Psalms 37:4-6 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your Righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
 
FALSE teachers will tell you God will give you what you want if you claim your loyal obedience to his Word. True teachers will tell you God will give you all you want when all you truly want is him.
   Delight in the Hebrew meaning is to have abundant blessings in the LORD, separate from any material blessings. Your pleasure is knowing God, so you will build a deep, abiding relationship with him. As you assess your priorities, you know the Holy Father, Son and Spirit is the essence of your existence. Perhaps another way to say that you delight in the LORD is to love the LORD with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, to worship him only, to make no graven image and to speak his name only with honor.
   When you delight yourself in the LORD, God’s commands command your life. God is as a pleasing aroma that stirs your appetite to prepare for a good meal. God promises he will give himself to you. He will not reject you or hide from you. Seek him, and you will find him. Desire God, and he will give himself to you.
   To commit your way to the LORD means to give your burdens to him. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. How do you cast your burdens to God? The burdens of your heart and mind cannot be packaged and delivered to God’s house, can they?
   In a way they can. You can put your burdens into spiritual boxes labeled Confession, Humility, Truth, Forgiveness, Justice and Righteousness. Some burdens are self-caused. You keep sin against another your secret, and it gnaws at your heart. You hold forgiveness from one who’s wronged you. Pride will isolate you. Lies will destroy your integrity. Burdens are rooted in replacing God’s commands with your demands. God wants your righteous heart to delight in him, so he can abundantly give himself to you.
   Righteousness is a key to receiving this promise. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6) You are filled with God, safe with God in the land he has prepared for you. David further wrote in Psalm 37:25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always  generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. 27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  
   Pack your burdens. Give them to God. Receive more of him than you can imagine.  
    

Psalm 36:5-7 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
 
ONE of the patterns of David’s psalms is to contrast sinners to God’s greatness. For example, he wrote of the sinner in v 4 he commits himself to a sinful course. But it is good to turn our minds from those who despise God, so we can turn our attention to God’s greatness.
   David does so as he points us to God’s high, priceless love, expansive faithfulness, immovable righteousness and ocean-deep justice. He prays that God will grant us the privilege to find refuge in the shadow of (his) wings. This is a very holy, personal image for the Jews. God had shown to them a literal view of God’s wings. He designed the cherubim’s winds to spread across the mercy seat atop the ark of the covenant. To be under the shadow of his wings is to be under God’s great mercy. He is loving, immovable, faithful and just to shelter his people. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not take refuge under God’s wings: Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”  
   Have faith in God’s greatness, and you will v. 8a feast on the abundance of God’s house. How often might you wonder, “Is God enough? Is there something more?” Know in your heart he is more than you need. O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. (Psalms 89:8) He invites you V 8b to drink from God’s river of delights.
   What a wonderful image. Imagine God’s greatness abundantly flowing into your life. His love, righteousness, faithfulness and justice shape your every thought. God’s high, immovable, deep character changes you when his greatness flows through your life.
   Even more, God’s greatness V 9 is the fountain of life; in his light we see light. Our joy is knowing there is no way around God’s incomparable greatness. He is far too excellent for our meager means to affect his character. We know we trust God’s greatness when we pray,  v 10 “Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.”  Faithfully live under God’s great wings.
  

Psalms 35:27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
 
JESUS spoke “peace” into his people many times as he ministered his redemptive healing power. On one occasion he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:34) After his resurrection he came to his fearful, distraught disciples: Luke 24:36 While they were still talking about (Jesus appearing to the men at Emmaus) Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  Jesus came to tell the world that God delights in the well-being of his servant.
   Well-being in the Hebrew language means shalom. Most of us equate this word with peace. But it means much more. Shalom is an active well-being in each aspect of one’s life. For example, it speaks of peace with God, peace with others, peace from self-criticism and peace with your life’s circumstances. When you experience well-being under God’s hand, you are living in loving faithfulness with your Lord Jesus. You trust his goodness and mercy follows you all the days of your life. (Psalm 23:6) You believe the LORD blesses you and keeps you. He makes his face shine upon you. He is gracious to you. (from Numbers 16:24-25) Knowing God’s well-being means you personally know and trust God’s love for you.
   Do you ever wonder what life was like for those who experienced Jesus’ stunning miracles? What did the lame do when they could run? What did the blind look at when they could see? How did the sick feel when they were suddenly free from disease? When the next obstacles confronted them, did they remember, “Jesus healed me. He delights in my well-being. With shalom I will trust him.” Jesus’ disciples would constantly confront peace-challenging assaults in their work; yet they would remember the risen Lord Jesus stood before them to promise that he delights in their well-being.
   Long before the woman and the disciples knew Jesus’ peace, God’s anointed warrior and king David knew God’s well-being was on him. In the midst of much adversity he came to completely trust he was well under God’s care.
   And this is how it can be for you. Do you know Jesus delights in your well-being? You can always know his peace is with you because it is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22a). Peace is a living blessing the Holy Spirit gives to you for your Christian life. Peace is free to you because Jesus has paid for your eternal well-being. He is your suffering servant who claims victory over Satan’s troubles. Jesus is your triumphant, risen King, who blesses you with his shalom: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
   Jesus has healed your sin. Keep foremost in your mind the Lord delights in your well-being. He loves to see that his peace rules your heart. It’s a sure sign you receive his salvation with love and joy for your God.  
 

 

Psalms 34:18-20 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; 20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.      
 
THIS psalm is David’s response to God’s care for him when he had fled to the enemy Philistine camp to escape King Saul. David’s life was in jeopardy as he was essentially caught between two kings. He escaped death from the Philistines when he feigned insanity. In his experience, David could faithfully promise, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
   Brokenhearted refers to deep despair, nearly to the point of giving up. It is as if your emotions are broken into little pieces. They are crushed, destroyed and torn. David is telling us he was in extreme emotional pain and on the verge of physical destruction. Have you been in such a place?
   The “brokenhearted” reasons are many. Loneliness crushes many people. Unforgiveness can break many families. Deceit can destroy loving relationships. Pride and jealousy tear the fabric of peace in churches and families. Emotional opposition chases you into enemy territory, and you do not know how to protect yourself from its assaults.
   The LORD wants you to know he is your ally to help you wage war against those things that threaten to crush, tear and break you. He wants you to know the LORD protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. This is language symbolizing God’s care for his people. It also is a prophecy of the Father being alongside the Son at the cross. (See Luke 19:34-36)
   David was very grateful that God had kept him physically safe. But we know that millions of faithful Jews and Christians throughout history have been tortured and killed. Has God abandoned some of the brokenhearted? Jesus gave us his assurance in Matthew 10:30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. God is near to you. He knows each detail of your physical body and emotional heart. He is near to draw you close to him when circumstances crush and tear at your heart. He is alongside you to bring you into his holy kingdom.
   Verse 22 says evil will slay the wicked; God condemns your enemies. People’s evil deeds will return to them and destroy them. The Bible tells of the many times God destroyed Israel’s enemies. The church’s history tells us God will always defend his faithful church in the power of Jesus’ resurrection. God is with the brokenhearted whose persecutors tear at their lives. The enemy always believes he will prevail against God’s people. But he will come to his end in physical destruction and eternal torment.
   If you are brokenhearted because of others who assault or reject you, know your Lord Jesus is near you. If you feel trapped in despair or loneliness, stop and assess your place with God. Have you kept him from your life? Are you looking to go your own way while the Lord promises to show you the way? Remember he is near to you: Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”  
   Open the door. Let him be for you the God he promises he is.  
 

Psalms 33:13-15 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; 14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth – 15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
 
PSALM 33 is an instruction on worship, written as Israel celebrated victory in war. This passage answers the question, “Why do we worship?” We worship God because he promises he looks down on us.
   This look is not a casual glance from heaven’s throne. The word “look” means to “gaze intently”. Hopefully, you can understand God’s intense look from the Christian viewpoint. By faith you know God see you as a victor against Satan. He know you are more than a conqueror because nothing will be able to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (See Romans 8:37-39.) God has seen you in eternity past. He calls you, “Mine!” The LORD God will see you forever. Your Lord’s extreme work on the cross is a sure sign God has seen your sin and has seen your redemption. His eyes are always on you: Psalm 33:18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. Look upon God. Gaze intently into the One whose words created the universe and know he is your God. This is why we worship him.
   The psalm also says he sees all mankind, even those who do evil. 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayer. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil.   
   This is why we can trust God’s Word. Sometimes God looks upon sinners to draw them into his kingdom. Are you glad he looked at you while you were yet still a sinner? Other times God gazes intently on the evil to protect you and to judge them. He would not know your enemies’ plans to tempt and turn you from him if he did not watch them intently. He is your Watchman, your sure Defender because he sees the enemies’ plans against you.
   When you cross a border into another country, the border agent acts under his country’s laws. He looks at your passport, visa and other credentials you need for entry. He welcomes those with right credentials, and he must justly block those who do not qualify for entry.
   This is the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Only those God sees as his own will live in his land.
   As the congregation in Israel celebrated a military victory, they would have felt very safe under God’s intense gaze. The worshipers belonged to God. He saw them as his own. He gave them victory. As you confess Christ, know God has seen you as his own. He is gazing intently to protect you from your enemies. He sees that you will be welcomed into his eternal kingdom.   

Psalm 32:1-3 Of David. A maskil. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
 
THE introduction says this psalm is a maskil that David wrote. This means it is an instruction, said in v. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. What is David’s instruction to Israel?
   Israel’s king wants his people to know that God will cover any sin they confess to him. No sin is too large to remain exposed if you seek God’s merciful forgiveness.
   David knew about “large” sin. He wrote this instruction in response to his murder of Uriah and adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). Psalm 51 is often read as David’s mournful, repentant cry to God. Within his repentance he promises God: Psalms 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Psalm 32 is one of five “songs of instruction” David wrote to honor his promise.
   David teaches Israel that God will bless those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. David tried to cover his sin. But his covering nearly destroyed him. V 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. He felt God’s heavy hand of justice on him. V 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
   Sin is an abomination before the Holy God. You are made in his image. Sin’s weight is too cumbersome and heavy to carry. You must confess and know God will permanently cover your sin, and he will not see it again.
   David confessed. V. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD” – and you forgave the guilt of my sin. David exposed his sin to God. And David knew God covered it.
   David could then enter safely into God’s presence. V 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Even as all Israel knew his sin, David found safety and peace in God’s forgiveness. He could trust God covered his sin to no longer grieve his soul.
   This is the gospel. The apostle John instructs you of Jesus’ power to cleanse your sin: 1 John 1:6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 
   Try to cover your sin, and darkness will cover your heart. Confess your sin. Allow Jesus’ atoning blood to cover you. Joyfully regard David’s final instruction: V 11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
 

Psalm 31:5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.
 
PERHAPS this is the greatest statement of commitment in Holy Scripture. You’ll also find these words in Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. Later Peter assured the persecuted church, “Those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Peter 4:9) Commit means to deposit in trust. You may “deposit” or give someone your allegiance because you know you can trust him to help, encourage and honor you. You know one you trust will always welcome you into his home.
   This is God’s response to those who commit to him. David expressed the depth of his sorrow in v 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends – those who see me on the street flee from me. Certainly Jesus as fully man in agony on the cross knew even a deeper sense of abandonment. Early Christians – and those in peril today from persecution – face this turmoil daily. Are you in such a place? Do you know people who are? How do we know God’s promise to honor our commitment when he can seem so distant?
   When one experiences such depth of despair, the only direction is up toward God. We can remember v.1 in you, O LORD, I have taken refuge. In faith, you know he will answer your prayer, “Let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.” You can remember how God has committed to you when you believe he will turn your ear to you. He will answer your prayer and come quickly to rescue you because he is your rock of refuge. He is your strong fortress to save you. He will do so for the sake of his name lead and guide you.
   Looking up to God,  you believe he will free you from the trap that is set for you. Tell him, “I trust in the LORD. I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction. You knew the anguish of my soul.” God hears your voice. Listen for his voice to comfort, inspire and empower you.
   The psalm continues with many more expressions of David’s suffering and of his faith to believe God promises to commit to those who honor him. God delivered David from his enemies. God raised Jesus from the dead. Indeed, the LORD God honored their commitment to him. But what about the martyrs of the early church? What about the martyrs and afflicted ones today? What about those – perhaps you – who wait on God to release their affliction? Has God, is God honoring those who commit their lives to him?
   Jesus says this about honoring you in John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” The LORD of Life has committed himself to you. The cross tells us so. From the depths, look up to the cross, so you can see the one who commits his life to you. Look up to his faithful church. Look up. Vs 23 Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
 
 

Psalms 29:3-9 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”  
 
YOU know a thunderstorm’s power. David, the psalmist, wants you to know God’s voice is as evident as that power. He uses the path of a thunderstorm moving from the Mediterranean Sea eastward across the Lebanon mountains to illustrate God’s voice. These mountains are about 10,000 feet tall. Many forests of tall, strong cedar trees grew there.
   God’s voice thunders over the waters. He speaks, and the mighty cedars shake, and some even break. Even animals give early birth to their young. God speaks, and his creation responds. As the angels watch the LORD’s awesome power, their appropriate response is, “Glory!”  
   The LORD wants you to respond, “Glory!” to his voice. Have you heard him beckon you to himself: Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Have you heard his voice call you to salvation? John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
   Perhaps the LORD’s voice direct you to serve? John 13:14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
   Does the LORD’s voice cause your heart to fear his justice? Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” 
   Does the LORD’s voice stir your heart to love him? 1 John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
   Does the LORD’s voice cause you to cry, “Glory!” Luke 2:11 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  
   Each day – and perhaps in each hour – God speaks what you need to know. His Bible, his people and his faithful church help you know what he is saying to you. Salvation is his message. “Glory!” is your praise to him. You can help others hear his voice, too.  

Psalms 29:3-9 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”  
 
YOU know a thunderstorm’s power. David, the psalmist, wants you to know God’s voice is as evident as that power. He uses the path of a thunderstorm moving from the Mediterranean Sea eastward across the Lebanon mountains to illustrate God’s voice. These mountains are about 10,000 feet tall. Many forests of tall, strong cedar trees grew there.
   God’s voice thunders over the waters. He speaks, and the mighty cedars shake, and some even break. Even animals give early birth to their young. God speaks, and his creation responds. As the angels watch the LORD’s awesome power, their appropriate response is, “Glory!”  
   The LORD wants you to respond, “Glory!” to his voice. Have you heard him beckon you to himself: Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Have you heard his voice call you to salvation? John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
   Perhaps the LORD’s voice direct you to serve? John 13:14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
   Does the LORD’s voice cause your heart to fear his justice? Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” 
   Does the LORD’s voice stir your heart to love him? 1 John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
   Does the LORD’s voice cause you to cry, “Glory!” Luke 2:11 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  
   Each day – and perhaps in each hour – God speaks what you need to know. His Bible, his people and his faithful church help you know what he is saying to you. Salvation is his message. “Glory!” is your praise to him. You can help others hear his voice, too.  

Psalm 28:8-9 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. 9 Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.
 
SEVEN promises are in these two verses: 1) The LORD chooses his own people. 2) The LORD is his people’s  strength. 3) The LORD anoints people to his purpose. 4) The LORD is a fortress for his anointed – chosen – ones. 5) The LORD saves his people. 6) The LORD blesses his people to be his inheritance. 7) The LORD shepherds his people to carry them forever. Why does he do these wonderful things for his people? It is his goodness to do so even though there is no good thing within the human heart. That’s why you must always thank God it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
   Yes, God gifts you grace. Grace is of God’s eternal character. Grace is a catalyst for all history to unfold under God’s sovereign authority. From the moment God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light. (Genesis 1:3) grace has moved the world to God’s purpose.
   Grace is so powerful, it enables us to have a relationship with God. When sin entered into mankind’s heart, the Father administered his grace to his children. He had told Adam, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16b-17). But when they ate of the tree, the LORD preserved Adam’s and Eve’s lives for many years. Why? Our gracious God had a plan. From this couple came the Son of Man, who would be God’s fortress of salvation for his people.
   By grace, God also cared for Adam’s and Eve’s immediate needs: Genesis 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. He did not have to allow the couple to live. He did not have to promise a Savior. He did not have to clothe them in their shame. The Creator wanted his creation to know he delivers grace – our undeserved blessing – to us. All he commands in return is our worshipful, grateful hearts.
   When you read through the Bible, you’ll clearly understand that it is by grace God called Abraham and Sarah to begin Israel. Through that nation the LORD repeatedly demonstrated he is the strength of his people. Israel had no means to gain freedom from Egypt and settle in their own land without God’s gracious power upon them. Perhaps that’s why God grew Israel in Egypt. Israel needed to know God was their fortress of salvation for his anointed ones.
   As God’s church, we, too, must recognize that by God’s grace he calls us to 1) be his people 2) receive God’s strength 3) be anointed to God’s purpose 4) know God is our fortress 5) be our salvation. 6) be blessed as his own possession 7) follow the shepherd who carries us forever. By his grace God is actively saving, transforming, loving and protecting.
   What is your response? Do you worship the God, who has given you the undeserved blessing of eternal life?