His Love and Goodness

Psalms 23:2

Many of us are very familiar with Psalms 23; it’s one of those chapters that is often quoted and relied on. It is often thought of as the Pearl of Psalms. I like it a lot, especially in the Passion Translation. This morning I read through it twice, once inserting my own name in some places, and the other time I inserted his Bride. His church is the Bride and this Psalms is for all of his people, his Bride. I want to encourage you to read this every day for the next several days, let this be your prayer for his church:

The Lord is the Bride’s best friend and our shepherd. We always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for his Bride in his luxurious love. His tracks take us to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That’s where he restores and renews his Bride.

He opens before us pathways to God’s pleasure and leads his Bride along in his footsteps for righteousness so that we can bring honor to his name.

Lord, even when your path takes us through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer us, for you already have! You remain close to your Bride and lead us through it all the way. Your authority is our strength and peace. The comfort of your love takes away our fear. Your Bride will never be lonely, for you are near. You become our delicious feast even when our enemies dare to fight. You anoint us with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give us all we can drink of you until your Bride’s hearts overflows.

So why would his Bride fear the future? For his goodness and love pursue his Bride all the days of our lives. Then afterward, when our life is through, his Bride will return to his glorious presence to be forever with him!

This Psalms is beautiful, isn’t it? God is all encompassing. I love how he is always pursuing his people, always there to offer them rest, safety, and hope-real hope! He is there to revive and restore at all times. Every single day!

I like how this Psalm acknowledges that God’s people do feel afraid at times, but because of the love of God wrapping around them and comforting them, their fear is dissipated. Isn’t it true that when we know we can rely on love, we become empowered with courage? When we are loved, we have the ability to stand for God and to stand for each other. When we believe that love wins, then we most certainly win.

Why do we have so many assurances from God? Why have we captured his love and his delight? Why is he always for us and not against us? God is most holy, He is enthroned in beauty and praise, He is surrounded by love, he is love. Yet, he continues to consistently pursue us, because we are created to be with him. He delights over who we are because he sees beauty in us, even when our behavior is not beautiful.

800 years before Christ died, David prophesied about

his death on the Cross. In Psalms 22, you can read this prophecy; it’s incredible. In verse 31 it reads: “His generation yet to be born will glorify him. And they will all declare ‘It is finished!’ Just as Jesus said on the Cross “It is finished” we too will say the same when he returns to us. It is finished; grace has accomplished everything that we need! Grace has transformed us into the delight of the Lord, and it has lifted us into his presence in such a way that when he sees us, he sees love. It is because of the faithfulness of Jesus, that we are saved. This is not about anything that I do, but all that he has done. This is why we, his Bride, will never be lonely for he is our delicious feast even when our enemies dare to fight! Even when my thoughts move to lies about myself or others, even when I loose patience with the dog, or when I fail….he is there anointing me with the sweet fragrance of the Holy Spirit. What a relief it is!

We, the Bride, have every reason to sing his praises, for as Psalms 24:7 says: “So, wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you ageless doors of destiny! Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through for you. You ask, “Who is this Glory-King?” The Lord, armed and ready for battle, the Mighty One, invincible in every way!”

And His Bride says “Amen!”

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