Psalm 71:22 "I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel."

Don’t know about you, but I'm constantly reminded of how pig-headed, stubborn and selfish I am. God is so faithful to keep loving me and showing me grace!

Hebrews 3:6 “But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house if we hold on to our courage & the hope of which we boast.”

Do we ever consider that in going to God in prayer we can also ask our Intercessor and faithful Mediator to pray for us?

We are so frail, and in constant need of grace to steady us. Yet God is faithful. He never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. am overwhelmed by God's goodness. What a faithful and patient Savior, always abounding in a steadfast love. We are debtors to grace.

He is a faithful God and worthy to be praised. His kindness is our motive. I encourage you to arise early tomorrow morning and seek God's face. There is great reward in communion and intercession. He is faithful.

Father, thank you for loving us as your own. Thank you for being reminding us that we can praise you with all we have because you gave your only Son on the cross for our sin. We are reminded today that nothing we have or could have can ever replace the amazingness of your steadfast love to us. We are as loved and secure as your Son is to you. Help me today to know the transforming power of trusting you and that you are in control. Thank you, Father! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 90:2 "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

God, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God -- eternal, immortal, invincible God.

These verses remind us that there is: Nothing before. Nothing outlasting. All upholding. All defining.  There is no wisdom, understanding, or counsel that can prevail against God. His kingdom & dominion are everlasting (Pro.21:30; Dan. 4:34-35). That’s who God is and isn’t in his character.

As children of God by faith in Christ (Gal. 4:1-6), we have a secure and everlasting status that far surpasses any earthly title or position.  When God tells us he loves us with an ""everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3), he's not speaking metaphorically. He really means it! God's talking about you and me (and the whole of his people in context).

Life everlasting is ""a blessedness in which to praise God eternally"" (Heidelberg Catechism Q/A 58). Remember: there’s one God reigning over your history; there's one Savior for your sin, and he warns you of judgment and offers you everlasting joy.  Yet, with an everlasting love, God chose us, drew us, is keeping us and will glorify us. Rest in it and count on it—all because He is faithful!

God, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God -- eternal, immortal, invincible God. May the first, loudest, and most impactful voice we hear today be yours, Lord, saying to us, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Thank you that despite my unfaithfulness to you, your Word, and your people, you still love me. Let that not be an excuse in our lives today, Lord. Let your glory be our motivation and salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Genesis 21:33 "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God."

This is really is earth-shattering.  Think about God’s unchangeable origins: Before the ages began, God gave us grace in Christ and promised us eternal life (2 Tim 1:9 Titus 1:2).  And Abraham, after the birth of Isaac and a peace treaty with a neighbor, plants a tree and declares God to be the eternal God. Eternal yes, but notice that Abraham also “calls upon” him.  Approachable and unending—what a blessed thought about this great God!

Political nations and cultural institutions aren’t eternal. Therefore, God is saving and the devil is destroying individuals. Even pain lasting an entire life is temporary. Thanks in advance, God, for swallowing up all things in your eternal glory!

Friend, build your hopes on things eternal. Hold to God's unchanging hand.  God's promises assume (1) an eternal story and (2) strength-in-weakness (2 Cor. 12). They go beyond the appearances of the present.  Will you trust him today?

Father, when I look at Abraham’s life story as recorded in your holy Word, I am reminded that his life, much like mine, was up and down. Yes, Lord, all of us are frail and changing—sinners at best. But in Christ, we are new creatures and creations—all for your glory. I pray for all my life today—from the deepest depths of my being to the upfront things—that you the eternal God would be pleased. Allow the meditation of my heart and the words of lips to be pleasing in your sight. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jeremiah 23:24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.

Because God is omnipresent, He is absolutely unavoidable. We do not find God, but God finds us by descending from the majesty of his omnipotent and omnipresent power to his Son in our humanity. And on another note: People ask how Christ's return might be seen around the world, but they forget that he is omnipresent (everywhere - but not in everything. We are not pantheists) and plans to cover the globe with his glory.

Friend, we can’t hide from God’s all seeing eyes (Pro. 15:1-3). But remember and read Exodus 2:25. Feel forgotten by God? God sees. God knows. But don’t forget about Exodus 2:24-25. The game changer. Wherever you are, whatever you're going through: God is faithful. God sees, God knows. That is comfort to us!

We dig really deep holes for ourselves, right to the core of the earth. But the omnipresent Jesus is already down there, waiting with love. That sin you'll never shake in all this life: God sees it as no barrier. Believe the gospel most where you’re defeated most. Let us point the eyes of the all to the Lord whereupon our eyes can remain fixed and our hearts fully blessed.

Father, we praise you today that you are everywhere but not in everything. We don’t worship a chair because you are in it. But we worship you because you see that chair as well as all of me, all that we don’t see, and all of what is to come. Lord, thank you that you aren’t some fickle God that changes based upon what you see. Your sovereign plan is firm and fixed—and so we look to you, the author and finisher of our faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Romans 16:27 "to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen."

Pastor-theologian A.W. Pink once wrote: "God is too wise to err and too loving to cause His child a needless tear.” God is present, loving, wise, strong, obvious. And I sin. Crazy! God is forever wise. He's your hope in your (almost-always) unwise moments. I think we sometimes think God was wise to save us because he saw our giftedness and potential and that others just didn't make the cut.

Yet, through the gospel, God eclipses the wisdom of the wise, and destroys the pride of all—that he who boasts might boast in the Lord. We are saved in his infinite wisdom because he first loved us (not the other way around). And one turn of events can show God judging some and sparing others (Romans 11:22).

God is wise. We will never beat him. (And on a practical note for our current times: For emails, tweets, blog posts, etc. it's a good habit to pray before sending—“God, is this wise, does it glorify you, and edify your church?”). As this day begins, what do I know for sure? God is good and wise. I will need him constantly. He will be there for me.

Will you trust him today?

Father, how we praise you today that you are all-wise. There is no flaw in your character. There’s no chip on your shoulder. There’s no emptiness in your tank. What you promise your deliver. You are always taking care of business—your business and ours. My job is to cast all my cares on your and let you worry about the caring. All because you are wise, Lord. Thank you that the greatest wisdom you gave was in the Gospel of your Son. Born sinners, yes—but redeemed solely and only in Jesus Christ. In His name. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:15 "God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords."

God has enemies and opponents, but He has no real rivals or competition. He is the "blessed and ONLY Sovereign" (1Tim. 6:15, emphasis mine). The hearts of the kings are in His hand (Pro. 21:1). There's only one Sovereign. There's only one unshakable Kingdom. We're not waiting for Jesus to become King of kings and Lord of lords. He already is! Deuteronomy 10:17 says, “The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, and takes no bribe.” He already owns what you offer! What a relief! Hallelujah!’

I am so thankful God is both sovereign and Father. God can do anything he please (Psalm 115:3), but will only do what is for his glory and, ultimately, our good. I am further thankful not only for the great things in life, but the hard things, too. Why? Because I know all things in God's sovereign love work together for my good (Rom. 8:28-39).

Our God is forever good, forever faithful, and the forever sovereign God. God alone is our only hope. And be so thankful that Jesus is the Lamb of God and Lord of lords. His supply and sufficiency are without equal and limitless. Today, give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

Father, if you were not sovereign, I’d be afraid. But you are sovereign! Not only do you rule the nations, but you rule over my feeble efforts! Thank you for that for all of us reading this today. Father, remind this weekend that corporate worship with the local church is meant to point me to the fact that you are the Sovereign Savior who not only forgives me, but rules the world for your own good and glory. Lord, thank you that in heaven there are no primaries or national elections. There is on your sovereign will. What grace! What comfort! What mind-blowing truth! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Because all are made in the image of God, every human being has value. Quality of life is not what gives me value. I have value as a human being—and so does everyone else—because our human worth is in the imago dei (we are his image-bearers--made in God’s image). Our identity as Christians comes in all the things God says about us.

Yet, we live in a day when many base the value of a human being on whether his mother allows him to keep living or pays to have him mutilated. A Christian’s perspective on abortion, racism, immigration, poverty, and more must begin with the imago dei. Everything else hinges on that.

One of my goals in life is to know as many people as humanly possible. Seriously. The world is full of amazing people created in God's image. But be careful, Christian. An inability to genuinely affirm anything positive about those you disagree with may reveal a denial of the imago dei and Gen. 1:26-27.

Let’s get more practical with this verse. As always, we can’t unpack everything (it is a devotional). But racism is a violation of the Gospel itself. The devil loves to fan the flames of every shade of racism and stoke its fires and then convince us that it's justified. The Gospel guarantees that one Day all inward and outward expressions racism will be eternally eliminated.

As we go into our week, we have the privilege of treating everyone as created in God's image, loved by him, and equal with ourselves. True Christians do not tolerate other races and vibes. They positively delight in what God created. They see Him in others. Do you?

Father, we praise you today that we all have value because you have assigned us value in your name. We praise you that the unborn, the lame, the blind, the handicap, the strongest, the weakest, the richest, and the poorest—everyone—has been made in your image. Yet, through sin we have distorted that image. I pray that you help us to see people as you see them—yet, help us to share boldly the Gospel so that everyone may know Christ as well. Father, we love you and praise you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.