The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me (Psalm 42:8).

Yesterday we thought about God’s lovingkindness, hesed, which means His loyal, unfailing love which comes to the believer throughout the day. But what about those long, sleepless nights when they come? What gets the believer through those experiences?

The answer is the Lord’s songs. The Psalmist expresses the great help and delight of the lyrics and songs of the Lord. Evidently these songs brought great hope and encouragement to him in the night season.

For today: What kind of songs are you listening to? The songs of the Lord will build your life and comfort you in the night.

I’m especially thinking of those who right now are facing difficulties. The longer I live the more it seems that people are either heading into a difficult time, are in a difficult time, or just heading out of a difficult time. Here’s a verse for all of us regardless of where we are on the journey called difficulties.

“Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8).

The writer of this Psalm expresses very deep and precious emotions. He speaks of his yearning to know God better (1-2) and his tears (3). What will help him during the day? It is the promise that God is working in his life. The word “command” speaks of God’s appointment. Lovingkindness is the precious Old Testament word hesed which speaks of His loyal love that cannot fail. This is not the absence of trouble, hardship, or difficulty. It is rather the sheer delight of being held securely in His loving hands. We believers never face difficulties alone. What joy to know the Lord and belong to Him. Then at the night seasons, His song is also the believer’s joy and delight. Singing to the Lord and praising Him even in the middle of the night is our source of strength and comfort.

For today: Be on the alert for His lovingkindness and sing to Him. You will be glad you did. Honest!

.“And let us not be weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9).

I love what the Apostle Paul said. Literally, don’t get tired of doing what is right and good.

Paul’s encouragement to the churches of Galatia is just what we need today. You know what weariness is. It is that sense of growing tired. It is the strong inclination to quit. The Apostle admonished the Galatians not to become tired of doing the right thing. The Lord is fully able to give His people the strength to do what is right.

It might be at church where you must not get tired of doing what is right and good.
It might be at work where you must not get tired of doing what is right and good.
It might be in your neighborhood or a dozen other places. Don’t get tired of doing what is right and good.

For today: Do the right thing. The Lord is the source of your strength. Don’t grow tired of doing what is right.

“…Forsake not the law of thy mother” (Proverbs 1:8).

I know that Mother’s Day is a tender day for some. There are those who want to be a mommy and so far have been unable to be so. There are those who are especially missing their moms. There may be some who may not have pleasant memories of their moms. Then there are some of us who are privileged in that we were raised by mothers who loved the Lord. You would have loved my mom. Most everyone I ever met called her “Grandma Kay.” She’s home with the Lord now, and I surely miss her. I especially miss my Karen who is dearly loved and known as mom to our many children.

Today makes me especially think of King Solomon who wanted his son to think carefully about what he had learned from his mother. He called this the “law of your mother.” This speaks of the spiritual principles that Mother consistently and lovingly communicated to her children. On this Mother’s Day, think of the things you have learned from your Mother. If her law was based on Biblical principles, then do not forsake them!

On this Mother’s Day:  If your Mother taught you the ways of the Lord, thank Him! And if possible, thank her as well!

Come with me into the presence of earnestness on the part of the king.

“I stretch forth my hands unto Thee” (Psalm 143:6).

David is not in a light conversation with the Lord. It is very intense. The stretching forth of his hands to the Lord is an expression of earnest prayer. It is offered by one who realizes that he or she has absolutely nowhere else to turn. That person reaches forth to the Lord, eager to discover the Lord’s plan and to receive His answer.

What a picture for a man I will call Lamar who read this passage in his devotions on the same morning he was going to stop in at his daughter’s home for a visit with her and with his little fifteen-month-old granddaughter. As he walked in and started up the stairs, there was little…I will call her Melissa Joy, dancing with joy and with her little arms outstretched because her grandpa had come! As soon as he bent to pick “MJ” up, he thought of this verse. Later he would say to the Lord, “As I reach out to You, Lord, may I have the same joy for You and Your will as Melissa Joy had for me this morning. Stretching out my hands unto You certainly has taken on new meaning to me, Lord.”

How about you, friend? Can you picture yourself as one who is stretching out your hands to the Lord?

When I pray, may I picture myself as a young child, Lord, who is actually stretching out my hands to You!