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The Lord is Good
Andrea Lende • September 28, 2021
Psalm 27:13-14
The Lord is Good
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Lord-is-Good-e180p3c
Psalm 27:13-14
“(What, what would have become of me) had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!”
“Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.”
King David had such a rich relationship with God.
His psalms of praise and thanksgiving breathe life into our spirits.
We find golden nuggets of wisdom in his writing.
God blessed David even as a young boy.
He found the Lord faithful to him as he shepherded his flock.
Imagine spending all that time alone as a youngster.
God used that time to show David His faithfulness.
And as God was faithful to David, David’s heart grew strong in the Lord.
Psalm 27:4 says, Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
David did delight himself in the Lord.
He wrote songs of praise, wrote prayers, and danced to the Lord.
He continually called forth God’s Spirit into his life.
And He shows me to do the same.
When I get complacent with my relationship to God, a distance grows between us.
I am convicted to continually call forth God’s Spirit into my daily life so I, too, can experience God’s goodness here on earth.
Finally, our passage says to, “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord.”
David tells us to be brave, courageous, and patient.
I am reminded to remain expectant and wait upon the Lord to reveal more and more about Himself and His mercies.
Today I choose to believe I will see the Lord’s goodness here on earth as His mercies are never ending.
May you find the Lord is merciful to you in all ways and His Spirit is alive in you this day and all days.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You are here with me. Thank You for the grace and mercies You show to me. You could have remained distant as heaven and earth separate us, but You chose to draw me close to You. Thank You for sending Your Son to make this so. Lord, draw closer to me today. Help me feel Your Spirit within me as I move through this day. Lead and guide me in all that I do. May Your gentle Spirit nourish mine today. As I am weary, fill me with Your strength. May Your power flow through me to do all You ask of me. Help me serve You with a joy filled heart. Make ease out of the difficulties this day offers. May Your peace descend upon me as I am lifted into Your presence. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I Am with you My child and My Spirit flows through you to enable you to do all I have called you to do.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and merciful Lord.
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.