“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Thy hands.” Psalm 138:8
Psalm 57:2 similarly states: “I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.”
Romans 8:28 states: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:32 states: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things”?
I know that I struggle to live by faith. I struggle to believe what I write. Sometimes, all I can see is the “bleak reality”. But, the “bleak reality” is really only a logical future without God. But there is a God who has awesome and infinite power. And, this Almighty God is also our Faithful Father!
God fulfills His promises and showers us with His lovingkindness. God can and does turn our “bleak reality” into our “abundant life”.
God does not just sit in heaven and watch what we do or what happens to us. God accomplishes His will through us. He gives us everything we need. God continually encourages us. He give us His Son and His Spirit to dwell within us. He adopts us as His children. God creates the good works for us to do. Ephesians 2:10. God perfects the good work within us. Philippians 1:6. God predestines us. God calls us. God justifies us. God glorifies us. Romans 8:29-30.
Let us stop worrying about what we should do, and let us start praising God for what He has done!
“For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4.
The world pulls our eyes down from God to ourselves.
We need to lift our eyes to God.
The world tells us how we can improve ourselves. “Just do it” states a famous commercial.
The world tries to get us to focus on what we do rather than what God did.
The world says: “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” See John 6:28.
Jesus answers: “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” See John 6:29.
What impression do we give people?:
“How great I am!”
“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the one who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him”. John 7:18.
What impression do we give people? “Look at what I did!”, or “Look at what God did!”?
Of course, we can and should work, but God should be seen as the worker. Our works should be seen as wrought in God. Our works should bring attention and glory to God, not to us.
“But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:21.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
“I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.” Psalm 40:10.
There was a seminar years ago called: “Seven Attributes of the Godly Man”. It may very well have been a good seminar, yet the title made me think: I wish there was a seminar on “Seven Attributes of God”.
Much more important than improving our righteousness is learning about the righteousness of God. Much more important than trying to be more faithful is learning about the faithfulness of God. Do we want to learn more about ourselves or God? Do we want to learn more about what we should do or more about what God has done for us?
Too often, we look down into our own hearts and try to improve ourselves, rather than look up to God and observe and meditate upon what He has done.
“Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done,
And Thy thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with Thee;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.” Psalm 40:5.
Many of us would paraphrase Psalm 40:1-2 to be: “I just did it; And God was proud of me. I climbed out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And I made myself secure.”
However, Psalm 40:1-2 states: “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon the rock making my footsteps firm.”
The following Scripture summarizes this focus, hope, and prayer so well. This Scripture also tells it from God’s perspective.
“13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
14 From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.” Psalm 33:13-22.
In conclusion, the focus is on God. The hope is in God. The prayer is to God.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 