For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. ~2 Samuel 22:50
The 22nd chapter of 2nd Samuel is one of David's songs, a psalm if you will of praise to the LORD. In the first 49 verses, David lists a multitude of things that the LORD has done for him, and then concludes by saying "for this", for all the things that you have done for me LORD, "I will praise you..."
As we read this song of David (2 Samuel 22:1-51) it is clear that he is praising God for specific things God has done for him... Some of them include David's praising the LORD for saving him from real enemies who would have actually killed him in battle... for giving him victory over enemies and making him king over Israel... for giving him, as king, strength and power so that people of foreign nations submit to his rule...
As we read this song of David, we see how David is giving a testimony, a witness to the greatness of the LORD.
Like David, we can be a witness and give a testimony to the greatness of God. We can remember things that God has done for us, and like David, say, "for this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name."
If you are willing to do this, you will find that God will provide opportunities for you to tell others what God has done for you... not to tell them what they have to think or to believe, but just to share how God has worked in wondrous ways in your life, and how you praise God for it.
Are you willing to be a witness of what God has done?
Showing posts with label devotional meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotional meditation. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Prayer, Praise and Daily Devotions...
As you woke this morning and began your day, did it include a little time to say, "Praise you" and "Thank you" to the Lord? Praising God simply for who he is and thanking him that you woke to see his newly created day? The Psalmist reminds us:
"From the rising of the sun to it's setting the name of the LORD is to be praised."
~PS 113:3 NASB
"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." ~Ps 19:1 NASB
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
~Ps 118:1 NASB
Did you give all of this day to the Lord? Did you invite the Lord into your life, to guard your heart and guide your steps, as you live out the day? Or did you, as so many of us do, simply get started with the busy-ness or even the fun-ness of the day, thinking that there was so much to do, that you had no time now for a "devotional time" and you'd do it later?
In his book, A Pocket Guide to Prayer, Dr. Steve Harper reminds us "God does not call us to have a devotional time but to live a devotional life."
There is much that can be said of what it means to live a devotional life, but in the context of this post, I believe it means prayer is to be ever present in every aspect and at all times of our daily lives.
The Apostle Paul reminds us:
"Pray without ceasing;" ~1 Thessalonians 5:17 NASB
Prayer is not meant to be just another thing we do added onto the rest of the things we do in our daily lives... it is not meant to be another item to check off of our daily to-do list... Rather, prayer is to be that which undergirds, infuses and invades all of the other aspects of our daily lives, in both obvious and subtle ways. Prayer, as communication with God, is that which keeps us in contact with our source of strength and joy and wisdom and life, so that we might get through all of each days challenges - challenges that usually exceed our to-do list.
Again Paul reminds us:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7 NASB
The day is not yet over... we can still give thanks and praise to the Lord for this day... we can yet connect to our source of strength and joy and wisdom and life for the living of this day.
Once again, borrowing from Dr. Harper's A Pocket Guide to Prayer, I offer this simple prayer for you to use as you begin to live your "devotional life":
"Dear God, I rise from my bed of sleep, to adore your holy name, to live for you this day, to work with you in the building of your kingdom, and to find in you eternal life. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen."
Don't wait until tomorrow morning when you are getting out of bed to pray this beginning prayer. Wake up from your "sleep" and do it now!
"From the rising of the sun to it's setting the name of the LORD is to be praised."
~PS 113:3 NASB
"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." ~Ps 19:1 NASB
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
~Ps 118:1 NASB
Did you give all of this day to the Lord? Did you invite the Lord into your life, to guard your heart and guide your steps, as you live out the day? Or did you, as so many of us do, simply get started with the busy-ness or even the fun-ness of the day, thinking that there was so much to do, that you had no time now for a "devotional time" and you'd do it later?
In his book, A Pocket Guide to Prayer, Dr. Steve Harper reminds us "God does not call us to have a devotional time but to live a devotional life."
There is much that can be said of what it means to live a devotional life, but in the context of this post, I believe it means prayer is to be ever present in every aspect and at all times of our daily lives.
The Apostle Paul reminds us:
"Pray without ceasing;" ~1 Thessalonians 5:17 NASB
Prayer is not meant to be just another thing we do added onto the rest of the things we do in our daily lives... it is not meant to be another item to check off of our daily to-do list... Rather, prayer is to be that which undergirds, infuses and invades all of the other aspects of our daily lives, in both obvious and subtle ways. Prayer, as communication with God, is that which keeps us in contact with our source of strength and joy and wisdom and life, so that we might get through all of each days challenges - challenges that usually exceed our to-do list.
Again Paul reminds us:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7 NASB
The day is not yet over... we can still give thanks and praise to the Lord for this day... we can yet connect to our source of strength and joy and wisdom and life for the living of this day.
Once again, borrowing from Dr. Harper's A Pocket Guide to Prayer, I offer this simple prayer for you to use as you begin to live your "devotional life":
"Dear God, I rise from my bed of sleep, to adore your holy name, to live for you this day, to work with you in the building of your kingdom, and to find in you eternal life. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen."
Don't wait until tomorrow morning when you are getting out of bed to pray this beginning prayer. Wake up from your "sleep" and do it now!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Christology...
By the very definition of the word, Christology
is the study of Christ. We seek to
understand Christ and the work that he did by asking the questions: Who is
Jesus? What is the significance of his
work? And even as we begin to look for
our answers, we find that these are questions that were being asked even while
Jesus still walked on this earth, as all who marveled at his teachings and at
his miracles and at his mighty deeds asked themselves and each other, “What kind
of man is this?” (Matthew 8:27 NIV1984) The inevitable question that would have
followed, even if it was an unspoken one was, “What does this mean?”
It was the same question John
the Baptist wondered, as he sent his followers to ask Jesus if Jesus was the
Messiah. In answer, Jesus told them to
report to John what they had seen and heard of Jesus, so that John could answer
Jesus’ implied question: What does my work tell you about who I am? In asking those questions posed by the study
of Christology, I find myself, like John the Baptist, being asked by Christ, “What
does my work tell you about who I am?” And
then the next question is asked, “What does who I AM mean for your life?”Thursday, February 23, 2012
Day 2... The Lenten Journey Continues...
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
~Matthew 16:21-24 (NIV1984)
No, Lord, never!! You, the Son of the Living God, the Messiah, suffer?? Be killed?? No... that is not the way it should be... We should die for you... in glorious battle!!
And we disciples, who like Peter, might so willingly follow you into battle against an enemy, find instead that we must follow you on a much harder journey... for instead of calling us to arms, you call us to suffering... to self-denial... you call us to the cross... and to death...
But you also mention something about being raised to life?
Is it just possibly true that following your path... journeying with you through self-denial and suffering, following you to the cross and death... that all of this leads to... new life?
Yesterday's ashes are gone... but the journey continues...
No, Lord, never!! You, the Son of the Living God, the Messiah, suffer?? Be killed?? No... that is not the way it should be... We should die for you... in glorious battle!!
And we disciples, who like Peter, might so willingly follow you into battle against an enemy, find instead that we must follow you on a much harder journey... for instead of calling us to arms, you call us to suffering... to self-denial... you call us to the cross... and to death...
But you also mention something about being raised to life?
Is it just possibly true that following your path... journeying with you through self-denial and suffering, following you to the cross and death... that all of this leads to... new life?
Yesterday's ashes are gone... but the journey continues...
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Ash Wednesday...
“Even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
~Joel 2:12-13 (NIV1984)
Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent, a 40 day period of time set aside for introspection and reflection as we journey with the Lord to the cross. It is a time to remember why the Lord had to die for us... to remember our sins and to repent. Ashes are a symbol of our mortality as well as a symbol of repentance. As the prophet Joel encourages, rend or tear open your hearts... pray and deeply mourn and grieve over the things that you have done that have grieved the heart of God... and repent. For our God is indeed "gracious and compassionate... abounding in love..." God will have mercy and forgive.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A Saturday Devotional...
"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone."
~Colossians 4:2-6 (NLT)
Ahhhhh.... Saturday!!! That wonderful first day of the weekend!!! We spent all day yesterday rejoicing that it was Friday (TGIF - Thank God It's Friday) because that meant today was almost here... and now it is. It is Saturday... we can do whatever we want... don't have to go to or do any work!!
Well.... that is almost true... we may not have to go to our place of employment (unless of course your work week includes Saturdays), but we still have work we have to do for the Lord! Our scripture today lets us know that we, as Christians always have work to do for the Lord... there are never "weekend" days where we are off work... Our scripture reminds us that there are some things we are always to be doing... no matter what day of the week it is:
1. We are to be devoted to prayer... praying with a thankful heart and an alert mind for not only our needs and the needs of others, but also for the mission that we as Christians are to be on - that of sharing the good news of God's redeeming love, mercy, grace and forgiveness, through which we can have new life!! And not just praying that our church leaders and pastors will be able preach and speak about this, but that we will also have opportunities and be able to do the same. Jesus called all his disciples to do this!!
2. We are to live wisely within our world... we will spread God's message of love in more ways than just speaking about it... we will mostly spread it by the way we live! St. Francis said, "Preach often, and when necessary, use words." In other words we must live in such a way as to proclaim the Gospel with our very actions... and there is more to doing that than just going to church every Sunday and living by the legalistic expectations of whatever church you might attend... Jesus said, "...learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice'" (Matt 9:13). We are to show our love and mercy to all people!! Our words about the gospel message will be empty if our lives do not back them up!
3. When we do speak with others about the faith, let's remember that God had grace and mercy on us, and we should be passing that grace on to others... as the scripture says, our words should be gracious... attractive... open... inviting others to accept God's love and mercy... not judging or threatening or telling people they have to get right before God will love them... Scripture tells us that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8). We don't do the cleaning up, we just do the catching... God's Holy Spirit, working within people's lives does the cleaning up!
So you see, my friends, there are no weekends off for Christians... we who call ourselves followers of Christ always have work to do!! Let us do it joyfully!!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
put this on your calendar!!
No matter what your daily schedule already looks like, adding these activities will bring you untold blessings and help you focus on what is truly important. God bless you today!!
Schedule for today:
Wake up: Worship the Lord
Mid-Morning: Snack on Scripture
Lunch: Listen to the Lord
Mid-Afternoon: Meditate on your blessings
Dinner: Discuss His Faithfulness
Bedtime: Thank Him as you retire in the evening.
~while the actual author of this schedule is known only to God, it was contributed by Nellie, my sister in Christ.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
~Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
Schedule for today:
Wake up: Worship the Lord
Mid-Morning: Snack on Scripture
Lunch: Listen to the Lord
Mid-Afternoon: Meditate on your blessings
Dinner: Discuss His Faithfulness
Bedtime: Thank Him as you retire in the evening.
~while the actual author of this schedule is known only to God, it was contributed by Nellie, my sister in Christ.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
a meditation for today...
This meditation is taken from:
Let Nothing Disturb You: A Journey to the Center of the Soul with Teresa of Avila,
edited by John Kirvan, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN, 1996
"Our Lord asks but two things of us: love for God and love for our neighbor. These are the two virtues that we must strive to attain. If we practice them perfectly we shall be doing the will of God, and so will find the union we seek. The most certain sign that we keep these two commandments is that we have a genuine love for each other. We may not know for certain whether we love God, but there can be no doubt whether or not we love our neighbor.
If we fail to love our neighbor, we are deceiving ourselves if we think we love God.
But if we possess a true love of neighbor, we will certainly attain union with our Lord.
Beg God grant you true love of others and you will be rewarded with more than you know how to desire. God will insist that you surrender your self interests for those of your neighbors, taking upon yourself their burdens. Do not believe that this will cost you nothing and that you will find it all done for you by God. Never forget what the love God bore for all of us cost the Son of God. To free others - his neighbors - from death he suffered the most painful death of all, the death of the cross."
~Teresa of Avila
Let Nothing Disturb You: A Journey to the Center of the Soul with Teresa of Avila,
edited by John Kirvan, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN, 1996
"Our Lord asks but two things of us: love for God and love for our neighbor. These are the two virtues that we must strive to attain. If we practice them perfectly we shall be doing the will of God, and so will find the union we seek. The most certain sign that we keep these two commandments is that we have a genuine love for each other. We may not know for certain whether we love God, but there can be no doubt whether or not we love our neighbor.
If we fail to love our neighbor, we are deceiving ourselves if we think we love God.
But if we possess a true love of neighbor, we will certainly attain union with our Lord.
Beg God grant you true love of others and you will be rewarded with more than you know how to desire. God will insist that you surrender your self interests for those of your neighbors, taking upon yourself their burdens. Do not believe that this will cost you nothing and that you will find it all done for you by God. Never forget what the love God bore for all of us cost the Son of God. To free others - his neighbors - from death he suffered the most painful death of all, the death of the cross."
~Teresa of Avila
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