Daily Bible Verse for Today 20 December 2023, Wednesday
Read Daily Bible Verse for Today 20 December 2023, Wednesday – Fidelity To Our Pledges (Ps 61:5, 116:18) content taken from Our Daily Walk by F.B. Meyer
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY: For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows: Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy Name. — Ps 61:5
I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of His people. — Ps 116:18
The psalmist had been brought very low by the sorrows of death, but God had mercifully intervened to deliver him in answer to his cry, and he now walked before Him in the land of the living. It seemed as though the cup of salvation had been put into his hand, overflowing with blessing. He tells us that God had loosed his bonds, as though he had been some wild creature of the woods, who had been entrapped, but was now set free and able to realise its former glad buoyancy of life.
Under such circumstances, it is natural to ask, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His mercies toward me?” The first and most reasonable thing is to pay the vows which we promised when we were in trouble. Nothing so deadens the heart as to vow and not to pay.
We ought to fulfil our vows for many reasons. First, because it is dishonouring to God to play fast and loose with Him; second, it deteriorates character to resolve and not to do, for such failures render the next resolutions still more brittle; third, it is a great hindrance to those who may have heard us make our vows, when we go back on them; fourth, the vow which is not kept shows that we have failed, both in vowing and performing, to rely on the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. When a deed, from the inception of the first thought to its ultimate performance, is wrought in God, there can be no fear that it will not become permanent (Joh 3:21).
If you have vowed to be God’s servant, see that you are as you have vowed; if you have promised service, money, gifts, amendment, or lifelong devotion, be sure that your promise is kept. What a glorious affirmation is in Psa 116:16: “O Lord, truly I am Thy servant.” The reduplication of the sentence is very significant, especially when joined to Psa 118:27. Do we not need to be tied by the cords of faith and hope and love of the mercies of God, and by the keeping grace of the Holy Spirit? Our own resolutions and pledges are so frail and uncertain, but God’s grace is sufficient to make us what we long to be in our best moments (Rom 12:1-2).
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Defend us, O Lord, from the treachery of our unfaithful hearts. We are exceedingly frail and indisposed to every virtuous and gallant undertaking. Grant that we may bring our vessel safe to shore, unto our desired haven. Amen.
READ MORE TOPICS: OPEN HEAVENS, OUR DAILY BREAD, IN TOUCH, SEEDS OF DESTINY, STREAMS OF JOY, JOEL OSTEEN, MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE, DCLM DAILY MANNA, UCB WORD FOR TODAY