March 29, 2024

A Covenant of Love

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For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
Continue Your love to those who know You,
Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Psalms 35:9-10

As we age many of us wonder where the time has gone.  Some of us age with grace, while others try to maintain their youth.  Some of us lose our youth to diseases such as cancer or heart disease.  Yet, there are those who refuse to grow old.  Those are the ones that may look old, but they don’t act like it.  They live by the mantra, “You’re as young as you feel.”  I have to say that I like that mantra, too.  I may be approaching my middle age, but sometimes I don’t feel like I am in my thirties. Sometimes I still feel like I am in my twenties.

Many have searched through the centuries for the so called “Fountain of Youth” but with no success.  A fountain of youth does exist…but it is not in the sense that many wish it to be.  The fountain of youth is really the fountain of life—an eternal life with God.  This eternal life shines like a light to the world through those who have accepted the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift to mankind.

Know therefore that the Lord Your God is God,
the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him
and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations….
Deuteronomy 7:9

God loves those who love Him.  He loves those who do not.  He created a new covenant with us when Jesus was crucified on the Cross.  He has kept to this covenant (eternal life through acceptance of Jesus Christ) with us for over 2,000 years.  God is faithful to us in all things.  He never leaves us—from the time that He creates us to the time He calls us home.

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Dear heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the blessings and the eternal life that we can look forward to in heaven.  We feel Your love and faithfulness every day. Without Your love, we would be lost forever.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Make a Joyful Noise

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Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!  Come into His Presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, He is God!  It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!
For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100

‘Make a joyful noise!’  Oh, you don’t have to tell me twice!  (And sometimes it is just that—a joyful noise.)  Do we not just love to sing our praises to the Lord God?!?  We have so many, many reasons to praise Him, to thank Him, to bless His Holy Name.

Here in Psalm 100, verse 5 offers three extremely compelling reasons to praise Him:

He is good

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for  those who trust in Him.
Nahum 1:7

This we know…in fact, isn’t there a praise chorus that we love to sing: ‘God is good ALL the time!  And ALL the time, God is good!’

His love endures forever

Give thanks to the God of Heaven for His steadfast love endures forever.
Psalms 136:26

Twenty-six (yes, 26!) times in Psalm 136, this praise is exclaimed!  (Here’s a link to read the whole psalm.)  Throughout the entire history of mankind from Adam & Eve, all the way along through the Scriptures, we read of the myriad of ways that our Great God has manifested His steadfast love.  AND He has made promise after promise to His children (us! you and me!) that His love will endure for eternity!

He is faithful to all generations

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:9

What a promise of hope He has made—His covenant of love to those who love Him and obey!  Our God always brings to pass His promises!  What a faithful God!

Dear Lord,
We love to make a joyful noise, Lord, singing Your praises!  You are the Almighty God Who deserves all the praise there is to give!  Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your goodness, and Your love!  HalleluJAH!  Amen.

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Today’s devotional has been written by Coleen Hayden.