May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah
May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.
Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. O LORD, save the king! Answer us when we call!
I’m sure I’ve read this psalm before, but I’ve never noticed how beautiful it is. What an encouraging prayer for each of us!
I put my trust in a lot of things, especially myself, and in the end I am always disappointed. But my one true hope is in the LORD. With Him we can rise up and stand firm. All we need do is call on Him.
This is exactly what the sermon was about yesterday—calling on God at all times. This is definitely an area where I am weak. My relationship with God is a two-way street, and it is up to me to keep the communication going. I wouldn’t call someone a friend if I hardly ever communicated with them, and when I did all I did was list things I needed or complaints. The same is true with God. He is always here to listen to me. But the calling is up to me.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19 is a continuation of praise from Psalm 18. In Psalm 18 David praises God for the thing He has done. In this psalm he praises God for two other reasons:
#1—His creation
#2—His law
vs. 1-6=His creation. Nature is an amazing thing. Not only does everything work in perfect harmony, but the seasons change so beautifully. How can someone not see the beauty of nature outside and not think there is a God who created all of this?
Vs. 7-14=His law. God’s law is perfect. It’s so simple to understand, yet so hard to live out, but if we just do what God asks of us these are the outcomes:
Reviving of the soul
Joy to the heart
Light to our eyes
Warnings
Great reward
Who doesn’t want all of those things? And yet we take the Bible for granted. I wish I had the passion David does for God’s word, calling it more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. I want to crave the Bible in the morning like I crave my morning coffee. I want to read His words with the intensity with which I would read a love letter from my sweetheart. I want to follow His guidance like I follow the directions on important medicine. It is easy to forget how blessed we are to have God’s word at our fingertips, there for the taking at any time! May I find a passion for studying God’s word, and may I live those words out with my life.
David puts it best as he ends this verse:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
May God be pleased as I study His Word, and may my life be changed because of it.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19 is a continuation of praise from Psalm 18. In Psalm 18 David praises God for the thing He has done. In this psalm he praises God for two other reasons:
#1—His creation
#2—His law
vs. 1-6=His creation. Nature is an amazing thing. Not only does everything work in perfect harmony, but the seasons change so beautifully. How can someone not see the beauty of nature outside and not think there is a God who created all of this?
Vs. 7-14=His law. God’s law is perfect. It’s so simple to understand, yet so hard to live out, but if we just do what God asks of us these are the outcomes:
Reviving of the soul
Joy to the heart
Light to our eyes
Warnings
Great reward
Who doesn’t want all of those things? And yet we take the Bible for granted. I wish I had the passion David does for God’s word, calling it more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. I want to crave the Bible in the morning like I crave my morning coffee. I want to read His words with the intensity with which I would read a love letter from my sweetheart. I want to follow His guidance like I follow the directions on important medicine. It is easy to forget how blessed we are to have God’s word at our fingertips, there for the taking at any time! May I find a passion for studying God’s word, and may I live those words out with my life.
David puts it best as he ends this verse:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
May God be pleased as I study His Word, and may my life be changed because of it.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Psalm 18:30-50
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless, He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; You made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flights, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to Your name. He gives His king great victories; He shows unfailing kindness to His anointed, to David and His descendants forever.
God’s way is perfect. It does not fail.
In 2 Samuel 7:8-11, God vows to David that if David follows God’s ways, he will succeed. This part of Psalm 18 is a testament that God made good on His promise. Verses 31-45 recount all of the cool ways God helped David succeed, and it’s pretty amazing.
How often do I pray for something—strength to make it through a tough situation, patience during a trial, wisdom to make a choice—and God completely works it out, and I forget to thank Him or acknowledge Him? Worse yet, how often do I end up taking the credit for it myself? How sad!
I need to always give God thanks. And beyond that, I need to retell over and over the amazing ways He works in my life.
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
May I be a voice that praises God today: for who He is, for all He does, and for what He is making of me!
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; You made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my enemies turn their backs in flights, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to Your name. He gives His king great victories; He shows unfailing kindness to His anointed, to David and His descendants forever.
God’s way is perfect. It does not fail.
In 2 Samuel 7:8-11, God vows to David that if David follows God’s ways, he will succeed. This part of Psalm 18 is a testament that God made good on His promise. Verses 31-45 recount all of the cool ways God helped David succeed, and it’s pretty amazing.
How often do I pray for something—strength to make it through a tough situation, patience during a trial, wisdom to make a choice—and God completely works it out, and I forget to thank Him or acknowledge Him? Worse yet, how often do I end up taking the credit for it myself? How sad!
I need to always give God thanks. And beyond that, I need to retell over and over the amazing ways He works in my life.
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
May I be a voice that praises God today: for who He is, for all He does, and for what He is making of me!
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Pausing on the Psalms
FYI, I will be continuing to write my thoughts on the Psalms, but right now I am working my way through Acts for a project with our church.
On another note, here are some photos of the kids. Noel turned 3 this weekend, and is doing great. He loves to play with legos and cars/tractors. We are headed up to Belding to see the Wittenbachs tomorrow, and Noel is so excited! He can't wait to get in the "barn shed" as he calls it and play with everything there!
Elise is 5 1/2 months old and growing more every day. She has a funny personality already. She smiles a lot and loves to hear the sound of her voice. She rolls all over, so she can pretty much get to anywhere she wants on the floor. Watch out!!
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Psalm 18:20-29
The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
At first glance, David sounds pretty full of himself in this passage, which is in stark contrast to other psalms where he cannot believe God would even love him. But after looking a little closer, I think the point David is trying to make is that God does notice when our hearts are devoted to Him. Yes, we all are sinful. Yes, God loves and blesses each of us. But we also are rewarded for our faithfulness, whether it is on earth or in heaven.
God loves every one of us no matter who we are or what we’ve done. However, God doesn’t want us to stay the way we are. If we commit our lives to Him, He is going to mold us into His likeness, which might be painful at times because we have to deal with sin in our lives (You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.).
You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is that God can take our sin-filled, selfish lives and turn them into something beautiful. That is the greatest testimony of the power of God. From Paul in the Bible to a former drug dealer who is now a pastor, the power of God changes lives!
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. All things are possible if we let God lead. I might be able to “get by” on my own, but with God I can make a difference every day for Him!
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
At first glance, David sounds pretty full of himself in this passage, which is in stark contrast to other psalms where he cannot believe God would even love him. But after looking a little closer, I think the point David is trying to make is that God does notice when our hearts are devoted to Him. Yes, we all are sinful. Yes, God loves and blesses each of us. But we also are rewarded for our faithfulness, whether it is on earth or in heaven.
God loves every one of us no matter who we are or what we’ve done. However, God doesn’t want us to stay the way we are. If we commit our lives to Him, He is going to mold us into His likeness, which might be painful at times because we have to deal with sin in our lives (You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.).
You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is that God can take our sin-filled, selfish lives and turn them into something beautiful. That is the greatest testimony of the power of God. From Paul in the Bible to a former drug dealer who is now a pastor, the power of God changes lives!
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. All things are possible if we let God lead. I might be able to “get by” on my own, but with God I can make a difference every day for Him!
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