Forever Faithful God

today's reading: Nehemiah 5; Nehemiah 6; Psalm 146; Luke 24

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 146:3-5

“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.  Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God...”

OBSERVATION:

Then the Psalmist goes on to list out all the things God does for people.  He helps the oppressed, feeds the hungry, frees the prisoners, heals the blind, lifts the humble, watches over the misplaced, and takes care of the orphans and widows.

God really is our all in all - there is nothing that we ever really want or need that is not found in Him.  The problem is that we look for what we really want in other people who are just a fallible as we are.  We look to be completed in our spouse, we look for our provision in our boss, we look for freedom in our government, we look for self-worth in the compliments from cute girl in the cubicle next to you.

All these venues for a “whole life” fail.  Only God is trustworthy to faithfully and consistently meet our true needs and bring fulfillment at the deepest level in our lives.   He is “the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.”  He is “the LORD, who remains faithful forever.”

The biggest cause of conflict is a sense of unmet expectations.  When we expect people to be, give, and do things that are only found in God we can be sorely disappointed in people.  We can be upset that they did not live up to our expectations or we can realize that we have put our expectations in the wrong place.

APPLICATION:

I will fight the urge to find happiness, fulfillment, or wholeness in any other venue.  Only God can save, and only He is faithful forever.  I will find my help, and place my hope in Him.

PRAYER:

Father, you are my all and all.  There is nothing that I lack in you - I shall not want.  You are my source and my strength.  Help me to fight the urge to seek for fulfillment in any unfruitful place.  Thank you for giving me people in my life, but help me not to give them the place that only you can truly hold in my life.  Thank you, God, for being consistently and forever faithful.  In the name of your son Jesus, I pray - AMEN