PRAYING TO KNOW WHO WE CAN COUNT ON

 KNOWING WHO WE CAN COUNT ON

Who can we count on when things are difficult and the “chips are down?”  Listen to these comforting words from the Bible:

I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. Psalm 130:5-6

Now what I particularly love about this affirmation is what precedes it that tells us a bit about the condition of this person.

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.  Psalm 130:1-4

Well, you can’t get much deeper than the depths of despair facing an endless record of wrongs.  Where else can we expect to find forgiveness for the ugliest of sins?  If we’re honest we know that we are hopeless but if we listen closely to our hearts, below that hopelessness is another sound – the sound of God’s voice inviting us to come to Him for help, for forgiveness, for rebuilding, for a future with hope. 

That sound is always there no matter how tough life has become.  We have to pause and listen but it’s always there because God is always with us and always ready to rescue those who ask for it.

Thank You God for unfailing love.  Thank You that Your forgiveness doesn’t just trickle but it overflows.  You Yourself have taken notice of us, even our sin – every kind of sin – in our lives and You have been willing to put all the punishment for that on Jesus and through Jesus’ death on the cross to offer us forgiveness and healing and hope.

We are counting on the fact that all of these are available to us not just when we are trying to get things right but when we fail miserably and think wrong and speak wrong and act poorly – and when we fall repeatedly.  We are counting on Your great grace and mercy to be there for us when we look up to You and ask for Your help to change and move in Your direction, surrendering our will and our life into Your care.

So Lord, wherever my friends find themselves today as they watch this video I pray that they will be conscious of Your presence and blessing.  I ask Holy Spirit that You will work in their hearts to bring them to a place of hope and repentance. 

We all need that Lord.  Our hearts get hard in our self-will and self-centered ways.  We need help but don’t want to admit it.  We feel down but don’t turn to You for the uplift You are so ready to supply. 

Well, today, here we all are opening our hearts to You, counting on You, hoping in Your word, trusting in Your unfailing love.  Amen

God’s love and forgiveness – we can count on it today.  Let’s live in the joy of that and have a great day.