read this certain
devotional every night called, “Day by Day by Grace.” It is written by Bob
Hoekstra. I wish I could tell you the time period that is was written, but it
is in one of my Bible programs called The Word. If you would care to look at
this program it is free, and can be found here.
I want to share one that I
found valuable to me, from the 22nd of June.
Permissible Promises Made to God
I
will love You, O LORD, my
strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my
strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So
shall I be saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:1-3)
The scriptures are quite clear. The
work of God in our lives depends upon His promises to us, not our promises to
Him. However, this does not mean that we are forbidden to express our love and
devotion to God through promises made to Him. In this rich testimony from the
heart of David, he makes two significant promises to the Lord. "I
will love You, O LORD...I will call upon the LORD."
As we examine what accompanies these promises, we will see the kind of promises
that are permissible to make to God.
Loving God is the essence of our relationship with the
Lord. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Our love for the Lord is in response to His great
love for us. "We love Him because He first loved us"
(1 John 4:19). Long ago, the Lord had promised that He would be
available to work in the heart of His people, if they were to love Him
properly. "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart
and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy
30:6). The context of David's promises
to love God indicates that He understood this promise from the Lord. "I
will love You, O LORD, my strength." God was the one David
was trusting in to give him the strength that was needed to walk in a loving
relationship with the Lord.
As we grow in awareness of the love of
God, we learn to call upon Him to deliver us in times of trouble. "I
will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be
saved from my enemies." David's promise to cry out to God in the midst
of difficulties was based upon the Lord's praiseworthy character. David had
called upon the Lord many times before, and He had delivered him. David had
come to know the Lord (to experience Him) as his mighty protector. "The
LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust."
As we noted previously, in Israel's
promises to obey the law of God, they were depending upon themselves.
In David's promises to love God and to call upon Him in times of trouble, he
was depending upon the character and capacities of God!
…..Much Love
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