You Know Me

Psalm 21

"O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!
You have granted him the desire of his heart
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah"

Close. Tight. I know Him, and He knows me. We have gone to battle together. We've had adventures together. I know His strength and rejoice in it. He knows the desires of my heart and has seen fit to give them to me. He has heard my request. I have the freedom to ask, and He has not withheld them from me.

"Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord through...through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken."

Presence. God's presence with me. He calls me to trust Him. I trust. He always keeps his promises and continually, continually, continually confirms His faithfulness to me. Because of God's unfailing love I WILL. NOT. BE. SHAKEN. (James 1:5-7) He calls me to ask. (John 16:24) He invites me to be close enough to ask without hesitation. To ask, because He is...faithful in His love.

"Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might."

Psalm 51
Confession. He presses in, convicts, leads me in confession.

"Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place."

He invites me to be honest with myself and with Him. Then I ask..cleanse me, for You are holy, I am not, and this thing that stands between us causes us pain.

"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

And He does. (1 John 1:9)

And then we go deliver...

"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you."

And then, here's the thing. Here is what allows the closeness that God desires and my soul thirsts for...

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you do not despise."

(What does a humble heart look like? This resounds in my heart when I'm tempted to revel in a deed, a thought...Philippians 2:6, Who, being in the very nature God, [Jesus] did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant...")

Psalm 91
Almighty God. El Shaddai. Powerful protector, loving provider.
"If you make the Most High your dwelling–even the Lord, who is my refuge–then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (v.14) 'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.'"

Again. Closeness. Relationship. I trust Him because He is faithful. He protects, provides, because we share a love and closeness. We are family. We are family with NOTHING between us. No judgement. No condemnation. No lies. No hidden agendas. No deception. Only truth. Only love. Because of His mercy on us and our sin. Because of His good favor towards us. Because we love Him. Because we trust Him. He provides protection and salvation. But only because of Jesus (Romans 5:8).

Psalm 141
v. 1-2 "O Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice."

Again. Closeness. If God is faithful, my first response will be to call out. "Father!" He will hear. My voice calling will be like incense. It will be a sweet sound, just like the sound of my own children are sweet in my ear. My hands raised will be like an evening sacrifice. It will be a cherished thing to my Abba Father.

v.3-5b Lord, you know my thoughts and words (Psalm 139). "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers..." Discipline me, Lord. Keep my feet in step with yours!

God's presence. He invites us to be close. He invites us to trust. He invites us to trust His character and find Him lacking in nothing. He invites us to set down our sin, the things our heart worships other than Him. John 8:11 "Go now and leave your life of sin." When we do, we are called the children of God. Our Father, El Shaddai, is the perfect Father.