Today we will soak in the second half of Psalm 34…Yesterday was such an encouragement.
It’s so important to not only read scripture, but to soak in it. Maybe you are asking, “What does it mean to soak in scripture?”
It means, read it and then read it again…invite Holy Spirit to come as you read again. It means that throughout the day you think about what it says. It means to ask God to speak to you about it and allow Him to breathe new life into it. It means that we don’t just read it and not allow it to speak to us new every time. God is so vast…and scripture is Holy Spirit inspired…so it is alive. It can speak to you in one way today and in another way tomorrow…don’t ever just gloss over it because you’ve read it a hundred times. No. Take it slow and allow it to speak fresh revelation to you.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; His ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil; He will erase their memory from the earth. The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. But the Lord will redeem those who serve Him. No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned. Psalm 34:15-22
God watches over us when we do right, and His ears are tuned to our cries. He turns away from those who do evil. He will cause them to be forgotten on the earth.
How do you know God hears you? If you are His people, He hears…it’s a promise. He will rescue you from ALL troubles. That’s powerful. It doesn’t mean He’ll rescue you in the time frame or way that you think He should, but that’s not the point. The point is that He will rescue you in His perfect way and timing. He is close to the broken hearted, and rescues those crushed in spirit. We WILL face troubles, that’s also a promise…but He will rescue us every time, which is another promise. The Lord will punish the wicked in the right time…even if they seem to be prospering today…tomorrow is coming. Their success won’t last. Not one of God’s redeemed will be condemned, which is far more important than earthly success.
The privileges we enjoy as co-heirs of the kingdom are HUGE! When you weigh them against the perceived successes of the wicked…it’s clear that we win in the long run. Don’t weigh yourself down being jealous of those who refuse to do right. Let them go and let God deal with them. Meanwhile, focus your heart and attention on things that are worthwhile, beneficial, and eternal. When you do this, you will discover you are far more successful than you were when you were trying to hold the world accountable.
When you boil it down, it’s never been about your success or mine…it’s never even been about the wicked’s success. It’s supposed to be about Jesus. We are nothing compared to Him and nothing matters more than to bring God glory…to worship Him…to honor Him in all we do. It’s not about us, it’s about Him. When we keep life in this perspective, then we let go of all the things that don’t matter and pursue the One worthy of pursuing. Earthly success will come and go, but God is forever. Heaven is our forever home…let’s build into that direction. Let go of the world and cling to the Hope of eternal life with Christ Jesus.
365 Days in the Presence 