The Lord’s Great Love

THE LORD’S GREAT LOVE

a prayer to open

My Lord, my God, show me your heart. Ground me in your presence.

Draw me near and hold me close.

I will sing of the LORD’s unfailing love forever!

Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.

Your unfailing love will last forever.

Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

The LORD said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.

I have sworn this oath to him:

‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;

they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”

All heaven will praise your great wonders, LORD;

myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.

For who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD?

What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD? . . .

O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies!

Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O LORD?

You are entirely faithful.

You rule the oceans.

You subdue their storm-tossed waves.

You crushed the great sea monster.

You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;

everything in the world is yours—you created it all. . . .

Powerful is your arm!

Strong is your hand!

Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.

Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD.

They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.

They exult in your righteousness.

You are their glorious strength.

It pleases you to make us strong.

Yes, our protection comes from the LORD,

and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king. . . .

“I will love him and be kind to him forever;

my covenant with him will never end.

I will preserve an heir for him;

his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.

But if his descendants forsake my instructions

and fail to obey my regulations, . . .

then I will punish their sin with the rod,

and their disobedience with beating.

But I will never stop loving him

nor fail to keep my promise to him. . . .

I have sworn an oath to David,

and in my holiness I cannot lie:

His dynasty will go on forever;

his kingdom will endure as the sun.

It will be as eternal as the moon,

my faithful witness in the sky!”

Scholars believe that this psalm was written by a musician who lived during David’s reign. It confirms what has come to be known as the Davidic covenant, or God’s promise to David (see 2 Samuel 7:11-16), which states that the Messiah would come from David’s line and the tribe of Judah and establish a Kingdom that would last forever. In the midst of uncertainty and despair, the psalmist holds on to what he knows is true: God keeps his promises. Even when we don’t see a clear path to what he has promised, we can trust in his faithfulness.

• What does it mean to you that God is faithful to his promises? How have you experienced his faithfulness? How might you share with others the story of God’s faithfulness in your life?
• In verse 15, we read that those who “walk in the light of” God’s presence are blessed. What does it mean to walk in the light of God’s presence?
• Reflect on a time that you have felt uncertain or confused about your future. What promises of God were you (or are you) relying on?

Use Psalm 89:1-18 as a prayer for today.