SCRIPTURE
Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45 (NRSV)
God promises life to Abraham
O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
He is mindful of his covenant forever,
of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance." ...
Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold,
and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
They asked, and he brought quails,
and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
For he remembered his holy promise,
and Abraham, his servant.
So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
He gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!
DEVOTION
Today’s scripture is an affirmation of what we learned just days ago about GOD being a promise keeper! The entire poem is a song of praise meant to share the GOOD NEWS with others! In it the psalmist remembers God’s promise to Abraham and the many ways in which God has been fulfilling that promise for many generations—yay thousands of years!
God is still keeping God’s promises and we are all the recipients of this wonderful gift! Some of my favorite promises are: God shall supply all of my needs according to God’s riches in glory (Philippians 4:19), God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5), all things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to God’s purposes (Romans 8:28), and if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved (Romans 10:9)!
In all of these Biblical scriptures, God has made us a promise, and God will surely keep it! In response to all of these promises the psalmist encourages us by saying, “O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works. Glory in his holy name…Praise the Lord!”
This is always the proper response to the wonderful works God does in our lives! Who amongst us was not taught by our mother, father, aunt, teacher, or guardian, “When someone does something nice for you, you should always say, THANK YOU!”
Today, let us pause in our Lenten Journey to simply say, “God, I thank you.” Let us take a moment to number our blessings, naming them one by one. Can it be done? How long will the list be? Will it ever end? Of course not! But let us try…
By taking the time to number our blessings, we will quickly come to the realization that we are truly, “blessed and highly favored.” It is a sad fact that most human beings invest more time complaining about what is wrong, than appreciating what is right!
Do not wait until it is too late to appreciate your many blessings! Today’s GOOD NEWS is that God is always at work in our bodies, minds, and spirits. The very fact that we are “clothed and in our right minds” and reading this devotional means that God has been very good to us! Let us celebrate God’s many benefits and share them with others!
Will you take the time to count your blessings today?
Loving God, you are the most generous One in all of the universe--and beyond! When I stop complaining, and start praising, I become aware of how very good you have been to me. Please forgive me for failing to say, “Thank you,” and please help me to live out my “thank you” in bold witness to others. I know that you are good all of the time and I want to share this knowledge with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Good News has now added a prayer ministry. If you have a prayer request or praise report, or would like to pray for others, please click the link found under my profile picture. Thank you!
The Good News Living Book Club will be reading Hinds Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard during March. You can purchase the book by clicking the link to the right. Please mark your calendars for our very first book club meeting to be held on Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 9:00am.
You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.
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Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.
From Pastor Yolanda’s blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/
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