Continually 2

Yesterday we were looking at some of the things we are called on to do continually: HERE. These are 7 things that the Lord does continually

• The Lord continually preserves His people with His kindness and truth – Ps. 40:11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

• The Lord has goodness that endures forever – Ps. 52:1 The goodness of God endures continually.

• The Lord is our continual refuge – Ps. 71:3 Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.

• The Lord continually blesses us out of Zion – the place of praise – Ps. 128:5 May the Lord continually bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.

• The Lord continually (continuously) thinks about the walls of Jerusalem and He see our names written on His hands – and His love for us is continuous! He is reminded of His covenantal love whenever He looks at our names written on his hands. Is. 49:16 I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
 

• The Lord guides us continually. He also refreshed us during drought, strengthens us, waters us and makes us like a spring of unfailing water – Is. 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

• The Lord Jesus is our High Priest forever (here Melchizedek is compared to Jesus – Heb. 7:3 …but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

Thank You Father for:

Your continual presence

Your kindness and truth

Your goodness

Your protection and refuge

Your blessings

Your thoughts about all Your people

Your guidance

Your covering as our High Priest

You are perfect

Continually

There is a difference between the words: "continuously" and "continually." Both have something to do with duration.

Continually means that something goes on for a long period of time...but there may be intervals of interruption. For example, you could say that it "rains continually in the Seattle area during the winter months." That doesn't mean it rains without ceasing...just that it rains on and off throughout the winter.

Continuously means that something goes on for a period of time without stopping. If you said "it rained continuously in Seattle this past week," that would mean the rain never stopped - it just kept on raining. 

The Hebrew word often used in the verses below is tamiyd, which means to stretch, to continue. Sometimes it combines the meanings from continuous and continual - so sometimes the Holy Spirit is meaning for us to keep going over a period of time...and sometimes He is meaning for us to keep going without stopping.

In this blog post, I am using the adjective continual rather than continuous as it is a more reasonable expectation...although I would never discourage the desire for continuous praises!

The Lord calls us to be before Him continually. This means we – have continual communion with Him...continual access to His presence. Here are some of the key verses that speak of our lives and praises being before Him continually:

• The bread of the presence (showbread) which represented all the people of Israel had to be set before the Lord continually - Ex. 25:30 And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.

• We are called to seek His face continually – 1 Chron. 16:11 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore (continually)!

• There were continual offerings before the Lord during the reign of Jehoiah – 2Chron. 24:14 And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

• David said that he set the Lord always (continually) before himself – Ps. 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved

• David said that praises to God would continually be in his mouth – Ps. 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

• David gives us the words for our continual praise – Ps. 40:16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” (Ps. 35:27; Ps. 70:4)

• The psalmist says He will praise God and hope continually – Ps. 71:6, 14 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You.

But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.

• The Psalmist Asaph gave himself to be with the Lord continually – Ps. 73:23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.

• Hosea desires to wait on God continually – Hos. 12:6 So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.

• The disciples were continually in the temple praising the Lord – Lu. 24:53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

• The disciples gave themselves to continual prayer – Acts 6:4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.  (Acts 10:7)

ª We are now challenged to bring continual sacrifices of praise – Heb. 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Go HERE for Part 2 on this topic