Month: March 2022

Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy.  Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man.  O You, my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.

Psalm 86:1-2

These are King David’s words as he cried out to the Lord in his distress.    One thing that stood out to me as I studied Psalm 86 this week is David’s declaration that “I am a godly man.”  Those who know David’s life story might ask, “How can David say that he is a godly man?”  He had an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and then arranged to have her husband Uriah killed on the battlefield.  

            The answer to that question should be an encouragement to every one of us!  God Himself called David “a man after His own heart.”  1 Samuel 13:14 tells us: The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart and has appointed him as ruler over His people.  He was speaking about David.

                        We know from many other Scriptures that God knows every heart, every thought, everything about us, every moment of our lives.  So, God was not surprised at the sinful choices David made.   But He also knew that when David was confronted with his sin, he would repent.  2 Samuel chapter 12 tells that the Lord sent Nathan to David to confront him with his sin and the consequences he would suffer because of it.  David’s heartfelt response was, “I have sinned against the Lord.”   In Psalm 51:1-4 and 17, David expresses his broken heart over his sin and his need for forgiveness:

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight. So that You are justified when You speak and blameless when you judge… A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

God’s Word is clear that we all have sinned:

Romans 3:10 There is no one righteous, not even one.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We all deserve God’s judgment!  But here is the good news! When we turn to God acknowledging our sin and asking for forgiveness, we have His promise of forgiveness and cleansing through our faith in Jesus who paid the penalty for our sins. I love these verses from Psalm 103:11-12:

As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. [Notice the word “removed.”  He doesn’t just forgive us; He removes our sin!]

How can God say of us that we are a man or woman after His own heart?  I believe He is looking for one who is completely devoted to a personal relationship with Him above all else, one who is willing to do His will, one who is seeking to please Him in all that we do, one who trusts Him no matter what the circumstances we are experiencing.

I love the way David calls the Lord “My God.”  He has a very personal relationship with the Lord!  Throughout Psalm 86, he acknowledges his trust in the Lord to deliver him from his affliction. As followers of Jesus, we can claim for ourselves David’s declarations about the Lord in this psalm:

The Lord is listening and will answer prayer.

The Lord is good and ready to forgive.

He is abundant in lovingkindness (mercy; unfailing love) to all who call upon Him.

There is no other god like our God.  He is great and does wondrous deeds.

He delivers our souls.

He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

He offers grace and strength, help and comfort.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Can you say with David, “I am a godly man (or woman)?  Why, or why not?

How are you encouraged by David’s prayers and his knowledge of God in this psalm?

Do you ever have trouble forgiving yourself even after you have repented and asked God to forgive you? 

Ask God to give you a deep understanding of His love and forgiveness and help you see yourself as He sees you – as His beloved man or woman after His own heart.

Consider writing your own prayer to God in response to this truth.

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever.

Psalm 86:11-12

This prayer of King David gives us a glimpse into his longing for God — to know Him more, to have an undivided heart of love and reverence for Him, and to live daily in the center of His will. David clearly expresses his desire to faithfully follow God’s plan for his life, and to have a heart filled with gratitude.  That was David’s prayer, and I want to pray that same prayer!

“Unite my heart” is the phrase that stood out to me this week from Psalm 86 as I studied for my women’s Bible study. What does it mean to have a “united” (or undivided) heart?  The Greek word means to “enter into the plan or thinking.” So, when I ask God to unite my heart, I am telling Him that I am available to follow His plan and His thoughts instead of being continually caught up in my own plans and desires.

            It helped me to think about what would be the opposite of a “united heart.”  If my heart is not intentionally tuned into God’s heart and His plan for each day, I can become distracted, frustrated, overwhelmed, anxious, feeling the need to be in control.  What a difference it makes when I start my day with the Lord with the same prayer and desire that David expressed in this psalm: “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth.  I want to love You with my whole heart, live out Your plan for the day.  I ask for Your plan for my time and activities.”

I realize that this heart of love for God can’t come from just trying harder.  I have to do what David did – Ask God to create it in me!  And it is developed in a daily, life-long relationship with Him.  God’s Word tells us that the two great commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love others as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). So, we can be assured that if we ask Him for a heart to love Him and follow Him this way, He will be delighted to answer that prayer.

            I notice in this psalm that David says several times “I will…”  He is making a choice to walk with the Lord and give thanks with all his heart.  I want to do the same.

David’s prayer also reminds me to keep focused on “one moment at a time” instead of looking ahead at the long list of activities planned for the day, or the week, or next month!  I want to enjoy each moment because the Lord is with me at all times, and I want Him to direct my path.

Another Scripture I love so much is 2 Chronicles 16:9: “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” Think about that!  The Lord is actually looking for people who are seeking Him with all their heart so that He can help! I pray often that when God looks at me, He will see a heart that is completely His, completely devoted to Him and His plan for my life.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Can you identify with David’s desire to have a “united” heart and to be following God’s plan?

If not, you can ask Him to create that desire in you.  That is a prayer God delights to answer!

Are there circumstances in your life that cause you to fear so that you focus on the problems instead of being able to cry out to God for help?

Ask God to search your heart and show you if there is anything that needs to change. Let’s remember to praise Him and have a heart filled with gratitude for who He is and what He has done for us!

Yet will I exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength.

Habakkuk 3:18-19

This may be familiar to you because I posted it last year.  But as I read it again this week, it is a message I needed to be reminded of as the world is focused on the war in Ukraine.  Maybe you need this encouragement too. It is so true with world events today!

It seemed strange when someone at church suggested that I read the book of Habakkuk, one of the Old Testament prophets.  I had read it a long time ago in a Bible study, but I decided to read it again this week.  It’s very short, only three chapters.  But I’ve been reading it and thinking about it all week.  The prophet Habakkuk is crying out to God with his complaints about the condition of his world (between 612 and 589 B.C.).  He sees that violence is everywhere…evil deeds, misery, surrounded by people who love to argue and fight… no justice in the courts…The wicked far outnumber the righteous…

As we look at the current events taking place in the world today, we might be tempted to ask the same thing that Habakkuk asked: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen!”  The devastation of earthquakes, floods, fires, wars, the pandemic which has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, hospitals full to overflowing, and disruption of our way of life with business and schools, the political dissension, the heartbreaking situation in Afghanistan…  The list can go on and on. 

The Lord’s response to Habakkuk was “Look around at the nations, look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.”  He tells Habakkuk of the judgment that He is bringing on His people in Judah.  The Lord goes on to tell Habakkuk “This vision is for a future time.  It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.  If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.  It will not be delayed.” 

After Habakkuk’s conversations and questions about what God was doing, he concludes by declaring his faith in God: 

Habakkuk 3:16 (NLT) I will wait quietly for the coming day… Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

I am greatly encouraged by the reminder I read in the footnotes of my NLT Life Application Study Bible:

Habakkuk 3:17-19 “Habakkuk affirmed that even in the times of starvation and loss, he would still rejoice in the Lord.  His feelings were not controlled by the events around him but by faith in God’s ability to give him strength.  When nothing makes sense, and when troubles seem more than you can bear, remember that God gives strength…. Habakkuk saw his own limitations in contrast to God’s unlimited power and control of all the world’s events.  God is alive and in control of the world and its events.  We cannot see all that God is doing, and we cannot see all that God will do.  But we can be assured that he is God and will do what is right.  Knowing this can give us confidence and hope in a confusing world.”

            We can pray for strength to hold on to the truth that God is sovereignly in control of all the events of our lives, even though we can’t see an answer.  We can ask Him for faith to keep on believing that He sees what we are going through and promises to provide what we need in His time.  He promises that He is with us and will never leave us.  We can wait patiently and rejoice in Him as we trust.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

What situation in your life causes you to respond as Habakkuk did?  “How long, O Lord, must I cry out to You?”  And you can’t see an answer.  Maybe there is an ongoing health issue, or a broken relationship, financial burdens, unsaved loved ones, wayward children, death of a loved one…

Can you pray and trust God as you fill in the blank:  Even though ______________________________, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength.

You may want to write a prayer to God expressing your need, your trust, your commitment to rejoice in His strength as you wait for His answer.

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

Proverbs 21:1

This scripture came to mind this week as I was praying about the war in Ukraine.  I read the verse in several versions of the Bible and looked at footnotes and commentaries for further explanation.  I came across a sidebar in the margin by Dr. David Jeremiah in the New King James Study Bible that helped me understand:  

“Government was never meant to reflect a Christian’s total value system—it can never do that in a pluralistic society.  Still, we can become discouraged when we see our leaders pursuing policies that are contrary to God’s values.

What we must remember is that something else is going on behind the scenes.  This is a theme of Proverbs 8:15, 16: “By Me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.  By Me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.”  But 21:1 is the verse that we probably know best: The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

God turns the heart of leaders like a farmer directs water down an irrigation ditch.  World events and the decisions made by the most powerful men and women in the world do not happen apart from God’s sovereignty.  He is not blind to what is going on.  Neither is He surprised by anything that occurs.

Knowing that God is in control and His will cannot be thwarted, we can pray for our leaders with wisdom and hope – even when we don’t agree with their policies.”

Dr. David Jeremiah’s words are a strong reminder of God’s sovereignty over all world events. He knows what is happening.  He has a purpose for what He allows.  I pray for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in Christ to be strengthened in their faith, to be trusting God completely, and to be God’s light in the devastation and darkness of the war surrounding them.  May many people turn their hearts to God for salvation.

I’m encouraged by these Scriptures which offer hope and God’s promise of His presence:

Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord before me continually.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

We are not experiencing war in our country, but many are suffering!  If you are experiencing fear, ill health, uncertainty, possible loss of home, job, financial security, …  will you cry out to the Lord and trust His promises?  He hears you and promises to be with you.

How can you encourage someone else who may be suffering?  We can ask God to give us words of encouragement from His Word.