disciples to fulfill the mission He gave them. Their inadequacy only highlights the all-sufficient power of God to accomplish His purposes. Take heart! God keeps His Word. He fulfills His promises, and He completely empowers us to accomplish His mission for us.
In our culture, "success" is often based on productivity. We feel a sense of fulfillment when we get a lot done. But is that truly success? Has God called us to productivity? No, true success is complete dependence upon our Sovereign God. Listen to consider how we can find success in our mission through complete dependence on our Sovereign God.
When we get "off mission" we tend to grind our wheels trying to accomplish things, but it's forced, difficult, and discouraging. The book of Acts reminds us of our mission in this age between Jesus' first coming and His second coming. He put us here for a reason - at this exact moment - to complete our mission. We are to witness to the world that Jesus is the Savior!
When we remember God's presence and provision, we find contentment. That's exactly what David does in Psalm 65. Find contentment in the worship of God's perfect provision and learn to praise the God Who answers prayer with abundant satisfaction.
In Psalm 64, David compares hurtful words to deadly arrows. His enemies use their words to tear him down, incite violence, and even scheme for his demise. David is afraid. As he turns to the Lord and asks for help, he remembers Who is truly in charge and rejoices in that truth.
Dry, barren, parched, empty, dead. These descriptions of a physical wilderness can feel all-too-real in our spiritual lives as well. As we follow David's example in Psalm 63, we learn to seek God for satisfaction that overflows in worship.
When the sources of stability in our lives begin to shake, we shake right along with them. That's why David encourages us, in Psalm 62, to steady our souls on God alone. He only is our rock and salvation.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed and far from God, then Psalm 61 is for you. Here, David feels far from God. He cries "from the end of the earth!" Not only that, his "heart is overwhelmed." Yet He asks God to lead him to the rock that is higher than him.
God wants us to get involved in the worldwide harvest of souls!
David felt broken and abandoned. Yet through the course of this Psalm, David remembers God's Word and renews his confidence in God. By God's word, David goes from despair to confidence! When you feel broken and abandoned, renew your confidence in God.
In Psalm 59, David is being stalked by evil men who want to take his life, and he compares them to dogs who prowl and growl through the night. Yet David looks to God. Consider how we, when stalked by evil, look to the God of steadfast love to be our strength and fortress.
David reminds us that God is the righteous judge of the earth. This key truth teaches us how to respond to the wicked injustices in this life. We grieve, we pray, and ultimately we look forward to God's righteous judgment.
In Psalm 55, David experiences the betrayal of a close friend - someone he had taken "sweet counsel" with many times. In that betrayal, David turns to God in prayer, and he encourages the reader to do the same - to "cast your burden on the Lord" believing that "He will sustain you."