Psalm 143:8 ~ Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Have you ever come to the end of a long day when things you needed to do didn’t get done, or a decision that should have been made is still pressing in on you, and as you laid your head on the pillow you sighed “I’ll deal with it tomorrow”?
Or maybe you have been (or are) in a season where life is hard; I mean really hard and there doesn’t appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of each day as you laid your head on the pillow you sighed “maybe tomorrow will be better”.
I have. I have experienced all of these pillow talk moments and have found that the first part of today’s verse is a much better way to end my day with a sigh, saying instead, “Lord, let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love”.
We live in fleshly bodies; bodies that can feel the weariness of a long day or season of life. This is what makes us all the same; believers and unbelievers alike. The difference between one who trusts in God and one who does not is a body that is refreshed each morning with a reminder of God’s unfailing love.
I struggled with this in a season of my life when I just couldn’t find joy in the Lord. I’d say things like: “What unfailing love? Look at my life, it is a mess!” “Lord, don’t you see how unfair this is? Can’t You do something about it? Why are You not changing my situation?”
Finally I stopped looking for God’s unfailing love in my personal situations and looked up. When I did, I saw my Savior on the Cross. God’s unfailing love was shown to me on that cross.
When the challenges of life get me down, I remember that God loves me so much that He gave His only Son so I can bring those burdens to His feet.
When my body is weary from long, hard days, I can remember that God loves me so much that He sacrificed His Son so I can walk with Him and in His strength.
When there does not seem to be an end in sight to a series of what seem to be hopeless days, I can remember that God loves me so much that He let His Son walk in the darkness of death for 3 days so that I could walk in the light of hope found in the promise of eternity with Him.
Yes, that is the word of unfailing love I think of when I lay my head on the pillow and sigh, saying “Lord, let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love”.
How can I not put my trust in a God who would go to such lengths to have fellowship with me? I can trust Him to always show me the way to go.
And so as the Psalmist goes on to say, “To YOU I lift up my soul”.
Do you? Do you lift up your soul to Him? When I first read this verse, after realizing how powerfully God has shown His unfailing love for me through the cross, I considered what it meant to lift up my soul to Him.
I am no theologian, but I will tell you that God has given me a vivid imagination that He often uses to show me what He wants me to glean from His word. So don’t look for this interpretation in any commentary, but imagine if you will your soul as a vessel of some sort. For me it is a large clay bowl. This bowl (representation of my soul) is in my hands and I lift it to the Lord. As I do, He pours the living water of His word into that bowl. My soul (represented by that bowl) receives this word and my body is refreshed by the living water that fills my soul.
Morning, noon and night I lift up my soul to God, seeking the word of His unfailing love. I am reminded that the unfailing love of God is the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. I am reminded that if my God loved me so much that He would do this for me, even before I was born, then His love is greater than anything I could come against. God cannot and will not fail me. And so, I trust Him to show me the way that I should go.
Our recipe today is God's Word of Unfailing Love
The ingredients are Psalm 143:8
The directions are to remember the everlasting love God showed on the cross and cling to that promise no matter the circumstances you are in at the moment.
CLICK HERE for a printable version of today's recipe for the soul. Make notes on it of how God is speaking to you today, and carry it with you to feed your soul as needed.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I am humbled at the thought of what You did to bring me into fellowship with You. You could have given up on me and all mankind and saved Your Son from the torment and torture of that road to Calvary. You could have but You didn’t. You didn’t because You are unfailing love. You aren’t just one who shows unfailing love…you ARE unfailing love. Lord, I am saddened at the thought of the times I have failed you. My love is true, and yet I fail You time after time. I thank You that Your unfailing love shows mercy to me. Forgive me as I stumble along learning to live more like You. Lord, to You I lift up my soul. Fill me with the word of Your unfailing love. Show me the way that I should go Lord. I trust You, the God that went to such lengths to show me a love that cannot and will not fail me. Yes Lord, show me the way that I may go and I will follow. Amen.
Tami
