"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" Hebrews 4:12
“Have you heard God’s blessing in your inmost being? Are the words “You are my beloved child, in whom I delight” an endless source of joy and strength?
Have you sensed, through the Holy Spirit, God speaking them to you? That blessing – the blessing through the Spirit that is ours through Christ – is what Jacob received, and it is the only remedy against idolatry. Only that blessing makes idols unnecessary.
As with Jacob, we usually discover this only after a life of ‘looking for blessing in all the wrong places.’ It often takes an experience of crippling weakness for us to finally discover it. That is why so many of the most God-blessed people limp as they dance for joy.”
- Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods (New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2009), 164.
Every time I sin, I make light of God's grace in my life! My actions clearly manifest, lack of trust in the All-Powerful God and reveals the presence of remaining sin in my flesh. What am I thinking when I disobey God?? Is it a sense of over confidence, that quietly seeps into me, when I give in to temptation?? What does God's word say?
"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." James 1:14. The sparks are within me to start a fire!!!!
What more does God's word say? "But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Galatians 5:16. A simple command to follow and believe!
"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness." Hebrews 3: 7, 8
Yes!! Listen to what God's word says in regard to temptation. Take a close look at this verse!!!! "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. " 1 Corinthians 10:13 (emphasis mine!)
And don't forget what it says in Romans 15:4."For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope."
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you" Isaiah 43:2
God has promised trials for His children. There is no escaping with this fact. Sometimes, it is through deep waters or rivers and sometimes you are called to walk through fire! If you read the verse carefully, it says 'pass' and 'walk'. There is no sense of hurry or impatience; slowly one step at a time!
But, look at what God has to say, "I will be with you". That is His promise. He has promised to be present in our deepest afflictions. And no matter, how hard our trials, God will not give more than we can bear. He is compassionate!!
Look at the verse, "When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." (emphasis mine!)
God is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works. (Psalms 145:13)
'Tis the voice of the sluggard;I heard him complain, "You have waked me too soon,I must slumber again." As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed, Turns his sides and his shoulders and his heavy head.
"A little more sleep, and a little more slumber;" Thus he wastes half his days, and his hours without number, And when he gets up, he sits folding his hands, Or walks about sauntering, or trifling he stands.
I pass'd by his garden, and saw the wild brier, The thorn and the thistle grow broader and higher; The clothes that hang on him are turning to rags; And his money still wastes till he starves or he begs.
I made him a visit, still hoping to find That he took better care for improving his mind: He told me his dreams, talked of eating and drinking; But scarce reads his Bible, and never loves thinking.
Said I then to my heart, "Here's a lesson for me," This man's but a picture of what I might be: But thanks to my friends for their care in my breeding, Who taught me betimes to love working and reading.
“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.
For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. “Father” is the Christian name for God. Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”
—J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: 1993), 201-202
My sister was rummaging through our cupboard the other day in pursuit of some diary or book. Instead she found a bunch of letters that I had written to her ten years ago. It was the time back when I was in High School and my sister was doing her college in another city. It was fun to read all the letters I had written to her. To read about the things that go on in a 15 year old's head:) But there was this particular letter that I had written to her after I had attended a Vacation Bible Camp. One of the speakers had shared the gospel in the camp. It was in May of 1999 that God worked in my heart and revealed to me my sinfulness. The realization that I cannot get to heaven based on my righteousness (which are like filthy rags). The truth that Christ died for my sins and that I can enter Heaven only though Him. God sees me Holy through Jesus Christ. What a joy!!!!
Just to read that letter was so encouraging to my soul. To see how the Spirit works and that there is nothing that I can boast in, because I was dead in my sins and Christ regenerated me. Even as i was reading that letter, to see how the Lord has worked in me patiently, faithfully teaching me through His word. The journey so far has been beautiful, those filled with sweet fellowship with God and fellow believers , various trials( given by God to make me more like Him) and wisdom from the Bible. I praise God for who He is and His faithfulness, through this journey. He has been with me every single day. He is my Father, Saviour, Redeemer and Friend.
Even as I end this post, the song that is playing on my computer is"The Glory of The Cross". How apt:) So here are the words:
What wisdom once devised the plan Where all our sin and pride Was placed upon the perfect Lamb Who suffered, bled, and died? The wisdom of a Sovereign God Whose greatness will be shown When those who crucified Your Son Rejoice around Your throne
And, oh, the glory of the cross That You would send Your Son for us I gladly count my life as loss That I might come to know The glory of, the glory of the cross
What righteousness was there revealed That sets the guilty free That justifies ungodly men And calls the filthy clean? A righteousness that proved to all Your justice has been And holy wrath is satisfied Through one atoning death
I have been singing this song and I love the words, so here are the lyrics:
Wonderful Savior
How can we not sing out to the One who saved us And covered us with Your blood Casting all our sin into Your sea of mercy Crowning us with Your love?
Wonderful Savior, beautiful Jesus Bending down to lift us up Out of our darkness, into Your brightness Calling us Your own Wonderful Savior, beautiful Jesus We will always love You Wonderful Savior, beautiful Jesus
How can we not sing out to the One who changed us And gave us eternal hope Capturing our hearts, flooding us with gladness That someday we’ll see Your face?
Words and music by Mark Altrogge As recorded on Songs for the Cross Centered Life
" Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" Matthew 10: 29-31
God's knowledge of us is personal and intimate. God values us and that should calm all my fears! God's word declares that an unnoticed happening like the falling of a sparrow to the ground, is under the Sovereign notice of God. What about important happenings in our life!
God is in perfect control of every situation in our life. He is the God of big things and small things. In fact, He is the God of everything!! Hence, chance and randomness as an explanation for what happens in our life is completely ruled out!
Before I answer to the title of this post let me just give you some scripture verses:
Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Ephesians 2:1-2And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
Romans 8:6-8For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 3:10as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;11 no one understands;no one seeks for God.
After reading these verses the three things that come out are, First-Man is sinful, Second: He does not seek God (in other words, he loves evil) Third: Man is dead in his sin.Therefore to revive a dead person and give him new life there has to be an external source. That external source is our great Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of His death on the cross and His victory over sin that today we are no more slaves to sin.
Ephesians 2:4-9 gives us a clear idea of Christ's work on the cross.
4 ButGod, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
He has revived us, redeemed us and made us alive. Praise Be His name!!!!
"Why are you cast down O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." Psalm 42:11
Our God is powerful and with Him, all things are possible. (Mark 14:36). Remember, Our God will wait that He may be gracious unto you. (Isaiah 30:18)
Remember, how He answered your prayers in the past and how He wiped every tear shed by you in the dark. He knows you coz He made you. "Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us and we are his;" Psalm 100:3
These times are to be treasured, painful as they may be. Yet, it is during these times He reveals Himself to you! You know Him in way like you have never experienced before.
"I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6
"He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him" Daniel 2:22.
Our God is All-Knowing. There is nothing that is hidden or can be hidden from His sight. In fact, He discloses things that are hidden from the knowledge of man. Also, darkness is light to Him!! Think about this for a minute. How do feel when you are groping in darkness, when the electricity's out?? Helpless and lost? Not so, with Our Great God! What a warning to unrepentant sinners who think they can cover their evil deeds. What foolishness on display!
We hide so much, every living person is a mystery. But nothing limits God!! Absolutelsy nothing! He not only knows everything but makes known to us, profound and intense things.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comforts those who are in any trouble with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ." 2 Cor.1:3-5
How wonderful to know that no matter what pain we go through, or how agonising our circumstances may be, we can always run to God who is Our Dear Father! He comforts us in all our troubles. His mercies are new every morning.
God's desires in this, is that we be made Christ-like. To bear the nature of Christ in our mortal bodies. To shine forth His glory to an unbelieving world.
Trials are to break us, stretch us, refine us and mould us! It removes unwanted sin patterns, bad habits, sinful thought processes. In other words, God uses trials to purify us, make us holy, to be like Him!!
To be partakers of His holiness and His righteousness is what God desires for His dear children. Oh!! How much we should love Him and desire His Glory always!!
"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory." Psalm 115:1a
This should be our heart cry and prayer, coz what is the true estate of man without God? We are because God is. Everything we see, every blessing we experience in Christ, every sin we conquer should make us give God the glory.
Let us watch our hearts and its inclinations, when we praise God. We must be utterly honest before Him. Even the ability to worship and draw close to God is from Him alone!!
Oh!! What miserable creatures we are, that we cannot please God apart from His enabling grace!
Love not yourself, but Christ alone. Please Him alone and not yourself. For this, we were made-To glorify God through Christ for glory alone belongs to God!!
Three years ago, I was reading Amy Carmichael's biography by Elisabeth Elliot, "A Chance to Die". (Btw, I could not finish the book, as it was borrowed :(.....) Anyways, I came across this poem written by Amy's mother which really inspired me......
He who hath led will lead All throughthe wilderness, He who hath fed will surely feed.... He who hath heard thy cry Will never close His ear, He who hath marked thy faintest sigh Will not forget thy tear. He loveth always, faileth never, So rest on Him today-forever.
How wonderful to know that our God leads us in paths of righteousness.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for You are good and You do good! Your loving kindness is better than life. I rejoice in You and surely, my soul delights in You alone! Your promises are true and an anchor to my soul. Your goodness, who can compare and who is as tender as You are?
Thank you LORD, for the trial that You put me in. What comfort to my heart to know that in much love and wisdom you placed me in the fire. Your promise, "I will never leave You or forsake You", keeps me from fainting! Your grace is sufficient for me. For in my weakness, You are strong.
Even though, I walk through fire, You promised that I will not be burned or consumed. Your word is sufficient and it is good that I am being afflicted coz I will learn much from Your Word!!
Thank you for Your dear Son, Jesus Christ.... He is my Sympathetic High Priest and He knows my every weakness!! Your grace is sufficient!
My prayer is that I will glorify Your Holy Name during this time of affliction and that my faith is made perfect. In Christ's Name. Amen.
I have been thinking about my salvation a lot lately. To remember what God saved me from, my eternal standing was changed the day He turned my heart of stone to a heart of flesh. There is not one day that I can go by without thanking Him for this beautiful gift of salvation. To be known as His heir. What a privilege. Praise God for adopting us as His children.(Ephesians 1:5: He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ,according to the purpose of His will.)
Have been going through the book of Hosea in my reading time. We know the story of Hosea, where God tells him to marry a women who would later be unfaithful and leave him for some other man (Hosea 1:2). Something that struck me hard was that I was like Gomer, before God saved me from my sin, running after the world and the pleasures of the world. Yet He was merciful and bought me back. Praise God our great shepherd who will bring His scattered sheep back into the fold. In the analogy Hosea depicts God and Gomer, us .
We see Hosea's unconditional love displayed to Gomer. This is the same love that our God has shown on us. What manner of love has God bestowed on us that He gave His own son to die on the cross for our sins.( John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His own Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life").
So let us not take our salvation for granted and remember the work of Christ and what He had to go through to give us this new life. To come down on earth in the form of man, humble Himself to the point of death, to save miserable creatures like us from damnation. Praise Him for His unconditional love.
Something that I have to be constantly reminding myself is that, when I am going through a difficult time all I need to do is to go to the Lord and cast my burden on Him.. Most of the time its a matter of pride that we don't go to Him, because we think we can deal with it on our own. We have to accept our weakness and go to Him in humility...This song portrays those same emotions...
I will cast my cares on you..
Jesus, I'm frail, I'm so very weak My faithfulness fails, my courage will flee But You are my rock, my shelter and shade When I'm burdened down, You'll carry the weight
So I will cast my cares on You Yes, I will cast my cares on You I will rest within Your arms Knowing I am safe from harm I will cast my cares on You
When I'm overwhelmed and I cannot stand You hear every cry and You lift my head I'm desperate for grace and mercy anew I must have Your strength, Oh I must have You
This is a devotion by Charles Spurgeon on the humility of Christ. So much to understand what true humility is...an example set forth by Our Lord!!
"He humbled himself." -- Philippians 2:8
Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We need daily to learn of him. See the Master taking a towel and washing his disciples' feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou not humble thyself? See him as the Servant of servants, and surely thou canst not be proud! Is not this sentence the compendium of his biography, "He humbled himself"? Was he not on earth always stripping off first one robe of honor and the another, till, naked, he was fastened to the cross, and there did he not empty out his inmost self, pouring out his life-blood, giving up for all of us, till they laid him penniless in a borrowed grave?
How low was our dear Redeemer brought! How then can we be proud? Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark his scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and his whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in his outward frame; hear the thrilling shriek, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: if you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God's only begotten.Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness sat his feet. A sense of Christ's amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt.
May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn ourlesson, and then rise and carry it into practice.
I think I have made the above statement a lot lately and I am not proud of it. I should be thankful for what the Lord has given me instead of being prideful and arrogant. The way things have been going at my workplace many a times I tend to think, this is not what I deserve, I am qualified to do more. God has been very patient and gracious with me. I was reading 12 Ordinary men by John MacArthur, and one of the incident that was mentioned in the book was about Jesus washing the disciples feet (John 13:1-20). Even as I was going through the context I realized that what Jesus did (by washing the disciples feet) was a very menial job. Yet He did it, without complaining & grumbling. Let us not forget who we are talking of; He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s, creator of the heavens and the earth. It is such a privilege to worship a God who is perfect and Holy and the best example we can follow. Reading that passage made me think, that God being so great went down to the level of a servant and washed the disciples feet, and thus set an example of humility and genuine love. So every time you feel that you are being told to do something (which in your own eyes, seems low) look unto Christ “who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8
Today is Sunday morning and instead of being at church I am at my office desk. I was quite sad in the morning even as I left for work, as I knew I would miss corporate worship and fellowship today. But then i realized that i can worship God anywhere. Why sulk and be a bad testimony amongst my unbelieving friends, when I can be thankful and give Him praise for everything that he has done for me. So i opened my bible and turned to 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 David's Song of Thanks. Will share a few verses from the passage:
8Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! 9 Sing to him; sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! 11 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
Just reading the first few lines made me thank Him even more for everything that He has done in my life. His wondrous works! I love verse 10"let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!" I then realized that i should not be a sulky Christian. He has blessed me with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places")
After reading the passage i knew that I had to focus on Christ, and not myself. Never to forget that He is a great God: Sovereign,Wonderful, Just, Holy, Compassionate and Lovely. And these are just some of His attributes.
Will just end with a few verses from the passage:
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods.(vs 25) Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;(vs 29 b) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!(vs 34)
Like the morning dew on the petal Your word captivates my heart Just as the bud begins to unfold My heart begins to grasp The glories of my Master For what He rendered for my soul.
You are precious to me my Saviour Much more than diamonds or pearl, Your glory shines far brighter Than the glaze of the rays of sun You are my real treasure You are my only hope.
I love this song and have been singing it a lot lately. Just to focus on His attributes and remember what Christ had to go through so that we have eternal life.
How Deep
You were broken that I might be healed
You were cast off that I might draw near
You were thirsty that I might come drink
Cried out in anguish that I might sing
How deep is Your love
How high and how wide is Your mercy
How deep is Your grace
Our hearts overflow with praise To You
You knew darkness that I might know light
Wept great tears that mine might be dried
Stripped of glory that I might be clothed
Crushed by Your Father to call me Your own
Words and music by Stephen Altrogge
As recorded on Valley of Vision
A weak attempt in writing a few lines to express my Saviour's sufficiency.
Oh to live in the light of His Glory, To breathe the air of His grace, Eat of the bread of His life-giving word, Health to my bones and strength to my heart, Tis presence a shade from the scorching heat' This is how my soul gets refreshed.
Are you burdened and in turmoil? I give thee a sweet suggestion, O go to Him weary spirit, Carry no burden that is heavy Leave it there at His feet, For it is Jesus who will refresh thee.
Something that i am always thankful unto the Lord for is my church, Kerusso Bible Church. I am grateful to the Lord for the elders who minister to us every Sunday and at the weekly Bible Studies. Many a times we get all charged to up on Sundays after being fed with God word, to live godly lives. But many a times the zeal fades off by the end of the day. We need to meditate on His word daily. It is the food to our spiritual growth. Just like we don't eat the whole week's meal on one day, for our spiritual growth we need to feed on God's word every single day. That's the only way we can live God honoring lives by meditating on His word and praying continuously. Let us not forget that we are living in a wicked world, and if we don't guard our hearts and minds with the truth, we can start believing the lies the world offers.
Ephesians 6:10-18 explains it well as it says
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
Therefore knowing what we are up against, we should be wise Christians, clinging on to His word. It is the only way we can stand firm in our faith and fight life's daily battles. Let us humbly come before God for wisdom, and not be wise in our own eyes.
What does treasure actually mean? It means something that is very dear to you. In the dictionary meaning as a noun treasure means: anything or person greatly valued or highly prized. As a verb it means:to retain carefully or keep in store, as in the mind/to regard or treat as precious; cherish.
Keep theabovemeanings in mind, as a Christian what are the things we treasure? Our car, home, music collection our intellect.. the list can go on.. We need to evaluate our lives constantly and keep our mind in check and see what are the things we treasure. Is Christ our treasure? Do we cherish Him more than anything else? There are a lot of things in this world that distract us and change our focus from Christ to other perishable things. The main reason we cherish other things more than Christ is because we don't value Him enough over the other things and He is not of great importance in our lives.
So we know our problem so what is the solution. How do i make Christ my all in all in my daily living.
1. Spend time Meditating on Scripture.
Focus on His Attributes
His work on the Cross
2.Spend time in prayer.
Praising God
Giving Thanks
3. Memorize Scripture.
Scripture memorization should ultimately result in application in our daily living.
People around us should see that every decision we make, our lifestyle, is centered around Christ.
So let us evaluate our lives and see who or what is our real treasure. I will end with Psalm 145
145:1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your [2] mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]
[3]14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
