So Strong is His Love

Psalm 103 (The Message)

It can be so hard for us to understand the character of God primarily, I think, because He operates so differently than we can fully comprehend.

As citizens of God's Kingdom, we are invited into a life of freedom and abundance.  As people living in a fallen world, accepting and believing that we deserve to live so beautifully can present some seemingly insurmountable challenges.

In this Psalm we are told that God  "forgives your sins – every one"

For many, many years, my immediate internal response to this promise was 'really?  Well maybe that's true for some people, but I've done so many horrible things, which led to even more horrible things…this can't really be true, can it?'.   The process towards accepting this promise was slow and tumultuous for me.  It often felt like a tug-of-war…not because of anything God did, but because I simply could not fathom that once I brought my sins to the cross He separated me from my sins "as far as sunrise is from sunset".  I'd bring my sins to Him…but then I'd eventually run back and pull them back to me..back and forth, back and forth.   

I am deeply grateful that God is not like me.  If only I could parent like God does…then perhaps my children would never again hear me say things like 'how many times do you need to be told not to do that', or be made to feel like they are not good enough because they messed up. 

Thank you, Father, that you don't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

David also reminds us that "He heals your diseases – every one"

Having lived on both sides of disease, I can tell you that healing feels so much better than illness.  Illness to me is yet another form of bondage…another twisted vision of how we come to define ourselves.   I LOVE the freedom that comes with healing.  Thank you, Father, for your love that is ever and always…eternally present!

David goes on to explain that "He redeems you from hell –saves your life!"

Undeserving little ol' me deserves redemption? I am humbled beyond belief…and am deeply grateful.  David reminds us that "God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet". Thank you, Father, for your sheer mercy and grace.

"He crowns you with love and mercy – a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness – beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence."

Yes! He says we are worthy of this beautiful inheritance.  We are joint heirs to His Kingdom!  Thank you, Father, for these beautiful promises.

Thank you, Father, for showing us that you want us to have freedom from sin and disease.  Thank you for showing us that you want us to experience abundance through redemption, love, mercy, goodness, and renewal. 

 

Posted by Kelly Skelton

safe from enemy number one

Psalm 18

God is … the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight (v.1)

I love imagining myself in scripture. It was easy to do in the opening lines of this Psalm. Pictures of castles and knights and the overwhelming sense of safety that the words brought made me want to carry those words with me all day.

This is a song of praise that David sang to the Lord after he had been saved from “all his enemies and from Saul”. That made me think that Saul was set apart from all his enemies. Which made me start to think about my enemies. Who are they … no, what are they. I have to go back to that castle, that safe hideout, where I can once again examine this idea in a safe place. I have done this before. My enemy wants to keep me away from God. My enemies are usually lies that I believe about myself. I have at times seen them, named them, been given victory over them. Right now in the castle I am safe from them. In the castle I can place the broken pieces of my life before God so he can make my life complete … I can open the book of my heart to his eyes so he can rewrite the text of my life (v 20-24).

Nothing is a match for the One who rescues me and protects me, and with David, I give thanks to God and find myself safe and loved.

Posted by

Candice

He is Good!

Psalm 107 starts with two simple statements... vs. 1 "Give thanks to
the Lord for He is good!" and "His faithfulness endures forever."
These messages are great to actually think about. Since almost every
song or hymn we hear or sing in church contains variations of those
themes, we tend not to pay attention. But what can be better than God?
And how great is it that there is no end to His faithfulness?
The psalm also offers up a bunch of examples. Vs. 4-9 - they wandered
in the desert, cried out to God, and He led them to safety. Vs. 10-14
- they were prisoners, they cried out and He saved them.
Is anyone else seeing a theme here? I doesn't seem to matter how
difficult your situation is. If you cry out to God he will save you.
It really is that simple!
But the Psalm isn't all about being saved. It also talks about God
using those difficult times to drive a message home. Starting at vs
33... "He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into dry
land. He turns the fruitful into salty wastelands because of the
wickedness of those who live there. But He also turns deserts into
pools of water, the dry land into flowing springs." The verse makes it
clear that you turn your back on God at your own peril. God wants us
to need and trust him. It has nothing to do with being punished for
sins, God knows we are going to keep sinning. But if you know how much
you need God, if you embrace Him, you will witness this faithful love.
There's also a challenge in this psalm. When we "praise" God, we're
not supposed to just do it quietly in our homes or generically at
church.
Vs 2 - "Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has
saved you from your enemies!"
Well, do I have a story for you!. Without getting into great detail,
I was trapped by a very persistent enemy, called anxiety. It was
gaining strength over me, and I was powerless. But when it finally
became to much, a group of caring people came to me, and together we
cried out to God. I put it all on Him. God saved me from that enemy,
and although he still comes sniffing to the gates once in a while, God
has consistently kept that enemy at bay.
So take this challenge this week. Tell someone how God has impacted
your life.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures
forever!"
Submitted by Greg Vandermeulen

What's in a Name?

 

Sing to the Lord, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.  Psalm 30:4

 

What does it mean to give thanks when I think about the Holy name of God?  I've often been confused by this sort of language.

 

Throughout the Bible there are so many different names for God.  To name a few:  Mighty Creator, The God Who Sees Me, The Lord Will Provide, The Lord is Peace.  In the Bible, names of people were often attached with their character and so it seems to be with God.

 

If I really think on the names of God, I come to know his character and who He is.  When I think about El Roi, Hebrew for The God Who Sees Me, if I really let that sink in I am humbled…He sees little ol' me!  When I fear that I do not have what it takes to complete an essay, Yahwey Yireh,  The Lord Will Provide, calls me to trust in his provisionary side, yes, He even cares about providing for little things like essays!

 

Knowing the names of God enables us to get a bigger picture of who He is.  To realize that He Sees Us, to remember that He Will Provide, and to know that He is our Shield leads us to a place of trust and gratitude.

 

Posted by Andrea Bergman.

 

 

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From wild lament to whirling dance

Psalm 30

As I read this Psalm, I am once again reminded that God's love is constant.  No matter what circumstances life may bring…the highs and lows that accompany us on our spiritual, emotional, and physical journeys…He is there, and His love is constant.

I hear people (myself included) describing seasons of spiritual "feasting" or "famine"…but that comes from us.  Each and every time we reach out, He is there.  Ready.  His banquet is always prepared, and we are always welcome to feast.

He invites us to come to Him with everything.  Nothing is too ugly for Him.  Nothing is too horrible.  He has so much grace for us. 

He showed this to me in a vision a few years ago, in what I hope doesn't sound too cliché.

I was at a place in my life where I felt too ugly, too horrible, and then God showed me His vision.  There I was, locked away, curled up in a fetal position…feeling defenseless, alone, and afraid.  Then I saw God's hand reach out, and from that place of despair…a damaged emotional 'cocoon', I saw His desire for my transformation…and a beautiful butterfly emerged from that awful place. 

In this Psalm, I see this promise of transformation for all of us. David cried out for help, and God pulled him "out of the grave" and gave him "another chance at life" (The Message).  David also reminds us that "the nights of crying your eyes out [will] give way to days of laughter" (The Message).  I cling to this promise!

Thank you Father God, that you desire for us all to have some sort of metamorphosis, and that your love and grace are abundant as we evolve and grow. Thank you for your perfect vision of our true selves.

Thank you for the promise that you will transform "wild lament into whirling dance".  Thank you for "ripping off our black mourning bands and decking us with wildflowers" (The Message, Psalm 30:11-12).

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I can't thank you enough!

 

Posted by Kelly Skelton

Thankful Dependence

Psalm 40   I find this to be a very powerful Psalm.  We are given choices as citizens of God's Kingdom on earth. Choosing Christ or choosing the world to help us in our times of need. And how God is faithful to walk us through the resulting consequences of those choices be they good or be they bad. I know that I have in my life depended on the world when I should have been falling into Gods' arms but have been given enough grace in Christ's love that He has led me back to the path He has set before me. And each and every time He set me right, my faith was built up, my footing a little more sure, and my praise a little louder. David is clearly rejoicing and giving thanks to the Lord for lifting him out of a time of trial and trouble. Realizing that God was faithful to hear his cries of  despair and scoop him up and place Him on solid footing once again, all these things the Lord did so that the people might 'see' and 'fear', not David, but the Lord himself. David is so thankful that he can not contain his praise and publicly declares his love and faith in Christ so that others may hear his testimony and see the Lord through Davids life.   (vs.10) "I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly." That verse is  one that God really made clear to me as I was going over this passage. The calling to share our testimonies of faith with one another in small or large numbers is another way in which our gratitude becomes our worship. Revealing God to one another and publicly giving thanks not only glorifies the Kings of Kings but also reveals that we are growing in our faith walk with Christ. That we can share how God has moved a mountain, or a mole hill for us. Both worthy of equal praise. How we may be in the midst of a battle whether physical or spiritual and we are choosing to praise God for being in that battle for us fighting in our name so that we might experience His supernatural peace and joy in the midst of it. I believe that what David now believes about God and for the future is based on his past history with God. Everything he has experienced of God's presence and power in his life, he knows he can count on again when things are overwhelming. He is confident that God will preserve him, guard him. God's faithful love, will never waver, even through terrible circumstances. David is choosing to build his life on what the Bible says; that is what guards him and preserves him. I think when we are down and in the mud and pit of despair that is what we need as well. To think back over time to the many places God has delivered us and just start giving thanks. Nothing speaks to me more loudly than when I am humbled in faith by all the Lord has done for me.  This is my choice of faith, I will look above my circumstances to who God is and how God is going to intervene in my life. When we experience God working in our lives we are changed. We desire to please God to worship Him, to share Him with others in our lives. Our encounters with The One True God who acts and saves do not leave us untouched.  I don't want to remain untouched by this God. Thank you Father that I may publicly declare my thankful dependence on You in every single area of my life.     Posted by: Michelle Sawatzky  :)

Gratitude

Gratitude

Psalm 100

It's interesting for me to be invited to share about what Psalm 100 has meant for me.    This psalm has shaped my private time with God, perhaps more than any other passage.  In the Message it says in part," Enter with the password: Thank-you" and for me this line is the "secret" to life that has nothing to do with Oprah!   Matthew tells us "our cleansed and grateful life not our words, will bear witness to what he has done"  I want, and perhaps I could even say I am desperate for my life to be a reflection of my gratitude to God for who he is and what he has done in my life.  However there are times  when I am in that place of either being overwhelmed with life and its problems, or God is showing me something (yet again) that needs correction in my life, or I am just plain weary, and gratitude can be  hard to find.  If  in those moments I begin with naming everything that Jesus is to me, it never takes very long and I am moved to tears.  I feel gratitude so deep in my soul that it needs a different name. It never ceases to amaze me that this simple act can change the course of my thoughts so dramatically.  Once I discovered this trick I tried it even when words were not failing me and I wasn't on the floor in a puddle of tears-- turns out I'm moved in those moments as well.  I invite you to try it and see if your spirit won't be undone….

Jesus:

You are MY Healer

You are the lifter of MY head

Your grace is sufficient for ME                                                                           

Your mercy is new every morning

You invited me to your banqueting table but your eyes feasted on ME.

Your face I will seek

You are MY Abba Father

You are Kings of Kings

You are Lord of Lords

You promised ME the morning star

Posted by: Bev Cornelson