This morning’s sun dawned on all sorts of people, including me and you. We’ve traveled different paths in the past, we’re experiencing diverse blessings and challenges in the present, even as we anticipate varying opportunities and responsibilities in the days ahead.
Take a moment to think about these differences in the light of Psalm 70, a psalm of David written for use at times of sacrifice. Some are searching. They’ve been asking, seeking, and knocking for a while now. They know, deep down in their hearts, there has to be more. This life, with all its passing pleasures, isn’t all there is.
May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you! (70:4a)
If the sun rose on you as a seeker this morning, keep asking, seeking, and knocking.
“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isa 55:6-7)
Joy inexpressible and filled with glory is found when the roots of your sense of purpose are deeply embedded in a relationship with your Creator.
Some have sought, found, and now are leading lives of sacrificial praise to their Savior.
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!” (70:4b)
What a great thought to fuel our hearts for worship on this first day of the week. Let’s sing, pray, study, reflect, and encourage each other with hearts full of love for the great God who graciously loved us first.
Whatever my burden or blessing, it’s critical that I bring the right sort of heart before the throne of God today. It was appropriate even for King David to say of himself, “but I am poor and needy,” and to say of God, “You are my help and my deliverer” (70:5). Are you seeking today? Keep feeling your way toward him. Indeed, he is actually not far from each one of us. In him we live and move and have our being. He knows where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re headed. Don’t be ashamed to say today, “I am needy.” He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, and he’s patiently eager for you to bring your needy heart to him.
Are you confidently celebrating spiritual victory today? Wonderful. Praise God! Just don’t neglect to bring a humble, tender, hungry heart to him. After all, it was David’s greatest heir who taught us…
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt 5:3-6)
We’ll never excel in our walk of faith to the point of outgrowing the need to perpetually say, “God is great, but I am poor.”
Saints and seekers are gathering all over this world, not because we’re worthy or sufficient on our own, but because our Help desires to be found and our Deliverer is worthy of a lifetime of praise. And so we continue to say with David,
May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”
But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay!
Happy Lord’s day.