PSALM 100

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever..."

 

 

PSALM 99

The psalmist directs us to exalt God at his holy mountain. Of course this is a reference to Mt Zion where the Jewish Temple stood high above Jerusalem. But mountains in general inspire us to look beyond the everyday fray of life.  They can provide shelter and a barrier from harsh weather... strong pillars of refuge. God is like that... bigger than life, yet planted in the midst of life. As we enter this new year, may we lift our eyes and behold the majesty and holiness of God.

Grand Tetons, WY

PSALM 98

With all the constant change in our lives, some people find comfort in the traditions and rituals of worship. And surely those traditions should be honored and respected. But what about this frequent phrase in the Psalms... "Sing a new song to the Lord"? "The Faith" {the content of Christian beliefs} is unchanging but "our faith" {how we live out those beliefs in the stuff of life} is dynamic, tested, and forged by God shaping our lives. We are charged with communicating God's new movements in our faith, with new expressions of thanks and praise. What's your new song? This is my new song - watching God work through the people of Orlando Presbyterian Church!

PSALM 97

We often need reminding that we are not the only Christians on this planet! In fact millions live on every continent ...in every distant shore there is  a believer trying to live out their faith, sometimes in hostile surroundings. "The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice."  Lord, lift up  Christian voices that all the world may hear the Good News of Christ and rejoice in your mercy and love.

It appears the blog has changed the way it will import photos to the blog, and I haven't figured it out :-(

PSALM 96

We talk about football games, politics, traffic, our favorite TV shows- with ease and sometimes with great passion! But talking about our beliefs and feelings about God, sends us over the deep end of fear and anxiety. This psalm reminds us that all of creation sings aloud the praises of God. If the sea and trees can attest to the glory and majesty of God, why can't we?

PSALM 95

Why do I love rocks? Perhaps because of the large rock in our cow pasture... it appeared to be about 12 inches deep and flat enough for four kids to call it a "base camp" for our neighborhood play. That was over 50 years ago. Last May I went looking for "my" rock. The pasture had become an established housing development, so finding that rock seemed a little foolish.  After two attempts I stumbled upon it in some one's backyard.  It had been dug up and because it was so big, the home owner decided to just make it part of their landscaping. That same rock is now the "playground" for an entire new generation of neighborhood kids. It was a complete surprise to see how large this rock was...  for we only played on the small exposed part of the rock. The whole thing was a sight to behold!

This psalm proclaims God is the "rock of our salvation." We only see a portion of the salvation God has in store for us.... Just wait till all of it is exposed for us to behold!

PSALM 94

Evil comes in powerful graphic imagines today...violence, death, and abuse ... but here in Psalm 94 evil is described  with these phrases:
the proud, arrogant, boasting, oppressors of widows, aliens and murderers of the fatherless. I recently read, there have been  an estimated 163 million fetus/infant girls aborted because of the "One Child" per family  government rule in the Far East. That equals all the women in the USA....evil abounds...not just in the high profile TV news stories, but in the everyday of all of us. Some believe God doesn't notice ... What a foolish thought! God not only notices but also acts to bring  evil down into a pit! And for those who place their trust in God alone? ... "When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your comfort brought joy to my soul." Who plots evil? Who seeks God's support and comfort? God knows!