Remember, LORD, your compassion and your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, LORD.
This is my prayer: that the Lord would remember His own faithfulness and love, and somehow forget my sin and rebellion.
I know that God does just that – through Jesus Christ. He is faithful, and He recalls His faithfulness because He is good.
Not me.
He doesn’t remember because of my need or deeds, but because of His nature.
The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD; for he laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers.
This is a powerful Psalm of praise to Creator God.
A recognition of His power,
creativity,
holiness,
divine providence,
and righteousness.
It calls all of us, and all of heaven and earth, to worship Him.
Yet it also recognizes my unworthiness to stand and worship in His presence, because He is holy; I am not.
Still, on the return of the Ark of the Covenant, the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, and at Christ’s wonderful ascension – all creation pauses to lift up heads, hands, hearts, and voices to recognize the Great King of Kings:
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? . . . Their descendants will serve him; . . . they will declare what he has done.
Jesus, on the cross, quoted this Psalm.
Yes, I think He was alone, abandoned by all – even the Father who could not bear to be in the presence of sin. And He carried all the sin of the world, including mine, to that moment on the cross.
This Psalm also declares the victory won by the righteous one, the suffering servant. I’m certain this was on Jesus’ mind as He quoted this Psalm.
And so today, along with generations before me, I will “declare what He has done.”
Sin and death defeated.
The grave overcome.
The good news of a restored relationship with the Father because of the faithful Jesus on the cross.
LORD, who can dwell in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?
No one!
No one is perfectly blameless, righteous.
No one alway acknowledges the truth.
No one lives perfectly toward other people – friends or not.
No one can perfectly live up to the standards that grant access to God’s presence.
That’s the whole point of the gospel.
The good news is that God still desires a relationship with us (me!) regardless of our (my) failures. And in His perfect righteousness, He provides The Way.
Jesus Christ lived that way! Perfect in every regard.
He stands for us in the judgment and invites us to join Him with the Father.
Praise Jesus for His salvation.
(Psalm 18 provides the inspiration for this week’s illustration. This is a slice of an early edition of what became the artwork for Psalm 18.)
The Psalmist’s clarity and honesty here are amazing.
He’s right, of course. No one “does good.” “All have become corrupt.”
This is the influence, the result of sin on everyone.
No one can stand up as righteous before almighty God.
No one.
Except Jesus.
The Psalmist pleads for deliverance to come.
He has come!
Jesus is the righteousness of God, made man that, through Him, all who trust in Him may stand right before God. Not on their own merit – but on His sacrifice.
The fool refuses to see, hear, or know God through Christ.
Praise God for His mercy that draws us to Him through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
One last image reminding me of the truth of Psalm 8.
LORD my God, I seek refuge in you; Save me from all my pursuers and rescue me.
David, in writing this Psalm, sought refuge in the Lord, and counted on his own integrity and righteousness to provide a reason for God to take his side, rescue and protect him (see vv. 3-5).
Lord, my confidence in my own righteousness is non-existent. I call out for refuge based on faith that I seek salvation, rescue, through Jesus Christ – through His righteousness and integrity.
Lord, rescue me – though I claim no foundation on my own. I do declare my faith in Jesus and trust that as you love Him, His righteousness will cover my iniquity.
In that place, in that secure fortress, I do shelter and seek your almighty hand of rescue.
______
Today ends the first week of this new project. I’m finding it enjoyable and I intend to keep on.
As the week comes to an end, this is a last look at a slice of the first illustration in the project. Tomorrow I’ll move on to the next illustration (hoping for one new illustration each week). To be honest, this first illustration, even though I painted it multiple times is one of my least favorite. I haven’t captured exactly what I had in mind. It is likely I’ll paint this idea again. (I’m learning a lot each day I try to paint.) If I do this illustration again, and if it turns out in any way to be palatable, I’ll pop it on the blog. (That goes for future illustrations too – even the ones I already sorta like. If I paint it again, I’ll post it again. )
I have not the strength, or health, physical or spiritual, to overcome the rot of disease.
My soul, diseased by sin, weakened by neglect and abuse, must rely solely on the grace and gracious mercy of You, Lord.
I admit my need before you, made clear by the press of the world around me. I put myself in this spot – and now I realize I am much too weak to survive, or even attempt to control the outcome.
So, Lord, I do all I know to do and cry out to you!
Once again, as you have many times before,
Be gracious to me.
It is by grace, through faith – not by any works I have done; Lord, by your grace, once again
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly.
I rarely miss my opportunity to plead my case to the Lord. I trust He’s there to hear, and I believe He hears and answers prayers.
That’s what my mind, my heart, thinks and says, especially early in the day.
It’s the “expectant watching” that I so easily overlook. Once I’ve uttered the prayer, I should be on the lookout for the work of the Lord.
But I lack attention and , if I’m honest, lack faith that prayer ever really changes things, and so I forget, neglect, don’t even think about being on “watch” for the Lord’s work.
Faithless. Weak, I am.
But He is not.
I shall watch, and I shall see the work of the Lord!
How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie?
The Psalmist speaks for God – or repeats what he has heard. God has taken notice of what we love, and how we spend our time attention, energy, and resources. And He declares those things “worthless – a lie,” that falsely offer:
peace
security
happiness
joy
fulfillment
but delivering:
strife
danger
depression
sadness
and wasting our lives.
How long?
Lord, open my eyes to reality: to see as you see, to love as you love, to value as you value, to know the Truth and discover that He sets me free from the worthless lies offered by this world.
Numbering My Days 