Most of us eat every day, some of us too much because yesterday's food
is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do some
of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna the word of God to keep us
through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change all of
that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need to live
healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to Your Daily Portion with your host, author
speaker Elle David Harris. Good morning, Good morning, Good morning. It
is Monday, January twenty nine, twenty twenty four. Hello, my name
is El David Harris. I am your host, and this is your Daily
Portion where we give you God's word every single day, and today is no
exception. We are continuing in our lesson study series through the Book of Psalms,
and our caption for today is not something that maybe you're welcoming, but
it is at Death's door. At Death's Door, we'll get into that in
just a moment, but before we do, I'd like to ask you to
please go over to your Daily Portion dot com. Please join our online community,
pick up the Your Daily Portion book, and let us know where you
are in the world at the bottom of the page or really at the top
of your daily portion dot com. It is a way that we can continue
to build faith and fellowship. Let's go ahead and pray, and then we
will get underway. Father and Heaven, thank you for giving us the privilege
of being called by your name. And I'm asking you to please teach us
to serve you, teach us to love you. Father, please teach us
to do your will in all situations. In Jesus' name, I pray,
Amen and Amen again. Well, there is a situation that most people on
planet Earth face, invariably, including God's people. I need you to get
this while I'm saying it. Okay, including God's people, we are not
if we live on planet Earth immune to death. We're not immune to death.
Now, I understand death is a sleep. It is a temporary sleep
for those who are God's people. Like when Jesus returns, He's going to
resurrect his people and then take us to heaven for a thousand years. Understood.
But in the meantime, unfortunately, as we would have seen during the
pandemic, some of God's people will go to sleep because of COVID or complications
from COVID. Yes, Unfortunately, some of God's people will go to sleep
because of car accidents, like my mother. She went to sleep in twenty
twenty because a tractor trailer ran through her vehicle and she did not survive.
There are some of God's people who will suffer because of leukemia and some other
disease that maybe we've not heard of before. Maybe it will be for them
to have a rare situation. You're like, Dave, this sounds so morbid,
Like why are you making this sound so morbid? Well, really and
truly are. Our lives are in God's hands, and the best decision that
we can make at this moment, like four minutes into our discussion this morning,
is to choose to serve God. Choose to serve God, not just
to escape death, but because we only have moments. We don't know how
long will last. Today, like I may not get through this broadcast.
And you're like, Dave, there you go, sounding morbid and pessimistic again.
No, that's not what I'm trying to teach. What I'm saying is
we can maximize and capitalize on and amplify the moment in which we live in
order to make an impact on the world, to make an impact on people
that we see as we go to the gym, as we enjoy ourselves recreational
activities in the worship setting at work. Huh, when we're going out to
eat, we encounter people on the road in a public transportation, encounter people
all day, every day. And God is saying that, whereas we are
humans and no moment is guaranteed to us, that we should maximize each moment
and be of service as much as it is possible. Because the times are
short. We're at death's door almost at all times. Okay, let me
not sit there too much longer. The bottom of the lesson has an interesting
thought. Think about Jesus on the cross and what he suffered because of sin,
and I might add because of our sins. How should that reality that
God in Christ suffered even worse than any of us help us keep faith even
amid times of suffering and trial? Did you get that? So Jesus suffered
on the cross, He suffered because of our sins, an excruciating experience,
and then he died. He suffered saying my God, my God, why
have you forsaken me? Like he felt forsaken by his father, and he
did it for us. He suffered the ripping out of his beard. He
suffered having a crown of thorns on his head and then they beat it onto
his head. He suffered somebody stabbing him in the side and people slapping him.
You understand. He suffered being hung on the cross by his hands or
wrists or whatever is historically accurate, with a nail driven through it and a
nail driven through his feet. And he did it in order to save you
and to save me. And so whatever trial we go through will not measure
the trial that it was for Jesus toime to suffer under the burden of sin,
even though he had never sinned, for him to take on that burden
in order for us to be saved. Oh my, So, how can
we complain when we're going through trials and tribulations? How can we complain when
people say bad things about us? Like? How can we complain when things
seem to be overwhelming and maybe they are right? Rather than to go to
God and say, God, we have seen you do some special things in
the lives of your people in the past. We have seen you do special
things in the life of Jesus Christ as he was living on planet Earth as
a human being, in order to save me, would you please, for
your name's sake, and for the honor of your name and the honor of
Jesus's name. Huh, will you please come through for me? You see,
so now the perspective is different. So let's read now from the Book
of Psalms. I think I've said enough the Book of Psalms, chapter forty
one, and I will read. Beginning at verse one, Bible reads here,
blessed is he that consider it the poor. The Lord will deliver him
out of his trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive.
He shall be blessed upon the earth. And thou wilt not deliver him unto
the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of
languishing. Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. And I said,
Lord, be merciful unto me. Heal my soul, for I have
sinned against thee. And then the Bible continues, and some morbid thoughts from
the enemies of God. But God is attentive to the prayers of his people.
He's attentive to the contrite heart of people who were once walking away from
Him and living evil lifestyles and did dishonor to God's name, and who turned
the shoulder, who turned their backs to sin in their faces to God.
God is a tent unto their prayers. And He can transform you, brothers
and sisters. He can transform me in a moment, in an instant of
time, as long as we simply make a decision to serve him. So
he is not turning his back on the poor, He is not turning his
back on the suffering. He is not turning his back on any people group
on planet Earth who has suffered privation and death at the hands of other people.
He is always watching. He does not slumber, He does not sleep.
These prayers of salvation from illness and death demonstrate that God's children are not
exempt from these kinds of trials. Right The Psalms reveal the Psalmist's terrible afflictions.
He was without strength, He was withering like grass, unable to eat,
set apart with the dead, lying like slain in the grave, repulsed
by his friends or being repulsive to his friends, suffering and in despair,
his bones did cling to his skin, and God permitted the trouble. But
guess what, trouble will not last always, no matter what we go through
on planet Earth, if we will surrender our will to God and not turn
back. At the end of all things, sometimes we get relief from certain
suffering on planet Earth. But regardless of that, as the children, those
young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace, they said, if God
does not deliver us, we still won't bow, because ultimately, one day,
when Jesus does return, he will give us the reward for which Jesus
is worthy. So yeah, death is at our door, but life eternal
is greater. If a wonderful day. Thanks for joining us listening. Friends,
Always remember we cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God. This has been your daily portion with el
David Harris. Make it a great day. Yeah,