Jeremiah 28-29 / 1 Timothy 1 / Psalm 86 / Proverbs 25:17
Have you ever had the view of God that He was angry, waiting for you to make a mistake so He could punish you? I suppose if you were raised in a strict or abusive household that you might be inclined to believe that your heavenly Father is also strict and abusive, but nothing could be further from the truth. God is loving and kind toward those who are His. That said, I wouldn’t want to be on His enemy list!
Psalm 86:5-7 is a sweet reminder that tells what a relationship with our good Father looks like.Lord, you are so good to me, so kind in every way and ready to forgive, for your grace-fountain keeps overflowing, drenching all your devoted lovers who pray to you. God, won’t you pay attention to this urgent cry? Lord, bend down to listen to my prayer. Whenever trouble strikes, I will keep crying out to you, for I know your help is on the way.
These verses describe our Lord as good, kind, and ready to forgive. I believe He wants to be all these things, and that our prayers release goodness, kindness, and forgiveness to us. I also believe that He pours a measure of all three of these out on us daily, but that God longs to open that grace-fountain and drench us.
The Lord is not stingy; He is a God of abundance. He has gifts and favor to give to us that far surpass our expectations. The trouble is sometimes our expectations are too small because we don’t understand how large our God is. I mean we’re talking about the God who created all the universe by simply speaking words. If He can create a universe through His speech, I’m positive He can bless us to overflowing.
I love that the Psalmist is confident that help is on the way when he prays. Are you confident that God will hear and answer when you pray? Sometimes I am confident and sometimes my faith wavers. But I know He is always listening because I belong to Him. My hearing as a parent may come and go, but God doesn’t miss anything.
Not only does He hear every word we speak, but He can also even “hear” the longing in our hearts. He hears our hopes, dreams, fears and disappointments and they are all important to Him. He doesn’t forget a single detail regarding the things that are important to us.
Which brings me to remember the verses in Matthew 6:25-34 where Jesus taught the crowds not to worry. I will post only verse 25 for you here; please feel free to read the rest from The Passion Translation.This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided, such as food, water, clothing—everything your body needs. Isn’t there more to your life than a meal? Isn’t your body more than clothing?
When we believe that all we need will be provided, our prayers change from those where we beg without hope to knowing God will answer. When we are confident God hears and is answering, our lives are filled with peace. I pray that as you read today, God’s Spirit brings the confidence you need to pray, trusting God is already at work on your behalf. He loves you so much!
