Manna For Today: Psalm 40

Psalm 40:1-17

Key Verses: 40:9-10

“When your people worshiped, you know I told them, “Our Lord always helps!” When all your people met, I did not keep silent. I said, “Our Lord is kind. Our Lord is faithful and caring, and saves us.” CEV

“Our Lord always helps.” “Our Lord is kind. Our Lord is faithful and carrying and saves us.” When I was growing up it was common for people to stand up and share how good God had been in their lives. Every week someone would speak about how a way in which they had seen the grace, the mercy and the goodness of God at work in their life in the past week. Sure some would stand up and speak of blessings long gone, but there was an unwritten rule that one should really be sharing about something which happened in that last week or so. Hearing the testimonies of others gave me examples so that I was able to learn to pay attention to the ways God works in our lives on a regular basis. And it gave us a language of thanksgiving which allowed us to be able to share with one another the ways God was being good to us.

This is not so much a practice in the Churches I have pastored over the years. It is not our habit to share with one another the ways God is good to us. We have lost the language we once had. And in losing the language I wonder if we have lost the ability to pay attention, to notice all the ways God is good to us. We are unable to share all the ways God is good to us because we no longer see all the small ways God’s goodness, mercy, and grace fill our lives.

Anything that is good, anything that is beautiful, anything that brings you joy, anything that bring laughter into your life, anything that brings a smile to your face, these are ways God is reaching into your life. These are the ways the Lord’s goodness is being made manifest in each of your days.  God is good! We just need to take the time to notice.

 

Thing to Think on

As you go through your day, take time to notice all the small ways God’s goodness can be seen.

Take time to share one of these with someone else today.

Try to make it a habit to let others know how God is blessing  you each and every day.

 

A Prayer for Today

         Lord God. You are good. There are so many good and beautiful things in my life. Help me to take notice of how you work in the mundane places in my life. Help me to see how much goodness and beauty you with which you fill my life. Teach how to be thankful. Teach how to share your goodness with others. Help me to proclaim your righteousness, your goodness and your mercy to all who will listen. - Amen