CELEBRATE!

Image result for clip art showing celebration  Today I am rummaging around in Psalm 118.  I am SO ready to celebrate. I have grown so weary of the voices of gloom and doom.
This Psalm was the song of victory sung during the Feast of Tabernacles.  This feast lasted for six days and the psalm was sung once daily, and on the seventh day, it was sung seven times. On the seventh day, it was called the Great Hosanna.  It may have been used during David's reign or when Israel experienced her restoration from Babylon. Israel was well ready to celebrate for she has been in exile.

As I stare down pressing circumstances, how I need to refocus and speak, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."  Israel has been pressed, eyeball verses 10-18! It seems the psalmist is talking to himself (self-talk) because he makes several declarations of truth that he knows and recalls: 1. The Lord is with me.  2.I will not be afraid. 3. He is my helper. 4. I will look in triumph on my enemies (metaphor for what is bugging you!).  5.I will take refuge in the Lord.  I cannot trust in man, self, or higher authorities to deliver me.  Years ago, a gracious pastor, first husband, reminded me, "Cheryl, talk to yourself, but don't listen to yourself." Interpretation:  Speak truth to yourself or don't listen to yourself!  Am I willing to change the paradigm from "woe is me" to FATHER, YOU are good and YOUR love is forever!  Am I willing to move to celebration and thanksgiving as I daily walk out my faith?  Am I willing to focus and stand on truth and HIS promises or focus on how I "feel"?  "But thanks be to God, who ALWAYS (my addition of upper case) leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him."  2 Corinthians 2:14.  Oh Father, I do NOT want to give a stench of flesh of unhealthy emotions.  I want to be a fragrance for you for others. CELEBRATE!  Forever learning!  In process, still!  #IHAVETHREESONS.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress
Read more

LAST THOUGHT ON LEVITICUS

Image
  For the first time in many years, I have enjoyed reading through Leviticus.  I have skipped it several times and read on.  This go round, I have sought to focus on some thoughts, words, phrases, or practices that God had instituted for the Israelites and their physical and spiritual well-being.  The Ten Commandments and many of the laws have real practical value for society and the Christ follower today.  The Lord God gave them a standard, a commandment, which is applicable for today, "You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees.  I am the Lord (Jehovah) your God (Elohim).  Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.  I am the LORD."  Leviticus 18:4-5   My concluding thought from Leviticus is this admonition or commandment:  " You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."  Leviticus 20:26.  Even though spoken to Israel, the truth of being holy is directe
Read more

ORDER AND DESIGN

Image
    I do not have OCD, but I do confess that I like order in my home.  Now that I am retired, I am not so much into spotless, but "picked up" and "kinda" clean. (Do not open drawers and closets!) I might go to more trouble when I know I am having company, but otherwise, I remove the clutter that seems to reproduce on its own.   When I began the reading in Genesis in January, I was again taken with the with the orderliness and design of God in creation, and have seen Him use Moses and Aaron to ORDERLY marshal the Israelites to move out of Egypt. How do you move some 600+ males and that is not even wives and children? Animals also?  They have been one year+ out of Egypt, and have been camped at Mt. Sinai where God has given them laws for their spiritual and physical welfare.  God gives Moses the design of the Tabernacle and Moses is able to bring together the workers to complete the Tabernacle.   The clip art at the top is the positioning of the 12 Tribes and the
Read more