Living in humility

 Psalm 103:1–22 (ESV): 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and all that is within me, 

bless his holy name! 

 2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all his benefits, 

 3  who forgives all your iniquity, 

who heals all your diseases, 

 4  who redeems your life from the pit, 

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 

 5  who satisfies you with good 

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 

 6  The Lord works righteousness 

and justice for all who are oppressed. 

 7  He made known his ways to Moses, 

his acts to the people of Israel. 

 8  The Lord is merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 

 9  He will not always chide, 

nor will he keep his anger forever. 

 10  He does not deal with us according to our sins, 

nor repay us according to our iniquities. 

 11  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 

 12  as far as the east is from the west, 

so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 

 13  As a father shows compassion to his children, 

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 

 14  For he knows our frame; 

he remembers that we are dust. 

 15  As for man, his days are like grass; 

he flourishes like a flower of the field; 

 16  for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, 

and its place knows it no more. 

 17  But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, 

and his righteousness to children’s children, 

 18  to those who keep his covenant 

and remember to do his commandments. 

 19  The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, 

and his kingdom rules over all. 

 20  Bless the Lord, O you his angels, 

you mighty ones who do his word, 

obeying the voice of his word! 

 21  Bless the Lord, all his hosts, 

his ministers, who do his will! 

 22  Bless the Lord, all his works, 

in all places of his dominion. 

  Bless the Lord, O my soul! 

This psalm starts and ends with the same phrase, ‘Bless the Lord’, and the Hebrew word used for bless in this passage is בָּרֲכִ֣י (ba·ra·chi) which translates to kneel. Kneeling demonstrates humility, so when people kneel before God they are recognising Him as the Higher one, and themselves as lowly. Blessing God can only be done through humbling oneself before Him, and then giving Him praise, gratitude and love. The humility comes first, otherwise how can you truly worship God, unless you can recognise how great He is above all things, even yourself?

David seems to be writing this psalm to encourage himself to show humility to God in every area of his life, not just some of it, not just on a Sunday or just outside the home or just when i am not at a sports event. David wants to live with integrity and in humility to God always, to live his life in recognition that there is an awesome, mighty Lord who is above even him, the king of Israel. David, a strong, powerful king and warrior wants to humble himself before the Lord his God. He is not bothered by his own status, because no matter his rank in society, there is One who deserves being knelt before even by the highest worldly authority. Therefore David calls to mind the magnitude of what God has done and continues to do, things that only He can do:

‘forgives all your iniquity’

‘heals all your disease’

‘redeems your life from the pit’

‘crowns you with steadfast love and mercy’

‘satisfies you with good’

‘works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.’

‘made know his ways’

‘abounding in steadfast love’

‘shows compassion to those who fear him’

‘he knows our frame’

‘everlasting to everlasting’

‘established his throne in the heavens’

‘his kingdom rules over all’

What a list! All absolute truths about Our God. So, even when you are feeling flustered, overwhelmed, annoyed, hurt, disappointed or bored, all of this is still absolutely true about God! He has been and always will be; forgiving, healer, steadfast, desiring to come close, good, compassionate, understanding, eternal and in charge! David also comments within this psalm, ‘forget not all his benefits'. The list above is not exhaustive, it does not fully describe God, His character of deeds, they are not ALL of his benefits. Have you ever made a list of God's attributes? What would your list look like? Maybe you would have some of the same things on it, maybe you’d have some different ones. It doesn’t really matter, the important thing is that you do recall who God is, and recognise that He is worthy to bless. He is worthy of all of the angels, hosts and all of creation to bow before Him. Are you living in humility to God today?

Can you live in hope for the generations to come?

 Psalm 102 (ESV): 

1  Hear my prayer, O Lord; 

  let my cry come to you! 

 2  Do not hide your face from me 

in the day of my distress! 

  Incline your ear to me; 

answer me speedily in the day when I call! 

 3  For my days pass away like smoke, 

and my bones burn like a furnace. 

 4  My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; 

I forget to eat my bread. 

 5  Because of my loud groaning 

my bones cling to my flesh. 

 6  I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, 

like an owl of the waste places; 

 7  I lie awake; 

I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. 

 8  All the day my enemies taunt me; 

those who deride me use my name for a curse. 

 9  For I eat ashes like bread 

and mingle tears with my drink, 

 10  because of your indignation and anger; 

for you have taken me up and thrown me down. 

 11  My days are like an evening shadow; 

I wither away like grass. 

 12  But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; 

you are remembered throughout all generations. 

 13  You will arise and have pity on Zion; 

it is the time to favour her; 

the appointed time has come. 

 14  For your servants hold her stones dear 

and have pity on her dust. 

 15  Nations will fear the name of the Lord, 

and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. 

 16  For the Lord builds up Zion; 

he appears in his glory; 

 17  he regards the prayer of the destitute 

and does not despise their prayer. 

 18  Let this be recorded for a generation to come, 

so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: 

 19  that he looked down from his holy height; 

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 

 20  to hear the groans of the prisoners, 

to set free those who were doomed to die, 

 21  that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, 

and in Jerusalem his praise, 

 22  when peoples gather together, 

and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. 

 23  He has broken my strength in midcourse; 

he has shortened my days. 

 24  “O my God,” I say, “take me not away 

in the midst of my days— 

  you whose years endure 

throughout all generations!” 

 25  Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, 

and the heavens are the work of your hands. 

 26  They will perish, but you will remain; 

they will all wear out like a garment. 

  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 

 27  but you are the same, and your years have no end. 

 28  The children of your servants shall dwell secure; 

their offspring shall be established before you. 

Sometimes days get so desperate and there is such despair, that people forget to eat, their bodies wither away, sleep evades them and they feel vulnerable like there are enemies on every side seeking their demise. Tears flow, heartache is poured out, anger swells and life seems so close to death that it is hard to see hope. Have you ever felt like that or known someone who has? The author of this psalm felt this way, they were more than miserable, they were heartbroken and in great anguish, and they admitted it. Often people of faith can experience this level of despair, but feel awkward or ashamed to admit how desperate they feel because they know that God is good and He exists. We need to shake off that mindset of embarrassment. You can still believe and trust in God and be utterly miserable. You can be choked with tears and broken, and still have faith in Him because your feelings are real, and so is God. I mean, if you want some examples of people that have felt this level of despair consider; David, Job, Elijah, Jonah or Hannah and then read the psalms! It is ok not to be ok. It is ok to feel like the world is against you, for, lets face it, if you are following God, it is. 

No matter how you are feeling though remind yourself that, ‘you, O Lord, are enthroned forever’. Even if you experience mental anguish and physical depletion, you can still know that God is enthroned forever. Even when your life seems poured out, you can acknowledge that God is in charge. You can remember who He is and what He has done before. You can call on Him and trust Him to, ‘arise and have pity’. For God cares for you. God cares about building His kingdom and His family, so you can ask Him to ‘have pity’, and to ‘favour’ His people. He wants to do those things anyway! You can approach Him and call upon Him, no matter how weak or strong you are, no matter if you feel like a ‘shadow’ or that your ‘heart is struck down’. For God, ‘regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer’. When you are desperately low, when you have are in need, God listens. He pays attention and regards you. How many people in real poverty can say that they are looked at and paid attention to? Yet you, as a believer in God, when you pray and call to God in your weakness and poverty, He looks up and pays attention to you. He will not overlook you or ignore you, instead He takes seriously your prayers. Therefore, do not just weep and walk in despair, but undertake the mighty act of prayer! God listens.

The psalmist writes, ‘let this be recorded for a generation to come’. They recorded their level of distress, and their prayer because they knew that the situation would change, and they wanted to inspire others that distressing times end because God intervenes. The writer knew that this present trouble would turn into a testimony. They understood that no matter what, God is in charge and that in time their prayers would be answered. It may not be fulfilled in their lifetime and their present suffering may not cease, yet one day it would. The psalmist trusted that ‘a people yet to be created may praise the Lord’ because they recorded what was going on and there was a future when these sufferings would be overcome. Therefore, you too can have confidence that God will respond. Just probably not in the way, manner or time frame that you desire. So, you need to learn to carry the hope of a better future even if you don’t get to see it. Moses did not get to enter the promised land, David did not see the temple built, the disciples did not get to see Jesus return. Yet they all lived in hope for the time to come ‘that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord’. Do you carry that same hope, is that what you are living for? Are you able to live through today knowing that the future will be better for the generations to come because God will look with favour upon His people? There will be a day when ‘peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord’ and, ‘The children of your servants will dwell secure’. So, even if you feel like your strength is broken, and your days shortened (v13), you can still carry hope like this writer did. 

When you live your life in faithfulness to God until your life ends, then you can trust that God will be looking out for those you have invested in. You will not always see the outcomes of your work or the answers to your prayers, but God is faithful. He will not forget. He listens, looks, and acts. So can you now look to the uncertain future and trust Him with it? Can you live in hope for the generations to come?

Living a life of worship

Psalm 101:1–8 (ESV):  

1  I will sing of steadfast love and justice; 

to you, O Lord, I will make music. 

 2  I will ponder the way that is blameless. 

Oh when will you come to me? 

  I will walk with integrity of heart 

within my house; 

 3  I will not set before my eyes 

anything that is worthless. 

  I hate the work of those who fall away; 

it shall not cling to me. 

 4  A perverse heart shall be far from me; 

I will know nothing of evil. 

 5  Whoever slanders his neighbour secretly 

I will destroy. 

  Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart 

I will not endure. 

 6  I will look with favour on the faithful in the land, 

that they may dwell with me; 

  he who walks in the way that is blameless 

shall minister to me. 

 7  No one who practices deceit 

shall dwell in my house; 

  no one who utters lies 

shall continue before my eyes. 

 8  Morning by morning I will destroy 

all the wicked in the land, 

  cutting off all the evildoers 

from the city of the Lord. 

David, the author of this psalm is concerned with loving God well and becoming a just king under God’s authority. The opening sentences show that David’s aim is to bring worship to God with his life. He knows that he can sing and play music to honour God, but true worship is about living the way that God desires by discovering ‘the way that is ‘blameless’. This is a more beautiful sound to God and more evident of a heart for Him than any well sung song or well played tune.  

David has the desire to be all in with God, giving Him glory with his life. So he considers; his conduct at home, what he looks at, who he spends time with and the character of those who he knows. In order to truly worship God, David recognises that how he behaves, and the choices he makes about what he does and who he spends time with are important. Wanting to live a life of integrity requires you to put God first in the whole of your life, making ruthless decisions about your conduct, what company you keep, and what activities you get involved with. It is not about attending christian gatherings, reading the Bible, or singing worship songs, although these are natural responses to loving God and wanting to live His way. Your heart of worship is seen in your interactions with others and by what you choose to do with your time. Your interactions with family, neighbours, friends, people of faith, unbelievers, and the wicked all need to be assessed for their value in living a life worthy of worshipping God. This, along with the activities you do and don’t get involved with show whether you are living a life of integrity or not, they show if you really are a worshipper. 

David is ruthless, he says that he ‘will not endure’ the arrogant and proud, he ‘will destroy’ those who falsely accuse their neighbours and those who lie shall not ‘continue before my eyes’. David makes decisions to cut out people like this from his life because they harm his life of worship. They damage his ability to live life with integrity before God, so they have got to go. Are there people in your life that have too much influence or who lead you astray? Is there anyone that you are spending time with who damages your ability to live life well before God? Living a life following God is not easy, and it is harder when you have people around you of poor, ungodly character who; lie, are proud, gossip, and put others down. So carefully consider the relationships you are investing in, who and what you are listening to, are they really worth it? Or are there some whom, like David, you will no longer endure? (v5)

Those David wishes to have influence in his life are the ones, ‘who walks in the way that is blameless.’ He says that he will allow these people to ‘minister to me’. These are the ones he can trust, it takes time to find them, yet it is worth it. Their advice is solid, they are honest and trustworthy. They can give true comfort even when they say things you don’t like, because they are truthful and want the best for you. They will lead you in the way that is blameless so that you can live a life of worship to God. Who are those people in your life and do you intentionally spend time with them? 

You get to choose who you follow and who has influence upon you. If you want to live a life following God, then it requires you to purify your life. This means that you need to consider who you are spending time with, what you are watching and how you are behaving. Think about who is in your life, what you are doing with your time and your behaviour. Do these things honour God? For being a person of integrity demands that your conduct is the same wherever you are, whoever you are with, and whatever is happening. David is an inspiration in this, as he desired to live a life of integrity even when he felt distant from God. As he wrote this psalm he asks God, ‘Oh, when will you come to me?’ (v2). David, even when he didn’t feel like God was near him, was still seeking to follow God’s ways. Some people when they hit a time in life like this where it seems that God is absent start to doubt Him, drop their guard, and make decisions that do not honour God. This could be through the activities they partake in, their behaviour and the company they keep. These are the ones who ‘fall away’ (v3). David though remains faithful and uses this time to reflect and consider how he can honour God more in his life. He thinks about what he does within his household, his relationships, and how he spends his time. For he knew that every area of life should be impacted by his love of God, even when God does not seem close. God should be the one influencing how you behave, the decisions you make and the people you trust and spend time with. Do not just do what everyone else expects, but do what God would say is right even when you do not know where He is. For God desires a set apart people. If you desire to be part of His kingdom then you need to live your life in purity and with integrity. You have no time or space for distractions no matter how nice or attractive they may be. You are responsible for deciding what you are living for, so do not let anyone else influence your life other than Jesus and those whose lives demonstrate that they are honouring Him always. Like David, you need to be ruthless about who your friends are, your behaviour, the activities that you participate in and the people you allow to influence you. Is there something you need to change in your life today? Is there a relationship that is unholy? Activities that you participate in that do not honour God? Behaviours you need to stop? Do you live with integrity across every area of life? It is not enough to worship God with song and music, He requires your life to be one of worship.

Are you a good sheep?

 Psalm 100:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 

 2  Serve the Lord with gladness! 

Come into his presence with singing! 

 3  Know that the Lord, he is God! 

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

 4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, 

and his courts with praise! 

Give thanks to him; bless his name! 

 5  For the Lord is good; 

his steadfast love endures forever, 

and his faithfulness to all generations. 

God is often referred to as Lord because it is a term which indicates to us that He is the one with the right to have authority and power over us due to His superiority. Therefore it is expected that He is served and obeyed. This sounds right when we apply these attributes to God, but is a bit scary when we apply them to humans who also carry this title! I am sure you can think of some lords or leaders who have got the balance of these attributes wrong. Yet, thankfully, there is only One who is The Lord and ‘he is God’. He has superiority over any other lords, and he deserves, not requires, our service. He has authority and power and should be obeyed, yet The Lord Our God should also be enjoyed and served with ‘gladness’ (v2). In life there are those who have more authority than others, so it is necessary to serve or obey them such as politicians, police and parents. It is not always a joy to serve or obey them, but it is required through the laws of the land and the Law of God. Yet, Our Lord, the Lord our God, it is possible to serve Him with gladness! 

Serving God is a form of worship and you can do it whilst making ‘a joyful noise’. Doing what God says should cause you to sing, make happy noises and be glad. If not, then you are not serving right. Maybe your heart isn’t in what you are doing, perhaps you are doing something you have always done but you shouldn’t be doing it any more, or how you are serving God is difficult. Whatever the reason, if you are not enjoying the tasks you do for God, ask yourself why. It may be that you find it tough and you need God’s help, maybe you should give something up, or perhaps you need to recapture God’s heart and passion for what you are tasked with. For the instruction in verse 2 is to ‘Serve the Lord with gladness’.

The Lord our God also takes care of us. We are His; creation, family, people and sheep. He oversees you and protects you because you belong to Him. He spent time designing and building you, and He is happy that He did, so happy in fact that He calls you His child. You are not ornament to look at, but you are a useful being made in His image to demonstrate who He is to the world for you are one of ‘his people’. God has also placed you in His ‘pasture’ where you are protected and safe, so that you know where you belong. You have been designed to be in God’s kingdom, His pasture, for you are one of His sheep. Just like a sheep, you need care, direction, providing for and protection. There are things that you cannot see that could cause you harm. God sees and knows what they are, so keep close to Him and follow Him for He will guard and guide you. When you stay close to God, even if you fall down a ditch, He is close by to help you back up. Another great thing about being a sheep is that you do not have to do much. There’s not a lot of responsibility or busy-ness going on when you look at sheep in a field is there? They might be wandering around, lying down or munching grass, but that is about it. For the sheep rely on a good shepherd to take care of them, to protect them from danger, and get them to the place with the best grass. They just have to stay close and follow. They don’t work hard, they are allowed to just ‘be’ appreciating the life and protection of the shepherd and the boundaries of the pasture. 

Are you a good sheep? Do you allow God to look out for you, lead and guide you without taking control? Are you content living with God, just being with Him and the other sheep? You are one of ‘the sheep of his pasture’. You get to be where the shepherd is, enjoying the land He owns - you have access to all He has got! This is the love, kindness care and protection of the Lord Our God, are you appreciating it?

God, the Lord is someone you can follow who is trustworthy, who knows you intimately for He designed you, He is greater than any other leader, and He invites you close into His presence and even into His kingdom. He will provide for you, care for you, rescue, protect and love you. When you consider Him, surely it is easy to ‘make a joyful noise’, give Him praise and to be grateful to Him! 

Appreciate God. Follow Him and allow yourself to enjoy the beautiful privilege of being His sheep. ‘For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations’!

the Lord our God is holy

 Psalm 99:1–9 (ESV): 

1 The Lord reigns: let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 

 2  The Lord is great in Zion; 

he is exalted over all the peoples. 

 3  Let them praise your great and awesome name! 

Holy is he! 

 4  The King in his might loves justice. 

You have established equity; 

  you have executed justice 

and righteousness in Jacob. 

 5  Exalt the Lord our God; 

worship at his footstool! 

Holy is he! 

 6  Moses and Aaron were among his priests, 

Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. 

They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 

 7  In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; 

they kept his testimonies 

and the statute that he gave them. 

 8  O Lord our God, you answered them; 

you were a forgiving God to them, 

but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 

 9  Exalt the Lord our God, 

and worship at his holy mountain; 

for the Lord our God is holy! 

How do you know God is holy?

1) Firstly, consider where He resides and rules (v1-3). Cherubim, the creatures of heaven, sit around His throne. They attend to God, to be near Him signifying His power, authority and goodness. When you read the Bible and see the cherubim described they sound like fantastic beasts, so how incredible must be the one who is enthroned 'upon the cherubim'! God is in heaven in authority, yet He is also exalted over, 'all the peoples'. His jurisdiction is seen and known in heaven and on earth. He influences both realms - it takes an incredible ability to do that, something significantly different, powerful, yet relatable to rule both realms well. God is set apart as He is significantly different. He does not have the responsibility and authority to rule because of wise and persuasive words or physical might, but because of His goodness, love and purity - His holiness. There is no-one like Him because He is completely good.

2) God is The King - the One King that all others are under. God is not just a king who has been endowed with authority and influence, but He is The King who ‘loves justice’, has ‘established equity’ and is righteous. This surely sets God above any other ruler! He rules with justice in mind at every step, meaning that He is fair. Plus He also treats people with equity. This is a term now becoming common in society, it is not about treating people equally, but ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access to the same things. Providing support, equipment, training etc so that a person has the potential to achieve. God didn’t need any training to tell Him to do that. He created the notion that we should all be treated as the individual’s we are so that everyone has what they need. God establishes equity, justice and righteousness. God knows what is good and right inherently. He doesn't need teaching to do the right things, He was never taught about equity or equality, justice or righteousness because He is those things. He created these facets, and He models them due to His holiness. 

4) You will find nothing wrong in Him. No sneaky motive, selfish ambition or wrongdoing. He will not fail to be good, righteous, kind, loving, establish equity or justice. You can look, but you will never find anything wrong in Him - read the Bible from beginning to end and you will see His love, purity and holiness all the way through. He is pure in all of His desires and His actions, He is completely good. God does what He says He will in a fair, honest and right way each and every time. You can trust Him in that. Surely such a One is holy!

5) The psalmist mentions 3 patriarchs of the Jewish faith; Moses, Aaron and Samuel. Men known to have heard God and followed Him. They actively sought Him and lived their lives doing God's will to the best of their ability. Men credited with instilling faith to the nation of Israel during their lifetimes. They were so set apart that they had private conversations with this Almighty King and Holy God. In their private audiences with Him, He gave them direction and confidence for what they needed to do and say. They were so special that God favoured them because they were obedient, and faithful. Yet they were just men. Even though some may even say they were great men, and they must have been pretty special for their life stories are still read and admired thousands of years later, but they were still just men, and they still needed forgiving. Moses, Aaron and Samuel got things wrong even though they were great leaders, so they needed forgiveness. God had to be ’an avenger of their wrongdoing’. Only one who has done no wrong can forgive. Only God has the character and the will to provide forgiveness for the least and the greatest of us because He is the only one who has never erred. He never makes a mistake or sins, this is why He can forgive all people, the great men and women of faith like Moses, Aaron and Samuel, down to the prostitute at the feet of Jesus. God can forgive because He is holy. He alone is ultimately good, righteous, faithful and holy. Even the best person alive today who demonstrates faithfulness to God, like these patriarchs, they still get it wrong. When they do, where do they go, who can forgive them when they still get things wrong and fall short of the holiness, righteousness and justice? All men and women, no matter the signs and wonders, the pillars of cloud or fire that follow or precede them, they all need God’s forgiveness and vengeance of their sin. Therefore, in order to forgive them and make recompense for their wrongs, God has to be greater. Greater in His ability to forgive due to His holiness and greater in His desire to forgive. There is no-one and no sin that He will not forgive. His desire for equity, justice and righteousness extends to all people, no matter what. That is why, in God's great holiness and love, He sacrificed His Son so that we could all know forgiveness. So that we can all be restored to the standard God models; perfection and holiness. For Jesus is God, and human, and He lived the perfect, righteous, just, holy life which he gave up so that His life was exchanged for all sin. So you now, and anyone who chooses to turn and believe in him can be forgiven and can be made holy. This is only made possible through God's kindness, justice, authority and holiness.

Only God is holy.

In God’s holiness He deals with wrongdoing, avenging your sin. He reigns in righteousness and equity, displaying authority, power, love and justice because He is holy. 

Would you want to follow or worship something that wasn’t holy? If you wanted someone to rule over you, wouldn't you want them to do the right things, make just decisions and be able to fairly exercise their power and influence? Surely a holy God is the kind of king you want to follow!

God has 'worked salvation'

Psalm 98:1–9 (ESV):  

1  Oh sing to the Lord a new song, 

for he has done marvellous things! 

  His right hand and his holy arm 

have worked salvation for him. 

 2  The Lord has made known his salvation; 

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 

 3  He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness 

to the house of Israel. 

  All the ends of the earth have seen 

the salvation of our God. 

 4  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; 

break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 

 5  Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, 

with the lyre and the sound of melody! 

 6  With trumpets and the sound of the horn 

make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! 

 7  Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 

the world and those who dwell in it! 

 8  Let the rivers clap their hands; 

let the hills sing for joy together 

 9  before the Lord, for he comes 

to judge the earth. 

  He will judge the world with righteousness, 

and the peoples with equity.

What an uplifting psalm, one that inspires praise for God has done ‘marvellous things’! What are the marvellous things you see that He has done? 

One of those marvellous, incredible things is that God has worked hard to bring salvation. God put in effort, and went through pain in order to allow you to enjoy salvation. It hurt Him and was difficult for Him to allow His son, Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice to abolish all sin. At the moment of Jesus death, for the first time in history, God and His son were separated. It was not an easy task to plan His son's death, but it was necessary for us to know forgiveness. God ‘worked salvation’ and suffered for our freedom. It was difficult, but God did it anyway. God wanted to achieve a way for all people to be made righteous. So, He planned it, put in effort and persevered even when it broke His heart. He wanted to ensure that there was a way for you to be free from sin and the associated guilt and shame. 

Yet, God’s salvation plan did not end there. He didn’t let salvation be a one time only thing. The pathway of salvation hasn’t withered, gone out of date, or been lost in decades past. God has ensured that all people of every generation, throughout history, and well into the future, can find their way to Him. For He has ‘made known his salvation’. The life, birth, death and resurrection of Jesus are not secret. There are historical eye witness accounts of it and people who follow God explain it. God’s salvation plan has been worked out and revealed for centuries. God is making sure that ‘All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God’.  He wants everyone to have the opportunity to know forgiveness and restoration through salvation, it is freely and universally available because of God’s love and faithfulness. God has worked salvation!

Interestingly, the same verse that tells us that salvation was worked out by God also says that salvation is ‘for him’, for God. Have you ever considered that? It is easy and natural for us to accept that salvation is for us as we get all the benefit of forgiveness, acceptance, being made new plus a restored relationship with God. It seems like it is all for us because of God’s great generosity and love. So what does salvation bring about for God? 

Well, God has always wanted a family. He started with Adam and Eve, and that was great for a while, but they sinned. Then time went on and Noah was saved out of the rest of the Earth, then we hear about Sodom and Gommorah. The pattern of humanities descent into sin and chaos is repeated throughout history. Yet so is the fact that God rescues, restores and favours a few. He notices those who follow Him the best they can despite the despair and dysfunction around them. So, He takes care of them and saves them even though they are not perfect. Why? because God wants a big family. He wants to be with people who know, love and appreciate Him, is that not what most of us want too? (No surprise there as we are made in His image!). This is why God has worked hard to bring salvation. He wanted to make a way for you to belong to Him so that you can enjoy His presence and He can enjoy yours. Salvation gives you the opportunity to know Him and approach Him as His son/daughter and that is what He has always wanted, this is why salvation is for Him.

What a reason to be joyful and appreciative of God’s kindness and great love! The whole of creation sings, claps and testifies of His goodness because He is righteous, fair and kind. How do you make your happiness known because your God loves you and has ‘worked salvation’ for you?