September 14, 2019 -- Psalm 119:17 -- Has God be Bountifully Kind to You?!

Deal bountifully with your servant,

that I may live and keep your word.

Psalm 119:17 English Standard Version

What privilege we have in reading this verse as New Testament Christians. The prayer of the first line of this verse has been answered with God’s great extravagance. Our sins have been washed away by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God’s great bounty is seen in the fact that He sees us as righteous (those who are made right) because of the life of Jesus. The overflowing blessings of God our Father are seen in the fact that He is leading us in the path of holy living by His powerful Spirit. Do we still sin? Yes. And the Father in heaven has given us the powerful gift of confession—as often as we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness—that is the rock-solid promise given to us in I John 1:9.

In view of His great bounty, all the showers of mercy and downpour of His compassionate love, believers are kept in the pathway of life. Sins lead to death. Sins rob us of life. Sins lead to isolation and the break-down of community. In glorious contrast sins confessed can’t separate us from deep relationship with God and sins that are broken open before God cannot break community. We reach out to one another all of us recognizing God knows the worst about each one of us and He is healing us. That is good news. In fact, it is good news we want to share with others.

When we see God as the One Who has dealt bountifully with us—and keeps on pouring out His goodness and love—the response drawn out of us and obedience. We study the Bible thinking “How can I honour You? How can my life bring blessing to Your Name?!” Even that is a sign of the Majestic One’s goodness to us. Frail and foolish as we are, He receives our acts of love and service as beautiful and honouring to His Name!

Mighty and Merciful Father in heaven, thank You for answering the Psalmist’s prayer! Thank You for the place You have given us in history that we can see the great arc of Your never-failing love most brilliantly revealed in Jesus Christ—in Whom we have forgiveness of all our sins and right-standing before You. Don’t stop there, but as You promised, keep pouring out Your Spirit so that we can live and keep Your Word. Let the words of our lips and the desire we have to please You bring honour to Your Name. Prepare Your preachers and missionaries so the preached word can go out with power to the far corners of this world and Your glory be made known and celebrated! And prepare each one of us, no matter where You have called us to live and serve You, ordinary as we are—help us to tell others of the ways in which Your are dealing bountifully with us! Amen.