Alamo Ranch Community Church Michael McCracken

This Psalm alludes to the fact that there is a connection between gratitude and the nearness of God. The Psalmist presents 5 eternal realities of God for which we should be ultimately grateful. The barrier can be, however, that we sometimes place ourselves in the position of “god” and see ourselves as fulfilling these things. Therefore, we realize that if one of the keys to nearness with God is gratitude, then one of the keys to gratitude is humility. 

Faith sounds like making our ultimate appeal to God. In this Psalm Asaph leads the congregation in a liturgy of returning to the Lord and hoping once again in His faithful promises.

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” There is so much hope for us in that verse from Philippians 1:6. If we are being honest with ourselves it is likely that we often feel like an incomplete project at best. It is such good news for our soul to consider no only that God mercifully saved us, but that He fully intends to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus. In God’s grace and wisdom we get to see where God worked beautifully in the midst of really messy lives. Jacob, the second born of two twins to Isaac and Rebekah, didn’t set out to wrestle with God, but rather God set out to wrestle with Jacob. The story of Jacob proves that God wasn’t fighting against Jacob but that He very much was fighting for him. As we walk together through the true coming of age story of Jacob may we see this gracious and merciful providence in our own lives. 

Obeying God’s instruction (Genesis 31:3), Jacob leaves Paddan-aram and heads home to Canaan and his father, Isaac. Needless to say this trip, like all of life, has some serious bumps in the road; Jacob’s deception, Rachael’s theft and Laban’s angry attempt at manipulation. Through it all the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob proves Himself faithful to fulfill all He promised to Jacob. (Genesis 28:13-17).  

This event in Jacob’s life teaches what it means to live the gospel “from faith to faith”. (Romans 1:16-17) through Jacob’s fear and deception.

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” There is so much hope for us in that verse from Philippians 1:6. If we are being honest with ourselves it is likely that we often feel like an incomplete project at best. It is such good news for our soul to consider no only that God mercifully saved us, but that He fully intends to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus. In God’s grace and wisdom we get to see where God worked beautifully in the midst of really messy lives. Jacob, the second born of two twins to Isaac and Rebekah, didn’t set out to wrestle with God, but rather God set out to wrestle with Jacob. The story of Jacob proves that God wasn’t fighting against Jacob but that He very much was fighting for him. As we walk together through the true coming of age story of Jacob may we see this gracious and merciful providence in our own lives. 

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” There is so much hope for us in that verse from Philippians 1:6. If we are being honest with ourselves it is likely that we often feel like an incomplete project at best. It is such good news for our soul to consider no only that God mercifully saved us, but that He fully intends to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus. In God’s grace and wisdom we get to see where God worked beautifully in the midst of really messy lives. Jacob, the second born of two twins to Isaac and Rebekah, didn’t set out to wrestle with God, but rather God set out to wrestle with Jacob. The story of Jacob proves that God wasn’t fighting against Jacob but that He very much was fighting for him. As we walk together through the true coming of age story of Jacob may we see this gracious and merciful providence in our own lives.