Verse of the Day 8/21

Verse of the Day 8/21

Psalm 86:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;

????????give your strength to??your servant,
????????and save??the son of your maidservant.?????? English Standard Version (ESV)

We've considered over the past few days how God's great grace is available to us and that the means to this grace is prayer, asking Him for it and He will provide it.?? It is nothing new, many through the ages have realized this and put it into practice.?? In today's verse the psalmist asks for God's grace, for His strength.

Doing a word search for "be gracious" in the ESV pulled up many instances of this.?? From Joseph in Genesis to Moses in Exodus, to David in Psalms and all the way to Peter in the New Testament and to you and I today, the pattern continues.

John Piper writes, "Future grace is the constant plea of the praying psalmists. They pray for it again and again to meet every need. They leave every saint a model of daily dependence on future grace for every exigency."

  They cry out for grace when they need help: ???Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!??? (Psalm 30:10).    When they are weak: ???Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant??? (Psalm 86:16).    When they need healing: ???Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord??? (Psalm 6:2).    When they are afflicted by enemies: ???Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me??? (Psalm 9:13).    When they are lonely: ???Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted??? (Psalm 25:16).    When they are grieving: ???Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief??? (Psalm 31:9).    When they have sinned: ???O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!??? (Psalm 41:4).    When they long for God???s name to be exalted among the nations: ???God be gracious to us and bless us . . . that your way may be known on earth??? (Psalm 67:1???2).

Are you weak; in need of healing; are you lonely; or grieving; or have you fallen away from God in sin??? Go to Him today, seek His grace for today and for the future.

I'll close with this call from the book of Numbers, you may hear it at the conclusion of your worship service this morning.

Numbers 6:24-26??English Standard Version (ESV)

^24??The??Lord??bless you and??keep you;
^25??the??Lord??make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
^26??the??Lord??lift up his countenance^[a]??upon you and give you peace.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 86:15-17??English Standard Version (ESV)

^15??But you, O Lord, are a God??merciful and gracious,
????????slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
^16??Turn to me and be gracious to me;
????????give your strength to??your servant,
????????and save??the son of your maidservant.
^17??Show me a sign of your??favor,
????????that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
????????because you,??Lord, have helped me and comforted me.