He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.
Do you have an early memory of being held? It is more of remembering an emotion than an event for me. But, I do remember sitting in my mother's lap at church as she held me. Being embraced is a wonderful feeling.
And it is an amazing description of God and how He covers us.
The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
We are going to the Texas coast for vacation. One thing I am looking forward to is taking time and praying in the morning as I walk along the coastlands.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
A good try to get along with your neighbors is to try and build them up. To help them and to encourage them.
Too often I don't take the time to really love my neighbors. To get to know them. Not as the neighbor who gets nosy and irritating. But, one who just shows they care. By getting out of my house when I'm at home. By playing with all the neighbor kids in my yard. By spending time with my wife and kids just walking up and down the houses and saying hi.
And when I ask "How are you?" to really mean it. And to really want an honest answer. And to really listen to the answer.
Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
I was thinking about the times that God has made me glad. Usually they were when I was outside and part of His creation.
When I was running on the backside of 400 meters in track. When the wind was at my back, the world went silent, and the only thing I heard was my own feet hitting the track.
When the sun just came up as I was watching the deer wake from up in my tree stand. And I never had a chance to take a shot. So I just watched and listened.
When an owl about landed on my head in the same tree stand.
Yelling "Hmm BAAA!" across the pasture as I went to get the dairy cows in for Grandpa. And having no idea what "Hmm BAAA!" means.
Finding out that when adult beavers are playing in the creek they sound like puppies squeaking.
... one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
The most merciful person I know is my wife. She has an amazing heart for helping others. And an amazing mind for getting it done right. She got that heart from her mother. And the most cheerful person in their mercy I know of is my wife's Mom.
As a proper son-in-law I do make fun of her. But, I can say that God has given her a merciful heart. Enough of one that she can take a movie with a sad ending and think up the "actual" happy ending that occurs just after the movie ends. Because God put upon her heart a heart of mercy. One that seeks to help others and give them joy.
And through all that she does it cheerfully.
For the rest of us who scratch our heads at being happy in times of pain ... where mercy is most needed ... she is happy and finds people who need it. It is confusing for us, because we need to give more mercy to others and more cheer. And God may not have given us that gift.
We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. ... That the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God.
The Word of God. The stories of what He has done in the past. The stories of what He has done in OUR lives. Those must be shared with our children. For the blessing of those that are here and those that are yet unborn.
How much more I learned of God when I was looking in the face of my Grandfather telling me about what God had done for him. About his personal struggles as a young man. About the difficulties that God has helped him overcome.
God is personal. He works with us one-on-one. So share that with your kids. And model that with your kids.
Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!
The easy way to know if your kids are listening to you is if they did what you asked of them. Tell them to pick up their socks and they say sure? And then later the socks are still all over the living room. Surprise! They didn't listen to you.
Want to know if you are listening to God? Look at your life and see if you picked up the 'socks' He asked you to pick up.
... and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree ...
I really need to try grafting branches. I know of it being done. For example the last known surviving apple tree planted by Johnny Appleseed was preserved in this way. They take fresh cuttings from the old tree and graft it onto the root stock of a modern apple tree. And from that grows the same old Appleseed tree upon the roots of a different apple tree.
In the same way we are graphed onto the root of the LORD. We are not dead branches, but from our salvation we become freshly budded branches. And Christ cuts us out of our old life, our old root. And grafts us now into the root of God. To draw from Him and produce the fruit He has planned for us.
More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies.
When things go wrong it feels as if I'm isolated and against the whole world. That the things lined up on the other side far outnumber my side. The problems are so big and I'm so small.
But isn't that to my advantage?
I never ran faster in track when I didn't run harder. I never got stronger when I didn't lift more than I did before. I might have complained to the coach about doing a second set of 400meter sprints. But, I wouldn't get to finals without them.
So as we look out at our enemies.
They may seem numerous. The sky darker than you have ever seen. The wind stronger. And the air colder.
Look at your eternal Coach.
He wouldn't ask you to face this if He didn't know you could handle it. He will be beside you with what you need to finish. Encouragement. Nourishment. Comfort.
And a good solid yell for you to get moving at times.
Those four words from my youngest son taught me so much about the LORD. We were in the kitchen with him sitting on the counter top and me standing beside him making the snack. He was talking and I was doing the typical head nods and grunts of acknowledgment. But, I wasn't looking at him as he talked to me.
He reached up and grabbed my face with both hands. And turning my head to him he told me: "Daddy! Look at me!". I will remember that until the day I die.
And what an amazing God we have.
Where we can reach out, grab Him, and cry out: Daddy!
... when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
I find that after I wake up from a nightmare it is a good time to think about God. I sit quietly and listen to my wife breathe. And then get up and listen to the kids. Maybe poke them a bit if they are too quiet and I really need to make sure everyone is OK.
My heart is still racing and I can't get the images out of my head.
It is a good time to think about God and his creation. About the blessings of our lives and all that He has done for us.
Where is nothing more humbling then to really know how small I am among God's deeds. We run to the basement during a tornado and can only hope that it will pass us by. And then a line of storms, longer than the length of the land promised to Israel, passes over us. Many times a year we experience that.
We may imagine ourselves to be in control of our lives. But, it is an illusion that only comes upon us during the times of ease. When hard times come we are reminded of just how awesome God is.
But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers.
“You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son."
As I listen to the chapters for each day I usually write down a small note on what comes to mind in a particular chapter. This is what I had for this section ...
Ps 50 - My Nation
So many just give lip service and then deny the LORD's truth.
Our current financial situation exposes us as a nation of thieves. As a nation that takes from its children to pay for the pleasures of the adults.
We hate discipline rather than understand that we need to be corrected from doing wrong.
I pray that God will give Christians the strength of will to stand up and say enough. Or that He will rise up and humble us.
For it is not an enemy who taunts me — then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me — then I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng.
Choose your friends wisely. Something I worry a lot about for my kids? Who they will grow up with.
Once our children are in school their days will have them asleep for about 10 hours, with you for about 6 hours, and with their friends for about 8 hours. And as they grow the hours will strongly shift to their friends and away from you.
And peer pressure can be applied for evil or good.
So apply a little bit of positive pressure as well. Not just on your kids, but on their friends. How? Just be involved in their lives. Teach in Sunday school. Help coach the sports team. Show them and their friends that you love them as Christ loves them. Model what is right and true.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
Isn't that the truth.
Take some time today to go outside to walk, watch, and listen. Find a quiet spot to just meditate on God and what He has made for you to enjoy.
My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
When I sit at the bottom of depression. When I look around and only see the fallen nature of my flesh and despair. When I am down upon my knees and fall forward into the mud of self hatred.
I stop. I sit back and raise my face to the sky.
The LORD is God. He IS.
I open my arms to feel the rain of His creation. To listen to the laughter of my children. To watch the sky burn red as night comes. To taste the wonders of the fruit of the land. To smell the earth after the rain.
LORD you Are. You are my Hope. You are the Hope of the world.
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Do. Do. Do. We've got to keep moving. If you stop the world will run you over. No being still here. Keep up. Run. What are you doing sitting there? Get to watching TV! Get to listening to the music! Get to doing your homework! Get to yelling at the kids! Move Move Move.
... ... ...
Just be still. Just stop. Get down on your knees. Is the TV off? Is the music off? Hold your children close. Tell them you love them. Tell them how God loves them. Describe the beauty that God has placed within you and them.
... see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.
In the hard times the load becomes easier if we can see, hear, and understand what God has done for us before.
So bring before your eyes what God has done. Is it your children? Is it friends? Is it your wealth? Is it your status? Now take what you see and give it over to the LORD.
Bring before your ears what God has done for you. It is the songs of your kids as they play? Is it the word of encouragement of a friend? Is it the praise of a boss? Now take what you hear and give it over to the LORD.
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
My youngest son loves to sing with loud shouts. I really like the VBS cd's for that reason. Listening to a 5 year sing out "Our God is an awesome God!" really really loud is a blessing to my heart.
Maybe we should remember that our adult hearts should be as tender as a child's heart. And our songs should be loud shouts from the heart as well. To not let the tongue wagging and head shaking congregation stand between us and heart felt declarations of praise.
When you sing your songs ... Know what you are saying. And, know to who you are singing praises. And sing it like you mean it.
And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”
In a world like ours today the typical reaction you will get when talking about being right with God, controlling yourself, and the judgment for not doing so is alarm. Alarm and all its byproduct emotions ... anger, rage, hate, and spite.
Expect it. It was so in the time of Paul and it is that way today. And if you expect it you can prepare yourself to be as Paul. A man who could talk openly about his faith. A man who led many people to the truth of Christ. A man who was stoned, and thinking he was dead, dragged out of the city. A man who was beat for his words. A man hated and loved. A man on fire for God's heart.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.
That is a hard thing to pray. To be put through the fire. There is a song I like to listen to to get pumped up: God Of Elijah by Disciple. One part of that song is ...
God of Elijah, send your fire Let it burn up inside me, melt me down
LORD ... melt me down as the fire melts down precious metals. I know we are precious to you and for that you bring us through the fire to refine who we are. Help me to stand within the flame and to know that it is for You that I am there.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
There are always two who know your sins. God and you.
People are interesting things when it comes to stories and ideas. We just can't keep a good idea to ourselves. They infect our minds in such a way that we almost become sick if we don't tell them to someone. We all have experienced that with a good joke or a story that really touched us. The corruption of that feeling is the making of a gossip.
But when it comes to the sin that we try to hide inside .... I can think of no better description than it feeling as if your very bones are wasting away. When we are in the wrong, we KNOW it. Down to our bones. Daily God will remind you of what you have not brought before Him to ask forgiveness of.
But, Oh what a blessed feeling of freedom when you finally present yourself before God to ask forgiveness. And to know you are forgiven!
Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.
At all times we are called to share the Truth. No matter if it is to be in times of ease or in times of great difficulty. Always share the good news.
And don't be too surprised when God brings people into your life at the right time for Him ( maybe the wrong time for your plans ). For in all things that happen ... The LORD will be praised.
The below images are from a Kansas Reader textbook printed about 1920 by the State of Kansas for local schools. Click on them to read. And ... yes ... these are from the State of Kansas. It is amazing how far away the modern concept of 'separation of church and state' has removed our nation from the LORD.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Today working hard is a rarity. My grand parents worked harder than I do. And today the rage is "work smart not hard".
Work is a blessing from the LORD. To be able to produce and create is a gift not a burden. To often we look at leisure as the goal rather than work and its bounty.
Work hard while you can. And give away the results of that work the LORD has blessed you with ... while you can.
