Month: July 2019

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Psalm 125: Be A Mountain! Trust God!

Last year as we traveled to Calgary Canada we were thrilled with the majestic Canadian Rockies. The mountains are stunningly tall, seemingly impenetrable and a reminder of Psalm 125. God has created the sea, the mountains and all of the lands in between. All of which is a reminder of the psalmist’s words in Psalm 125: if we trust in the Lord we will be like Mt. Zion.

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A mountain can withstand a storm’s fury or stand tall and erect on a sunny day yet from a spoken word the rocks can tumble forth. As Elijah stood in the mouth the cave he listened for God’s voice which was not in the earthquake and tumbling rocks but instead in the still soft quiet whisper of God. It was there that Elijah learned to trust in the God of the mountain and it is where we can retreat to find our own peace and strength because the mountains offer us a picture of stability and security.

Where is your trust? The psalmist tells us that if we trust in the Lord we will be “like” Mt. Zion which cannot be moved or shaken but endures forever.

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Where is God?

Ps 115  How often are our eyes focused inward and not upward? The psalmist begins by saying that it is not to us but to Lord we are to bring honor and praise. In fact, he goes beyond just saying it is the Lord but it is to the name of the Lord that we are to bring honor. Think about the name of the Lord and what comes to mind?

  1. Ex 15:3 He is a warrior and the Lord is His Name
  2. Psalm 68:4 the one who rides on the clouds, the Lord is His Name
  3. Ex 17:15 Moses built an altar and he called it “The Lord is my Banner”
  4. Gen 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides”
  5. Acts 4:12 there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.

We revere and call upon His Name for the sake of His lovingkindness and faithfulness (which is new every morning). The world asks “where is God?”

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This is not a new question but one that been asked since the Garden of Eden! They asked Jesus that question on the cross. They scoff and sneer but God is where God has always been—in heaven where the scoffers will never set foot. It is there that those who revere and fear Him will find their place of refuge. It is where He who holds the universe in the palm of His hand sits undisturbed, his throne unshaken, and his purposes unchanged.

 

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Praise God From whom all blessings flow…

If you are of the “old school” of church you may remember giving an offering and then as the deacons or elders returned the offering to the altar the congregation stood to sing the doxology. But, few of us know the background of this hymn of praise. Thus a refresher course is in order. The words are not straight from scripture but they are words of praise. Keep that in mind!

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Psalm 112 & Jude 24  Long ago in England, 1674 to be exact, an Anglican Priest wrote a simple song of praise for his students although it was told they could not share it because of the church rules which only included songs from scripture. But, it was not long before these precious words escaped the tyranny of the ecclesiastical imposed rules of the hierarchy. Today we know it as the doxology but then it was just a simple song of praise.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him, all creatures here below

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

A-M-E-N

The Psalmist reminds the reader to praise the Lord who is Jehovah, the Supreme Being. Jude offers to us how to offer a prayer of praise:

Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen. (Jude 24)

Refresh your soul today with these words. Amen, Amen, Amen

 

 

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