February 12

 "Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation say continually,
‘The Lord be magnified!’" (Psalm 40:16)

 
  This passage is repeated nearly word for word later in Psalm 70:4. The only difference between the two passages is one word. In Psalm 40, David uses the title "Lord." In Psalm 74, David uses exactly the same phrase but changes the title to "God." It would be nonsensical to say that anyone who is blessed with the free gift of salvation would not love this message of joy and hope. It is unimaginable that any human could receive this unspeakably precious gift of grace, bought with so great a price, and not love and treasure it with every cell in their bodies. And yet, no human can even possess the will to seek God – much less love Him – unless it is given to them by their Creator. Jesus reveals in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him.”

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And the Lord confirms in Jeremiah 29:13 that after that calling, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Thus, at this time of noon, let us consider how great a gift we have been given. It is not one that we have made nor one that we have earned, but one given out of the inexpressible and unconditional Love of our God for His elect. This is not just a cause for quiet rejoicing. Instead, it is a cause to prompt us to voice over and over along with King David on each passing day, “The Lord be magnified!”. Just as this phrase is often repeated in Scripture, let it likewise be often repeated in our lives.

 “O God my Father, Lord of Joy and Life, may You indeed be magnified in my walk through this world. May the evidence of Your gracious renewal to a new life in Christ be clearly heard in my voice as it pours forth from my heart, filled and overflowing with all the gladness that cannot be hidden. The Lord be magnified! Amen.”