“The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord.” The Psalmist was saying that the enemy had plowed and planted seeds of an evil plan in the lives of God’s people. But the LORD, in is His loving-kindness, did not allow those plans to come to full bloom.

The song playing in the background of our reading today is “Do It Again” by Mack Donald Brock / Christopher Joel Brown / Steven Furtick / Matt Redman

Walking around these walls
I thought by now they’d fall
But You have never failed me yet

Waiting for change to come
Knowing the battle’s won
For You have never failed me yet

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed me yet

I know the night won’t last
Your word will come to pass
My heart will sing Your praise again

Jesus You’re still enough
Keep me within Your love, oh
My heart will sing Your praise again
(Oh, yes, it will)

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 129, The Message

^1-4 “They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young”
    —this is how Israel tells it—
“They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young,
    but they never could keep me down.
Their plowmen plowed long furrows
    up and down my back;
But God wouldn’t put up with it,
    he sticks with us.
Then God ripped the harnesses
    of the evil plowmen to shreds.”

^5-8 Oh, let all those who hate Zion
    grovel in humiliation;
Let them be like grass in shallow ground
    that withers before the harvest,
Before the farmhands can gather it in,
    the harvesters get in the crop,
Before the neighbors have a chance to call out,
    “Congratulations on your wonderful crop!
    We bless you in God’s name!”

TRUTH:  God doesn’t put up with evil and evil’s schemes working through mankind for very long.  God wins in the end and blesses those who believe and stay close to Him with eternal life.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed me yet
Never failed me yet
Oh, oh-oh

I’ve seen You move, You move the mountains
And I believe I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe I’ll see You do it again

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I’m still in Your hands
This is my confidence
You’ve never failed me yet…

Proverb 28:1, The Message

WISDOM: “The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions.”

Abba, Father in Heaven,

You ARE my confidence!  Without you I am but easy prey to the enemy.  With you I am as bold as lion.  Thank you for being with us always.  Great IS your faithfulness to all who believe and follow the sound of your voice.  Holy are you, Lord.  Great are You, Lord and worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving.  Help us to keep working faithfully, wisely and diligently, leaving nothing undone but done well until you come for your own.

In Jesus Name, Amen