79: COMMUNITY - RESOLVING TO RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM
OTHERS: The psalmist writes, “May
those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.” He realizes that there are many others who follow after God who could in
this time of his life offer him support.
And so he asks of God, “Please, bring people around me to help me make
it.” Turn people in my
direction. Let people cross my
path. Allow me to be with others
who are like-minded so that I can be encouraged to live according to the way
your hands have made me.
In
both verses 74 and 79, the phrase to describe the community is “those who fear
you.” In verse 74, the psalmist
asks that those who fear God would be encouraged by the way he lived; that his
pursuit of God would inspire them.
And in verse 79, the psalmist asks that those who fear God would
encourage him by the way that they live.
This
is how church community is supposed to work. We are not supposed to be isolated on our own in our
hardships striving to live with failed New Year’s resolutions. No, we live for God first and foremost
seeking communion with him. And by
living for God and discovering his core truths, the result is that we live in
communion with each other. We lift
each other up. Our desire becomes
to encourage others to live for God and to have others encourage us. When this happens we can’t help but to
rejoice. Are you trying to resolve
to fix your life on your own? Are
you in some hardship and don’t know how you’re going to make it because you
feel separated from God and are lacking good support in community? Ask God to turn people who fear Him
towards you.
80: ME - RESOLVING TO LIVE HOW I AM CREATED TO
LIVE: Verse 80 says, “May my
heart be blameless in keeping your principles; then I will never have to be
ashamed.” When we live according to how God made us, then we cannot be
ashamed. Shame is not a part of
God’s creation. Shame is a result
of failed human resolutions. When
we resolve to live the way we were created to live, then we will be able to
live in His joy and peace. May we
understand live God’s ways and live with his resolve.
Do you want a new resolve
this year? Then seek to understand
that…
- God created you
- To inspire others in community
- To embrace His discipline
- To know his unfailing love
- To know His unending compassion
- To succeed through hardship
- To receive support from others
- SO THAT you could live according to His ways.
