” ‘But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:24
- Do you understand and know God?
- What are you doing to grow in your knowledge of God?
- How has God exercised lovingkindness in your life?
As I sat in God’s presence this morning reading through these verses in the Mountaintop Mornings devotional, my mind began asking myself these questions. I love questions. Times I need a limit. 21?
But truly, the most important thing in life is knowing God. He knows our name- Isaiah 43:1, do we know His? He knows what we are capable of? Do we know what He is capable of? He knows every day of our life, for it’s written in His book- Psalm 139:16. Do we know His detailed plan of redemption witnessed in the face of Jesus Christ; His life lived, death and His resurrection?
Questions. Questions. Questions. I search His Word, delighting in His abundance of words. For in Psalm 119:34, the psalmist cries out “Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” Seriously, God provides perfect understanding for what we need to know. And in that we are able to live life with right rest- Matthew 11:28-30.
So too, the psalmist petitions God, “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth”- Psalm 119:88. God’s lovingkindness pours onto the afflicted in moments that eclipse time. It is His perfect knowledge of His own. Love displayed in meaningful ways that may be overlooked by the oblivious, but cherished by those sensitive to His presence.
Everyone faces different seasons in life. The temperature varies as God purifies His own in the perfect Refiner’s fire- Malachi 3:2. He alone is perfect in knowledge. His vision surpasses everyones’, for He alone sees with perfect clarity the needs, understanding our weaknesses. He sees the sin in our life.
Sin is to be repented of—not repeated.
Have we grasped that concept yet? He sees what hurts us and He cares- Psalm 51:4. He sees the sins of others that hurt us; know this, He cares. God takes it personally- Acts 9:1-6. Many people today are suffering for one reason or another. Negative emotions are rampant, and when not checked they lead to contempt; which is where one loses all respect for another. Contempt only sees what is wrong with the person, making the person the problem; and that is not healthy for anyone. It is ok to have an emotion. I believe the psalmist shared every one of his emotions with us; his heart before God. AND he is called a man after God’s own heart- 1 Samuel 16:7. He brought his situation before the Lord, and the Lord dealt with how he was feeling about the situation. God is the perfect Counselor- Isaiah 9:6, Psalm 119:24. Some go in the extreme opposite, however, and become so numb by the pain it’s like botox for the soul. Emotionless. Expressionless. So how do we handle the suffering we face? How do we thrive through pain?
- We seek God first.
- We strive to live His Word.
- We surround ourselves with other believers.
- And we ask for help when we need it.
We live in a world full of glass half empty mindsets, when life lived in Jesus Christ is glass half full.
His lovingkindness is there. Have you looked for it?
My goal for myself, today, is to look for all the different ways God has and is pouring His lovingkindness onto me. It truly changes my attitude. God opens our eyes perfectly and ignites our heart to want to know Him better.
Will you pray with me?
Abba! Thank you so much for today, it is a beautiful day. I lift up the weary and downhearted to You, King. So many need to recognize Your lovingkindness; would You open their eyes- Proverbs 20:12? Praying their hearts are enlightened, strengthened, and encouraged. So many need to experience Truth- John 14:6; praying they seek You- Psalm 27:8. The world is filled with many claiming to be Christians; Lord, would we all then live what we profess to be? You are the strength of our life- Psalm 27:1. Would we love You with our heart, soul, and our mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves- Matthew 22:37-39. King, I am asking for deliverance. Many are in situations where they need the Red Sea to part. Thank You for caring about every one of them. Your love for the individual overwhelms my soul. You are such a personal God. The fact that You know and You care. The details don’t get by You. Thank You. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.