Majesty

I think the Psalms are awesome! They have always resonated so deeply with me. I can easily find my soul echoing the prayers of the Psalmists as I read. Today was no exception. I've only just finished my devotions for the day, but as I sat down and began to pray I was thinking of the Greatness of my God. My soul was singing of His goodness and care and faithfulness.

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
Psalms 95:1-2
Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
Psalms 95:6
Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
Psalms 96:1-4
Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.
Psalms 96:8
The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad.
Psalms 97:1
The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory.
Psalms 97:6

And then as the Psalmist (whoever this particular one was!) continued to think on God's majesty, he compared Him to everything great and vast that we can see.




For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.
Psalms 95:3-5
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about. His lightnings lit up the world; The earth saw and trembled. The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
Psalms 97:2-5

His majesty leaves me-- almost-- speechless! ;) So in closing today, I encourage you to go read Psalm 95-97 and praise the Lord with me! =)

Gospel Whispers

I read in Psalms again today. I just had to read Psalm 93 again and rejoice that my God reigns! =) But I read on through Psalm 94 as well. The first part is a call to the Lord to judge the wicked, and a reproof against the wicked for thinking that they will get away with their evil.

O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; and they say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive." Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge-- the LORD--knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.
Psalms 94:1-11

And then he contrasts that with the blessing of being one of God's chosen people. He says it is better to be disciplined by the Lord now, than to suffer His wrath with the wicked later.

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
Psalms 94:12-15

This next part resonated the most with me, but it kind of loses it's thunder when you take it out of context.

Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. When I thought, "My foot slips," your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
Psalms 94:16-19

I'm pretty sure that whoever wrote this Psalm had a particular group of wicked people in mind when he wrote this, but when I read about "enemies", or "wicked", or "evil ones" in the Psalms, I usually think either of Satan- the Enemy of my soul- or my sinful nature which is my greatest enemy. That may not be terribly accurate, but...

So we have reached the gospel whispered in this Psalm. Who rises up for me against my sin? Who stands up for me against my Enemy, Satan? THE LORD is my help! Jesus paid for my sin! Jesus intercedes for me when Satan wants to attack! Without His help, I would still be dead. He is my help today, and He's been my help before. "When I thought, (past tense) "My foot slips," your steadfast love, O LORD, held (past tense) me up." I can see my weakness, but His love supports me. He carries me because I am unable to walk on my own.

What are "the cares of my heart". Maybe illness in your life, or a loved one's life. Maybe difficult job situations or the lack of a job. Maybe little stresses that are all stacking up. Maybe a particularly tenacious sin struggle. I don't know, but they are "many". As I was chewing on this, I just kept thinking "Pain hurts." It doesn't matter what the direct source of pain is, it ALWAYS hurts! =P But God! =) His "consolations cheer my soul." I can keep on keeping on because He loves me- and you, if you are a believer- and because He is near to comfort me.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
John 16:7
 
Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation."
Isaiah 12:1-2

Voter Fatigue

I have a SERIOUS case of voter fatigue! I'm tired of all the shared pictures/slogans on Facebook, all the commercials for various candidates and issues, and the media "covering" nothing but election news-- yes, I know that last statement was a bit of a hyperbole! ;) I am THANKFUL for the right to vote that we enjoy in this country. And I exercise that privilege. But this year more than ever before, I'm just ready to hear about SOMETHING else! And as I told my Crew this morning,

The king's heart (or president, for our purposes) is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
Proverbs 21:1

The Forever King is STILL ON HIS THRONE! And His eyes are open to see ALL that happens in His world! =)

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty! Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
Psalms 93:1-5

Dreams

One of the downfalls of the English language is the wide variety of meaning in some of our words. Dreams could be one of those. We talk about "following our dreams" in which dreams mean something similar to "goals". We talk about "hopes and dreams" in which dreams is simply a synonym for hopes. And then there are the dreams about which I'm thinking and writing today. You know, the movies behind your eyelids when you are sleeping.

I am a dreamer. There are not many nights when I wake up and don't remember having dreamed. I don't always remember the dream itself, but I'll remember that I had one. Often when I'm committed to a lot of things, I'll dream about perpetually doing whatever my commitment is. =P For example, last night I dreamed I was doing laundry all night long! And let me tell you, when you dream you've been working all night, you don't feel rested in the morning.

Since my dreams have been plaguing me lately, I've been nearly overwhelmed with thankfulness that I don't have to look for deeper meaning in my dreams than that I am perhaps over committed. I don't believe that every dream I have, or even every dream I remember, I some kind of revelation from God. And I'm thankful! Otherwise, I might attempt to never sleep again! ;)

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Hebrews 1:1-4

Snow!

I love snow! Unfortunately, God has planted me in Central Texas, where snow is a rare commodity. In fact, when we got an unseasonably late snow on Easter weekend several years ago, I joked to Shorty that in Texas we don't get enough snow to make snow"men", only snow"elves". ;) He was not amused! I'm also a stickler for six pointed snowflakes. If it has eight points, it is an imposter!

After reading the previous paragraph it will not surprise you to read that I have a snowman collection. If they make it with snowmen or snowflakes, you can just about guarantee that I've got it, from sun catchers to jewelry to magnets and beyond! And if you know me, you know that it is time for my snowmen to come out of "hibernation". I figure if I can't get the "real" cold stuff, I'll just fill my house with wanna' be's. =)

At any rate, as I was thinking about my snowmen, I was reminded of the fact that snow is mentioned in the Bible. How I can be cleansed as white as snow.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalms 51:7
 
"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
Isaiah 1:18

Wipe Your Sword

It's Narnia time again! Even though it has meant a lot more work and thought for me to use the Chronicles of Narnia for my oldest daughter's  reading curriculum this year, I'm thrilled with my decision to jump into it. =) She is learning a lot, and I am marveling again at C.S. Lewis' ability to so beautifully and vividly illustrate theology in his stories!

This week, she has read about Edmund betraying his siblings to the Witch, and their flight to the Stone Table and Aslan. Her last chapter this week was "Peter's First Battle". The last sentence in the chapter says, "And, whatever happens, never forget to wipe your sword." When I read it, I was thinking, "WOW!" And I really chewed on how to express the importance of that statement to her, but I came up empty. So she came to me yesterday and asked why Aslan told Peter never to forget to wipe his sword. We walked through it, and ultimately, the point of that line is this: Be ready to defend whomever and whatever you are responsible for.

the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Exodus 19:10-11
 
But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Luke 12:39-40
 
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
2 Timothy 4:1-2
 
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
Titus 3:1-2

Practice

My Crew frequently ask me how I do [fill in the blank] so well. My general response is that I've had lots of practice! =) They often moan when I say that-- I guess they want a more glamorous or exciting answer... a mummy taught me, maybe? ;) When I was a kid, the adults in my life used to tell me "Practice makes perfect." I am incredible sparing in using the word perfect, so I tell my Crew that generally "Practice makes it better." And my family has joked for more than a decade about doctors only getting a license to "practice" medicine! ;)

*Whew, all this talk about practice is making me tired!* But seriously, I was reading in 1 John this morning when I noticed a whole lot of talk about "practice".

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 
1 John 2:28-3:10

My first thought was, "I am so glad that it doesn't say that you have to BE righteous to be accepted, because I screw up all the time!" But then I noticed that it says, "Whoever practices righteousness is righteous." And then it says, "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God." God has called His people to be holy, to pursue righteousness, but He's already accepted us on the merit of our Savior. AND He's given us power through the Spirit to obey!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Ephesians 1:3-4