Gladden the Soul of Thy Servant
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Psalm 86:1-13
1. Incline thy ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2. Preserve my life, for I am godly; save thy servant who trusts in thee. Thou art my God; 3. be gracious to me, O Lord, for to thee do I cry all the day. 4. Gladden the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5. For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee. 6. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication. 7. In the day of my trouble I call on thee, for thou dost answer me. 8. There is none like thee among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like thine. 9. All the nations thou hast made shall come and bow down before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name. 10. For thou art great and doest wondrous things, thou alone art God. 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name. 12. I give thanks to thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify thy name for ever. 13. For great is thy steadfast love toward me;
Do you think this psalmist anticipates a rough day ahead? Or a difficult assignment, or challenging project? This prayer is almost offered as a self-assurance: reminding himself of all the ways God has helped and supported, directed and lifted him up in the past. I really had no idea where to end up in scripture today! I’m still not sure this is the message God wanted me to hear, but I know it’s one that focuses my heart and mind today as I begin my work week! And that’s always a good thing!
We really do need to deliberately and consciously ask God to enter our lives each day. We must be aware of His presence, and call upon His strength, courage, wisdom and guidance at every step of the way. We also owe Him a great debt—of gratitude and praise—for the countless times He “rescues” us from despair, disappointment, failure and distress. More than that, we celebrate and we thank and honor Him for the joys, successes, accomplishments and victories in our lives!
God is so good to us. He is worthy of our praise. And all He asks in return is that we honor His Word by how we live our lives. It seems like a tall order, but compared to the sacrifice of His Son, and held side-by-side with the events in history – and in our own lives – where He has acted to save and uphold His beloved—it really pales in comparison, doesn’t it? We honor and praise the God who is “abounding in steadfast love to all who call on” Him. We rejoice and glorify the name of the Almighty, Loving, Good and Gracious God who forgives, who instructs, who displays His power and might in nature and in the people and circumstances of our lives.
I am certainly poor and needy. I need a God in whom I can trust. A God who is gracious to me and answers when I call to Him. I rejoice in a God who forgives and saves me. I bow down to a God who alone made the nations and the earth and the sky and you and me. How He must love us, how he dotes on us, to have made us His most prized creations in all the universe! How can we help but glorify His name forever with our whole hearts and our whole minds and our whole souls—and our whole lives?!
I hope you spend this day seeking God’s guidance, listening for His direction, and praising His Holy Name for His steadfast love toward you.
Mary
