Corona Devo 686

2 Samuel 7:18--29

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? (19) ... Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord? ~2 Samuel 7:18-19

David was right-- "Who are we, Sovereign Lord, and what are our families, that you have brought us this far?" ~2 Samuel 7:18

We are nothing special.  We are just-as-sinful.  And yet...Your promises of forgiveness and a meaningful life ring out for us, all of us and any of us...that bring our hearts to You.  

(19) ... Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?

He does. Everyone comes to God on equal ground. We may "see" others as better-than-us or worse, but God deals with everyone this way...this forgiven if we ask-for-forgiveness way. This follow-me-and-I-will-make-you-fishers-of-men way (Mark 1:17). This pick-up-your-cross-and-follow-me way (Matthew 16:24).

“What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord.

As David came to You in disbelief of Your blessing over him and his life, we do too. How can we accept it? How do You possibly accept us? What can we say? You know what we are really like, Sovereign Lord, and it ain't pretty. At our base, in our sin, and even in our most pure thoughts--we are nothing like You (all our righteous acts are like filthy rags... ~Isaiah 64:6).

Astonishingly, even though You know what your servant is really like, You love us still. Thank You, Lord.

Jesus, we do seek to be Your servants...and it's hard.

We don't human-naturedly think like You. We don't innately behave like You, speak like You or seek to serve like You. So being Your servant is hard and foreign in this self-pleasing and self-focused culture. But with the cost of serving You comes value.

You provide value to who we are in You.

You provide value to those we touch in Your name and love.

You provide value in the legacy we leave in Your name.

There is no one like You, Lord. And You have written us into Your story and You (21) have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.

(22) “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! (23) What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. (24) You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.

(25) “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. (26) And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ ...

(28) For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. (29) And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!” ~2 Samuel 7:21-26, 28-29)

We are Your servants, today, Lord.

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Sovereign (possessing supreme or ultimate power) Lord, You have done this.  All of this that surrounds us and defines us today has come from You.  Our opportunities, privileges, placements, circumstances, succession-of-life-events---You alone have done this, coordinated this, birthed this and nurtured this. 

When we survey our past week/our past year/our entire lives...the evidence of You is visible, palpable, and evident as we look back, as we look around, and as we look forward.  Your processes are at work in us, over time: Hard days, jubilant moments, crippling emotions, realizing that we matter because You say that we do, regardless of how often the world tells us that we don't.  

The moments, circumstances, and stress (at times) can threaten to bury us, but in persevering through all of it with You, we gain perspective, build resilience, and become more like You.  

You saved us from our slavery and captivity because when we serve You, we are freed from the pressure and false-hope of serving anyone and anything else.  

We don't deserve You.  We cannot grasp "Why?", but we praise Your Name because you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord, even us.

“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. (2 Samuel 7:22). You connect our yesterday with today and Your Word is an eternal blessing on our tomorrows as we seek You.

Amen.

Blessings, 

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com