Feb 17 2022

For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Of all the thoughts you may have about God, have you considered that He takes pleasure in you? This thought, clearly articulated in Psalm 149, makes my head spin. I look at myself and so often see a sinner instead of the saint that the Lord has declared Christians to be. However, you can see the error of my ways in that last sentence: I look at myself and see me, whereas God looks at me and sees Jesus.

When we become Christians, we put on the righteousness of Christ. Who we once were is dead and now Christ lives within us, which is what makes us Christians. This is who we are. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus and He takes pleasure in us. This means it is also okay for us to take pleasure in ourselves. We can rest knowing that Jesus lives within us and that every day we are becoming more and more like Him.

The Lord also takes pleasure in us because we are His creation. He made us from the dirt and He loves us like a parent loves a child. Even if we do something wrong and shameful, He will receive us. He will not erase the consequences of our wrongdoing, but He wants us to always come to Him because He takes pleasure in us.

The second half of the verse says He will give salvation to those who are humble. To be saved, in other words, we must understand why we need salvation. We must take a proper view of our sin as something hateful that forever separates us from God to receive the Gospel. Our understanding of the Gospel will be as deep as our understanding of the gravity of sin. And then, when we call out to the Lord, He will beautify us with salvation. He will wash our sins clean, erased before Him, and welcome us into His Kingdom.

Today, we can rest in the fact that the Lord takes pleasure in us because Jesus has made a way to wash us clean. When the Lord sees us, He does not see messed up sinners asking Him for favors. Rather, He sees His children sanctified by the holiness of Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord, I am so glad that you take pleasure in me! Thank you for creating me and giving me a purpose and hope. Help me to honor the new life that you have given me. Thank you for Jesus, who changed me. In Jesus' name, amen.

Feb 16 2022

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. :

This verse, written by Paul to the church in Corinth, reminds us that how we understand things about God is not through our own eyes or ears, but through His spirit. Today, we'll break down this verse to understand it better and then apply it to our lives.

Paul quotes from the Old Testament book of Isaiah to show that understanding of the Gospel comes from the spirit. We cannot understand the "things which God hath prepared" for us unless the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. In other words, to have an appetite for the Lord to want to know Him, read the Bible, and grow in holiness is evidence that the Holy Spirit has worked in us. We do not naturally desire things of God, but the Holy Spirit causes us to desire Him.

This means we should always be humble about our relationship with the Lord. Salvation happens because the Holy Spirit decided to work in our hearts. It wasn't because we were good enough or something we did that made the Lord want us on His team. It was because He, in His mercy, reached out to us. After our salvation, we can respond to His goodness in ways that help us grow deeper in our relationships with Him, but in the end, all spiritual growth is an act of grace. When we understand that we know Jesus only because of grace, we will be humble in our walks with Him.

This verse also gives us freedom because it tells us that we are not responsible for other people's salvation. We weren't even responsible for our own; of course we can't be the reason someone else is saved. If you are trying to convince someone about the truth of the Gospel, relieve yourself of that burden. Share the Gospel and show the person the love of Jesus, but do not take the responsibility of his or her salvation upon your shoulders. It is too great a burden for any of us.

Instead, put yourself to prayer. Pray that the Spirit would begin to work in the other person's heart, moving them to see God in new ways and putting a hunger in their hearts for Him. People may have rebuttals to arguments... but they have no defense to our prayers.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for my salvation. I am so grateful that for some reason you decided to take me into your family. I am not deserving. I give you all the credit for my spiritual growth, and I ask that you would continue to work in me. I pray for the unsaved people in my life, and I ask that your spirit would begin to stir in their hearts a hunger for you and for truth. In Jesus' name, amen.


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