Let the Morning Bring Me Word of Your Unfailing Love.
Good morning class. Last week we finished up the study of Esther. I am still out of town this week so instead of starting a new book we will take a Psalm interlude. Reading and studying the Psalms refreshes my soul. It is a book that soothes and comforts, challenges and even rebukes, but I always come away with a renewed desire to seek after God. Music is a powerful thing and this book of music (even without the melody) is powerful!
Question of the day: What about morning brings you joy?
The Psalm I chose for today is Psalm 143. It is only twelve verses.
We will start with the first 6 verses.
Psalm 143
A psalm of David.
1 Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
On the 4th of July, a group of us went uptown and passed out food & gift bags to the homeless. Ronnie, my friend that has helped us in the past, helped me again. Since I last worked with him, he has gone through detox, found a place to live, got a job and is now working. I am not sure how much sobriety he has but he is working on his addictions.
He is a man who is fighting. You may not relate to fighting to stay off the streets but what are you fighting?
I have a list. Exhaustion, business, sugar addiction, stress, loneliness, feelings of inadequacy, and more...
So what to do.....
What do we read here that David is doing?
1. Pray - cry out
This is so obvious and in my case too often way under done!
2. Remember all He has done! Meditate on his works.
3. Spread out my hands to you.
What is David doing here?
Look at the progression.
Pray- remember- spread out your hands....or surrender!
Pray - remember- surrender!
Pray - remember- surrender!
This time of waiting for Chris and I has been so challenging on many levels. Pray! We have been we do! Remember.... most days. Surrender....sure as long as you hurry up... That's what I want to say. Surrender IS in the waiting?
WAIT... LOOK at what David writes next......
7 Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Waiting is obviously hard for David too!
David is saying exactly what I have been feeling! Wow!
"Lord please show us your plan for our lives! Lord please! We are tired! We are ready for answers. At the very least Lord let us see you in this process! Please Lord!"
This past week at one point I was driving the shuttle...(I'm doing that a lot lately)... and I found myself going over all kinds of scenarios. Some amazing and other were devastating. I could literally feel my blood pressure rising. I needed this passage! I needed to stop and pray, to remember, to surrender and to cry out to God, not just keep stressing about what might happen!
Worry. That is what I was doing! I was Worrying! Worrying is just stressing about something that may not happen, which is a waste! I needed to stop worrying and start remembering! Remembering is looking back at how he has led! I needed to look back! I needed to surrender and then if nothing else.....
4. Be honest with God!
Pray - Remember - Surrender - Be Honest!
I too often find myself talking to God once I am feeling surrendered.
David ends this Psalm speaking specifically for what he needs. I love this section.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
11 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.
What do you notice about David's requests to God?
Where is the man that begged for God's deliverance? What is the source of David's confidence?
What is your testimony of God's deliverance that gives you confidence?
1 Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
On the 4th of July, a group of us went uptown and passed out food & gift bags to the homeless. Ronnie, my friend that has helped us in the past, helped me again. Since I last worked with him, he has gone through detox, found a place to live, got a job and is now working. I am not sure how much sobriety he has but he is working on his addictions.
He is a man who is fighting. You may not relate to fighting to stay off the streets but what are you fighting?
I have a list. Exhaustion, business, sugar addiction, stress, loneliness, feelings of inadequacy, and more...
So what to do.....
What do we read here that David is doing?
1. Pray - cry out
This is so obvious and in my case too often way under done!
2. Remember all He has done! Meditate on his works.
3. Spread out my hands to you.
What is David doing here?
Look at the progression.
Pray- remember- spread out your hands....or surrender!
Pray - remember- surrender!
Pray - remember- surrender!
This time of waiting for Chris and I has been so challenging on many levels. Pray! We have been we do! Remember.... most days. Surrender....sure as long as you hurry up... That's what I want to say. Surrender IS in the waiting?
WAIT... LOOK at what David writes next......
7 Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Waiting is obviously hard for David too!
David is saying exactly what I have been feeling! Wow!
"Lord please show us your plan for our lives! Lord please! We are tired! We are ready for answers. At the very least Lord let us see you in this process! Please Lord!"
This past week at one point I was driving the shuttle...(I'm doing that a lot lately)... and I found myself going over all kinds of scenarios. Some amazing and other were devastating. I could literally feel my blood pressure rising. I needed this passage! I needed to stop and pray, to remember, to surrender and to cry out to God, not just keep stressing about what might happen!
Worry. That is what I was doing! I was Worrying! Worrying is just stressing about something that may not happen, which is a waste! I needed to stop worrying and start remembering! Remembering is looking back at how he has led! I needed to look back! I needed to surrender and then if nothing else.....
4. Be honest with God!
Pray - Remember - Surrender - Be Honest!
I too often find myself talking to God once I am feeling surrendered.
David ends this Psalm speaking specifically for what he needs. I love this section.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
11 For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.
What do you notice about David's requests to God?
Where is the man that begged for God's deliverance? What is the source of David's confidence?
What is your testimony of God's deliverance that gives you confidence?
Comments
Post a Comment