Jesus, Everything I Need is in You

"Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful".

How wonderful are these words! Too many times I fail to give honor and praise to the Lord for all the goodness he has shown to me. I have not deserved his salvation, but because of his sovereign pleasure he has chosen me to be his child. I cannot thank him enough for his supreme grace, love and mercy. He is the reason my soul can find rest. As Augustine has once proclaimed, "Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee, O Lord".

In our ever progressive culture, it is so easy to suppress the wonders of the One who has saved us. As C.S. Lewis stated, "We are far too easily pleased." Because of our consumer mentality, we are far too often satisfied in created things when our true satisfaction comes from Jesus. It is only when our heads hit the pillow that we have "time" to remember the goodness of the Lord, and we must confess that we fall victim to this more often than we should. The Lord is so much more worthy than afterthoughts - he is the author and perfecter of our faith!

As a whole, I think we can relate so easily to Derek Webb's line in his song "Wedding Dress": "Cause I am too easily satisifed, by the call of a lover so less wild" The Lord of the universe has called us into His presence through His Son, and yet we still seek satisfaction in earthly things. Sometimes I feel like Paul in Romans 7: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" But, praise God Romans 8 follows: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Amen and amen! And to this, all we can offer is worship to our mighty King!

To those who feel like this every once in a while (or perhaps more than we would dare to admit), we have our hope placed upon Jesus who has taken our place on the cross. He is the righteousness that has come apart from the law, and through Him we have a perfect and eternal redemption. He is the Great High Priest who makes intercession for us; He is the Everlasting King that has won the victory for us; He is Bloodied Warrior who has conquered sin for us; He is worthy to be worshiped and praised!

Lord, constantly cause us to remember Your mighty works, that we may fall before You in awe of Your grace and mercy!
Soli Deo Gloria