Corona Devo 1425

We’re in a cycle-of-faith with the Lord...always moving into the next stage.  Where are we in it today?  And who can we influence for His glory?

Step in.  Step up.  And hang on.  We go round and round...and it's a glorious process.


May God be merciful and bless us.  May his face smile with favor on us.  ~Psalm 67:1

God chose us.  He was merciful, even though we were sinful. 

He blessed us.  (Are we blessed today?) 

He has made (and will continue to make) his face smile with favor on us.

These things affect us and change our hearts.  This Truth (when we accept it) motivates us to serve God and mobilizes us to share God. 

We have influence for Him.

May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.  ~Psalm 67:2

There is transformation in Christ.  Salvation of lives and hearts…and we are proof of it!  May your ways be known…

We have to share them (His ways)!  Encourage others to find Him...

Who can we influence for Christ?

May the nations praise you, O God.  Yes, may all the nations praise you.  ~Psalm 67:3

There is a multiplication effect when it comes to faith in God.  His love, His hope, His salvation…His spirit--- is contagious.  People want it!  We were created to yearn for God and His ways because we are created in His image (Genesis 1:27). 

Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.  (5) May the nations praise you, O God.  Yes, may the nations praise you.

(6) Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us.  (7) Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him.  ~Psalm 67:6-7

God’s presence is with us and in us.  He governs and guides, and this blesses us (richly), if we adhere to Him.

And this (to me) is the cycle-of-faith….

It starts all over again as new Believers realize, accept, welcome God into their hearts, minds and lives: May God be merciful and bless us.  May his face smile with favor on us (Psalm 67:1).

It’s a cycle.


David wrote Psalm 67 (in prayer and praise).  He was part of this cycle (we all are).  

As the runt-brother and a little shepherd boy, God anointed him with the promise of being a king for Him.  God was merciful and blessed David.  He made his face smile with favor on David (Psalm 67:1). 

Then, when he was king, David used his political power, influence, and control for God’s good. 

God got a hold of David's heart, and David had much influence over the nations surrounding him--and so he proclaimed God to them.

Does God have a hold of our hearts today?  WE have much influence over the "nations" that surround us--how can we proclaim God to them today?

How about us?  Who can we influence for God today?  

We are each in God’s cycle too.  Have we made the decision to enter it?  Are we “all in” in following the Lord and His ways/plans/cycle for us?

~~~

I was saved in high school and accepted Jesus into my heart.  God was merciful to me and blessed me.  In these ways and many more, his face smiled with favor on me.

May God be merciful and bless us.  May his face smile with favor on us.  ~Psalm 67:1

I had influence (that I could have done more with)...we always can.  But through high school and college church attendance, Bible studies, and Fellowship of Christian student groups...I engaged in God’s cycle while He transformed and grew me.  I was helping to make His ways known throughout the earth (my corner of the earth) and His saving power among people (in my) everywhere.   

May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.  ~Psalm 67:2

After college, I taught middle and high school Sunday school at my church, and through a 20-somethings ministry, I found Jesus further and deeper, and His cycle moved forward.  My faith moved forward. 

May the nations praise you, O God.  Yes, may all the nations praise you.  ~Psalm 67:3

I did (praise Him)!  I entered fully into knowing and pursuing and praising God, and He met me.  He always will. 

He met many others at that church ministry and brought many more to Him.  Thirty young adults grew to 1500 and may we praise Him for that.  May all the nations praise you. 

And the cycle of Christ continued.  Relationships with Him deepened.  Relationships with fellow Believers did too.  Marriages, ministries, babies, foundations, families…children now becoming adults in Christ.  There is joy in this.  He governs us and guides us.  We praise Him for this, and for Christ’s cycle in our lives.  That we might enter in to His cycle.

Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.  (5) May the nations praise you, O God.  Yes, may the nations praise you.  ~Psalm 67:4-5

It’s not about David's story, or mine, or a particular person or pastor or priest.  It’s about a Holy God that invites each one of us into His beautiful, ordained, complicated, simple, life-altering, life-saving cycle.

Where are we in it today?

Some days we are stepping back into it all over again.  Either for ourselves, or introducing someone new to the Lord…

Some days we have our heads out the faith-window and we’re enjoying the joy of this amazing ride.

Some days we are crumpled in a heap on the floor.  Discouraged, deflated and doubting.

But wherever we are…God is there.  And we’re in a part of His cycle of faith, always moving into the next stage.

Step in.  Step up.  And hang on.  We go round and round...and it's a glorious process.


Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com 



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