God’s Love and Faithfulness
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,And Your faithfulness every night” (Ps. 92:1-2 NKJ)
Hello Saints,
What is on your heart these days…the war in Gaza, or Ukraine; health issues; the state of our world in general? Maybe you are excited about an upcoming event or significant moment in your history – a birth date, an anniversary, a new opportunity. Take a moment to read Psalm 92. This anonymous song is written for a Sabbath day. What is a Sabbath day for? Simply, to remember the Lord – to focus on Him and all that He does and has done for us. We are not bound by the Sabbath as followers of Jesus, but the principle is there to set some time aside to “know the Lord” (Ex. 31:13). Do we do that? Do we contemplate the Lord regularly or is He just a weekly ritual we perform on Sunday? Because of Jesus, we have access to the Father 24/7 every day of the week! Those who have the closest relationship with God in the Bible are those who commune with the Lord daily, regularly, often and frequently. King David writes, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Ps. 34:1 NKJ). How much more, being redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb, brought into fellowship with God, being called, chosen, forgiven, and freed, should we desire close, daily, even hourly intimacy with our Savior and Lord? When Paul advises us to think about those things that are excellent and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8), could there be anything more excellent and praiseworthy than God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness? Take some time even now just to meditate on those two words as God has made them evident in your life?
Lovingkindness in the morning: Love and kindness together in one package; favor, mercy, grace; the unending, steadfast love of God; a covenantal love that never lets us go. Every morning God’s mercies are new (Lam. 3:22-23). Every new day, we receive new breath, new life, new beginnings and opportunities to live to the glory of God. Every morning means darkness is gone and light has come. Every morning we awaken to the reality that we are alive and the Lord has been kind enough to grant us another day to live. He has preserved and protected us through the night – we have not been attacked, or harmed, or forced to flee our homes due to war or weather. Do we wake up and praise God that we have been granted the blessing of a new day or do we begin the day by remembering the disappointments of yesterday, picking up our sorrows and anxieties, dragging them from one day to the next? His mercy (lovingkindness) is new every morning and it has been granted to me to live in the love of a God who laid down His life for me – I am that valuable to Him! So much lovingkindness through the night and a whole day of His lovingkindness to look forward to. For that, it is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praise to His name! But that is only half of it!
Faithfulness every night: Every night when I lay my head down on the pillow, do I reflect how God has been faithful all day long to supply my every need; to hold the whole world and my world together so it does not fall apart around me? His presence and His promises have gotten me through the difficulties I have faced – the promise of wisdom for every situation, of comfort and peace for every trial. Oh, how faithful God is in the smallest details and the biggest tests. Physical needs met through provision of resources; emotional needs met through the people He has placed in my path; spiritual needs met through the promise of His word and presence; a song in my heart to lift me up and a word on my tongue to interact with those I meet – every single need has been supplied by a faithful God! The hymn writer correctly states, “all I have needed Thy hand hath provided: great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!” Even at night, He is faithful to show me His hand on my life, as I reflect on all He has done to get me through the day – in a comfy bed, in a warm house, in a peaceful country, surrounded by friends and family, with a community of like-minded followers of Jesus – Oh! God! You are so faithful and kind! “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare” (Ps. 40:5)
Like bookends to the perfect day are lovingkindness and faithfulness! This is our God...every single day...He does not change! Lovingkindness and faithfulness describe the character of our God who has covenanted himself to us in love, promising to supply all our needs and be present with us through all eternity! That is what should be on our hearts these days. Rather than fear and anxiety, we will experience peace and joy.
I join the psalmist of Psalm 92 in proclaiming:
“For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.” (Ps. 92:4 NKJ)
"The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is nothing but goodness in Him!" (Ps. 92:15 NLT)
Have a blessed week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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