God Delivers Us From Evil

1I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
2I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.
3On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.
4All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
6For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.
8The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
(Psalm 138, NRSV)

Even though God is over and above all things, God does not forget about us.

God is always there to reach down, and take hold of us and lift us up.

No matter what trouble we find ourselves in God will reach in and be there to save us.

God will not forget the work of His Hands, which is you!

God will deliver you and always be with you.

God’s Love Endures Forever

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
(Psalm 136, NRSV)

No matter what happens in this world or in our lives.

No matter how dark it gets, so we can’t see to take a step.

No matter how many storms we face or trials that come.

God’s love will endure forever!

God Restores Us

1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(Psalm 126, NRSV)

When it seems like things are going wrong and there is no out, that is when God comes in and turns life around.

For as the psalmist says, those who go out weeping sowing seeds will reap a harvest of joy shouting and loving what they have received.

God will not leave us where we are, God loves us way too much for that. God will always guide us through the darkness to the end of the path God has set before us.

God’s promises are true and God will never leave us!

My Help Comes From the Lord

1I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
(Psalm 121, NRSV)

This is one of my favorite Psalms.

It reminds me in any and all circumstances that God is always there for me and will shelter me and guide me. God will always be there to help me and protect me. God will keep me from harm and evil and will watch over me.

That is comforting to me. To know no matter where I go or what I do God will never fail me.

God is a Wonderful Refuge

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
2Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.
3Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
4Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
5Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
6With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
7The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals.
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
(Psalm 118:1-9, NRSV)

It has been said that Psalm 118:8 is the center verse of the Bible. Well this would depend on the translation and lots of things but it has been proven that this is simply not true.

Yet it is a great verse to have as the center of our lives. It is better t ok take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. Take refuge, put your trust, or have as your center God. Because God will never let you down. We humans will fail each other. We will fall short and hurt each other but God never will.

God’s love will endure forever and God will never let you down.

Joy in Heaven When the Lost are Found

8“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10, NRSV)

This parable is part of chapter 15 of Luke which is a out lost things that repent… or at least that seems to be the focus of the Prodigal Son. So if that is true how does a coin repent?

It says, “I promise I’ll change…”

But this story isn’t about the coin. It is about the woman. A woman who doesn’t rest until she finds what was lost. And that is exactly how God searches for us when we roll away. Tirelessly searching every where for us!

That is how much God loves you.

God is the Helper of the Humble

1Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.
2Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.
3From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
6who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
7He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
9He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!
(Psalm 113, NRSV)

God makes the barren woman a mother. God lifts us up from the places the world puts us and says we are not trash or worthless.

We are the creation of the most high God and are a treasured possession.

Never listen to the world when they call you anything other than beloved child of God.

Salvation is Near!

11Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:11-14, NRSV)

What time is it?

It is time for us to focus on Jesus and what God has for us to be doing.

We need to live in the light of Christ and show the world His love and allow God’s life to shine through.

We need to show the world we love one another and get along.

So all may know His love.

Love One Another

8Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:8-10, NRSV)

Seems pretty easy, doesn’t it. I mean don’t commit adultery, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t covet all of these are things against our neighbor and if we love our neighbor we will not want to harm them in any way, so we just love.

I mean all of the commandments are about love. Either love of God or love of neighbor. So we love God and we love neighbor, which is everyone other than God, including ourselves.

If we love each other, there will be no issues.

Pretty simple, yet the hardest thing to do.

Do What is Good

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.5Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:1-7, NRSV)

So according to Paul here we are supposed to not fight against the rulers we are placed under because they were put there by God. No power can be a power without the authority of God.

So if we go against the government we should expect to be punished for that.

But we are ultimately only subject to God so when and if the government goes against God we should not follow the government?

We are to always do what is good and to show God’s love in everything we do.

Don’t grumble about being a good citizen. Live and show the love of God.