Verse of the Day 10/6

Through the Bible - Isaiah 35-37, Colossians 1 - 2:5

 

Good morning,

We've recently considered what it means to have a "childlike faith".  It is trusting, hoping, believing that someone cares for you, will help you, and will see you through, whether parents at an early age, or hopefully in Christ as we take hold of the gospel when we are old enough to understand.

 

One of the first ways that faith in God is exemplified is in prayers.  A child's prayers at dinner or at bedtime can be some of the simplest yet most sincere ever said.

For today's verse we'll go to Psalm 116

Psalm 116:1-2 (Amplified Bible) I LOVE the Lord, because He has heard [and now hears] my voice and my supplications. 

 ²Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.

Of the characters in the Bible, for me, David is a testimony of this.  His faith at an early age was in God and He delivered him and guided him.  As he grew, David still depended and trusted in God through some of life's darkest hours.  Anointed to be king, he served under King Saul and was hunted down like a criminal.  He faced many ups and downs physically and spiritually but he always returned to or was drawn back to God.  Many of his prayers recorded in the Psalms start off with David in distress and end with David praising God.  The circumstances may not have changed, but his heart and perception had, through faith and trust in God.

 

What struck me as I read Psalm 116:1 was the "and now hears" that was put in parentheses.  It is a reminder that He heard us even from childhood and still hears.  He is still listening.

 

Read and contemplate the words to the Steven Curtis Chapman song "Still Listening".  Do you long to return to such a place in your life?  Put aside the things that distract you and draw you away from your Heavenly Father.  Seek Him again.  It may begin with a simple prayer, prayed with a childlike faith.

 

The years can take us far away
From the simple child like faith
But I am longing to return
To the place where I first learned
That God is great, and God is good
So, I will speak the words

God, our Father, once again
I bow my head to pray
You are my Father and my friend, and You hear every word I say
A prayer for forgiveness, A desperate cry for help
Or praise flowing from a thankful heart
Like each time before, I come knowing You're still listening

 

May we call on Him as long as we live.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Psalm 116 New King James Version

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death

 ¹ I love the LORD, because He has heard
         My voice and my supplications.
 ² Because He has inclined His ear to me,
         Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
         
 ³ The pains of death surrounded me,
         And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
         I found trouble and sorrow.
 ⁴ Then I called upon the name of the LORD:
         "O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!"
         
 ⁵ Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
         Yes, our God is merciful.
 ⁶ The LORD preserves the simple;
         I was brought low, and He saved me.
 ⁷ Return to your rest, O my soul,
         For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
         
 ⁸ For You have delivered my soul from death,
         My eyes from tears,
         And my feet from falling.
 ⁹ I will walk before the LORD
         In the land of the living.