Your Lovingkindness is Before My Eyes…

 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy (lovingkindness) endures forever.(is everlasting)—Psalm 107:1

Whoever is wise will observe these things,

And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.—Psalm 107:43

Verse 1 of Psalm 107 commands us to give thanks to the Lord.   It also tells us why.  For He is good and His lovingkindness is everlasting. The very last verse of Psalm 107 says that whoever is wise will observe these things and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.  Most of this psalm is spent reviewing the variegated trials that come humanity’s way in the course of a lifetime while at the same time showing us how God assists us and supports us through each of these hardships and distresses.  What are we wise to observe as God does this?   His lovingkindness!   What a great thing to make a practice of observing as we navigate through the sorrow and tribulation that comes with life lived in this fallen world.  Trials can become opportunities to observe the Lord’s goodness and rightly understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.  How often during a trial does Satan try to confuse and discourage us with lies.  He whispers to us when we are scared telling us that we are alone without anyone to help.  But making a practice of “looking for and seeing” God’s merciful hand on our lives will serve to counter the lies and shore up our assurance as we become personally acquainted with it (His lovingkindness) in our own hearts and lives. Psalm 26:3 is so helpful here..

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I have walked in Your truth.

Keep God’s goodness before your eyes and His truth as a light to your path.  He has given us His Spirit to help us.  We are NOT alone.  

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”—John 14: 25-27 

Lifting My Soul to God…

 1 To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, I trust in You;

Let me not be ashamed;

Let not my enemies triumph over me.

3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;

Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4 Show me Your ways, O LORD;

Teach me Your paths.

5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day.

6 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,

For they are from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;

According to Your mercy remember me,

For Your goodness' sake, O LORD.

8 Good and upright is the LORD;

Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

9 The humble He guides in justice,

And the humble He teaches His way.

10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,

To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11 For Your name's sake, O LORD,

Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12 Who is the man that fears the LORD?

Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity,

And his descendants shall inherit the earth.

14 The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him,

And He will show them His covenant.

15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD,

For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,

For I am desolate and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged;

Bring me out of my distresses!

18 Look on my affliction and my pain,

And forgive all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies, for they are many;

And they hate me with cruel hatred.

20 Keep my soul, and deliver me;

Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

For I wait for You.

22 Redeem Israel, O God,

Out of all their troubles!—Psalm 25

When the troubles of my own heart enlarge, who will bring me out of my distresses?  What is the answer to my every care, my every weakness, my every trial, my every heartache, my every sorrow, my every problem, my every discontentment and my every longing?  Jesus…Jesus is the answer.  The secret of the wise counsel of the LORD is for those who fear Him.  

Oh Father, turn Yourself to me and have mercy on me!

I am so very thankful…

—that In Christ, I am forgiven

—that His tender mercies and lovingkindnesses are mine

—that as I walk humbly with Him, He teaches me His way

—that His mercies toward me are great and are from old.

—that He considers my troubles

—that He shows me His ways and teaches me His paths 

—that He guides me in His truth

—that He remembers me according to His mercy. 

Today, I, like David, will lift up my soul to my God.  Today my soul will recline, as Spurgeon has said, in the embrace of divine love. My strength is from Him. He, is He, who holds me up.  My eyes will be continually toward the Lord for He will bring my feet out of the net.  I will look to Him and be radiant…my face unashamed.