“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: ‘His love endures forever.’ Let the house of Aaron say: ‘His love endures forever.’ Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’”
Psalm 118:1-4
Thanks be to you, my Heavenly Father, for your grace-filled work in my life; you are so faithful, so kind, so patient, so wise. You are the One whom I can trust. In contrast, my own thoughts, feelings and perspectives are so up and down, so unstable, so easily influenced by circumstances.
You, being perfect, are unchanging: always good, always wise, always loving, always firm, always gracious. You are continually at work for the good of your Name, the good of your children, the good of every living being on earth.
I praise you for the power of your Name, the might of your Arm, the strength of your Character. There is nothing that can resist your plan, prevent your proposals or withstand your purposes.
Yet in your total Sovereignty, you allow us to make genuine, significant moral and ethical decisions that affect eternity for us and for you. You give us a sphere of responsibility where we can decide to follow you or not.
Your Spirit does the work of giving spiritual sight, shining the light of the gospel into hearts, convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment, revealing the need of all for a Savior, working through blessing and difficulty, goodness and tragedy, dreams and visions, questions and statements. And in the end you offer us repentance and faith.
But still, we must respond: “…as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…” (Joh. 1:12).
You want all unbelievers to come to you out of love, out of admitting their need, out of seeing your greatness, out of a desire for you. You woo and wait; then we either respond and rejoice, or we reject and will be rejected at the last day.
Your love is unbelievable, beyond conception, way above human thought, unexpected, incomprehensible, humanly speaking illogical, but amazing.
Praise be to you, the Lover of your enemies, the Redeemer of rebels, the Forgiver of your foes, the Transformer of the intractable, the Adopter of your antagonists!
What a God, what a Creator, what a Forgiver, what a Leader, what a Lord, what a King, what a Father, what a Brother, what a Spirit!! You are worthy of all worship, adoration and praise!!!
Prayer: “We give you glory and honor, O Lord; we bow before you, incredulous of your forgiveness and amazed at your grace; we rise up, rejoicing in your redemption and exalting in your love; we stand before you, surrendered in wonder, thankful in obedience. May you be exalted, magnified and lifted on high in our lives today—for you deserve it! Amen.”
