Psa. 139: You know me

O Lord, you have searched me and know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and you are acquainted with all my ways.” Psa. 139:1-3

Lord, you know me better than I know myself. How easy it is for me to think I now what is best for myself. In actuality, it is You who knows what is best, and what is best for our relationship. You have my best interest at heart, which will ultimately be for my best good even though it may not be what I would like to hear. You are the one who knows me best, what is best for my life, and what is best for the relationship we share.

Lord, I repent of the times that I have downplayed the role you have in my life, your intense desire to do the best for me, and to have the most intimate relationship possible. Help me to defer to your leading and instruction in my life, as you always provide the best for me.

Psalm 26: Examine my heart

“Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.” (Psa. 26:2-3)

I know. I know. At first blush ‘test me’ and ‘try me’ can seem like harsh words that we do not want to hear. Why would someone ever want to invite scrutiny or challenge in their life. Why… Well, because when you get down to it, this is at the core of our relationship with the Lord. One of the names of God is El Kanna, which means Jealous / Consuming Fire. When God says he is a jealous God, he is letting us know that he will not tolerate any form of rivalry that takes away from the time and attention that should be devoted to him.

God is fully committed in terms of his pursuit of and in his desire to have a vibrant an intimate relationship with each one of use. If he is ‘all in’, he is certainly expecting that we should be ‘all in’. He wants to know if we ‘all in’ or not.

If he knows we are ‘all in’ in terms of our relationship with him, by examining our heart and mind in our day-to-day; we can be assured that God’s love is ever before us and we are continually living in his truth. How comforting it is to know that we are in a relationship that is so ‘all in’.

Lord, I repent of any way that I have held back in my commitment to you and how I have let rivals enter my life. I thank you and praise you for being the all consuming fire in my life. It is truly one of the certainties of life, God is an all consuming fire.

Psalm 25: In you I trust

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. (Psa. 25:1-2)

So, what is trust other than offering one’s deepest commitment to another person or cause? How do I really do in offering myself and all that I do; to God and His desire to have a relationship with me? A tepid response is not the idea here, we are called to be all-in on this one.

‘In you I trust’ is an all-in statement. It is not saying ‘and’ or ‘or’. It is saying, ‘I trust in your God. In no one else. In nothing else. You’ve got every bit of me.’ God is not asking us to make Him one of many things to rely on in our life. He is asking us to be the only thing we rely on on our life. It is in this reliance or trust that our relationship with God is forged. Through thick or thin, in good times or in bad; when we rely on Him alone, we will never be put to shame (Psa. 25:3).

Lord, I am sorry and repent of all the ways I have not relied on you in my life. All the times I have put other people or things before you in my life. Thank you for pursuing to have a relationship with me, which you did at the cost of your own blood.

Psalm 24: The Earth is the Lord’s

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. (Psa. 24:1-2)

Heavenly Father, you are the Lord of all. Above you there is nothing else. It is of you and by you that everything exists. You are the Creator. Everything else is the created.

As I go about my activities this day, may I be continually reminded that everything in this day is yours. Today is not mine. The things I accomplish are not mine. I am not mine.

Thank you Lord, for who you are, for all that you have done, for all that you do; and for all that you will do. I am sorry for and repent for all the times that I thought anything was mine or accomplished by me. You are the Lord of all.

Proverbs 20

“Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? (Proverbs 20:9)

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” (Isaiah 7:9)

Lord, I am so grateful for the work you have done in my life.  I cannot even begin to conceive of all the ways you have touched my life.  Have I kept my heart pure?  No.  Am I without sin?  No.  Without you Lord, I am hopelessly lost, so distant and apart from your desire for my life.  It is through your persistence and amazing ability to reach into my heart, touching the very fiber of my being; that you have reshaped and molded me to your liking.  I am the work of your hands.

Thank you for the gift of life you have given me through your sacrifice.  All that you ask is faith.  Faith in you alone.  I pray that I may stand firm in that faith.  Aside from that faith, there really is nothing else.  I can stand only when I stand in you.  You are the assurance of my life; the certainty in my day.

Thank you Lord for who you are and what you have done.  Mighty is your name.  Awesome are your works.

“Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.”  (Psalms 103:22)

“Yet you, LORD, are our Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter;  we are all the work of your hand.”  (Isaiah 64:8)

Proverbs 19

“Desire without knowledge is not good — how much more will hasty feet miss the way!” (Proverbs 19:2) 

Ah, to have knowledge, to make the right decisions, to do the right thing; isn’t that a foundational characteristic of the Christian life?  Yes, but we are being called into and through the Christian life based on knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.  That is not through our own knowledge based on experience or education.  It is the knowledge that we have been given by God through his word and Spirit.  Acting of our own accord can cause us to lose our way or get side tracked.  We are called to follow him because he is the way; we are not.  If we rely on him, he will teach us what we need to know and where we should go.  Apart from the Lord we are prone to become hopelessly lost, not knowing where to go and what to do.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)

Proverbs 18

“As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.” (Zechariah 9:10)

“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”  (Proverbs 18:10)

Lord, mighty is  your name.  Great are your works.  You are a rock; a fortress that cannot be moved.  You are the foundation upon which all else is built.  There is nothing more sure your steadfastness, your love, and your faithfulness.  It is there.  It is always there.  There is only one thing that is certain and that is hope in you; a hope that will not disappoint.

You have called me to that rock, that certainty.  In your presence I can rest and be sure of your steadfast love and faithfulness.  This is certain because it is through your blood and the undying promise that you have made to all people that we are saved from the pit of our own destruction.  Left to our own devices, our sin condemn us all, but through our blood you have given everyone the opportunity for life to the fullest.

Yes, your name is a strong tower.  Your love and faithfulness know no bounds.  Because of your sacrifice for us, with confidence we can place our trust in you.  Those who dwell in the shadow of your name are safe.

Proverbs 17

“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.  A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.  The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.” (Proverbs 17:3, 24, 27)

Lord, so how is it that you test the heart?  Lovingly and faithfully; that is how.  Even though it is immensely difficult for me, you know it is the only way for me to remain focused on you; by you molding and reshaping my heart in way that I cannot even imagine in my own humanity.  You work at my heart to strip away my pride, my stubborness, my hard-heartedness.

Lord, as hard as it might be, I pray that I may not resist your work in my heart.  I pray that my eyes may remain fixed on you and your work in my life, not on the distraction of this life.

 

Proverbs 16

“Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided.” (Proverbs 16:6) 

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved    and Israel will live in safety.  This is the name by which he will be called:  The LORD Our Righteous Savior.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

God is love.  God is faithful.  Lord, it is through you that my sin is removed.  It is through your grace.  Jesus, it is through your selfless giving that I may have life and life to the fullest.  Youe are my righteousness.  You are my Lord.

Proverbs 15

“Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.  Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 15: 16 & 33)

Lord, knowing who I am and knowing who you are the foundation of a firm relationship with you which will produce real life.  You are the infinite and mighty.  You are above all things.  You are above reproach.  Your love endures forever.  You are the firm foundation upon which true life is based.  You are gracious and kind.  You are just.  You are steadfast.  Your ways are right.  You desire all people to come to you.

Who am I but a lowly sinner who can do nothing right aside from you.  I am a sinner.  I do not deserve the gifts you give me.  I am nothing and can do nothing apart from you,  I am proud.

Even though I am nothing; when you are with me, I am everything.  You hold me above all else.  Through you I am righteous.  Knowing my place with respect to you teaches me true humility.  It is pride, the focus on myself and my own efforts, that puts me before you.  It is in the reverential respect of you that I may come to a right understanding, knowledge, and wisdom.  What is true wisdom, than to live in your presence and love.

What is valuable?  What is important?  Certainly not the things of this life.  My relationship with you is beyond all measure.  It is truly the source of all life and all goodness.

God, in you I trust.  In you I place my hope.  For you I live this day.