Today is Valeria’s birthday.
God has given me such a great, humble, encouraging, loving, and believing wife. I am truly undeserving of her. The boys and I have been trying to serve her kindly all day- since the other 364 days of the year she does that for us.

In honor of Valeria and her birthday, I am posting a devotional she has recently written from Psalm 60. Be Blessed!
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Psalm 60:1-5
“Save with Your right hand, and answer me, so that those You love may be rescued.” (Psalm 60:5)

 Psalm 60 is an earnest prayer made by David in the time of much calamity.  The first verses of the Psalm depict a people who feel rejected, suffer hardship and are living with the anger of God towards them.  Oh, how many times have we felt just that?  Through difficulties in this life, we often feel that God has cast us off.  Yet the mindset of David, even in his time of trouble, deserves our imitation.  He did not fail to see the hand of God.  It was God who made his people suffer hardship (v.3).  The beautiful thing about this is that God’s hand is upon the believer’s life all the time.  Just as David recognized God’s hand during the difficulty, he quickly recognizes that God has also given hope.  God has provided a signal flag- a banner- under which His people can find refuge and rally up to strive against opposition.  There is hope for the people of God.  The phrase David uses to refer to himself and the people of God in verse 5 is striking—“those You love.”  Even after clearly indicating God’s rejection and displeasure towards His people, David is confident of God’s love towards them.  His plea is desperate, yet with hope and standing firm on the fact that God’s love for His people is always there.

 Holy God, You are a mighty God, reigning over my life.  I know that all the days of my life are in Your hands.  Help me to have hope and be assured of your love no matter what comes my way.  Amen
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