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In your good pleasure may Zion prosper. [Psalm 51:18] It is the confident prayer of David, that comes to you and I, as the promise for this new year. God is good, forever and ever. It is the truth in which you need to find your rest, no matter what may have been the path you went through in the past year. It could have been difficult, but even as Joseph was able to say, you too can know that even what was meant for evil, God can surely and certainly transform into goodness in your life, one that blesses you and through you, blesses many. It is in trusting in His goodness that David prayed this prayer of blessing, one that is so very true, and will remain so forever.
And Zion, in the verse above, is much more than the local church, for it encompasses the church of God, made up of each and every child of God. Zion is the dwelling place of God. And when you are a child of God, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, a place where He dwells. He takes pleasure in blessing you, by making Zion a place of delight, as His favor rests upon you, to do good in your life. And it is all because of His goodness and His grace. It is the irrevocable truth, that needs to reverberate in your heart, when you begin to think that you deserve better things in your life!
HIS goodness and grace – the foundation:
And the closer your walk is with God, the more you will know that it is all about His grace. It is His grace that is the source of your every blessing, it is His grace that has given you life and strength this day. God is good. It is the unchanging and everlasting truth upon which the prophet Daniel stood as he prayed for his people, who were then in exile, in a not so favorable situation. And, even in your life, whatever maybe the conflict, or trouble and pain, God remains good and will turn things around. It is the unchanging truth that is yours. David, the psalmist and king, wrote and sang the wonderful psalms with which one can identify with emotionally even now, for he passed through and overcame many battles, finding his strength in the God who never grows weary or tired. The path to the throne was not easy in his life, as one very well knows. But the Psalm 51, through which the word of promise comes to you this day, was not a jubilant one. It was one that sprung forth from the depths of his innermost being, and the emotional turmoil in his heart, as a cry unto the good God who delights in doing good to His children, and causes the sun to shine on the good and the evil.
It was sung by him, when outwardly everything looked good and fine. He was well established as a king, was on the throne, and he seemed to have it all. But inwardly, it was a different story. For, in indulging in adultery that needed to be covered up with the murder of an innocent man, he had stained and corrupted himself on the inside. And though he lived blissfully or wantonly unaware of it all, for a period of time, the voice of God that came to him through the prophet, brought him to his senses. It was a problem of his own making. He could not blame anyone else for it. But David, in turning to God and taking up responsibility for his action, points the way to the solution. For, even in your life, it is by taking up responsibility for your actions, instead of blaming others or justifying it, that your problem, whatever it may be, can be solved in the course of this year.
You and I have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and based on our holiness and righteousness, we would never have made it. And, truth be said, what you and I, really deserve, to put it very bluntly, is hell! But, mercy withheld hell, and grace brought heaven into your life and mine. It is why at the end of the psalm, David approaches God, based on what He has done for us, in order to receive good from Him.
The good that the good God does:
It can be approached in two levels – the hidden or the unseen within you, and what can be visibly seen externally. God delights in doing good to you, and David prays for five things that God needs to do inside him, something that is far more important than merely the external blessing of God upon a person’s life. It is the good that He works out in you, hidden from the eyes of the world, but of greatest blessing to you. It is the forgiveness of your sins.
1. Blood of Christ – cleanses you:
For, the consequence of sin within you, can be unseen by the world, but will plague you unless they are dealt with. It is what was happening in David, a truth that he acknowledges in the sight of God. Even in your life, you need to make a clean break, in order to have a new start, this new year. It is for your own self to be set free from the clutches of sin, and its originator, the devil, that you need to come clean in the presence of God, even as David does, so honestly, in the same psalm, saying -Have mercy upon me, O God, According to your loving kindness, According to the multitude of Your tender mercies , Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. [ Psalm 51:1,2]
In the world system, any wrongdoing or sin, that you may have committed, and all of us are guilty of it in our lives, sticks with you, for the rest of your life. But it is not so with God, when you repent and draw near to Him in faith, acknowledging your wrongdoing, For the Blood of Christ is the propitiation, or the atoning sacrifice, for not just your sins and mine, but the sins of the whole world. [1 John 2:2] And, it is not just swept under the carpet, to be out of sight and hidden. It is much more!
For, the perfect work of the Lord on Calvary, has resulted in a divinely magnificent exchange in you, by which your sins have been carried away, removed as far as the east is from the west. There is forgiveness for your sins, and also a divine cleansing, so that you may not get back into the same problem, from which you have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ. It all becomes so very necessary, for there is an accuser of the brethren, the devil, who is prowling around, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And it is the knowledge of the truth that the Lord has triumphed over him on the Cross, that sets you free, to move forward in God’s path for you.
Sin has to be dealt with:
For David has with clarity described, how his sin was always in front of him, a stumbling block, that needed to be first acknowledged within himself, and then dealt with, in order to move forward and not drift away from what God had prepared for him in the future. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. [Psalm 51:3] The Bible often visualizes the life of a person as a cup, even as David has said, that his cup overflows with the blessings of God. In this psalm too, he uses the analogy of a cup, a cup with a lot of dirt inside, that needs to be washed. And he mentions the word ‘sins’ very specifically as being the reason for it.
Guilt — shame — condemnation:
It is because, the devil is the accuser of the brethren, who keeps accusing you in your mind about it and unless it is dealt with, it can lead to a feeling of guilt. Guilt is dangerous because when it lingers it can take you to a place of shame. Guilt says, ‘you have done wrong’, but shame says, ‘you are wrong’, and takes you to a place of condemnation, where you can begin to think that you can never do anything right, and so there is no point in attempting to do any thing, and a person could go to the extent of thinking that there is no point in living anymore. It is how the devil, tries to take you away from the purposes of God.
2. Power to do what is right:
But, the very reason that Christ came into the world, was to destroy the works of the devil. And, ‘I am wrong’ need no longer be the title that defines you, for, when you are in a right relationship with God, you have the power to do what is right, in this new year. It becomes possible, when you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and His finished work of the Cross, to then enter into a right relationship with God. It is the wonderful good work that God has done in your life. And, even now, just when you begin to move forward, the devil may start reminding you of the wrongs that you have committed, knowingly and unknowingly. But you can overcome the accuser, the lying deceiver, by declaring the truth, that those very transgressions, were forgiven on the Cross, all those years ago. Building upon it, the psalmist prays for three things, as being the good that he desires God to do in him
3. A clean heart:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. [Vs 10] It is your heart, out of which flow the issues of life, and hence there is the need to guard it vigilantly. [Proverbs 4:23] A version of the same verse says that the heart determines the direction or the course of your life. One can see it in the life of the apostle Paul. For, he had all the right spiritual and social background, was highly trained and intellectual, and yet was going in the wrong direction. But the Lord Jesus intervened on his road to Damascus, in a radiant and radical encounter, that totally changed and rewired the direction of his life. It is also the marvelous work, that He has done in your heart and mine, to direct our hearts in the path of the plan and purposes of God. And David, knowing that he needed a new and changed heart, prays unto God, that it would be granted to him, according to God’s good pleasure.
4. A steadfast spirit:
A clean heart that is indwelt by a steadfast, loyal or faithful spirit, is David’s prayer. It is the good that God desires to work out even in your life, for it is so easy to give up in life’s circumstances, when God’s will is that you should persevere in whatever He has called you to do. And, why is it His desire? It is because God never gives up! Though you and I have failed many times, and have also willfully sinned, He never gave up on us. And it is the sole reason why we are alive and seated in His presence this day! And because you serve such a faithful God, to have such a spirit in you, needs to be your desire too. Therefore, never give up on what He has spoken to you, and called you to do. But be determined in Christ who strengthens you, to hold on to His promises to you, in this new year, giving up only on what you do not need anymore, the petty grudges and ill will that would take you away from the good plan that God has for you, to prosper you, and give you peace. And to that end, ‘sustain me with a willing spirit’ is what David goes on to pray. [Vs 12]
5. A willing spirit:
Having a willing spirit, or a spirit of obedience, becomes very vital, when a change needs to happen in you, to get back in line with the purposes of God, as you heed His voice. And, it is not always so easy. For there is always an innate resistance that rises up in you to deter you from doing what you know that you need to do, or at least postpone it as much as possible. But David knew the change that he needed to make, and he also did not want to keep putting it off for a future date. He prays therefore for a willing spirit in him from God, so that he could obey the voice of God willingly and joyfully. And, today is the day of salvation, the bible exhorts you. Therefore, if you hear the voice of God today, then you need to obey it today, without setting God any terms or conditions, regarding the manner in which He has to bless you. It is why the rich young man went away sad faced, even after coming to Jesus, and asking Him the right question. Zacchaeus though, overjoyed as he was, set the Lord no terms and conditions, but, even without Him saying anything, promised to give back all that he had taken wrongly from others. And then, ‘today, salvation has come to this house’, were the Lord’s favorable words of blessing to him. In your life, it all becomes possible too, when it is a relationship with the Lord, grounded and rooted in love for Him, and not just at the beginning of this year, but every day of your life, all through your life. It is through the steps of obedience of a willing spirit in you, one step at a time, that God lifts you up to the place of blessing, that He desires for you.
And when you go to Him, humbly acknowledging your need for a heart that is changed, and your inability to accomplish it in your own strength, He says to you, that He will do it in you. And that is His will! It is expressed wonderfully in the words of the prophet Ezekiel. [Ezekiel 36:25-27] In other words, what you cannot do in your own strength, God will do it for you, and in you. And the blessing of salvation is the greatest of it all.
The importance of sanctification:
It is pleasurable for God to prosper you, even as something deep inside you is set right through the process of sanctification. He works on the inside of you, so that you may be sanctified to succeed, or purified to prosper.
HIS good pleasure :
And, the following verses of promise from the good God to you, even as you begin this new year, give a beautiful picture of the manner in which He is going to prosper you in every aspect of your life. For it pleases God to bless you. [Numbers 24:1] It is never out of compulsion, but it is a very pleasurable experience for God to bless you. The heart of a mother, who finds great joy and satisfaction, in just watching her child relish and eat to the full, what she has lovingly prepared, is in a very small way, a picture of it. And sometimes, you may be satisfied, but God’s heart is never satisfied, when it comes to blessing you. His heart longs to see His children reach their full potential in life.
1. He delights in every detail of your life:
The steps of a righteous person are ordered by God. And He looks with favor, or delights in his ways. [Psalm 37:23] It can be signified in the Lord’s words, that even the very hair on your head are all numbered. He cares about even the very small intricacies of your life, and finds delight in fulfilling them, or setting them right. What you have not thought about, He has thought it out. Such is the God, you worship.
2. He will enlarge your sphere of influence:
He also brought me out into a broad place. He delivered me because He delighted in me. [2 Samuel 22:20] It is what you need to expect to happen in your life in this new year, and not just in a physical sense, but in every area of your life. Therefore, if you have been faithful in little until now, God is going to enlarge you, because He delights in you, and not to be popular, but purposeful.
3. God has given, for you to possess:
For they did not gain possession of the land by their word; nor did their own arm save them. But it was Your right Hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. [Psalm 44:3] Even what is difficult, will come to you from God very easily, because He delights in you, and His favor is upon you. The land is yours to receive and possess.
4.Victory is yours, for He delights in you:
By this I know that you delight in me; My enemies do not triumph over me. [Psalm 41:11] You are on the verge of a miracle, and you only need to stand your ground. Therefore do not give up on what He has promised you. Do not throw away your confidence, for it has a great reward. For if you give up, you are throwing away the victory that lies ahead of you; a victory that is yours because He delights in you.
5. The beloved of the Lord, shall dwell in safety:
It is the prophetic promise that very specifically comes to you and I this day – The beloved of the Lord, shall dwell in safety by Him; Who shelters him all the day long; [Deuteronomy 33:12] You are so loved by the Lord God Almighty, that you can dwell safely and securely, protected and sheltered by Him. You are surrounded by His everlasting love, His favor and grace, as a shield of protection, from the top of your head, to the tip of your toes, that you may be blessed and prosper, for it is His good pleasure. What a privilege it is to worship God, the Father, giving thanks unto Him, for giving us His Son, For the Cross where He has dealt with our sins. For, if there was no Cross, there would be no crown; If His Blood was not shed, there would be no purpose in our lives. May we bow down, worship and adore Him, offering thanks for the new heart that is in us today, and the willing, steadfast, persevering spirit in us, through which we will never give up, but stand our ground to see victory in our lives, for it is the Lord’s good pleasure that we may prosper and be blessed. May every lack and inability in you be removed, and may you see open doors, and experience the Lord’s gracious and abundant favor upon your life.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
