NIV 365-Day Devotional Plan (2017)Sample

Safety from Enemies

The words of Psalm 27 drip with hope. Although his enemies are near, David is defiantly confident that God will conquer his fears, strengthen him and grant him the desire of his heart: to "dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of [his] life."

During times of tremendous trial, we often turn to the Lord in hopes of feeling his presence. This was never more true for Robert Honeycutt than during the time he spent as a prisoner of war.

During World War II, each member of the United States Air Force was required to fly 50 missions before going home. Having already participated in a mission, 19-year-old Robert Honeycutt was eager to put the war behind him, so he volunteered for the dangerous task of photographing the damage inflicted during the air attacks. He reasoned that this would afford him more fly time, but it also meant that he would be in the last plane to fly over each time—the most vulnerable position.

On his 29th mission, Bob's plane was shot down over the Austrian Alps. In his book, The Eleventh Man, Bob recounts how God was with him even as he parachuted out of the burning plane. As he was floating toward earth, an enemy bomber approached him in the air. Bob knew he was an easy target. The pilot of the plane slowed down but did not open fire with his machine gun. Instead, for a moment, the two men made eye contact … and then the pilot waved. Bob waved back.

Soon after he hit the ground, he was captured by enemy forces. Isolated and unsure of what awaited him, Bob began to pray fervently. That day God became real to Bob. For the next 11 months, Bob's faith would be his strength even as he was taken to a concentration camp and marched around Germany for more than 800 miles before his eventual release.

• Can you think of a time in your own life when you cried out to God? What happened?
• Meditate on Psalm 27 and ask God to make David's hope your own.

Taken from NIV College Devotional Bible