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I Call Upon the Lord
Andrea Lende • May 6, 2020
Psalm 55: 16 and 22
I Call Upon the Lord
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/I-Call-Upon-the-Lord-ednblp
Daily Word:
Psalm 55:16 and 22
“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me.”
“Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).”
I love King David’s words to the Lord.
I love His faith.
He never waivered in his belief that God would save him.
Throughout his lifetime, God had been by his side and had lifted him up.
He was distraught in this psalm as even his trusted friend would abandon him.
King David’s countenance was low.
But even in his difficult times, he could always count on the Lord.
He was not delivered from the situation, but he was delivered into freedom by God Almighty.
And in one of the last verses of this psalm he gives advice to those who could hear, “Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).”
He comes full circle in his writing.
Not only does he state that He calls upon the Lord, but in this nearly last verse of the chapter he asks others to call upon God as well.
The amplified version is beautiful in its further translation.
We often carry our burdens and they weigh us down.
He petitions the reader to release the weight of the burden onto the Lord, and God will carry it and keep us firmly in His grip.
God will lift us up and not let us fall.
Today I choose to cast my burdens on the Lord and allow Him to lift me up and keep my footing sound so that I do not slip or fall.
May you find that as you give your burdens, troubles, and difficulties to the Lord that He will work everything out and keep you from stumbling.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that You are the God of all and that You watch over me continually. Thank You, Father, for King David’s writings that continue to uplift me every time I read his words. As he calls upon You, You hold him up and give him victory, not only in battle but in his everyday life. Thank You, Father, for showing me that You desire relationship with me, and that You want to carry my burdens and lift me up and out of my difficulties. You keep me from stumbling around, and if I do stumble, You are there to immediately pick me up. Help me come to You, Father, and give You all that concerns me. May I praise You in the good times and in the storms of life. Help me know that You have a plan for the storm and a plan to stop the storm in due time. Your plan is perfect, Lord, and Your will shall be done. Strengthen me in every way and keep my eyes fixed on You. Keep me believing in You and thanking You for every blessing You bestow upon me. Keep me Yours, always. Help me bless someone this day, Father. And thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM watching over you and here to pick you up when you fall down, My child.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and Omniscient 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.