We are blessed. If we have Jesus in our hearts, we are so very blessed!
Today I want to focus on some larger chunks of scripture and just marinate in their glory. Just spend some time thinking on the glory of God and the wonder of His kindness and mercy toward us. He is a wonder. He is wonderful.
Oh Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. The Lord remembers us and will bless us. He will bless the people of Israel and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly. May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. The heavens belong to the Lord, but He has given the earth to all humanity. The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord, for they have gone into the silence of the grave. But we can praise the Lord both now and forevermore! Praise the Lord! Psalm 115:9-18
This scripture is ripe with promise. The types of promises that should bring us a great comfort. It makes it clear that if we fear the Lord…we should also trust Him…and if we do, we WILL be blessed. Both us and our children will be blessed.
It’s worth it to fear the Lord. It’s an action that has assured outcomes. Generational outcomes.
Let’s look at one more portion of scripture for today…
I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!” How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and He saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth! I believed in You, so I said, “I am deeply troubled, Lord.” In my anxiety I cried out to You, “These people are all liars!” What can I offer the Lord for all He has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all His people. Psalm 116:1-14
I love this so much.
He hears our prayers. So, we keep praying. He is kind. He is good and merciful. He protects those with childlike faith.
I also love how this scripture reminds us that when we believe in Him, we will come to Him when we are troubled. I wonder how often you do this, as opposed to the times when we try to get ourselves in order before we come to Him. It takes trust to come to God with your mess and varied emotions.
I encourage you today to come to God with whatever you have in your hand. Good or bad. Simply come to Him. Trust Him like a child would. Know that His promises are true and rest in His presence.
365 Days in the Presence 