Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

After the plea in Psalm 5:1–3, David begins to think through the day that spreads out before him, giving extra consideration to those he would encounter. His song addresses four specific realms of interest.

Some psalms are difficult to outline; others easily lend themselves to an organized layout. Psalm 5 falls in the latter category. It begins with a plea (Psalm 5:1–3) directed to the Lord, whom David addresses, "O LORD . . . my King . . . "

Songs are usually born out of surrounding circumstances that so affect the thinking of the composer, he cannot help but burst forth with a melody and an accompanying set of lyrics describing his plight.

The central lesson in Psalm 1 is this: there is not the slightest similarity between the spiritually accelerating life of the righteous and the slowly eroding life of the wicked. Take time to ponder the bold contrasts.

A key observation in Psalm1:4–6 is contrast. Don't miss the many things that are quite the opposite from the preceding verses. "The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away."

As I read Psalm 1, three illustrations from the Bible flash into my mind. Two men flirted with evil, then fell; but there was one other who refused to begin a "walk in the counsel of the wicked."

In the first three verses of Psalm 1, the psalmist describes the one who chooses to live a righteous life, the one who consciously resists the subtle inroads of compromise.

The Hebrews' ancient hymnal begins with a song that addresses one of life's most common grinds: compromise. Please understand, I'm not referring to those give-and-take times so necessary for living in harmony with one another.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream, takes all its sons away. As never before in this generation, we realize that we are dependent upon God for protection and strength.

In my 67 years on this earth I thought I had just about seen it all . . . until September 11, 2001. On that day I got a new understanding of the total depravity of humanity. And, as a byproduct, I have a new appreciation for the gifts of liberty and life itself.

The date, September 11, 2001, is forever etched in our national memory. That morning stands as the never-to-be-forgotten hour when time stood still as we stared in horror and disbelief.

We've been talking about the need in our day for a courage transfusion. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 16:13, we've looked at three important commands: Stay alert! Stand alone! Grow up!

It's childish not to want to change. My mind drifts to the two little grandchildren who were living in our home for a few months before our son Chuck and his wife Jeni moved them to their new home.

Once we've been assured of the foundational principles we've covered thus far in this devotional series, the challenge we face in our chaotic times is painfully obvious. What we need is a courage transfusion.

In spite of our adversary's subtle and deceitful strategy against Christians, we are certain of this: In the end, God wins. What we need until then is a courage transfusion.

The challenge we face is painfully obvious. We've seen from the previous devotionals that our foundations are in place and trustworthy. The Lord our God, being our refuge and very present help, relieves us of fear and worry.

We face a very real, insidious enemy. And, as I mentioned yesterday, in order to step intelligently and wisely into the battle with Satan and his demons, we need clear marching orders. God has given them to us in Scripture.

I wasn't there when a few men gathered around him. General Dwight Eisenhower had the awful job on that day in early June 1944 of determining if that was the right day to make the most significant invasion in the history of military strategy.

How can we face the fog of our uneasy, uncertain future? All these terrifying events are happening—political unrest, terrorist threats and attacks, a struggling economy. What more can the future hold?

God is our refuge and strength. As Eugene Peterson paraphrases it in The Message, "God is a safe place to hide." Chasah, or refuge, is a word that's needed when a nation finds itself shaking on the rock.