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Forget Not
Andrea Lende • August 14, 2020
Psalm 103:2-5
Forget Not
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Forget-Not-ei5ipf
Daily Word:
Psalm 103:2-4
“Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits-”
“Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all of your diseases,”
“Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;”
King David tells his soul to, “Bless the Lord”.
He tells himself to not forget any of the things the Lord has done for him.
The God Who forgives.
The God Who heals.
The God Who redeems.
The God Who beautifies.
The God Who, “crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;”
We serve a wonderful God.
He is great and mighty, and yet He is tender and merciful.
His mercies never end.
His grace covers us and all of our wrong doings.
As David writes, the Lord is deserving of our praise.
We do not always see the blessings from day to day.
Sometimes it is easier to look at the all the wrong things happening in our lives.
However, the Lord is working out every detail.
This week has been full of what seemed like setbacks.
But as we lived through the setbacks, He actually moved us forward.
He has blessed us beyond those setbacks which are now in the rear view mirror.
Only God can show Himself faithful in ways that we do not expect.
David says, “forget not [one of] all His benefits”.
As we roll the Lord’s blessings around in our mind and are thankful for them, our souls are strengthened.
We remember the impossible that He made possible.
We remember the miracles He has done for us.
And then our minds can wrap around the idea that the Lord is always for us, will always help us, and will always bless us.
As we focus on Him, we know that He will deliver us from today’s trials – from tomorrow’s trials.
Today I am encouraged that the Lord is with me and is working in every area of my life just as He has always done.
May you find that God is for you and will come to your aid just as He has done for you in the past.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for every miracle You have done in my life. Thank You for forgiving me all my sins. Thank You for healing all my diseases. Thank You for redemption which is undeserved – for picking me up out of the pit of destruction. Thank You for making my life beautiful. Thank You for Your tender care and mercies. Thank You for Your Word that encourages me day after day. I need You, Father. I need Your presence in my life. You are always faithful to be close to me. May I sit in Your presence for just a few precious moments today and be filled by Your Holy Spirit. May You lead and guide me in all that I do this day. Be a lamp unto my feet. Keep my eyes on You, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and will never let you go.
Response: Thank You for drawing me close to You, Lord God Almighty.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.