Daily Devotions
Monday, August 11, 2025
Psalm 119:86-88 – All Your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me! They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken Your precepts. In Your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of Your mouth.
In the psalms and all throughout Scripture we often find descriptions placed in contrast to one another. The righteous are compared to the wicked. Jesus brings light to a world lost in the darkness of sin. Those who are wise stand in sharp contrast to foolish people. God’s truth is opposed to Satan’s lies. In these psalm verses we also find things in opposition. The absolute certainty and truth of God’s Word—testimonies directly from the mouth of God—stand in sharp contrast to the falsehood of those who persecute God’s people.
Such contrasts are not limited to Scripture. When we look at the world around us, we see the same things in opposition. Christians may face the false accusations of unbelievers. Although we do not face the deadly persecution known by many believers, when even owning a Bible or meeting with fellow Christians may result in imprisonment or death, we are confronted daily by a culture of unbelief. Many people dismiss the truth of God’s Word and His design for the world and the people He created. They do not want to admit that they have a Creator to whom they are accountable. We may experience their disdain for the church. Confronted with such challenging circumstances, we may share the worry of the psalmist, who said, “They have almost made an end of me.”
The battle of opposites is not new. From the beginning, the darkness has been opposed to the Light. Satan, with his lies and murderous intent, wages war against the truth of God’s Word and sets himself and his unholy legions against God’s will and ways. When the Light, Jesus our Lord, came into the world to live among us, He had enemies who eagerly sought to serve the purposes of Satan. People who opposed and rejected Jesus did make an end of Him—or so they thought. Then, in the greatest contrast of all, life overcame death! Jesus, the Light of the world, overcame the darkness of the grave, rising in triumph from the dead.
Tempting voices in the world will still challenge our beliefs and try to make us doubt God’s Word. As Satan once tried to make an end of our Lord, the devil still wants to make an end of the church. The evil foe will not succeed. We stand firm with confidence in our crucified and risen Lord. For us, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and we believe, as the psalmist did, that all God’s commandments are sure. Living in the midst of a war between darkness and light, between lies and the truth, we cling to our Savior. We stand firm in God’s Word.
WE PRAY: Lord God, lead me by Your Spirit to stand with confidence against every challenge. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
- What are some things that oppose you in your Christian walk?
- What is the psalmist revealing about himself when he says that God’s commandments “persecute” him with falsehood?
- Where can we find confidence against Satan when he challenges us to doubt our faith?
Today's Readings:
1 Chronicles 1-31 Corinthians 6