Psalm 148:1-14 From the time our three sons were very young until this day I prayed this prayer for them: “Father, I pray our sons will have the same excellent spirit Daniel had. Daniel was filled with Your Spirit, and Your Spirit is excellent.”
This psalm declares that only the name of the Lord is excellent. The word excellent is usually attached to the attributes of the Lord. In the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 Paul speaks of a more excellent way. Whenever we allow God’s Spirit to flow through us and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (God’s love), we are walking in the most excellent way.
Several years ago I was partaking of communion in church when my eyes were drawn to Vladimir, our Russian son. I heard the Lord speak to my heart, “I have called Vladimir to excellence.”
I shared this with Vladimir after church, and I was blessed to know the Lord had inspired me to extend my prayer for my three natural sons to this fine young Russian who is like a son to us. Then my mind flashed back to the time when Vladimir first came to us as an exchange student. At that time he was not a Christian. I was driving him to register him for school when out of my mouth came these words: “Vladimir, you have an excellent heart, and God will use you.”
This was prophetic as Vladimir one year later accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. We have rejoiced as we have seen his growth over the seven-year period he has lived in our home.
Do you want to live an excellent life? Then allow the excellent love of Jesus Christ to be shed abroad from your heart daily by the power of His Holy Spirit.
Lord, help me to remember that the most excellent thing I can do today is to love others as You love them. Empower me by Your Spirit to do this today and every day.
READ: Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 20:1-15; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 31:8-9
