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Grace And Favor
Andrea Lende • July 2, 2020
Psalm 84:11
Grace And Favor
You may also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Grace-and-Favor-eg7oue
Daily Word:
Psalm 84:11
“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
This verse brought much needed encouragement to me today.
As the world churns in chaos, I was uplifted when I was reminded that the Lord is my Sun and Shield.
He is the Light that shines the way.
He is the Shield that protects me from harm.
Although there will always be trials here on earth, He protects me.
He keeps me close to Him.
I can trust that He will keep me His until the end of time.
Of all the troubles that come my way, my deepest desire is to remain faithful to the Lord.
This scripture confirms that He will keep me when I cannot keep myself.
I am also lifted up as I read that He, “bestows [present] grace and favor” upon me.
He is merciful to me.
He will turn every adversity into a blessing as I move through and past it.
This verse promises that He intends to give me [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)!”
Good things are coming!
Great things are coming!
Lastly, this verse promises that, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
I hope in Him.
Today I choose to rejoice in the Lord for His protection, grace, favor, glory, and promise of all good things.
May you find that the Lord has all good things in store for you!
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for the promises in Your Word. Thank You for the promise of guidance and lighting the path that I walk. Thank You for being my Protector in all things. Thank You for the unearned grace and favor that You so lovingly shower over me. Thank You for every blessing that You have already blessed me with and all the blessings You have in store for me. Thank You for lifting me up this morning and giving me hope. Help me walk into the glory that You have planned. Help me serve You with all my heart as I walk this earth. As I face every trial, help me remember that You will turn every adversity into a praise as I keep my eyes on You. Fill me with Your love, Lord, Keep me close to You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and will guide you and protect you from all harm.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
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.