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?
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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.