(A personal praise-psalm)
You, Lord Jesus Christ, are our Source of everything—the salvation of our souls, the sustainer of our lives, the sufficiency in all our circumstances, the Supreme One over all (Colossians 1:16-18)!
For example:
As you, O Christ were raised from the dead . . . we too may live a new life (Romans 6:4).
Our lives can be marked by wholeness, contentment, freedom, authentic fellowship with you and with each other. “It’s life as it was always meant to be”*—if we choose it.
In you, O Christ we become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).
You give us new views, new desires, new motives, new principles to live by, new plans for our lives, new purpose.
I praise you that over the decades you’ve been working these entities into my life slowly but surely. (I’ve been the slow part, you are the surely part!)
With you, O Christ, we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with you (Romans 8:17).
God is our Father and we are his. We’re under his care, privileged with access in his presence, blessed with his peace, joy, and more. He is our King, and one day we will live with you, Lord Jesus, in our Father’s kingdom of heaven.
Because of you, O Christ, we can come boldly and confidently into God’s presence (Ephesians 3:12 NLT).
You have made it possible for us to draw near–no matter how unworthy we may feel–into the safety, security, and warmth of God’s presence. There we can turn over our burdens to him and rest in his love.
Through you, O Christ, we can do all things which you call us to do (Philippians 4:13).
You provide the inner strength and power to fulfill God’s purpose for us; you make us ready for anything and equal to anything!
The converse is also true:
Apart from you, O Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Our Father God didn’t design us to be self-sufficient, independent creatures. Relationship was his key motivation for creating us. The greatest outcomes result from working together with you, Lord Jesus, and also the greatest joy.
For you, O Christ, we’ve been commissioned as ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV).
We’re your representatives, privileged to act and speak on your behalf. We get to invite those around us to receive your gift of eternal life and begin a life-changing relationship with you.
No other gift is as desirable; no other privilege more thrilling.
From you, O Christ, we receive an anointing (1 John 2:20a) for our work as your ambassadors.
Just like the kings and prophets of Old Testament times, you set us apart for special purpose, giving us divine authority and blessing as your servants.
You provide the Holy Spirit—our Helper, Teacher, and Guide, who empowers, transforms, renews, and more.
On you, O Christ, we fix our thoughts (Hebrews 3:1), because . . .
. . . “What we focus on is what we become” (Epictetus, Greek philosopher).
How glorious to become like you—loving, selfless, humble, and gracious—all those beautiful qualities you demonstrated when you lived on earth.
Shalom is sure to follow.
To you, O Christ, be glory (2 Peter 3:18)!
You are the source of all blessings. From you and through you and to you are all things.
May all see the splendors of who you are and what you do; may all desire to know you and enjoy every benefit you graciously bestow.
Amen!
*https://thegracecommentary.com/romans-6/
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From the Inside Out 
Thank you for sharing this inspiring post with us on this last day of April! Your posts are little gifts we get to open…I am so glad I found this one today!
Aw, thank you Linda. The blessing is mine to present you a gift you were glad to open. Praise God!
Thank you, Nancy. for sharing your passion for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Your reflections are always so uplifting! 🙂
Praise God you find uplift here, Nancy!
Amen. To God be the glory. Have a blessed day!
Thank you, Melissa. It has been a blessed day–chilly but plenty of sunshine to make the deck pansies glow. (I love pansies–such happy spring flowers!) To God be the glory indeed, for all he’s provided, including the gift of his creation!
Nancy, Thank you for such a beautiful reminder of have much we have to be thankful for as a child of God. Such beautiful nuggets to hold on in the months and years to come.
Thank you for your encouragement, as always, Anita. We do have SO much to be thankful as God’s children. We do well to examine frequently the beautiful nuggets about our Father. He is worthy of our meditation and we are blessed in the process!
Such great truths! I love “I’ve been the slow part, you are the surely part!” How often we must interfere with God’s plan and how gracious He is to stick with us when we “misstep!”
I was just thinking this morning about the missteps I’ve made in my life, juxtaposed against the verse, “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (Psam 33:11 NIV). Even my sins have not caught him by surprise, and surely cannot change or thwart his plans. He somehow takes the stray thread of my waywardness and weaves it back into his design that “stands firm forever.” Hallelujah! / Couldn’t agree with you more, Linda, that our Father is indeed gracious, to stick with us even when we misstep. That deserves another Hallelujah!
Amen and amen, again and again! Thank you, Nancy, for this inspirational reminder of how God loves us.
Praise God you found inspiration here, Martha!
As always, your posts are uplifting!
“God is our Father and we are his. We’re under his care, privileged with access in his presence, blessed with his peace, joy, and more. He is our King, and one day we will live with you, Lord Jesus, in our Father’s kingdom of heaven.”
Amen!! Thank you, Nancy.
Praise God you find uplift here, Pam!
Amen ❤️
Thank you, Lisa, and praise God!
Thank you for this, Nancy. I’ve been saving it in my inbox for a time when I could give it a deep read. I was struck by how much we need his help even in offering up praise to him in a way that is adequate to his majesty.
So true, Michele. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That would have to include meaningful praise, and that’s why I often pray scripture back to God. The words take on more meaning when they come from HIS Word.
Beautiful words full of praise! Using the psalms as a format is a great practice!
Thank you, Jean. Praise God you found beauty here!
Nancy, this was such a heart-felt psalm of love and devotion, and a wonderful reminder of all that our Lord is to us, and calling on us to focus on Him so we became more like Him. I especially loved the line where you admitted you were the slowly part, and God was the surely part. How true! This was refreshing in such a beautiful way. Thank you.
I’m so glad you found refreshment and beauty here, Dayle. Praise God!
I love your focus on scripture. Thank you for these amazing reminders of the riches that are ours in knowing Christ. Blessings, Nancy!
I don’t like to assume that what I think the Bible might say is indeed somewhere between its covers! God’s Word deserves to be handled rightly, not glibly. And just in case someone should wonder, “The Bible really says THAT?”, I like to make it easy for them to confirm! / We do enjoy so many riches, the result of knowing Christ. Praise God for his over-the-top benevolence!
Well said, Nancy!
Your post echoes what our pastor preached a week ago, Nancy. He said our focus on the presence of Jesus on earth – from the Incarnation to the Resurrection – tends to overshadow the Ascension, which is transformative moment where Jesus becomes Lord of all. Your quote from Colossians – “… Supreme One over all” – made me think of that. One Lord!
Isn’t it delightful to hear those echoes of truth? I take them as confirmation that God wants me to pay special attention to that truth. There’s so much comfort in knowing Christ is sovereign over all, because he is completely holy and righteous, motivated by love in everything he does. That IS a truth to hold close to the heart!
Oh Nancy, Ephesians 3:12 is the verse I was thinking about this morning, although I couldn’t remember that it was from Ephesians. But I kept thinking to myself, “God doesn’t want you to be afraid when you approach the throne.” It’s a challenge for me to imagine not being afraid though…and I go back to this verse for encouragement. Thank you for sharing!
Ephesians 3:12 is a perfect verse when that specter of fear shows up, guiding you to imagine a loving Father who takes pleasure in those who honor him, in those who trust in his constant love (Psalm 147:11). That’s you, Stacey!
BEAUTIFUL!!! And so true and uplifting!!!
Thank you, Cheri. Praise God you found beauty and uplift here!
Beautiful reflection Nancy! One of your readers wrote that your blog was a gift to them to open, everytime it came—I so agree with that thought. God bless you!
Oh, Katie, I’m deeply honored you’d consider these posts to be like gifts each week. PRAISE GOD for every topic-idea, every thought to share! He IS the Source of everything, isn’t he! YOU have blessed me richly today, my friend!
So–that is a blessing to read! 🙂 I’m praying for you and yours right now Nancy! 🙂
Thank you so much for your prayers. I pray you enjoy a blessed Mother’s Day, Katie!
I pray you have a blessed Mother’s Day too!! 🙂
Very good and lovely! I enjoyed the Chadwick verse, too, thank you, Nancy!
Thank you, Dana. Praise God for being our all-in-all, even as we blog! 😊
For sure!
Amen. Nancy, thank you for sharing this invitation to peel back layers of our Father’s Word. Every verse opens a blessed avenue of transforming light. God’s peace.
Amen, Richard. And isn’t it glorious that no matter how much we study the Bible, there are always new insights to discover, “blessed avenues of transforming light” to explore! (‘Love your poetic ways of expression!)