Summer Song

Week 8 - July 14, 2015

Creation and creatures

applaud You, God;

Your holy people bless You.

Psalm 145:10 (MSG)

Our tendency is to look at verse 10 as simply a beautifully constructed piece of poetry that David placed within the context of one of his amazing songs. But, perhaps this verse deserves a second look…

The Bible is full of references to “creation” doing things that we have reserved for us human-types:

In 1 Chronicles 16:33 trees of the forest are encouraged to sing.
In Psalm 65:13 the meadows shout for joy and sing.
In Psalm 69 the heavens, earth, seas and everything that moves in them are instructed to praise God.
In Psalm 98 the rivers clap while the mountains accompany them singing a joyous song together.
In Isaiah 14 juniper and cedar trees are gloating (yes gloating!).

What this tells me is that since the beginning of time—and perhaps even before—the entirety of God’s creation has been engaged in a symphony of praise to its Creator; a symphony that we are invited to join…not initiate. The song of those redeemed may be the greatest song but it is not the only song!

God is Great, God is Good - Week 7 - 07.07.15

Many of us as children learned specific prayers for specific occasions. Remember the bedtime prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…”? Then there is the mealtime blessing: “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food…” God is great, God is good… A simple child’s prayer that encapsulates the most important things we need to know about our Father.

He’s not predictable, His ways are not understandable, His methods don’t very often line up with ours, His timing doesn’t usually mesh with our plans…however we can trust and relax because… God is great, God is good.

I love the following C.S. Lewis quote from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Two of the characters are engaged in a conversation about Aslan the great lion king, who in this story is a type of Jesus Christ:
“Safe?”… Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

As you meditate this week keep in mind that pretty much all we need to know is: God is great, God is good. A life lived against the backdrop of His greatness and His goodness is bound to be amazing!

PSALM 145:9

The Lord is good to all.

He shows deep concern for

everything He has made.

(NIRV)

Week 6 - June 30, 2015

This is a little late being posted today because I have just returned from a month in San Diego. I was honored to help my daughter as she recovered from surgery. She is doing quite well and looks forward to being able to drive again in a few weeks. Anyone who knows me knows that I was in heaven being just two doors away from my daughter and granddaughters. Below is a picture that was taken earlier today by my son-in-law. (L-R: Neely, Sarah, Mabel)

We are more than a month into Summer Song. I hope you are immersing yourselves in this wonderful Psalm...reading it, declaring it, singing it, dancing it...why not step out and try a new expression in your praise!

In the original Biblical languages, words that are translated “meditation” make it clear that this is a practice that involves every part of us. It is not simply an intellectual discipline of our mind but one that is meant to utilize our emotions, spirit and body. Interestingly the word most often translated “meditate” in the Old Testament means to mutter, moan, utter…in other words let your ears hear your mouth speak aloud your “meditative ponderings.”

(TLB) 8 Jehovah is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of love.

· What qualities do you value? Kindness, mercy…?

· Practice being intentional about the “slow to anger” portion. (You will no doubt be given many opportunities to pass this test.)

· Begin a list of God’s character attributes that David names in this song.

Call 2 Fall. Week 5. June 23, 2015

Last month when I was dividing up Psalm 145 and planning out the weekly portion for meditation, I came to verse 7 and felt that it should stand alone as a prophetic declaration for our nation. I can now see that Holy Spirit orchestrated this! Within the next seven days the Supreme Court will hand down several decisions that could have major implications for our country. This is a time in the history of The United States of America where prayer is desperately needed!

RiverChurch along with the Nevada House of Prayer and over 2.3 million churches and individuals will be participating in Call 2 Fall 2015, this coming Sunday.

The Call 2 Fall organizers are asking that on Sunday, June 28^th believers come before the Lord on our knees in corporate humility. "Call 2 Fall" on our knees will be happening in many places Christians meet: worship centers, store-fronts, homes, and various other places all across America.We are encouraging believers to kneel at least 3 to 5 minutes before the Lord crying out to God to heal our souls and our land.

The "Call2Fall" will be heeded in our home and church. I'm asking you to strongly consider joining us and countless other believers all across this nation and participate in this holy calling.

via Call 2 Fall

Psalm 145:7 (The Message)

The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;  your righteousness is on everyone’s lips.

Pray for our nation this week.

Let this verse be your prophetic declaration!

The comment section below is for the purpose of interaction. It is my desire to engage you in conversation. Please feel free to comment on, respond to and revisit this blog! It is my hope that this will be a virtual interactive caring community.

Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good

A week or so ago I read a book titled: Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good. This book from The Mitford series by Jan Karon was good but I really don’t remember a lot of details. However, the title seems to have taken up residence in my mind. Today is Father’s Day. Although it is a day that has a “happy” greeting attached to it, it is not happy for many as they look back on their father experiences. Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good…isn’t that a place that we women long to be? As I was doing my first reading of Psalm 145 this morning, I realized that this song of David is a description of the father of our dreams! Someone that can be counted on absolutely, someone who always speaks the truth, someone who keeps promises, someone who lifts us up when we fall, who has the power to fulfill our dreams…

So, regardless of what your earthly “father” experience has been you can joyously celebrate this day because you truly have a Good, Good Father! Cuddle up in Papa's arms and know that you are Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good!

Week 4 - June 16, 2015

Our media-saturated society indulges in celebrity “worship”. We are encouraged to “worship” highly photoshopped photos in print as well as actors and personalities on television and on the theater’s big screen. We hear sound bites of finely tuned speeches and think we have a hero on our hands. Movie/television stars, media sensations, sports celebrities or political operatives all stand ready to receive adulation from an adoring public. HOWEVER, most of these people can only be worshipped from afar. They live behind locked gates and travel with personal security. Their safety demands that they keep a distance between themselves and their worshippers.

Psalm 145 is an amazing song of worship, but THIS kind of worship isn’t relegated to the glossy pages of a magazine or bigger-than-life images on a screen. God doesn’t require that His worshippers keep their distance…He always bids us to come closer.

This week as you meditate on His wonders and sing songs of His worth, do so with the realization that you are not simply reading ancient words from a sacred manuscript, but that you are allowing these living words to spur you into a deeper relationship. Let these verses that flowed from the heart of King David, through his pen and onto scrolls of vellum draw you into intimacy with the King of Kings!

(Voice) 5 Your majesty and glorious splendor have captivated me; I will meditate on Your wonders, sing songs of Your worth. 6 We confess—there is nothing greater than You, God, nothing mightier than Your awesome works.  I will tell of Your greatness as long as I have breath.

What does it mean to be “captivated”? What do you think David referred to when he spoke of being captivated by “Your majesty and glorious splendor?”
Sing a song of God’s worth. A song just between you and God. You are the choir—He is the audience. Regardless of your vocal ability, He always gives His children a hearty round of applause!
Confess means “to agree with.” Can you “confess” along with David?

Remember, the comment section below is for the purpose of interaction and not just stand-alone comments. It is my desire to engage you in conversation. Please feel free to comment on, respond to and revisit this blog! It is my desire that this will be a virtual interactive caring community.

Week 3 - June 9, 2015

Today is the beginning of Week 3 of Summer Song. As I sat out on the deck on this beautiful, foggy, cool morning in OB…my mind recalled stories that my parents told me over and over again, accounts of the supernatural at work in their lives.

It was the mid-1950’s. My dad, Andy, pastored a small church in Lewiston, Idaho. There were four of us children, and with my two younger sisters still in diapers, you can imagine the piles of laundry generated by this family of six. My mother, Alice had a dinosaur of a washer but no dryer. She had a clothesline strung up in the basement of our little house, but given the cold and damp Idaho winters, this method of drying seemed to take forever. Alice began to pray a simple and private prayer: “Lord, give me a dryer.” Within a few days she answered a knock at the door…”Lady, where do you want your dryer?” A local appliance store was delivering a brand new dryer. She never found out who purchased it but she did spend the rest of her life celebrating the giver of every good and perfect gift!

This story, along with many others has been passed down to my siblings and me. My mom was the embodiment of Psalm 145:4 “…they will pass on the story of Your powerful acts to their children.”

(Voice) 4 One generation after another will celebrate Your great works; they will pass on the story of Your powerful acts to their children.

What do I celebrate? How do I celebrate? Do my celebrations extend to spiritual matters?
What “great works” in my life can I record?
What stories am I passing on?