Numbering My Days

Tag: salvation

  • Psalm 62

    I am at rest in God alone;
    my salvation comes from Him.

    We (I) should return to this Psalm often. It is so clearly true and plainly understood.

    There is only one source of security, rest, blessing, and well-being in life. God almighty.

    • Rock
    • Fortress
    • Stronghold
    • My salvation!

    My hope comes only from Him. My salvation depends on Him. (Thank God it doesn’t depend on me or anyone other than Jesus, my Lord!)

    All of life is nothing but vapor – an illusion – and even wealth cannot be depended on.

    I will, I do, place my trust, my hope, my future, my security in Him alone.

    He is my rock and my salvation.

  • Psalm 60

    Give us aid against the foe,
    for human help is worthless.
    With God we will perform valiantly;
    he will trample our foes.

    In my battle against the enemy, against the tempter who longs to take me down, and keep me down, there is really only one source of reliable help.

    Human help is worthless.

    But aid from above – from my Lord – is what I need to win the battle. With Him I can “perform valiantly.” Yet even so, not I, but Him.
    He leads the charge.

    He deploys the weapon.

    He brings Holy aid.

    He gives the victory.

    He “tramples the foe.”

    Not me.

    Not even when I battle with Him as my aid. For I am nothing without Him.

    He brings aid and He wins the battle, crushing the enemy, restoring my soul.

    Human help is worthless.

    But God! He is the victor who comes to my aid.

  • Psalm 58

    Then people will say,
    “Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
    There is a God who judges on earth.”

    The injustice and unrighteousness of people, especially leaders, is often easily seen. Some people seem born to act in such wickedness, to do violence, to love injustice, to ignore the call to right living, to holiness.

    They are deaf to any correction.

    And so, there will come a day when the righteous one will rejoice. Not because the evil, unrighteous, unjust ones are “getting their due.” That is what we want, hope for, laugh about.

    The righteous one, instead, rejoices in the triumph and glory of the One who truly reigns.

    God, the judge, has come.

    Rejoice in Him. Revel in His holy righteousness, and depend on His mercy.

    The Lord reigns – Have mercy on us, Lord!

    A bit more of the Psalm 61 illustration.

  • Psalm 54

    God is my helper;
    the LORD is the sustainer of my life.

    This is such a simple truth – it has become for me a core of my faith, a foundation for my peace and for my daily existence.

    God is my helper.

    He sustains my life.

    This is not hyperbole for me. So often, my life has been in jeopardy. For some reason, whatever He intends, thus far He has sustained my life.

    I don’t know why.

    Not because I deserve anything from Him. It is only by His mercy and grace.

    And the day shall come when my mortal life is done.

    No worries!

    He will sustain me in life eternal.

    I will serve Him.

    To God be the glory!

    The first steps of creating this image. . .

  • Psalm 49

    They trust in their wealth
    and boast in their abundant riches.
    Yet these cannot redeem a person
    or pay his ransom to God –
    since the price of redeeming him is
    too costly.

    Here is the stark truth of our world – and the glorious redemption.

    We cannot buy, or earn, our way into an eternity with God. He is not bought or impressed by earthly riches. (He owns it all!)

    So, there is no ransom for me in the accumulation of stuff or power. No sense in trusting any of this. The price for my redemption is too costly.

    Praise God from whom all blessings flow: He has paid the redemption price for me,

    for us,

    for all who will believe and recognize Jesus as Lord.

    God will redeem me, the Psalmist declares. And, HE HAS!

    I cannot pay the price.

    He already has.

    A last look at the ram’s horn.

  • Psalm 42

    As a deer longs for flowing streams,
    so I long for you, God.
    I thirst for God, the living God.

    Some days.

    Sometimes.

    It just feels like God’s presence is far away.

    I long for it – like a deer looking for a bit of water on a hot, dusty day.

    How may I quench this thirst for the presence of the living God in my life? For the stirring of the Holy Spirit, reviving me again?

    I know – this dry space is a place of my own making. I marched confidently off into this desert, thinking, “I have plenty of God, enough resources, all I’ll ever need.”

    But I find I don’t. I don’t have nearly enough.

    I want God’s living water poured out over me, streaming into my desert.

    Lord, my hope is in you.

    My Savior. My God.

    Note: The above illustration, inspired by this Psalm, v. 7 is where I’ve temporarily halted waterfall illustrations. Although I started another one . . . I may never be satisified with this image. I have something in my mind that I want to convey, just can’t seem to get it to come out right. I’ll keep trying. If I ever get a waterfall that makes me smile – I’ll share it. Meanwhile, “deep calls to deep . . .”

  • Psalm 39

    Now, LORD, what do I wait for?
    My hope is in you.

    In the midst of my enemies, or

    the trials of life, or

    in recognizing the brevity of life –

    and the vanity of wealth

    and the mire of sin with righteous judgment:

    in all these – right at the heart of all them – there is hope.

    I hope in the Lord.

    He guards my steps and makes my path. He sees my sin and both holds me accountable and offers redemption from the deserved end.

    So there is hope . . .

    And in the hope of Christ I wait for the gracious mercy of my Lord to rescue me from self – and the enemy.

    (If you haven’t already, take a few moments to read the entire Psalm 39. It’s a powerful reminder of the hope we may have.)

    On the way to the final image.

  • Psalm 38

    There is no soundness in my body
    because of your indignation;
    there is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.

    I have a handwritten note in my Bible at this point: the effects of sin.

    – Physical illness
    – The weight of guilt – both psychological and spiritual
    – The infection of unrepentant sin
    – Backbreaking weight of grief
    – Weakness in all my body
    – Crushing realization of my own culpability

    I groan in anguish.

    Lord, do not abandon me.

    My only cry!

    My God, do not be far from me!

    Hurry to help me, my Lord, my salvation.

    Only in you, your presence, your forgiveness, mercy, and grace will I be healed.

    Lord, save!

    Another attempt – not what I was looking for. . .

  • Psalm 32

    How joyful is the one
    whose transgression
    is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered!

    Forgiven sin results in joy because of the true nature of joy.

    Joy is the absence of conflict – especially the absence of conflict between me and God.

    My sin causes that conflict to erupt, and maintains the state of chaos until I’m able, again, to be at peace with the Lord, to rest in His presence.

    I cannot manufacture this state of restored peace with God. I’m unable, because of my sin, to do anything to resolve the conflict because His nature is Holy and He can have nothing to do with me.

    Unless He covers my sin.

    Praise the Lord!

    I can have that peace,

    experience that joy –

    because He forgives and the sacrifice Christ has made, of Himself, covers my sin.

    What joy!

  • Psalm 31

    LORD, I seek refuge in you;
    let me never be disgraced.
    Save me by your righteousness.

    One of the adversary’s favorite, oft’ believed lies is that somehow we – I – can live in such a way that I have earned or deserve salvation.

    The Word of God is so clear on this point, however.

    From the mercy shown to Adam, to the wisdom of David, and especially in the gospels, it becomes very clear.

    Very plain.

    The salvation I enjoy is from God’s righteousness – not my own.

    That He deigns to bestow it as a gift is so obvious. Yet we humans too often believe that we can or must live our way into His good graces.

    Only Christ has completed the journey fully righteous. In Him and in Him alone is my refuge.

    Praise Him!