Psalm Study Thread

[Evie1980]

Psalm 105

1 Give praise to the LORD, proclaim 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.

5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
7 He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
12 When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
15 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
16 He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass,
till the word of the LORD proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel entered Egypt;
Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 The LORD made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
to conspire against his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them,
his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood,
causing their fish to die.
30 Their land teemed with frogs,
which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,
with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
grasshoppers without number;
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
because dread of Israel had fallen on them.
39 He spread out a cloud as a covering,
and a fire to give light at night.
40 They asked, and he brought them quail;
he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed like a river in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise
given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
45 that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.

I believe I was born to forget things. I forget when I lend people money, I forget where I put my keys, I forget to be angry at people, I forget what I was reading, sometimes I forget which country I am in! I forget to write things down or if I do write things down, I forget where I wrote it. Yes, forgetting is something that I find easy to do! But, God never forgets, He always remembers His promises.

His promises weren't always quickly or easily accomplished. Yet, He still completed them. In verse 44 the psalmist reminds the Israelites that God's promises were accomplished through the hard works of those before them. Even though they benefited from the promises, they didn't have to work for it. But the Lord kept His promises so that they would know Him as their Lord and Saviour.

Sometimes we won't see the end outcome of God's promises for our life. And, in this ara, it is hard to accept that. We want everything fast and easily accessible. We want things at the price we are willing to pay but that is not the way God's promises work. God's promises are about Him and not us. It may not seem the way we want to go but Joseph can teach us alot about taking the hard road to God's promises. It may seem to be that we have to go through a lot of suffering and move to places where we may not want to be. Jacob can teach us about that. It may seem that we are not the person to live like that and we may be asked to do things we would rather not. Moses and Aaron can talk about living out a life chosen for you rather than you choosing it.

We need to learn to praise the Lord that He fulfils His promises. In all His promises we end up closer to Him and we know Him in ways that we never dreamed.

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 106

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?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.
4 Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD.
26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the LORD’s anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses’ lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to false gods.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them into the hands of the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet 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 all who held them captive
to show them mercy.
47 Save us, 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.

Do you realise that the Lord has a magnificent plan for you? Do you realise that God is seeking to unfold in your life a story that has never been written before?

I bought a book the other day called "The CInderella Complex". I didn't pay much for it and I am pretty sure it is not going to solve all of my life's problems. However, I like the idea behind the book - that (some) women believe that their security is found in relationships. I am sure that some men feel the same way. So they plan their life around marriage. For other people it could be children, education, certain jobs, or changing their outward appearances. Most people plan their lives around something, someone or a certain situation.

Some people are blessed enough to have figured out how to plan around God or rely on God's plans. Either way God is the centre of their plans. It is not always easy to do and even the best of us (Abraham and Sarah; the Israelites; King David) fell short in this area. Abraham and Sarah, even after God talking with them, still put their desires before God. The Israelites, as soon as they though God wasn't doing the way they wanted it done, made it up as they went along. King David fell into trouble as soon as he had some spare time on his hands (the Israelite army was at war but he decided to take a holiday which didn't end very well).

As soon as we take God's plan into our own hands or decide that we have a better plan for our lives or maybe decide that we just want some time to rest before getting to what God has planned, we end up in more trouble than it is worth. We need to wait for God's plans to unfold. That doesn't mean we let our hands be idle but allow God to use even our relaxation time to revive us and prepare our hands (and hearts) for the next battle (and trust me, there is always a next battle after a time of relaxation). God wants to see His plans unfold for our lives and so should we. We have seen in the Bible the problems that is caused when we seek our own plans.

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.

17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.

23 Some went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.

33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.

39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
42 The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths. 43 Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.

We all a story that led us to the Lord. We all have a past that God has shown His love and mercy through. The psalmist understood the very nature of the people. We all are like sheep and have gone astry. We all have started the journey and wandered off. Some people have very powerful stoires of hope and redirection. Their lives were profoundly changed one day. Others, have quieter stories of where the Lord slowly drew them into His presence. Either way, the Lord loved them enough to call them back to His ways.

God loves us regardless of our stories. It doesn't matter in which moment we call out to Him. He doesn't care where we are in the world and in our lives. All He cares about is that we recognise who He is and the amazing power He has in our lives.

We can't compare testimonies We can't compare how far we were removed we where from God. We can't compare how far God had to go to reach us. We can't compare how long it took to change. We can't compare how much God loves us because God's love is beyond comparison and measurement. God's love is the same for you as it is for me. Your testimony is to serve you as a reminder for you to humble yourself before the Lord because He has always and will always lift you up into His presence and mighty ways.

 

[SplendidTree]

Thank you, precious sister.

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 108

A song. A psalm of David.

1 My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.” 10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.
13 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.

There are so many battles that need to be fought on a daily basis. Sometimes it is easy to develop a defeatist attitude. We ask people for help and their response is to argue with us out of our dreams and destiny. Even those who are with us in battle will turn their backs on us when times get tough or they will find that they have their own battles to fight. Some people will be able to back us up but will never be able to lead us along the path of our destiny.

So who can be there with us? Who can lead and guide us? Who will support us and never leave us? There is only One who can be with us on this journey and there is only One who knows where we are going.

I know how hard it is to seek someone to share this life and journey with. There are times when I have struggled with my journey and not know where I was headed. I have been in places without any friends or support. I have been in places I never thought I would make it through. In those moments, I have seen the provision of the Lord. I have been provided with wisdom, friends, happiness and protection in some of the most amazing and bizarre situations anyone's life can offer. I am a living testimony that the Lord is with us and fighting for us. I am on a journey that only He knows about it. God is my direction, the Holy Spirit is my guide and Jesus is the friend I have to share all this with. There is no enemy who can defeat me. I will not give up.

 

[Evie1980]

Thank you, precious sister.

Thank you my friend. I am glad that my words are an encouragement unto you. Blessings my friend and thanks for all the accountability and support! It is very much appreciated!

 

[Stravinsk]

The word LORD when it appears in all caps - represents the Creator's true name.

Ever wonder why the translators of the bible keep us from seeing it? If I know someone - isn't it basic to the relationship that I know their name?

Of course I can't misuse it if I don't know it. But the other meaning of the commandment is to not make it nothing - forgotten - which is exactly what most translations do.

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 My God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,
2 for people who are wicked and deceitful
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3 With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.
6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his prayers condemn him.
8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.
9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before the LORD,
that he may blot out their name from the earth.
16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the brokenhearted.
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing—
may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like water,
into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil of me.
21 But you, Sovereign LORD,
help me for your name’s sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, LORD my God;
save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, LORD, have done it.
28 While they curse, may you bless;
may those who attack me be put to shame,
but may your servant rejoice.
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. 30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Who or what are your enemies? King David had a lot of enemies and he was not willing to show them compassion. He asked the Lord, his God, to step and ruin their lives. At first that seems rather mean and vindictive. After all, it is a little harsh to hope that their children be punished as well (vs 12-14).

So I was wondering where the love was in all of this and then I remembered how to quit smoking. I know that is strange but when you quit you have to change everything. All your habits need to change, some of the people you hang around, where you hang around etc. You also need to get rid of anything that you used or reminded you of smoking. I had some lovely Zippo lighters (even personally engraved), my portable ashtray (just because I smoke doesn't mean I don't care for the environment), my special leather carry case (it was a gift!)... Anything that could possibly bring me back to smoking was out of my life. Smoking was my "enemy" and I had to treat it as such - something that I wanted to have nothing to do with my life. There was nothing savable. It wasn't easy but, nearly 6 years on, I am content to have made that choice.

To get rid of bad habits, enemies in our lives, weeds in the garden etc calls for drastic action and faithful prayer. It takes strength and determination, or will power as it is often described. It means cutting off one part of your life and praying that the Lord will bring about change beyond measure. King David didn't go out killing all his enemies but he wasn't afraid of the battle or asking the Lord for help.

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm.

1 The LORD says to my lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
2 The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
3 Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,
your young men will come to you
like dew from the morning’s womb.
4 The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
7 He will drink from a brook along the way,
and so he will lift his head high.

Stravinsk said

The word LORD when it appears in all caps - represents the Creator's true name.

That is true. The LORD is the Ancient of Days talking about the Lord Jesus. Here is Kind David's prophecy - that the Lord Jesus is commanded by the LORD God to judge the nations. Jesus is the One who will be at the God's right hand. Jesus is the one who has the power and authority of God.

Jesus was with and is with God. He has always been there and continues to be with God. He does have power and we will be judged by Him. King David knew Jesus existed before He was born but are we willing to believe in Him after?

 

[Evie1980]

The word LORD when it appears in all caps - represents the Creator's true name.

Ever wonder why the translators of the bible keep us from seeing it? If I know someone - isn't it basic to the relationship that I know their name?

Of course I can't misuse it if I don't know it. But the other meaning of the commandment is to not make it nothing - forgotten - which is exactly what most translations do.

Thank you for the reminder. It was helpful when reading Psalm 110.

It is hard to understand why we really don't know the true name of God. But then again it is hard to actually understand God. His very nature is beyond our comprehension. Yet, like Moses, we need to know who He is so that we can have a relationship with Him and explain Him to others so that they too can have a relationship with Him.

Thanks and blessings

 

[Stravinsk]

That is true. The LORD is the Ancient of Days talking about the Lord Jesus. Here is Kind David's prophecy - that the Lord Jesus is commanded by the LORD God to judge the nations. Jesus is the One who will be at the God's right hand. Jesus is the one who has the power and authority of God.

Jesus was with and is with God. He has always been there and continues to be with God. He does have power and we will be judged by Him. King David knew Jesus existed before He was born but are we willing to believe in Him after?

Again - can you tell me the name of the Father? "LORD" isn't a name. It's a title or term of respect.

Messiah said He came *in* His Father's name. Can you explain which part of the name "Jesus" is *in* Father's name?

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 111

1 Praise the LORD.

I will extol the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.




When you think of God do you think of Him as a name or a being? Do you contemplated who He is or do you focus on what His name is? When I was working in Korea as a teacher they called me Teacher Yvonne. It seperated me from other teachers yet at the same allowed me to be who I was to them. They knew I was different and not only because I spoke English and had no clue what they said when they talked in Korean. But my name was not the beginning and end of me. Nor is God's name the beginning and end of Him for He has no beginning and no end.

I am not a theologian. Try as I might I know God as only the names that He is to me. When I ponder all that He has done, my favourite name to call Him is Father. He is also Jehovah Jireh when I think of all the times I have called on Him and He has provided me. He has been my Jehovah Nissi, my banner that goes before me in times of trouble to make the path clear. He can be called Jehovah Ro'i in my life because I have sure wandered away from Him many times and He, being my good shepherd, has brought me back.

As the Psalmist said "holy and awesome is His name" The exact name of the Lord I cannot give you but upon my lips the name of the Lord, as I call upon Him, is holy and awesome. For He hears me when I call.
Isaiah 65:24

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

Psalm 91:15

He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

Zechariah 13:9

This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"

 

[SplendidTree]

Wonderful!

 

[wayfaring man]

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. <-----> Psalm 73:25

Ever feel like you're forsaken/alienated by the world, 'cause you don't fit in - in so many ways ?

Well, if that leads to us focusing on our Lord and Saviour as "the apple of our eye", then that's a really, really good thing !

May The Lord Be Pleased !

wm

 

[wayfaring man]

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. <-----> Psalm 17:15

If I have to have a tombstone, (still hoping to get out of here without having to physically die), this is what I'd like to have written on it.

May The Lord Be Magnified !

wm

 

[wayfaring man]

The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear him, and delivers them. <-----> Psalm 34:7

Have thought on this one a lot while living in the great outdoors !

May The Name of The Lord Be Exalted !

wm

 

[wayfaring man]

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou has enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
But know that the LORD has set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
There be many that say, Who will show us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Thou has put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makes me dwell in safety. <-----> Psalm 4

Love the hope and assurance this Psalm communicates, distinctly testifying that The Lord is our sufficiency. Truly, Jesus Is The One Who grants saving grace and healing mercy, and comes to our rescue, giving us great joy, and keeping us from evil !

Blessed Be The Name of The Lord !

wm

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 112

1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor. 10 The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

What is your greatest fear? For me it is never finding a place to call home. It seems strange but, other than the home of my parents, I never have felt like i belinged anywhere. So I have moved frrquently over the past 10 years. Now I am home again in Australia and have found that, true to my nature, I don't feel like I am home. I am chasing an elusive home around the world.

As I am sitting here, typing this, I am challenging the very notion of who I am. My fear is based on one thing - security. I need to know where I am going to live next. I need to know what I am going to do next. I need to know where my next income is coming... well I am not terribly worried about money. I am no closer to buying a house than I was 10 years ago. This is a big deal in Australia. I would consider buying if there was somewhere I could call home. That could take a while.

So I continue searching this world for a place to call home. I try to find reasons to stay and sometimes I argue with myself for not staying longer in a given place. It is a constant battle. But then I remind myself that in all things God has provided me a place to stay as well as He has called me to move on from many of my situations. His perfact timing is in all things and that is what this psalm is about. It is about knowing that there is no fear or regret in the Lord. There just is life.

My daily struggles to overcome the complicated mess of my life are just a brief test of endurance in what God is calling me to be and do. It may not have been my plan to live but I read this wonderful article in a magazine which claimed the same thing - the plans from my youth have gone astray because when I was younger I didn't really know who I am. God knew me from birth and called me into a life that has overwhelmed me and I have struggled to see my life the way I should have.

How should my life have gone? Verse 8 and 9 explain it like this -
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.

So basically - my heart is secure and I have no fear. In the end I have overcome all my enemies (both inside and outside of my mind!). I have freely scattered my girfts to the poor (needy, unloved and anyone who just needed a hug every now and then), my righteousness (my life being pleasing unto God) endures forever, my horn will be lifted hign in honor.

There is nothing about house hunting in their or finding the perfect place to live which, in my case, is a really good thing!

 

[Evie1980]

Psalm 113

1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, you his servants;
praise the name of the LORD.
2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.
4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the LORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.


Promises and blessings of the Lord don't come out like promises and blessings of this world.

At the moment I am going through what seems like a million and one photos. And they are only the ones I have printed! All these adventures take my mind back to some of the most special and amazing moments of my life. But it only took one photo to melt my heart. His name is Kyle. If I could have him here with me now I would love it. He had such a gentle personality. I remember one day after lunch he was desperate to ask me something. I was so impatient and really didn't want to listen. Finally, I gave hime and said "what?" to which he replied with all the sweetness a child has "Did you have a good lunch?" I stopped dead. Rarely does a child care about you enough to ask how you are doing when you are their teacher.

Right now I know there are children in Dili missing me. I know because one of their parents told me so. I have family around the world. Children. friends, parents, aunts, uncles, sisters... people who have loved me and cared for me more than I have deserved. Yet, I am guilty in believing that I am alone and that no one loves me. I am guilty of thinking that, as a single woman with no children of her own, I am childless and without family. I was so wrong.

You see I have been living a life where I thought God's blessings came a certain way. Like the toy that comes out of the botton a cereal box. You do the right thing and eat all the cereal to find that toy. Sometimes you get a different one but pretty much it is the same thing. I was wrong. For all those years I thought that God's blessing had passed me by, I was wrong. For all the times I complained that it was not good enough, I was wrong. For all the times I felt I had suffered whilst others were blessed, I was wrong. For all the times I felt I was enduring the life of others or enduring a life far less worthy than others, I was wrong. For all the times when I felt that God had forgotten His promises in my life, I was wrong.

God is worthy to be praised in my life. He is so worthy to be praised every day. I am not worthy to have lived the life I have. God has and will continue to bless me in ways beyond my comprehension and imagination. For this I am certain. Even when I don't recognise it, God is always good and faithful to me.

 

[SplendidTree]

Wonderful. So very insightful and also, learning about you as well. You are a blessing and I am so very excited for Psalm 119 to come!!!