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Category Archives: Psalm

My God is…Blessing Psalm 24:4-6

07 Jun

Psalm 24:4-6 – Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, blessing
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Definition of BLESS

1: to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word
2: to hallow with the sign of the cross
3: to invoke divine care for <bless your heart> —used in the phrase bless you to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed
4 a : praise, glorify <bless his holy name>
   b : to speak well of : approve
5: to confer prosperity or happiness upon
6 archaic : protect, preserve
7: endow, favor <blessed with athletic ability>

Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.

Ok, let’s clarify something from the get go, this is an Old Testament verse. Since it is from the Old Testament it may seem a bit heavy on law. You’ll see that it is telling us what seems like a list of things we must do to get salvation. It is not for our salvation, but rather because of our salvation through Jesus Christ that we can have clean hands, a pure heart, are not distracted by other gods and idols, and do not swear deceitfully. I think we can all agree these are good things to work towards doing (or not doing).

They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation

This verse is Old Testament, but speaks of the grace we find in Jesus Christ, the God of our salvation. I want you to take a look at the definitions of bless above.

1: to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word
2: to hallow with the sign of the cross

When God blesses us, it is a call to live like the first part of the word. He is setting us apart for holy work. Not Holy with a capital “H”, but holy that means we do everything in our life with God in mind. God wants to be at the center of our life, with our eyes focused on Him. He doesn’t want us to turn our minds toward someone or something else to bring us our happiness. When we were baptized, the pastor makes a cross across your forehead and your heart. He is blessing you, marking you as part of God’s family.

3: to invoke divine care for <bless your heart> —used in the phrase bless you to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed

We are also blessed by God that He cares for our needs. In Matthew 6:25-34 we read about the Lord’s provision for us, and a reminder that because we are set apart and blessed, we don’t need to worry.
Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?“

5: to confer prosperity or happiness upon

6 archaic : protect, preserve
7: endow, favor <blessed with athletic ability>

God can also bless us in our earthly lives. Beyond supplying us with our needs, He works good things in our lives. He even takes situations that look like they have no hope, and give us hope. He promises to work all things for our good in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” We are blessed by being set apart as His family. We are blessed to be set apart to do His work here on earth. We are blessed that in all things God is working for our best interests. We are blessed that though we are sinful, we have a God who provided a way out of death through His Son Jesus Christ. We are blessed to know we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him.

Do you feel blessed?
 
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Posted by on June 7, 2013 in Matthew, My God is blessing, Psalm

 

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My God is…My keeper Psalm 121

03 Jun

Psalm 121 – 

I lift up my eyes to the hills—security
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.

Definition of KEEPER

1: one that keeps: as
    a : protector
    b : gamekeeper
    c : warden
    d : custodian
    e chiefly British : curator
2: any of various devices for keeping something in position
3  a : one suitable for or worth keeping: as (1) : a fruit or vegetable that keeps well (2) : a fish large enough to be legally caught and kept (3) : one having genuine or lasting merit <their new album is a keeper>
    b : a domestic animal considered with respect to how easy it is to care for <an easy keeper>
5: an offensive football play in which the quarterback runs with the ball

No sleeping on the job

Looking at the definition of keeper, you quickly see the list of jobs that are considered keepers. Keepers are people who protect something important. There is something of value which someone else would want to take away. If you’re a good keeper you don’t go to sleep on the job. Often in movies we see security guards who are hired to be keepers of a building, safe, or anything else of importance falling asleep on the job. I pray it’s not as common as it is shown in movies, but I fear it probably is true. As humans it’s hard for us to be vigilant all the time. For God though, we are assured in this Psalm that “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.” God is not going to be falling asleep on the job. He’s vigilant on your behalf.

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.

It’s like the Lord is our Secret Service. He’s aware of everything that is going on around us. He’s protecting us from the evil one at all times. Like the secret service, He can see threats we can’t see. He knows that the seemingly innocent drink with the interesting stranger might not be what it seems. He knows that those who act like your friends aren’t always true friends. The devil is constantly working to lead us off course. God is constantly working to keep us. He never sleeps. If the devil and God were the only two involved, God would always win, but sadly we’re part of the equation. We often think we know better than God. We think that drinks with the handsome man from work is fine, because he’s only a friend. But the Lord knows our heart. He knows if you’re truly tempted by that person (or if they are with you). We put ourselves in situations that can get us into trouble.

You’re a keeper

You are super important to God. If it weren’t so, why would He be your keeper? By definition, the one keeping something is highly valuing the thing they’re keeping. God wants to protect you from the devil. In this sinful world, the devil still has some power, and he can throw a wrench into things. He stirs up trouble. Most of which we could avoid. When a president is being kept by the secret service, the president is briefed about how they’re all going to behave at certain events. The secret service has briefed the president on the safest way to behave. Sometimes a president will go rogue. He’ll decide he knows better than the secret service. He’ll go into a crowd where it is harder to protect him. The president might turn a different direction where there isn’t any proper protection. We’re the same way. God has shown us the way, through His Son Jesus, in scripture. Many of us know it well. Scripture tells us all sorts of things, for example the ten commandments, that would help us to remain safe. God wants us to be safe, and the closer we are to Him, the safer we are. Ultimately God is not as concerned with our physical safety as our spiritual safety. In fact sometimes He uses an injury or an ailment (that one might see as God not protecting us) as His way of ensuring our faith and securing our relationship with Him.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

The Lord is protecting your life, your eternal life. He has done everything necessary for your eternal life. He has prepared you. He has paid the price with His own son’s blood on the cross to make sure that you would be able to live forever with Him. Don’t go into a crowd where you are taken away from safety. Don’t ignore the calls of your Lord to stay close to Him. When we ignore the call He has placed on our lives to be believers, we are putting ourselves in danger of losing our eternal lives with Him. He will never stop protecting us, but if we ignore His truth, His keeping, we put our very souls at risk.

God keeps you, therefore you are of value. You are a keeper.

 

 
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Posted by on June 3, 2013 in Psalm, Uncategorized

 

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My God is…not despising a broken and contrite heart Psalm 51:16-18

24 May

Psalm 51:16-18 – For you have no delight in sacrifice;horse-rearing
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit

A broken spirit? Why would the Lord appreciate and deem acceptable a broken spirit. Does He want us to be miserable? I don’t believe so, or He would not give us the hope of eternal life with Him. But maybe there are some advantages for us as Christians to have a broken spirit. Lets look a little bit at the concept of a broken spirit. First let’s look at the definition of broken.

Definition of BROKEN

1: violently separated into parts : shattered
2: damaged or altered by breaking: as
   a : having undergone or been subjected to fracture <a broken leg>
   b of land surfaces : being irregular, interrupted, or full of obstacles
   c : violated by transgression <a broken promise>
   e : disrupted by change
   f of a tulip flower : having an irregular, streaked, or blotched pattern especially from virus infection
3 a : made weak or infirm

  b : subdued completely : crushed, sorrowful <a brokenheart> <a broken spirit>

  c : bankrupt
  d : reduced in rank
4 a : cut off : disconnected
   b : imperfectly spoken or written <broken English>
5: not complete or full <a broken bale of hay>
6: disunited by divorce, separation, or desertion of one parent<children from broken homes> <a broken family>
There are so many definitions of broken. In the different Bible studies I have been a part of over the years, I have met people who have gone through or experienced almost each type of brokenness listed here. Sometimes we feel we’re shattered by life and everything feels disconnected and we don’t know how we’ll ever put the pieces back together again. Or maybe you’ve been injured, and you can no longer perform on your dance team. Maybe everywhere you turn there is a new obstacle, something else making your life harder than you expected it to be. Maybe someone lied to you, cheated on your or stole from you. Maybe your life was interrupted by a storm, damage or illness. Maybe you’ve just gotten married and it’s hard to deal with all the changes happening at once. Maybe you’re feeling week, like you just can’t go on. Maybe you’ve gone bankrupt, and there’s nothing left for anything. Maybe you misspoke and now someone isn’t speaking to you. Maybe there is an emptiness that you can’t understand, but you’re trying to fill with food, alcohol or drugs. Maybe you’ve gone through a divorce. Maybe you’ve been separated from your children.
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise
When you’re broken, you may feel like God despises you, but that’s not the case (as we see in our scripture today). Our brokenness is like that off a horse being broken. Before a horse is broken, it can be wild and out of control. It can’t be useful, because it’s not able to submit to its masters control. The horse must be broken to become useful for work and for riding. We too must be broken so that we can learn to submit to God’s plans. As humans it is unnatural to think that we shouldn’t be in control, but God’s ways are not of this world. He needs to be in control of our lives so that we might get all the blessings and benefits He has planned for us. He loves us and knows that when we have a broken and contrite heart, our ability to turn over control to Him increases. Not only does that mean we will allow Him to work in our lives, but when we stop fighting Him, our true strong relationship with Him can begin to develop. We can end up with a life that is way more fulfilling than we ever dreamed possible.
Have you been broken?
 
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Posted by on May 24, 2013 in My God is not despising a broken heart, Psalm

 

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My God is…ransoming my soul Psalm 49:13-15

15 May

Psalm 49:13-15 – Such is the fate of the foolhardy,ransom-note
the end of those who are pleased with their lot. Selah
 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend, 
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home. 
 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me.

Such is the fate of the foolhardy

What happens to those who choose not to believe in Christ as their Savior? They have the fate of the foolhardy. The act foolishly, and are bold and adventurous. They ignore what they hear about the Lord, because they do not want to live by what the Lord says. They don’t want to have to change their ways. They use every excuse to ignore the tug and pull of the Holy Spirit on their hearts. Those who are content and pleased with how life is going without God are in the worst position. Those who have much often figure out that no matter how much they get they are not satisfied. It is those who have just enough that are really doomed. They don’t think they need the Lord. They think that they’re doing fine on their own and that even if it’s true (the whole God thing), they don’t need Him. But this is foolishness.

Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away

Their future is bleak. They are doomed to death. There is no hope for a future for them. Sheol is their future. The place of the dead. Their bodies will decay. Some say that’s just the natural order of things. There is nothing beyond death, and because they believe that, for them there is truth in that statement. But for those of us who do believe, we have hope. We have the joy in knowing there is more to life after death.

But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me

I am not doomed for a life in the place of the dead. I am going to the land of the living where my God will be waiting to receive me. How am I getting there? How do I rate such an upgrade? Not because of anything I did, but because Jesus Christ ransomed me from my doom. He paid the ultimate sacrifice to make sure that I could one day live with Him in heaven. That I would not spend eternity apart from Him, but that He would receive me. That He would meet me at the gate and treat me like one of His own. I have a hope and a future, beyond tomorrow, but forever.

Do you have hope?

 
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Posted by on May 15, 2013 in Psalm, Uncategorized

 

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My God is…inclined to me Psalm 40:1-3

01 May

Psalm 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the Lord;Jesushuggingcryinggirl
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

I waited patiently for the Lord

I’m not very patient really. If I ask my husband for help, and he doesn’t do it (that minute), I get frustrated. Then usually I’ll do it with a scowl on my face and a bad attitude. He’ll retort that he was going to get to it, just not that second. That reasonable, right. Of course it is, but that doesn’t stop me from justifying my impatience by telling him if I didn’t need his help NOW, I wouldn’t have asked NOW. I think that’s how I am with God sometimes as well. I don’t ask God to walk with me in the beginning of a project or activity. I wait until I’m sure I can’t do it on my own, and then I ask God for help. I don’t want any of that, “In God’s time” stuff. I want it now. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want it now. Perhaps if I had included God from the beginning it wouldn’t have gone the way it went, and I wouldn’t be so desperate, or maybe it isn’t all about me, and God’s timing has bigger plans, plans I may never see, but that He uses to His glory anyway. Patience is a virtue. I need to work on waiting patiently for the Lord.

He inclined to me and heard my cry

Now I find this part of our verse (the part with the theme of the blog in it) very comforting for so many reasons.

  • My Cry – Why does the part about crying out make me feel comforted? Because it shows that I don’t have to have my emotions in order. I can cry or cry out of frustration, pain, anger or suffering. It’s not wrong to have emotions. It’s not wrong to cry out to the Lord and be true to what you’re feeling. I like that freedom.
  • He heard my cry – Another wonderful part of this section of our passage from Psalms is that God hears my cry. He hears me. He isn’t tuning me out. He doesn’t have Skull Candy ear buds in that make it possible to ignore everything that’s going on around Him (like my boys like to do when I need them to help around the house). He hears my cry.
  • He inclined to me: God leaned in to hear my cry better. He has a disposition and a tendency to helping and hearing me. He is inclined to move in my direction. He comes close to me. He comforts me. He leans in. Have you ever noticed that when things are going wrong, some people lean in and some lean out? I have. It’s really interesting who will come to your side or be inclined to you when you’re in trouble. When someone is really listening to you, they often are inclined to you. They lean in and show you with their body language that they’re paying attention. God is inclined to you. He’s paying attention.

Definition of INCLINED

1: having inclination, disposition, or tendency
2 a : having a leaning or slope
  b : making an angle with a line or plane
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
When reading this I was reminded of my Stephen’s Ministry training (a Christian peer counseling program), I was taught that we had to be careful not to get in the pit of troubles that our care receivers were currently experiencing. We had to remain attached to the Lord so we could reach in and help, but not fall in our selves. They explained that the truth is God is who draws us out of the desolate pit and sets us back upon a rock and helps us get our secure footing back. God is inclined to us, leaning over and reaching into the pit and pulling us out.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.
So many times people ask why they’re going through what they’re going through, and it’s never easy to answer without sounding trite or inconsiderate, but the truth is going through those tough times allows us to grow and become stronger. To know that our true strength comes from the Lord. If you ask most strong and confident people about their story, you will almost always hear some talk about some of the struggles that led them to this point. There isn’t a truly easy road in this sinful earth for any of us. Every hardship is an opportunity to grow in our faith, our perseverance and to give glory to God. After you have come through something painful, and you can see it behind you without feeling the full pain, you feel the feeling of victory. The feeling of overcoming the impossible, knowing that without God it could not have been done. We can put our trust in God and rely on Him to see us through.
What are you inclined to? 
 
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Posted by on May 1, 2013 in My God is inclined to me, Psalm

 

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My God is…exalted Psalm 138:6-7

17 Apr

Psalm 138:6-7 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.

Definition of EXALT

transitive verb
1: to raise in rank, power, or character
2: to elevate by praise or in estimation : glorify
3obsolete : elate
4: to raise high : elevate
5: to enhance the activity of
What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:4
God is exalted. He is of the highest rank, power and character. There is no reason in our earthly minds why our God should be mindful of us. Our perfect amazing Lord deserves to be exalted. He is perfect, kind, patient and so much more (as you can see from my blog). He is deserving of our praise and to be elevated in our estimation. Our Bible verse above reads, “he looks kindly on the lowly”. That’s you and me folks. We’re the lowly. I’m not trying to make you feel bad about yourself, but in relationship to the greatness of God, we’re not much.
Though lofty, he sees them from afar
Even though God is highly exalted, He sees us. It doesn’t says He strains to see us, it says He sees us (plain and simple). He knows everything about us, and sees us more clearly than we see ourselves. And guess what? He loves us anyway!
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
Even though God is…God, He is still mindful of us. When we’re in trouble we can expect Him to show up in unusual and amazing ways. In fact He already has. I bet that if you think about it, you’ll be able to think of a time when something was fixed or resolved in an amazing way you weren’t expecting. The biggest example of this is how the Lord saved us from our sins. There was no way we were going to earn our way to heaven. Each of us is a sinner, and if it were only by what we do that we could be saved, our bad would easily outweigh our good. But God came up with a plan. A plan that no human would have thought possible. God sacrificed His Son so that we might live. So that we might live with Him in heaven. That we might have eternal life.
How about right here and now? You can expect God to show up in unusual ways right now. Turn over your troubles to the Lord and watch Him (trust Him) to do what He says He’s going to do. He’ll sustain you through your pain, give you and escape from temptation and provide for all your needs. He loves you and will see you through your trouble. He will preserve your life for now and into eternity.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
    with your right hand you save me.
For some reason the way I picture this part of the verse gives me great comfort. I picture some one running to attack me, and God pushes them away with His left hand and with His right He pulls me behind Him. He shields me from the danger. He saves me from the fate I deserve. I love the thought of My God being between me and my enemy. Like a father protecting his child from any sort of threat, our God stands in the gap for us. Protecting us and saving us with His right hand.
What do you exalt?
 
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Posted by on April 17, 2013 in My God is Exalted, Psalm

 

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My God is…seated on His Royal Throne Psalm 47:7-9

12 Apr

Psalm 47:7-9 – For God is the King of all the earth;Royalty's Throne. Ornate. On White sing to him a psalm of praise.

God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.

For God is the King of all the earth

What does it mean for us that God is King? It should mean a lot to us. God is the King, and He is a good King. Not only is He our King, but He is also our Father, and that makes us part of the royal family. We are inheriting from Him much more than we can ever give back to Him.

God reigns over the nations

Sometimes we think that God can’t handle what we’ve got going on. Sometimes we thing it’s too big or too small for Him, but God is in the details. He is in charge of all things. Over all the nations, all the people, all the animals, all the cells and all the atoms. He’s got them all under His power. He can do anything. In Matthew 19:26 we read, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” If you want something big changed, you might contact your senator or your congressman. But what if you had access to the President. wouldn’t it be better to ask Him. We’re able to go right to the top, in fact we have Jesus interceding for us at all times (Romans 8:34 – Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.) We are blessed to have a God who hears and listens to what is important to us. We can go right to the top and ask the one who can make all things possible.

God is seated on his holy throne.

So why does it matter that God is seated on His holy throne? Have you ever seen a movie where the king enters to sit on His throne? Everyone stands and turns their attention to Him. Why? Because He’s about to get down to business. He’s ready to hear your requests, to give you advice, to celebrate with you, to send out His angels to protect you. To do all the God things He does. He has taken up His position of authority and is ready to use it. And because you are His adopted child through Christ Jesus, you’ve got an in with the Big Guy. You can have access to Him at any time. How amazingly blessed would you feel to be able to walk right up to the King? Right to His throne all the while knowing that He loves you as He loves His own Son. He took action for you and me that day. He had Jesus shed His blood so that you and I could live in Heaven with Him. He loves you that much. God is good!

Do you want some time with the King?

 
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Posted by on April 12, 2013 in My God is seated on His Holy Throne, Psalm

 

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My God is…Upright Psalm 92:12-15

10 Apr

Psalm 92:12-15 – The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, Cedar of Lebanon
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

 

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon

Oh how I long to be like a cedar of Lebanon. I want my roots of faith in Christ to grow deeper, while I my faith continues to grow bigger and stronger. I want my love for the Lord to be evident in all I do. Sadly I know I have a long way to go, and no matter how good I become it will always only be of value because of the Righteousness Christ won for me on the cross and when He rose again so I might become His righteousness. I believe we can grow in our faith, and become strong and become able to endure all that life throws at us.

Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God

So how do we grow up big and strong in our faith? How can our faith flourish? I believe this verse gives us some clues. The first of which is that we are to be planted in the house of the Lord. Ideally a church should not be a place of entertainment (though it’s ok to be entertained there). The point of going to church is not like going to a movie. It is to be fed. To be fed with the word, sacraments and fellowship. Hearing the word of the Lord fills us with nourishment we need to grow in our faith. The sacraments confirm our faith, nourish and connect us with the Lord. He reaches out to us in the sacraments. Our fellow church goers are also part of how we grow. They encourage us, support us and prod us when things aren’t going as we hoped. Ideally they help us to keep our focus on the Lord. Knowing God more fully, feeding on Him and His word is why we could want to be planted in the house of the Lord.

We want to flourish in our faith life, not just wilt along. Sometimes it may seem all we do is wilt under the strain of our daily lives. Work, kids, health and family can often put strains on us that make us feel less like flourishing and more like we’re completely worn out with out much hope ahead. That’s why we need to have God’s word give us the nutrients that will help us to survive this life and remain faithful to Him in all we do. I don’t know about you, but when I don’t spend time purposefully in God’s word, I am easily overwhelmed by the days tasks. When I focus on Him and turn those tasks over, things are sometimes easier, but they’re almost always more peaceful. You can bet if I’m off, I haven’t been praying much.

They will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Planted in the house of the Lord, we can remain fresh and green. How will we know we’re still growing, fresh and green? Because we will proclaim that the Lord is our source of strength. He is what we cling to, and that God is good.

The Lord is upright

It is my joy to proclaim that my Lord is upright. There is no wickedness in Him. His ways are pure. What a blessing it is to have a relationship with our God. To know Him, to see His solid, upright, never wavering character. We can trust Him. We know that He is going to do the right thing for us. Sometimes we can’t see it right now, but He is good and upright and we can continue to flourish in our faith because of the witness and testimony of all the other times in our lives (and others) that God has shown up. Not just shown up to pat us on the back and say, “It’ll be OK , but showing up to take care of things. To provide when it looks like there is no way for provision to be found. He’s showing up by sustaining us during health problems. He’s showing up by helping us seek professionals for help with our mental state. He’s showing up when He helps you hold your tongue and avoid another argument with your spouse. Turn your problems over to our upright God, Our Rock and our Salvation. Turn them over to God and expect Him to show up in amazing and unexpected ways. Then when trouble comes for you or someone you care about, remember this time. Remember how the Lord showed up for you, and be a witness.

How has God shown up for you?

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2013 in My God is Upright, Psalm

 

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My God is…the One who sustains me Psalm 54

27 Mar

Psalm 54 – Relationship-conflict

Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
people without regard for God.

Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
You have delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me—people without regard for God.

That’s never happened to you, right? You’ve never had anyone talk bad about you or tell people something that wasn’t true, have you? I’m guessing there are many who are reading this saying, “It has happened to me, and it’s happening right now!” Maybe it’s someone at work who is trying to make themselves look better than you. Maybe your friend is cutting you down to make herself look more important. Maybe someone is straight up lying about you. Does it sometimes seem that people are lying in wait to trip you up? They sometimes seem well-intentioned, but then “whammo” they complain about you to your peers or superiors. Or maybe you feel someone is trying to isolate you, and remove others from your life so that you’re dependent on them. These kind of attacks are really hard to take, aren’t they.

They may not be out to kill you, but they’re killing your spirit, because being misrepresented, lied about and manipulated is not good for the soul. These actions are often sadly performed by those professing to be Christians (full disclosure – I’m one of these people. I know that I have fallen short of treating others the way the Lord would treat them). But as painful as it is for me to admit I’m one of these people it’s even harder to hear that what I am doing shows disregard for God. And those who do this to you are disregarding God as well. They’re not following His command to love others as yourself. It’s all to easy to look out for “Numero Uno”. Oh wait. I guess that might be the problem, God should be “Numero Uno” in our lives, and when we replace Him with our own desires, we always get off track.

Surely God is my help.

How do you get through those horrible situations when people are on the attack, when the devil is on the attack and trying to distract you from your walk with God. Well, you’re not alone. God is your help. We need to lean on God in our tough situations and let Him handle them for us. Praying before we interact with those who trouble us, praying for opportunities to have healthy relationships with those who manipulate and to have the words to be firm but kind.

Definition of SUSTAIN

1: to give support or relief to
2: to supply with sustenance : nourish
4: to support the weight of : prop; also : to carry or withstand (a weight or pressure)
5: to buoy up <sustained by hope>
6a : to bear up under

 b : suffer, undergo <sustained heavy losses>
7a : to support as true, legal, or just
 b : to allow or admit as valid <the court sustained the motion>
8: to support by adequate proof : confirm <testimony that sustains our contention>
The Lord is the one who sustains me
Looking at the definition of sustain helps us to see the depth of the word that this scripture says God will do for us. He will give us support and relief. He will supply us with what we need to survive. He will help us persevere. When we can no longer stand under the strain, He will prop us up. He knows the truth, and testifies on our behalf. He gives us hope.
Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.
When others slander and mistreat us, we can trust in God to administer His justice. It might not be in the time we want, but He’s got it under control. He is the one who will “Give them what they deserve”. We don’t have to think about revenge and restitution. We don’t have to think about anything but God.
I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
There is nothing sweeter than having these kinds of situations resolved. When people are no longer attacking us in such a direct manner, we can recognize God’s provision and protection. We praise His name for everything He has accomplished in our lives, and the way He has helped us to grow in our faith and maturity through these situations.
You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
 
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Posted by on March 27, 2013 in My God is the one who sustains me, Psalm

 

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Video

My God is…Robed in Majesty Psalm 93:1-2

25 Mar

Psalm 93: 1-2 – The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; God-Creation
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
 Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.

The Lord reigns

God is in charge. If you want to talk to the man at the top, God is your man. He’s the go to guy for any situation. If you want answers, He’s got them. If you want justice, He provides it. If you want security, He’s your God. He fulfills everything we need. No matter whether we acknowledge Him or not, He reigns.

He is robed in majesty

Definition of MAJESTY

1: sovereign power, authority, or dignity
2—used in addressing or referring to reigning sovereigns and their consorts <Your Majesty> <Her Majesty’s Government>
3a : royal bearing or aspect : grandeur

 b : greatness or splendor of quality or character
When we look at the phrase, “robed in majesty” I immediately pictured a king in his fanciest of robes. But to be robed in something is a bit different, I think. Robed means, “to clothe or cover with or as if with a robe”. It’s not the robe itself, but instead being covered with something. I think in the example of our verse above, it means that God has majesty all over Him. He’s got that sovereign power, authority, and the dignity only God can have, and it’s all over Him. His greatness and splendor is in every part of Him. He’s covered in it. He’s robed in it.
So why does it matter if God is robed in majesty?
I think the point of describing God as robed in majesty is to point out that He is God. He has supreme authority over all that happens. He has been around for all eternity and uses His strength for our good. Why does He have this supreme authority? This sovereign power? The author of our verses give us a couple of reasons. The first reason, “the world is established, firm and secure,” is like saying, you made all of this, and clearly you knew what you were doing, because each part of the world works off and with all of the other parts. There is no detail God has not created. In addition to being the majestic creator, the author also mentions that God’s  “throne was established long ago” and that God is “from all eternity.” God knows more, has seen more, understands more because He has seen it all. Literally. There is nothing that has been hidden from God. He has been present for every moment of every life. 
The Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength
Not only does God have the supreme authority, but He’s got the strength to back it up. He doesn’t have someone else fighting His battles for Him. He’s able to fight off all the evil in the world, and guess what the devil and all his minions have to listen. Why because God is robed in His majesty – God has the sovereign power, and He has had it since before the world began. We can trust our wants, needs and dreams to Him, because He has the power and strength to back up all His claims. His love for us allows us to lean on Him in all circumstances. Praise God!
 
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Posted by on March 25, 2013 in My God is Robed in Majesty, Psalm

 

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