Apr 27 2017
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Devos

Effusive Praise… Kinda like a Spiritual “Old Faithful!”

Old FaithfulGod has been so merciful and gracious to us! He has given us much more than we deserve… In fact if He were to give us what we deserve, it’s frightening! He saves us from our sin! He hears and answers our prayers! He delivers us from all kinds of calamities! He works miracles on our behalf! His love, grace and goodness are boundless! We need to praise him! A word came to mind this morning as I thought about the goodness and grace of the Lord and my need to praise Him as I was reading Psalm 66 in the Bible… Here it is – my praise should be “effusive!”
Ever see “Old Faithful” perform her dramatics in Yellowstone National Park in the United States? The internal pressure builds, and builds, and builds and then erupts, spewing hot steam and water into the air… That’s “effusive!” The dictionary defines it as “expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner. Synonyms are… gushing, gushy, unrestrained, extravagant, fulsome, demonstrative, lavish, and enthusiastic.” That is what Old Faithful does when the pressure builds… That is what I should do as I reflect upon all that the Lord has done for me!
Here’s how Psalm 66 describes “effusive” praise…
“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! How great is your power! … All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name!’ Come and see what God has done: He is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man! … Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard, Who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us … we went through fire and through water; yet You have brought us out to a place of abundance! … Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer! Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!” (From Psalm 66 ESV)
Thinking about the goodness of the Lord today… The pressure is building… “Effusive” praise is developing! “Bless the Lord, O peoples – Let the sound of His praise be heard!”
Apr 26 2017
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Devos

Reflections on Psalm 65 on a beautiful spring morning…

Woke up this wonderful spring morning, got my Bible and a good cup of coffee, and enjoyed a wonderful time of reading, reflection, prayer and worship that I’ve come to call “coffee with the Lord.” Part of my Bible reading this morning included these words from Psalm 65…

 
“You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our Savior! You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. You formed the mountains by Your power and armed yourself with mighty strength! You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders! From where the sun rises to where it sets, You inspire shouts of joy! You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for You have ordered it so. You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy!” (New Living Translation)
 
Those words from Scripture brought to mind the words of this hymn…
 
“For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.
 
“For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light,
 
“For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,
 
“For yourself, best gift divine,
to the world so freely given,
agent of God’s grand design:
peace on earth and joy in heaven.
 
Refrain:
“Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise!”
 
(Folliott Sandford Pierpoint, 1864)
 
And me this morning… Still worshiping! 

Apr 22 2017
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Devos

Isolation… loneliness… and then attack… two of Satan’s strategies!

Under Attack

One of the tactics of warfare is to isolate and then attack!  It is a tactic of the enemy of our souls spiritually as well.  Feelings of isolation, abandonment, loneliness beg for attention spiritually!  When those emotions abound and sweep over us we need help… God’s help!  Examples in Scripture abound… Jacob fleeing Esau, Hagar fleeing from Sarai, Moses fleeing from Pharaoh, Elijah’s feelings of isolation as a worshipper of God, Isaiah and Jeremiah both experienced it, and in a passage I read this morning during devotions… King David experienced it…

David did something positive in his isolation… He cried out to God!  Here is what he said…

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint! Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.  Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!”  From Psalm 61:1–4 ESV)

So if you’re feeling isolated, weak, and under attack and need help and a place of safety… I’d make these words my prayer as David did!  I’d cry out to God!  God will come – He’ll even supernaturally make Himself real!  He will not abandon you!  That’s his promise! (Check out Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:5-6; 1 Chronicles 28:20: Matthew 28:19-20; and Hebrews 13:5-6)

But Listen, I wouldn’t allow a sense of loneliness and isolation – even disappointment with the failures of other Christians – drive me to further isolate myself from fellowship.  That’s the devil’s trick – a strategy our adversary loves to use!  Here’s what the New Testament urges us to do:  “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful!  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day [of the Lord’s return] drawing near!” (Hebrews 10:23–25 ESV)

Yup, that’s two things I’d do!  I’d cry out to God in my sense of isolation and I’d be in a Bible believing fellowship of believer’s my very next opportunity!

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