Emboldened by Love
Scripture Reading: Psalm 138 (MSG)
Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!” Angels listen as I sing my thanks. I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: “Thank you!”Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word. The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength.
When they hear what you have to say, God, all earth’s kings will say “Thank you.” They’ll sing of what you’ve done: “How great the glory of God!” And here’s why: God, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.
When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.
Message: Emboldened by Love
The “Thank you”- secret
It is a well-known fact that gratitude has a profound impact on mental health
When you find an understanding of the things to be grateful for, your mind is lifted out of the cloud of depression or anxiety
It is a known technique in therapy to intentionally work towards listing things to be grateful for on a daily basis
It is a simple exercise that has a profound impact
And here we have it in Psalm 138!
David shows us the way: Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Let’s do it right now: What are you thankful for? (Say it!)
Make this practice a habit when it comes to your prayer life
Start you prayer by saying “Thank you”
Thank you for the mere fact that you are able to pray freely - something that Jesus gave us by breaking down the religious barrier that there was before (did we rebuild that barrier?)
Thank you for God providing what we need - what is your perspective on everything you own and everything you have? Do you have an understanding of how God provides in your life?
Thank you for God’s presence in your life - are you aware that God is with you everywhere you go? Have you ever thought of where you would be without God’s presence in your life? Even in the hardest times, God is there - especially then!
God sees; God knows
David says: “God, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.”
God sees it all! The biggest of pictures and smallest of details
And God sees us in the context of relationship
Think about this for a moment - the best relationships you have in life are the ones where you feel the persons you have the relationship with really sees you
There's this dating app “eharmony” that has the slogan “get who gets you”
We yearn to be seen for who we are in our relationships, don't we?
And yet, when we think about our relationship with God, we are prone to think of God as a God of rules that just wants us to get in line with good behaviour
In our relationship with God, we tend to think of God from our perspective that is messed up by human influences and perspectives and we tend to loose sight of the other side - God’s side of the relatiohship
David reminds us: God sees us! God sees us for who we are! God sees the real me in way that I struggle to see myself!
God knows me!
God knows why I react the way I react
God knows why I think the way I think
God knows why I feel the emotions I feel
God knows what makes me tick
God knows my failures
God knows my internal chatter
God knows what I want
And God knows what I really need
God’s love gives me strength
And on top of it all, God loves me!
If you read the Bible, and see the big picture of this compilation of books and stories, you see a God that loves
And when we do our thank you exercise - perhaps this is the greatest of all we can be thankful for - God loves me!
God loves me unconditionally!
God loves me because He knows me through and through
God loves me because He really sees everything of who I am
God loves me not despite my weaknesses and sins, but because God knows where my weaknesses and sins come from
God loves me not because I am able to hide aspects of who I am but because God sees it all - every bit of who I am
And that’s what David is all about in Psalm 138: God’s love gives me strength
God’s love changes me
God’s love builds me up
I am emboldened by God’s love!
So, in these crazy times we live in and in the struggles we face in our lives…
Let us start by thanking God for who God is our lives
Let us remind ourselves that God sees us for who we are
Let us remind ourselves that God knows… God knows everything
Because God loves us!
We are able to get through this life, because God loves us!
We are emboldened by God’s love!
AMEN
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