Read:
Reflect:
In our previous devotional we reflected on the steadfast love of God to us over the past year. Now we begin the new year by considering that same love in Psalm 33 for the days that lie ahead. The psalmist first looks back on the past goodness of God and urges everyone to burst out with loud shouting, singing and melodious use of instruments:
1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. 2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts (vv 1-3).
This sets the stage for the amazing description of the Lord that follows and which we will now explore briefly.
It is God’s nature to be honorable in what he says, and to always act with fidelity (v 4). He loves, and in fact defines, goodness and fairness; and he fills his world to overflowing with his steadfast love (v 5). So it is clear that God is deeply relational. All of these qualities are not merely isolated virtues, but active and dynamic characteristics coming to expression as he relates to people. The Lord is unchangeably kind, good, and above all else, loving toward his creation. It is immensely important for our well-being to recognize this about God’s nature for it shows us that we can approach him confident of acceptance.
God is also powerfully creative (vv 6-9). He simply spoke to bring the heavens and earth into existence. The grandeur and beauty of all he made displays his glorious power and creative ingenuity to anyone who observes it. And this is the earth into which he pours his steadfast love. The fitting response, as we observe the immensity and intricacy of the vast universe, is not to worship the creation, but to show authentic fear/respect and reverential awe to the Lord who spoke it all into being (v 8).
The steadfast love of the Lord comes to expression in his wisdom (vv 10-12). His counsel trumps all human advice. It lasts forever and stands true for every generation. It is therefore the height of wisdom for us to seek the counsel of the Lord to direct our lives. The fact that God offers us his counsel is an amazing act of his steadfast love. Blessed indeed are those whose God is the Lord (v 12).
The omniscience and sovereignty of the Lord also displays his steadfast love (vv 13-19). God not only sees and knows everything but also governs all things according to his purposes. At one level this sounds threatening to our freedom and sense of meaning in our human endeavours. Nevertheless, the Lord does not use his total insight and power against us. For those who fear/honor him and hope in his steadfast love he shows infinite care. His eye is on them with steadfast love.
Since all of the above affirmations reveal to us a God who is good, creative, wise, powerful and full of steadfast love, we place our full trust in him and wait for his provision. As the psalmist says so eloquently in vv 20-21:
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
Perhaps there is no better way to begin 2023 than to let these wonderful qualities of the Lord, highlighted by his steadfast love, sink deeply into our souls, and guide us in this new year.
Respond:
We cannot manufacture the steadfast love of the Lord, it comes to us as a divine gift freely given. So may our prayer echo that of David, the psalmist:
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.