Page 29 - Living light - The Psalms

Monday July 1 - The result of abiding
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea... Psalm 46:2
Yesterday I spoke about the practice of rehearsing Bible passages to store up a reservoir of truth about God for when times get tough. Of course, we don’t need to wait until we’re at our wits’ end to allow scripture to minister to us. Spending daily time with God, and speaking out truths about his goodness, love and faithfulness, is something for good times and bad. But there’s more to our relationship with God than knowing the Bible. Jesus’ death and resurrection has made it possible for us to know God personally. How good is that!
The catalogue of natural disasters about which the writer declares, ‘We will not fear’, doesn’t appear to dominate his thinking. He counters these with truths pertaining to the safety and protection that is found in God. Yes, outwardly, the world might be scary and troublesome, but there’s an inner reality that Jesus can also give us. You can read about this in John 15:1-11, but in a nutshell it speaks of us living with a daily awareness that we remain (or ‘abide’) in Christ. In one sense we therefore have no need to seek refuge in God, because if we’re a follower of Jesus we’re already in him. But we’re all on a journey and this truth has to be worked into us by faith and practice.
Father God, thank you that you live in me and I in you. Help me to experience the good of this truth today and always. Amen.
Tuesday July 2 - Where is our source?
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. Psalm 46:4
Although today’s verses may have a literal meaning relating to Jerusalem at the time it was written, we’re going to focus on its personal and present-day application. Yesterday we looked at the biblical truth that every Christian abides in Christ. This is a spiritual transaction that happens when we are born again, and which we have no say in. It’s all a wonderful work of God. But there’s more!
God not only welcomes us into his family, but he also desires to lavish on us every spiritual resource that we’ll need to fully live the life he has for us. He does this by filling us with the Holy Spirit so that the limitless life of heaven is ours also. The psalmist pictures this as a river which brings spiritual blessings to the city of Jerusalem. And one of these blessings is gladness. This could also be read as happiness or joy. The Bible teaches us that with God’s joy comes inner strength (Nehemiah 8:10). That’s what the second part of today’s reading indicates.
Most people yearn for these things but often look for them in the wrong places. Before we gave our lives to Christ this would have been our experience – navigating life with the help of things we thought would make us happy. But not anymore!
Father God, thank you that you are the source of all joy. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I can live in your strength, not my own. Amen.
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PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY