Let Me Hear of Your Unfailing Love Each Morning…

 

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;

listen to my plea!

Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.

2 Don’t put your servant on trial,

for no one is innocent before you.

3 My enemy has chased me.

He has knocked me to the ground

and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.

4 I am losing all hope;

I am paralyzed with fear.

5 I remember the days of old.

I ponder all your great works

and think about what you have done.

6 I lift my hands to you in prayer.

I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.

Interlude

7 Come quickly, LORD, and answer me,

for my depression deepens.

Don’t turn away from me,

or I will die.

8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,

for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk,

for I give myself to you.

9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD;

I run to you to hide me.

10 Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward

on a firm footing.

11 For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life.

Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.

12 In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies

and destroy all my foes,

for I am your servant.—Psalm 143 NLT

I can’t love this psalm enough.  There are times for each of us in our lives when our spirits grow faint within us. Moments when we lose hope and are paralyzed with fear.  Our spirit sinks and we are desperate for the Lord to answer our heart’s cry.   We live in a despairing darkness that highlights our own helpless condition.  We, like David, long for God’s gracious Spirit to lead us forward on firm footing….to put our feet back on level ground. To bring us out of the darkness and into the light of His unfailing love. 

David, in this psalm, rightly acknowledges that God owes him nothing.  Despite his acknowledged unworthiness, however, he prays with confidence because He knows (and this is why I love this psalm so much) that the covenant promises of God are His. He uses covenant language…

Faithfulness, righteousness, and my favorite…unfailing love. 

We are in the same situation. We have no righteousness of our own. But God…because of the great love with which He loved(s) us sent His only Beloved Son to die for us.  He did this so that we who believe could share the covenant promises, the covenant faithfulness, the covenant righteousness, and the unfailing covenant love that is ours in him.  Because of this we can cry as David does with deep confidence that God will hear our cries and answer. 

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”—Deuteronomy 31:4 NLT

He has already done the bigger part…He will complete that good work He began in us. 

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?—Romans 8:31-32 NLT

Therefore…

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.—Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT

Beloved…pray with confidence. God’s unfailing love is yours. In Christ our vindication and victory is assured. 

16 "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].—John 3:16-18 AMPLIFIED

A Merry Heart Does Good, Like Medicine…

 

A merry heart does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones.—Proverbs 17:22

This one for me is a daily battle.  There is much in the world and in each one of our personal lives that can crush our spirits and depress our hearts, if we allow those situations and griefs to be our focus.  The best medicine for me here is the word of God. It helps me stay grounded and focused on what is important…on those things that have are above…that have eternal value.  Beloved…Be encouraged today by renewing your inward man with the word of God. 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.—2 Corinthians 4:16-18

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.—Ephesians 3:16:21

He is faithful. His covenant love toward those that belong to Him is sure and certain. 

But as for me, my prayer is to You,

O LORD, in the acceptable time;

O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,

Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.

Deliver me out of the mire,

And let me not sink;

Let me be delivered from those who hate me,

And out of the deep waters.

Let not the floodwater overflow me,

Nor let the deep swallow me up;

And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.—Psalm 69:13-15

You number my wanderings;

Put my tears into Your bottle;

Are they not in Your book?

When I cry out to You,

Then my enemies will turn back;

This I know, because God is for me.

In God (I will praise His word),

In the LORD (I will praise His word),

In God I have put my trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?—Psalm 56:8-11

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

I will cry out to God Most High,

To God who performs all things for me.

He shall send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.

Selah—Psalm 57:1-2

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.—Philippians 4:8

Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.—Psalm 1:1-3

Let all the earth fear the LORD;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.—Psalm 33:8-11

Messiah’s Soliquoy…

 

4 "The Lord GOD has given Me

The tongue of the learned,

That I should know how to speak

A word in season to him who is weary.

He awakens Me morning by morning,

He awakens My ear

To hear as the learned.

5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear;

And I was not rebellious,

Nor did I turn away.

6 I gave My back to those who struck Me,

And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;

I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

7 "For the Lord GOD will help Me;

Therefore I will not be disgraced;

Therefore I have set My face like a flint,

And I know that I will not be ashamed.

8 He is near who justifies Me;

Who will contend with Me?

Let us stand together.

Who is My adversary?

Let him come near Me.

9 Surely the Lord GOD will help Me;

Who is he who will condemn Me?

Indeed they will all grow old like a garment;

The moth will eat them up.—Isaiah 50:4-11

There are four Servant Songs ((cf. 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4-11; 52:13–53:12) in the Book of Isaiah. All were written more than 700 years before the birth of Christ and each is undeniably prophetic.  This is the third and it is Messiah’s soliloquy about being made perfect through obedience.  

Whatever Jesus did or said here on earth, He did in obedience to the will of His Father in heaven...completely entrusting Himself into His Father's hands. It is important to note also that everything He did here on earth, He did as a Man.  Jesus walked in those works that His Father had prepared beforehand for Him as a human being empowered by the Spirit of God, never using His divine powers.   Beloved, all that Jesus said and did while He was here on earth, He did to show us the way.  It all can be applied to our own lives and walk with Him.  Look at what He tells us in these verses on how to go through the trials of life:

1. spend time with the Father.

2. encourage others in their weariness with the Word of God.

3. comfort them in their distress.

4. do not be rebellious..

5. receive with meekness the implanted word.

6. set your face like flint to endure knowing that your God WILL help.

7. rely upon your God...you will not be disgraced or ashamed.

Then He reminds us that our enemies will  grow old...the moths will eat them up.. He has gone before  and shown us the way.  JESUS LIVED OUT HIS OWN WORD...HE WAS THE WORD AND HIS WORD AND HIS DEED MATCHED...THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF TRUTH. AMAZING!

Sometimes in a trial we feel as if no one really understands our suffering.  There is ONE...and He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. He endured all this for us...Hebrews 12:2 says it was for the joy that was set before Him...we are that joy...He is our joy, our strength and our salvation. He is our way, our truth, our life! Go to Him, trust in Him. Commit yourself to Him. He will not disappoint!

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.—John 6:38-40

For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."—John 12:49-50

Then I said, 'Behold, I have come—

In the volume of the book it is written of Me—

To do Your will, O God.'"—Hebrews 10:7

Father...May this mind...the mind of Christ be in me!  May I desire what You, my God, desires.  May I walk as my Jesus did. Set my face like flint, Father, and enable me to endure whatever You have prepared for me knowing that You will uphold me through it all. Help me by Your Spirit to remain submissive, like my Jesus, honoring You with my faith and my obedience.  May Your footsteps be my pathway.