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I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones. O Lord, I am your servant;I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19)
When I was attracted to Nellie, I started writing her name on anything I could, just to express how I was feeling about her. As I talked on the phone with her, a nearby envelope, or scrap piece of paper, I would write N E L L I E. I knew I already loved her and this was one way of expressing it. We love the Lord, and how do we express it? Would you believe that when I get a new pen, I write down J E S U S. Or I'll even write out I LOVE THE LORD. That's just one tiny way of expressing the Lord. But as I read this morning's Upper Room devotional guide, the writer spoke of a dark time in her life and how she thought God and God's love were far from her. She approached a friend and shared her sadness with her. The friend suggested she write down all the blessings she had received during each day as a reminder of God's closeness and God's love. So, she started a practice of writing down right before bed, three blessings that she had received. It became a practice that blessed her and reminded her of how much she was loved by God.
Do you have that need? It might bless your life, to write down just three things that God has done for you during that particular day. It's another way of saying, GOD LOVES ME! That's what the psalmist did in this psalm. He wrote down that he loved God because God listens. God gets close enough so that He can hear us. God gave us salvation and we should praise God for that. We should give unto the Lord as He has required. God has set us free, and has given us enough blessings that every day should be a day of Thanksgiving! Call out to God and God will listen!
PRAYER: Loving God, let today be a day of new beginnings. May I take the time to reflect deeply on Your love for me. As I record Your blessings, let me be a blessing to others. May it be that someone might write down my name for having blessed them with my love. This I pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen!
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Write that down!
Eradio Valverde
