I haven’t been on for the longest time, and I apologize. Even if I am ‘resting’ I really should at least be doing a devotion or a reflection even on Saturday.
We’re always dependent on the Lord, and we always tune in to this Word; This is what’s needed, especially in these times.
Thank You, Father, for the reading of Your Word.
Psalm 36
How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD.
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.
I’ve oft said that it’s the world without Christ that is definitely inclined to overthink. The body of Christ does not have this plight, as we have the option, the opportunity and privilege to pray – That is, to let out everything that we’re thinking about onto our Father, before His throne of grace.
Also, if we aren’t so inclined to pray, we have the equally lucrative benefit of meditation – That is, if it could not be avoided that we overthink, we are at least able to overthink about the goodness of God. We can meditate on the Word of the Lord – and unlike overthinking and brooding on our own thoughts without any destination, as if we were marinating in our own ‘sauce’; Meditation on the Word takes us from glory to glory… and we are left in awe, at the very least.
Here we see what’s being overthought by those who have yet to come to terms with the Truth of God’s glory and goodness, demonstrated in and through Christ and His finished work.
In fact, here, we’re also reminded of how we ourselves used to be, before Christ.
There was no respect and awe of the Creator – We were too fixated on ourselves. Though the Holy Spirit speaks to the entire world, with the aim of convicting all of us of sin, righteousness and judgment, apparently other things speak to our hearts. Transgression. Iniquity. These things speak louder into the souls of our brethren, before Christ.
They speak of rationalization. They speak of concealment. Just as Adam and Eve were quick to cover their nakedness, so we used to be so quick to cover our own faults – to avoid detection, to distract the rest of the world from seeing what we do, to discourage and intimidate others from going any further into looking; And if we are caught, we’re quick to give excuses. To justify our actions by way of our own self-imposed scales of balance, trying to outweigh the ‘bad’ with the ‘good’.
Oh, which is why we pray, in accordance to the will of God, and in line with the efforts of the Holy Spirit – that we continue to take in Christ, and we continue to reject evil as a result.
May the goodness of God continue to bring us to Christ. When we find ourselves at the end of our rope… may we see Christ.
May we be brought to Christ, and brought to repentance unto salvation.
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
Indeed, Lord, our eyes have been opened; The scales have been taken away, and we are able to behold Your goodness and greatness in this land.
No longer are we confounded by iniquity. We are not overcome by evil, because You overwhelm us with Your love – and, yes, Your steadfast love, which is as high as the heavens are above the earth!
Where else can we go, Father? You have lavished us with Your love, secured us in righteousness, and we enjoy the Life only You can give, under Your light, under Your loving watch.
No longer do we rationalize, but praise!
No longer do we conceal, but testify of Your goodness and grace!
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
22 “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.
23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.
Proverbs 8:22-31
Before time was established, Wisdom was already present. Wisdom is before the beginning, and is therefore without a beginning, or an end; Timeless.
Not ignoring time, but superior to time – prior to the Words God spoke to bring the mountains and the skies into being, Wisdom was present.
Wisdom at the beginning, before the days of Creation… yet it is the fear of the LORD that is the beginning of Wisdom. I bring this up only to emphasize that with all that Wisdom was ‘before’, it was always Christ who had the preeminence.
34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,
36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”
Proverbs 8:34-36
As this week begins, we would do well to continue down our path of moving from glory to glory in Christ, constantly being in awe of His mercies (new every morning) and His faithfulness (extending to the clouds).
Let us continue to proclaim His glory and His grace, His goodness and His greatness.
In these times, let us continue to meditate on His Word, and thrive according to His timeless wisdom…
all for unity in the body of Christ, the expansion of His Kingdom, and the utmost glory of His Name.
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