On Declaring His Lovingkindness in the Morning and His Faithfulness at Night…

 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

And Your faithfulness every night,—Psalm 92:1-2

Today as I read these verses the prophet Daniel came to mind because Scripture tells me that when Daniel wanted to do something he purposed in his heart ahead of time to do it.

Similarly, I want to be intentional with giving thanks to God, with praising Him, with declaring His lovingkindness in the morning and speaking the testimony of His faithfulness to me at night. How perfect to begin each day by being reminded and assured of His love and end the day by looking back on His faithfulness. 

Here is the thing…The Spirit of God tells us to do these things not because God needs our praise, but because doing this helps us because it encourages our faith.  As I regale my God (and my own heart) with the specifics of His love and faithfulness toward me that day,  I create what I call a rainbow path behind me that serves to bolster me and keep me from falling (and fearing) when my faith inevitably falters in times of testing.  In short, I need the reminders!  

Beloved…It is good to praise and give thanks.  It is good to declare His lovingkindness each morning and His faithfulness at night.

Father, Your lovingkindness is always before my eyes!  Your graces toward me are steadfast and sure and as numerous as the the sand on the seashore.  By Your Spirit who lives within me, help me to see them and offer to You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for each one.  Looking at me as I go about my day, causes my heart to sink and lose perspective...Help me to instead, look to You and remember your continual gifts of grace.  

Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.—John 1:16

Praise the LORD!

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

For His mercy endures forever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?

Who can declare all His praise?—Psalm 106:1-2

Refrain Your Voice From Weeping and Your Eyes From Tears…

 15 Thus says the LORD:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation and bitter weeping,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted for her children,

Because they are no more."

16 Thus says the LORD:

"Refrain your voice from weeping,

And your eyes from tears;

For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD,

And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

17 There is hope in your future, says the LORD,

That your children shall come back to their own border.

18 "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:

'You have chastised me, and I was chastised,

Like an untrained bull;

Restore me, and I will return,

For You are the LORD my God.

19 Surely, after my turning, I repented;

And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;

I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated,

Because I bore the reproach of my youth.'

20 Is Ephraim My dear son?

Is he a pleasant child?

For though I spoke against him,

I earnestly remember him still;

Therefore My heart yearns for him;

I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD.—Jeremiah 31:15-20

These verses never fail to bring to my mind my Father’s love and mercy for me, His child.  As a parent, I can relate, also.  Truly, we pour our heart into our children and love them as much as we are able in our fallen state.  God was a good Father to Israel...the very best there is...but, tragically, they still went the wrong way.  They rejected Him and rejected His word to them.  And yet in verse 20 He says this.

      Is Ephraim My dear son?

      Is he a pleasant child?

      For though I spoke against him,

      I earnestly remember him still;

      Therefore My heart yearns for him;

      I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD.

Beloved, there is no one who understands the pain and suffering of a mom or a dad whose child has turned to his own way like our Lord.  He is our Father.  He hurts and grieves when His children walk away from Him and put themselves in places where He cannot minister to them, bless them, and comfort them with His love.  The Bible from the beginning to the end is about the Father's love, care and wooing of Israel,  His firstborn.  It starts in Genesis, and the final restoration occurs in Revelation. 

It is so good for me to remember that my God KNOWS my heart for my children. He KNOWS MY DESIRES for them. He also understands my yearning for the one I miss daily.  It comforts me to know that He loves her more than I do. My God’s love is perfect, and His desires for her (and for me) are only good.  He died for her so that she could have Him with her always.  As a mom, I love knowing that He is always with her and will never leave her.  That HE WILL complete that good work He began in her and in me.  John 17 tells me that He prays for her. What a comfort this is to my heart.  Jesus prays for both of us.  My prayers and my love can be tainted with my desires for me...His love and His prayers only desire her good, as well as mine.  

All my springs are in you, Father!  Praying this morning for mercy...for both of us.  That forgiveness would reign and restoration occur.  God has no greater desire and joy than to see His children walk in truth and come home at the end of their journey.  

There is hope in your future, says the LORD,

That your children shall come back to their own border.—Jeremiah 31:17

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.—Jeremiah 29:11 

And Yet I am Not Alone…

 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."—John 16:31-33

And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.  It hit me as I read these words of Jesus this morning that He was not only reminding His disciples of the truth, but perhaps in His humanity, He was also reminding Himself.  If Jesus needed the reminder that He was never alone, how much more do I?   How much more do I need to follow Jesus’ example and speak this truth and others to my own heart. In Christ, I am never alone. The God of the universe makes His home with me. 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Never in my lifetime have the lies of this world been louder.  Never in my lifetime has the resulting effects between setting my mind on things above or on the things below been so stark.  Never in my lifetime has it been more obvious to me that true peace will only be found in Him. And thankfully, by God’s grace, never have I sought after it Him more because never have I needed Him more. 

Aside from whatever personal trials I might be facing, the deceit in the world at large makes the ground under me seem very unstable and exacerbates every trial I face. Focusing there for any length of time makes my “walk” wobbly. My balance is thrown and spiritually I begin to sink. These words from Psalm 94 have proved helpful…

If I say, "My foot slips,"

Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.—Psalm 94:18-19

My consolation, like the Psalmist, is found in the Lord my God. When my foot slips…when sin, fear and despair begin to overwhelm my heart…when I feel thrown off balance and ready to fall, God’s mercy…His “loyal love” or His “unfailing love,” is there.  His right hand upholds me and He increasingly becomes my strong habitation to which I continually resort. 

The eternal God is your refuge,

And underneath are the everlasting arms;

He will thrust out the enemy from before you,

And will say, 'Destroy!'—Deuteronomy 33:27

Beloved…when we acknowledge our own weakness and inability to stand by our own strength, then we can rest in His divine supports and His divine comforts. Today, surrender to Him and allow His consolation to quiet your own anxious heart and give you joy.  He is your firm foundation…He sets your feet upon a rock and He establishes your steps. Matthew Henry says this about verse Psalm 94:19:

The worldʾs comforts give but little delight to the soul when it is hurried with melancholy thoughts; they are songs to a heavy heart. But Godʾs comforts will reach the soul, and not the fancy only, and will bring with them that peace and that pleasure which the smiles of the world cannot give and which the frowns of the world cannot take away.

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.—John 14:1-3

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.—John 15:9-11

My Soul Will Weep in Secret for Your Pride

 Hear and give ear:

Do not be proud,

For the LORD has spoken.

Give glory to the LORD your God

Before He causes darkness,

And before your feet stumble

On the dark mountains,

And while you are looking for light,

He turns it into the shadow of death

And makes it dense darkness.

But if you will not hear it,

My soul will weep in secret for your pride;

My eyes will weep bitterly

And run down with tears,

Because the LORD's flock has been taken captive.—Jeremiah 13:15-17 (emphasis mine)

Reading through the book of Jeremiah always makes me weep because Jeremiah wept and grieved for those to whom he preached.   Such a beautiful picture!  Such a wonderful example for each of us. Warren Wiersbe says this of Jeremiah:  "he was bold before men and heart-broken before God".  

Jeremiah was faithful to preach what God told him to preach.  He preached the message of judgment to the nation of Judah. He preached to the hard-hearted...he preached to those who did the right things outwardly but had hearts that were far from God....he had no converts in 42 years of preaching...he was despised, persecuted and tortured for his ministry.

Jeremiah was FAITHFUL to do that which the Lord had called him to do and left the results up to God.  I love that the Lord does not require us to be successful...just obedient. Jeremiah has my deep admiration...I want to endure as this man. Jeremiah preached the message the Lord laid on his heart DESPITE the discouragement he must have often felt.  A message that no one wanted to hear.  A message that made him the butt of jokes, ridicule, humiliation and torture...and remember no one responded. 

Oh Father...give me a heart like Jeremiah!  Help me to dwell in mercy and love...may I draw near to You in brokenness and prayer for those people You have placed in my life that need You. 

On Losing Perspective…

 O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself;

It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.—Jeremiah 10:23

This morning as I read this verse my eyes filled with tears of gratitude and understanding. I didn’t sleep well last night. My day today is very full and won’t end until late this evening. Jeremiah’s words were a good reminder to this child of God who, in the midst of sleep deprivation, had also lost her perspective. 

With or without sleep…in weakness or in strength…I am not capable of guiding my own life adequately.  Without the Lord and His word to guide me, I walk blindly. Psalm 119:105 says this:

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

I need the lamp of the Lord to guide my feet and illuminate my path.  This morning then, I am thankful for my lack of sleep because it brought me to Him…to a place of dependence but also of blessing, because only those who allow God direct their ways will be truly blessed…

Perspective obtained, I breath a sigh of relief.  His gracious Spirit WILL see me through my day. He WILL go before me. My times ARE in His loving hands. 

Leaving some of the corresponding verses from my Thompson Chain Reference Bible below that also helped me as I prayed through them this morning.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.—Proverbs 3:5-6

A man's heart plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps.—Proverbs 16:9

So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."—Genesis 41:16

Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.—Exodus 33:15

O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."—2 Chronicles 20:12

I was cast upon You from birth.

From My mother's womb

You have been My God.

Be not far from Me,

For trouble is near;

For there is none to help.—Psalm 22:10

Unless the LORD builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the LORD guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early,

To sit up late,

To eat the bread of sorrows;

For so He gives His beloved sleep.—Psalm 127:1-2

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.—John 3:27

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.—John 15:4-5

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,—2 Corinthians 3:5

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.—2 Corinthians 4:7

Who Will Rise Up For Me Against the Evildoers?

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?

Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Unless the LORD had been my help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

If I say, "My foot slips,"

Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.—Psalm 94:16-19

These are some of my favorite verses in Scripture.  They are both instructive and comforting. Today, I am focusing on the first two verses.  Lord willing, I will write on the remaining two tomorrow.  

David asks in verse 16:

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?

Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

This is a question I ask myself often of late after spending any time at all reading the news.  Evildoers and workers of iniquity abound, truth has fallen in the streets and justice is rare.  Although the psalmist believes that goodness will eventually prevail (vs 14-15), he feels very much alone.  I understand this feeling today more than I would have understood it five years ago.  To David it seemed that the faithful people had failed and that there was no one to oppose the evil and champion the cause of the righteous. He goes on in verse 17 to say this:

Unless the LORD had been my help,

My soul would soon have settled in silence.

Amen!  God is the Helper of all who look to Him. He is their refuge and their strength…A very present help in times of trouble.  I am thankful that He never leaves us nor forsakes us, and that He is the SAME yesterday, today and forever. The Lord my God is the ROCK on which I stand. 

Here is what I hold on to in these verses. What is happening in our world today has its purpose for us as believers.  It brings our hearts to Him and to Him alone because there is no where else for us to turn. This is such a good thing. God becomes increasingly precious and our heart learns to rest in Him…in His sovereignty, His providence, His grace, His mercy and His perfect love. 

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.—Psalm 36:7

Beloved…you are not alone.  His left hand is under your head and His right hand embraces you. In Christ your consolations abound.  Trust in Him at all times, pour out your heart before Him…the eternal God is your refuge and underneath are His everlasting arms.

Vindicate me, O God,

And plead my cause against an ungodly nation;

Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

For You are the God of my strength;

Why do You cast me off?

Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!

Let them lead me;

Let them bring me to Your holy hill

And to Your tabernacle.

Then I will go to the altar of God,

To God my exceeding joy;

And on the harp I will praise You,

O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.—Psalm 43

I cry out to the LORD with my voice;

With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication.

I pour out my complaint before Him;

I declare before Him my trouble.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,

Then You knew my path.

In the way in which I walk

They have secretly set a snare for me.

Look on my right hand and see,

For there is no one who acknowledges me;

Refuge has failed me;

No one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, O LORD:

I said, "You are my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

Attend to my cry,

For I am brought very low;

Deliver me from my persecutors,

For they are stronger than I.

Bring my soul out of prison,

That I may praise Your name;

The righteous shall surround me,

For You shall deal bountifully with me."—Psalm 142

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;

He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous….

He will not be afraid of evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is established;

He will not be afraid,

Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.—Psalm 112:4;7-8

The Lord is My Shepherd…

 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."—John 10:2-5

I read in one place that this is a parable, taken from the customs of Eastern shepherds who went before their sheep to “set” them in the way of their steps. I was glad to know this because my favorite part of this section of Scripture were these words:

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them;

My God doesn’t drive me forward with a whip or use a dog to hem in my steps as I walk. He never has me do anything without Him doing it first. He goes before me and I follow Him. I cannot be long confused or deceived because as His sheep I know His voice:  

…for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

This verses were comforting to read. God has my journey all mapped out. I am in His care…a sheep of His pasture. As His creature, I depend completely and utterly on Him.  (Insert deep sigh of relief). God guards me by His providence, guides me by His Spirit and goes before me as I  journey. Psalm 139 tells me that God not only knows everything about me but that He also hedges me behind and before and lays His hand upon me as I walk.  (Kinda like we do when our kids are first learning to walk). 

I know I am not sufficient for what I face in this life. Thankfully, nothing about this life as His child is on me.   Beloved…Take these words of God into your heart. They are a wonderful, daily reminder of His love and care for us. Read through John, Chapter 10 and get to know the Shepherd of your soul. 

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.—Psalm 23