Psalm 30

PSALM 30 KJV

I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy
cometh in the morning.

And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.

What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

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A good night's sleep can indeed make everything look a little brighter in the morning. But, nothing help's the disposition more than a trusting relationship with God. He is our helper. He is our provider. Let us not be silent but give Him thanks and praise for His never ending love and mercy. 

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Show Mercy As We Have Been Shown Mercy

Psalm 130 KJV

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

I woke up this morning after a dream that included major flashbacks of my life. It was not good! When I look back on my life there are definitely things that were done or said that I still can't help but wonder what in the world I was thinking. It was nothing fruitful, that is for sure!

As I grow older memories like this seem to still infiltrate my thinking. It would be very nice if they would go away. But, then I consider that maybe God gives these memories to me to remind me to show mercy to others who make the same stupid mistakes. 

He reminds me that if he had not sent his only begotten son to take away my sins; if he continued to count my iniquities against me, I would surely fall. 

We are all sinners. Without the love and mercy of God given to us through Christ Jesus there would be no hope in this world. 

Let us all hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy and plenteous redemption. He has redeemed us from all of our sins. Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Kingdom Comes!

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
                                                                                                                            (Matt 27:50-52 NIV)

Rip! The sound of the temple curtain being torn in two. Do you recall how St. Mark described what happened after Jesus' baptism? "Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove." (Mark 1:9-11) So what exactly is the significance of the temple curtain being torn in two at Jesus' death?

I was taught, as a child, that it meant that we now all have direct access to God. We are free to directly communicate and relate with and to God. The High Priests are no longer needed to stand between us and God. As Jesus died on the cross for us, he freed us from our sins so that we are worthy to come before God. That is good news. But, I believe there is more to it than that. When a door is open it is open to everything and everyone on both sides of the door.

Behind the temple curtain was the Holy of Holies; God's earthy dwelling place. The tearing of the temple curtain signifies that with Christ's death God's dwelling place on earth was no longer contained to a specific place. His dwelling place; his Kingdom, rushed out into the world as Jesus breathed his last breath.

The gate to the Kingdom has been flung wide open. The Kingdom of God is truly at hand. Live in it!

God's Peace - Pr. J