“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright…
For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.”
“The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works…
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.” Psalm 33:1,4-11; 145:13b,17
“The Lord has done what he purposed;
he has carried out his word,
which he commanded long ago.” Lamentations 2:17
It is great cause for recording praise, in the psalmists’ mind, that the word of God is fulfilled in its speaking. His works are both mysterious result and tangible evidence of what He has said. All He purposes and plans with uprightness and love He accomplishes with faithfulness and power, proving Himself absolutely worthy of trust and exaltation. Kind, absolute, just are His words and works.
Daily we entertain a cacophony of words, written and audible, and confuse activity with meaningful work. How riled we can get, wringing hands over decisions, stressed about unknowns, fretting over many things over which we have no control. These do not befit the child of God!
When we pause to consider God’s order, His magnificent symmetry of design and creation, power under control, majesty in the ordinary, we sense His providence in the way of things. We can trace His hand in the progression of history, observe His constancy through generations, see His power to fulfill His promises. The more we know His word and observe His works, the clearer our insight and focused our faith.
How will we regularly align our thinking with the Lord’s? When do we delve into His word and intently seek His counsel? He alone is worthy of our allegiance, trust, and praise.
“If thou but suffer God to guide thee
and hope in him through all thy ways,
he’ll give thee strength whate’er betide thee
and bear thee through the evil days;
who trusts in God’s unchanging love
builds on the Rock that naught can move.
Only be still and wait his leisure
in cheerful hope with heart content.
to take whate’er thy Father’s pleasure
and all-discerning love hath sent;
nor doubt our inmost wants are known
to him who chose us for his own.
Sing, pray, and keep his ways unswerving,
offer your service faithfully,
and trust his word; though undeserving,
you’ll find his promise true for thee.
God never will forsake in need
the soul that trusts in him indeed.” ~Georg Neumark (1641)
Oh Lord, keep me in synch with Your word, work, and purposes, for Your glory.
As the rain and snow 