Blog Layout
The Lord Thinks About You and Me
Andrea Lende • March 14, 2021
Psalm 40:17
The Lord Thinks About You and Me
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Lord-Thinks-About-You-and-Me-esikrn
Psalm 40:17
“[As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me. You are my Help and my Deliverer, O my God, do not tarry!”
King David always speaks of hope.
Hope in the Lord.
Hope in God’s goodness and His deliverance.
He is troubled in this psalm.
He has been recounting his transgressions which he says are many.
He is so weighed down by them that he is unable to look up to the Lord.
He asks for deliverance.
Our Lord, being gracious, offers it.
God’s grace was more than sufficient for King David.
And His grace is more than sufficient for us as well.
I love how we can read about King David processing his feelings through his writing.
His feelings of conviction, loss, and unworthiness.
We can relate to his feelings while we see how he works through them.
How he comes back to his hope in the Lord.
There was no one greater on the earth at that time than David.
Who would be his counselor?
Who would he go to receive comfort or to receive answers to his questions?
There was no one but God.
Even amongst his failures and feelings of unworthiness, he knows God is his Counselor.
He knows the Lord still thinks of him and makes plans for him.
King David never waivers about God’s faithfulness to him.
Similarly, we can know the Lord’s faithfulness to us is unwavering.
He thinks of us and makes plans for us even when we make mistakes.
King David calls the Lord his Help and his Deliverer.
He is our Help and Deliverer as well.
The Lord will never leave us destitute.
He will come to our aid every time.
David asks the Lord to be swift in delivering him.
We can ask the same.
We must hope on and expect in the Lord and know that He will come quickly to our rescue.
Today I and thankful the Lord thinks about me, makes plans for me, helps me, and delivers me from the chains that bind me.
May you find the Lord is always making plans for you and will help you and deliver you from all evil.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You think about me. Thank You for reminding me You make plans for me. Even when I fall short and fall down You are faithful to me. You are beside me to lift me up and deliver me from evil. Thank You, Father, for showing me how much You care about me. As this world provides many opportunities for disappointment You will never disappoint. You are always and forever by my side. You are the constant in my life. You have provided a way for me to be with You throughout all eternity. Thank You for the promise of Your presence forever. Thank You for all You do and all You are. Strengthen me to serve You this day and all days, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and will never leave you.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and All-Powerful God.
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.