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

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh...
Read more

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

A DONKEY SPEAKS!

Image
    Numbers has been full of repetitive accounts of the Israelites and their disobedience.  They have now made several laps around Mt. Sinai, many of the original people have died off, or been killed for their arrogant and presumptuous actions against the LORD, Moses, and Aaron. The overriding truth of the accounts is the merciful grace of the LORD! Moses is in his last days of leadership.  The forty years are coming to an end and they are moving toward a second attempt to enter the Promise Land.  They have been victorious in taking land, and they are moving further into the interior of the land of Moab.  The king and the residents of Moab are "filled with dread because of the Israelites.  The king of Moab, Balak, sends messages to Balaam, who is a sorcerer and is able to to place curses or blessings on others.  King Balak wants to know how to defeat "this horde" that is licking up everything around them.  Of course, he is desirous th...
Read more