sorrow – herbcotton.org

When God Turned My Weeping Into Joy

Text:

Matthew 26:35 (HCSB)

35 “Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Matthew 26:36-38 (HCSB)

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

37 Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

38 Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow—to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with Me.”

Matthew 26:40 (HCSB)

40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with Me one hour?

Observation:

Ecclesiastes 11:1 (KJV)

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Today, I share a devotional I wrote in March 2012. It came to my attention because someone read it yesterday. I was prompted to read it because my wife died six days after I wrote this, and I was curious about what was on my heart that day. This is what I wrote that day in March 2012. The Word came back to bless me, and I share it with a prayer that it will bless you.

The Word of God for encouragement today touches me in a place where I am very needy. Living in the world is hard for me, but not for my heavenly Father. The bible says that, “Nothing is too difficult for God”.

Jesus could not depend upon even the promises of his most trusted disciples. In his hour of deepest need he had a resource that never fails.

The source of Jesus’ strength to obey came from his relationship with God the Father.

What a powerful lesson and example Jesus has left for us. In the time of our greatest need, we can go to God in prayer, and find the strength we need to do God’s will.

John 17:26 (HCSB)

26 I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that I have the same privilege to pray that Jesus had to pray.

Father God, I pray that I will be as devoted to prayer that my Savior was devoted to prayer. If ever God’s people needed to pray, it seems to me that we need to pray during these trying and difficult times. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

What Do You Do When You Are In the Wilderness?

Text:

Psalm 63:1-6 (KJV)

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Observation:

This Psalm was written when David was experiencing one of the wilderness experiences in his life.

If you have been there, you know that these experiences can really be painful.

Our focal passage for today reveals where our focus should be to move us from pain to pleasure. David used the circumstance of being in the wilderness to take inventory of his life.

In doing this inventory David discovered three important things that he still had in the midst of his pain. This is what he remembered.

He still had his God. When you have God He is all you need.

Psalm 63:2 (KJV)

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

He still had his song. Singing will get you through your pain. It’s always a good thing to sing praises to God.

Psalm 63:4 (KJV)

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

He still had his joy. Your circumstances may rob you of happiness, but you can have joy in the midst of your circumstances. You can have joy in the Lord always; anytime and anywhere.

Psalm 63:6 (KJV)

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Prayer:

Father, we give glory and honor to You. Father, we are grateful for the grace that allows us to know You, and be known by You.

Father, we thank You for the encouragement that we get from the Psalms. Father, we pray for those who are currently going through a wilderness experience in their life.

Father, I pray that they will find hope and help in the inventory that David took in his wilderness experience. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

In Times Like These We Need A Lifter

Text:

Psalm 91:1-6 (ESV)

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Observation:

Where do you turn when you need more help than man can give you? Consider the conditions described in the previous Psalm.

Psalm 90:3-6 (ESV)

3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”

4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:

6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

What a blessing it is to turn from the darkness of reading Psalm 90, to the sunlight of Psalm 91. We number our years, but it is much wiser to number our days because life is lived one day at a time.

There is a safe haven; there is one we can turn to for deliverance from the brevity of our days, and the darkness our nights. We can turn to God.

Psalm 91:2 (HCSB)

2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Is the Lord your refuge? You need to know the Lord before the day of trouble comes upon you. Notice that the Psalmist knew the Lord, and was accustomed to being in His presence.

Psalm 91:1 (HCSB)

1 The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.

Why not make it a practice to draw near to God, and live in His presence all of the days of your life. What He did for the Psalmist, He will do for you.

Psalm 91:9-11 (HCSB)

9 Because you have made the LORD—my refuge, the Most High—your dwelling place,

10 no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.

Prayer:

Father, O how we love that we have the privilege of living daily in Your presence.

Father, we delight to be able live in the security of the everlasting arms of our God. Father, teach us to number our days, to live wisely, and to walk humbling with our God. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

What Is Your Response to Chaos?

Text:

Isaiah 26:8-9 (ESV)

8 In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.

9 My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Observation:

Have you experienced an unusual amount of chaos recently? The Bible tells us that there would be days, and seasons similar to what you are experiencing.

2 Timothy 3:1 (AMP)

1 BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

What should be the response of believers in times like these? I find in the reading of our text, and life experiences some guidance. It involves taking the upward look.

In verse eight of our text Isaiah says, “Your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul”.

In verse nine Isaiah says, “My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you”.

The Lord’s heart and hands are not far from His people. He longs to have His people draw near to Him.

1 Peter 3:12 (ESV)

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

There is nothing that comforts the soul during times of great stress, and trouble than singing praise to God. One of the songs I love to sing is this one by Valerie Boyd.

“My soul loves Jesus,

my soul loves Jesus,

my soul loves Jesus;

Bless His name.

He’s a wonder in my soul,

He’s a wonder in my soul;

Bless His name.”

Prayer:

Father, I unite my voice with the Psalmist, and all of Your people who agree, in lifting up my voice in praise and adoration of Your most holy, and righteous name.

Father, if Your people ever needed the nearness of Your presence, the time is now. Father, you are the desire of our soul; Lord, we seek Your face, and long for Your tender heart, and strong hands to give us Your peace in exchange for the stress and chaos we are facing. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

How Do You Handle Your Trials and Troubles?

Text:

1 Peter 5:6-11 (ESV)

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Observation:

There is hardly a day that goes by when I am not presented with a request to pray for some person that has a pressing need in their life.

I’m learning not just to say a prayer for that person, but I’m learning how to cast all of my cares upon the one who cares for them and for me more than anyone on earth or in heaven. I’m learning that prayer is the most that we can do, and I’m learning how to take my faith in God to a new level. To see God as He alone is willing and able to care for all of our our anxieties.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer:

Father, I am so thankful that you have prodded me by the Holy Spirit to think on this topic, and to write and talk about it to you, and to others.

Father, I pray that you would increase my faith; Lord, increase the faith of all my brothers and sisters, until we all take our faith to another level; to the point where we are willing to cast all of our cares upon You. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

How to Handle Sorrow and Grief

Text:

Psalm 31:9-10 (NLT)
9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away.
10 I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.

Observation:

David was experiencing a great deal of sorrow and grief in his life; he had enemies who lied about him, pursued him, and set a net to catch him. Being faced with this difficulty he faced this question. Where can I turn for help?

The inspiration of turning to this Psalm was a song I was listening to as I was driving and listing to music on my tape. The song playing was, “I Must Tell Jesus”.

When I got home I looked up the history of this song. Briefly, this is what I found. The song was written by Elisha Albright Hoffman (1839-1929). He was a pastor and was visiting in the home of a woman who was experiencing much sorrow and affliction.

He tried doing everything he knew to do to comfort her, but nothing in his tool box seemed to work. At the end of himself he said, “You must tell Jesus” After contemplation the woman said, “Yes, I must tell Jesus”.

The pastor went home, and wrote the lyrics to the hymn, “I Must Tell Jesus”.

No matter what we are facing in our lives, we are always welcomed to bring all of our cares to Jesus. In Him you will find someone who loves you unconditionally, and who is ready to show you compassion. And, yes, He is able to help you.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I am so thankful for the promise that Your presence is enough to meet all of my needs. Lord Jesus, I am so grateful for the divine presence, provisions, and power of God in the lives of His people. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Song:

I must tell Jesus all of my trials;

I cannot bear these burdens alone;

In my distress He kindly will help me;

He ever loves and cares for His own.

Source: https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/787