Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Psalm 105:1-4
worship
Praise God! His mercies are new every morning!
StandardOnly fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9
Psalm 139
StandardO Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. [Matt. 9:4; John 2:24, 25.] You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. [Heb. 4:13.] You have beset me and shut me in–behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me. Your [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it. Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there. [Rom. 11:33.] If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me, Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. [Dan. 2:22.] For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! [Ps. 40:5.] If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awoke, [could I count to the end] I would still be with You. If You would [only] slay the wicked, O God, and the men of blood depart from me–[Isa. 11:4.] Who speak against You wickedly, Your enemies who take Your name in vain! [Jude 15.] Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And am I not grieved and do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies. Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:1-24 AMP
http://bible.com/8/psa.139.1-24.AMP
For the Lord is Good!
StandardFor the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.
Psalm 100:5 AMP
http://bible.com/8/psa.100.5.AMP
Meditation has been sold as a mindless mantra, a zoning achieved by repeating over and over a word or sound that will open the soul to a higher level of knowledge or peace. This perception of meditation is a 180 from God’s definition found in Joshua 1:8. The term meditate is all about chewing and digesting like a cow chewing on her cud. Meditation is meant to transform and open your spirit to God’s wisdom and leading. As you read the Bible God speaks. When something pops out to you STOP! Mull it over. Think about what is being said. Ask God to explain it to you. Go back to it throughout the day. Ask God what He wants you to do with this information. Talk about it to the people you meet. Chew on it. Change.
In the morning I will
StandardSing to the Lord!
Bless His Name!
Expect great and awesome things for He is quite amazing.
Know He is good and His mercies touch EVERY life on this planet with air and sunlight and water. He adorns this world with plants of every variety and set the moon in the sky to govern the night and set each season.
Yes I will sing to the Lord the song of the set free, the song of the adopted, the song of the forgiven, the song to the healed, the song of the released to serve and heal and love without strings and without limits.
Morning glory in the evening
StandardMy neighbor’s wall is a cascade of morning glories. The name is so perfect for this flower. It’s color is royalty and beyond words in beauty and
form.
From the Master’s hand a work of art. It did not make itself. It stands a silent message of worship and contentment. “Don’t worship me for I’m like you, a reflection of the One whose heart and hand and breath has inspired the sum. We all reflect in part the majesty and wisdom of our great God. Continue reading
Watch “Alleluia + Spontaneous Worship – Amanda Cook and Steffany Gretzinger” on YouTube
StandardSit still. Prepare yourself to just be still without interruption and listen to what God is telling you. He is speaking to you. He is the rewrite of our stories. What you have been and who your parents were how you have used or been misused by others does not define you. Let God rewrite you. He will rewrite your story. Listen. Open your ears. Open your eyes. Open your heart.
Alleluia + Spontaneous Worship – Amanda Cook and Steffany Gretzinger: https://youtu.be/dn2cWQTTkR8
Spring! Praise to the Giver of life!
StandardIn Jesus we live and breathe and move and have our being. In Him all things have been made and hold together and without Him nothing exists that was made.
He is the exact image of the invisible God. Jesus, You are the penultimate Artisan. You made everything to contain Your music and dance for the joy of being. When Moses asked what You called Yourself You said I AM. For every need You fill. You are Water to our thirsty, Light to our dark, Bread to our hunger, Life to our death, Hope to our despair. You are Father to the orphan. Home to the homeless, Friend to the lonely, Strength to the weak.
You speak into every season and we welcome YOU into our Spring. We say thank you as You welcome us into Your Spring!
A morning of splendor: A Psalm of Praise to our God
StandardMy morning walk started dark and cloudy
Then as the sun rose the clouds and everything became washed in hues of gold and red and pink blessing the day with radiant songs of God’s immense care and wisdom and kindness.
Like a powerful warrior our Mighty God exhilarates in His triumphal display over His enemies. Is anything too hard for our God? To ask is to know the very thought is ludicrous. He clothes Himself in light and darkness runs from His presence.
I hear Your song Dear Warrior! My soul delights in Your power over darkness. You are the giver of light and warmth and hope for You inhabit the praises of your people and have stooped down to lift up the weak and small to accomplish the impossible. A-men. Let all the earth stand silent before you. Let all the earth shout praises to the Victor! Let all the earth weep for Your music is too glorious to contain and Your beauty is inexpressible and calls for words that cannot be uttered for there are none yet invented that can adequately contain Your glory and Your worth. But You have compassion on us for we are dust and yet you call us precious. You wipe our tears and call us to joy. You call us to sit and dine at your banquet table. You surprise us with joy!
The best gift.
StandardPulling into Kohl’s last week with my 30% off coupon safely tucked in my purse this off the wall thought blurted out: “The church parking lot is full.” How out there is that?!!! Actually, considering that I was listening to a radio preacher talking about THE CHURCH it is not a stretch but considering the context of shopping at Christmas it is very telling and, perhaps, very close to the truth for many. Jesus said we cannot serve 2 masters. We will hate the one and serve the other. James chapter 1 says a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. This Christmas the best gift I can give myself and you is a single hearted devotion to the only One deserving of our full whole hearted devotion and allegiance. This is true peace. This is true joy. This is truth untainted in compassion to our fellow man. I give you, this Christmas, this lovely Irish hymn, BE THOU MY VISION. I pray the Holy Spirit makes real each word to your heart, mind and soul. Soak in, meditate on, embrace the heart of a true seeker. God says when you seek you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart.
Merry Christmas!