Tuesday Reflection – July 03, 2018

Watchword Text: Psalm 116: 12
Author: Bevon White
Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVmWHI33waE&feature=youtu.be

Greetings friends!

Today’s watchword is from Psalm 116: 12. What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? There are many who fail to see a connection between the everyday occurrences of their lives and God at work. They believe that all they have, all they do and all they have achieved are thanks to their own effort. Not so with those who know and trust the Lord God. We know that we can achieve nothing of ourselves. God is therefore at work every moment of our lives, working His will and purpose for us.

In the Psalm, David gives thanks to God for delivering Him out of many dire situations. He is moved to devotion, love and gratitude to God for delivering Him. Even so he questions whether he can do enough? What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? When we look at our lives and see God’s handiwork in and around us, how do we respond? When the enemies of Jesus tried to trap him with a question of whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar in Matthew 22, he responded by telling them to give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar and to God what belonged to God. True loyalty is giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and true piety is giving to God what belongs to God. Do not worship the earthly system and show loyalty to God as some do! No. We are to worship God and God alone. If we place the focus on ourselves our imperfections, failures and weaknesses will always cause us to miss the mark, to fall short. However, when we focus completely on God we see God’s perfection and faithfulness from which His benefits flow. His benefits include the creation and sustenance of all life. From the establishing and keeping of the multiverse to the creation and sustaining of every single organism, whether we deem it as important or not. This loving care is what we respond to. The creator is the sustainer.

What shall I render? Friends, half-hearted thanks is no thanks at all. In the same way, half hearted worship and praise reaches nowhere. We are to worship God with all our hearts, minds and souls. Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Psalm 115: 1. God desires our praise and this should flow naturally in response to God’s bounty, or goodness to us. In Psalm 150 we are called to praise God for all that God does. The more we see, the greater will be the praise. May our eyes be opened to God at work in and around us as our hearts willingly respond to Him in praise, worship and thanksgiving. Amen.
Bevon White