Abandonment

Focus verses: I Kings 6:11-13

God promises Solomon that He will never abandon His people Israel. What a wonderful assurance!

When we believe in God and follow His precepts, God will not abandon us. However, when we abandon God, He allows us to reap the fruit of our own actions. It may feel like He is far away, but He never moves. We do.

Our closeness with God depends on our being faithful to His commands, singing His praises, and watching for the signs of His presence in our lives.

When we find ourselves drifting away, we can do one of two things. We can continue to drift like so much flotsam, or we can turn back to Him. He is faithful and unchanging. We're the fickle and flighty ones.

He waits for us with open arms, eager to restore us to His favor. We need not disappoint Him.

Father, God,

Thank You for remaining faithful to us, even when we are errant children. We are grateful for Your forgiving heart. Help us to remain steadfast in our love for You.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Antiphonal Litany

Focus verses: Psalm 136

When we read the psalms, we sometimes forget that they are not poetry but songs. This was a song designed to be sung with a cantor and a congregation. Listen to it as music.

The cantor sings "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good."
And the people respond "His love endures forever."

And the cantor sings again - and again - and again, listing the attributes of God, and His saving deeds on Israel's behalf one by one. The people respond again - and again - and again, "His love endures forever."

Hear the assurance in this psalm. God's love endures forever.

Why is the response not something like "His majesty is sovereign?" That is also a true statement. Or try "His power and might are great." Or "No foe can stand against Him." See how those substitutions change the focus of the song.

No, "His love endures forever." That is a blessed assurance.

Father, God,

We thank you that Your love endures forever. We have no claim on Your love except that You love freely. And You ask only that we show our love for You by obedience to Your statues -- which were instituted for our benefit in the first place. Thank You Lord.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

This psalm is a testament to God's love for His people, Israel. In old testament times, it was literally the children of Israel God loved