His steadfast love endures forever

Psalm 136:1–26 (ESV): 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

 2  Give thanks to the God of gods, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

 3  Give thanks to the Lord of lords, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 4  to him who alone does great wonders, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 5  to him who by understanding made the heavens, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 6  to him who spread out the earth above the waters, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 7  to him who made the great lights, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 8  the sun to rule over the day, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 9  the moon and stars to rule over the night, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 10  to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 11  and brought Israel out from among them, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 12  with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 13  to him who divided the Red Sea in two, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 14  and made Israel pass through the midst of it, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 15  but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 16  to him who led his people through the wilderness, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 17  to him who struck down great kings, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 18  and killed mighty kings, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 19  Sihon, king of the Amorites, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 20  and Og, king of Bashan, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 21  and gave their land as a heritage, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 22  a heritage to Israel his servant, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

 23  It is he who remembered us in our low estate, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 24  and rescued us from our foes, 

for his steadfast love endures forever; 

 25  he who gives food to all flesh, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

 26  Give thanks to the God of heaven, 

for his steadfast love endures forever. 

This account of the greatness of God, from being the creator to the God who saw Israel through every step, hurdle, and barrier in the wilderness, demonstrates that every success, every difficulty, every wonderful thing is because, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’. You could write your own version of your life in this style. For from the moment you took your first breath til your last, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’. 

I was unwell and people feared for my life, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

Now i am restored and well, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’

At the times when i felt most alone and afraid, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

As i became a wife, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

We have moved to different places 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

At times, suffering terrible grief, 

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

When there doesn’t seem to be enough,

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’. 

our needs have always been met,

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’

God sees, remembers and responds

‘for his steadfast love endures forever’

Why don’t you give it a go? Think about key themes or elements of your life and repeat to yourself that, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’ after each one. These things have happened and been experienced, but through them all, you can always know God’s committed adoration towards you. His love, power, protection, peace and presence are for eternity. He is in every moment, every challenge, trial and success of life. He wants to commiserate and celebrate with you throughout your life. Are you acknowledging His presence with you in every season? What moments has God been in with you? Think about it, allow yourself the opportunity to acknowledge God’s presence; past, present and future. No matter what you face, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’. How incredible is that! No wonder this psalm ends, ‘Give thanks to the God of heaven’. God deserves your recognition and praise for He has been through all that you have. He has rescued you, protected you, healed you, provided for you, and loved you through it all. His steadfast love certainly does endure forever.

Why choose God and not worldy things?

 Psalm 135:1–21 (ESV): 

1 Praise the Lord! 

Praise the name of the Lord, 

give praise, O servants of the Lord, 

 2  who stand in the house of the Lord, 

in the courts of the house of our God! 

 3  Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; 

sing to his name, for it is pleasant! 

 4  For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, 

Israel as his own possession. 

 5  For I know that the Lord is great, 

and that our Lord is above all gods. 

 6  Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, 

in heaven and on earth, 

in the seas and all deeps. 

 7  He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, 

who makes lightnings for the rain 

and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 

 8  He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, 

both of man and of beast; 

 9  who in your midst, O Egypt, 

sent signs and wonders 

against Pharaoh and all his servants; 

 10  who struck down many nations 

and killed mighty kings, 

 11  Sihon, king of the Amorites, 

and Og, king of Bashan, 

and all the kingdoms of Canaan, 

 12  and gave their land as a heritage, 

a heritage to his people Israel. 

 13  Your name, O Lord, endures forever, 

your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages. 

 14  For the Lord will vindicate his people 

and have compassion on his servants. 

 15  The idols of the nations are silver and gold, 

the work of human hands. 

 16  They have mouths, but do not speak; 

they have eyes, but do not see; 

 17  they have ears, but do not hear, 

nor is there any breath in their mouths. 

 18  Those who make them become like them, 

so do all who trust in them. 

 19  O house of Israel, bless the Lord! 

O house of Aaron, bless the Lord! 

 20  O house of Levi, bless the Lord! 

You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! 

 21  Blessed be the Lord from Zion, 

he who dwells in Jerusalem! 

  Praise the Lord! 

If you are feeling down or powerless, low or uncertain, disappointed or lacking faith, or joyful and desiring to praise God - then this psalm will do you good. It is full of reason and encouragement to remember some of the facts as to why God is brilliant, and gives examples of how you know you can trust Him. So, as a reminder today, here are some reasons you should praise God, because He:

• Is good
• Has chosen you 
• Is great
• Is above all gods
• Does what He pleases
• Reigns in the heavens and earth
• Controls the weather
• Performed miracles in Egypt
• Has power over man and beast
• Performs signs and wonders
• Works for His people and against their enemies
• Has struck down many nations
• Has defeated many kings
• Provides dwelling places for His people
• Is famous throughout all time
• Lives forever
• Will vindicate His people
• Has compassion on His servants
• Lives amongst us

What or who else could you worship or praise that can do and has done all this?! Therefore do not get distracted by other things such as ‘the idols of the nations’ like 'silver and gold, the work of human hands’. Remember, instead the creator of those things! The one who hears and speaks, who works and never sleeps, who lives and breathes and even gives you breath! He is the one who is worthy of your attention, your full focus. Is your mind preoccupied with stuff or things that are material, not eternal? If so, take another look at this psalm and consider what is really worthy of your attention. For cars breakdown, houses crumble, money loses it's worth, and people are fickle. Live your life looking for and admiring the One who created all of these things and will outlive them.

There is an Almighty, Creator God who has; provided, heard, seen, performed wonders, who is in charge and ensures His will is done, who also lives forever and cares about your little life. In this psalm there is a promise that this same God, ‘will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants’. Are you one of His people, are you living as His servant? If so, He will act on your behalf, showing you compassion and releasing you from false accusations and harm. Do you see God for who He really is and what He can do? This psalm holds some incredible reminders of the character of God and the amazing things He does. Are you giving God the opportunity to come through, trusting that He will vindicate and bring compassion, or are you trying to force your own way? This world and the things within it can be enticing and confusing. There are temptations, stuff and experiences that are appealing and offer solutions, but will they really fulfill their claims? Remember the things of the world have no ability to speak, see or hear, yet they seem to promise so much. Yet God, He promises much and delivers it - just take a look at His track record!

Bless others and bless God

 Psalm 134:1–3 (ESV):  

1  Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, 

who stand by night in the house of the Lord! 

 2  Lift up your hands to the holy place 

and bless the Lord! 

 3  May the Lord bless you from Zion, 

he who made heaven and earth! 

This is a call for those who love, follow, and dedicate their lives in service to God to continue to do so. To carry on worshipping and praying, to keep on meeting together and blessing God in what they do. There are those who, even of a night, when no-one else is around or notices, are seeking God. These are true believers and worshippers, they live as servants of God, and bless Him in how they live. They bless God through their actions and the things they do not say and do because their hearts, minds and souls are His. Are you a servant of the Lord like this?

An invitation is how this psalm begins. An invitation for the servants of God to ‘Come, bless the Lord’. How do you ‘bless’ God? The word interpreted as ‘bless’ in this psalm means to bow the knee. To really bless and honour God, you have to; submit to, follow, and obey God. Not just sometimes, or when you gather with other believers, but all of the time, even in the dark hours when no-one else is around. This is what ‘servants of the Lord’, the committed and obedient believers, do. It is interesting that the psalmist acknowledges that even these dedicated people still require an invite to ‘come, bless the Lord’. You would have thought that they already are! Yet, have you ever thought that even the most dedicated God-follower that you know, needs a bit of encouragement sometimes? Even the most committed, kind, god-fearing and obedient people need spurring on. You do not know what happens behind the closed doors of others lives, or in their hearts and minds, so it never hurts to encourage or invite even those you admire in faith to continue to worship, pray and gather. We all need inspiration, reminding, inviting and spurring on at times in order to continue worshipping, and keep the good, godly patterns in our lives. Those who are wholeheartedly committed to following God need inspiration and encouragement too. Even those responsible for; oversight, maintenance, pastoral care, worship leading, and hospitality, in fact anyone who serves God can do with the inspiration to keep their passion for God and their commitment to Him. Life can wear believers down sometimes and people can become despondent or distracted. So do not be afraid to encourage passion and obedience in others, even the leaders and servants of God. It will do them good, even if you think they are doing alright. Keep encouraging them, let them know how their service is appreciated, that you admire their obedience, perseverance or whatever else it is. Let them know their service to God is building the Kingdom of God, and they are valued, and that they are invited to enjoy God's presence and the company of God's people. Leadership is hard, it is a great responsibility, and there is an enemy that will do his best to take the leaders and servants of God down, so do what you can to inspire and encourage them, to let them know that they are not just leading the family, but they are a part of it too. Is there someone that springs to your mind whom you could invite to 'Come, bless the Lord' today? It may be by doing so that you do or say just the right thing to inspire them, encourage them, re-awaken them, stop them from walking away from God, or help them keep going in their God-given mission. You do not know the power your care, support and noticing can have on fellow believers. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it may look like; reminding them to come to a House group, inviting them to the prayer meeting, a worship night, or to dinner, sending a card, gift, a kind word, even challenging them on their actions or attitude, checking how they are doing. Not things that are big and complex. Yet through these small acts you have the opportunity to inspire others and encourage them in their journey of faith, are you doing that? 

If someone is on your mind, it may be that God has put them there so that you can pray for them and care for them. As people of God we are to watch out and care for each other, and spur one another on to love and serve God wholeheartedly. Are you doing that for anyone? There are people that need inspiration and invitation to continue to live bowing the knee to Him. It could be that you are the one who says to them, ‘Come, bless the Lord’, and so change their lives by inviting them into His presence. Through inspiring and encouraging other believers, you may save someone from wandering away from the faith. Just because you reached out to bless them. So, inspire those who inspire you, encourage and challenge those who do the same for you, and honour those who are living for God. By so doing you may be helping them to keep obedient and keep serving. This includes the ‘servants of the Lord’ who work for the church, whether paid or voluntary. They do so much that is unknown to you. Make sure to encourage them and show gratitude, and inspire them to continue to worship, work for, and bless God. They are blessing you in the work they perform for you before God. From the emails to the sermons, the pastoral visits to the celebrations, maintenance to making cups of tea. The men and women of God who serve the church do so because they love God and His people. They have committed their life, finances, family and livelihood into building and maintaining a faithful gathering of believers. So show your gratitude, bless them, and ask God to bless them too. Be their inspiration and encouragement, for they need it too.

It is a marvellous thing that as you bless God and His people, your own spirit is lifted up. In this psalm you see this pattern; God’s servants are called to bless Him, those who approach Him are blessed, and a blessing is asked of God for those who are His people. It is always God first, but as you put Him first and His people, God will pour out His divine love, power and favour upon you as well. So, what are you waiting for, who will you bless God today?

Dwell in unity

 Psalm 133:1–3 (ESV):  

1  Behold, how good and pleasant it is 

when brothers dwell in unity! 

 2  It is like the precious oil on the head, 

running down on the beard, 

  on the beard of Aaron, 

running down on the collar of his robes! 

 3  It is like the dew of Hermon, 

which falls on the mountains of Zion! 

  For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, 

life forevermore. 

When families have a sense of togetherness, mutual love and support we see it as good, comforting, loving, strong and beautiful. A family who have shared faith and values have a connection beyond the biological, having unity in heart and mind, and a love and understanding of one another that you cannot be born with. This is the kind of bond God desires for all believers to have with one another.

God wants us as believers in Him to ‘dwell in unity’. Despite differences in; opinion, location, culture, preferences, looks or character. There is something stronger than all of these things that unifies you with other bothers and sisters across the world. You have a greater connection with them than shared biology, interests or experiences, for you share the blood of Jesus. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is common to all christians, this is the one powerful thing that unifies us. Unity is a powerful word. It is more than being joined together, or partnered in something for those words imply that you are still two separate entities connected together. Being unified is becoming whole, so you become one with other believers. You are one family with them through the love and blood of Jesus, in fact you are not whole without them. 

You can dwell in unity with other believers because you have been given new life through Jesus, you are born into a new kingdom along with them, which has new values. Elsewhere in the Bible we are told that we are adopted into God’s family. It takes some getting used to, your life and values will change to reflect God's kingdom over time, and one of the things that you will have to get used to is learning to live with, respect and get on with other christians - because they also have been adopted into God's family! You will be living together for all eternity, so whilst you are on Earth, you better get used to living a unified life with them! So be mindful of how you speak of other christians, how you think about them, and what you hope for them. Your mindset should be on promoting unity. Do you have appreciation, love, respect and honour for other believers? Even if there are differences, do you still see that Jesus has bonded you into the same family?

It is ‘good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity’. We all know what it is like when there is strife in a family, you may have personal experience of that. Dis-unity breeds anger, harsh words, distrust, dissent, pain, and sometimes physical violence. That is not the standard for God’s family. Therefore do not be drawn into arguments, or speaking against your brothers and sisters of faith. Respect them, love them, help them, guide them, get to know and understand them - this is how you build good and pleasant unity. You need to make an effort. Families that have a solid sense of togetherness usually have had to experience tough times and conversations in order for their unity to remain because unity is worth fighting for. When you don’t bother or ignore others, you create a distance. That is not unity, that is laziness and it will get awkward for you when one day you are in heaven with these people forever! 

It is good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity. It is like the anointing of Aaron. There is a visual, overflowing blessing that affects not just the head which is being anointed, but the face, beard and robes. The beauty of the people of God working together and appreciating one another pours out a blessing further than you expect, hope or imagine. Other people and places will be impacted by the love the church has for one another. It is also like the dew, it brings life and refreshment where it falls, even on arid places. The Lord ‘has commanded the blessing’ where His people live in togetherness. If you want to experience this blessing of God where you live and in your life, that He has spoken, what are you doing to promote and build unity amongst believers? 

Obedience in the Yes and the No

 Psalm 132:1–18 (ESV): 

1  Remember, O Lord, in David’s favour, 

all the hardships he endured, 

 2  how he swore to the Lord 

and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 

 3  “I will not enter my house 

or get into my bed, 

 4  I will not give sleep to my eyes 

or slumber to my eyelids, 

 5  until I find a place for the Lord, 

a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 

 6  Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; 

we found it in the fields of Jaar. 

 7  “Let us go to his dwelling place; 

let us worship at his footstool!” 

 8  Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, 

you and the ark of your might. 

 9  Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, 

and let your saints shout for joy. 

 10  For the sake of your servant David, 

do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 

 11  The Lord swore to David a sure oath 

from which he will not turn back: 

  “One of the sons of your body 

I will set on your throne. 

 12  If your sons keep my covenant 

and my testimonies that I shall teach them, 

  their sons also forever 

shall sit on your throne.” 

 13  For the Lord has chosen Zion; 

he has desired it for his dwelling place: 

 14  “This is my resting place forever; 

here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 

 15  I will abundantly bless her provisions; 

I will satisfy her poor with bread. 

 16  Her priests I will clothe with salvation, 

and her saints will shout for joy. 

 17  There I will make a horn to sprout for David; 

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. 

 18  His enemies I will clothe with shame, 

but on him his crown will shine.”

God remembers His faithful servants, whether they be paupers, kings or anything inbetween. God remembers and watches with favour those who keep their promises to Him, like David did. God loves that kind of dedication, obedience and faithfulness, and He rewards it. God does not forget what He has said, what you have done, or your quiet, steadfast dedication to Him. It is you that forgets. 

David’s passion for God caused him to feel unsettled even though he had a beautiful mansion for a home. For he knew that in some place, unknown, God’s holy presence rested in the Ark of the Covenant. David’s desire was to bring the nation to worship God, how could this happen if the presence of God that went with the nation into exile and back, is lost? This is the reason David made such a promise in the first place. Once the Ark was discovered, there had to be a permanent abode for it that was fitting for the King of Kings. David, and his team started searching, and eventually, they found the right place. David’s passion for God desired that he and the whole nation would discover what living in the presence of God was like.  So, he made his oath not to sleep until The Lord had his dwelling place amongst the nation of Israel.

When you make a promise to God and are working to fulfill it, it isn't easy. There comes a point when you wonder why you began doing it, how long it will take, and if it will get any easier. I am sure David felt like that in his search for ‘a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob’. David was so dedicated to this task that he swore that he would have no sleep until he had achieved it (v4-5). That is a brave promise! When you make an oath to God, how can you fail to fulfill your word? How did David do it? It must have got difficult for him. He must have grown tired, disappointed and anxious about finding ‘a place for the Lord’. Yet he continued diligently to complete this mission. He didn't make do or give up, his love and dedication to God caused him ti succeed in his mission to serve God and the nation in this way. David would have become exhausted and despondent journeying and searching to provide the right place. Yet he did not give up, he continued his search diligently. He was faithful to his word to The Faithful One. Remember this dedication, and let it inspire you in how you follow God and keep your promises to Him. The passion can wane, the sense of calling wither away as the reality of the hardship sets in. I wonder how long David went without sleep before he achieved his aim. He kept going in his mission, he was dedicated and demonstrated how to put God first above personal comfort and desire. Do you do the same?

When the right location of the Ark was discovered, and the right spot for the temple to be built found, God spoke to David. He made a promise for the generations of his family to come, if they were to give their hearts to God as David had. David had proved his allegiance and devotion to God, and God chose to pronounce a blessing over him and his family. Isn't that a beautiful thing! Yet God also made clear to David, that although he had searched for the Ark of the Covenant, found it, and brought i to it's dwelling place, he would not be the one to build a permanent home for it. His son, Solomon would. After all of that effort, that dedication and discomfort that David went through, how do you imagine he felt hearing that? Disappointed, relieved, angry? However, despite his own personal emotional response, David honoured this instruction from God. He did not rush off and do it himself anyway although he was the one with the passion for the project. Instead, David humbly obeyed the instruction of The Lord. 

David understood that God ideas are better than his own, and that God should have a say in who, where and when the temple, his earthly dwelling place should be constructed. So, although David had sacrificed sleep and rest in his search for the location, it did not mean that he was the man to fulfill the rest of the mission. David had to lay aside his desire to see a house of God being built. David had the vision, the plans and collected the materials, but he stopped there because God said so. How obedient are you to God when He tells you to hand over responsibility or to stop doing something?

David shows beautiful obedience and submission to God. He was powerful and rich, he cold command armies, and builders, but God said no, so David obeyed. That takes a lot of strength and trust. David did not get to see the fulfilment of his work and investment into people or the kingdom of God. Yet he came to terms with it because He knew God is faithful and trustworthy, so he obeyed. David’s passion and humility led to a glorious temple being built in Jerusalem, where the nation of Israel could come to worship. David’s dedication permitted and invited others into God’s presence. Yet he never saw a stone be laid. Do you have that level of obedience to God? To live beyond yourself and your generation to build and prepare for the kingdom of God to come, for the people to come?

You can impact nations and places through the simple obedience to seeing through the things God has given you passion and permission for, and stopping there. What are you passionate about doing for The Lord? Submit your ideas and passions to Him, and trust Him even if His plans are different to yours. Then you will be blessed, and so will others for generations ot come. 

How to calm and quiet your soul

 Psalm 131:1–3 (ESV):  

1  O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; 

my eyes are not raised too high; 

  I do not occupy myself with things 

too great and too marvellous for me. 

 2  But I have calmed and quieted my soul, 

like a weaned child with its mother; 

like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

 3  O Israel, hope in the Lord 

from this time forth and forevermore. 

There is a time to look to the hills for your help, a time to rally, a time to mourn and be jubilant, and there is a time to quiet your soul. 

When there are times of great celebration, confusion or concern, it is good to ‘not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me’. Instead of worrying, trying to think things through or make sense of matters, the best thing is to to run to God as a small child would run to their Mum. When a child is distressed, confused or scared, they seek comfort in the presence of their mother. They often don’t even need to say anything. They just know that their emotions and soul are not ok, so they seek the stability and comfort of their parent. Knowing that being in their presence and resting in their bigness, capability and love is enough to settle them, They will get the calm and quiet that they need when they go to Mum. So, as a child of God, do you run to Him when you are dysregulated? Do you seek and sit in His presence? Knowing that He is big enough to handle all of your dysregulation, confusion, tears and panic? God can bring quiet and calm to your soul, as a Mum does for her child, are you letting Him? 

Unless you go to God and spend time with Him, remembering who He is, you will will not gain the calm and quiet that your soul desires. Spending time considering who God is, and who you are in His eyes stops your head from whirling with a million thoughts,  ideas and worries. You can just simply sit with Him. His presence is enough to cause the things that are 'too great and too marvellous' to stop seeming so incredible. You can spend time with God in a number of ways; reading The Word, listening to worship, praying, or just being still and appreciating whose presence you are in. Even without saying anything, God can still your heart and your soul, equipping you, comforting you and strengthening you. The psalmist learnt that they could run to God and sit with Him in this way. They must have been in a situation that seemed overwhelming, and so they considered themself like a small child, dependent upon it’s mother. The presence of the parent providing certainty, safety and security for their child. When an unexpected event happens that can cause a child to fear, the child instinctively looks to their parent. They watch their reaction, and base their response and level of safety on them. You can do the same with God. When you face an unexpected situation, and feel uncomfortable and afraid, look to your Father in Heaven. Where is He, and what is His response? Take strength, hope and peace in His steadfastness and presence, and your soul will be quieted. Like a child, you can trust in the actions and reactions of your Almighty Father. 

The writer of this psalm, David had learnt to ‘not occupy myself with things too great and marvellous for me’. That’s a big statement coming from the king of a nation! He had huge things to consider and mighty problems to solve and important relationships to serve. Yet he knew that there were things, whether to do with the nation or his everyday life that unsettled him. So, he learnt to go to God and be with Him. Just resting in God's presence and trusting that He had things figured out, and could keep David safe. For you, there will also be things in this life that will not make sense; people, situations, relationships, work problems, world issues - they are too big and incredible for you to fathom and they can bring a feeling of uncertainty and fear. David’s recommendation to you, is to not spend time trying to resolve these things in your mind or try to understand them, but spend time with God. God will be with you through it all and will bring you in close. He can only do that when you stop running about and fretting. So, look for, run to, and rest with your loving and steadfast Father. He will strengthen and guide you so that your soul can become quiet and calm. 

you have become the righteousness of God

 Psalm 130:1–8 (ESV):  

1  Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 

 2  O Lord, hear my voice! 

  Let your ears be attentive 

to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 

 3  If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, 

O Lord, who could stand? 

 4  But with you there is forgiveness, 

that you may be feared. 

 5  I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, 

and in his word I hope; 

 6  my soul waits for the Lord 

more than watchmen for the morning, 

more than watchmen for the morning. 

 7  O Israel, hope in the Lord! 

For with the Lord there is steadfast love, 

and with him is plentiful redemption. 

 8  And he will redeem Israel 

from all his iniquities. 

Aren’t you grateful God does not keep an account of all of your wrongs?! For ‘who could stand’ if He did? 

Only Jesus has the right to stand before God if The Lord ‘should mark iniquities’. For Jesus is the only one, ever, to have never sinned. The only way that you or I can talk to, stand before and have relationship with God is because of Jesus. There would have been no hope for you without the sacrifice of Jesus life to atone for all the wrongs you have committed. So thank God for Jesus! You can now stand before God as if you had never sinned, as if you were indeed Jesus, because when you surrender your life to God and accept the love and sacrifice of Jesus, who put to death all sin, God sees Jesus. ‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:21) You can know forgiveness and hope because you have ‘become the righteousness of God’ through Jesus - isn’t that incredible?!

God’s great kindness, love and sacrifice of being torn away from his only son, leads to your complete forgiveness. You may have times when you feel wretched, blemished, dirty or bad. Do not believe those feelings. Instead, learn to hope in God’s Word (v5). All throughout the Bible, God has been correcting, guiding, and forgiving people. He will forgive you too if you ask Him and trust in His son’s purity which wipes away all wrongdoing. You do not have to carry the load of sin or shame, you can say to yourself,  'with you there is forgiveness' so ‘in his word i hope’. Let God’s Word have more influence in your heart and mind than your own thoughts of who you are, so that your fears of not being good enough, of being bad or a perpetual sinner are put ot death as Jesus was. You can hope in God's Word, and you can know forgiveness.

To know this forgiveness and really accept it, this psalmist recognises it takes patience and commitment. For they write, ‘my soul waits for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word i hope’. You have to wait for the fullness of forgiveness to seep into your heart and mind. It is such great news that radically transforms you, that it takes time to change your perception of who you really are. In order to know the freedom of forgiveness wait for His hope to live in you as your mind is transformed to seeing who you are due to Jesus. 

When you have wronged someone and apologised, the relief of being forgiven by them and given another chance is huge. The power of the words that show you are forgiven break off pain and despair, and bring restoration, relief and joy. Now, think about this; you have offended and wronged God countless times, yet He still chooses to forgive you! You can still approach Him and say sorry, He is not fed up of hearing it. For the reality is when you accepted that Jesus died for all your sins, he died for ALL your sins, therefore you are forgiven. You are even righteous in God’s eyes, just like Jesus is!

 1 Peter 3:18 says; ‘For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit’. Your unrighteousness has been exchanged for righteousness. All that bad stuff that you see in you can be put to death - are you letting go of it? Jesus has already put it to death, and God doesn’t see it anymore, so why do you? You do not need to live carrying around sin and shame - it is not yours to carry - you gave it all to Jesus when you first trusted and believed him. You have the right and permission to live and believe that you are righteous! You can ‘hope in the Lord’ and know His ‘steadfast love’ and ‘plentiful redemption’. For you live in the days when God has redeemed all of mankind ‘from all his iniquities’ and you have 'become the righteousness of God'.