A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose in me.”

Psalm 138:8a

Assured in His Purpose

David had total assurance in his heart that he would not leave this world until he had completed everything that was laid out for him to complete. He knew very well the mission he had been given on earth. He had also seen how God supernaturally intervened on his behalf when he was going through the different trials in his life. In the times that he experienced his deepest despair, he cried out to God. God gave him the victory, and covered him with a new desire to keep moving forward. David knew that God would not leave him halfway on the journey. He knew that God was going to be with him right up until the end of his life.

I have set up a lamp for my anointed one” (Psalm 132:17b). David determined not to rest until he had established a house for the Lord. This desire became like a great burden to him. Day and night he looked for divine direction. David longed to know the place that God would choose to establish His dwelling place. When he was able to hear God’s voice, it was revealed to him that the countryside was to be the place where His temple was going to be. Then, he entered into the tabernacle and bowed before the presence of the Lord in worship. Later David talked to Jehovah saying, “Arise, LORD, and come to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. May Your priests be clothed with Your righteousness; may Your faithful people sing for joy. For the sake of Your servant David, do not reject Your anointed one” (Psalm 132:8-10). This Psalm shows the power of God’s covenant with David. God promised that David’s descendants would be seated as kings on the throne forever. David’s desire was to see God’s faithfulness to His covenant. God reminded him that Zion was the place where he would find rest and from there, the abundant blessing would come to His children. Through this He was going to satisfy even the most needy person in that nation.

“Praise the LORD my Rock,who trains my hands for war,my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge,who subdues peoples under me” (Psalm 144:1-2). The rock symbolizes protection, strength, security, and rest. The psalmist declared that God was his rock.

While we are on this earth, we will have to overcome battles in the spiritual world because the powers of darkness always try to remove us from God’s divine purpose. We need to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit that speaks to us through His Word, and maintain a lifestyle of prayer in order to be protected from the snares of the enemy. The Lord Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Something to Think About

Many years ago, a member of Dr. Cho’s church came to see him. This man told Dr. Cho that he had had a dream about him. The man said, “In the dream I had, you gave me money to start my company.” Dr. Cho responded, “What a dream!” Smiling, he put his hand into his pocket and took out five dollars. He gave it to the man and said, “Here, go and start your dream.” Puzzled the man looked at him and replied, “Five dollars? What sort of company can you start with just five dollars?” Dr. Cho said, “Go and buy salt, pack it in plastic bags and sell it; that is how you are going to start your business.” Even though this man was completely baffled and did not really believe, he was obedient. He went to the grocery store and bought some salt. He re-packed it, and began selling it. Today, the company he began with Dr. Cho’s five dollars is now the third largest salt producer in Seoul, Korea.

Prayer

“Eternal God, we ask that You would bless us with Your love and with Your truth. We know that we cannot boast about our righteousness because we are like filthy rags before Your eyes. We are fully aware that the greatest demonstration of mercy was expressed through Jesus. Just like David, who found his refuge under Your wings so that even though he was king, he preferred the security of Your protection to that of his palace. I also desire your protection over my life. Thank You for Your love and safety. Amen.”

Declaration

“I know that God will protect me and help me until I have completely fulfilled His purpose on this earth.”

Today’s Bible Reading

Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.