Tag Archives: promises

Your Promise

06 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in Psalm 119, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 119

ז Zayin

 (Verses 49-56)

Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
The arrogant mock me unmercifully,
but I do not turn from your law.
 I remember, LORD, your ancient laws,
and I find comfort in them.
Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
who have forsaken your law.
 Your decrees are the theme of my song
wherever I lodge.
 In the night, LORD, I remember your name,
that I may keep your law.
This has been my practice:
I obey your precepts (NIV).

Reflection

Raise your hand if you want a dose of suffering. There aren’t many volunteers when that question is asked. But in all seriousness, we do volunteer for suffering, if we believe there is a benefit.

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National Gallery of Canada — photo by David Kitz

As a youngster growing up on a farm, I remember getting a sliver in my finger. It took some convincing from my mother to allow her to dig it out with a needle. Once that sliver was gone, the suffering stopped almost immediately. A small dose of short term pain brought long-lasting relief.

There’s a similar principle at work in a statement from today’s reading. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

It’s the promise of a better future that helps us endure suffering in the present. I’ll endure the suffering of surgery, if it comes with the promise of a pain-free future. But the LORD’s promises are on a grand scale. He doesn’t just preserve my life for the present; He promises to preserve it for eternity. That’s an enormous promise, but our God is far beyond enormous. How do you measure infinity?

Now let’s return to that sliver. You can’t walk through this life without picking up mental slivers—foreign objects that lodge in your mind. It could be an erotic picture, an emotional scar, or an errant thought that grows into a bad habit. Brain slivers aren’t easily removed. And yes, they fester and become infected. It isn’t long and they may begin to take over your whole thought pattern. You can try to remove them yourself, but Jesus is the best brain-sliver remover that I know. Go to him. A little repentant pain can bring eternal relief.

Response: Father God, remove my brain slivers. Forgive me for allowing wrong thoughts and habits to fester. I remember, LORD, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them. Preserve my life. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there brain slivers that have invaded your mind? Set your mind on God’s promise.

His Covenant

02 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Psalm 105, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 105                                                                 

 (Verses 8-15)

He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
“To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”

When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:

 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm” (NIV).

Reflection

Covenant is a term that is not used much in daily speech. The Encarta Dictionary provides us with this definition of covenant: a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties. By that definition marriage is a covenant that we enter into. A sound Christian marriage is a three-way covenant between the husband, the wife and their Creator.

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God’s covenant endures—photo by David Kitz

Encarta also provides a biblical definition of God’s enduring covenant with His people: in the Bible, the promises that were made between God and the Israelites, who agreed to worship no other gods.

There is something very exclusive about both these covenants. In our marriage vows we covenant or promise to love each other exclusively. No other lover may intrude. In the same way no other gods may intrude into the covenant relationship that we have with God. The LORD wants us exclusively for Himself. That is the nature of true love. It is jealous—zealous and jealous in guarding that relationship.

God’s zealous and jealous love for His people is clearly visible in today’s reading from Psalm 105. We read: He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations. A thousand generations is a long time, 25,000 years by the commonly used reckoning. But forever is much longer. What an incredible love the LORD has for us!

We serve a faithful, passionate God who will remain true to His covenant. The question that remains for us is, will we remain true to our end of the bargain? Will we be faithful, passionate and committed in our love for the LORD? Through Christ we have an eternal inheritance by covenant that is not of this world. Praise be to God for his enduring love.

Response: Father God, thank you for your love and faithfulness even when I have gone astray. You draw me back. Today, I renew my covenant with you. I commit myself to loving and serving you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you stayed faithful to your covenant?

Victory for the Humble

12 Thursday May 2016

Posted by in Psalms, Thursday's Thought

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The LORD is pleased with his people, and he gives victory to those who are humble (Psalm 149:4, CEV).

D Adam

Sunset shores — photo courtesy of Donald Adam

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is humility.

Do you hang on to promises? A promise of help from a friend can give you hope in the midst of dark days.

Today’s verse from the Psalms is a promise from the LORD.

The LORD is pleased with his people, and he gives victory to those who are humble (Psalm 149:4, CEV).

Like many promises, this promise from the LORD is not open-ended. It has certain limitations. It is limited to the people of God—His children born of the Spirit. The second limiting factor is humility. The humble can claim this promise as their own. The proud need not apply.

Are you a humble child of God? Then hold on, victory will come. You have solid grounds for hope. The LORD will be true to His promises.

Response: LORD God, thank you for your promise of help and victory for the humble. Help me to maintain a posture of humility before you. I am your child by faith. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you hang on to God’s promises? Has He come through for you?

Receiving the Desires of Your Heart

02 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Psalms

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Reading:                                     Psalm 37

Of David

(Verses 1-6)

Do not fret because of those who are evil     

or be envious of those who do wrong;

for like the grass they will soon wither,     

like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the LORD and do good;     

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the LORD,     

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;     

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,     

your vindication like the noonday sun. (NIV)

 Reflection

What are the desires of your heart? What do you want more than anything else? Wealth? Fame? Power and influence? Is this what you want? We all have desires. Some are noble some are not. How we manage and direct our desires fundamentally determines the direction of our lives.

Lagoon 2014-08-23

Here in Psalm 37, David compares and contrasts the life of the evil person with the life of the individual who does right in God’s eyes. The differences are stark; this is a night and day comparison. But at its core, everything in life centers on the desires of our heart and how we handle them.

There is a promise embedded in this psalm: Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. It’s a promise that is well worth pondering.

Will the LORD grant us our desires if our desires are evil? Most certainly not! In Psalm 34 we read, “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth” (Psalm 34:16).

God’s promises are conditional. There is something required of us before the promise can take effect. In this case we are to “Take delight in the LORD.” What does that really mean?

If I take delight in someone, my wife for example, I enjoy being around her. It’s a delight to spend time with her. I take pleasure in the sound of her voice. I pay careful attention to her wishes and desires. Ah, there’s that word again, desires. If I take delight in the LORD, then my desires will align themselves with the LORD’s desires. I’ll be concerned about what He wants. My selfish desires will be tempered by my love for Him. He in turn will grant the desires of my heart because I love Him and want the best for Him and His eternal Kingdom.

It’s easy to get the desires of your heart, if your desires are His desires.

Response: LORD God, help me to delight myself in you. May I love what you love. Help me to recognize when my desires are right and wholesome, and when they are misdirected. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you keep your desires in check and in line with God?