Jan. 4th, 2016 Psalm 98

Jan. 4, 2016 Psalm 98

1 Sing to God a brand-new song.
He’s made a world of wonders!
He rolled up his sleeves,
He set things right.
2 God made history with salvation,
He showed the world what he could do.
3 He remembered to love us, a bonus
To his dear family, Israel—indefatigable love.
The whole earth comes to attention.
Look—God’s work of salvation!
4 Shout your praises to God, everybody!
Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!
5 Round up an orchestra to play for God,
Add on a hundred-voice choir.
6 Feature trumpets and big trombones,
Fill the air with praises to King God.
7 Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause,
With everything living on earth joining in.
8 Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!”
And mountains harmonize the finale—
9 A tribute to God when he comes,
When he comes to set the earth right.
He’ll straighten out the whole world,
He’ll put the world right, and everyone in it.

Sometimes I just love the way the Message breaks things down.
While it isn't an actual translation it is a tool to help explain things.

God's judgement, his love, his worthiness of our praise... it never ends.

This passage calls us and the earth to rejoice in our God through songs, words, talents, etc!  LET IT LOOSE!
But what are we celebrating?
That God will return!
And that God will be the judge....

WAIT A SECOND!!!
We hate to be judged.  We say "How dare you Judge me..."
We even miss use scriptures often to say that we shouldn't judge others...
(That would be a whole other post, but there are two key scriptures... one in context is talking about Christians to the world and not to judge those who are not saved... but then Christians to each other are called to hold each other to a higher standard out of LOVE! So we are to be accountable to each others as Christians...)

Yet we are to celebrate that GOD is coming again to Judge us.  To hold us accountable.  To reward and to punish.

That is a sobering thought for some but a freeing and joyful thought for others.
No matter what we have done God is righteous.  He is FAIR.  He is JUST. HE is love.  And for all of us who call him Lord, who seek to give him lordship over our lives, who live in such a way to bring him praise...  though we face trials and may give into sin we still have a God who listens to our call for forgiveness and FORGIVES!
This is a judge that I can freely lay my life at His MERCY and trust that He will be JUST.

Are you ready to rejoice in that God?

Jan 2nd, 2016 Lamentations 3:22-26

Lamentations 3:22-26

22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends!

His mercies never cease.

23 Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning.

24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;

therefore, I will hope in him!”

25 The LORD is good to those who depend on him,

to those who search for him.

26 So it is good to wait quietly

for salvation from the LORD.

I don't post my handwritten one because, well I have horrible handwriting.

This verse reminded me of a Lectio Divina. "Divine Reading". This was a practice of monks but can be a great exercise of reading a passage of scripture. But it fit this verse especially because of the theme of waiting.

As I was reading there were a couple words that stuck out so I did some study of them....

Faithful Love (or Steadfast love) actually means COVENANT LOYALTY. This verse again reminds us of the Covenant that God made with Abraham, with Israel, with you and me. It is a faithful love. It won't end! AMEN to that! God's love will never end. As we heard on Christmas eve, all other things will end, Faith will end in Heaven, Hope will be fulfilled in Heaven, but LOVE will continue for all ETERNITY!

Next v 25 and 26 both use the word WAIT... but they are actually different words in Hebrew.

Vs 25 wait is a word that has the idea of 'TENSION of enduring'. Waiting in tension.

Vs. 26 wait means DUMB. SILENT. WAIT. Waiting in a way that you are unable to speak.

Vs. 25 the word Seek can also mean to READ REPEATEDLY

Think about these verses as a whole. When we are so overwhelmed with the realization of GOD'S GREAT MERCY, his COVENANT with us, His FAITHFUL love when we are unfaithful....

These feelings should bring us to a 'stillness' before our God.

We should be silent and wait for HIS direction!

This is a great exercise to remember as we start out this 31 days to READ REPEATEDLY the verses you are writing. Don't just gloss over them. Pray them. Say them over and over and put emphasis on different words....

"The STEADFAST love..." "The steadfast LOVE..."

'GREAT is your faithfulness" "Great is YOUR faithfulness" "Great is your FAITHFULNESS"....

What will God show you when you silently, without words, without seeking to direct God to what you want to hear today?

Will you WAIT silently for the 'salvation of the Lord?'

Jan. 1st, 2016 Isaiah 43:16-19

Isaiah 43:16-19

16 I am the LORD, who opened a way through the waters,

making a dry path through the sea.

17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt

with all its chariots and horses.

I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,

their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—

it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

19 For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

I was writing this verse out today along with the rest of a group who are taking a 31 day scripture writing challenge. Join us with the below link.

Before I wrote it out I read it in a couple translations (ESV my favorite, NLT we use at church, NIV and then the Message paraphrase).

I was struck with a couple words.

First is GOD's Provision! He parted the waters for the Israelites not just once at the Red sea but again crossing into Jericho.

Second is God's POWER. He not only parted water, created dry land amidst wet; but he can call up the armies of the world and lay them down. The Message gives the picture of them laying down. This is not NATURAL for a warrior... to lay down their arms, to let the battle stop. They want to fight! But God with a single word lays them down.

Those two tell me:

I must remember that no matter what happens this year GOD WILL PROVIDE! He has it all worked out before it ever crosses my mind!

I MUST GIVE IT ALL TO HIM DAILY!

Second it is GOD's power that is alive in me. NOT ME. I don't work in my power alone, because if I did then the provision would be partial. IT IS GOD who supplies the power to supernaturally love the unloveable. To have patience when mine is dry. To overcome the sin that 'so easily entangles us.' 'TO RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE SET OUT BEFORE (ME, YOU) US!'

This then leaves me with a choice.

DO I TRUST GOD? DO I TRUST HIS PROVISION... HIS POWER?

If I do then the only outcome I have is:

THIRD: My CONSECRATION to HIM.

Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word consecration literally means "association with the sacred"

Am I willing to let go of myself and CONSECRATE myself to GOD?

Am I willing in all things to be worthy of being ASSOCIATED with the SACRED?

(Yet as a human I dare not seek association of my own will... it is only again through GOD's PROVISION and POWER that I dare!)

Finally this giving into God's Provision and God's Power that leads me to a CONSECRATION of my life I give myself over to a GOD SIZED POTENTIAL.

For "Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world"

This will not be easy. It won't be even possible... on my own.

I must consecrate myself each morning, afternoon, and evening in order to allow GOD to consistently use this cracked pot.

For what am I but Balaam's Donkey speaking the words of God.

May I always be a vessel concerned more with pleasing my GOD, my PROVIDER, my LORD, than I am with pleasing myself, my family, my friends, or anyone else.

Thus today CONSECRATION has become my word for 2016.

My song this year will be by Frances Ridley Havergal "Take my Life."

Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days;

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing,

Always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold;

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect, and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine;

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own;

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

-written Feb. 4, 1874.