The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Sunday
November 23, 2008
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are discouraged take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness;
let us exalt his name
together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me,
freeing me from all
my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no
shadow of shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the Lord in my
suffering, and he heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
For the
angel of the Lord guards all who fear him,
and he rescues them.
Taste
and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!
Let the Lord's people show him reverence,
for those who honor him will
have all they need.
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but
those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good thing.
Psalm
34:1-10
Do we really "praise the Lord at all times"? Oh, I know some people who do and believe me, their lives reflect that truth. Oh, some of us may say that we do this, but if we really praised Him at all times we wouldn't have room in our lives for gossip, jealousy, or any other type of dissention.
If there is anything the Lord has stressed in my life over the past seven years it is trusting Him! If we don't trust Him, we are questioning Him, we are doubting His ability, availability, or desire to work in our lives. Our loving Father wants us to know that He loves us, that He is constantly working in our lives for our good, and that He wants us to know that He is for us – not against us!
As we enter into the time of Advent, let us begin to trust Him for the salvation of family members and friends who do not know Him as Lord and Savior. Let us pray that God will use this Christmas Season as a vehicle of witnessing to the goodness of His glory.
As we gather during the Season for parties and presents, may other people literally "taste and see that the Lord is good" as they witness the joy in our lives – not matter what our external circumstances may express! We will trust Him, reverence Him, and honor Him when we praise Him by loving others! Then, as this year comes to an end we will look back and see that we lacked nothing!
Father, we give You all that we are this Season. Use our lives for Your glory. There are people in our lives who do not know You. We hunger for their salvation. Help us to be so closely connected to You that they will taste and see that You are good and that Your love for them goes way beyond their faults!
