Wednesday, July 7, 2010

My Comfort...


SCRIPTURE

Psalm 119:73-80 (NRSV)

Living in faithfulness

Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word.
I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right,
and that in faithfulness you have humbled me.
Let your steadfast love become my comfort
according to your promise to your servant.
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my delight.
Let the arrogant be put to shame,
because they have subverted me with guile;
as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
Let those who fear you turn to me,
so that they may know your decrees.
May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
so that I may not be put to shame.


DEVOTION

Let your steadfast love become my comfort according to your promise to your servant.

Ah! No matter what trials, tribulations, or trouble may befall you today, of this you can be sure, God loves you more than you think, hope, or imagine!

I love that God's love toward us is steadfast; this means that it is sure, dependable, reliable, constant, unwavering, immovable, abounding, never-giving up, never giving in, and fixed permanently in place...

No matter how much we mess up, fail, embarrass ourselves, humiliate others, or fall short of God's glory, God's steadfast love holds us tight.

Because we are held so tightly in the heart of God, we are comforted. We know that we can't out sin, out run, or out fox God's love revealed to us in Christ Jesus.

In the midst of our trouble, we know that we are secure. We know that God is holding us tight. We know that God will never let us go!

Let me tell you a secret--there were sad and ugly days in my life when I ASKED God to let me go. I didn't think that I wanted God's love anymore--I was angry, sad, disappointed, and aggrieved. But, even when I imagined (falsely) that I wanted God to let me go, God would not do it. God just gathered me close, enveloped me in love, and carried me, offering me comfort, until I was again able to walk by faith.

See, God is not afraid of us. God is not afraid of our sin. God already conquered sin, death, AND the grave when Love allowed Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

Because God is unafraid, God's steadfast love is a comfort to us. Because God's love is unrelenting, all that is required is for us to fall into the safety net of God's grace.

As we fall into God's Amazing Grace, putting all of our hope in Jesus, we are gently cradled into eternity. We have NO-thing to fear, for God is with us, wherever we may go.

Won't you trust the steadfast love of God to be your comfort today?


Let us pray:

Loving God, thank you that your steadfast love is my comfort. I am so sorry for the many times I have rejected your love and turned away from your statutes. Please forgive me. Today, I am putting all of my hope in Jesus, believing that he lived, died, and rose again on the third day to forgive my sin and gift me with eternal life. Please help me to fall into your Amazing Grace and to share your love with others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.



SPECIAL NOTE

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today you are a Christian! I would be so honored if you would take a moment to let me know that you put all of your hope in Jesus today by clicking YES in the upper right hand corner of this blog in answer to the question, "Did you put all of your hope in Jesus today?"

I also pray that you will tell a Christian friend about your decision, so that s/he can help you find a good Bible believing church to attend where you can be baptized and grow in your faith.

Congratulations! Your salvation is our good news. Please share the good news with someone today!

No comments:

Post a Comment