Unfailing Love and Faithfulness || Psalm 42:8 || Manna for the Mind #97

Welcome to Day 97 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is Psalm 42:8, where we’ll discuss everything from God’s unfailing love to our praiseworthy anthem.

Psalm 42:8

AMP	8 Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song will be with me, A prayer to the God of my life.
NLT	8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.
MSG	8 Then God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God’s prayer.

In the day, we start with God’s unfailing love. We end our days at night by sharing our praise and prayers with him. When we wake up, we can respond with God’s love. God has a path and a plan for us to get through our day, whatever that looks like. During that day, we will speak life and love to those around us and do acts that honor and glorify God. These actions might be at home, in the store, at school, with friends, and more. When we are ready to wrap our day up, God wants us to share with him what happened. Share the things with him that brought you joy. Share the things that concerned you, either with yourself or those around you, to see how God can calm your spirit and help you to be more like him tomorrow.

Psalm 16:7 says the same thing that the psalmist from Psalm 42 said. Let’s read it, with verse 8 (provided for context).

Psalm 16:7-8

AMP	7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me at night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
NLT	7 I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for his right beside me.
MSG	7-8 The wise counsel God gives me when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

Apparently, those sleepless nights when I’m up and my thoughts are racing are God teaching me what to do. Yet those are often rough and bad nights, but God doesn’t do anything that’s bad. God’s providing us rest and telling us what we need to talk to him about. Often, those running thoughts are about things that are causing us unease and a lack of rest. We can receive peace from God that we can’t find anywhere else. It’s a peace that only exists in the middle of the chaos rather than after it settles.

It’s human nature to make plans and ask God to bless them. “God, give me this job.” “God, make this relationship work.” We’re asking God to bless the things that we believe would be best for us when we should be seeking God’s will first. Before we commit to the potential path, seek God’s word about it. Don’t react immediately, but sit and listen to God’s voice to see if it’s part of his plan for you. Acting without receiving may work out, but if it wasn’t a part of that plan, then you will feel it through the rough, bumpy, and chaotic path. However, when we align with God’s plan, we find a deep sense of peace.

By constantly thinking about God and how he wants us to live, we will gain insights to help us make good decisions and live the way God desires. Communicating with God allows him to counsel us and give us wisdom. The more we learn about God’s teaching, understand how we can embrace this teaching, and live out ways that honor God and love our neighbors appropriately, the more we find the purpose of our lives.

Psalm 57:3 talks about how God rescues us through his love and faithfulness.

Psalm 57:3

AMP	3 He will send from heaven and save me; He calls to account him who tramples me down. Selah. God will send out His lovingkindness and truth.
NLT	3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. My God will send for his unfailing love and faithfulness.
MSG	3 He sends orders from heaven and saves me, he humiliates those who kick me around. God delivers generous love, he makes good on his word.

When we think of faithfulness, someone close to us may come to mind. Within the concept of faithfulness, the knowledge that no matter how unlovable we may act, the faithful still accept and love us. At a deeper level, loyalty is needed to keep promises. I’ve been learning recently that regardless of my past, my hurts, my hang-ups, my issues, and everything in between, many people still love me, care for me, want the best for me, and do not hang those judgments and my past over my head.

God’s faithfulness includes these aspects, but he completes them to perfection, something we humans cannot do. He loves us (despite our constant alignment toward sin) and keeps all the promises he has made to us, even when we break our promises to him. His faithfulness is a beacon of hope, a reminder that we can always count on him, even when we falter. Our goal of living a godly life is a consistent commitment to align our thoughts, desires, and actions with how God wants us to live. Our inner nature will guide us to a path of sin and worldly pleasure, and God loves us, nonetheless. His promises to his creation are everlasting, and we can count on this loving, faith-filled relationship to last forever.

Father God, we thank you for your constant love and faith. Promises that we are gifted that will never leave us, no matter how our lives are going. At the end of the day, we need to connect with you to share the good and bad. Help us align our hearts with your desires and refresh our spirits each night to give us the energy, strength, and wisdom needed to get us through each day. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.