Reassurance
"You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him." Psalm 4:3
When I'm troubled over something, this is one of the verses that gives me comfort. Because I believe Jesus' death and resurrection was for me--a sinner--I qualify as "godly." If you believe in Jesus, you qualify as godly, too. God has set us apart for himself. Can we comprehend that blessing?
In another Psalm, David says God knows everything about him--everything he thinks, everything he does. And he blesses the godly. David's God-inspired words are meant for us, too.
"You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!" Psalm 139:5-6
When I'm still before God and he speaks his words of love to me, I'm overwhelmed. I agree with David, such knowledge is too great for me to understand.
His thoughts toward you and me are so precious and so many they can't be counted. When we're awake or asleep, he's thinking of us.
"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!"
Psalm 139:17-18
He thinks about us all the time. He's not thinking about how to discipline us. He thinks about how to bless us.
"For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
He considers us today and plans for our future.
It's thought David wrote the 3rd and 4th Psalms when he was running from Absalom's treacherous attempt to take over the kingdom. In the midst of this trial, he comforted himself with the knowledge he belonged to God and had been set apart by him for something good.
Can you look at your life and see how God has set you apart for his plans? Can you see him working out the circumstances of your life? That they are better than you had planned? That the outcome of your trials and testings bring him glory?
Heavenly Father, we thank you for Jesus--that by his sacrificial death and resurrection we are transformed from sinner into godly--and you set apart the godly for yourself. You set us apart from the world so you may use us for your purposes. You loved the world so much you sent your one and only Son to give us the opportunity to become a "whosoever"...
whosoever believes in him will have eternal life, (John 3:16)
whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father... (Matthew 10:32)
whosoever drinks of the water I give shall never thirst (John 4:14)
whosoever believes on me shall not live in darkness (John 12:46)
whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21)
whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed (Romans 10:11)
whosoever confesses Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him (1 John 4:15)
and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17
As you have set us apart for your good pleasure, may we fill the skies with our praise and thanksgiving to our Holy God, our Abba Father.
by Marilyn Allison