Andrew Peterson - "Matthew's Begats" (Official Lyric Video)

“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,

I will now arise,” says the Lord.

“I will protect them from those who malign them.”

6 And the words of the Lord are flawless,

like silver purified in a crucible,

like gold[c] refined seven times.

I think I discovered why I thoroughly enjoy getting up before the sun cracks the darkness. I noticed I love morning quiet times. Today,  I made myself a pot of coffee, turn on the very realistic fireplace, dimmed the lights with the exception of the corner lamp beside my chair, and began reading from the book of Psalms. I found these words soothing as it gave me a glimpse of days gone by of how they related to God, or perhaps felt like God had forgotten them. 

 As I listened to the words of the Matthew begats song I discovered that God never forgot his people. Though it may seem like he did, I realized  that God is working behind the scenes on behalf of us. In Psalms 10 are these words as the Psalmist describes the wicked, "For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, And [d]the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord.
4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.
All his [e]thoughts are, “There is no God.” The longer we stay away from reading God's words and distantly staying away from other believers, the more we can convinced ourselves that God doesn't exist. 

 Accountability doesn't exist in a unbeliever's mind and quite honestly if they don't have to think about the things God deems important for His believers then they can live life free from guilt. Contrarily, a life without any sense of guilt also leaves them empty and out of the blessings our Lord bestows on all believers. 

 Pastor Matthew did an excellent job this morning outlining the 3 sets of generations that illustrate how even we did think God had abandoned us he was actually working behind the scenes on behalf of all of us. This is especially important to know in this era of exploding Covid-19 hospitalizations, deaths, and long term disability because of this virus. 

If you are struggling over the loss of a loved one either by Covid-19 or other cause of death, please know that God loves you more than you could ever imagine. Just as David was once a shepherd to his sheep, Jesus Christ is the ultimate good shepherd looking out for you and helping you through the rough patches of your life. Jesus Christ loves you more than you ever could imagine.

I encourage you to try what I did and pour yourself a cup of hot coffee, or tea for that matter, and grab your bible and start reading the book of Psalms. Don't stop there, but grab a journal and begin writing down key insights from what you read and how the verses impact your life. 

When I first started developing a reading plan, I was told that it takes about 30 days of reading scripture to create a habit.  In time, it will seem natural to arise at that early hour to spend time with God, to read His word and pray for the things on your heart. God never abandoned us. We may think he did, but as you read his word you will sense his presence growing with each new day. 

Finally, I encourage you to listen to Pastor Matthew's message at this link.