Psalms 26; 40; 58
As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord is thinking about me right now. You are my helper and my savior. Do not delay, O my God. – Psalms 40:17 NLT
The Lord is thinking about me right now. What a thought. What an encouragement. But do I really believe it? Do I live as though it is really true? I am convinced that David believed it to be true in his life. That is why he kept turning to God in the midst of all his problems. He knew that God was watching over him, even thinking about him. David's God was sovereign, in complete control and fully aware of all that was going on his life, every second of every day. God was thinking about him constantly. And David talked about God constantly. "I have not kept this good news hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness" (Psalms 40:10 NLT). David talked about God to others. He bragged about God. He boasted in God. He wanted everyone to know about God's unfailing love and faithfulness.
But sometimes I can spend more time complaining about God than bragging about Him. Sure, I do it subtly. I don't complain DIRECTLY about God. That's too dangerous. I just complain about my circumstances. I complain about the situations I find myself in. But if God is in complete control, then I am really complaining about Him. I am saying that He doesn't know what He is doing, that He is not faithful and loving. That somehow He has made a mistake and allowed things into my life that I do not deserve and that will not end up doing me any good. But David said, "I have told all your people about your justice" (Psalms 40:9 NLT). David had learned to accept the good with the bad. He knew that he could trust God and therefore every circumstance in life was there for a reason. God was going to use it to bless David and bring glory to Himself. Even in the midst of negative circumstances David was bragging about God's faithfulness and love. These three Psalms reveal that things were not necessarily going well for David when he wrote them. He still had problems. He still had enemies. Life was not easy. But he still managed to brag on God as he cried out to God. He still kept telling others of God's trustworthiness even when things weren't going quite the way he wanted them to go. Do I do that? Do I brag on my God even when things aren't quite to my liking? The honest answer is NO. But I want to learn to do just that. He is thinking about me. He loves and cares about me. I must convince myself of that truth. He has done so much to prove it to be true. But I must learn to dwell on the reality of His unconditional love and acceptance of me. Then make it a habit to brag about Him. To tell others about Him, even in the midst of the tough times. Because He really is there, just as much as when things are going well. He is thinking about me!
Father, what an amazing truth. You are thinking about me – every single day of my life. You are never NOT thinking about me. You are never NOT aware of what is going on in my life. And You always love me. You have my best in mind all the time. Thank You for that reminder. Help me to live as if I believe it. Help me learn to brag on You every moment of every day. Because You deserve it. Amen