2 Samuel 7:18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?
20 “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. 21 Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.
22 “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!
So many good Psalms again today. Below are snippets of some, and some in their entirety. On this first one, I thought of not only our children, but how we were as a child. And how are hearts even now are prone to rebel:
Psalm 25
4 Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.
8 The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9 He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
11 For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
14 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.
On this next one, do we really believe it? Do we really believe that God just 'spoke' and the world came into existence? Just to think on that one thought for a while and consider it deep within our hearts, should help us realize that no matter what we are going through, there is nothing beyond His ability in our lives....
Psalm 33
4 For the word of the Lord holds true,
and we can trust everything he does.
5 He loves whatever is just and good;
the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.
6 The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
7 He assigned the sea its boundaries
and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
8 Let the whole world fear the Lord,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.
9 For when he spoke, the world began!
It appeared at his command.
10 The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations
and thwarts all their schemes.
11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;
his intentions can never be shaken.
12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,
whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven
and sees the whole human race.
14 From his throne he observes
all who live on the earth.
15 He made their hearts,
so he understands everything they do.
16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
for all its strength, it cannot save you.
18 But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
19 He rescues them from death
and keeps them alive in times of famine.
20 We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone.
Psalm 36
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.They have no fear of God at all.
5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
give justice to those with honest hearts.
Psalm 39
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”
6 We are merely moving shadows,
and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
not knowing who will spend it.
7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
My only hope is in you.
8 Rescue me from my rebellion.
Do not let fools mock me.
It is an interesting concept to think that the only true success in the world comes from God. We see those who obey his will are happier and more devoted than those who meet the standards of worldly success. In acient history they recognize this, "Call him, however, until he die, not happy but fortunate" ~Solon. Only those who trust in God will be happy until the end, or really the beginning.
ReplyDelete"David knows his own heart and knows he is not deserving of this, but also knows that it's only because of God's promise and because of His will, that David is being blessed as he is."
ReplyDeleteThis is amazingly comforting - it is not us but Him that allows God's blessings. David fails but does not stop. God loves, watches us fail but does not stop loving and blessing us. I think there is much joy for God in seeing the fight in us - not the fight itself, that probably pains Him for it isn't necessary - but the fight in us. It is only when we capitulate, turn, willingly choose to separate, that we have failed. "You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord."