There is NO compromise with God.

NONE.

Sure we try to balance things of His wishes and ours. Just like we try to balance work and home. We try to balance vacation and work time, we try to balance our budgets, we try to balance our actions. We don’t balance ourselves well enough, in our diets, our health, our time. So why would we be even better at balancing us and God, than God is with us. We compromise. And that’s what God gets from us too often: us in compromising situations that He did not ask for. He receives us trying to balance our relationship with Him – But God says NO. God says NO compromise, “NO CO”, because compromise is co-promise and God says “NO GO” – “No Co”. We compromise. God Completes. What God builds will stand, NOT what we make by ourselves. God wants us to kneel anyway, and that’s part of our PRAISE, to watch Him Work.

There’s only one Promise, not co-promises, no compromises, not give and take on our terms. There is One Promise, that’s Jesus. Life is in Jesus Himself. 

There’s only ONE Word. Not words but The Word, that’s Jesus. Truth is Jesus Himself. 

Life with wordy and worldly ways has less substance – sub-stance – a sub lower stance than standing on the Word. No meditation other than mediation IN the Word. There are no ways, only The Way, that’s Jesus. The Way is the Way of Jesus. 

God created the world and He will crumble it, no compromise.

God formed the people and He will preserve His Children who look to Him, fear Him in awe and knowledge, and cling to Him over the World.

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

God made the Law for the people of Moses, then He fulfilled it by Jesus and Jesus alone as sufficient sacrifice. God listens, and in His Name He grants not wishes as much as simply and sacredly continued walking with Him.

“No Co” means NO: no co-incidence with His Intention, no co-operation with His Operation. Our co-operation is not required for Him to get the job done. We are NOT Co-dependant upon each other, we are dependent upon Him. Co-existence is not required either, we exist because of Him, not vice versa. NO CO.

In all this, God DOES want us to be His Children, His Flock, His Flicker of Hope in His Light within us. His Gift of a Son Jesus, within His Own Will, is a Covenant and Promise, remembering our fragility of our humanness. Making a Way. Grace and Mercy are given freely and with FAITH, our faith in Him. Our FAITH is our FAMILY TRAIT to trust Him COMPLETELY,  because in His Hands, we COMPLETE His Love for us. 

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

God is Love, Be His.

He already Won, Let us Praise His Victory. 

Amen 

—-

God closes the book of Psalms (147, 148, 149, 150) with reminders of His Power and Our Praise. Please read and Praise these songs of the Word of God with His Own Praise. 

Amen

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Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.

.

How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

.

The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

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Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp.

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He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

.

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

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Extol the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion. He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

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He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.

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Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

Praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels;

Praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon;

Praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens

and you waters above the skies.

.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them for ever and ever – He issued a decree that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children.

.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart.

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Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 149

Praise the Lord

Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.

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Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.

.

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them— this is the glory of all his faithful people.

.

Praise the Lord.

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Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;

Praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power;

Praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

Praise him with the harp and lyre,

Praise him with timbrel and dancing,

Praise him with the strings and pipe,

Praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath PRAISE the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

—–

AMEN!!!!!

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He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them…

To look at the box or not?

Why make a puzzle harder than it is?

I always look at the picture on the puzzle box but my mom does not. I like to know where to go – but she goes with the flow – Yes, the little colorful sections she does well – and I can’t say I do any better by looking at the box – but I think I do!

But life? Who envisioned this puzzle? I never want to go it alone. I know that God knows the box, the pieces and the fix. God looks at the Box – because He made it.

I want to be led by God – Why make life’s puzzle harder than it is!

Puzzle the Box, NOT. Listen to God.

Amen

—

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
    in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
    the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the foreigner
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

*

Life may find us weathered, 

Weary enough, the rest is appreciatively endeavored, 

Especially when our nest is feathered. 

*

Life may make us understand that we are totally tethered,

Especially when we count our days as surely measured.

Our existence is from being lovingly Fathered. 

*

In God’s Love, we are safe-harbored.

In Holy Spirit fashion, we are compassionately covered.

Into Jesus’s folds, we are forever gathered.

*

Life should not be flouted.

That life is a gift never doubted. 

Sanctioned days is how life is structured. 

*

Give thanks for when our lives are tested.

Give thanks for when our fate is rested.

Give thanks for Jesus made our salvation vested.

*

Life vested.

Life is Vested. 

Live it.

AMEN

—-

David was pursued and tested, but God had his life-line vested. Beloved David was preserved, his family line forever-ed. because He praised and trusted God.

***** Psalm 145: PRAISE by David:

I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

---

See Psalms 140-144, David is pursued and calls out. God is faithful. “Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.” Psalms 140-144 link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+140-144&version=KJV;NIV

Lord, we ARE You people, the sheep of Your Pen. Thank You Lord for sending Your Holy Spirit to both awaken us and to open the ears of many many peoples, even of other flocks.

Your faithfulness does endure for generations, and we carry on Your Work, sharing the Good News that You came to save.

By Your Word, We share of You, not just because we love to hear You, and we do, we share because Your Spirit is alive, is True in our Light from Your Fire. Your Spirit enables the lighting and re-lighting of a Holy Fire within us to shine You, be more like You in humble servitude.

Jesus, strengthen us as we carry out Our Father’s Command to make Your sacrifice known, known to us and all thru this advocate upon which we rely. He, the Holy Spirit always testifies to You, Jesus, as Truth. May the people trust in You, Jesus, by Faith. 

And may we remember dear Lord, our fallen brothers and sisters of all the ages, in Memorial Day style this weekend, by celebrating life bought at a cost. Yes, may we also remember that You Yourself laid down Your life for all your friends, for us, for eternal Freedom. In Faith Lord, we humbly ask Your forgiveness and blessings. 

God Bless us Lord and God Bless America and God bless our Work FOR You.

Amen

Where do I go from Your Spirit?

My daughter was very very young, 21 years ago now, when I stopped to visit at my aunt and uncle’s house. They were thrilled to see her and me and it was WONDERFUL to spend the afternoon with them. Of course when it was time for a feeding, I asked my aunt: “Do you mind if I nurse her in the living room?” (As opposed to leaving for a back room) My aunt said so freely: “Go ahead. It ain’t nothin’ nobody’s not never seen before.” I still laugh at that, I can still hear her tone, her reassurance and her approval that nursing was of course natural and needed and everybody will adjust… not nothin’ nobody’s not never seen before. 

Truly we do see stuff, normal and not, ALL the time. Private, privileged, personal or whatever. We choose to be shocked or not. Nursing shouldn’t shock anyone.

Recently, I was driving around my hometown with my grown-up son. We were on the college campus and I mentioned this building area and that, like a tour guide… Went down one road by the grass quad, then I remembered a day, a COLD day maybe 30 years ago now, when I was walking and there came a running: a STREAKER !!! A running bare-naked streaker! Whew! SHOCKING and we observers laughed and laughed and laughed. And it WAS COLD. Disbelief but not unheard of, not something we hadn’t seen on TV, but in person? Shockingly funny. STREAKING should shock, that’s why they do it. Maybe not nothin’ nobody’s not never seen before, but still surprising!

Many of us do like to remain anonymous for our foibles and follies. It’s kinda like buying unmentionables at the local store,  there’s just embarrassing stuff. Unmentionable and wouldn’t you know it is the one time that an attendant wanted to check my stuff out when I wanted to use self checkout… geez.    Or how about those drivers stopping by the side of the road… Or someone at the beach changing out of their suit “inconspicuously”… Oh well, shouldn’t be too shocking, not nothin’ nobody’s not never seen before. For us or them.

Attached is a screenshot of an amusing story: “Passengers traveling 1st class on British airways Boeing 747 were worried about a redesign which means some lavatories have windows. A woman traveling to New York complained there were no blinds. She was told by the stewardess: “Madam, if some pervert is clinging to the side of the aircraft at thirty five thousand feet they deserve to see everything.”… ” HAHA…

Well Who Whom, at 35,000 feet or as close as the inside of your own brain waves can look in to all your private stuff? Who Whom DOES see. Well, Who folded those brain folds – to write your story in anyway? Who made you? There is One to Whom you CAN NOT HIDE, nor should you. 

Whose the One who DOES see everything? GOD!

Whose the One who KNOWS everything? GOD!

Whose not shocked by anything? GOD!

Who knows the unmentionables, and could mention them, but maybe doesn’t? GOD! 

To Whom should we tell everything, anything or even nothing, because He knows it all anyway? GOD!

If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

We should be open and authentic to God. He cares. He knows. Psalm 139 of David is our prayer to share. The key “ask” is for Him to lead us ‘in the way everlasting’.

Precious to Him is each of us.

Precious to us are His thoughts, more than the number of grains of sand. That IS shockingly Share Worthy.

GOD’S SEEN IT ALL, AND LOVES US ANYWAY. God sees it all and loves us ESPECIALLY.

 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

AMEN and Thank You

…

Thank You Lord, for telling us that You care,

                and can not be anything but aware. 

Flee from You? We do not dare,

                 of Your Majesty we MUST SHARE!

Amen

…

(PLEASE read Psalm 139 and know His Love)

…

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

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 close.

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.

One frustrating thing about living in the world is the constant distraction from focusing on things above.  Then again, FOCUSING ON ABOVE puts us INTO the world because Jesus needs us here, God needs us sharing giving loving and showing all HIS LOVE. God says let go of the steering wheel and get off the side of the road. Get back to staying in the lanes. And don’t be afraid if the new roads God is taking you on haven’t been paved. Hold tight. 

Focus on things above and you will see those God tethered electricity wires, like what trolleys or converted street cars have. Focus on running things inside off those sources of His Power, knowing where the engine has been put: under the hood, our hood. Focus on the road ahead and let the past go. Let go. Actually just go.

Focus on things above and find that peace only Jesus gives, because the world, however wonderful in friends and also fraught in frustration, won’t give you peace. It won’t. 

Why groan and gripe and grip to ungodly grief? Return to remembering Who’s Running the show, Who’s Ruling the Roost, Whose Recording the Rules, Who’s Rendering the Rulings. God is.

God’s Righteous is by blood not by boast. He gave His All, we can add only our praise. 

David knew this – “when I called, You answered” – saw God answer his grief, griping, groaning. They say if it’s tough going, then at least you are going. God didn’t promise you an earthly rose garden, but He promises to stick with you thru the thorns.

Keep going. 

God, keep us going.

Amen

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Psalm 138 Of David.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great. Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.

The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

Adam and Eve

Cain and Abel

Seth

Noah

Abraham 

Issac 

Jacob.Judah.Joseph…Israel 

Moses

Samuel 

Saul

David 

Solomon

Isaiah 

Jonah

Micah

And more…

History is real and God is telling us HIS-STORY. Endless times the Old Testament, especially the Psalms, written as songs, remind us of History and HIS-story, because the topics return to David, Moses, Jacob, and always to God’s faithfulness, throughout time. The Psalms speak of Jesus so much that it’s understandable that the people were thinking ahead. They were sharing past faithfulness and sharing future faithfulness… God was actively talking to the people through prophets and angels, as well as burning bushes and quiet whispers. Jesus was prophesied by His Own Word. The people needed saving and so God made a Way, Jesus’s Way. The people needed praising, so God made songs, the Psalms Way.

His Love Endures Forever. Why Love HIS STORY? Because HOPE lies in Jesus. His Love Endures Forever. 

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!!

AMEN 

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Psalm 132

Lord, remember David and all his self-denial. He swore an oath to the Lord,  he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: “I will not enter my house or go to my bed, I will allow no sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar: “Let us go to his dwelling place, let us worship at his footstool, saying, ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests be clothed with your righteousness; may your faithful people sing for joy.’”

For the sake of your servant David, do not reject your anointed one.

The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit n your throne for ever and ever.”

For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it. I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.

“Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”

Psalm 134 NIV

Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 135

Praise the Lord.

Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of people and animals. He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings — Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan—and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.

Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations. For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

All you Israelites, praise the Lord; house of Aaron, praise the Lord; house of Levi, praise the Lord; you who fear him, praise the Lord. Praise be to the Lord from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

—-

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

His love endures forever.

to him who alone does great wonders,

His love endures forever.

who by his understanding made the heavens,

His love endures forever.

who spread out the earth upon the waters,

His love endures forever.

who made the great lights—

His love endures forever.

the sun to govern the day,

His love endures forever.

the moon and stars to govern the night;

His love endures forever.

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt

His love endures forever.

and brought Israel out from among them

His love endures forever.

with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;

His love endures forever.

to him who divided the Red Sea asunder

His love endures forever.

and brought Israel through the midst of it,

His love endures forever.

but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;

His love endures forever.

to him who led his people through the wilderness;

His love endures forever.

to him who struck down great kings,

His love endures forever.

and killed mighty kings—

His love endures forever.

Sihon king of the Amorites

His love endures forever.

and Og king of Bashan—

His love endures forever.

and gave their land as an inheritance,

His love endures forever.

an inheritance to his servant Israel.

His love endures forever.

He remembered us in our low estate

His love endures forever.

and freed us from our enemies.

His love endures forever.

He gives food to every creature.

His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love endures forever.

POWER IN THE BLOOD, POWER IN THE BLOOD…

FORGIVENESS power – by the walk of Jesus. POWER IN FORGIVENESS

LIGHT power – by the Light of Jesus. POWER IN THE LIGHT

HEALING power – by the blood of Jesus. POWER IN THE HEALING

HOPE power – in the return of Jesus. POWER IN THE HOPE

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POWER IN THE WORD, POWER IN THE WORD

Great PROMISE power – for the Healing of the Nations. POWER IN THE PROMISE

Great MOTIVATION power – for Heaven’s Hope. POWER IN THE POWER

HEAVEN’S HOPE is HELD WHOLEHEARTEDLY. POWER IN HEAVEN

Nothing is withheld by Jesus – the curtain is torn – our lives are reborn.  POWER IN JESUS

.

POWER IN THE WALK, POWER IN THE WALK

WALK IN LOVE

WALK IN LOVE

WALK IN LOVE

WALK IN LOVE

.

POWER IN THE LORD

Amen

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Paul to the Ephesians 5:1-21

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let them not once be named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not befitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know: that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them, for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Therefore He saith: “Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” 

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

…

Uncloggedness is my term today for the mental ability to see things CLEARLY, even if they haven’t happened yet, or at least realize “God’s got this!”… Maybe I can’t see the clarity, but feel it HAS to come from God. 

GOD”S GOT THIS!!!!!! CLOG CLEARING!!!!!!

I had some dreams of processing events that haven’t happened yet, might not happen. I invented my own stress of something I saw and PROJECTED stress forward – well I shouldn’t have.  Be prepared for the future but not pre-determine it. Like the strong drain cleaner bottle says – it unclogs. Well, my dreams pre-processed events and helped get the worry out of my system – helped unclog a clearer path of KNOWING peace from perceived pain, knowing that “professional strength” of God will handle it and will handle me. We all need to be weaned of our “I’ll figure it out myself” self-dependent mental states, step back of any unwarranted freaking out, and allow ourselves to be calmed, to be contemplative if not content. Weaned babies won’t run to mom as 5 year olds to nurse into comfort, we shouldn’t be dependent upon others to take care of our needs in that way, but let God Himself show us big picture power. We need to sit quietly humble. . . 

God takes care of the clogs. David saw moments of harmony and prosperity, for himself and for Israel, even if things went wrong again for Israel. but the forevermore will be unclogged someday. We ourselves can see clarity and uncloggedness in at least small windows of our lives today, brought on by trusting God. We must be realizing God helps us and our futures. David reminds: the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Well, let us unclog and weaned ourselves of self-worry. God’s got this, and as yesterday’s “Jesus Calling” book entry so perfectly described: ‘your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything.’

Be contemplative

Be calmed

Be contented

Be cleared

Be unclogged

Hope in the Lord – FOREVER!.

Amen

———

Psalm 131 of David KJV

Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

—-

Psalm 133 NIV of David.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,

running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

—

Jesus Calling book May 21, Sarah Young – written as if Jesus is speaking: 

I, the Creator of the universe, am with you and for you. What more could you need? When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level. I offer ABUNDANT LIFE; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything. It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about these events. Your mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the result you desire. Your thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves. Determined to make things go your way, you forget that I am in charge of your life. The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to My Presence. Stop all your striving, and watch to see what I will do. I am the Lord! 

My Facebook page memory photos reminded me of visiting, few years ago, with a group of church ladies who formed a Forward Look class long long time ago, some vintage aged then, some now 90ish, were movers and shakers in the church for years and years and their work paid for important things like roof repairs and refrigerators, dishes for funeral luncheons, and (for my benefit preveniently) a CD burner system for recording church services and concerts. These Forward Look ladies studied the Bible and shared the scriptures and prayed the people into blessings. The CDs could be shared with the homebound. I found that they found me – I was able to get sermons I had missed while busy with sunday school – get the crucial older sermons from a now friend when my ears started to open up (by God’s actions) and when my appetite for Him went thru the roof, 8 years ago now. I was able to gather some guidance – PREVIENIENTLY PLACED – at my fingertips… I still have my cds – music, sermons, SPIRIT… subsequently I copied these for others too… even put them up on Facebook, YouTube, etc… SHARE THE SPIRIT…

Amazing Previenient Grace. How sweet the prerecorded sound…

I also have another connection, I think in a tiny way I helped those many years prior to purchase it, in just a small way, with discussions with the ones who worked with them. I remember email chains, and well, I held some of the electronics magazines in my hands in that time period.  Cool… Previenient. AND EVEN MAYBE simply purchasing cookies at their rummage sales helped – yeah cookies!

People often tell me: “well, I don’t need to get into a church building – I’m fine worshipping out in nature or in my own readings”… well, how can you Previeniently help others (or yourself) if you don’t go to where the people are? How can you get AND GIVE congregational benefits at home? Even homebound recieved visitors with the CDs and made the visitors feel fulfilled and needed… (and how can you eat church cookies if you don’t go?!!!) If you don’t like one set of cookies, try another, try some pie, there’s got to be a slice for you somewhere. 

Well, I know these Forward Look ladies, through cookies, pies, sandwiches, rummage sales etc, used vintage things and recipes for gathering new money for new things, like that CD burner and oh yeah the roof. What’s more vintage old than PREVIENIENT GRACE? NOTHING. God put Himself into our lives on purpose. He came first. PREVIENIENT Grace is God getting us golden even before He starts polishing us.

GOD BLESSES. Pick up His Help.

Thanks ladies of Forward Look. 

Amen, thank you Lord and Amen

…

One of my favorites: Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

I wrote this last year, it pertains to theme song a friend sent: “wondering in my wandering”…,  if we focus on God, then the devil can’t get a foothold. I was thinking about this as I looked at the dashed road dividing line on the highway… If we follow Jesus, walk on the line, narrow walking, then the devil will fall off the side and can’t get a foothold into our lives…

This is edited from August:

A BIBLE STUDY LESSON I APPRECIATE: JESUS SAID MAN CAN RESIST THE TEMPTATION, CAN RESIST THE DEVIL. MAN CAN RESIST..  IT DOESN’T TAKE ONLY A GOD TO RESIST, BUT IT TAKES MAN LISTENING TO GOD TO RESIST. 

We are specifically told to learn from the schemes of the devil to know how to resist him, by LISTENING to the Lord, being filled by His Spirit, then crediting the Lord with direction and our prosperity. Time and time again the devil wants you to rely on your knowledge, not depend upon the Lord. If you depend upon yourself, you will NEVER be satisfied. If you depend upon the Lord, the devil gets no foothold, and eventually will even have a hard time bending your ear. The devil makes you question even God. Remember, The Lord provides everything, food and direction, as He provided them to the Israelites in Moses’s time and to us, and God gets the credit. 

Jesus said to the Devil (and of course to us), that man should live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”. This was a direct quote from what was spoken to Moses. And Jesus being the Word, those are His Words. Jesus quoted often from Deuteronomy, written by Moses, the fifth book, of God’s Word. 

Moses wrote: He [God] humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, [so] that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

If we cast our fears to the Lord, even in the midst of stress, we will catch onto what the Lord gives us as His direction, which is His Word. The more we read the Word, the more resources we have in our arsenal to resist the temptations, the more knowledge we have of His TRUTH. 

It will eventually come down to us choosing the Lord or relying on ourselves to see us thru troubles and triumphs. Someone once said to me: “I wouldn’t want to be a sheep.” I wish then I had thought of this witty reply: “With a Shephard like Jesus, I wouldn’t want to be anything but His sheep in His Flock.”

Live by His Word. Step by step. Bite by bite. Breath by breath. 

Amen

—-

Jesus and the devil 

Matthew 4:1-11 (also in Luke 4)

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

—-

God speaking to Moses 

Deuteronomy 8 NKJV

“Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers. And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.

“Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.

“Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;  who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%208&version=NKJV;KJV

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4&version=NIV

There’s another aspect of Hannah’s story that I want to explore, the childlessness was bad enough emotionally, because culturally having children was important, not just personally. And economically and practically it was important for an aging parent to have children to take care of them. There’s another woman in the beginning of this story, a woman who taunts Hannah for not having children, and this is a sinful GLOAT. That woman has many children, but the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb (for the time being). Hannah wept from the taunting – and did not eat. If we take another take home message from this story, it is not to GLOAT over any gift God has given you. We should not GLOAT over our gifts, we should be thankful. Like our salvation, we should remember that ALL good things are from the Lord – even sleep – even children – not from us – a gift… the other wife taunted even though she did have the gift of children… so sad…

Psalm 127 reminds us:

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

---

1 Samuel 1 – New King James Version
The Family of Elkanah
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Hannah’s Vow
Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord.  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!” But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.” Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born and Dedicated
Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

Still Here, Still Protected, Still the Lord’s people…

“so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”

After I have series of serious busyness and travel and whatever, it’s so good to rest, and especially return to the Word. This day’s Psalms 124, 125, 126. Whenever it speaks of Israel, we too can think of us ourselves as a remnant of Israel, a scattered flock, Gentiles and Jews alike, still being held by God’s Hands. 

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy,…

My friend gave me the identification of a new plant I bought just from the description, a plant which I’ve had before, maybe 30 years ago, succulent like but easy growing, purple and green, he reminded me that it was a “wandering jew” – oh yeah – and my latest greenhouse visit confirmed that, I had bought a plant that I was comfortable with from past experience – and the name wandering jew is fitting for we all wander and wander until we realize that we should WONDER and WONDER at God’s ability and eagerness and proven track record to bring us through our own wilderness ESCAPE. Wandering, like the plant, can be too easy to fall back into. WONDERING has to be our norm. Wandering jew plants need watering, WONDERING people ARE watered.. 

Ancient Jews/Israelites had attacks by external enemies and downtimes caused by their internal folly, the Psalms were songs to remind them that God got them thru,  gets them thru, will get them thru. We have to read these Psalms in future tense too – past, current and future. 

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Springtime is a great reminder for Rebirth and rework and rewards. I often wonder how amazing I am still here, counting blessings in the present, that I got past the painful aspects of the past gratefully, and that I am thankfully looking forward to the future. In all God was both present and preparing me for my journeys, and keeping me STILL HERE. Wherever we are, let us remember we are ALWAYS in Your Love 

THANKS LORD!

LESS WANDERING, MORE WONDERING!

AMEN

—-

Psalm 124

If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

—-

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.

—-

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

---

After sending this to a friend, she sent me a link to a song (I had never heard) – so perfect for this devotion – “I Wonder as I Wander” – which her mom used to sing to her – it was a sweet memory for her – I am so glad the Lord does that -connect on many levels that are not of our doing – the Lord does that and He IS a wonder – a marvelous wonder…. here is the song link with lyrics: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=iJO6nH7fL2A

Blessed to share my Mother’s Day sermon

(Sermon brief: Hannah cried out to God – and Samuel was a gift from God whom Hannah gave back over TO God – and continued to visit him – love him… And other mothers and all of us can also know that reaching to God and praying to God and dedicating our desires to God is best – He is a loving God – Jesus also a loving God to Him Mom and to all of us.)

I had such a busy week and this sermon was flying around my head and even though I couldn’t write it down in entirety until recently, I felt God had me covered.  Covered in topic and direction. Covered in peace and love. Covered in His scriptures for sharing – because His Word is Him. So Lord – please help me make these Your Words and not mine – open our ears and help us all see the love You have for us – and help us in our praise to love You for Your direction in our lives.

I praise God for my Mom – and my Dad of course – and I have to remember how my Mom always did (and still does) “cover me” – first in her womb – and she has covered me with love and dedication – covered for me when I needed extra cash – covered for me when I needed childcare – even driving 5 hours with my dad to see their new grandson for just an hour and later routinely for a couple nights of staying with her grandkids – and she always has Christmas “covered” by pre-wrapping gifts and sending them with me at thanksgiving time so that Christmas morning is “covered” in extra wow and extra love…  covered…

My dad always and especially before He passed would say: “Take care of your mother.” And I am sure that the Lord has always said that to us too. And I want to give compassion today to those who have lost their mothers from the earth but not from their hearts – as their moms will always be with them with us – hugs also to those who have had static or non-existent relationships with their moms – and those moms separated from their children in any way – I pray them all and you all some peace this mother’s day. I pray God has double portioned up extra love for you with grandma’s and aunt’s, grandpa’s and uncles, and family friends and others who love on you (and for you to love).

We in God are covered under double portion (and more) of LOVE. Double portion was a term used in the story of Hannah – the mother of very crucially important Samuel, who grew up in the temple to go out to the world as a prophet and man of God. God covered Hannah with love even as she had to wait to experience motherhood. See, God knew how it would work out, He initially had “closed Hannah’s womb”, she was so sad and yet so beloved, that her husband would give her double portion of food. She was actually taunted for being childless, like when people pick on you for your one most lacking thing because they know it hurts you… not taunted by her husband, but by her husband’s other wife (yes, that was just how that family was) – taunted by this woman who had many children –  and this made Hannah so sad that she refused to eat – she cried out to the Lord “in bitterness of soul”, (isn’t that a real feeling – of real pain that God allows us to feel and hopes that we turn to Him and not retaliation or worse) – and [Hannah] prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life,”  

We too can ask the Lord for what we are lacking – and we too can find solace in our Lord’s love and peace, His faithfulness and forgiveness, His plan and purpose.  Hannah’s motherhood WAS being saved for special timing and purpose in mothering a baby boy that she then promised and did give up – more like give over to God. So we learn in the scripture readings that Hannah prayed to God, went to the high temple, prayed in front of Eli the priest (who thought she was crazy drunk seeing her lips moving without sound), but we know she pledged to dedicate her son to God if she was able to bear him. Eli essentially said “I hope you get what honors God” – she did.

Hannah did get to be a mother and she did get to keep Samuel until he was weaned, which was probably until he was 5 years old or so. She dedicated him, brought him up to the temple where the priest Eli then was charged by God to raise young Samuel in the house of the Lord. Samuel was so very much chosen by God – to be the prophet child of God that told Eli of his family’s future – to tell of the Kingdom’s future – to later pick and unpick leaders in King Saul and King David – and to reconcile Saul, who had gone wrong, reconcile him to God after God “unpicked him” as the lineage for the Kingdom which was given over to King David – a lineage that led to Jesus as forever King. (I encourage you to look at the Old Testament scriptures that tell a great story of Abraham to Jacob to Moses to David to Jesus. Which were told to Samuel)

Let us listen to some of Hannah’s song prayer: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”

Hannah was a mother and she had a mothering spirit – giving up of her own desires and walking with the Lord – keeping her promise. Acknowledging her mission, she didn’t walk away from the hardship of leaving her son – and NO, she did not abandon her son, no, she loved him so very much and she visited him each year when their family made the annual pilgrimage for sacrifice. Hannah made and brought Samuel a new robe to cover him. Oh, how I often wonder did Samuel remember his mom, her smell, her love, by touching the robe that his mom made – and how often did Samuel remember that he was a gift to the Lord. – His Mother had him covered both materially – and maternally – and majestically – and Samuel surely learned the love of God from his mother –  that God was blessing them – that God Almighty covered them in purpose.

God Almighty also heard Priest Eli’s prayers about Hannah’s devotional act, on one of those many trips up to worship and to bring Samuel a new robe. Eli asked God to bless Hannah and her husband – and God provided more than a double portion with more children, actually 5 more!  Eli said to Hannah’s husband: “The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord.” ,,, The Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

This statement struck me: The loan that was given to the Lord – but in truth aren’t all our children a loan FROM the Lord? Our blessing and privilege to raise them – or help raise – like my aunts and uncles did – our teachers – our neighbors – our friends – and we can do these loving acts for others – be mothering and fathering figures….  That is truly when you bless but do not expect something in return – you have to let that child be themselves and live their lives not yours. And don’t we also need to remember to turn our worries about our children over to the Lord? If there is something that I can cover my children with – better than warm jacket for my college kid or a safe Subaru for my new driver – better even than my hugs (or my money) – better than anything else: I can cover them with prayers – and ask for them to be covered with God’s grace and mercy and love.

This is a side story – but relevant –  I remember one day I went to traffic court – to appeal a traffic ticket – (don’t judge me – and really the light was green to yellow as I went around that corner – NOT red but barely starting yellow) – well – even the police officer seemed to encourage me going to court to fight the ticket – to not get points and only pay money – (its only money right?)  Well so at court the police officer weirdly bargained that bargain for me – and while I was waiting I was humbled to complain less, humbled for my placement because God had a plan for me that day – a small one but I totally saw God’s hand in it – totally – I was waiting for my turn with the judge and there was a whole family there – grandpa, mom and dad and other siblings – and there was a 4 year old and he and I struck up a conversation about all the superhero toys he had – old and new – like for 10 minutes or more – I was the substitute babysitter mom of the moment and I saw (and can still see) this family circling their wagons –  pulling themselves into a deep conversation about their teenager driver who may have had an alcohol-related driving incident – I couldn’t really know – totally not my place to know – but I knew God for these few minutes had a plan for me as “a mom educated in superheroes “ – to be in the moment to simply play with these action figures and distract and interact with this little boy in a crowded stress-filled waiting room where no one wanted to be – me neither until that very moment. I wouldn’t have traded that ticket for freedom as I thought of Batman as my example of God’s tools given to us to work on a situation – Batman was not a super hero with powers but with tools and a mission – and that is how we should be – so I paid my fine and I had to be fine with that – it is not my intent to speak of “my good deed of the day” but of God’s provisions of my time – Yes, for Him to put me where He needed me. Really God is our superhero with no need for a cape but He covered that situation in supreme fashion. Really, our blessings of opportunities to interact and pray for God’s collective children. We are to carry a mothering or fathering spirit wherever and whenever God needs us – because each and every person (young and old) is God’s child.

Back to finishing the story of Hannah – for her dedication to God – this dedication must have been on the minds of 2 particular women whom we have often learned about – especially at Christmas – more examples for this Mother’s Day from scripture of dedicated moms – we have Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist and her cousin Mary – the teenager mother of our Lord Jesus. I love to hear of their dedication – knowing that God did not chose an easy path for them as moms but a certain one for all of us – and they knew their sons’ lives had to be dedicated to The Lord. Revealed especially because the Lord God had already chosen them to be in His Plan. Listen to this statement by Mary, a good life-verse to aspire to: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Mary sang – recorded later by Luke – and isn’t this so very similar to Hannah’s song:

For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things,..”

How we appreciate mothers – Jesus did too – Jesus was first known to any human – revealed inside His Mom….   Mary felt Him grow in her as a baby and as her Lord – Mary learned about the Holy Spirit thru her carrying our Lord – she was greeted by her cousin Elizabeth and the second and third people to know Jesus in the flesh were Elizabeth and John as a babe inside her whom leaped in excitement. These mothers had to both rejoice and take the pre-told opportunity to devote themselves and their sons to the Lord.

Elizabeth spoke:   Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

We know Elizabeth and Mary as mothers who also had to endure hardship and loss – and so sad for mothers around us whom also do – we pray them God’s peace. We remember Mary and Jesus’s brothers also thought they lost Jesus to some crazy movement – thought Jesus was going rouge speaking about Himself and the kingdom and asking Him to leave a volatile environment.  We remember Mary was there when Jesus was taken away – and when he was crucified – such unfathomable pain pre-told to Mary by Simeon in the temple when Jesus was only days old. Mary held that in her heart until it really happened.

Jesus as God – understood and understands – Jesus said of Jerusalem:  how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…  yes Jesus came to earth for such a short time and had to leave all of His whole set of disciples, His brothers and sisters and His mother to the immediate future on earth without Him right there in the flesh – but He had them “covered” and instructed them to wait for the Holy Spirit…. They were covered as we could be and are covered with the Spirit.    

and Jesus knew His biggest cloaking and covering forever was bigger than anything anyone could imagine – in that in His blood, His righteousness did and would cloak over our sins. Samuel grew and needed and received a new robe each year – made by His mother. Jesus by His love covers us anew and FOREVER – not just for each year but each day – each moment. Covered in Forgiveness and LOVE.

On the cross When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He said unto His mother, “Woman, behold thy son!” Then said He to the disciple, John, “Behold thy mother!” And from that hour, John took her unto his own home. Yes – Jesus gave His mother over to John and John to His mother – reassigned (temporarily reassigned since earth is temporary anyway) the physicalness of the earthly mothering and being a son to her mothering. Jesus made sure they were both covered – able to be physically reassuring each other.  Jesus is the cover of LOVE that God intended for us too – and did God have to give up something too? – Well, yes – imagine that He could console Hannah giving over Samuel because God understood and MADE the plan – a plan to give OVER His own Son for all our sins – to allow Him and us to spend eternity together – God and all the rest of His children.

Let us pray: Lord – we are so aware that Mothers are so important in our own lives and in our scriptural history – God Almighty you chose to give Your children a survival mechanism by making us within our mothers and into a family’s love –

You God Almighty created our inmost beings – knit us together in our mother’s wombs – we praise you as we are fearfully and wonderfully made; as Psalm 139 reminds us – Your works are wonderful, all the days ordained for us were written in your book before one of them came to be

God You Are Love and You chose to surround all Your children in love – we praise Mothers and always we THANK YOU and praise Your Precious Love.

Amen

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1 Samuel 1 – New King James Version

The Family of Elkanah

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Hannah’s Vow

Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord.  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!” But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.” Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born and Dedicated

Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.” So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” So they worshiped the Lord there.

…

1 Samuel 2  excerpts New King James Version

Hannah’s Prayer

And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.

“The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.

“The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust

And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. “For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed.”  Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

…

Samuel’s Childhood Ministry

But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord.” Then they would go to their own home. And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

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For Him

For ME? No, For HIM.

For expectations? No, For HIM.

For experience? No, For Him.

For LOVE? Ahh, yes, For Him.

For money? No, For Him.

For them? No, For Him. 

For therapy? No, For Him.

For fun, yeah For fun! Well, For Him.

For something, Ahh, yeah, For Him. 

For Example, Ahh, For Him. 

For someone, maybe? Ahh, For Him.

For more? Only if – For Him.

For EVER? Oh yes – For Sure For Him.

For LOVE. 

For LOVE.

For Him.

Amen

—

Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us. 

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 123

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The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121:5-8

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Churning for Him…

My opportunity to take a trip allowed me to see new sights, but what caught my eye the most were the flowers, the people, the opportunity to simply “be”… There are many moments too that I was trying to fill my own agenda, but prayed: Oh Lord, let me follow Yours.  It’s difficult to explain the level of pride we (I) experience living our lives… Really I am ranking myself as still having times of worst pride of my expectations of what I think I should know, of what I think I should be getting out of a situation, of what my take home message would be of myself, of what I should be able to see as my lemonade moments even if it wasn’t even given lemons or wasn’t given sugar.

Yes, often I do have a high expectation of the results that comes from MY direction of MY time, and that can get me in trouble feeling defeated without MY results, because I forgot my time is God’s time. It may not appear always that I struggle with my “pride stride”, or maybe it is super clear that I do, but either way, what I do know is that we all do. We don’t always visually experience or appreciate God’s purpose over ours but that’s nothing new, God knows people are people. (Imagine if we took His Stride, over ours, imagine the length of distance we would travel!!!!) Jesus wants to be our DIRECTOR – moment by moment in a sometimes slow churn – not with an instant quick result.

Really, here’s the question: how does ego/pride balance with humbleness and obeying? I don’t have a “pat” answer, but I know it is better to give God the Glory.  How often do we keep letting pride get in the way, like “SHOW me, Lord” – demanding: “Show ME!” of my purpose and my results – “Show ME” because I DESERVE to understand my purpose – well, NO… We need to let God be God. He knows. 

I saw some cool old butter churns, collected by my friend on her windowsill. How we often forget that it IS best to be part of a slow churn of God’s cream into His best butter – get into a deliberate churching and learning and being lead and often swirled by the paddles of His Churn. We (I especially) have to remember that sometimes God needs me (us) to slow down to a steady pace and let Him get His results out of our lives. Sometimes God whips our lives into fluffy whipped cream and sometimes into salty butter, whichever fits the moment. Yes, it is up to what God wants to serve at that moment. Remember God IS the bread of life, broken and shared with us.

God can let us see more of His purpose in each moment, or not. God “spreads us” in His Way. That’s my “pat” answer, be His butter on the bread of life, warm, salty, and sweet. 

Let’s be churning in life with Him.

Amen

…

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. Psalm 127:1

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128:1-2

We are to fear the Lord by choice,

But as His faithful, the Lord does not scare.

We are to listen for His Voice,

And for His trumpet which will blare.

In His Salvation we can rejoice,

His joy is our snare.

The JOY of music is HOPE

I’m copiously reading a lot of scriptures about the Lord protecting us – there ARE a lot of scriptures reminding us how He will protect us… about all HIS ways to comfort us so that we can comfort others…

As ALWAYS, I’m ALWAYS singing… in the car, in the store, in the church, in the nursing home, and especially in my head – with or without the earbuds – music that comes out of your ears provides your mental tabernacle of sanctuary, an ever-expanding sanctuary to feel the PEACE of the Lord. After singing in band on Sunday my memory will resonate like a bell those very special catchy verses that the Lord has laid on my heart. These verses are for the past and surely they are for the present and they definitely are for the future when we will continue to walk with the Lord.

I think music is one of the biggest gifts ever –  even when people are physically or emotionally in the deepest worst places, there still can be a song in our heads bursting or seeping out of our hearts… It doesn’t matter the depth of human intelligence or the languages that we speak, because music is universal… We have soothing songs in our dreams when we sleep, we have songs of heartache to keep us company in bad times, and we have songs of sheer JOY…

If God has taken care of the littlest birds with songs of joy, sorrow, and warning, then surely He will take care of us! (Matthew 6)

We have songs to sing about mercy, love and SALVATION…

With all the hardships thru the ages, thousands and thousands of years, music has continued to delight and direct us – and it must be because the Lord wants to hear us in a state of trying to find BLISS – to be in an active state of BEING STILL – and to be soothing ourselves (psalm 131) calming and quieting ourselves by trusting the Lord – knowing He is present – to be content in ourselves…

This state of looking for comfort is so that we are able to be comforting others (2 Corinthians 1)… and when we look at others we can be grateful for our blessings…

It all means we believe in HOPE…

There’s a TRUE JOY, that we have HOPE…

The JOY of music is the JOY of Hope…

“Put your hope in the Lord now and forever more”…

Amen

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Psalm 131
My heart is not proud, Lord,    my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.

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Psalm 136:7-8

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures forever

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Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you,Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

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P.S.  I Bow My Heart to Sing, 19JAN

Of the praise songs we sing in church, this is probably one of the best lines – from this Paul Baloche song Your Mercy: “I bow my heart to sing” – bow my heart – how could I not?

God gives us Mercy and He blesses us. We are called by God to know we have received God’s mercy. We are called by that and know that He loves us!

Beautiful song…

Beautiful feeling to be loved.

“God Does Not Have Grandchildren”

Two by Two the Lord sends us out to minister and to witness and to have someone who sees what happens when we work in Jesus’s name and love, we are sent together to have someone who confirms our story.

Thru YouTube, I met singer and dynamic spiritual-cajoler Keith Green. I knew a couple of his early 80s songs for praise band,  I didn’t know his story. I learned. YouTube. Now that’s a blessing!!! Keith’s story is both very different and very similar –  a gift of mental pairing for me. The story is different in his upbringing – the story is the same in God’s “SNAP” call.

Independently, the Lord calls on each of us to realize our status as children of God. Keith Green says God has children,  not Grandchildren – meaning that young folks – each person – will have to hear their own call, understand for themselves, not ride in on coat-tails…

Yes, our jobs are to keep encouraging new children of God to find Jesus.

Keith and I have shared experiences of questioning, learning, knowing. Yes, Jesus is patiently waiting for us to follow Him. Receive Him AND Follow Him, two stages.  Keith is a pair to my witness, Keith would understand me, understand that SNAP of when we knew and acknowledged Jesus as Savior AND Lord. Yes, in this interview Keith states that he knew Jesus but then later when he acknowledged JESUS AS LORD, OH SNAP, it all came together… God wants commitment…

Keith’s testimony (discussed in this 1st YouTube video) and mine are 40 years separated by time, but God crosses all distances and medias. I understand that testimony.

Keith talks about Jesus to the viewing audience kids in his 1982 appearance on the television boob tube (those are his words in the second video link) that he knows how 70’s crazy he looks to mainstream American people, that he knows what becoming a fool for Christ looks like. And so with Keith’s charismatic ways, naturally, God found a use for him and his style.  God crosses all distances and media to reach people.

I’m blessed to know that when you know the Lord and WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH,  the Lord will snap you in. Born again. I pray that you know Him too. To give up your life to the Lord is to gain His life for you.

Keith Green would understand me and I him, oh that conversation, oh that SNAP.   Just before the 10 minute mark on the first video, Keith speaks of how it was 2 years of Him praying to Jesus before he actually worshiped and followed Jesus – you have to be led and accept Jesus’s lead in order to be saved… at the 12minute 45 sec mark, Keith said he knew Jesus was real because He was the one God changed – a mountain could have skipped into the sea – but if God changed him then wow, that is how he knew.

Love these 2 videos – it’s the unplugged speaking at the piano testimony which is more important than the music…. I’m thankful for YouTube history… I’m so thankful to the Lord for being true thru the ages. Calling His Children.

Amen

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“Keith Green   1982 100 Huntley Street TV 01 Keith’s Testimony” on YouTube

Keith message and a song https://youtu.be/zwkrchALHG8

What’s God’s Music?

What kind of music is God playing for your theme song at this moment?…

Perhaps He’s playing the Rocky theme and you need to get-up-and-get back in the game knowing He is giving you the strength.

Perhaps He’s playing that calliope instrument and life is bubbly and fun and filled with joy.

Perhaps it’s a great organ playing Count Dracula scary suspense music and Lord knows where the dark shadows lie in your life…

Perhaps He’s playing the Jeopardy theme song and is waiting for you to make a decision of the answer you’re going to give Him.

Perhaps it’s a Weird Al parody – and your life is seemingly filled with goofballs, but you still have to deal with it all…

Perhaps it’s a vast Broadway chorus and you are in the show-stopper biggest most intense moment of your life…

Perhaps it’s quiet – but you still hear the clock ticking… Perhaps God is telling you to stop marking time… perhaps God is telling you to start making time…

Perhaps God is singing you a lullaby, gently telling you to rest in Him…

Perhaps it’s time for you to be quiet and not hear music, just hear Peace…

Listen to God to hear Peace….

Just Peace….

Peace…

Peace…

Peace…

God’s Music surely is hearing PRAISES for PEACE…

Amen

In the plaques at a local 911 memorial, I noticed the AGES for the fallen firemen, police, and Port Authority officers… nearly all these ages were my age or younger… So many people not even in their prime… Wow this made me the most sad to know these lives were lost so young…  I know they served so bravely and did so much in their short time on earth… God bless their souls…

And I pray that God took all 3000 up into heaven, no questions asked… I KNOW it doesn’t work that way but I prayed anyway that God found a loophole for the non-believers too, that He convinced them last minute, and let them in… Maybe, just maybe…

So this song is cool – I heard the lyrics about singing and since I was REALLY thinking about the people on 911 and I pray that each “found the savior” as the buildings collapsed, I appreciated these lyrics: “And as the chorus grew – A thousand hearts beat true – Then like a glowing beacon in the dark – Hope came shining through”

and l love the lyrics that touch my story too  – “and choirs sung high – grant her new life – make me a vessel – of conquerous grace -music has shown her the way – she lived today”

cool cool cool – God is good in harmonizing my thoughts and times – and I praise that “I LIVED TODAY”

Hymn of A Thousand Voices
Dream Theater

Out of the shadows
One by one they came
To shed their light upon his moment
Of doubt and pain

A thousand voices
Ring out through the night
A symphony of mercy for their savior
Too tired to fight

And as the chorus grew
A thousand hearts beat true
Then like a glowing beacon in the dark
Hope came shining through
Shining through
Shining through

Amazingly
The savior found his voice
And all together they rejoiced

Glorious sound
Guide her tonight
Out of the darkness
Into the light

Merciful song
Set her soul free
Unbind the chains
Of endless sleep

Choirs sung high
Grant her new life

Make me a vessel
Of conquerous grace
Music has shown her the way
She lived today

I was driving listening to one of my favorite artists, Steven Wilson, an old band of his, Blackfield, and next up was “End of the World.” Love the song no matter the lyrics, half of which I don’t know. I listened and thought about the goal of my sharing God’s praises is to explain that we are going to the end of the world – and then continue… yeah, no one doesn’t continue, it is more about what we will do when we get there. Eternal with? Or Eternal without? Choose Jesus,  my friends. Eternal with…

Next car license plate in traffic was eerie timing: “EOTW”… how could I not spell that out… “End of the World”. Freaky Freakish timing, while I sang End of the World… freaky except we ALWAYS have the option and opportunity to ask God: “What’s up with that???!!!”- sometimes the answer is “stop being distracted by the world, it’s going to end anyway!”

Maybe people use ‘the end of the world’ as a scare tactic, but God wouldn’t… Maybe God would use a ‘snare’ tactic instead of a scare tactic.  God’s snare makes us aware, able to go over the “end” of the world and into what comes next…  And (reading Revelation) won’t we get to watch 1000 years millennium of the world from the non-cheap seats? Yeah…  We get to praise forever… Yeah, we are not to fear EOTW but hear: POTL Praise of the Lord, and know: TOTLEFE Truth of the Lord endureth for ever…

Psalm 117 is short and to the point: “O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.”  Psalm 118 is longer. And Psalm 119 is the longest! But the long and short of our lives is we’ve got more days to praise ahead of us than we had behind… for EVER.

So don’t fear the end of the world, but do warn, teach, cajole, love and explore with people all their options, asking them to Go With Jesus. GWJ.

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for His Mercy Endureth For Ever.”

HMEFE yes!

Amen

AMEN! 

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…

Psalm 118-119

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

² Let Israel say:
    “His love endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron say:
    “His love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say:
    “His love endures forever.”

⁵ When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.
⁶ The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
⁷ The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.
¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹¹ They surrounded me on every side,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees,
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹³ I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.

¹⁵ Shouts of joy and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
¹⁶     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
¹⁷ I will not die but live,
    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
¹⁸ The Lord has chastened me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.
¹⁹ Open for me the gates of the righteous;
    I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord
    through which the righteous may enter.
²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
    you have become my salvation.

²² The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
²³ the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.

²⁵ Lord, save us!
    Lord, grant us success!

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.
²⁷ The Lord is God,
    and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
    up to the horns of the altar.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Psalm 119

א Aleph

¹ Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
    who walk according to the law of the Lord.
² Blessed are those who keep his statutes
    and seek him with all their heart—
³ they do no wrong
    but follow his ways.
⁴ You have laid down precepts
    that are to be fully obeyed.
⁵ Oh, that my ways were steadfast
    in obeying your decrees!
⁶ Then I would not be put to shame
    when I consider all your commands.
⁷ I will praise you with an upright heart
    as I learn your righteous laws.
⁸ I will obey your decrees;
    do not utterly forsake me.

ב Beth

⁹ How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.
¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
    do not let me stray from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.
¹² Praise be to you, Lord;
    teach me your decrees.
¹³ With my lips I recount
    all the laws that come from your mouth.
¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes
    as one rejoices in great riches.
¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.

ג Gimel

¹⁷ Be good to your servant while I live,
    that I may obey your word.
¹⁸ Open my eyes that I may see
    wonderful things in your law.
¹⁹ I am a stranger on earth;
    do not hide your commands from me.
²⁰ My soul is consumed with longing
    for your laws at all times.
²¹ You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed,
    those who stray from your commands.
²² Remove from me their scorn and contempt,
    for I keep your statutes.
²³ Though rulers sit together and slander me,
    your servant will meditate on your decrees.
²⁴ Your statutes are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

ד Daleth

²⁵ I am laid low in the dust;
    preserve my life according to your word.
²⁶ I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
    teach me your decrees.
²⁷ Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
    that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.
²⁸ My soul is weary with sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word.
²⁹ Keep me from deceitful ways;
    be gracious to me and teach me your law.
³⁰ I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I have set my heart on your laws.
³¹ I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;
    do not let me be put to shame.
³² I run in the path of your commands,
    for you have broadened my understanding.

ה He

³³ Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
    and obey it with all my heart.
³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands,
    for there I find delight.
³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.
³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life according to your word.
³⁸ Fulfill your promise to your servant,
    so that you may be feared.
³⁹ Take away the disgrace I dread,
    for your laws are good.
⁴⁰ How I long for your precepts!
    In your righteousness preserve my life.

ו Waw

⁴¹ May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,
    your salvation, according to your promise;
⁴² then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
    for I trust in your word.
⁴³ Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
    for I have put my hope in your laws.
⁴⁴ I will always obey your law,
    for ever and ever.
⁴⁵ I will walk about in freedom,
    for I have sought out your precepts.
⁴⁶ I will speak of your statutes before kings
    and will not be put to shame,
⁴⁷ for I delight in your commands
    because I love them.
⁴⁸ I reach out for your commands, which I love,
    that I may meditate on your decrees.

ז Zayin

⁴⁹ Remember your word to your servant,
    for you have given me hope.
⁵⁰ My comfort in my suffering is this:
    Your promise preserves my life.
⁵¹ The arrogant mock me unmercifully,
    but I do not turn from your law.
⁵² I remember, Lord, your ancient laws,
    and I find comfort in them.
⁵³ Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
    who have forsaken your law.
⁵⁴ Your decrees are the theme of my song
    wherever I lodge.
⁵⁵ In the night, Lord, I remember your name,
    that I may keep your law.
⁵⁶ This has been my practice:
    I obey your precepts.

ח Heth

⁵⁷ You are my portion, Lord;
    I have promised to obey your words.
⁵⁸ I have sought your face with all my heart;
    be gracious to me according to your promise.
⁵⁹ I have considered my ways
    and have turned my steps to your statutes.
⁶⁰ I will hasten and not delay
    to obey your commands.
⁶¹ Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
    I will not forget your law.
⁶² At midnight I rise to give you thanks
    for your righteous laws.
⁶³ I am a friend to all who fear you,
    to all who follow your precepts.
⁶⁴ The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
    teach me your decrees.

ט Teth

⁶⁵ Do good to your servant
    according to your word, Lord.
⁶⁶ Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
    for I trust your commands.
⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I obey your word.
⁶⁸ You are good, and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.
⁶⁹ Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
    I keep your precepts with all my heart.
⁷⁰ Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
    but I delight in your law.
⁷¹ It was good for me to be afflicted
    so that I might learn your decrees.
⁷² The law from your mouth is more precious to me
    than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

י Yodh

⁷³ Your hands made me and formed me;
    give me understanding to learn your commands.
⁷⁴ May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
    for I have put my hope in your word.
⁷⁵ I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
    and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
⁷⁶ May your unfailing love be my comfort,
    according to your promise to your servant.
⁷⁷ Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
    for your law is my delight.
⁷⁸ May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
    but I will meditate on your precepts.
⁷⁹ May those who fear you turn to me,
    those who understand your statutes.
⁸⁰ May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
    that I may not be put to shame.

כ Kaph

⁸¹ My soul faints with longing for your salvation,
    but I have put my hope in your word.
⁸² My eyes fail, looking for your promise;
    I say, “When will you comfort me?”
⁸³ Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,
    I do not forget your decrees.
⁸⁴ How long must your servant wait?
    When will you punish my persecutors?
⁸⁵ The arrogant dig pits to trap me,
    contrary to your law.
⁸⁶ All your commands are trustworthy;
    help me, for I am being persecuted without cause.
⁸⁷ They almost wiped me from the earth,
    but I have not forsaken your precepts.
⁸⁸ In your unfailing love preserve my life,
    that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.

ל Lamedh

⁸⁹ Your word, Lord, is eternal;
    it stands firm in the heavens.
⁹⁰ Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
    you established the earth, and it endures.
⁹¹ Your laws endure to this day,
    for all things serve you.
⁹² If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.
⁹³ I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have preserved my life.
⁹⁴ Save me, for I am yours;
    I have sought out your precepts.
⁹⁵ The wicked are waiting to destroy me,
    but I will ponder your statutes.
⁹⁶ To all perfection I see a limit,
    but your commands are boundless.

מ Mem

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your law!
    I meditate on it all day long.
⁹⁸ Your commands are always with me
    and make me wiser than my enemies.
⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers,
    for I meditate on your statutes.
¹⁰⁰ I have more understanding than the elders,
    for I obey your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet from every evil path
    so that I might obey your word.
¹⁰² I have not departed from your laws,
    for you yourself have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from your precepts;
    therefore I hate every wrong path.

נ Nun

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.
¹⁰⁶ I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
    that I will follow your righteous laws.
¹⁰⁷ I have suffered much;
    preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
¹⁰⁸ Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
    and teach me your laws.
¹⁰⁹ Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
    I will not forget your law.
¹¹⁰ The wicked have set a snare for me,
    but I have not strayed from your precepts.
¹¹¹ Your statutes are my heritage forever;
    they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² My heart is set on keeping your decrees
    to the very end.

ס Samekh

¹¹³ I hate double-minded people,
    but I love your law.
¹¹⁴ You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.
¹¹⁵ Away from me, you evildoers,
    that I may keep the commands of my God!
¹¹⁶ Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;
    do not let my hopes be dashed.
¹¹⁷ Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
    I will always have regard for your decrees.
¹¹⁸ You reject all who stray from your decrees,
    for their delusions come to nothing.
¹¹⁹ All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;
    therefore I love your statutes.
¹²⁰ My flesh trembles in fear of you;
    I stand in awe of your laws.

ע Ayin

¹²¹ I have done what is righteous and just;
    do not leave me to my oppressors.
¹²² Ensure your servant’s well-being;
    do not let the arrogant oppress me.
¹²³ My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,
    looking for your righteous promise.
¹²⁴ Deal with your servant according to your love
    and teach me your decrees.
¹²⁵ I am your servant; give me discernment
    that I may understand your statutes.
¹²⁶ It is time for you to act, Lord;
    your law is being broken.
¹²⁷ Because I love your commands
    more than gold, more than pure gold,
¹²⁸ and because I consider all your precepts right,
    I hate every wrong path.

פ Pe

¹²⁹ Your statutes are wonderful;
    therefore I obey them.
¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it gives understanding to the simple.
¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant,
    longing for your commands.
¹³² Turn to me and have mercy on me,
    as you always do to those who love your name.
¹³³ Direct my footsteps according to your word;
    let no sin rule over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from human oppression,
    that I may obey your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make your face shine on your servant
    and teach me your decrees.
¹³⁶ Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
    for your law is not obeyed.

צ Tsadhe

¹³⁷ You are righteous, Lord,
    and your laws are right.
¹³⁸ The statutes you have laid down are righteous;
    they are fully trustworthy.
¹³⁹ My zeal wears me out,
    for my enemies ignore your words.
¹⁴⁰ Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
    and your servant loves them.
¹⁴¹ Though I am lowly and despised,
    I do not forget your precepts.
¹⁴² Your righteousness is everlasting
    and your law is true.
¹⁴³ Trouble and distress have come upon me,
    but your commands give me delight.
¹⁴⁴ Your statutes are always righteous;
    give me understanding that I may live.

ק Qoph

¹⁴⁵ I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,
    and I will obey your decrees.
¹⁴⁶ I call out to you; save me
    and I will keep your statutes.
¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I have put my hope in your word.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promises.
¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
    preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.
¹⁵⁰ Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
    but they are far from your law.
¹⁵¹ Yet you are near, Lord,
    and all your commands are true.
¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your statutes
    that you established them to last forever.

ר Resh

¹⁵³ Look on my suffering and deliver me,
    for I have not forgotten your law.
¹⁵⁴ Defend my cause and redeem me;
    preserve my life according to your promise.
¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked,
    for they do not seek out your decrees.
¹⁵⁶ Your compassion, Lord, is great;
    preserve my life according to your laws.
¹⁵⁷ Many are the foes who persecute me,
    but I have not turned from your statutes.
¹⁵⁸ I look on the faithless with loathing,
    for they do not obey your word.
¹⁵⁹ See how I love your precepts;
    preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.
¹⁶⁰ All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.

ש Sin and Shin

¹⁶¹ Rulers persecute me without cause,
    but my heart trembles at your word.
¹⁶² I rejoice in your promise
    like one who finds great spoil.
¹⁶³ I hate and detest falsehood
    but I love your law.
¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous laws.
¹⁶⁵ Great peace have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.
¹⁶⁶ I wait for your salvation, Lord,
    and I follow your commands.
¹⁶⁷ I obey your statutes,
    for I love them greatly.
¹⁶⁸ I obey your precepts and your statutes,
    for all my ways are known to you.

ת Taw

¹⁶⁹ May my cry come before you, Lord;
    give me understanding according to your word.
¹⁷⁰ May my supplication come before you;
    deliver me according to your promise.
¹⁷¹ May my lips overflow with praise,
    for you teach me your decrees.
¹⁷² May my tongue sing of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.
¹⁷³ May your hand be ready to help me,
    for I have chosen your precepts.
¹⁷⁴ I long for your salvation, Lord,
    and your law gives me delight.
¹⁷⁵ Let me live that I may praise you,
    and may your laws sustain me.
¹⁷⁶ I have strayed like a lost sheep.
    Seek your servant,
    for I have not forgotten your commands.

Last night was a decent rain storm, dark clouds but not too bad to be feared, I’ve seen those dark clouds, before in retrospect, and wow the most VIVID rainbow, full and doubled. WOW!!! Oh how BRIGHT especially against the dark cloud moving away… LIGHT overcame that dark, BRILLIANTLY and VIVIDLY noticed. 

In our lives too… I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

How many times have we been in small anguish of annoyances and those BIG anguishes that squished us to sadness? On the flipside, how many times we actually don’t even know that we have been the verge of disaster (in human sense) but rescued? How many mini praises do we have – like thankful for another day… Let us be BRILLIANTLY thankful. 

Often we have to get exhausted to appreciate being rested.  We have to be broken to appreciate being repaired. We have to have something as real as a Monday to appreciate the Friday. We have to have enough of a memory to know we got from there to here… and then know Whom to praise in all, PRAISE OUR GOD WHO OUR SUSTAINER. OUR UN-SQUISHER.

…

Anguish will squish us.

The Lord’s Love will kiss us.

Rainbows will distract us. GOOD.

God will remember us.

Forgiveness will un-squish us.

The cup of salvation does save us.

The Lord has blessed us.

No one can praise enough. 

Let’s PRAISE the One to Whom all praises are due. (I know I need to!)

Amen

—

Psalm 116

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears,.my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

I trusted in the Lord when I said: “I am greatly afflicted”; in my alarm I said, “Everyone is a liar.”

What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. Truly I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains.

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord – in your midst, Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

I was blessed to see our CEO yesterday, it’s been a few years and I appreciate that he appreciates us. I appreciate that with SO MANY employees that he doesn’t need to remember my name, but I hope he remembers my smile. And it’s ok if he doesn’t because a smile is new each time it is given. He remembered my smile. 

It’s being a fan that’s fun. And recognizing that encouragement is encouraging all around. Smiles are welcoming in the best of times, even in the worst of times. Smiles are more infectious than anything else. 

Faith. Faith is not infectious but faithful witness.  Wisdom helps in knowing the difference between an idol and fandom, and also not to put faith in humanity.  Knowing God is God is a witness and commitment to looking for truth, finding the Rock in a sea of fluff, even trusting in the hard times in a ‘God and us’ relationship that maybe some others don’t understand. We know that our faith sustains. And we know that Sustainer. Faith is a smile given back and forth between our dust and God.

So, endless praise for God. One True God. Idols of the past (and the fake gods like the golden calf, like Baal, etc) and idols of our time (money, fame, people) are not going to sustaining, not going to be working out FOR us. Idolatry requires us to give everything to that relationship and nothing is given back. Idols, in other words are idle.

God is God and gives. He already gave until it hurt. And He is not idle, working every day in every way for our good.

We can praise! “It is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 115 is a pinnacle of praise. How awesome that the Lord Himself gave us words to praise. Wisdom knows God is working always, for LOVE. 

Amen (and please read Psalm 115 with a smile).

Amen

Psalm 115

.

Not to us, Lord, not to us  

but to your name be the glory,

because of your love and faithfulness.

.

Why do the nations say,

 “Where is their God?”

Our God is in heaven;

he does whatever pleases him.

But their idols are silver and gold,

made by human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see. 

They have ears, but cannot hear, 

noses, but cannot smell. 

They have hands, but cannot feel, 

feet, but cannot walk, 

nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

Those who make them will be like them, 

and so will all who trust in them.

.

All you Israelites, trust in the Lord-

he is their help and shield.

House of Aaron, trust in the Lord-

he is their help and shield.

You who fear him, trust in the Lord-

he is their help and shield.

.

The Lord remembers us and will bless us:

He will bless his people Israel,

he will bless the house of Aaron,

he will bless those who fear the Lord

small and great alike.

.

May the Lord cause you to flourish,

both you and your children.

May you be blessed by the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

.

The highest heavens belong to the Lord, 

but the earth he has given to mankind.

It is not the dead who praise the Lord, 

those who go down to the place of silence;

it is we who extol the Lord,

both now and forevermore.

.

Praise the Lord.

.

.

.

In re-reading scripture about Samuel and how God spoke to him as a child and adult into old age, it’s no wonder that King David – already trusting and appreciative of the Lord – then anointed by Samuel – must have been in immense awe to write so many psalm songs about Israel’s past and future… see psalms 112, 113, 114. David knew both faithfulness and forgiveness from God. AND he knew God’s History and Future.

Samuel to David, like Obi-Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker? Well it’s not a fictional storyline that the Lord indeed made Himself known to David, Samuel, Moses, many. The Lord moved mountains, rescued enslaved people out of Egypt, shook up rulers and kept His Light shining in and from the land of Judah, Bethlehem, where Jesus was to be born. Not only did God make a Way, He IS the Way, and He has HIS Say.

How we approach the world and everything in it can be scary OR an OPPORTUNITY to watch God work. Sometimes we see frustrated people and we wonder if they only could praise more would they get more satisfaction in life, or at least be more stoic about themselves. I pray us all praising. 

We wonder why wicked walk away from worship. Here’s HOPE healing hearts hear heaven helps our hurdles, helps our hunger. Frustrated folks we find fear forgetful. Praising people pick praise and prayers. God’s got us GOOD. Jump for Joy in Jesus. Smile in Spirit. Trust in Three in One.

Amen

Almighty Amen

—

-Psalm 114

When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs.

Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs?

Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

.

Psalm 112

Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 

Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.

.

Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

.

The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

.

Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.

.

He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

.

Praise the Lord.

Lest we forgot our THANKFULNESS…

Ah… my Facebook memories of 2 years ago – I was remembering the HOPE with scoring appointments for those covid vaccinations and now I remember that the HOPE WAS DELIVERED!  How many concerts, plane flights, inner city events, church singing, grocery stores, work gatherings, life things. If we realized that we took things for granted, like hugs, how can we now appreciate that we got them back…  You don’t know until you don’t – so let us not forget what we learned.

These vaccinations against covid, 2 years ago now, wow we scrambled then to secure a shot spot, and wow free-er living now… Like how often do I praise my shoulder working after shoulder surgery – I went from able to unable to able again…  Praise it!

It was best vaccination timing (if you think of it that way) for my kids and me visiting my Dad in the last couple months before he passed 2 years ago this July… we all got our shots just in time to visit for four days in the house. Yes, I spent a year on the porch – not even a fist bump – not even snuck a hug – I do remember bumping shoes with my mom and feeling the energy of connection just in that…  Oh how I am appreciative. 

They say better living thru chemistry… these vaccinations certainly helped… maybe no vaccination is 100% effective, but these shots reallly were a “shot in the arm” for me for us…  Yes, reduced the cases, reduced the severity, reduced the hype, reduced the fear, and increased our HOPE. 

Thank You Lord!

I am now thinking that perhaps we will look back from heaven (well, maybe we won’t because who needs to look back at all when you are looking AT Jesus’s face) – but theoretically if we consider now the separation moment and Heaven the re-together moment – how awesome we will appreciate that then…  So, let us (pre-knowing) start praising now… Lest we forget to praise – even ahead of time…

Thank you Lord, then, now, and forever more…

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Psalm 113

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Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.

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Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

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The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

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Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

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He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.

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He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

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Praise the Lord.

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How thankful for the SUNSHINE today, we had seems like endless RAIN, even if it were just a weekend. I still grinned and bore it getting outside, driving places, went outside to a township event and last night seeing no good parking spot walked those extra 20 feet into the store – I first grumbled about it – but I was OK! The big reason I stopped grumbling was that there were 2 identical cars to mine in close handicap spots, and I realized to be THANKFUL for my working legs, I COULD walk… No pain? Refrain from the complain!

That’s LIGHT in the darkness, when you don’t let circumstances, like rain, rain on your parade. You don’t let pain poison your day. 

I was driving last afternoon thru the rain, appreciative of GREAT tires on my car. And remembering that we were in a drought not too long ago but no more, catching up with the rain we really needed was a blessing. And wow how LUSH the greens and purples, pink and white flowers, rolling hills of so many shades of green that feasted the eyes. This is Light in the darkness. Don’t let dark clouds prevent you from seeing the rainbow already on the ground. 

Psalm 112 this morning we can read in the SUNSHINE. We WILL get through dark patches in life, in seasons, in daily grinds. We WILL be LIGHT ourselves by counting blessings and trusting in the Lord. We WILL be OK!

The reason I was driving this weekend was to see friends not seen since before covid. Now you have to admit that no matter the severity or need to huddle (or even overreacting in hunkering down), that we went through it and have recovered on the otherside from our fears, at least most I hope have. Yes there are pockets of precautions, but “normal” got closer to normal.  Are we praising? Are we taking advantage of the opportunities that we didn’t do before? Have we thanked God from getting us from there to here? Or are we being darkness from not seeing LIGHT in the situation… I have retooled and reschooled – resolved and recommitted to new things after old things disappeared.

Scripture says LIGHT overtakes darkness, darkness never wins. That’s because LIGHT already won… Let us sing praise!

I found something lost – it must have flung a couple feet from being caught up in a towel or bedding, then stayed under tiny piles of clean laundry. I found it, having the time to clean BECAUSE of that rain, and I praised finding it (and stopped cleaning). Isn’t it true that thinking of how God rescued us, we need to praise our found-ness, praise God and yet keep cleaning now WITH HIm. Yes. Also keep praising, keep looking for the LIGHT and not complain when we get there.

I think attitude is everything… Today is a good day for a good day. How will we know that? Look for the Light!

Amen 

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Psalm 112

Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 

Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.