Psalm 124 - Battles

Battles? Been fighting any lately?


2 if the LORD had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive ...
6 Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth...
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.


In our homes,

schools,

churches,

cities,

yes, even in our nation.....

Satan is on the attack 

AND 

our own fleshly, selfish nature is rearing its ugly head! 

(I am reminded that evil resides within my own flesh -- 

we can't give Satan ALL the credit)

Viewpoints differ -- Viewpoints divide


Visions differ -- Visions divide

How easy it is to forget that my battle belongs to the Lord! 

How easy to believe that only "I"  truly understand what God desires! 

How arrogant we have become !

It is time we wake up and recognize  that there is a battle raging around us. This battle is not against each other but against "powers and principalities of darkness" including the darkness of my own sinful nature!

There is only ONE vision - HIS!
There is only ONE answer - HIM!

SUBMIT

"OUR HELP IS IN THE LORD, MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH"!

Psalm 123 - Storms

"Thank you" to a friend who today reminded me that my efforts to complete all 150 chapters of Psalm has  served a purpose and, for at least one person, has been an inspiration.  
_________________________________________________

A whole lot has been on my mind lately.. much of which I can't go into here but to me it seems that there is so much anguish, hurt, and uncertainty right now...

It's EVERYWHERE! 

I feel, on so many fronts, we are floundering and drifting like hapless ships that have had our sails torn to shreds.  We are left to be battered by each and every wave of doubt, discouragement, and disappointment that comes our way -

powerless to fight, 

or determined to "ride it out" and end up wherever we are forced, 

or resigned to simply go down with the ship! 

We must remember during these times, our hope lies in keeping our eyes on the prize!

When things seem to be spinning out of control:

• sit down and consider how God can be glorified through the trial 
• examine what possible lesson can be learned from this experience  

         and above all...

• pray that the storm passes quickly

¹ I lift up my eyes to you,
   to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
² As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
   as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
   till he shows us his mercy. 

³ Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us...

 

Psalm 122 - Choose

"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of the Lord" 

I remember as a child singing a song with these words.  We would clap our hands and sing out at the top of our lungs.  Oh, what fun we would have at church!!

I must admit that as an adult those aren't always my same feelings!  Don't get me wrong, I love fellowship, praise, and I love learning the Word.

But, my lazy worldly flesh sometimes whispers:

"It's really been a hard week.."

"You need rest.... 

"You're just going through motions anyway..." 

And on and on, Satan whispers his lies...

Today is Sunday --

• I choose today to rejoice in the freedom I have to attend a house of worship without persecution.

• I choose today to pray for those in leadership in the church for wisdom, unity, and peace.

• I choose today to have an open, vulnerable, servant's heart and seek God and not give in to self.

• I choose to get dressed --- it's time for fellowship!

vs.8 - "For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be unto you"!

Psalm 121 - Where Does My Help Come From?

Every time I read this verse, I am taken back several years to a cemetery in Alpine, Texas.  I am standing next to several of my brothers/sisters and extended family members at the foothills of the Fort Davis mountains.  As we laid to rest a younger cousin tragically killed in an automobile accident, the pastor reads this scripture:

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   where does my help come from? 

² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth. 

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber; 

⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.

 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night. 

 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life; 

⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore. 

It is hard to explain the feeling that came over me!

Peace

I know one thing that is guaranteed as long as I shall live - -
bad things [sickness,  sadness,  grief,  hardship,  pain and suffering]   will continue to happen.  It IS a part of our humanness.

But, no matter the circumstances I still may face while completing my jaunt here on this earth, I rest in the comfort of knowing that MY GOD is in COMPLETE control - now AND forever!

Psalm 120 - Liar, Liar

Wow!  I noticed today that it has been almost 2 months since I have posted anything on my quest to complete all the Psalms.  Every time I would think about the 120th chapter of Psalm, I came up with a big BLANK on what to post about ....LIARS!

What is there really to say about them??...
"Lord, protect us from their deceitful tongues"...

I have waited all this time for THAT! 


 ¹ I call on the LORD in my distress,
   and he answers me.
² Save me, LORD,
   from lying lips
   and from deceitful tongues. 


Yep - not much more to say ! 
Why waste good energy and brain cells on those to whom honesty and integrity are foreign?  

I press on .....

Psalm 119 - Thy Word

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
       and a light for my path. 

This is one of the very first verses I learned as a young girl so many years ago.  I'm sure I had no clue the value that scripture would play throughout the course of my life to guide, inspire, teach, and encourage me along my way.

Since I first begin my journey to blogging the psalm, I wondered how I would be able to put so many verses (176) from this chapter into one blog and how I could find the words to sum up how Psalm 119 spoke to me.  Little did I know until digging in to it that there is only ONE theme in the 119th chapter -- the impact of scripture on the life of a believer.

The scriptures of this chapter are arranged in alphabetical order according to the Hebrew alphabet (22 letters).  Eight couplets for each letter (each beginning with that letter). Think about how we were taught as children. One of the very first things we learn is to sing/say our alphabet.  It is the cornerstone of our entire language.  Similarly, this chapter represents that God's word is the cornerstone of our SPIRITUAL language. 

 ³³ Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
       then I will keep them to the end.

⁷³ Your hands made me and formed me;
       give me understanding to learn your commands.

 ⁸⁹ Your word, O LORD, is eternal;
       it stands firm in the heavens.

 ⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your law!
       I meditate on it all day long. 

Psalm 118 - Nuggets

  

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

............................... 

⁶ The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
       What can man do to me? 

.............................. 

 ¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and my song;
       he has become my salvation. 

............................ 

 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.

...........................

²² The stone the builders rejected
       has become the capstone;

 ²³ the LORD has done this,
       and it is marvelous in our eyes. 

...........................

²⁴ This is the day the LORD has made;
       let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

...........................

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

..........................

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

Definitions of nugget (n)

nug·get [ núggət ]   

• lump of precious metal: a lump of gold or other precious metal in its natural state, dug up out of the ground

•  small precious thing: a small item or piece, especially of something abstract such as knowledge or information, regarded as very precious 

As I read the 118th psalm, this is the word that came to me - 'nugget'.  Like small pieces of precious gold, the truths contained in this chapter have been seared in my soul over the years.  They speak like gentle whispers reminding me that the Lord IS good and that His love endures forever!!  

My prayer today is that when it seems that all the world is spinning out of control and the busyness of life is consuming and attempting to steal my joy, I will reach into the depths of my soul where these truths have been engraved and remember that God is in control.

 

He is my strength and my song.... He is my salvation....

His love endures FOREVER!

Psalm 117 - How He Loves

Psalm 117

 ¹ Praise the LORD, all you nations;
       extol him, all you peoples.
 ² For great is his love toward us,
       and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
       Praise the LORD. ^[a] 

Psalm 116 - Prayer for the Men of Walk 165

4 a.m!. - My assigned time to pray for God's spirit to move in the lives of 42 men that have committed this weekend to self-examination and renewal.
****************************************************

As I thought about how the Lord would have me pray on behalf of each of these men, I decided to go to my next chapter of Psalm -- curious to see what words would be written.  I am really not surprised that the words are so appropriate to the events of the day.  God is Good!!

There is a point in the weekend where participants are called to a time of self-examination and they are given the opportunity to completely become free from the "thing" that has held them captive and prevented them from TOTALLY resting and relying on the grace of God.  As I read this chapter, I was reminded of this particular moment on the weekend agenda and determined that God was calling me to pray that those things that were offered today with open hands and broken hearts would no longer take any of these men captive but that they would forever be released and each man would be able to TRULY find freedom.

Here the words of 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 upon me; 
I was overcome by trouble and sorrow, 
Then I called on the name of the Lord; 
"O Lord, save me!"

The Lord is gracious and righteous; 
our God is full of compassion. 
The Lord protects the simple-hearted; 
When I was in great need, he saved me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul
for the Lord has been good to you.


For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, 
my eyes from tears, 
my feet from stumbling, 
that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.... 


How can I repay 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 one of his saints.
O Lord, truly I am your servant; 
I am your faithful son 
YOU HAVE FREED ME FROM MY CHAINS!
   

I pray that each of  these men may truly find freedom. 

I pray that chains are loosed and hearts are freed. 

Lord, I pray that souls will find rest 

And feet solid-footing. 

 O Lord,  hear my prayer 

And have mercy on the simple-hearted. 

Lord, I thank you for your goodness and compassion 

And I thank you for freedom and healing that only You can bring! 

In Your name alone, 

AMEN

Psalm 115 - "I Am Second"

I was getting ready this morning for church and Sunday school and decided in the quiet of the morning to look at the next Psalm in my journey.  Not surprisingly, God's timing is so... well, ..... timely!   Today in my Sunday School class,  we begin reviewing the lessons from a book written by Charles Stanley called, Landmines in the Path of the Believer and the "landmine" that starts off our journey is the landmine of PRIDE.   The tendency to focus on "self" and what "I" want and when "I" want it!

Once again in God's perfect timing, I open to the Psalm and read these words:  

¹ Not to us, O LORD, not to us
       but to your name be the glory,
       because of your love and faithfulness.     

I searched the YouTube files for some people that would have reason to be filled with pride based on "their" accomplishments but have chosen to make a public statement saying:  "It's NOT about me".  Here is just one example:




¹⁴ May the LORD make you increase,
       both you and your children.
 ¹⁵ May you be blessed by the LORD,
       the Maker of heaven and earth. 

Psalm 114 - Fear the Lord

 ⁷ Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord 

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

 ⁸ who turned the rock into a pool, 

the hard rock into springs of water.

Each year about this time, I am reminded of my "moment in time" by which all other moments are marked. That moment where I was forced to reconcile the true value of life with the human tendency to take it for granted.  For years after my life changing event, I lived in fear of a god that would allow such horrific things to happen to such committed people that were willing to serve Him completely.  This fear was not a healthy fear but a true dread and abject terror of losing my life and not meeting the standard.

Over time, a very patient God has revealed himself to me - time and time again - to assure me that though he has all power and authority, He also has all grace and compassion.  I have learned that though I may not understand His ways, His ways are always perfect and never without purpose.

It has taken me many years to convert my unhealthy, paralyzing fear to a much more productive "fear".  A productive fear is a fear that consists of reverence and obedience.   The scriptures remind us that productive fear is a gift of the Holy Spirit. 

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.." 

I never thought I would get to this point; but, I can truly say that I am now thankful for that "moment in time". It has shaped who I am today and has forced me to search for a deeper understanding of my own spirituality.

Psalm 113 - The Name of the Lord Shall be Praised

This is not the best quality video but this song IS Psalm 113.  

Psalm 113

 ¹ Praise the LORD.
       Praise, O servants of the LORD,
       praise the name of the LORD. 

 ² Let the name of the LORD be praised,
       both now and forevermore. 

 ³ From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
       the name of the LORD is to be praised.

 ⁴ The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
       his glory above the heavens.

 ⁵ Who is like the LORD our God,
       the One who sits enthroned on high...?

Psalm 112 - Father's Love

Most of us are familiar with the Proverbs 31 woman.  It has been quoted and shared at several funeral services that I have attended for some precious women of God .  But, I don't believe I had ever heard a similar verse for the men that have lived lives of godly influence.

This past Sunday, Father's Day, as I was sitting in church somewhat distracted,  I flipped through my Bible to Psalm 112 - the next chapter in my blogging journey.  As I read the notes at the bottom of the page, it said that this psalm was written as a eulogy for the godly man.

Wow!  How "coincidental"! (*sarcasm noted).....
It's Father's Day and God is unveiling to me the profile of a godly man!

¹ Praise the LORD.
       Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
       who finds great delight in his commands.
 
 ² His children will be mighty in the land;
       the generation of the upright will be blessed. 

 ³ Wealth and riches are in his house,
       and his righteousness endures forever. 
 
 ⁴ Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
       for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. 
 
 ⁵ Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
       who conducts his affairs with justice. 

 ⁶ Surely he will never be shaken;
       a righteous man will be remembered forever. 

 ⁷ He will have no fear of bad news;
       his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 

 ⁸ His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
       in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. 
 
 ⁹ He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
       his righteousness endures forever;
       his horn will be lifted high in honor. 


My dad went to be with the Lord, about 14 years ago. Most of you are not even aware that the sunflower I use for my blogging icon is a tribute to him!  I am honored to be able to look at the qualities of a Psalm 112 man and say, "that sounds like MY dad" !

Dads, I encourage you to NEVER underestimate your influence in the lives of your children!

Psalm 111 - It IS Well With My Soul

 It has been awhile since I have posted a blog on my trek through the Psalm!  I looked back just now and noticed that this has been a year-long venture.  July 1st, 2009,  I first blogged on Psalm 1 vowing to blog a Psalm a day until I had completed the entire book.

It goes without saying that I have not lived quite up to THAT lofty goal but I have learned a few things along the way:

• 1. Perseverance - I will complete this journey!
• 2. Freedom! - (and this was just reinforced last night)-  The only "rules" to completing this journey are arbitrary rules of my own making. I have learned to be okay with not fulfilling MY OWN timetable!
• 3. Timing - God's timing is completely perfect!

Today is yet another example of God's perfect timing!  About 5 months ago,  the Lord laid it on my heart to begin a woman's worship service one day each month - THIRSTY THURSDAY!  What a blessing this has been!  Last night, Jayma Savage spoke to us about experiencing FREEDOM.

Tonight, I once again turn to Psalm 111 and read through several versions of Scripture.   I can't say how many times I have read Psalm 111 and just not had the words spoken to my heart to put into written words.  But tonight as I read it one more time, Suddenly!  There it is!


 In a version of scripture that I seldom read is the reinforcement of the message from last night!!


 ¹ Praise the Lord!


    I will thank the Lord with all my heart
       in the meeting of his good people. 
I have absolutely loved "meeting with his good people" at our Thirsty Thursday gatherings!

 ² The Lord does great things;
       those who enjoy them seek them.
 ³ What he does is glorious and splendid,
       and his goodness continues forever.
 ⁴ His miracles are unforgettable.
       The Lord is kind and merciful. 
His goodness has been so evident through the ladies that have agreed to share their hearts with us! 

  
⁵ He gives food to those who fear him.
       He remembers his agreement forever.
I just had to smile here!  Like good Baptists, we always offer a tasty meal before worship!! 
 
 ⁶ He has shown his people his power
       when he gave them the lands of other nations.
 ⁷ Everything he does is good and fair;
       all his orders can be trusted.
 ⁸ They will continue forever.
       They were made true and right. 


This is where God reinforced HIS perfect timing to me!  Last night's theme of FREEDOM ---- ?

Here it is!!!! 

 ⁹ He sets his people free.
       He made his agreement everlasting.
       He is holy and wonderful.

IT IS FOR FREEDOM, HE SET US FREE!!!  

Thank you, Jayma, for reminding us of the promises of Scripture when we exercise our freedom in Christ!!!
  
¹⁰ Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord;
       those who obey his orders have good understanding.
       He should be praised forever.
(Psalm 111, New Century Version)

 

Psalm 110 - He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Sometimes it is so very easy to become incredibly discouraged, even anxious, about the condition of our world today:

From global economic crises
and crashing stock markets

to natural disasters of
volcanoes and hurricanes

to our most recent man-made disaster
found in the Gulf of Mexico....

I find my thoughts screaming out ---- "

"what in the world is going on?"

 As I re-read the words of Psalm 110 today, which I have done numerous times, a familiar Sunday School jingle began to play in my head: 

You know it -- hum along!

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands.....

In Psalm 110 I can just picture this scene:

The Heavenly Father, Jehovah God, instructs His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ to take his place of authority at His "right hand" and says .....

"See that big world down there Son, it's all yours!

 It's ALL Yours,  forever! 

When the time is right you will go and claim your prize

but for now, sit by ME while I prepare her to receive You!"

1.The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.

2.The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion;
you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

3.Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy majesty,
from the womb of the dawn
you will receive the dew of your youth.

4.The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."

5.The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

6.He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

7.He will drink from a brook beside the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.

Whenever I become discouraged, as I sometimes have a tendency to do, I need this little reminder :

God's plan is SO MUCH BIGGER THAN ME!!
 

He knows exactly what He is doing !

Psalm 109 - Timing

 Ever once in a while there are those moments when God reveals himself in a way that makes you say,

"Oh yeah, you were here all along, huh?"

Like the cell phone commercial, God is trying to interject into this whirlwind we call 'life' with an occasional: 

"  Can you hear me now?"

I had one of those experiences last week with chapter 109 of Psalm.  Sometimes, God's timing can't help but put a smile on your face.

A friend was confronted with an issue of being falsely accused by an overzealous, under-professional professor.  They were very upset by the accusation and distraught on how to defend their character and integrity.  On THE day, when the decision had been made to confront the professor directly, I get up and once again read through Psalm 109.  I had read it several times thinking about what I should blog about its words ~

This day,  the words were exactly what needed to be shared with my friend to give the support that was desperately needed.

Why would I even be surprised that Chapter 109 addresses dealing with people that falsely accuse you! 


 ¹ O God, whom I praise,
       do not remain silent,
 ² for wicked and deceitful men
       have opened their mouths against me;
       they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
 ³ With words of hatred they surround me;
       they attack me without cause.
 ⁴ In return for my friendship they accuse me,
       but I am a man of prayer. 
 -------------------
The psalmist continues with several verses of what he wishes would happen to his accuser but then determines (as we should) that God will deal with those that falsely accuse his children.  Our job is to seek him in humility and submit to His sovereignty! Notice that the focus changes from what God should do TO the accuser to what God can and will do THROUGH the accused.
--------------------
²¹ But you, O Sovereign LORD,
       deal well with me for your name's sake;
       out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.   
²² For I am poor and needy,
       and my heart is wounded within me. 
 ²⁶ Help me, O LORD my God;
       save me in accordance with your love.
 ²⁷ Let them know that it is your hand,
       that you, O LORD, have done it.
 ²⁸ They may curse, but you will bless;
       when they attack they will be put to shame,
       but your servant will rejoice.
 ²⁹ My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
       and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. 
------------------- 
What a relief to know that we do not fight alone!
----------------

 ³⁰ With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
       in the great throng I will praise him.
 ³¹ For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
       to save his life from those who condemn him.

Scripture is so much more than pretty words on a page.  It is living and active and oh, so very TIMELY!

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12 

Psalm 108 - Forever

* Word of God, speak!

¹ My heart is steadfast, O God; 

       I will sing and make music with all my soul

.

 ³ I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; 

       I will sing of you among the peoples.

 ⁴ For great is your love, higher than the heavens; 

       your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

 ⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, 

       and let your glory be over all the earth.

 ⁶ Save us and help us with your right hand,

       that those you love may be delivered. 

Psalm 107 - Cry Out to Jesus

 Today is one of those surreal days where the unbelievable becomes reality.  Tragedy once again comes knocking on the door of the unsuspecting and least deserving.   As I am writing this, my heart is heavy with the loss of a beautiful young girl, Meagan Gilbreath.  She was taken from this world much too soon and with much pain to those that are left here to consider the memories that bring a smile and the lost opportunities that leave a bit of regret.

I decided to read on in my journey to complete the psalm and was amazed (yet not surprised) by its words.
Just as our last psalm ended, Psalm 107 begins with the words:

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

and then it continues with:

 ² Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
       those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 

"Those he redeemed from the hand of the foe"
Who is my foe?

The psalmist continues and starts to describe the foe:

• ⁵ They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 

• ¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, 

• ¹⁷ Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. 

My foes are physical and emotional sufferings.  But after each foe is listed, the psalmist responds with these words:

²⁸ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
       and he brought them out of their distress. 

 Whatever the source of the pain (whatever the foe):

Strained relationships 

                         Physical Addictions 


                                                   Loneliness 

                                                                   Loss of a precious loved one!



Cry out to Jesus!






 ⁴³ Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
       and consider the great love of the LORD.

Psalm 106 - His Love Endures Forever

¹ Praise the LORD.
       Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
       his love endures forever.  
² Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
       or fully declare his praise?
....................

Psalm 106 begins with praise for a mighty God and the recognition of His people (the Israelites) of how blessed they are as they proclaim :

"HE IS GOOD..... HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER"   

But keep reading and as human nature would have it -- 

¹³ ... they soon forgot what he had done
       and did not wait for his counsel. 


Isn't that just like us?   He blesses and blesses;  we have homes, health, family, friends and before long

"we forget what He has done and do not wait for his counsel".... 

Maybe it is just me, so I won't generalize but say that I am guilty of taking God's goodness for granted!   I too easily forget that I am an adopted child of God, a daughter of the King, ROYALTY in waiting.   

The chapter continues by describing all the ways that His chosen people defiled his goodness and rebelled against Him.  Slowly they became more and more corrupt and grew further and further away from God until they have nowhere else to turn and in a last ditch effort cry out to Him.  

Just as He does us  [yes, He's the same today, yesterday, and forever]: 

⁴⁴ ...he took note of their distress
       when he heard their cry;   
⁴⁵ for their sake he remembered his covenant
       and out of his great love he relented.
 ⁴⁶ He caused them to be pitied
       by all who held them captive. 

I can be pretty "pitiful" and I can be pretty selfish.  I can easily strike out on my own and not wait for His counsel.   Though I may 'forget' his goodness for a season, He will never forget His covenant promise to NEVER leave ME or forsake ME. 

Forgive me Lord when I rebel, when I moan and groan, when I am ungrateful for the blessings you have given me!!


 ⁴⁷ Save us, O LORD our God,
       and gather us from the nations,
       that we may give thanks to your holy name
       and glory in your praise.
 ⁴⁸ Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
       from everlasting to everlasting.
       Let all the people say, "Amen!"
       Praise the LORD.

Psalm 105 - Commitment

Most people reading this know that I enjoy spending time connecting (ok, maybe creeping a little) on facebook. Tonight I decided to check out the "verse of the day" app. I shouldn't have been surprised but I have to admit that reading it brought a smile to my face. It's focus was on the Psalms and how the word of God speaks to us in this book. I felt God reminding me of my commitment to complete the blogging of each chapter of the book of Psalm. So here I am, back on track -- committed to finish reflecting on each chapter of this special book of scripture.
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Chapter 105 of Psalm is a reminder that God is faithful to fulfill ALL the promises He has made. It recounts specific incidences where God fulfilled his promise to protect and bless His people (namely the nation of Israel). Verse after verse is a reminder of specific instances where God made promises to His people and evidence that he was faithful in each and every case.

Is it any wonder that my "daily verse" was a reminder to get back on track followed by a model of completion outlined for me in my Psalm of the day?

I don't believe this was a "coincidence."

I hear you, Lord. I will complete the task I committed to - just as You were (and ARE) faithful to complete your covenant promises!!!

1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

4 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

Psalm 104 - Good Friday

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

Today is Good Friday - a day special to all Christians as we remember the sacrifice that was paid for our salvation - the agony that Christ suffered on our behalf. On a personal level, it was on Good Friday that my family said our earthly "see you laters" to my dad , Jerry Max Patton - such a bittersweet moment.

I sit and think about the irony of the term "GOOD" Friday. This day is remembered as a day of death and separation (from this life) ..... but, scripture teaches us that "without the shedding of blood there is no redemption of sin"(Heb. 9:22) . It is a 'GOOD' day because it marks the moment that all my debt was paid in full by the unselfish, redeeming act of love completed by God Himself - in the flesh!. Because of this, two-thousand years later when my Dad could no longer sustain a human body, he was guaranteed a resurrected one -- and so am I!!

The words of Psalm 104 describe a God that commands all of nature. He determines the boundaries of the oceans, the heights of the mountains, and the rising of the sun and the going down of the same. He supplies provision for all creatures that are on the face of the earth.

It's spring!! Take a look outside at 'new life' as trees and grass resurrect, as winds blow and birds sing. Take in the sheer miracle of nature.

No - He is NOT dead -- He is RISEN... and in COMPLETE CONTROL!






³¹ May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-....


³³ I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.


³⁴ May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.

Psalm 103 - Praise the Lord, O My Soul

Praise the Lord, O my soul

All my inmost being praise his name !

Praise the Lord, O my soul

And forget not all his goodness.

He forgives all of my sin

and heals all my diseases

He redeems my life from the pit

Crowns with me grace

Crowns with me love

And I'm satisfied.

The words from Psalm 103 make up the lyrics to one of my all time favorite praise songs. I tried to find a version that I could play here because it is absolutely beautiful and the words are SO meaningful.

Just read them again and think about what they express!

PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL
ALL MY INMOST BEING, PRAISE HIS NAME

Ever done that? Have you ever taken time to praise God with EVERYTHING that is in you?

PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL
AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS GOODNESS

Why don't we take some time this week to think about ALL the ways that God has been good to us. Stop moping and whining about why life "isn't fair" and think about how BLESSED we truly are?

For example:

HE FORGIVES ALL OF MY SIN
HE HEALS ALL MY DISEASES
HE REDEEMS MY LIFE FROM THE PIT
HE CROWNS ME WITH GRACE
HE CROWNS ME WITH LOVE

What more could I possibly want? Nothing.

From everlasting to everlasting
The Lord's love is with those who fear Him
and His righteousness with their children's children!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+103&version=NIV

Psalm 102- Prayer of the Afflicted

There is undoubtedly much pain and suffering in the world today. Earlier in the week, I was thinking back to some friends of the past and a few in the present that have endured physical and/or emotional pain in such a way that God was completely glorified through their struggles. I wondered in my mind if faced with the same dilemma, would I be able to demonstrate the same strength of faith. Oh, how I pray I would and how I pray that I am NOT put to the test.

This psalm is a prayer of a man afflicted with physical pain. It is a great reminder to me that our God never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:3-4). He is not ignorant of our pain and suffering but desires to free us from our chains of afflictions.


1.Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry for help come to you.

2.Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.

12.But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever;
your renown endures through all generations.

18.Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD

19.The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20.to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death."

Psalm 101 - A Far Cry From Blameless

¹ I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

To me, this is the easy part of this psalm to agree with. I love singing and especially singing praise songs but if you read the rest of the psalm it begins to raise questions.

CAN I do what this says?
DO these words really describe me?

READ ON:

I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?
I will walk in my house
with blameless heart.

³ I will set before my eyes
no vile thing.
The deeds of faithless men I hate;
they will not cling to me.

⁴ Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with evil.

⁵ Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
him will I put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
him will I not endure.

⁶ My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he whose walk is blameless
will minister to me.

⁷ No one who practices deceit
will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
will stand in my presence.

⁸ Every morning I will put to silence
all the wicked in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer
from the city of the LORD.

It makes me think of Paul's words in Romans 7:

....18)I have a desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do;

no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing.

Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I that do it,but it is sin living in me that does it.

NO! - I am far from perfect and there is NOTHING I can "DO" that will make me worthy of God's grace. I may not always be blameless and humble but, thankfully, when God looks at me, he sees His blameless, sinless Son, Jesus Christ.

Because of this grace, I will continue to sing His praise!!

Psalm 100 - We Are His

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

² Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

³ Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.


Thank you God for your enduring love and faithfulness!

What more needs to be said?...

Psalm 99 - Lent

I frequently use the site biblegateway.com when writing my blog and preparing Sunday School lessons. It is a quick way to compare various versions of scripture. Along with using the site, I have become a "friend" of their fan page and receive occasional postings. About a week ago, biblegateway posted a question to its "fans". It asked:

"What are you giving up for lent?"

Over 200 comments (a much larger than usual amount) were attached in response to the question. I was really amazed some of them. The answers ranged from simply answering the question and stating what personal luxury they were sacrificing to some very critical comments about those that observe Lent and how the observance of Lent is not commanded in the Bible.

Oh My!!! How we miss the point!!!

You may have a different viewpoint on the issue but since this is MY blog, I will share mine.

Lent is not commanded in the Bible. Here are other NON-COMMANDS in the Bible that we regularly observe in my church:

*Sunday morning (11 am) worship
*Wednesday Prayer meeting
*Wednesday Praise Team/Choir Practice
*Easter "Blooming of the Cross"
*Christmas/Easter Children's programs
*Christmas Candlelight Service
*Sunday School
*Weekly Bible Study Groups
*Home Groups

*** Get the picture!

There are many, many things that we regularly do in the church that are NOT commanded in the Bible. We observe these because over the years the events have become meaningful and are ways for us to strengthen our relationship with our Savior.

So, back to lent? Should you observe lent?

I guess that becomes a very personal issue. Is the act of making a personal sacrifice for a prolonged period of time going to be a way for you to focus daily on the sacrifice that Christ made on your behalf; or, is it another "tradition" that you participate in because someone as commanded it or your church expects it.

Any act we do that reminds us of the majesty of the Almighty God, is an act of worship.  May each event you participate in be an event of the heart and a conscious decision and not simply an "expectation"!


5 Exalt the LORD our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.

Psalm 98 - A Psalm

¹ Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.

² The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

³ He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

⁴ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;

⁵ make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,

⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.

⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy;

⁹ let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Most of you reading this will not be surprised at all to learn that I have a passion for music. Something about words put to music moves the heart like nothing else.

Last week, Craig and I took my mother to a southern gospel concert and as I sat and listened to the lyrics of some of those songs tears streamed down my cheeks. I get so excited when I hear the strains of an old familiar hymn, the harmonies of a quartet, and even the rhythms of a praise song. It doesn't really matter to me the style of music....it's the message of the music that moves me to tears.

I believe that deep in the soul lies a burning desire to cry out to the Father just as the mountains, rivers, and seas do. Without fear, without inhibition...with everything that is in them!!

Music frees that desire in me!

Thank you, LORD for the gift of music!!!

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things!