Thoughts for another day

December 22, 2006

Today's verse: Ps. 86:3. Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. (KJV)

The Word of God is a mystery. Its purposes and promises are closed to those with closed hearts, Mt. 13:15. By closed hearts we mean those who are too pompous and lofty headed, thinking everyone else is base. Such were the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ time and also some Jews; who therefore thought that Moses, Abraham and Elijah were superior to Jesus, despite what they saw of Jesus. Jesus spoke authoritatively and with a Word did those marvelous miracles in the sight of all, yet, they needed to ask Him, ‘…are You the Christ, the Son of God…’ Mt. 26:63.

The Word of God my friend, is the Sword of the Spirit. It is an abundant treasure. The warehouse, of the infinite goodness of God. Today onwards, as we open the Word of God, let us remove our blinkers and see. For in it, we shall find the Living God. The Father of lights who lights up our lives and brings us into His kingdom. Making us live like priests, anointed and set up for His glory. As a beginning, we turn to Ps. 86. And each day as the Spirit of God allows, we shall look at a few verses and pray that God Himself speaks to us and reveals the glory of His kingdom even as we move closer to being perfect as He is. Decide today, no matter what, you will meditate on His Word even if it is a trifle long. Remember, eternity is a long period. And if we are going to be spending it with God, let us begin now by being ready to spend a few mins. with Him.

The psalm is written by David. It tells us about the relationship that the man has with God. It speaks of confidence in God. It talks bout the miserable condition he is in. His plea to the Almighty to rescue him is an ardent prayer made in complete knowledge that God will rescue him from his misery. Open your Bibles to Ps. 86 now.

The first verse speaks about the man’s own admission of being lowly. He humbles himself before God. Humility before God is very important. When you sit for prayer, sit in a position of humility. Sit on the floor; it is possible for even the worst arthritis patient to do that and remember, you are not leaning on your own strength but on His. Speak humbly to Him and talk to Him like the psalmist does. Verse 2 is a prayer for preserving His life and he gives the reason for that as his loyalty. In your own personal life you might not have been loyal. Declaration of loyalty is not appropriate in times of prosperity, rather it must be done in times of adversity. Can you rise above the mire you are in and look at Him and say, ‘Lord, I trust you.’

My beloved in Christ, the thief on the cross, looked upon Him who is the righteousness of all mankind. Pleaded with Him saying, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus immediately said, ‘Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.’ So rise above your problems and look at Him. You may have never been loyal to Him, you can begin now.

Verse 3 is in expectation of the mercy of God. His Word says that His mercies never cease and are new every morning. The psalmist tells God that He is crying out to Him daily. Not only is He leaning upon God’s promises, but incessantly imploring the Lord. My friend, God loves it when we unceasingly pray to Him. When the weight on our hearts are unbearable, the heart pounds out its sorrow in an endless flow and when you do that, the results are immediate. Remember the story of the unjust judge – Lk. 18:1-8? Jesus asks us to be persistent as the widow is. For in our persistence we show God that He alone can redeem us and we depend on Him alone.

We will continue this psalm tomorrow. But reflect on each of these three verses. If you don’t have your Bibles with you as you read this, go to google and search for the Bible and read it. It will do your soul a lot of good.