Feb 09 2022

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34 was written after David made a successful but close escape from an enemy. This psalm thanks God for delivering him. David writes that the Lord is good and that those who trust in Him are blessed. This verse emphasizes that trusting in the Lord is an action; we must intentionally trust in Him to receive His blessings.

But what exactly does it mean to trust in the Lord? I think there are two levels of trust. One is the theoretical, which includes our specific beliefs about God; and the other is the practical, which is how we express that trust in our day-to-day lives.

On a theoretical level, trusting in the Lord means that we believe He is good and faithful in all circumstances. If we're facing a great challenge, our belief in the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord does not change. We can look to the cross, which displayed God's love for us once and for all, and remind ourselves that God is good and faithful, wholly worthy of our trust.

On a practical level, trusting in the Lord is reflected by our thought life and the ways we express our emotions. For example, I recently got frustrated about my laptop messing up. One of the ports was broken and I couldn't get it to charge. This upset me because I had deadlines to meet, and now I'd have to solve my computer problem in order to meet those deadlines. But instead of getting frustrated and letting thoughts of unbelief creep in, such as Why don't you care about my needs, Lord? Why do you let things like this always happen to me? Why can't you be faithful? I could have responded in prayer. I could have thanked the Lord for my ability to work, and trusted that He would make a way for me to get done what I needed to. I should have trusted from the get-go that the Lord would work out the situation for the good. That's what trusting in the Lord looks like—turning our thoughts back to Him, again and again, when our emotions start to undo us.

This takes practice, but eventually it will become a habit for us to turn to the Lord again and again. We will exercise trust as we go to Him with all our thoughts, questions, and concerns and exchange them for rest in Him. This is an intentional decision to turn away from the worries of this world and instead set our eyes on Jesus.

Dear Lord, I trust you. Help me learn to trust you more and more with every passing day. I want to turn to you when things become difficult, and I want to remember to rest in your grace and love always. In Jesus' name, amen.

Feb 08 2022

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. :

Psalm 145 is the last Psalm of David, and it is a song of praise to the Lord, extolling His goodness and love. This verse talks about the nearness of the Lord to those who know Him. This is both a sweet reminder and a stirring conviction.

It is sweet to know that regardless of where we are in the world, the Lord is with us. It is impossible for us to be somewhere that He isn't. We can call out to Him in any circumstance, through any pain, and through every joy, and He will listen. He is here to sustain us moment by moment.

The verse is also a conviction because sometimes we take the nearness of the Lord for granted. We never should, though because there was a time when He was unapproachable. Before Jesus, if people wanted to talk to the Lord, they would have to go to a temple and perform sacrifices. There was a place in the temple where only the highest priest could go once a year, the Holy of Holies, where the spirit of the Lord was. There was no other way for people to talk to Him.

But because of Jesus, we can call out to God anytime we want. We can share everything with Him, from our fears and disappointments to our highest hopes and dreams, and He will not turn us away. How often do you take advantage of this privilege? Do you live every moment fully aware of the presence of the Lord?

Of course, it's impossible to spend 24 hours a day in prayer, but that is not what we're asked to do. Instead, we are called to live our lives in a way that takes into account the nearness of the Lord. This means we honor Him with our thoughts, our work, and our actions. We respond to His nearness by living a life that pleases Him and is full of gratitude.

Dear Lord, I thank you for your nearness to me. I thank you for Jesus, who made it possible for me to know you intimately and deeply. I want to live a life that honors you and your name, Lord. Help me to be more and more like you each moment. In Jesus' name, amen.


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