It Is No More

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It Is  No More

In Psalm 103:15-18,  King David says,

As for man,  his days  are like grass;
as a flower  of the field,  so he flourishes.
When the wind  has passed over it,  it is no more;
and its place  acknowledges it  no longer.

But  the lovingkindness  of the LORD  is from everlasting  to everlasting
on those  who fear Him,
and His righteousness  to children’s children,
to those  who keep  His covenant,
and who remember  His precepts  to do them.

How many times  have we heard folks say,  “The older I get,  the faster time goes”  —  “I just don’t know  where the time flew.”?

Our days  are so short.

Just think  of the billions  and billions  of people  who have lived  and died  since creation.     They are no longer known  by anyone.     We are all  just like any flower  that once lived  —  here today  and gone tomorrow.     As verse 16 says,  “its place  acknowledges it  no longer”  —  so,  no one acknowledges  all those  who have passed on  before us.

We live  in the present  and can’t spend  all our time dwelling  on the past.     We all have  only this one life  to live.     When we’re gone,  it won’t take  all that long  before no one knows  we even existed.     All our hopes,  dreams,  struggles,  building  —  all of it  will be gone  some day.

Our time  goes fast.

As King David thinks  about how his time  to die  is fast approaching,  he sees  a most wonderful truth  —  right  in the middle  of all his struggles.     In verse 17,  David proclaims,  “BUT…  the lovingkindness  of the LORD  is from everlasting  to everlasting  on those  who fear Him…”      What is David saying?     That is a beautiful way  of saying  God’s love  will forever be  with all those  who respect  the LORD  as the Creator  and Redeemer  of all.

God  will never leave those  who hold Him  in awe  and respect.     Through all their lives  on earth  and through all eternity,  God will be  near them  and love them.     “From everlasting  to everlasting”  means time  without beginning  and time  without end.     God’s love  is that faithful  and that great.

The other key words are  “on those  who fear Him”.     As much  as God loves  absolutely everyone  who has ever lived  —  God has  this special love  for all those  who respect Him  as their Lord  and Savior.

We need  to ask ourselves  if we are respecting  and fearing  the LORD  just because  He alone  is our beloved Creator  and Redeemer.

How can we know  if we are fearing the LORD  in the right way?

In verse 18,  David says  God’s love is  “To those  who keep  His covenant,  and who remember  His precepts  to do them.”

What is God’s “covenant“?     Jesus explains  God’s covenant  in John 3:36,

“He  who believes  in the Son  has eternal life;  but he who does not obey  the Son  shall not see life,  but the wrath  of God abides  on him.”

God’s covenant  is simply  for us  to believe  so firmly  in the Savior,  Jesus Christ  —  whom God  had lovingly promised  [covenanted]  from the beginning  —  that we lovingly remember  how God  wants us  to live  —  all because  we have respect  for God’s faithful love  towards us,  even  in our sinful condition.

Because  our time  on earth  is so short,  we need  to live  in a way  we will not regret  for all eternity.     It is vital  to examine ourselves.     Are we living  by faith  in a way  that shows respect  for our Lord  and Savior?

When  our love  for our LORD  has blossomed  and come forth  in all its obedient beauty,  we will humbly say,  “Hallelujah!     God’s love  saves  even me.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional  to glorify  the LORD of lords  and GOD of gods.

 

Pray for our country.

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… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

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The LORD  made this day, let us rejoice  and be glad  in Him.

Psalm 118:24

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The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.

Psalm 18:30

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Sing for joy  in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming  to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

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How blessed are those  who dwell  in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

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Just as a father  has compassion  on his children,

So the LORD  has compassion  on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

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O give thanks  to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness  is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

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Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart  of those who seek the LORD  be glad.

Psalm 105:3

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Not that I have already obtained it,  or have already  become perfect, but I press on  in order that  I may  lay hold  of that for which also  I was laid hold of  by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12

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