Psalm

The Open Hand of God (Psalm 145)

You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing…
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

Everything you need in life is found in the hand of God.

Stop, and read that again. You need to believe it!

There is nothing we need or desire that can’t be met from what we find in the open hand of God.

The Lord opens His hand to us. That means He is willing to give. He’s not reluctant. His hand is open to you.

But for us to receive from Him we also need to open our hands. If we hold too tightly to what we have in our lives right now, how can we receive anything further for the future? If we are clinging to what we think will fulfil our desires, how can we receive that which truly will fulfil them?

How do we attain this?

Verse 18 says “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him”. If you want what God has in His open hand, you need to call upon His name.

There is no good waiting for God to drop what you desire into your lap when He says He holds it out for you to grasp. What you need is right there! Just call upon Him, ask Him, enquire of Him, and see Him fulfil it.

What is it that you truly desire? And what is the deep need that is behind that desire? Let the light of God reveal it. Now, do you believe you can find that in God – or do you need to go hunt for it yourself?

God is not a scrooge reluctant to give you that which will satisfy you. Our problem is what we believe will satisfy us. We seek the wrong things when God promises all that we need and all that will satisfy is in His open hand.

PRAYER: Father, I renounce every lie that says you don’t have what I truly desire. I chose to believe your word and align my heart and soul under the leading of your Spirit. I ask you for everything I need to be truly and deeply satisfied. In Jesus name, Amen.

God’s Heart of Kindness (Psalm 68)

Kindness

Psalm 68:4-6 says:

Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

Many of us begin our worship services in our churches by singing. But how often do we take time to think about the God about whom we are singing?

“Sing to God, sing praises to His name”. This is the God to whom we are singing. He alone is the Lord and His is amazing!

He is a Father to those without a Dad and His heart is for the defenceless and the unloved and uncared for. God puts the lonely in families.

Why? That is His heart and His intention for how we should live; loved and loving.

He leads those who are enslaved out of bondage, and brings them incredible joy.

This is the God we worship and this is the God who we sing to. Let’s PRAISE Him today.

PRAYER: Father, these words are so lovely and moving. Praise your name Lord for your kindness and grace.. In Jesus name, Amen.

Whispers and Bad Intentions (Psalm 41)

Whispers

Psalm 41:7-8 says:

All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt, saying,
“A wicked thing is poured out upon him,
That when he lies down, he will not rise up again.”

People who whisper against you – gossip, criticise, complain – together with others they are your enemy. They might not carry guns or wear army greens, but “whispering together” against you is the behaviour of an enemy.

In this way, like David, we probably all have enemies in this life.

It is also the behaviour of an enemy to imagine and wish for the worst for someone. You can claim to be their friend, but if you are whispering about them to others and, in whispering, “devising their hurt” or wanting their harm you are actually at war against them.

Sadly this behaviour is reckless, dangerous and all too common. If you are a Christian, you may encounter it against you. If you are a Christian, you should in no way be participating in or even tolerating such behaviour.

Jesus told us to love our enemies, not return evil for evil. Put the whispering away.

PRAYER: Father, I cut off every false word and curse spoken about me. I break off the power of every negative word of death over my life in Jesus name. I ask you to forgive me for returning evil for evil and instead ask you to forgive those who persecute me. Deliver them Lord, convict them I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

The Promise of God’s Way (Psalm 37)

Waiting

Psalm 37 verse 34 says:

Wait for the Lord and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I love the resolute conviction we find in the writings of David.

If you ever lack clarity in your faith read the Psalms. Soon something, like this verse, will resonate. Its why I love verses like these; it’s assured, it’s compelling, and you know its true.

David gives us two things to remember and to do. 1) Wait for the Lord and 2) Keep His way.

1) Wait for the Lord.

Much of what we get wrong in life is due to wrong timing. But God, His timing is always spot on.

So often we are so busy and hurried along by the issues of our lives. Trying to squeeze God into a crevice in our day is not going to work. Rather than working to contain God into smaller and smaller cracks of time in our schedule, wait for Him.

Wait on the Lord, trusting Him, going to Him each day and knowing that He is good.

2) Keep His Ways.

His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). But that is not to say He doesn’t want us to make them our ways.

Whilst in our hurried pace of life we need to wait for Him, on the other hand following Him is immediate and total in nature. His ways are all consuming. They are life swallowing Him. And what He wants is that would be solely and wholly given over, not to a list of rules, but to living Lord and Saviour.

Keep His ways. Do what you know to do. Follow through and strengthen your relationship with Him.

THEN (this is the promise…)

He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

THEN He will exalt you.

God is looking for people who He can exalt, promote, lift up, and show off to the world as His faithful ambassadors. He is not shy about this. But He expects us to be proven (tested) in it.

He will exalt you, you will inherit the promised land. Others might miss it, but the invitation is there for you to grab it and see it for yourself.

PRAYER: Father, I ask for your grace and enabling to wait for you and to keep your ways. I trust you Lord and hear your word. I give myself to you and the process you have for me. I love you Lord. Amen.

One Thing (Psalm 27)

In Psalm 27 verse 4 David writes:

One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.

The “one thing” in David’s life was clear.

It was all about the Lord.

The “one thing” he set His heart on…
The “one thing” he was consumed by…
The “one thing” he longed for…
The “one thing” he desired was to dwell (live) where God lives.

David knew that in God alone He could be truly satisfied. He knew, either through revelation or experience, that in God alone is where He could find all that he needed in life. And that is where he resolved to live.

This is a remarkable statement. Especially when I consider my own light-weight existence.

How often am I consumed by the trivial instead of the eternal?
How often is getting home to watch the show I recorded the “one thing” I desire?
How often is getting my food brought to my table by the waitress the “one thing” I long for?

I’m pathetic. But thankfully God is not finished with me yet. There is still breath in my lungs and so there is opportunity to pray as David prayed, “Lord I want you to be the ‘One thing’ in my life!”

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for settling for such small things when you offer me the opportunity to sit before you! Lord I want you to be the one thing I desire in this life. Change my heart. I choose you Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

What We Can Do to Bring God Pleasure (Psalm 19)

Pleasure

Psalm 19:14 says:

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

There are certain words and certain meditations within us that are considered pleasing to our Father in Heaven. There are words spoken, and thoughts meditated upon which bring Him joy. WOW!

All too often we are aware of the “other stuff”. Words and phrases, thoughts that bring Him displeasure.

You know the stuff.

But the great promise here is that we can know a way of living that God finds pleasing. It is not found by doing mighty exploits. It does not consist of becoming a success in the eyes of the world. It does not require fame and renown amongst men.

Rather it is found in the inner-life. It is words and meditations – simple things that any of us can choose – that has the potential to bring Him pleasure and joy. That is an amazing thought. Your thought life and your lips created by God Himself can move His heart.

It is often said that nothing we can do can make God love us more. Whilst that is true, it is also evident that we do have the ability – in our thoughts and words – to bring pleasure to God.

PRAYER: Father, I want this to be true of me. That I could be one who through my small mind and fallen mouth can be pleasing to you. Grace me Lord, In Jesus name, Amen.