Plea for Grace September 1, 2022

Psalm 135:6 ESV - 6 Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

Proverbs 21:30 ESV - 30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.

Isaiah 43:13 ESV - 13 Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?"

For a long time, these verses made me cringe inside. I struggled to marry these verses to those that told of God’s mercy and lovingkindness. My request was that of the psalmist –“Put false ways far from me, and graciously teach me Your law” Psalm 119:29

And God so very graciously answered my heart’s cry . .

Psalm 131:1-3 ESV – 1 A Song of Ascents. Of David. O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.

I do not have all the answers. In fact, the older I get, the more I know how much I don’t know. But I don’t need to lose sleep or get myself in a tizzy because I have a faithful, loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God. I can calm and quiet my soul and trust that God will do what is best.

Psalm 32:8-9 ESV – 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

This trust is active. I trust that God will lead me to act when I need to act, and go where He sends me and say what I should say. My former “cringing” was a “false way” that had permeated my thinking — the false way that God could be fickle and moody and act according to emotion rather than according to His own will. In other words, I was putting examples of human experience onto my Heavenly Father.

Babies cry when they are hungry and continue to cry until they are fed. They don’t have the experience to know and trust “wait.” Weaned children know that “wait until dinner” does not mean that food will never come or that food is being withheld out of meanness– it just means now is not the proper time.

Prayer is a continual lesson and practice of learning humble trust in and submission to a perfect, holy, gracious and just Heavenly Father. Prayer reminds us that we are not our own god. Calm and quiet your soul. God is in control, and He is good.

Prayer for the Persecuted Church–OpenDoorsUSA

Day 4: Pray that local authorities would be convicted
of their actions and issue certificates to Christians
so they can find employment and live with the same
rights as every citizen

Daily Wisdom
Psalm 1-5
Proverbs 1