IT’S A GOOD THING!

Posted on February 9, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms – The Final Hallelujahs

When you are pressed from all sides, worried about life situations, anxious about the unknown, burdened by illnesses of loved ones and sad because of the unkindness of others, shout Hallelujah! You are probably smiling or laugh out loud at the thought. But as the psalmist says in the opening of our next song, “It’s a good thing to sing praise to our God; praise is beautiful, praise is fitting.”

We take students on tours of the air base where I teach. When asked by a student, “how do you see where to fly on a cloudy day like this?”, the pilot responded, “we fly above it all and see only blue skies ahead.” Mm, new perspective.

Praise to God right in the middle of our challenge helps us look at life with a new, higher-thinking perspective. Yes, it’s a good thing to praise God in many ways. Praise takes the focus from ourselves, causes us to look up, beyond the stormy clouds and see the clear Light of day. We see blue skies where others see only clouds and darkness.

Psalm 147, The Message
Hallelujah!
It’s a good thing to sing praise to our God;
praise is beautiful, praise is fitting.

2-6 God’s the one who rebuilds Jerusalem,
who regathers Israel’s scattered exiles.
He heals the heartbroken
and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and assigns each a name.
Our Lord is great, with limitless strength;
we’ll never comprehend what he knows and does.
God puts the fallen on their feet again
and pushes the wicked into the ditch.

7-11 Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn,
play music on your instruments to God,
Who fills the sky with clouds,
preparing rain for the earth,
Then turning the mountains green with grass,
feeding both cattle and crows.
He’s not impressed with horsepower;
the size of our muscles means little to him.
Those who fear God get God’s attention;
they can depend on his strength.

12-18 Jerusalem, worship God!
Zion, praise your God!
He made your city secure,
he blessed your children among you.
He keeps the peace at your borders,
he puts the best bread on your tables.
He launches his promises earthward—
how swift and sure they come!
He spreads snow like a white fleece,
he scatters frost like ashes,
He broadcasts hail like birdseed—
who can survive his winter?
Then he gives the command and it all melts;
he breathes on winter—suddenly it’s spring!

19-20 He speaks the same way to Jacob,
speaks words that work to Israel.
He never did this to the other nations;
they never heard such commands.
Hallelujah!

psalm-147-1-skies

Did you know?
When Nehemiah and his people finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, restoring the gates, and resettling the people, they called a great assembly for celebration and dedication, and it is likely that this psalm was written for that occasion. They went through many trials of getting this task that God gave them to do accomplished.

One of the unique characteristics of this psalm is the large number of present participles in it–“building, healing, binding, counting, lifting up,” and so on–all of which speak of the constant and dynamic working of the Lord for His people. The psalm presents three reasons why the people should praise the Lord, and each section is marked off by the command to praise God.

1. Praise the Lord–His People Have Been Restored (vv. 1-6).
2. Sing to the Lord–The Land Has Been Refreshed (vv. 7-11).
3. Extol the Lord–The Word Has Been Revealed (vv. 12-20).

We are commanded to do the same…why? It’s a GOOD thing to sing praise to our God! Praise is beautiful. Praise is fitting to our God, the Creator of all. Praise changes our perspective.

Hallelujah!

On a personal note…
I am reminded of the silly exercise of standing and sitting with each phrase of Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah….Praise Ye the Lord! Remember that as a child growing up?? Makes me smile…

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BOUNDLESS

Posted on February 8, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

God is. The “I AM” is boundless in grace and mercy. He is unlimited with His unconditional love, and compassionate care for us. He loves being with those who love being with Him. What a great relationship to have and to live each day! Yes, God is great and greatly to be praised! David is overwhelmed with God’s goodness to Him and sings a new psalm extolling God’s attributes.

Let us pause this morning to read, to meditate, to sing it out loud and imagine God listening and smiling as we understand more and more Who He is and Who He wants to be for us and in us. He loves us. We love Him. Let us rejoice in this precious forever relationship.

Psalm 145, The Message
David’s Praise

I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King!
and I’ll bless your name into eternity.
2 I’ll bless you every day,
and keep it up from now to eternity.
3 God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
There are no boundaries to his greatness.
4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on your wonders.
6 Your marvelous doings are headline news;
I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
your righteousness is on everyone’s lips.
8 God is all mercy and grace—
not quick to anger, is rich in love.
9 God is good to one and all;
everything he does is suffused with grace.
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
15 All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
16 Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God’s there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
19 He does what’s best for those who fear him—
hears them call out, and saves them.
20 God sticks by all who love him,
but it’s all over for those who don’t.
21 My mouth is filled with God’s praise.
Let everything living bless him,
bless his holy name from now to eternity!

psalm-145

Think about it…

Who could not praise a God with these wonderful characteristics? But along with telling us why we should praise the Lord, David tells us when we should praise Him.
–Praise God from Day to Day (vv. 1-2).
–Praise God from Generation to Generation (vv. 3-7).
–Praise God from Nation to Nation (vv. 8-13a).
–Praise God from Need to Need (vv. 13b-16).
–Praise God from Prayer to Prayer (vv. 17-21).
–Life Means Praising God (vv. 1-2).
–Life Means Trusting God (vv. 3-6).
–Life Means Loving God (vv. 7-9).
–Life Means Reigning with God (v. 10).

Let’s Just Praise the LORD, God of Heaven and Earth!
And I”m singing…

Let’s just praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let’s just lift our hearts to heaven and praise the Lord;
Let’s just praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let’s just lift our hearts to heaven and praise the Lord!

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WHY BOTHER?

Posted on February 7, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

Sometimes we have to wonder why the God of the Universe takes notice of each of us, one at a time. We are but a small speck in His created world, yet He knows the numbers of hairs on our head. All of his children have troubles and cry out to Him from time to time, almost daily. He hears us all. He understands where we are and works to take us farther and higher in our thinking. He chooses to bless us when we don’t deserve it. Why does God bother with us? Why does He care? He loves us and is living in us. He comforts when we are sad. He smiles when we smile over victories in this life’s journey. He loves having a true relationship with us where He gives and we trust. He is God and we are not.

David wrote this psalm to “bless the Lord” (vv. 1, 15) and honor Him for making him a successful warrior and king, and to pray for His continued blessing of his people. He was concerned about dangers around them (vv. 6-7, 11) and needs within the land (vv. 12-14). In writing this psalm, he used material from Psalm 18, his great song of victory when he became king, so perhaps 144 was written about that same time (1 Sam. 5, 8). During his years of exile, David had learned much about himself and about the Lord. In this psalm, he gave witness to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and reminded his people that their God was not like the gods of their neighbors. God is real. God does care. “How blessed the people who have all this!”

David inherited twelve tribes that did not always get along with each other, and during the years immediately following the death of King Saul, tribal rivalry and conflict created numerous problems. But God brought about political unity within the nation and gave David victory against the enemies outside the nation (18:47-48).

David’s position and reputation did not go to his head, for he asked, “Who am I that God should do this for me?” The statements in verses 3-4 remind us of 8:4, and this is a reminder that we need, especially when we think we can handle life without trusting God. We agree with David when he writes, “How blessed the people who have Yahweh for God!”

Psalm 144, The Message
A David Psalm

1-2 Blessed be God, my mountain,
who trains me to fight fair and well.
He’s the bedrock on which I stand,
the castle in which I live,
my rescuing knight,
The high crag where I run for dear life,
while he lays my enemies low.

3-4 I wonder why you care, God—
why do you bother with us at all?
All we are is a puff of air;
we’re like shadows in a campfire.

5-8 Step down out of heaven, God;
ignite volcanoes in the hearts of the mountains.
Hurl your lightnings in every direction;
shoot your arrows this way and that.
Reach all the way from sky to sea:
pull me out of the ocean of hate,
out of the grip of those barbarians
Who lie through their teeth,
who shake your hand
then knife you in the back.

9-10 O God, let me sing a new song to you,
let me play it on a twelve-string guitar—
A song to the God who saved the king,
the God who rescued David, his servant.
11 Rescue me from the enemy sword,
release me from the grip of those barbarians
Who lie through their teeth,
who shake your hand
then knife you in the back.

psalm-144-3-4

12-14 Make our sons in their prime
like sturdy oak trees,
Our daughters as shapely and bright
as fields of wildflowers.
Fill our barns with great harvest,
fill our fields with huge flocks;
Protect us from invasion and exile—
eliminate the crime in our streets.

15 How blessed the people who have all this!
How blessed the people who have God for God!

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for caring for us, loving us they way you do. All my life is in Your hands. I trust in You alone. I pray for those in my family and in our circle of friends who think you are a bother to them. They are lost. I cry out for them to be found by You, to come back to You, to trust and follow you. Help us, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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BECAUSE I AM YOUR SERVANT

Posted on February 6, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

I have been in and out of self induced messes my whole life, but I always knew Who to run to for forgiveness first. I am grateful for knowing this, for being taught to stop and ask for forgiveness from our Father in Heaven. I have also run from problems but only for short periods of time to repent, focus and ask God to help me solve them. Why, because I am God servant.

I love God with all that is in me. Does loving Him make me perfect, without sin? Absolutely not. But, because of Jesus, He does make me perfectly forgiven. Will this stop me from messing up again? No, but it teaches me to to avoid falling into the same sins and to come to a halt in actions more quickly when tempted.

David felt he needed to confess sins that were keeping him from enjoying God’s help and blessing (vv. 1-2). He had concluded that the suffering he was experiencing from the attacks of the enemy were actually God’s chastening, so he asked God for mercy. It is true that the Lord can use painful circumstances and difficult people to bring us to repentance, but sometimes those very things are God’s “tools” to polish and mature us, not to punish us.

Psalm 143 has helped me through many troubling times. David presents many requests to the Lord, all of which may be summarized in two prayers: “Hear me” (vv. 1-6) and “Answer me” (vv. 7-12). This kind of praying is a good example for us to follow. The best part is the latter part that begins, “If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice…” In the translation I grew up with says, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.” This is being God’s servant. Learning, growing, failing but learning, and always trusting.

Psalm 143, The Message
A David Psalm

1-2 Listen to this prayer of mine, God;
pay attention to what I’m asking.
Answer me—you’re famous for your answers!
Do what’s right for me.
But don’t, please don’t, haul me into court;
not a person alive would be acquitted there.

3-6 The enemy hunted me down;
he kicked me and stomped me within an inch of my life.
He put me in a black hole,
buried me like a corpse in that dungeon.
I sat there in despair, my spirit draining away,
my heart heavy, like lead.
I remembered the old days,
went over all you’ve done, pondered the ways you’ve worked,
Stretched out my hands to you,
as thirsty for you as a desert thirsty for rain.

7-10 Hurry with your answer, God!
I’m nearly at the end of my rope.
Don’t turn away; don’t ignore me!
That would be certain death.
If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice,
I’ll go to sleep each night trusting in you.
Point out the road I must travel;
I’m all ears, all eyes before you.
Save me from my enemies, God—
you’re my only hope!
Teach me how to live to please you,
because you’re my God.
Lead me by your blessed Spirit
into cleared and level pastureland.

11-12 Keep up your reputation, God—give me life!
In your justice, get me out of this trouble!
In your great love, vanquish my enemies;
make a clean sweep of those who harass me.
And why? Because I’m your servant.

psalm-143-cup

Think about it…
We also want to hear God’s Word (v. 8). To see His smile and hear His voice gives us the strength we need to overcome the enemy. David moved from the darkness (v. 3) to the morning and the dawning of a new day. The Word reminded him of God’s unfailing love, and the Word strengthened his faith and gave him guidance on the dangerous path he had to take from the cave to the crown. “And why? Because I’m your servant.”, says David.

Dear Lord, “Keep up your reputation–give me life!” “And why” Because I’m your servant.
In Jesus Name, Amen

And I’m singing…(An old song my Larry Norman that was pivotal in my life…)
I am a servant, I am listening for my name
I sit here waiting, I’ve been looking at the game
That I’ve been playing, and I’ve been staying much the
Same
When you are lonely, you’re the only one to blame

I am a servant, I am waiting for the call
I’ve been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall
How can you use me when I’ve never given all
How can you choose me when you know I’d quickly fall

So you feed my soul and you make me grow
And you let me know you love me
And I’m worthless now, but I’ve made a vow
I will humbly bow before thee
O please use me, I am lonely

AND He did…Because I am God’s servant.

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IN THE CAVE

Posted on February 5, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

We all suffer from it from time to time. We give in to it when faced with troubled realities we would rather ignore. But by ignoring it and not asking for help it gets worse. What is it? Depression. We sit in our own self made “caves” of loathing life and forget that though the cave may not have a back or side door, we can certainly stand up or crawl, if we have to, on hands and knees right out the front door, guided by the Light of day. We must move toward the Light. We can defeat depression by calling out to God, the Light who is ready to guide us to higher ground thinking and living.

David’s depression is clearly stated in our next psalm for meditation and consideration. He is sitting in a cave, trying to allude his enemy, Saul. He feels trapped by the situation. “There’s not a soul who cares…” He feels friendless. He feels there is no way out, “no exit”. Then he cries out to Yahweh, “You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!” “Rescue me.” Then David promises to thank God and give him glory if we will bring him out of this challenging, trying time.

Adullam

I have to ask myself this morning, do I “cave in” at the slightest hint of trouble. (Yes.) Do I allow people and circumstance to turn my head from the Light? (Sometimes.) Can I get up and just walk boldly to the front door and face whatever is bringing me down, knowing that God will protect me, fight for me and save me? Yes!

It is obvious that David was in danger and was depressed, feeling abandoned. But he did what God’s people must always do in times of crisis: he looked to the Lord for help. He knew very little about Saul and his plans, but he did know about Jehovah and His great promises, and because of his faith in these assurances, he triumphed over his feelings and his foes.

Psalm 142, The Message
A David Prayer—When He Was in the Cave

1-2 I cry out loudly to God,
loudly I plead with God for mercy.
I spill out all my complaints before him,
and spell out my troubles in detail:

3-7 “As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away,
you know how I’m feeling,
Know the danger I’m in,
the traps hidden in my path.
Look right, look left—
there’s not a soul who cares what happens!
I’m up against it, with no exit—
bereft, left alone.
I cry out, God, call out:
‘You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!’
Oh listen, please listen;
I’ve never been this low.
Rescue me from those who are hunting me down;
I’m no match for them.
Get me out of this dungeon
so I can thank you in public.
Your people will form a circle around me
and you’ll bring me showers of blessing!”

Where is our focus in times of crippling fear of unknown circumstances? David reminds us:
The Lord hears our prayers (vv. 1-2).
The Lord knows our circumstances (vv. 3-4).
The Lord meets our needs (vv. 5-7).

Don’t cave in! When we are not feeling so great, we must refocus on our great and mighty God. NOTHING is too hard for Him. Absolutely nothing. Remember Jesus had His own “cave” experience and look how that turned out for all of us! Jesus defeated death itself…for you and for me! With God, there is ALWAYS a way out!

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LEAD ME NOT…

Posted on February 4, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

I pray the Lord’s prayer that He taught to his disciples in a variety of ways, but with the same intent, every day. When it comes to the “lead me not” part, I always pause and think about what I am fighting against within myself, what is attacking me from the outside and need to avoid in my life. I am very specific, almost crying out for help to be lead far from evil’s schemes to bring me, my family, my faith and courage down to levels that hurt me. I am very honest when I add, “Lead us not into temptations, but DELIVER us from evil.” God answers that prayer as specifically as we pray it honestly and sincerely.

David is desperately praying his own “lead me not” prayer, asking for protection from his enemies and from his own temptation to speak evil or fall into “bad company”. His opening helps us feel and know David’s heart as he seems to shout, “God, come close. Come quickly!” Hello, God…it’s me! Help me! I have prayed that same prayer before and will probably pray it again and again because the enemy will always be hanging around those who love God and have a great desire to follow Jesus teachings about Him.

WE NEED TO KNOW…
–Know God. Know Jesus. Know the Holy Spirit. The three-in-One.
–Know our enemy and the schemes he uses over and over to trip us up.
–Know ourselves and our venerable areas. That’s where the enemy will continue to hit. “But greater is HE that is in us than he that is in the world.” –Jesus
–Know that we cannot fight the enemy by ourselves.
–Know God’s Message well and let us arm ourselves and watch God battle the enemy for us! There IS indeed victory in Jesus. He WILL deliver us and protect us from evil!

Psalm 141, The Message

1-2 God, come close. Come quickly!
Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing!
Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising;
my raised hands are my evening prayers.

psalm-141

3-7 Post a guard at my mouth, God,
set a watch at the door of my lips.
Don’t let me so much as dream of evil
or thoughtlessly fall into bad company.
And these people who only do wrong—
don’t let them lure me with their sweet talk!
May the Just One set me straight,
may the Kind One correct me,
Don’t let sin anoint my head.
I’m praying hard against their evil ways!
Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff;
make them face the music.
Like a rock pulverized by a maul,
let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell.

8-10 But God, dear Lord,
I only have eyes for you.
Since I’ve run for dear life to you,
take good care of me.
Protect me from their evil scheming,
from all their demonic subterfuge.
Let the wicked fall flat on their faces,
while I walk off without a scratch.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

And I’m singing…

O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

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SECURE

Posted on February 3, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

We all long to be secure. It is a basic human need. We long to be held safely in someone’s arms, to be hugged and assured that we are safe no matters what is happening all around us. As an adjective, secure means “fixed or fastened so as not to give way, become loose, or be lost.” As a verb it means to fix or attach (something) firmly so that it cannot be moved or lost. For example, “pins secure the handle to the main body”. As I read David’s song of asking God to protect him from his enemies, from those who plot to trip him up and destroy him, I am camped on the word secure.

I am reminded of Jesus’ words to His listening disciples. “Jesus answered them, ‘Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.’” John 16:31-33,The Message (MSG)

Mm…”The Father is with me”, says Jesus. Before leaving this earth to go back to heaven, He tells his disciples, (and us), “…be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, NLT). As the Father is with the Son, the Son is with us! We are secure! By accepting and believing, we are firmly attached to the One and Only who created us, knows us, and desires to be in relationship with us forever and ever. We are secure in His Holy Presence. Ah, secure.

secure

Psalm 140, The Message
12-13 I know that you, God, are on the side of victims,
that you care for the rights of the poor.
And I know that the righteous personally thank you,
that good people are secure in your presence.

Thank you, Lord for Your Holy Presence in our lives.
In Jesus Name, Amen

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THE CROSS-EXAMINATION

Posted on February 2, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

We can rationalize or put a spin on any morsel of information or behavior these days. We humans are good at that. I think of the media, of course, when I think about this bad trait that we have, but we are all guilty of it from time to time. We want to avoid the conversation that we may have done something wrong, made someone feel small or behaved in a way that was not gracious and kind.

David comes to the end of his Psalm of repentance with words that began the song…”Investigate my life, O God”. He adds “Cross-examine me and test me” to the investigation. Why? Because we are so good at rationalizing! We will admit to some sin but maybe not all of it. God knows us better than we know ourselves. To cross examine in a court of law to find out the truth means to question (a witness called by the other party) in a court of law to discredit or undercut testimony already given. David is asking God to go deeper than what David knows and admits about himself. “God, cross examine my motives and thinking”, we seem to hear David pray. It is as if he is asking God to help him see what God sees in him…then “guide me on the road to eternal life.”

In other words, David closed with a prayer for God to search his heart, know his anxieties and concerns, forgive him, and lead him. We must be cautious as we examine ourselves because we do not even know our own hearts (Jer. 17:9). It is best to open the Word and let the Spirit search us and speak to us, for then we discover the truth. We must never dispute with God, for He loves us and wants only the very best for us.

Maybe our prayer should begin with the Cross. How do we measure up to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross? Have we obeyed the teachings of Jesus? Are we will to live humbly, like Christ modeled while on earth, putting others ahead of ourselves? Are we willing to remain silent when others attack us and bring us low in this world? Are we willing to take up our own cross and follow Him no matter what? This is part of the “cross-examination”, too. Our debt of sin was paid on that Cross. We are no longer held responsible for sins confessed remorsefully. Live redeemed!

Psalm 139, The Message (Final passage)
23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
then guide me on the road to eternal life.

My prayer, dear Lord,
In Jesus Name, Amen

psalm-139-where

Questions for reflection as we finish Psalm 139…
How does this psalm depict God as knowing everything?

How does the fact that God knows you intimately affect you?

How does this psalm ask you to see your body and other people’s bodies?

Why does it make no sense to try to run from God but perfect sense to run to God?

Ask God to search you and know your heart. What is in your heart that He will see?

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OH, LET ME RISE AND LIVE WITH YOU!

Posted on February 1, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

There are two ways to think when rising for another day. “Good Lord, it’s morning”, with a groaning sigh, or “Good morning, Lord! What’s next?” I prefer the latter, because it gets me physically out of bed. I am grateful that God was with me (and you!) through the night and knows what is on our agenda for today.

David is asking God, “Oh let me rise and live always with you!” David has sinned, repented remorsefully and now is seeking God’s favor and presence in his life. He now clearly sees the enemies of God who lurk in the dark reeking havoc on others who believe in God. He wants God to take care of those enemies who are against our Creator. “I hate those who hate you, God”, David cries out. These are strong words, but I think David is reminding us to seek what God wants, who God is, and what is important to God and leave evil behind. He is praying for all of us to see life as God sees us in this life and make wiser choices and better decisions.

May we avoid the entanglement of sin that so easily draws us away from all that is good. May we pray for God to open our eyes so we see evil more clearly and run from it. May God live in us as we live for him so that we love more deeply, extend grace and walk humble with Him.

Yes, my song joins David’s..”Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!”. Yes! and Amen!

Psalm 139, The Message (part 5)
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
And you murderers—out of here!—
all the men and women who belittle you, God,
infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
See how I hate those who hate you, God,
see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
Your enemies are my enemies!

psalm-139-18-still

 

I am reminded of an old hymn…Living for Jesus…as I meditate on this passage this morning…and I’m singing…

Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.

Refrain:
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.

Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.

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YOUR THOUGHTS…

Posted on January 31, 2017 by randscallawayffm

Psalms for the Journey

“What in the world were you thinking?” we often say to our disobedient children. But I wonder if God asks the same question of us when we lose focus and begin to wander from His way of thinking?

What we think about God and our relationship to Him determines what we think about everything else that makes up our busy world–other people, the universe, God’s Word, God’s will, sin, faith, and obedience. Wrong ideas about God will ultimately lead to wrong ideas about who we are and what we should do, and this leads to a wrong life on the wrong path toward the wrong destiny. In other words, theology–the right knowledge of God–is essential to a fulfilled life in this world. David contemplated God and wrote for us a psalm whose message can only encourage us to be in a right relationship with Him.

Psalm 139, The Message (part 4)

17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
God, I’ll never comprehend them!
I couldn’t even begin to count them—
any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
And you murderers—out of here!—
all the men and women who belittle you, God,
infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
See how I hate those who hate you, God,
see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
Your enemies are my enemies!

psalm-139-god-thoughts

Our prayers must be focused on asking God to teach us more and more about Him, so we begin to think more like him. Behavior will follow our thoughts. So, what in the world are we thinking?

Dear Heavenly Father, Break my heart of those things that break your heart. Your thoughts are much higher than ours. We can never comprehend all of them, either, but we can believe and behave with what we DO know right now. Thank you, Lord. Help us to think about You all day long and be at peace knowing you are with us still…forever loving us.

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