Let us meditate today on this psalm of praise and petition:
Psalm 19
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hid from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
There is a beauty and a consistency in how God
Provides for us, acts toward us, speaks to us.
Let us celebrate that today.
Blessings,
Ron
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Let them praise ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Psalm 148
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD!
Blessings,
Ron
Psalm 148
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD!
Blessings,
Ron
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Some burdens ...
For today, a prayer:
O Holy One,
O King of all kings,
and Lord of all lords,
We come before you now
your people, a burdened people.
We come with burdens that belong to us,
and burdens that belong to others.
We come with burdens given to us,
and burdens we have placed on our own shoulders.
O Mighty One, we bring these burdens to you.
Some burdens we ask you to take from us,
so we might lift less weary hands to praise you.
Some burdens we ask you to heal,
so we might stand together unimpeded
in your presence.
Some burdens we ask you to change
from burden into blessing,
if only in that we see the gifts
you give us aright.
Some burdens we ask you to teach us to carry,
so we might suffer alongside you
as you work to bring healing
and wholeness to your world, even now,
as a foretaste of tomorrow and forever.
So now, O Mighty One, we ask you to lift us up,
burdens and all.
Even now, lift us up so that we might see and praise
you as you will only be fully revealed
in the end of all time:
clearly King, indisputably Lord,
incontestably One God, Only God,
infinitely removed from all impostors.
Even as we see the work of your hand,
we do not understand.
Even when we see you face to face,
you will remain beyond our comprehension.
Yet because of your steadfast love we know you,
love you, trust you, hope in you –
Today and tomorrow and until Jesus comes.
Until then we pray through him and for him
to come again.
Amen.
In all things praise God,
Ron
O Holy One,
O King of all kings,
and Lord of all lords,
We come before you now
your people, a burdened people.
We come with burdens that belong to us,
and burdens that belong to others.
We come with burdens given to us,
and burdens we have placed on our own shoulders.
O Mighty One, we bring these burdens to you.
Some burdens we ask you to take from us,
so we might lift less weary hands to praise you.
Some burdens we ask you to heal,
so we might stand together unimpeded
in your presence.
Some burdens we ask you to change
from burden into blessing,
if only in that we see the gifts
you give us aright.
Some burdens we ask you to teach us to carry,
so we might suffer alongside you
as you work to bring healing
and wholeness to your world, even now,
as a foretaste of tomorrow and forever.
So now, O Mighty One, we ask you to lift us up,
burdens and all.
Even now, lift us up so that we might see and praise
you as you will only be fully revealed
in the end of all time:
clearly King, indisputably Lord,
incontestably One God, Only God,
infinitely removed from all impostors.
Even as we see the work of your hand,
we do not understand.
Even when we see you face to face,
you will remain beyond our comprehension.
Yet because of your steadfast love we know you,
love you, trust you, hope in you –
Today and tomorrow and until Jesus comes.
Until then we pray through him and for him
to come again.
Amen.
In all things praise God,
Ron
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Who keeps faith forever ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Psalm 146
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals,
in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion,
for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 146
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals,
in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion,
for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Taste and see ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22)
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22)
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wrapped in light ...
Meditate on the word of the Lord with me:
Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.
You set the earth on its foundations,
so that it shall never be shaken.
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they flee;
at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
They rose up to the mountains,
ran down to the valleys to the place
that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Praise the LORD!
How do we bless God? What is it that we have to give God? The praise from our heart and our mind, the songs and prayers that cross our lips, these are the blessings we place at the feet of the Holy One. Yes, even praise offered out of duty is praise. Yet the praise that is purest and the greatest blessing to the giver and recipient is that offered from a grateful heart.
The beautiful praise of this song begins with God as this powerful other, in the distant reaches of our universe, the place where light begins. God gradually descends, closer and closer to the divine creation. The song will end with God on the face of the world where we live, shaping the life that surrounds us.
This God is so holy, so other, that only light is suitable for clothing. This God is so powerful that God stretches the stars, the planets, and moons to cover us with the same dexterity and sureness that parents pitch tents for their families in the desert. Every night God stops the journey to stretch this amazing cover over our heads. Every morning God gathers it up again.
The greatest of kings, the pharaohs, ride their barges down the river in order to see the full extent of their kingdom. God places the beams of heavenly chambers into the river of the firmament itself, regally observing the work of the people of God, and fully aware of the actions of those who oppose them.
The great kings ride their glorious chariots, decorated with precious metals, pulled by the noblest and most beautiful of horses. God rides a chariot of cloud through the sky, simple, yet beautiful beyond description. It is beyond human ability to create, changing shapes in the sky as might please its maker. The winds are the horses that pull the chariot of God: powerful, invisible, mysterious. As God travels, the divine one sends forth messengers: fire, flame, lightning make known the divine presence.
God set this world in its place. As God has clothed Godself with light, God clothes the world with water. The ancients saw water to be dangerous and destructive, the seas as chaos itself. Yet these rebellious waters retreat to where God sends them, and flee like disobedient children from his angry presence. Submissive, they follow their divinely prescribed course from the heavens, to the mountains, down the streams and rivers, to the seas. The waters may crash and rage, but never again will their rebellion be allowed to rage unbridled.
All the world submits to the power of God, because God made all of the world. As if this universe were not glorious enough, God populates this planet with life: diverse, plentiful, amazing. And among this life he creates the human. This humanity can see, can comprehend, and can praise the work of this Creator God.
So may we praise the name and work of God today.
Blessings,
Ron
Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.
You set the earth on its foundations,
so that it shall never be shaken.
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they flee;
at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
They rose up to the mountains,
ran down to the valleys to the place
that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Praise the LORD!
How do we bless God? What is it that we have to give God? The praise from our heart and our mind, the songs and prayers that cross our lips, these are the blessings we place at the feet of the Holy One. Yes, even praise offered out of duty is praise. Yet the praise that is purest and the greatest blessing to the giver and recipient is that offered from a grateful heart.
The beautiful praise of this song begins with God as this powerful other, in the distant reaches of our universe, the place where light begins. God gradually descends, closer and closer to the divine creation. The song will end with God on the face of the world where we live, shaping the life that surrounds us.
This God is so holy, so other, that only light is suitable for clothing. This God is so powerful that God stretches the stars, the planets, and moons to cover us with the same dexterity and sureness that parents pitch tents for their families in the desert. Every night God stops the journey to stretch this amazing cover over our heads. Every morning God gathers it up again.
The greatest of kings, the pharaohs, ride their barges down the river in order to see the full extent of their kingdom. God places the beams of heavenly chambers into the river of the firmament itself, regally observing the work of the people of God, and fully aware of the actions of those who oppose them.
The great kings ride their glorious chariots, decorated with precious metals, pulled by the noblest and most beautiful of horses. God rides a chariot of cloud through the sky, simple, yet beautiful beyond description. It is beyond human ability to create, changing shapes in the sky as might please its maker. The winds are the horses that pull the chariot of God: powerful, invisible, mysterious. As God travels, the divine one sends forth messengers: fire, flame, lightning make known the divine presence.
God set this world in its place. As God has clothed Godself with light, God clothes the world with water. The ancients saw water to be dangerous and destructive, the seas as chaos itself. Yet these rebellious waters retreat to where God sends them, and flee like disobedient children from his angry presence. Submissive, they follow their divinely prescribed course from the heavens, to the mountains, down the streams and rivers, to the seas. The waters may crash and rage, but never again will their rebellion be allowed to rage unbridled.
All the world submits to the power of God, because God made all of the world. As if this universe were not glorious enough, God populates this planet with life: diverse, plentiful, amazing. And among this life he creates the human. This humanity can see, can comprehend, and can praise the work of this Creator God.
So may we praise the name and work of God today.
Blessings,
Ron
Friday, September 11, 2009
As long as I live ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals,
in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God,
O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 146
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals,
in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God,
O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 146
Friday, August 14, 2009
Magnify the Lord with me ...
Hear the word of the Lord from Psalm 34:
I will bless the LORD at all times;
praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
Every day is the right day,
every time is the right time to praise God.
Those who are humble, and not totally tangled up
in their own lives will hear, and gladly add
their voices to the song.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,
and was saved from every trouble.
Our worship does not protect us from fear,
But faithfully practiced, it will deliver us from fear.
Though we may be troubled, let us never be ashamed.
May our hope in our God change the look on our face
And the way that we walk.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those
who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
Not all messengers are visible, not all angelic hosts are seen;
remember the servant of Elisha and the hills
around their camp that great day.
Even beyond that, remember the name Emmanuel –
God is with us – because God is really with us.
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift his countenance upon you –
and give you peace.
Ron
Psalm 34:1-8; 2 Kings 6:17; Number 6:24-27
I will bless the LORD at all times;
praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
Every day is the right day,
every time is the right time to praise God.
Those who are humble, and not totally tangled up
in their own lives will hear, and gladly add
their voices to the song.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,
and was saved from every trouble.
Our worship does not protect us from fear,
But faithfully practiced, it will deliver us from fear.
Though we may be troubled, let us never be ashamed.
May our hope in our God change the look on our face
And the way that we walk.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those
who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
Not all messengers are visible, not all angelic hosts are seen;
remember the servant of Elisha and the hills
around their camp that great day.
Even beyond that, remember the name Emmanuel –
God is with us – because God is really with us.
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift his countenance upon you –
and give you peace.
Ron
Psalm 34:1-8; 2 Kings 6:17; Number 6:24-27
Saturday, July 11, 2009
All creation ...
Today, a prayer:
Your are God and we praise you,
you are the Lord and we acclaim you;
you are the eternal Father,
all creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
cherubim and seraphim sing in endless praise,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise you,
the noble fellowship of prophets praise you,
the white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you,
Father of majesty unbounded;
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
Te Deum
Grace and peace,
Ron
Your are God and we praise you,
you are the Lord and we acclaim you;
you are the eternal Father,
all creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
cherubim and seraphim sing in endless praise,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise you,
the noble fellowship of prophets praise you,
the white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you,
Father of majesty unbounded;
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
Te Deum
Grace and peace,
Ron
Thursday, June 25, 2009
From the gates of death ...
Hear the words of the psalmist;
read closely and meditate on these words:
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Higgaion. Selah
The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human.
As we meditate on these words, let us consider:
How is the Lord a stronghold in our life?
Since we know God’s name, how are we called
to trust him today?
How can our lives “sing praises to the Lord ” today?
What does it mean to me for God to be “the one
who lifts me up from the gates of death?”
Consider the ways in which we might plead
for the Lord to “rise up” in our lives today.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Psalm 9:9-20 – NRSV
read closely and meditate on these words:
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Higgaion. Selah
The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human.
As we meditate on these words, let us consider:
How is the Lord a stronghold in our life?
Since we know God’s name, how are we called
to trust him today?
How can our lives “sing praises to the Lord ” today?
What does it mean to me for God to be “the one
who lifts me up from the gates of death?”
Consider the ways in which we might plead
for the Lord to “rise up” in our lives today.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Psalm 9:9-20 – NRSV
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The ocean in its place ...
Hear the word of God:
Rejoice in the Lord, good people!
It is only right for good people to praise him.
Play the lyre and praise the Lord.
Play the ten-stringed harp for him.
Sing a new song to him.
Play it well and sing it loud!
The Lord's word is true.
You can depend on his teachings.
He loves goodness and justice.
The Lord's faithful love fills the earth.
The Lord spoke the command, and the world was made.
The breath from his mouth created everything in the heavens.
He gathered together the water of the sea.
He put the ocean in its place.
Everyone on earth should fear and respect the Lord.
All the people in the world should fear him,
because when he speaks, things happen.
And if he says, "Stop!"—then it stops.
The Lord can ruin every decision the nations make.
He can spoil all their plans.
But the Lord's decisions are good forever.
His plans are good for generation after generation.
Great blessings belong to those who have the Lord as their God!
He chose them to be his own special people.
The Lord looked down from heaven
and saw all the people.
From his high throne he looked down
at all the people living on earth.
He created every person's mind,
and he knows what each one is doing.
A king is not saved by the power of his army.
A soldier does not survive by his own great strength.
Horses don't really bring victory in war.
Their strength cannot help you escape.
The Lord watches over his followers,
those who wait for him to show his faithful love.
He saves them from death.
He gives them strength when they are hungry.
So we will wait for the Lord.
He helps us and protects us.
He makes us happy.
We trust his holy name.
Lord, we worship you,
so show your great love for us.
Psalm 33 Easy-to-Read Version, Revised Edition
Blessings,
Ron
Rejoice in the Lord, good people!
It is only right for good people to praise him.
Play the lyre and praise the Lord.
Play the ten-stringed harp for him.
Sing a new song to him.
Play it well and sing it loud!
The Lord's word is true.
You can depend on his teachings.
He loves goodness and justice.
The Lord's faithful love fills the earth.
The Lord spoke the command, and the world was made.
The breath from his mouth created everything in the heavens.
He gathered together the water of the sea.
He put the ocean in its place.
Everyone on earth should fear and respect the Lord.
All the people in the world should fear him,
because when he speaks, things happen.
And if he says, "Stop!"—then it stops.
The Lord can ruin every decision the nations make.
He can spoil all their plans.
But the Lord's decisions are good forever.
His plans are good for generation after generation.
Great blessings belong to those who have the Lord as their God!
He chose them to be his own special people.
The Lord looked down from heaven
and saw all the people.
From his high throne he looked down
at all the people living on earth.
He created every person's mind,
and he knows what each one is doing.
A king is not saved by the power of his army.
A soldier does not survive by his own great strength.
Horses don't really bring victory in war.
Their strength cannot help you escape.
The Lord watches over his followers,
those who wait for him to show his faithful love.
He saves them from death.
He gives them strength when they are hungry.
So we will wait for the Lord.
He helps us and protects us.
He makes us happy.
We trust his holy name.
Lord, we worship you,
so show your great love for us.
Psalm 33 Easy-to-Read Version, Revised Edition
Blessings,
Ron
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
It's not about you ...
David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!" David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord, that I have danced before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor." And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
2 Samuel 6:20-23 – NRSV
David has experienced a wonderful day in the presence of God. He has leaped and danced the ark of the Lord all of the way into the city of Jerusalem, and he has shared a wonderful meal with all of the people of God as a reminder of God’s providence. But David did forget about one thing – that the palace has a view.
David will grow an inordinate fondness for that view later, but it is others who avail themselves of its possibilities on this day. “Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16 – NRSV).
When David comes home, happy and ready to bless his loved ones, Michal awaits him. David doesn’t even make it to the door; Michal charges out of the house and attacks him out in the street in front of the palace.
“Don’t you know how to act like a king?”
“Don’t you know how to behave like a married man?”
“Don’t you know that we have appearances to keep up?”
Essentially, Michal guts David like a fish in front of the palace and in full view of his household. This tirade may cut David to the heart, but David’s reply cuts to the heart of the matter.
“It’s not about you!” is effectively the reply of David. “This day wasn’t about your husband, or your father Saul. The way that I dressed and danced didn’t have a thing to do with you, Michal, but it was all about the God who made your father king and then made me king. It’s not about you!”
“It’s not about me!” is the other thing that David made clear. “Yes, I am king, but before God I will abase myself because he is God. It’s not about me!”
“It’s about God! This day was about God, about his presence, his providence, his power in making this kingdom, this city, and this palace all possible, Michal. This day is about pleasing God, praising God, and parading God as a victorious king before his people. It’s about God!”
Michal is an easy target, isn’t she? But when you think about it, she is doing something that almost all of us have done at some time or another. She is upset with the worship leader. Have we ever fussed at the song leader, complained about the preacher, or found fault with the prayer leader? Have we ever griped that we’re not getting anything out of worship? Of course we have. And of course we want to get something out of worship. But when it comes down to it, worship isn’t really about us is it?
Worship is about our majestic king. Worship is about our gathering together so that the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of Humanity, the Spirit that Empowers us will come into our midst. Worship is about Immanuel, God is with us. And though there may be days when God blesses us with wisdom, or insight, or comfort, or an awareness of his presence, the important thing is that God is with his people. He should be our focus.
Does God see the boy doze? Yes, he is the feeling of safety surrounding that boy that allows him that peace. Does God hear the baby cry? Yes, and he exults in the wonder of that life and the beauty of that human being. Does God feel the ache in my heart? Yes, he can tell it by the slightest change in my voice, and he shares my pain with me. Does God know about my impatience with the words used in worship? Yes, and wants me to learn to be still and know that he is God. He can sanctify people, and he can sanctify even the inadequate language we use to talk about him.
Let’s make worship about God.
Imagine, if you will, that what David has done is lead Yahweh into Jerusalem like a conquering monarch coming to assume his throne. Imagine that God is enthroned as his people sing this song in his praise:
Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
Selah
God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.
God is king over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted.
Psalm 47 - NRSV
As we go about our day today, may we remember that the day is not about us, our ministry is not about us, but rather that our entire lives are about the God who loves us and saves us.
May God rule in our hearts, and his praises dwell on our lips, forever. Amen.
Ron
2 Samuel 6:20-23 – NRSV
David has experienced a wonderful day in the presence of God. He has leaped and danced the ark of the Lord all of the way into the city of Jerusalem, and he has shared a wonderful meal with all of the people of God as a reminder of God’s providence. But David did forget about one thing – that the palace has a view.
David will grow an inordinate fondness for that view later, but it is others who avail themselves of its possibilities on this day. “Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16 – NRSV).
When David comes home, happy and ready to bless his loved ones, Michal awaits him. David doesn’t even make it to the door; Michal charges out of the house and attacks him out in the street in front of the palace.
“Don’t you know how to act like a king?”
“Don’t you know how to behave like a married man?”
“Don’t you know that we have appearances to keep up?”
Essentially, Michal guts David like a fish in front of the palace and in full view of his household. This tirade may cut David to the heart, but David’s reply cuts to the heart of the matter.
“It’s not about you!” is effectively the reply of David. “This day wasn’t about your husband, or your father Saul. The way that I dressed and danced didn’t have a thing to do with you, Michal, but it was all about the God who made your father king and then made me king. It’s not about you!”
“It’s not about me!” is the other thing that David made clear. “Yes, I am king, but before God I will abase myself because he is God. It’s not about me!”
“It’s about God! This day was about God, about his presence, his providence, his power in making this kingdom, this city, and this palace all possible, Michal. This day is about pleasing God, praising God, and parading God as a victorious king before his people. It’s about God!”
Michal is an easy target, isn’t she? But when you think about it, she is doing something that almost all of us have done at some time or another. She is upset with the worship leader. Have we ever fussed at the song leader, complained about the preacher, or found fault with the prayer leader? Have we ever griped that we’re not getting anything out of worship? Of course we have. And of course we want to get something out of worship. But when it comes down to it, worship isn’t really about us is it?
Worship is about our majestic king. Worship is about our gathering together so that the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of Humanity, the Spirit that Empowers us will come into our midst. Worship is about Immanuel, God is with us. And though there may be days when God blesses us with wisdom, or insight, or comfort, or an awareness of his presence, the important thing is that God is with his people. He should be our focus.
Does God see the boy doze? Yes, he is the feeling of safety surrounding that boy that allows him that peace. Does God hear the baby cry? Yes, and he exults in the wonder of that life and the beauty of that human being. Does God feel the ache in my heart? Yes, he can tell it by the slightest change in my voice, and he shares my pain with me. Does God know about my impatience with the words used in worship? Yes, and wants me to learn to be still and know that he is God. He can sanctify people, and he can sanctify even the inadequate language we use to talk about him.
Let’s make worship about God.
Imagine, if you will, that what David has done is lead Yahweh into Jerusalem like a conquering monarch coming to assume his throne. Imagine that God is enthroned as his people sing this song in his praise:
Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy.
For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.
Selah
God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the king of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm.
God is king over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted.
Psalm 47 - NRSV
As we go about our day today, may we remember that the day is not about us, our ministry is not about us, but rather that our entire lives are about the God who loves us and saves us.
May God rule in our hearts, and his praises dwell on our lips, forever. Amen.
Ron
Sunday, March 15, 2009
How I praise the Lord ...
Hear the word of God:
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:4-13
Jason
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:4-13
Jason
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sing for joy ...
Hear the word of God:
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed,
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at earth's farthest bounds
are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning
and the evening shout for joy.
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Psalm 65 – NRSV
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed,
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
Those who live at earth's farthest bounds
are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning
and the evening shout for joy.
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
Psalm 65 – NRSV
Friday, November 21, 2008
Enthroned on the praises of Israel ...
Any day is a good day to praise God;
Any place is a good place to glorify him.
And yet we neither praise God in every place
Nor glorify him every day. Why is that?
Perhaps there are days when we just don’t feel like it.
Maybe there are places in our lives where we feel
Too sad or too burdened to lift our voices to God.
But should we let those days or places exist?
Consider the example of Jesus.
Think about the worst time in his life;
Consider the worst place he ever was.
It’s not too hard to locate that, is it?
The day of his death, pinned to the cross …
Yet what does Jesus do on that day,
From that place? He quotes a psalm.
Not just any psalm. Psalm 22.
Remember the words from its first verse?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
This appears to be, at first, Jesus asking a “why” question.
And we know that asking God a “why” question
Is asking God the wrong question, don’t we?
The Jewish people who heard Jesus would have known;
They would have understood that he was quoting the psalm,
And they would have understood that by quoting
Its first line, he was, in effect, quoting the entire psalm.
Even when he did not have the breath to speak it all.
This was a device used frequently in the synagogue,
And it still happens in our pulpits today.
A part stands for the whole. A synecdoche.
So Jesus does not merely ask why; in effect
He delivers his entire lament to his Father:
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Where is God? Enthroned upon our praises!
Why do we praise this God?
In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
Yet both the psalmist and Jesus
might understandably struggle
With trusting at this trying moment;
Neither might feel so close to salvation
While in the hands of their enemies …
But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.
All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
"Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver —
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!"
Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother's breast.
On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
And so the psalmist describes the feelings of his heart
In a way that eerily foretells the events of the cross,
So well that they easily become the words of Jesus:
Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shriveled;
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
Despite these heart-breaking events,
Both the psalmist and Jesus anticipate the shift,
The turning from the disaster, and
The returning from the grave.
And in that turning which only God can empower
Is found the ultimate reason for praising God.
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
but heard when I cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
May we have the courage and faith to trust God today,
enough trust to be able say “He has done it”
even before he finishes doing it.
May we give God the glory today.
Blessings,
Ron
Quotations are from the NRSV.
Any place is a good place to glorify him.
And yet we neither praise God in every place
Nor glorify him every day. Why is that?
Perhaps there are days when we just don’t feel like it.
Maybe there are places in our lives where we feel
Too sad or too burdened to lift our voices to God.
But should we let those days or places exist?
Consider the example of Jesus.
Think about the worst time in his life;
Consider the worst place he ever was.
It’s not too hard to locate that, is it?
The day of his death, pinned to the cross …
Yet what does Jesus do on that day,
From that place? He quotes a psalm.
Not just any psalm. Psalm 22.
Remember the words from its first verse?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
This appears to be, at first, Jesus asking a “why” question.
And we know that asking God a “why” question
Is asking God the wrong question, don’t we?
The Jewish people who heard Jesus would have known;
They would have understood that he was quoting the psalm,
And they would have understood that by quoting
Its first line, he was, in effect, quoting the entire psalm.
Even when he did not have the breath to speak it all.
This was a device used frequently in the synagogue,
And it still happens in our pulpits today.
A part stands for the whole. A synecdoche.
So Jesus does not merely ask why; in effect
He delivers his entire lament to his Father:
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Where is God? Enthroned upon our praises!
Why do we praise this God?
In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
Yet both the psalmist and Jesus
might understandably struggle
With trusting at this trying moment;
Neither might feel so close to salvation
While in the hands of their enemies …
But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.
All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
"Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver —
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!"
Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother's breast.
On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
And so the psalmist describes the feelings of his heart
In a way that eerily foretells the events of the cross,
So well that they easily become the words of Jesus:
Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shriveled;
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
Despite these heart-breaking events,
Both the psalmist and Jesus anticipate the shift,
The turning from the disaster, and
The returning from the grave.
And in that turning which only God can empower
Is found the ultimate reason for praising God.
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
but heard when I cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
May we have the courage and faith to trust God today,
enough trust to be able say “He has done it”
even before he finishes doing it.
May we give God the glory today.
Blessings,
Ron
Quotations are from the NRSV.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Filling your minds with truth
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. - Philippians 4:4-9 The Messsage
I really do love how The Message restates this passage. Oh, how my days would be different if I really allowed Christ to displace all the worry in my life. This is one of the other if…then passages in the Bible. To it I cling. Its promises I have claimed on many days when nothing on Earth was worth hanging onto, even the breath in my lungs contaminated.
May this passage be a blessing to you. I hope and pray that you will hang on to its promises and ask God to keep His Word in a way that is so clear to you, you don’t question to Whom the credit is due!
As a woman dealing with a life of alcoholism once shared, “if you think God won’t follow you around, you just watch Him.” Though these two thoughts don’t seem very attached, I believe they are. One of the noble, compelling things to think of is that God loves us so much He chases us, even wooing us. He cries out for intimacy with us. He calls us to pull our brains out of the muck, breathe deeply of the Holy, and connect with Him. Go ahead and “thank” on that for a while!
I appreciate your willingness to allow me into your brain this week. May you have been blessed by the amount of God that shined through my rambling, and sometimes poorly grammared words.
Blessings,
Shiann
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. - Philippians 4:4-9 The Messsage
I really do love how The Message restates this passage. Oh, how my days would be different if I really allowed Christ to displace all the worry in my life. This is one of the other if…then passages in the Bible. To it I cling. Its promises I have claimed on many days when nothing on Earth was worth hanging onto, even the breath in my lungs contaminated.
May this passage be a blessing to you. I hope and pray that you will hang on to its promises and ask God to keep His Word in a way that is so clear to you, you don’t question to Whom the credit is due!
As a woman dealing with a life of alcoholism once shared, “if you think God won’t follow you around, you just watch Him.” Though these two thoughts don’t seem very attached, I believe they are. One of the noble, compelling things to think of is that God loves us so much He chases us, even wooing us. He cries out for intimacy with us. He calls us to pull our brains out of the muck, breathe deeply of the Holy, and connect with Him. Go ahead and “thank” on that for a while!
I appreciate your willingness to allow me into your brain this week. May you have been blessed by the amount of God that shined through my rambling, and sometimes poorly grammared words.
Blessings,
Shiann
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The valley of Baca
Today, the psalm of the pilgrim - Psalm 84:
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
Selah
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
Grace and peace,
Ron
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
Selah
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Whose help, whose hope?
Our meditations in the Psalms continue with Psalm 146:
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Surely the Lord is the center of the psalmist’s praise! This praise is not lip service, nor is it merely mental assent – this praise comes from the very soul of the worshiper. The feelings of the singer are so strong that twice the psalmist assures us that his or her praises will rise up to God for a lifetime. This ought to beg the question from us, “Why is God worthy of such praise from this person?”
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
One of the first ways that we come to understand the praiseworthiness of God is to understand the difference between his divinity and our humanity. Interestingly, the psalmist leads us to this place by making half of the comparison and trusting that we will imagine the implied counterpart. The psalmist describes the unreliability of even those who are perceived to be the best, the noblest, of humankind: royalty. Even princes are not very helpful; after all, they have so many people who ask them for so many things. Yet even if one were to work one’s way into their policies, how could anyone be sure that these nobles would focus long enough, or live long enough, to carry out all of these plans?
The nature of God is an implied contrast. Humans are one thing; God is another – the Other. God is reliable. God is worthy of our trust. God will give us help. His breath will never depart because his breath is eternal. God’s breath spoke the words that called this universe into existence and his breath will call the new heavens and earth into eternal existence. Yet, surely this God is not merely worthy of praise for who he is, but for what he has done.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
Our God is most worthy of praise because of his mighty acts. Look at what he did for Jacob! Surely he will give happiness to us if we make him our Lord as did Jacob. This God created the heaven and earth and established the laws of physics that hold the universe together. The chaotic sea he made, and calmed, and filled with life. All of these things God faithfully maintains and empowers, even toward eternity.
But the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology are not the end of his governance of creation. God also established laws of justice to govern the behavior of those he made in his image. Because God is a relational being, he made humans into relational beings. And the creator of people and power and possessions calls us to use power and wealth as he does: to care for the weak, the powerless, the outcast and even the oppressed. In a creation this fruitful, who should go hungry?
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
Here are the words of salvation for those whom we serve. Yes, children have been imprisoned, not just in lockup but perhaps even worse – in bondage to the false gods of this world. God offers freedom. Yes, some children are blind and many of them spiritually so. God offers vision of a sort that they can hardly imagine. Yes, too many children are bowed down with the burdens of this world, and with bad habits that will become sin as they become accountable. Yet God offers his love for those who will accept his righteousness by enacting his justice. Those who do not uphold the powerless will find themselves powerless. That is the other side of his justice.
The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Surely neither this God’s plans, nor his life, will ever fail; he will be God to us, to our children, and to our children’s children. Surely that kind of a God is praiseworthy!
Grace and peace,
Ron
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Surely the Lord is the center of the psalmist’s praise! This praise is not lip service, nor is it merely mental assent – this praise comes from the very soul of the worshiper. The feelings of the singer are so strong that twice the psalmist assures us that his or her praises will rise up to God for a lifetime. This ought to beg the question from us, “Why is God worthy of such praise from this person?”
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
One of the first ways that we come to understand the praiseworthiness of God is to understand the difference between his divinity and our humanity. Interestingly, the psalmist leads us to this place by making half of the comparison and trusting that we will imagine the implied counterpart. The psalmist describes the unreliability of even those who are perceived to be the best, the noblest, of humankind: royalty. Even princes are not very helpful; after all, they have so many people who ask them for so many things. Yet even if one were to work one’s way into their policies, how could anyone be sure that these nobles would focus long enough, or live long enough, to carry out all of these plans?
The nature of God is an implied contrast. Humans are one thing; God is another – the Other. God is reliable. God is worthy of our trust. God will give us help. His breath will never depart because his breath is eternal. God’s breath spoke the words that called this universe into existence and his breath will call the new heavens and earth into eternal existence. Yet, surely this God is not merely worthy of praise for who he is, but for what he has done.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
Our God is most worthy of praise because of his mighty acts. Look at what he did for Jacob! Surely he will give happiness to us if we make him our Lord as did Jacob. This God created the heaven and earth and established the laws of physics that hold the universe together. The chaotic sea he made, and calmed, and filled with life. All of these things God faithfully maintains and empowers, even toward eternity.
But the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology are not the end of his governance of creation. God also established laws of justice to govern the behavior of those he made in his image. Because God is a relational being, he made humans into relational beings. And the creator of people and power and possessions calls us to use power and wealth as he does: to care for the weak, the powerless, the outcast and even the oppressed. In a creation this fruitful, who should go hungry?
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
Here are the words of salvation for those whom we serve. Yes, children have been imprisoned, not just in lockup but perhaps even worse – in bondage to the false gods of this world. God offers freedom. Yes, some children are blind and many of them spiritually so. God offers vision of a sort that they can hardly imagine. Yes, too many children are bowed down with the burdens of this world, and with bad habits that will become sin as they become accountable. Yet God offers his love for those who will accept his righteousness by enacting his justice. Those who do not uphold the powerless will find themselves powerless. That is the other side of his justice.
The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Surely neither this God’s plans, nor his life, will ever fail; he will be God to us, to our children, and to our children’s children. Surely that kind of a God is praiseworthy!
Grace and peace,
Ron
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Victory and joy
Today’s devotional thoughts from Greg:
One thing we are all searching and reaching for is joy. Real, undiluted, enduring joy. The Bible often tells us that we have great joy in Christ, but many of us struggle with the specifics. How do we find and obtain this joy? Where does it come from?
Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with claps of joy.
How awesome is the LORD Most High,
the great King over all the earth!
He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
Selah
God had ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.
- Psalm 47
Joy can come from the knowledge, and acknowledgment, of God's power. The God we serve is in control. No rebellious forces in this world can change God's purpose for our lives. No matter what people, kingdoms, stresses, or failures pull and tug on our lives, God is powerful enough to protect us.
Ultimately, God's power is most perfectly reflected in Jesus' resurrection from the dead. God's sovereignty extends farther than our sin. Our unchangeable, unshakable King has determined to offer us new life with Christ, so that we too may be raised from death. This is certainly cause for joy! The simple, yet beautiful fact that God is powerful enough to free us from the black storm cloud of sin is the source of the "good news of great joy" pronounced at Jesus' birth.
Bestir, O Lord, Thy might, we pray thee and come;
that, defended by Thee, we may deserve rescue
from approaching dangers brought on by our sins,
and being set free by Thee, obtain our salvation.
Who livest and reignest, with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
God, world without end. Amen.
- Advent prayer
Let earth receive her king!
Let every heart prepare Him room
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!
- Joy to the World
Lord, help us to know joy as a spring always welling up within us
and give us power to dance through life,
not as men and women who are blind to sorrow, misery, or shame,
but as those who know your victory over death and cannot help but rejoice.
- Edmund Banyard
May you rejoice in God's everlasting power today, and may you be glad that no sins or circumstances are able to overpower God's victory.
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