May 13 – Supporting From Underneath

“The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!’” Deuteronomy 33:27 (NASB)

Moses was 120 years old and he had served God in leading the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people since he was 80.  For 40 years he was an Egyptian living in Pharaoh’s house. For the next 40 years he tended his father-in-law’s sheep. God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land.   These recorded words were delivered by Moses to Israel just prior to Moses' death. He pronounced these words of blessings on the people. We too are children of God and can trust the words of promise as Moses reminds the people that God is eternal and he provides for His children a dwelling place, a refuge, from the world which threatens us. Underneath us are the everlasting arms which refer to the way God takes care of His own. We can know for certain that He is supporting us because He has promised. God will keep us from falling. God will keep us from falling into discouragement or fear. We can believe and relax. We don’t have to worry or be anxious and we don't need to look elsewhere for help. He is there and He'll care for us completely.  

198

November 23 – Being at Home - Always

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.” Psalm 90:1 (NASB) 

The promise from God that we have to consider today is in a very short verse a Psalm written by Moses. He was writing from his own experience and the experience of other people of faith who lived before him. The word “dwelling” is like a “hiding place” or “refuge.” God promised to be their sanctuary for protection, substance, and stability. We believe his words also are for us and can describe our experience today as well. The next verse is also expressive of God’s promises. “Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” It’s like saying that the Lord is our home. It’s true that when we trust in Him we do feel at home. Our Lord desires for us to feel at home with Him. It’s so comfortable to be able to trust Him and to sense His fellowship. Let's always remember to come home to the Lord because we belong there. He is and He always will be throughout all generations for those who believe and accept Jesus. That is something we can be very thankful for today, tomorrow, and forever.

199

November 11 – Searched and Cleansed

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” – Psalm 139:23-24 (NASB)

After acknowledging and confessing God to be all and in all that is good and holy, David returns to his first request with an one more request. The words which the psalmist thought about as he composed this song finally spurs him to recognize that he needs the all-knowing, everywhere-present, and all-powerful God. We do too. None of us, just as David, can set our way right on our own. We need our perfect God, our all-knowing Lord to execute the search warrant within our lives. We need our all-powerful God to discover the anxious thoughts and the hurtful way we have within ourselves. God promises to make our paths straight and that is how he leads us in the everlasting way. We must trust in the Lord with all our heart. We must recognize the all-knowing God is the one we need acknowledge and we need to get rid of the thought that we can figure this out ourselves. We can’t. Searched and cleansed is what God promises as an outcome if this is what we are willing to submit to. Let’s do it today. Let’s do it tomorrow too and every day after that.   

196

October 19 – Ever Before to Ever More

“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:1-2 (ESV)

Our promise today is one that is beyond our ability to fully understand on this side of heaven. This is a prayer of Moses. This is a tremendous promise to meditate on. From eternity past, which has no beginning, God has been the dwelling place of all who believe. This was true before God formed the earth in creation. It is difficult for us to comprehend how our position in God began before He created the world. But it is true as God is from everlasting (eternity past) to everlasting (eternity future). We may find it strange to speak of ‘past’ and ‘future’ in respect to eternity for it is a concept that has no beginning and no end and just is. Time and the marking of time is a part of the creation of God and began when the World was created. God gave us this because as yet our understanding is incapable of really processing the truth that God has always been without beginning and will always be without end. But we can rejoice that we will be with him just as in His planning we have been with him from before the foundation of the world. 

- 199 -

October 17 – All God’s People

“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”  Jeremiah 32:40  (ESV)

Jeremiah was God’s prophet to the His people Israel during the time of their captivity in Babylon.  However he prophesied in Jerusalem and had foretold of Israel’s defeat and captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar. His prophecies were intended promises for Israel.  But they have value to us as well. It is Israel who God made a promise of an everlasting covenant with Israel – and He has made one with us through Christ Jesus when we believe on Him as our Savior. He promised Israel that He would not turn away from doing good to them – and He promises to do good for us also by giving us an inheritance with Him in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit. God promised to make for the people of Israel hearts that did not turn away from Him – We have that promise reserved for us in heaven. There is coming a day when our faith in His word and in Him will be perfect. This promise becomes real in Jesus who is our Good Shepherd who lays down His life for us. (John 10:15-18). The church is not Israel but we have God’s grace and his love. We are counted among His own.

- 199 -

April 20 – Everlasting Good

“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  -1 Chronicles 16:34  (NASB)

We often consider God's promises from the scriptures which are those God spoke out or delivered to His prophets to give the people.  They often come with an attached instruction such as “fear not,” or with a condition that initiates the promises.  The statements of promise do not always describe what God does for us or how He does it.  Some promises are statements of truth about our LORD God.  Just as when we give our support of someone else by stating the truth of their character, the Bible does that about God’s character.  Today we have the promise that the LORD is good and that's a promise that causes us to be thankful to Him.  Furthermore we are given the promise that God’s lovingkindness, or steadfast love is everlasting and will never end.  That means it is there forever and if we are children of God, it is for our blessing.  We do not need to ever doubt God’s goodness or His love because it is promised to always be and be so forever. God’s word can be trusted because his goodness means He cannot lie or renege on a promise He has made.  

-195-

December 10 – God's Delight, Our Joy

“I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, ...I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.”  Jeremiah 32:40a-41  (NASB)

These words from our God through His prophet Jeremiah were spoken to the people of Israel.  It is an astounding promise.  No matter how many times His people turned their back, no matter how many times they went after other gods, God promised to not turn away from them and to do good for them.  He makes this promise to us as well.  John Piper* gives us this comforting lesson drawn from our passage today. “God’s pursuit of praise from us and our pursuit of pleasure in him are one and the same pursuit. God’s quest to be glorified and our quest to be satisfied reach their goal in this one experience: our delight in God, which overflows in praise.”  We can trust this good news from the Bible: “God is not at all disinclined to satisfy the hearts of those who hope in Him.  That which can make us happiest is what God delights in with all His heart.”

# # #    

* Source

November 28 – Thanksgiving Day (USA) – A Great Promise, Be Thankful

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Oh let the house of Aaron say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”” Psalm 118:1-3 (NASB)

Here is an idea for today.  If and as you gather around your Thanksgiving Day feast, take the time to read Psalm 118.  It has 29 short verses and begins with “Oh give thanks.” in our selected passage. Verse 29 ends the Psalm with the same words.  What greater thing do we have to be thankful for on this day than Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation. A gift that is free to us but cost Jesus His life. The one man without sin was dying a criminal's death on the cross in our place.  This psalm is intensely messianic and is the psalm most quoted in the NT*.  But even with the profound personal language that pre-visions the life of Jesus Christ and how He was rejected by the people, the essential message is the one that brackets the whole Psalm making it a wonderful passage to read on Thanksgiving Day. We give thanks to the Lord because “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  God's promise is that his steadfast love will never end. Once given to us it is ours for keeps.  What a great gift to be thankful for.   

*
Matt. 21:9, 42; 23:39;
Mark 11:9, 10; 12:10, 11;
Luke 13:35; 19:38; 20:17;
John 12:13;
Acts 4:11;
Heb. 13:6;
1 Pet. 2:7

# # #

May 3 – Finding His Way

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24 (NASB)

These are words of a prayer which we can all pray each day.  Our Lord does know what is going on in our hearts and minds.  He knows our thoughts from afar and before we even have them.  He knows when our thoughts are anxious and disturbed and off track.  In a prayer like this we can open ourselves for our Lord to work in our hearts to make us the way He wants us to be.  Yes our Lord does not want us to be anxious about things.  He wants us to put our complete trust in Him to work all things our for us.  When we trust Him that way this is what our verse calls the 'everlasting' way.  Let us always be open for God to show us when we are anxious about the days ahead and filled with worry.  Let us be open to allowing God to reveal those things within our heart and mind that are hurtful to others and to God as well.  If we allow God to lead each us us today we will be walking in His everlasting way. 

# # #

April 23 – Sure and Secure Support

“The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”  Deuteronomy 33:27a (ESV)

The words* of our verse are true for us as well and we can apply them to our lives today because we have the same God and we know He has not changed.  Our God is eternal. He has always been and He will always be.  Our verse today reminds us that those who trust in Him will find a sense of real security in doing so.  Our verse also assures us that we can relax and depend on our Lord as a child relaxes in the arms of a loving parent.  We can know that our Lord is always there holding us up. Let's just keep trusting in Him and relaxing in His care.  Even though ahead may be times of challenge and difficult circumstances, God our Lord and Savior is always there wherever we are and He is always supporting us from underneath as we allow Him to do so. Trust Him by relaxing in His everlasting arms today and He will keep us from falling.

* These are words given by Moses to the tribe of Asher when he spoke his last words of blessing and prophecy to each of the tribes of Israel before he climbed to the top of Mount Nebo in Moab.  It was from that summit God showed Moses the Promised Land that he would never enter and it is there He died and God buried Moses in the valley of Moab. 

# # #

March 20 – Everlasting Lasts Forever

“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”   Jeremiah 31:3  (NASB)

The prophet Jeremiah was reminding the people of his day that God had assured them of His love. Notice how Jeremiah declares the words of God and that God's love is an everlasting love.  With God's love, there is no “drifting apart” or “growing apart” or “falling out of love.”  We may experience such a faulty love for each other but God's love for us is not so fickle.  It is EVER – LASTING so it never ends.   Because God had told them that His love was unending, they could depend on His love to be always effective.  Well, that was a long time ago but we believe that this promise is still good for us today.  God's love is still everlasting.  It has lasted through all these centuries since and before the time of Jeremiah and it is still effective.  And what happens when God loves His creatures?  He keeps drawing them closer and closer to Himself, every day and every year.  What does God use to draw us?  His lovingkindness, His steadfast love.

# # #

February 14 – Once Loved, Always Loved

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:  “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”  Jeremiah 31:3 (ESV)

It is a day on our calendar when we celebrate love.  Valentine's Day, began as a day to remember and celebrate St. Valentine.  It is observed in most countries around the world in different ways.  Our verse today reminds us of a love that has been shown to us and all who have followed the one true Almighty God, our God who loves the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son to earth.  All who believe on Him have eternal life. That is quite a gift of love, is it not?  God's love for us is an everlasting love.  He will never take it away.  God's kindness never fails.   God declared His love and His promise to continue His faithfulness to all who believe in Jesus, the Son of God.  That means all of us who are children of God.  We all partake in the promises of God's love and faithfulness.  Let's remember our love and faithfulness not only to God but to those who are special to us today. 

#-#-#

February 7 – Our Rock Forever

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Trust in the Lord forever,  for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”  Isaiah 26:3-4   (ESV)

We have considered the promise found in the third verse of Isaiah 26 previously.  It is a blessing and encouragement to  know that if we keep our minds on God, the result from Him is perfect peace.  Today we look at the next verse and promise.  God is telling not just to keep our minds on Him but to trust Him and do that forever.  That means we are never to stop trusting our Lord and what He has called us to, doesn't it?  If we come to God through our belief in Jesus Christ and if we have received forgiveness for our sins leading to eternal life we begin to trust Him and His word.  Why?  Because the Lord God is an everlasting rock.  Described as a rock, He is the foundation of our faith and trust that will last forever and we can put our faith and trust in Him for as long as He is our rock.  He promises to always be our Rock, our Stronghold, and our Refuge.  We find this promise throughout His Word the Bible.  

#-#-#

January 23 – A Forever Rock

“Trust in the Lord forever,  for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”  Isaiah 26:4 (ESV)

We hear a phrase often that goes something like, “Things change,” or “Times have changed.”  There is truth in this but it does not mean that our faith and trust in our God has to change. We who have accepted Jesus as our Savior have received eternal life which has come to us by faith and so, we live by faith each day.  This is a reminder that we live by trusting in the Lord day after day and year after year no matter what else changes around us.  As our culture changes in many ways, and unacceptable behavior becomes acceptable, our attitude of trusting God should never end.  Our faith in our Lord God goes on forever because we are His children for eternity.  He has promised to be with us always as long as we live here on earth.  When our life on earth is over God will bring us to live with Him in heaven forever.  He has never and will never change.  God wants us to change by growing in faith and trust according to His word. He is a rock, an everlasting rock.  What he commanded and promised at the beginning of time has not ended or gone out of style.  

#-#-#

January 5 – Drawn by Love

“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.””  Jeremiah 31:3 (NASB)

In the writings of the prophet Jeremiah we have a promise to cling to.  What Jeremiah wanted the people to know, and what God  wants us to know, is that God is still loving His people just as He always has in the past.  We selected this verse because we want to emphasize what we believe, and that is God is always loving us and will never cease to love us.  He draws us to him with lovingkindness which is everlasting.  God does not change.  I believe the two promises in this verse can guide us through each day and especially when times are hard and challenging.  Sometimes we may wonder but we can trust that God loves us as He always has and He brings us close with his mercy and steadfast love that never changes.  We have experienced this and we know it is true. Let's fix it in our minds to help us when we need the grace and mercy of God to press on through whatever our never changing God allows to come into our lives – it is because He loves us.   

#-#-#

Please share with a friend who can use encouragement. 

September 26 – Drawing Power of Lovingkindness

“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”  Jeremiah 31:3 (NASB)

Jeremiah the prophet, who wrote these words given to him by God, was, of course, referring to the way God had treated His people during the days before his time.  But God has not changed and we believe that He would say the same words to us today.  Yes, God has loved us who live today with an everlasting love, and He loves us in the same way right now and always will.  This is a promise from Almighty God to each of us.  Did you notice what our verse says about what happens because God loves us?  God says that He is drawing us to Himself.  Yes, we come to God because He is drawing us to Himself with His steadfast love.  And, He keeps doing that because He loves us and He wants  us to come closer to Him.  Let's recognize His drawing power and let's respond by coming closer to Him today.  

# # #

September 16 – Searched and Examined

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;  And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139: 23-24 (NASB)

Our verse today is from a prayer offered by David and written as a psalm.  It begins acknowledging that God searches and knows us and it ends with a specific request to search and examine our hearts.  This prayer is an acceptance, a recognition of spiritual truth.  God does know our hearts and our thoughts.  If we pray as David did we are recognizing that God knows how we feel and what we are thinking.  The second part of this prayer opens the way for God to reveal what there is in our heart and mind which doesn't please Him.  It also expresses confidence that God will lead us to feel and to think properly if we let Him.  Let's leave ourselves open for Him to do that.  And, as he reveals to us the anxious and hurtful ways, we can respond and follow His lead in the everlasting way he has made for us.  God will make our paths straight, that is a promise if we will but trust Him. 

# # #

June 29 – Forever Covenant Never Fails

“I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” Jeremiah 32:40 (ESV)

The promise we have to consider today comes from God through the prophet Jeremiah. It is a promise given to God's people in the Old Testament days. Because we know that God has not changed and never will, we believe this is how He treats His people today. He will never stop doing good to us because he has made an everlasting or forever covenant.  This covenant is an unconditional promise that by His nature, God cannot break.  As we experience God goodness and find that we can depend on it, we are inspired to continue trusting Him. We will never want to turn away from Him.  So, we will continue to respect Him and rely on Him and according to our verse, that is what God has in mind in fulfilling his everlasting covenant to never turn away from doing good to us.  

May 14 – Supporting From Underneath

“The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!’” Deuteronomy 33:27 (NASB)

These recorded words were delivered by Moses to the Children of Israel just prior to Moses' death. He pronounced these words of blessings on the people whom he had been leading toward the Promised Land. We too are children of God and can trust the words of promise as Moses declares and reminds the people that God is eternal and he provides for His children a dwelling place, a refuge, from the world which threatens us. Underneath us are the everlasting arms which refer to the way God takes care of His own. With God's arms underneath us we can know for certain that He is supporting us because He has promised. God will keep us from falling into the dangerous situations that we are afraid of. God will keep us from falling into discouragement. We can believe and relax. We do not have to worry or be anxious and we don't need to look anywhere else for help. He is there and He'll care for us completely.  

April 20 – Drawn by Everlasting Love

“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 (NASB)

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is reminding the people of God's great love for them. The God who spoke these words is the same God whom we serve today. God has promised that He loves us with an everlasting love.  We are God's people if we have believed and received the gift of salvation. Jesus is now our Savior and we have experienced this same love. God's word never changes. It is important for us to remember this promise because we change, our feelings change, our circumstances change, even our ability to understand might change but God will never changes His Word. If he loved you in the past it was with an everlasting love which continues on for all eternity, even past the end of our lives on this earth. The result is God's promise that He is drawing us to himself with that lovingkindness, that steadfast love. It is wonderful to think today that we are on this track, we are being drawn close to God.