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.

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

Psalm 8

2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 

What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over all the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

all flocks and herds, and all the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea...

Wretched. Righteous.

Oh wretched man that I am, I sit alone in a crowded place,
With a worthless tongue that’s begging to taste
A sip of Your sweetness, Your mercy, Your grace.

Oh wretched man that I am, I stand vacant of worth
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
What am I but bloody, breathing dirt?

Oh wretched man that I am, I lie for nothing more can I do.
My tongue knows no truth, my body won’t move,
But trembles at the thought of You.

But You, Oh Great God that You are, sit stirring a stormy sea,
Resting Your feet on a world that you breathed
From a throne fit for a King of Kings.

And You, Oh Ancient of Days, Your face too righteous for me to see
Created a world that revolves on Your glory
But keeps silent so I might tell you my story

But oh wretched man that I am, I’ll never stand before the king
My body is covered in the sinful stench of human suffering
And nothing more than this could I bring.

“Oh blessed man that You are, I made you to sit at my side,
My son, my brother, my friend, my lover, my sin sick, beautiful bride,
You are my greatest pride.“

Oh Wretched man that I am, I sit just lower than the angels.
Pride of heaven, Love of God, is my glory through the ages.
My wretched righteousness eclipsed by a God who deserves my praises.

[Submitted by: CJ Ward]

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place.

[Submitted by: Lance Kotrch]

Psalm 8

For the director of music. According to gittith.

A psalm of David.

 ¹ O LORD, our Lord,
       how majestic is your name in all the earth!
       You have set your glory
       above the heavens.   
² From the lips of children and infants
       you have ordained praise
       because of your enemies,
       to silence the foe and the avenger.
 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?
 ⁵ You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
       and crowned him with glory and honor.
 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!

Justice is coming

Awake, my God

Decree justice over us

Let the assembled peoples gather around you,

and rule over us.

O God who searches hearts and minds,

bring your justice into our lives

My shield is the Lord Most High!

You hold us in your endless might.

[It's an honor to make music with Ben Cobb]

I rejoice because of His righteousness.

I take refuge in You
Won't You save and deliver me?

Or else they will rip me to sheds like a lion his prey.
___

But if I deserve this Lord...
let them take my life.
___

Rise up Lord and do justice.
Rule over these people.

[Judge me O Lord according to my integrity]

Tear down the wicked

Lift up the righteous

You are a shield around the upright in heart.

You are a righteous judge who expresses wrath.
___

You sharpen Your sword

and ready Your weapons

___

Those who are filled with evil

will see it fall on their own heads.

___

But I rejoice because of His righteousness.


This is my rewriting of the psalm after reading through in line by line. 

[Submitted by: Kyle Kotrch]

Arise Lord, Awake My God

      

Psalm 7

A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

 ¹ O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
       save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
 ² or they will tear me like a lion
       and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
 ³ O LORD my God, if I have done this
       and there is guilt on my hands-
 ⁴ if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me
       or without cause have robbed my foe-
 ⁵ then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
       let him trample my life to the ground
       and make me sleep in the dust.
       Selah
 ⁶ Arise, O LORD, in your anger;
       rise up against the rage of my enemies.
       Awake, my God; decree justice.
 ⁷ Let the assembled peoples gather around you.
       Rule over them from on high;
 ⁸ let the LORD judge the peoples.
       Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
       according to my integrity, O Most High.
 ⁹ O righteous God,
       who searches minds and hearts,
       bring to an end the violence of the wicked
       and make the righteous secure.
 ¹⁰ My shield is God Most High,
       who saves the upright in heart.
 ¹¹ God is a righteous judge,
       a God who expresses his wrath every day.
 ¹² If he does not relent,
       he will sharpen his sword;
       he will bend and string his bow.
 ¹³ He has prepared his deadly weapons;
       he makes ready his flaming arrows.
 ¹⁴ He who is pregnant with evil
       and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.
 ¹⁵ He who digs a hole and scoops it out
       falls into the pit he has made.
 ¹⁶ The trouble he causes recoils on himself;
       his violence comes down on his own head.
 ¹⁷ I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
       and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Turn, O Lord, and deliever me.

I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with tears.
My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
(vs 6-9)

The LORD will shield us from the storm, but we have to be willing to let God hold the umbrella.

Discipline

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 

 2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. 

Psalm 6

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.

A psalm of David.

 ¹O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
       or discipline me in your wrath.
 ² Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint;
       O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.
 ³ My soul is in anguish.
       How long, O LORD, how long?
 ⁴ Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;
       save me because of your unfailing love.
 ⁵ No one remembers you when he is dead.
       Who praises you from the grave?
 ⁶ I am worn out from groaning;
       all night long I flood my bed with weeping
       and drench my couch with tears.
 ⁷ My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
       they fail because of all my foes.
 ⁸ Away from me, all you who do evil,
       for the LORD has heard my weeping.
 ⁹ The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
       the LORD accepts my prayer.
 ¹⁰ All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed;
       they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

Truth Explodes from His Mouth

    Painted with wild berries and acrylics. 
The typography comes from magazine cut outs.
The earbud is from an old set of non-working earphones. 
This colour palate is inspired by the berries that I found.

How often are we to spout our requests before the Lord without giving
time for His answer?  What if God wants us to
listen as truth explodes from His mouth?
[Stop and Listen]

Listen to me God!

Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.


Are we praying to God, or rambling in apathy and expecting Him to pick out what we need help with?

Is God capable of reading our minds? Yes.
Does He want us to communicate with Him and build an intimate relationship? Most definitely.

If we make clear our words to the Father, make them blameless, then surely he will hear us. He cannot deny the children of the Word.



We must call upon the LORD with our honest and innermost being.

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make straight your way before me.

The first part of this is a plea with God, for Him to lead us and be our guide. How often do we cry to him to lead and truly to show us His righteousness and be our guide? We need His righteousness due to our enemies and more bluntly the devil himself who is out to get us. But yet God still will supply what we need and to be our guide, but we must trust Him and follow where He goes.

make straight your way before me.

Another plea for Him to guide us. Life is full of twists and turns, and navigating this place is hard and rough. We must cry out to Him and ask to see His guidance and His true will for us. Where He is and wants us to go, He will show us that path. We must follow Him and learn to wait for His movements.

[Submitted by: Kyle Kotrch]

10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.

We should pray that prayer for ourselves.

How many of our opinions or stereotypes about the world are in fact
true about ourselves?
I wonder if I have the courage to pray: "Declare me guilty, let MY
intrigues be my downfall".

How come we pray for personal healing during a tough time, but not
deliverance from the sins we love to commit?

[Submitted by: JJ Gorveatte]

The multitude of Your mercy

[Submitted by Shae Spencer]

Psalm 5: is He listening? are we listening?

(picture is from google.com/images/prayer)

i find that this Psalm is talking about man communicating to God. it says "listen to my words...in the morning you hear my voice....listen to my cry."

Communication is defined as this, the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, orinformation by speech, writing, etc.

man has been in constant communication with God.

we can find dozens of examples with God talking to His children. back to back conversations.

but.

i believe we are quick to pray about the things we want God to do for us and when they don't happen we get angry because we believe He wasn't listening. but when was the last time we found time to just simply quiet everything around us. when was the last time we just turned off the cell phone, turned off the music, and sat in silence. just simply listening to what He has to say to us.

the reality is; most of the time we aren't even listening for God to answer.

we are keen on talking when we have requests but we aren't keen on listening for his reply. 

we should be in pursuit of a relationship with Him, so that we not only want to go with him with questions but that we would go to Him find answers. even when it's not the things we want to hear.

so listen to His voice.

Lead Me

8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness

because of my enemies—

make straight your way before me.

[Submitted By: Dan Metiva]

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy."

[Submitted by: Eliza Mowery]

Mercy

Psalm 5

 For the director of music. For flutes. A psalm of David.

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.

2 Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;
with you the wicked cannot dwell.

5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
you hate all who do wrong.

6 You destroy those who tell lies;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
the LORD abhors.

7 But I, by your great mercy,
will come into your house;
in reverence will I bow down
toward your holy temple.

8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make straight your way before me.

9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with destruction.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongue they speak deceit.

10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

I find my joy in You

You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound (v. 7)

The word joy, in the dictionary, is defined as 'the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.'

The Bible defines joy as 'the ever present gift of happiness that the LORD bestows us when we experience companionship together.'

This happiness is not a fleeting happiness caused by some tangible thing; it is ever present...it's not going anywhere. We must root the joy that the LORD gives us so deep inside of our being that it becomes a part of our personality, that it shines throughout our lives. So deep that when darkness or evil strikes we will not be shaken, our 'happiness' will not fly out the window. For what the LORD gives us shall never pass away. His joy will never fail us.

So when was the last time you experienced the joy that God has to offer?

Dilusions.

2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?

How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

3 Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself            

the Lord will hear when I call to him.

Am alone in wanting to be the godly that the Lord has set apart separately just for himself?

What an honor to be called His.

What an honor to know our calls will be heard by the most high.

Search your hearts and be SILENT

⁴ In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah

We see this thought that David has of not allowing sin to enter through anger. David here is calming himself before the LORD and is meditating and seeking Him in his meditations. The meditations that is happening, which appears in other translations is that of not emptying the mind but rather filling it with His presence and thoughts. Allowing God to speak and take over your mind and your thoughts is the meditation that David is seeking.

Be angry, and do not sin.

Meditate within your heart on your bed,

and be still.

Selah

When we meditate or search and listen to God, are we allowing Him to take over all of our thoughts and allowing His presence to be all that we see and feel? Or are we just emptying our minds out for empty nothingness to just sit in solitude? The thought that Anna talked about, Selah and what it means holds true here. Meditate with God and allow Him to show you true love and true trust in Him.

Selah.

[Submitted by: Kyle Kotrch]

Silence Speaks

 ⁴ In your anger do not sin; 

       when you are on your beds, 

       search your hearts and be silent.

Psalm 4

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

 ¹ Answer me when I call to you,
       O my righteous God.
       Give me relief from my distress;
       be merciful to me and hear my prayer.  ² How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
       How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
       Selah
 ³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
       the LORD will hear when I call to him.
 ⁴ In your anger do not sin;
       when you are on your beds,
       search your hearts and be silent.
       Selah
 ⁵ Offer right sacrifices
       and trust in the LORD.
 ⁶ Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
       Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
 ⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy
       than when their grain and new wine abound.
 ⁸ I will lie down and sleep in peace,
       for you alone, O LORD,
       make me dwell in safety.

Holy Hill

"But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."

Verse three talks about God being our shield and how He lifts up our head, and then the next verse tells us that we cry out to him and He hears us form His Holy Hill. When I read that God is our shield, I thought of the verses in Ephesians 6 where we are instructed by Paul to put on the armor of God and bear it with pride to fight the fight ahead of us. These are very well known verses and most of us know them or have at least heard of them. The thing that got me is that God Himself wore the armor first. In Isaiah 59, we see God put on the armor Himself and fought for His beloved people.

"v. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. v. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak."

He waited to see if anyone would lead them back to Him and when no one did, God Himself lead them back to Him. He bore the armor and fought for them and punished their enemies. This also correlates to God also allowing us to not fear the tens of thousands that surround us, for He is there and He is our shield. In the armor of God, the shield is that of faith. By putting our faith in Him, we are in turn asking God to protect us and bear that same armor we use to defend Him and the faith we believe in. He will protect us, which is so evident in the Scripture; the thing is we must turn to Him and even if we do not, he will lead us back to Him like He did with the people in Isaiah's age.

[Submitted by Kyle Kotrch]

I wasn't originally intending for this song to be my unearthed submission, I just kind of had a song idea I didn't want to forget. I realized though, that reading Psalm 3 along with it fits.
Try it out if you like.

[Submitted by: Shae Spencer]

Psalm 3: Reliance on His Deliverance

"8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May Your blessing be on Your people."

Sometimes in life we have storms.

During these times who do we look to for a way out?

 The crowd? Adults? Wise teachers? Friends? Significant others?

Sailors wen caught in a storm look for one thing when near to land, a light house.

Beaming a bright light in the midst of the storm, the sailors trust that where the light is, is also where they will be safe.

According to the dictionary, Trust means: to have confident expectation of something; hope.

Sailors hope that where the light is shining, is where they will be safe from the storm.

Who do you hold your hope in, during the midst of the storm?

Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God!

I Called, You Answered

4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.

7 Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God!

Psalm 3 - JJ Gorveatte from jj gorveatte on Vimeo.

the Struggle for Selah.

I have always been mysteriously fascinated by the word and concept that is Selah.  I remembering hearing from a speaker at camp one year about its significance.  In fact, it was so important and meaningful to him that he named his daughter after it.  He talked about the term and how it is used throughout the Psalms.  Scholars are unsure of the exact meaning of the word but have often translated it as a pause in the musical piece, that is a psalm.  This pause in the psalm, functions to help us stop and listen, much like a musical interlude would.  Jesus frequently said, "let those who have eyes, see; and those who have ears, hear."  Does the presence of the word Selah in scripture, offer moments to see and hear from God?  How often do we take those opportunities?     

In thinking about the concept of Selah, my mind goes also to the longer moments of Selah, we receive in practicing the Sabbath.  Sabbath time is a pause from the routine, a time of Selah if you will.  Rob Bell describes it well in saying, "Sculptors shape and form and rearrange, but at the most basic level they take away.  And there is an extraordinary, beautiful art to knowing what to take away."  A sculptor sees what others would all together miss in a chunk of wood, slab of marble, or bar of soap.  This are masters of  unearthing beauty from within.

This hiatus or get away from the daily grind really does provide moments where our eyes and ears can experience God.  Without these times, we become like the people to which Isaiah was sent (Isaiah 6:9-10).   People who are "ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding" (Mark 4:12).  People who are lost in doing rather just being.  Therefore, the art of elimination, is an important part of holistic living as it uncovers our inner beauty.   

Struggle with me in living out God's rhythm of creating/working for six days and then resting/pausing upon the arrival of the seventh day.    

Psalm 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

 ¹ O LORD, how many are my foes!
       How many rise up against me!  ² Many are saying of me,
       "God will not deliver him."
       Selah 
 ³ But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
       you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
 ⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud,
       and he answers me from his holy hill.
       Selah
 ⁵ I lie down and sleep;
       I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
 ⁶ I will not fear the tens of thousands
       drawn up against me on every side.
 ⁷ Arise, O LORD!
       Deliver me, O my God!
       Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
       break the teeth of the wicked.
 ⁸ From the LORD comes deliverance.
       May your blessing be on your people.
       Selah