Scripture:
Vs 1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
Vs 2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
Vs 15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence,Lord.
Vs 30 (God says), “If (David’s) sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,
Vs 31 If they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,
Vs 32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging;
Vs 33 But I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
Vs 34 I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.
Vs 35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness— and I will not lie to David—”
Observation:
The psalmist does not just know God in the abstract, but in the true and personal.
God’s inherent goodness, His great love, His faithfulness, His righteousness, His justice cannot be contained within the psalmist.
He must make it known. And not just known, but celebrated!
And not just celebrated with his peers, but throughout the generations!
Of course, these generations will fail to live up to God’s ways.
But God will never fail in His ways. He will “never betray His faithfulness”.
God “will not violate His covenant”.
And those who recognize this are blessed “in His presence”.
Application:
Do I want to “sing of the Lord’s love”?
Do I want to “make known the Lord’s faithfulness to all generations”?
Do I want to “declare that Your love stands firm forever”?
So much is made of having a “personal relationship” with Jesus. And, yes, God is certainly a personal God, but I am missing something when I make my relationship with God only about “me and Jesus”.
I “declare” and “make known” what is most meaningful to me and what I care most about.
Do I treat God as just a “personal hobby”? Or even a task?
It’s easy for “God” to become “religion” … something I “do”.
If I do, then I will certainly diminish God and fail to recognize love and faithfulness and righteousness.
When I diminish God, that is when I will fail to live His ways.
But I must recognize that “His ways” are in “His presence”.
I must “walk with” God, not “do for” God.
Certainly, there will be “doing”, but in the same way there is “doing” in the role of husband or friend.
It is an outflow of relationship, and then blessing comes from this presence.
When I fail to live in this relationship, of course there are consequences.
“Violation of His decrees”, or “sin” has consequences. But this is of my own doing.
God does not violate His covenant. God does not take His love away. God’s holiness is sworn by.
God now allows me to walk with Him in this holiness!
When I have full recognition of the worth of this, I cannot keep it to myself.
I must share it, declare it to all generations.
Prayer:
Thank you God for Your Faithfulness.
Thank you that you are Holy
And a righteous Judge
Keep me in Your presence and open my eyes to see You!
And open my mouth to declare and make You known
In Jesus name
Amen!