November 22, 2024

The Table

September 27, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I will feast at the table of the Lord
I will feast at the table of the Lord
I won’t hunger anymore
At His table

Come all you weary, come and find
His yoke is easy, His burden light
He is able, He will restore
At the table of the Lord

There is peace at the table of the Lord
There is peace at the table of the Lord
I won’t worry anymore
At His table

There is healing at the table of the Lord
There is healing at the table of the Lord
I won’t suffer anymore
At His table

I know He has a place for me
Oh, what joy will fill my heart
With the saints around the Mercy Seat of God

I’m invited to the table of the Lord
I’m invited to the table of the Lord
He says, “Come just as you are”
To His table

Chris Tomlin
written along with Ed Cash and Wayne Jolley
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If I asked you what you need most from the Lord today…what would it be?  As you listen to the song above, and all the ways that He shows up, how do you want Him to show up today in your life?

First, we are invited to feast at His table. There is always plenty of everything. Wouldn’t you love to sit at the table with Jesus? (I would!!!)  There would be plenty of love and peace and joy. You could pass a plate of goodness, and faithfulness, and gentleness, too.  Instead of strife, there would be so much coming together. You would be forever satisfied and never hunger again. Because HE is enough.

He beckons all that are tired and weary to come and sit and rest awhile.

Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Maybe you need peace today. Perhaps you have spent the last few days, maybe weeks, just worrying over every detail of your life.  You haven’t slept past 4 am and you are in need of some peace.  Jesus is the Giver of peace.  Just knowing Him and that He died for you is enough to have peace.  You will live forever with the King! {Just breathe that in for a minute.}

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

Do you need healing today?  Jesus says that anything we ask in His name, it is ours.  So today, claim the healing that He longs to give you. Let Him repair the hurts that have left scars.  Let Him totally renew your heart.  He is inviting you to His table today. Only you and Him know what you need there.  I pray that you find whatever it is that you’re longing for.  There is one thing I do know—all can be found in Him!

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:19-20

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Let us pray:  Oh Lord, we are so honored to be invited to the table that You have prepared just for us, Your children.  Thank You for loving us so much and for meeting our every need, sometimes before we even know that we need it.  Thank You for the people that You put in our lives, to do life with.  Oh God, we love You so much and we praise You for Who You are!  Thank You for healing and for rest and for the living water which only You can give!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen

 

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

First

September 25, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Before I bring my need
I will bring my heart
Before I lift my cares
I will lift my arms
I wanna know You
I wanna find You
In every season
In every moment
Before I bring my need
I will bring my heart

And seek You
First
I wanna seek You
I wanna seek You
First
I wanna keep You
I wanna keep You
First
More than anything I want
I want You
First

Before I speak a word
Let me hear Your voice
And in the midst of pain
Let me feel Your joy
Ooh, I wanna know You
I wanna find You
In every season
In every moment
Before I speak a word
I will bring my heart

You are my treasure and my reward
Let nothing ever come before
You are my treasure and my reward
Let nothing ever come before
I seek You
First

Lauren Daigle

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First.  You know this is one of the most taught-on subjects in the church.  It is something we’ve heard said—and have said ourselves—all of our lives.  But for some reason it is one of the most difficult things to do.

Seek God first.  

We get our coffee first….we scan facebook first…watch the news first…pour our heart out to a friend first—all before seeking God.  I am very guilty of this.  I make excuses saying that I have no time, no energy, I can take care of it myself….  But the One I need to be putting first is often an afterthought when the situation or circumstance becomes too big or when the pain is too strong.  The sweet, simple words of this song remind us that before everything we put Him first.

“In every season, in every moment…” Ladies, this week let us make an intentional effort to put God first.  Let us seek Him in every season and every moment.  Let Him be our first line of defense.

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Let’s pray: Lord, how refreshing it is to know that You are our ‘first’.  Before we have to worry about what to say or how to say it…before we worry about what we’re going to do…You are always here for us to look to for guidance. Lord, please forgive us if we have neglected this.  Forgive us for looking to ourselves rather than to You.  Thank You for still remaining.  Lord, we will seek You first!  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Loving Kindness

September 24, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I will give thanks unto You, Lord
For You are good, Your loving kindness never ends
I raise my hands, You heal my soul
Here in the presence of the Lord my heart’s restored
And You guide me in the paths of righteousness
And You hide me in the shadow of Your hand
I rest in You

Blessed be the name of the Lord
I’m my Father’s child forevermore
You heard every prayer
You broke every chain
You alone delivered me

My Prince of Peace, You lifted me
Where everything that’s named is placed under your feet
And may my praises be as incense to you, Lord
And may my worship be a sweet fragrance
To You alone, my King

The Son of God He reigns on the throne
King of Kings let all the nations know
That the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever

For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever and ever
For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever and ever
For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever and ever

Miriam Webster/Darlene Zschech
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O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Psalm 118:1

You are my God, and I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You;
You are my God, I will extol You.
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
Verses 28 and 29

Don’t you just love that the psalmist begins and ends this beautiful psalm with the very same words?  And such wonderful words!  Are they not similar to words that you and I use when we are praising our Great God?  In just a cursory overview with a concordance, I found over fifteen Scriptures with identical wording.  In fact, Psalm 107 uses this phrasing of praise in five separate verses.

The Almighty God is so deserving of every single praise that has ever been uttered since time began…and He will be praised by men and angels (and you & me, too!) throughout eternity.

Way back, Melchizedek the high priest blessed Abram and  praised God saying,

Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
And praise be to God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.
Genesis 14:19 and 20

And in the endtimes, The Almighty God, The Great I AM along with the spotless Lamb of God will be praised and worshipped continually and throughout eternity.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth
and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
Revelation 5:13

Think about your own prayers and praises—particularly those that spontaneously come pouring out of a  thankful heart.  What do you find you praise God for over…and over…and over again?  Perhaps you might share it in the comments section below.  I look forward to praising our Great God along with you!

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Dear Lord, my heart echoes the words of the psalmist…and I give thanks and praise to You for You are SO good; Your mercy and loving-kindness will endure forever and ever and ever!  Amen.

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Waiting Here For You

September 23, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for You
I’m waiting here for You

You’re the Lord of all creation
And still You know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved me from the start

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia

You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we’re desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Martin Smith and Sarah Bird
Songwriters: Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Martin Smith

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This song sings of the proper heart-attitude of one who is waiting in expectation of God’s blessing.  It sings of quiet confidence in the Creator of the heavens and the earth…and His not being so big to not know the depths of each of our hearts.  It tells of desperately needing, yet expectantly waiting,  for God.  It speaks the praises of one who is convinced that God is present and faithful and loving.  It speaks the heart of one who loves and adores this great God.

As I’ve been listening again (and again) to this song, I’ve thought of some folks I know who are currently praying and waiting.  Their desires and expectations run quite the gamut as they wait…

  • as a loved one is dying, and expecting God to give them relief and comfort
  • for God’s provision in the area of their finances
  • for God’s blessing and healing of division in their marriage
  • for the safety and return of a loved one serving in the military overseas
  • to see God provide reconciliation amongst family members
  • on God’s timing to move their family cross-country
  • for miraculous healing from cancer
  • for the birth of their first child

Their needs are varied and their needs are great.  These are not small, inconsequential matters.  Yet each one remains convinced that God will provide and is waiting expectantly.  Their hope and trust is in Him.

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;
for my hope and expectation are from Him.
He only is my Rock and my Salvation;
He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved.
With God rests my salvation and my glory;
He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!
Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your hearts before Him.
God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah
Psalms 62:5-8

And we wait also for the <soon> return of our Lord to the earth to gather the saints.  This is a constant yearning and expectation of ours!  {Come quickly, Lord Jesus!}

…So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Perhaps, there is something that you are waiting for God to do in your life. Just as Jesus will faithfully fulfil His promise to return to the Earth, He will also fulfill His promises for your life.  We always base our expectations and our hope on the Truth—God’s Holy Word.  God will bring every promise He has ever made to pass.  He is faithful.

Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait [expectantly] for You;
our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You.
Isaiah 26:8

Just as Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel, so the same Truth applies to our hearts as we endeavor to faithfully walk as we wait on the fulfillment of God’s promises.  Isaiah 40:28-31 says,

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

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I pray that you will have courage and strength as you wait upon the Lord for deliverance and for Him to fulfil His plans and purpose for your life.  No matter where you are today in your waiting for the Lord…if you have been waiting one day or one year…I pray you remain filled with expectation!  No matter how large and life-changing your need might be, or perhaps it is very small and intimate—known only to you and your heavenly Father, I pray that You are filled with expectation.  I pray that your expectation is focused solely on the goodness, the grace, the mercy, the lovingkindness of the Great I AM.  I pray that you sing HalleluJAH in worship-filled praise today as you wait…and that you will sing HALLELUJAH! when your expectation is fulfilled by His love and grace.

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Come Thou Fount

September 21, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above

Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above

O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above
Seal it for Thy courts above

Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Orchestra
Lyrics by Robert Robinson / Tune: ’Nettleton’ by Asahel Nettleton,
This arrangement by Mack Wilberg

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Recently I have been struggling with a situation. I keep turning it over and over in my mind, unable to see how it can be resolved. One day last week, while pondering this issue once again, God placed this song in my heart. I kept coming back to the phrase “…tune my heart to sing Thy grace…”.

Finally it clicked.  The light bulb went on.  My responsibility is not to resolve this situation.  My responsibility is to fix my heart on God and praise Him.  He will deal with the rest.  Look at the following verses:

Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous
[you upright in right standing with God];
for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart].
Psalm 33:1 AMP

The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in Him;
all those who are upright in heart will offer praise.
Psalm 64:10 HCSB

So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him
have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!
so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.
Ephesians 1:12 AMP & HCSB

Not once in any of these verses does it say it is up to me to resolve my issues.  Not once!  But it does reiterate over and over again that my purpose is to praise and rejoice in the Lord.  Sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  Yet don’t we all struggle with this?  I am prone to wander and to take the burden on myself.  I don’t know about y’all, but I am a “fixer.”  Maybe that stems from being a wife and mother.  But nowhere in the above Scriptures does it say it is my responsibility to fix things. In fact, the following passages indicate that it is not my place to fix anything on my own.

Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you;
Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.
Psalm 55:22a AMP & NLT

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day,
even the God Who is our salvation!
Psalm 68:19

Doesn’t that lift your spirits and make your heart smile?  God bears our burdens. He is in control.  All we need to do is fix our wandering hearts on Him and sing His praises.  He will handle the rest.

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Sing this verse with me as we make it our heartfelt prayer:

“O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, o take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above
Seal it for Thy courts above”

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Where I Belong

September 20, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Sometimes it feels like I’m watching from the outside
Sometimes it feels like I’m breathing but am I alive
I won’t keep searching for answers that aren’t here to find

All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

So when the walls come falling down on me
And when I’m lost in the current of a raging sea
I have this blessed assurance holding me

When the earth shakes I wanna be found in You
When the lights fade I wanna be found in You

Building 429
writer(s): Jason Ingram, Jason Roy

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For this world is not our permanent home;
we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hebrews 13:14

Picture this…you and your family are staying in a condo on the beach.  You love the view so much but the condo not so much.  You don’t like the paint or the window treatments.  You really would want to replace the rugs and the bathroom tile.  Are you going to go to Home Depot and start a remodeling project?  Remember, you’re only there for a week.  Your home is actually somewhere else…this is just a temporary place for a vacation.

This world, though we may like parts of it, is just our “vacation condo” and Heaven is our home.  We are here only for a bit; and, while we are here, our job is to lead others to Jesus and to invest in our Heavenly home.  We all find ourselves longing for the Home that He has promised when this world is so hard and comes at us from all directions.  What joy that can bring us as His children!

But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body,
by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.
Philippians 3:20-21

God created us to live here in this world that He created.  He gave us beautiful scenery that we can enjoy, sunsets and sunrises, mountains covered in snow and the white beaches with blue oceans crashing onto them.  That’s how much He loves us.  We don’t deserve any of it; yet He gave it to us.  He also gives us grace to cling to when we have done so much that we wish we could take back.

I have seen this past week a teen lose her life to a horrible disease that she had been battling since the age of 14.  She left a legacy like you wouldn’t believe.  She made the most of this temporary home and she never took any of it for granted.  And now she is in her Home with Jesus.  But those left here are truly hurting and longing for the day that they will meet up with her again.  And I am sure they have many questions….

God made us a promise that this world would be hard but that He would help us overcome it.  He sent Jesus as an example of how to do it and He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us.  So when it feels like you can’t go on one more minute, please remember that He is coming again and that we should finish this life strong and help others to do the same. Oh…and that condo that you’re thinking of remodeling while on vacation?  I wouldn’t spend too much on getting it perfect.  You can’t take it with you!

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Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for going to prepare a place for us beside You in heaven!  Sometimes this world gets to be too much for us.  We stress and give up, forgetting that in a blink of an eye, You will be coming to get us.  Lord, we are so ready…but please help us while we are here waiting.  Help us to invest in those things that are going to benefit our Home with You one day.  Keep us from harm and thank You for loving us so much!  And for that family that lost so much this past week…we lift them up and all the others that have lost loved ones too soon.  Please give them comfort and somehow let them know that their “babies” are okay with You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Exhale

September 18, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
It’s okay
To not be okay
This is a safe place
This is a safe place
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be ashamed
There’s still hope here
There’s still hope
No matter what you’ve done
Or who you are
Everyone is welcome
In His arms

Just let go
Let His love wrap around you
And hold you close
Get lost in the surrender
Breathe it in, until your heart breaks
And exhale, exhale

Spirit come
Tear down the walls
That only you can
That only you can
Reconcile, this heart to yours
Right now God, right now

Oh God
We breathe in your grace
We breathe in your grace
And exhale
Oh God
We do not exist for us
But to share your grace and love
And exhale

Plumb
Writer(s): Tiffany Lee, Matt Armstrong, Josh Silverberg

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I was working with a young mother who was grieving the loss of her father and, like many other clients of mine, the first thing I told her was “It’s okay to not be okay!”  

{This is something we have to remind ourselves of from time to time as well.}  

As moms and wives…women in general…we often feel as if we need to hold it  together for all those around us.  And that we can’t show any sign of weakness.  But there are times when we need to surrender, to just be, and as the words of this song says, there are times when we just need to let His love wrap around us and make us whole again.  We don’t have to act as if nothing is wrong, or as if we have everything under control—because we don’t and that is okay.

Ladies, remind yourself that it’s okay to not be okay.  When we fall short, God will always be there to wrap His arms around us.

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Let’s pray: Dear Loving Father,  You are our safe place.  In You and with You we know that it is okay to feel as if we cannot hold it together.  Thank You. Remind us, Lord, to seek You when life is not okay and when life is okay.  Remind us to seek You always and to let You make us whole.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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We Are Free

September 17, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Chains are broken, ’cause You have spoken
It is finished on the Cross
Now I’m living in Your freedom
Jesus, You have set me free

By the power of Your Spirit
Every captive is released
For this purpose, I am living
‘Cause, Jesus, You have set me free

Nothingʼs gonna hold me back
No, nothingʼs gonna keep me down
Jesus has set me free, Iʻm free indeed

I will give You praise
With everything I am Iʼll praise
Whatever may come my way
You have won the victory, oh You set me free

Iʼm surrounded by Your goodness
I am covered by Your grace
My heart is grateful, forever thankful
‘Cause, Jesus, You have set me free

I will give You praise
With everything I am Iʼll praise
Whatever may come my way
You have won the victory

We are free, we are free
And we have the victory

I will give You praise
With everything I am Iʼll praise
Whatever may come my way
You have won the victory, You set me free

PlanetShakers
Joth Hunt

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Set me free from my prison, that I may praise Your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of Your goodness to me.
Psalm 142:7 NIV

Here is David…once again…on the run for his life from Saul, hiding in a cave, acknowledging the need for his God’s deliverance and protection.  And don’t you just love his motivation?  Listen again to what he writes:

“…[so] that I may praise Your name,
then the righteous will gather about me because of Your goodness to me.”

Yes, he definitely needed to be rescued from the cave.  Yes, he surely needed to be delivered from this situation.  Yes, he absolutely was in dire straits fearing for his life.  But, even more than being rescued, delivered, and saved, he wanted to praise his Deliverer, his Rescuer, his Savior and tell others about God’s goodness.

And this was always the recurring theme of David’s heart—to praise God!  Even now, thousands of years later, you and I are so often brought to the place of praise through the beautiful, praise-filled words of David’s psalms, yes?  Here are a few of my oh-so-very favorites:

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalms 13:5-6

My mouth shall tell of Your righteous acts
and of Your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is more than I know.
Psalm 71:15

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
Psalm 40:5

In Psalm 142, we hear of David’s desire to not only praise God for rescuing him but that other’s, also, would praise God for this.  How about me (and you)?  When we cry out to our God for His deliverance in our situations and circumstances, is it only for relief for ourselves?  Or is our prayer that out of our deliverance would come honor and glory and majesty and praise of our God…? Oh, for sure, we need God’s deliverance!  Daily each of us need God’s provision and protection and blessing.  But we should always be sure to tell others about the wonderful and mighty and awesome things that He does as He cares for us.

So, tell us, would you…how has God set you free lately?  We would love to praise His name because of His goodness to you!

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More To Be Desired

September 16, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple

More to be desired are they than gold
Yea, than much fine gold
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether

Moreover by them is Thy servant warned
And in keeping of them there is great reward
Who can understand his errors
Cleanse Thou me from secret faults

Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins
Let them not have dominion over me
Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent of the great transgression

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer

The Young Disciple Youth Bible Camp
Ed Gungor

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We hear in this sweet song (and read in Psalm 19:7-14 which inspired it)  that God’s commands (His laws, His statutes, His precepts, His decrees) are:

  • perfect…they convert our souls
  • right…they give joy to our hearts
  • sure…they make us wise
  • pure…they give light to our eyes
  • true…they all are righteous
  • clean…they endure forever

How encouraging is that?!?  What a merciful, gracious, kind, compassionate God we serve!  Throughout time, He has communicated with His people and given them His commands—which, in this psalm, include His laws, statutes, precepts, and decrees.

In the beginning, God told His man, Adam, ONE simple command—not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden (Genesis 2).  To the children of Israel as they journeyed for forty years to the Promised Land, He gave them His rules to follow (e.g, Deuteronomy 6).  When Jesus was instructing His disciples, He pulled it all together, giving them TWO direct commandments—1) to love God with their whole heart, soul, mind, all their strength and 2) to love their fellow man as they loved themselves (Mark 12:29-31).  Our hearts’ response to our loving God should be loving obedience…plain and simple.  I pray that the following verses will be a reminder and encouragement for us all to trust and obey the Great I AM.

In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands.
And His commands are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3

I obey your precepts and Your statutes, for all my ways are known to You.
Psalm 119:168

Blessed are those who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart—
Psalm 119:2

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Thank You, dear Lord, for how gracious, kind, and merciful You are to us.  You are not a harsh, exacting God Who demands perfection…rather You are a loving Father Who sets righteous, life-giving commands before us!  You guide us and help us to seek You and obey You from our hearts.  You are SO good!!!  We love You, Father…and pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

I Refuse

September 15, 2015 by
Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone’s alright, when I know they’re not
This world needs God, but it’s easier to stand and watch
I could say a prayer and just move on, like nothing’s wrong
But I refuse
‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care
I don’t want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
Oh, I could choose not to move
But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately
And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God
So if You say move, it’s time for me to follow through
And do what I was made to do, and show them who You are

To stand and watch the weary and lost
Cry out for help
I refuse to turn my back and try and act
Like all is well
I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day
To die to myself
I refuse to make one more excuse

Josh Wilson
Singer/Songwriter

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It is so easy to sit around and not do anything.  It is much harder to do something about our problems or the issues we see around us.  All we need to do is ask God to help us be strong and give us the courage to do what is right. There are some who do not have to pray about it. They already know what they need to do…and they embrace the challenge.

We can all find this kind of courage, especially when we read the Psalms. Who much more can we follow than David?  Through his ups and downs, David always praised God.  As David went through his struggles and victories, it is also a reminder of our future Savior and King—Jesus.

Jesus, when he was in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed for God to take away what was going to happen. But, because it was not God’s plan, Jesus accepted His fate and completed His journey for His Father.

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Heavenly Father, we love You and thank You for sending us great examples for us to follow.  We want to be a light for You in this confused world.  Forgive us for being complacent and lazy.  Light a fire under us to share your awesome truths.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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