JANUARY 29

“I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay. And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord” - Psalm 40:1-3.

Elizabeth Barrett ranks as one of England's best loved and famous poets. After suffering a spinal injury at the age of 15 years and becoming partially handicapped as a result, Elizabeth confined to her bedroom, read voraciously and became a brilliant scholar and author. Her poems touched the heart of Robert Browning, and the pair began a correspondence that resulted in them falling deeply in love and marrying in 1846. Four years later Elizabeth wrote one of the most exquiaite love poems known to the English language:-

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

my soul can reach....(Sonnet 43).

The psalmist David too, in Psalm 116 bursts into a love song of praise to God. Bursting from the depths of his heart David wrote:

“I love the Lord because He hears my voice and supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me. Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live” (vs. 1-2)

Robert Browning loved Elizabeth because, through their exchange of letters, they listened to each other's cares, concerns, and joys. David does the same as he says in effect in vs. 1-2, I love Him because He hears me when I call on Him. David in his life went through the troughs and valleys but he always took his problems to the Lord in prayer.

Do you ever wonder if the Lord truly hears your prayers? When the weight of life is heavy on your shoulders – when set-backs, roadblocks, and disappointments threaten to sink your once boyant confidence in God, can you still say, “How do I love thee God?” Do you wait patiently for the Lord to hear your cry? - to put a new song in your mouth, a song of praise?

Robert's love for Elizabeth had wide reaching effects on her life and amazing improvement to her health. God's love for us offers eternal life, with no more pain, suffering, or parting from our loved ones. We can trust that God hears our prayers. We can have confidence that He is listening, and we can trust that He will answer our prayers....in His time.

Our song for today is a good Gospel classic, “My Life, My Love, My All” - Kirk Franklin. Click on the picture to listen.