12.27.2010

Free me from my anguish



Psalm 25

Of David.
 1 In you, LORD my God,
   I put my trust.
 2 I trust in you;
   do not let me be put to shame,
   nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
   will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
   who are treacherous without cause.
 4 Show me your ways, LORD,
   teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
   for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
   and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
   for you, LORD, are good.
 8 Good and upright is the LORD;
   therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
   and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
   toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, LORD,
   forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
 12 Who, then, are those who fear the LORD?
   He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
   and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
   he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,
   for only he will release my feet from the snare.
 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
   and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
   and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
   and how fiercely they hate me!
 20 Guard my life and rescue me;
   do not let me be put to shame,
   for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
   because my hope, LORD, is in you.
 22 Deliver Israel, O God,
   from all their troubles!

12.25.2010

Let Him In


7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

12.23.2010


These feels like such a passionate psalm to me...I think that David probably sang it pretty loudly. And I can understand what he was feeling - searching for a way to humble himself before God, to be pure before the Creator of the world, who holds all in his hand and blesses those whose hearts love him. And then the ending...

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of Glory may come in.

For all of creation simply open up to the Lord, to the King of Glory. Let's let him in.

Psalm 24

Of David.

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.

3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.

5 They will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.

12.20.2010

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.
 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
 5 You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever.

12.16.2010

Psalm 22

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.
 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
   Why are you so far from saving me,
   so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
   by night, but I find no rest.
 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
   you are the one Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
   they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
   in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
 6 But I am a worm and not a man,
   scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
   they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the LORD,” they say,
   “let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
   since he delights in him.”
 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
   you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
   from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
 11 Do not be far from me,
   for trouble is near
   and there is no one to help.
 12 Many bulls surround me;
   strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
   open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
   and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
   it has melted within me.
15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
   and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
   you lay me in the dust of death.
 16 Dogs surround me,
   a pack of villains encircles me;
   they pierce my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
   people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
   and cast lots for my garment.
 19 But you, LORD, do not be far from me.
   You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
   my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
   save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
 22 I will declare your name to my people;
   in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
   All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
   Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
   the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
   but has listened to his cry for help.
 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
   before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
   those who seek the LORD will praise him—
   may your hearts live forever!
 27 All the ends of the earth
   will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
   will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
   and he rules over the nations.
 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
   all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
   those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
   future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
   declaring to a people yet unborn:
   He has done it!

12.13.2010

From Your Hands

9 When you appear for battle, 
   you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace. 
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, 
   and his fire will consume them. 


12.12.2010

Psalm 21

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
 1 The king rejoices in your strength, LORD.
   How great is his joy in the victories you give!
 2 You have granted him his heart’s desire
   and have not withheld the request of his lips.
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings
   and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
   length of days, for ever and ever.
5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
   you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings
   and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD;
   through the unfailing love of the Most High
   he will not be shaken.
 8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
   your right hand will seize your foes.
9 When you appear for battle,
   you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
   and his fire will consume them.
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
   their posterity from mankind.
11 Though they plot evil against you
   and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
12 You will make them turn their backs
   when you aim at them with drawn bow.
 13 Be exalted in your strength, LORD;
   we will sing and praise your might.

12.09.2010

Desires of our Heart

One things that has been a reoccurring theme here at YWAM has been our choices and our hearts desires.
Mainly in the area of our future...but that is beside the point. If we truly know God enough and know His heart and His desires for us. So when we call on Him and think in our selfish ways that God is not answering us or ignoring us or whatever we may think, He is actually waiting on us. He wants us to grow out of our first stages of faith were we go to Him with everything and He is longing for us to come to a place where we still go to Him but along with that know His heart and make decisions off of that. 
Let His desires BE yours!


Psalm 20

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
 1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
   may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
   and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
   and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
   and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
   and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
   May the LORD grant all your requests.
 6 Now this I know:
   The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
   with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
   but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
   but we rise up and stand firm.
9 LORD, give victory to the king!
   Answer us when we call!

12.06.2010

Love is here.

Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
 1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
   like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
   and makes its circuit to the other;
   nothing is deprived of its warmth.
 7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
   refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
   making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
   giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
   giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
   enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
   and all of them are righteous.
 10 They are more precious than gold,
   than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
   than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
   in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
   Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
   may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
   innocent of great transgression.
 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
   be pleasing in your sight,
   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

12.02.2010

Psalm 18

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
 1 I love you, LORD, my strength.
 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
   my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
   my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
 3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
   and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
   the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
   the snares of death confronted me.
 6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
   I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
   my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
   and the foundations of the mountains shook;
   they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
   consuming fire came from his mouth,
   burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
   dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
   he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
   the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
   with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
   the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
   with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
   and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, LORD,
   at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
   he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
   from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
   but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
   he rescued me because he delighted in me.
 20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
   according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
   I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
   I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
   and have kept myself from sin.
24 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
   according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
 25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
   to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
   but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
   but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
   my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
   with my God I can scale a wall.
 30 As for God, his way is perfect:
   The LORD’s word is flawless;
   he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD?
   And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
   and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
   he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
   my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
   and your right hand sustains me;
   your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
   so that my ankles do not give way.
 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
   I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
   they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
   you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
   and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
   to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
   I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
   you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
 44 foreigners cower before me;
   as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
   they come trembling from their strongholds.
 46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
   Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
   who subdues nations under me,
 48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
   from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
   I will sing the praises of your name.
 50 He gives his king great victories;
   he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
   to David and to his descendants forever.

11.29.2010

i will see Your face



-song by Shae

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.
 1 Hear me, LORD, my plea is just;
   listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
   it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
   may your eyes see what is right.
 3 Though you probe my heart,
   though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
   my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
   I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
   through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
   my feet have not stumbled.
 6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
   turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
   you who save by your right hand
   those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
   hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
   from my mortal enemies who surround me.
 10 They close up their callous hearts,
   and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
   with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
   like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
 13 Rise up, LORD, confront them, bring them down;
   with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, LORD,
   from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
   may their children gorge themselves on it,
   and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
 15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
   when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

11.25.2010

Psalm 16

A miktam of David.
 1 Keep me safe, my God,
   for in you I take refuge.
 2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
   apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
   “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
   I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
   or take up their names on my lips.
 5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
   you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
   even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
   nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

11.22.2010




[megan/tyler]

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.
 1 LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
   Who may live on your holy mountain?
 2 The one whose walk is blameless,
   who does what is righteous,
   who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
   who does no wrong to a neighbor,
   and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
   but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
   and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
   who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
   Whoever does these things
   will never be shaken.

11.19.2010

Much of this psalm reminds me of when God looked upon the world during Noah's time.  Who was longing after Him? Only Noah.  God was faithful to Noah and I think David is calling upon the faithfulness of God for His people Israel in this psalm.  David sees the chaos, sin, and struggle of a people moving without the power of God on their lives and he is broken by this.  He sees the foolishness of their struggle for power and dominion.  What good is that without God?

Though all of this is going on David reminds himself that God is present with the righteous.  God is faithful to the righteous just like in days of Noah.  David needs this reminder in the midst of such a chaotic and callused world.  He longs for the salvation only God can bring His people.  The flame/presence of God is with us just as it was with Noah and David.  Do you need to be reminded of that today?

11.18.2010

Psalm 14

For the director of music. Of David.

1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the LORD.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

11.15.2010

JJ Gorveatte - Beautiful Things (Gungor cover) from jj gorveatte on Vimeo.

Psalm 13

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
 1 How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
   How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
   and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
   How long will my enemy triumph over me?
 3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
   Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
   and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
 5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
   my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the LORD’s praise,
   for he has been good to me.

11.11.2010

The words of the Lord...are the most powerful things in existence. The words of the Lord have the power to create something where there was once nothing; and just as easily they can take away.

More than any of that, though, God speaks his words for us. He speaks to us as a people and individually, constantly interacting with our hearts and drawing us to him.

"The Words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times." This psalm is talking about how the Words of God are absolute and final. In the beginning, David cries out to God about the injustice he sees. In response, God speaks. His words, his promises, they are end of a matter. What God says is what will be.

And these are the same words that he uses to talk to us. All we have to do is listen, and enter in conversation with the living God, whose words are perfect and complete.

Psalm 12

For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
 1 Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore;
   those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
2 Everyone lies to their neighbor;
   they flatter with their lips
   but harbor deception in their hearts.
 3 May the LORD silence all flattering lips
   and every boastful tongue—
4 those who say,
   “By our tongues we will prevail;
   our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”
 5 “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
   I will now arise,” says the LORD.
   “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless,
   like silver purified in a crucible,
   like gold refined seven times.
 7 You, LORD, will keep the needy safe
   and will protect us forever from the wicked,
8 who freely strut about
   when what is vile is honored by the human race.

11.08.2010

The Lord never looks over you.


He observes everyone on earth, His eyes examine them.


4 ...  He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. 

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

 1 In the LORD I take refuge.
   How then can you say to me:
   “Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
   they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
   at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
   what can the righteous do?”
 4 The LORD is in his holy temple;
   the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
   his eyes examine them.
5 The LORD examines the righteous,
   but the wicked, those who love violence,
   he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
   fiery coals and burning sulfur;
   a scorching wind will be their lot.
 7 For the LORD is righteous,
   he loves justice;
   the upright will see his face.

11.04.2010

I Rejoice in You

As the footnote in my Bible tells me, Psalm 9 and Psalm 10 may have originally been a single poem. 
Psalm 9 tells of how we should always rejoice in the Lord for He upholds us and has saved us from the wicked. He will never forget us, but will be found by us when we seek Him and trust in Him.
Psalm 10 then speaks of the evil ways of the wicked.  But regardless of what they do, we know our father will hear us and protect us in our time of need. 
So when looking at both of these Psalms together, there is a reinstatement of where our focus should be.  We should live our lives representing Psalm 9:1-2 ..."I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High." ...and not representing Psalm 10:3-4 ... "They boast about the cravings of their hearts; they bless the greedy and revile the Lord.  In their pride the wicked do not seek him; in all their thoughts there is no room for God."
...Just a little tidbit. 

A Mouthful Of...

Where Are You?

"1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? "- Psalm 10:1

God where are You?
I’m alone. I’m helpless.
Surrounded, defenseless.
God where are You?

God where are You?
Blind, broken, lost.
The road is taking its toll, its cost.
God where are You?

God where are You?
My enemies are blessed and strong,
Singing a sick, victorious song
God, WHERE ARE YOU?

God where are You?
I’m dying, I’m empty,
Can you see me? DO YOU SEE ME?
God. Where. Are. You?

God where are You?
You told me You’d be with me.
Why am I so lonely?
God… where are You?

God where are You?
Cause I’m right here.
I’ve never moved, I think that’s clear.
Where are You?

God where are You?
You told me I could depend on You.
You told me You’d get me through.
God… God where are You?

God, Where are You?
King of Kings, Lord of Lords,
Hear my cries, simple words.
God, You’re with me.

"17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror." Psalm 10:17,18

[Submitted by: CJ Ward]

Psalm 10

 1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
       Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
 2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
       who are caught in the schemes he devises.
 3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
       he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
 4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
       in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
 5 His ways are always prosperous;
       he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
       he sneers at all his enemies.
 6 He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
       I'll always be happy and never have trouble."
 7 His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
       trouble and evil are under his tongue.
 8 He lies in wait near the villages;
       from ambush he murders the innocent,
       watching in secret for his victims.
 9 He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
       he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
       he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
 10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
       they fall under his strength.
 11 He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
       he covers his face and never sees."
 12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
       Do not forget the helpless.
 13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
       Why does he say to himself,
       "He won't call me to account"?
 14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
       you consider it to take it in hand.
       The victim commits himself to you;
       you are the helper of the fatherless.
 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
       call him to account for his wickedness
       that would not be found out.
 16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;
       the nations will perish from his land.
 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
       you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
       in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

11.03.2010

Psalm 9: Jump for Joy




I'm thanking you, God, from a full heart, I'm writing the book on your wonders. 
   I'm whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy; 
      I'm singing your song, High God. 

11.01.2010

Psalm 9: What Comes From the Heart

Credited to Google.com/images
"I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done." (Psalm 9:1 NLT)

This doesn't say, "I will praise you with half of my heart." With the little tune of "Half of My Heart" by John Mayer playing in the background.

King David was pouring himself out through the Psalms!
We should pour ourselves out in love and in worship to our creator.

With everything.

We should pour out our lives in worship.
Preaching and declaring the wondrous things Jesus has done for us.

But why are we so hesitant?
Why do we wait for others to do the preaching?
Why do we close our lips to the songs of our hearts?
Why don't our lives show a reflection of worship and a reflection of who Christ is?


Speak out loud, what comes from the heart of the Spirit.
Sing out loud, what comes from the heart of the Song.
Live out loud, what comes from the heart of the Father.



Psalm 9

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Death of the Son." A psalm of David.
 1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
       I will tell of all your wonders.  2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
       I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
 3 My enemies turn back;
       they stumble and perish before you.
 4 For you have upheld my right and my cause;
       you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.
 5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
       you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
 6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
       you have uprooted their cities;
       even the memory of them has perished.
 7 The LORD reigns forever;
       he has established his throne for judgment.
 8 He will judge the world in righteousness;
       he will govern the peoples with justice.
 9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
       a stronghold in times of trouble.
 10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
       for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
 11 Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
       proclaim among the nations what he has done.
 12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
       he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
 13 O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
       Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
 14 that I may declare your praises
       in the gates of the Daughter of Zion
       and there rejoice in your salvation.
 15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
       their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
 16 The LORD is known by his justice;
       the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
       Higgaion. Selah
 17 The wicked return to the grave,
       all the nations that forget God.
 18 But the needy will not always be forgotten,
       nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
 19 Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
       let the nations be judged in your presence.
 20 Strike them with terror, O LORD;
       let the nations know they are but men.
       Selah

10.29.2010
















3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

[Submitted by: Kyle Kotrch]
The God who spoke light itself into being, shaped the earth with His hands, created all laws of nature and then breaks those laws of nature with miracles, conceptualized music, color, and beauty, absorbs praise from the inarticulate blabbering of infants, gives words of encouragement to His servants, hides His face, exemplifies strength, LOVES, IS love, IS power, IS majesty, and IS glory itself, has given man, flawed and dirty man, dominion over all creatures. How merciful He is. How graceful are His ways.
This warrior God who could implode the universe with a thought, leaps to the aid of his followers like a lion, baring His teeth and striking His enemies with His powerful paws, to even look at His incomparable, unexplainable face instantly separates the soul from the body. He will judge on high from His throne. He is at once merciful and mighty. He is Father, He is Spirit, He is Son.
Why does this God, this infinite being unrestricted by the bonds of time or space, regard us as valuable children? We were low, and He brought us up just under the angels. We were drowning in the poison waters of sin when He shot His hand into the depths and gripped us. To do this, He had to TOUCH THE SIN HE CAN NOT STAND. The sin he hates. This sin was agony for our God to touch, but He was willing to immerse himself in the pain we deserved in order to pull us out of the deep. How great His love for us must be! This sinless, holy, good, and perfect God!
He who makes the shameful man blameless in Christ's blood is worthy of the praise of all He created. The day is coming when the stars themselves will roar and rage in worship of the God who swirled their gaseous brilliance into existence. Let's shout for Him until our throats bleed, jump for the joy He bestows on us, weep for the sins of the world, strive for greater and greater obedience, and FIGHT THE SHADOWS.

Let's worship with fervor and zeal in ALL areas of our lives.

10.28.2010



A raw take on the themes of this Psalm.

The Works of Your Hands



 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; 

       you put everything under his feet: 
 7 all flocks and herds, 
       and the beasts of the field, 
 8 the birds of the air, 
       and the fish of the sea, 
       all that swim the paths of the seas. 
 9 O LORD, our Lord, 
       how majestic is your name in all the earth!



These are all cupcakes.                                     Co-Baker: Dani Daunais