Page 69 - Living light - The Psalms

Thursday August 22 - The Lord is accessible
Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them. Psalm 99:6
We have stood in awe of God as Holy King and Righteous Judge; now we stand amazed that this same God desires to have fellowship with people like us, born in sin.
The psalmist uses Moses, Aaron and Samuel as examples of men who had wonderful fellowship with God. They walked with God, and now we, through Christ, can enter into that same fellowship. It is an amazing grace that we can commune with a Holy God, whereby we are invited to ‘approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16).
At the very moment Jesus surrendered his life on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn, from top to bottom; torn by God himself, symbolising that mankind’s separation from God had been ended through Jesus’ supreme sacrifice at Calvary (Matthew 27:51).
Our response should be that of the psalmist: to cry, “Lord our God” (Psalm 99:8); no longer a remote deity but alongside us – our God! Jesus, a friend of sinners, who by his atoning sacrifice provided the way for us to become sons and daughters of the living God: ‘children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God’ (John 1:13).
My God, I rejoice in your unmerited favour, which invites me to walk hand in hand with the King of all glory. May I live for that glory and the honour of your name. Amen.
Friday August 23 - The Lord is merciful
Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. Psalm 99:8
Psalm 99 is like a pearl necklace, each pearl being an eternal attribute of God: his sovereignty, his might, his holiness, his justice, his intimacy – and today’s pearl is his mercy. Grace is summed up in what the Lord gives; his mercy is about that which he withholds. I like The Message’s version of Isaiah 43:25: “But I, yes I, am the one who takes care of your sins – that’s what I do. I don’t keep a list of your sins.” God is a forgiving God, but we have to understand that he still disciplines us, not as a punishment but rather to instruct us in right living. His mercy chastises, when by rights it could consume.
This does not mean we should take the matter of sin lightly, continuing to sin because God is a forgiving God (Romans 6:1). If we do so then we have lost sight of the reality that every sin is like a hammer blow, nailing Jesus to the cross. God’s mercy tells us that God chooses not to remember our sins (Hebrews 10:17). He removes the stain of sin to such an extent that he sees us as if we’ve never sinned (Isaiah 1:18).
What a pearl this is! The Lord your God is merciful! So let’s live humbly before our God.
I praise you ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1 Peter 1:3). Amen.
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PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY