There’s historical artifacts looking through collections from a house lived in from the 1950s. Cool things to show your kids and teach them about the past (and be VERY grateful for modern conveniences). In my neighbor’s house (all our section was built in mid 1950’s), I discovered a nifty real Western Union Telegram. Saved and tucked away and still readable and understandable. It’s a congratulations note from friends – maybe for a wedding or baby’s birth. Nice note! “Congratulations and Best Wishes! Sorry we couldn’t be there.” The extra cool thing about the Telegram is that it’s single line text printed and glued to a paper backing. Vintage versions of “over the wires” text messages, sent to be “fast”… Maybe a novelty then but effective! And a hint at our modern message systems. Imagine every message now over the wires and even wireless. Amazing.

How is this like us? Single messages glued in our heads? Sent wireless?The Telegram paper backing is like a clean slate and God’s Word wants to be laid on our hearts. GOD Himself in Jesus as the Living Word. That’s the ORIGINAL Messaging System for sure! God’s Word spoken to us from others and especially by our own reading. Phrases and advice that we can pull up later. (Interesting enough I am placing this Telegram in a Bible now. The “WORD” is our Heavenly Telegram).

Here’s a one great “one-liner” from The Word: “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” That’s from David in Psalm 8. He wrote many songs of praise and many of prayer. One word prayers are also heavenly said, like THANKS!

How EXCELLENT God IS, He is WORTHY of our thanks, and PRAISE to Him is knowing there IS power in His Words, even just in saying His Name. 

We can send messages to each other now in modern ways, but will the other person opens the message fully or pick up on the nuances or not?… God does. GOD KNOWS ALL. God not only hears, He KNOWS the PRAISE (or the PRAYER) or even our grunts BEFORE they even go out of our mouths!!!. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. That’s David’s realization, Psalm 139.

I also tell myself again and again: “DON’T FORGET TO SAY THANK YOU TO GOD!”, especially after I know He helped me, and even in waiting I say THANK YOU! It’s good to send that message instantly – pray it – say it – praise it. Our thankfulnesses. Those praises sustain us. 

Imagine times when we are in such pain that we can’t get the words out, God already knows the ache in our hearts, God already sees. He knows tears, He knows to send friends to hug us, to listen and understand. He wants us to turn to Him. David in Psalm 9 says: “The Lord shall endure for ever….The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee…Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.”

Let’s keep singing. Let’s keep reading the Word, and incorporating it into our hearts and making it READABLE by our ACTIONS all the time.

If we Listen, we can better know. 

If we hear Him, let us follow. 

Let us truly be led, 

by what the Lord has said!

Amen

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. David in Psalm 139

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Here are the complete Psalms 8, 9, 139 by David. (Especially I love singing Psalm 139)

Psalm 8 KJV

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

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Psalm 9 KJV

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

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Psalm 139 NIV

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;  you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God!  How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you.

If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them;  I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.