'Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy
name.'
[Psalm 103:1]
To praise our Lord God with all our inmost being... what an incredulous thing. Do we truly let ourselves do that, though? I know at times, that's all I want to do. But I hold myself back. Containment. Why?
As much as I love to just put my thoughts out there and go on to the next thing [or post, in this case - seeing how I'm behind a couple days...], I can't answer this question right now. I need time to think about it... and decide what, if anything, I want to say.
But God is good.
And He does deserve to be praised with everything we have.
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 143.
May 18, 2010
May 17, 2010
Ch. 712 - Triumphant Praise
TRIUMPH.
VICTORY.
The enemy has been defeated.
He has overcome sin and the grave.
PRAISE.
REJOICE!
We have been given freedom.
'When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth - Gog and Magog - to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown in to the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.'
[Revelation 20:7-10]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 132.
VICTORY.
The enemy has been defeated.
He has overcome sin and the grave.
PRAISE.
REJOICE!
We have been given freedom.
'When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth - Gog and Magog - to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown in to the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.'
[Revelation 20:7-10]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 132.
May 16, 2010
Ch. 711 - Something
God works in mysterious ways.
How many times have you heard that throughout your life?
Probably a lot.
Because it's true.
He does.
And I'm glad.
It keeps us on our toes.
We paint pictures of Him in our minds with glory and wonder.
Who knows what He will do tomorrow?
Or the next day?
Or the next?
Something big.
Something beautiful.
Something.
'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.'
[Ephesians 1:3]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 131.
How many times have you heard that throughout your life?
Probably a lot.
Because it's true.
He does.
And I'm glad.
It keeps us on our toes.
We paint pictures of Him in our minds with glory and wonder.
Who knows what He will do tomorrow?
Or the next day?
Or the next?
Something big.
Something beautiful.
Something.
'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.'
[Ephesians 1:3]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 131.
May 15, 2010
Ch. 710 - Summer Excitement
One week... I decided not to play catch-up. It's all good.
My second - and second to last - year at Central Christian College of the Bible came to a close this past Wednesday, as I rounded out my last day with two finals. They were the toughest of my five, and I got a high 'A' on each. Fabulous. But I can really only attribute my successes to God, for He blessed me with the abilities and skills necessary to do well. I simply put them to use. If you try to pound a nail into a piece of wood without a hammer, it's not exactly going to work. Using your hand won't do anything. And using something other than a hammer may work, but it's really just not the same. While it's nice to see or hear acknowledgment for doing well on something, I can't pretend like I truly deserve anything. Glory to God, in all things great and small.
Summer has begun, and I don't know how to feel about it...
Two jobs.
Two classes.
Two churches [more on this later...].
I plan on spending a lot of time with my brother, Wes - he just finished his first year of college and I am really proud of him. Anyway, we have dubbed the next few months S²'10:
SIBLING SUMMER 2010!
So great.
We're stoked.
We've started making a list of things we plan on doing, and without a doubt more "to-do" items will be added to it within the next week or two.
I think what I'm most excited about this summer, though, is the fact that I plan on falling more and more in love with Christ. I ended the school year on a positive note in regards to my relationship with Him, but I'm... fine. Just... fine.
I want to be better than fine.
And I want to be stepping forward, not standing still.
Lately I've been getting myself down... and I let myself be kept there by the prince of this world - and I am [obviously] pretty okay with that. It's easy... I mean, it's not necessarily good for those around me, but for me? It's comfortable. I can make it work. Of course, I tend to mess things up pretty terribly when I get into this state. Mistakes. Regrets. But sometimes I feel like I really just don't like myself. So I wonder how anyone else could ever like me, let alone love me. Of course, I know my flaws. I tend to see myself in a negative light. I am, truly, an animal. And so I figure that I deserve to be where I am. I deserve to allow myself to think of ME the way I do. But as someone very dear to my heart told me today, "We're all going to have things we are striving to improve in ourselves. We can't dwell in the negative. That's the adversary trying to keep us down. We have to remember our worth in Christ."
Beautiful.
As is Christ.
As am I.
Valuation.
That is my focus for the summer.
For myself.
For others.
For God.
'Let the morning bring me word of your
unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.'
[Psalm 143:8-10]
......
Ch. 710, Part Two:
One definition of "valuation" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is the following: 'judgment or appreciation of worth or character'.
Now you know.
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 130.
My second - and second to last - year at Central Christian College of the Bible came to a close this past Wednesday, as I rounded out my last day with two finals. They were the toughest of my five, and I got a high 'A' on each. Fabulous. But I can really only attribute my successes to God, for He blessed me with the abilities and skills necessary to do well. I simply put them to use. If you try to pound a nail into a piece of wood without a hammer, it's not exactly going to work. Using your hand won't do anything. And using something other than a hammer may work, but it's really just not the same. While it's nice to see or hear acknowledgment for doing well on something, I can't pretend like I truly deserve anything. Glory to God, in all things great and small.
Summer has begun, and I don't know how to feel about it...
Two jobs.
Two classes.
Two churches [more on this later...].
I plan on spending a lot of time with my brother, Wes - he just finished his first year of college and I am really proud of him. Anyway, we have dubbed the next few months S²'10:
SIBLING SUMMER 2010!
So great.
We're stoked.
We've started making a list of things we plan on doing, and without a doubt more "to-do" items will be added to it within the next week or two.
I think what I'm most excited about this summer, though, is the fact that I plan on falling more and more in love with Christ. I ended the school year on a positive note in regards to my relationship with Him, but I'm... fine. Just... fine.
I want to be better than fine.
And I want to be stepping forward, not standing still.
Lately I've been getting myself down... and I let myself be kept there by the prince of this world - and I am [obviously] pretty okay with that. It's easy... I mean, it's not necessarily good for those around me, but for me? It's comfortable. I can make it work. Of course, I tend to mess things up pretty terribly when I get into this state. Mistakes. Regrets. But sometimes I feel like I really just don't like myself. So I wonder how anyone else could ever like me, let alone love me. Of course, I know my flaws. I tend to see myself in a negative light. I am, truly, an animal. And so I figure that I deserve to be where I am. I deserve to allow myself to think of ME the way I do. But as someone very dear to my heart told me today, "We're all going to have things we are striving to improve in ourselves. We can't dwell in the negative. That's the adversary trying to keep us down. We have to remember our worth in Christ."
Beautiful.
As is Christ.
As am I.
Valuation.
That is my focus for the summer.
For myself.
For others.
For God.
'Let the morning bring me word of your
unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.'
[Psalm 143:8-10]
......
Ch. 710, Part Two:
One definition of "valuation" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is the following: 'judgment or appreciation of worth or character'.
Now you know.
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 130.
May 8, 2010
Ch. 709 - Missions Kid
I have been dubbed one of the "missions kids" here at Central, basically because Mike Worstell always picked on me [Spock] in classes, and I've done skits for Harvesters during chapel. Awesome.
But I don't mind. Because it's true... I plan on doing missions. And I'm totally stoked. I'm going to the Middle East next summer for my internship and I could not be more excited to get some great hands-on experience and see what life is like as a missionary in the Middle East. I don't know what to expect. I mean, I kind of do - I'm learned in the culture, history, religions, etc. of the region... oh research, how I love thee. But research pales in comparison to actually living amongst it all. Seeing it. Hearing it. Feeling it. Tasting it. Smelling it. I'm sure each day will bring new surprises - pleasant or unpleasant - and unexpected twists or turns. I'll be glad for these, though.
Proclaim His name. Share His love.
That's what I desire to do.
Wherever He calls me, I will go.
Am I ready? No.
But I have time.
And God will prepare me.
'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his
name;
make known among the nations
what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.'
[Psalm 105:1-2]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 126.
But I don't mind. Because it's true... I plan on doing missions. And I'm totally stoked. I'm going to the Middle East next summer for my internship and I could not be more excited to get some great hands-on experience and see what life is like as a missionary in the Middle East. I don't know what to expect. I mean, I kind of do - I'm learned in the culture, history, religions, etc. of the region... oh research, how I love thee. But research pales in comparison to actually living amongst it all. Seeing it. Hearing it. Feeling it. Tasting it. Smelling it. I'm sure each day will bring new surprises - pleasant or unpleasant - and unexpected twists or turns. I'll be glad for these, though.
Proclaim His name. Share His love.
That's what I desire to do.
Wherever He calls me, I will go.
Am I ready? No.
But I have time.
And God will prepare me.
'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his
name;
make known among the nations
what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.'
[Psalm 105:1-2]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 126.
May 7, 2010
Ch. 708 - The Blessed Hope
'For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.'
[Titus 2:11-14]
Do we say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions?
Do we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives?
Are we eager to do what is good?
Do we even remember that at while we are living... at this very moment, truly... we are waiting for the "glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ"?
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 104.
[Titus 2:11-14]
Do we say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions?
Do we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives?
Are we eager to do what is good?
Do we even remember that at while we are living... at this very moment, truly... we are waiting for the "glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ"?
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 104.
May 6, 2010
Ch. 707 - Surrounded
Warmth.
Comfort.
Natural beauty.
Humor, too.
Simplistic humor - not even of man.
Wordless.
God, oh God.
You are truly everywhere.
'If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.'
[Psalm 139:8]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 94.
Comfort.
Natural beauty.
Humor, too.
Simplistic humor - not even of man.
Wordless.
God, oh God.
You are truly everywhere.
'If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.'
[Psalm 139:8]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 94.
May 5, 2010
Ch. 706 - Friendship
'And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.'
[1 Samuel 20:17]
... I think we should all desire to have friendships that resemble the friendship between Jonathan and David. They represent a true model for loving others [as yourself] and I consider that beautiful...
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 89.
[1 Samuel 20:17]
... I think we should all desire to have friendships that resemble the friendship between Jonathan and David. They represent a true model for loving others [as yourself] and I consider that beautiful...
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 89.
May 4, 2010
Ch. 705 - Thankful for Joy
Joy.
A pouring out of the Spirit.
Anointed.
Blessed.
Made new.
Made clean.
Refined.
Focused on His throne.
Joy.
'Light is shed upon the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are
righteous,
and praise his holy name.'
[Psalm 97:11-12]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 78.
A pouring out of the Spirit.
Anointed.
Blessed.
Made new.
Made clean.
Refined.
Focused on His throne.
Joy.
'Light is shed upon the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are
righteous,
and praise his holy name.'
[Psalm 97:11-12]
......
Click here to revisit Chapter 78.
May 3, 2010
Ch. 704 - In Love
Sometimes it is absolutely wonderful to spend time alone.
Today I went on a walk.
Alone.
And it was lovely. Just lovely.
The sun was shining, a slight breeze cooled the air.
Tree leaves have budded.
Grass is lush and green.
Flowers are blooming.
[I love spring.]
I was completely captivated by God's beautiful creation.
Romanced.
I may have been physically alone.
But I was walking with my Lord God, and I was so glad for His company... His presence. It was simply pleasant. A comfort.
He loves me.
And I love Him.
But more than that, I am in love with Him.
He delights in me.
" 'See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their
fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me." '
[Song of Songs, 2:11-13]
......
Ch. 704, Part Two:
So. Kind of random, but... if you've followed this blog at all, you'll know that I have, at times, used Bible verses as a post.
That's it.
Words from the Bible.
No thoughts.
Insights.
Revelations.
Just words.
I figure, 'Sometimes that's all you need, you know?'
But I myself call those posts "cop-outs".
There have been multiple days in a row, even, where I do this. And the reasons as to why vary. I used to simply not care. Yet as I look back on random posts, I realize how greatly it bothers me...
Three cheers for OCD!
Thus, I have decided to go back throughout the blog and edit those posts. I will add to them whatever comes to mind as I read those verses which I had [usually] hurriedly typed down as I played catch-up or whatever.
I'm totally stoked to do this, actually, because it'll be good to have one more interjection in my day to get into God's word.
For each day I write a new post - no more simple Bible verse posts from here on out - I will go back and edit one post, until there are no more posts with only Bible verses. What a fabulous plan. I'm so great. And humble.
Click here to revisit Chapter 29.
Today I went on a walk.
Alone.
And it was lovely. Just lovely.
The sun was shining, a slight breeze cooled the air.
Tree leaves have budded.
Grass is lush and green.
Flowers are blooming.
[I love spring.]
I was completely captivated by God's beautiful creation.
Romanced.
I may have been physically alone.
But I was walking with my Lord God, and I was so glad for His company... His presence. It was simply pleasant. A comfort.
He loves me.
And I love Him.
But more than that, I am in love with Him.
He delights in me.
" 'See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their
fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me." '
[Song of Songs, 2:11-13]
......
Ch. 704, Part Two:
So. Kind of random, but... if you've followed this blog at all, you'll know that I have, at times, used Bible verses as a post.
That's it.
Words from the Bible.
No thoughts.
Insights.
Revelations.
Just words.
I figure, 'Sometimes that's all you need, you know?'
But I myself call those posts "cop-outs".
There have been multiple days in a row, even, where I do this. And the reasons as to why vary. I used to simply not care. Yet as I look back on random posts, I realize how greatly it bothers me...
Three cheers for OCD!
Thus, I have decided to go back throughout the blog and edit those posts. I will add to them whatever comes to mind as I read those verses which I had [usually] hurriedly typed down as I played catch-up or whatever.
I'm totally stoked to do this, actually, because it'll be good to have one more interjection in my day to get into God's word.
For each day I write a new post - no more simple Bible verse posts from here on out - I will go back and edit one post, until there are no more posts with only Bible verses. What a fabulous plan. I'm so great. And humble.
Click here to revisit Chapter 29.
May 2, 2010
Ch. 703 - I had to.
Lover of my soul.
Creator of my heart.
Beautiful is He.
And beautiful am I.
He can do great things.
All it takes is a breath.
Life.
Renewal.
Thirst, quenched.
Hunger, satiated.
Zeal.
Strength.
A new perspective.
Made alive.
The Lord Himself will proclaim and declare His greatness.
Are our eyes and ears open?
'Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
For you, O Lord, have delivered my
soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.'
[Psalm 116:7-9]
Creator of my heart.
Beautiful is He.
And beautiful am I.
He can do great things.
All it takes is a breath.
Life.
Renewal.
Thirst, quenched.
Hunger, satiated.
Zeal.
Strength.
A new perspective.
Made alive.
The Lord Himself will proclaim and declare His greatness.
Are our eyes and ears open?
'Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
For you, O Lord, have delivered my
soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.'
[Psalm 116:7-9]
May 1, 2010
Ch. 702 - Fire in the Night
'Praise the Lord, all you servants of the
Lord
who minister by night in the house
of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord.
May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and
earth,
bless you from Zion.'
[Psalm 134]
Who is to say that we should only praise our God during the day?
Night brings many things.
Darkness.
Sleep.
"The witching hour."
Sin.
Scheming.
Etc.
I think IHOP is doing it right...
And no, I'm not talking about the pancake place.
I mean the International House of Prayer.
The concept of 24/7 worship and intercessory prayer is wonderful and it has brought so much good and hope and change into the lives of people all around the world.
Note: IHOP has a "Fire in the Night" period for those who spend time praising and praying during the late night hours [between midnight and 6:00 AM]. And there truly is something freeing and beautiful in doing exactly that. One of my friends at school is transferring to IHOP next spring to become a Fire in the Night intern, and I must admit... I am extremely envious.
Lord
who minister by night in the house
of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord.
May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and
earth,
bless you from Zion.'
[Psalm 134]
Who is to say that we should only praise our God during the day?
Night brings many things.
Darkness.
Sleep.
"The witching hour."
Sin.
Scheming.
Etc.
I think IHOP is doing it right...
And no, I'm not talking about the pancake place.
I mean the International House of Prayer.
The concept of 24/7 worship and intercessory prayer is wonderful and it has brought so much good and hope and change into the lives of people all around the world.
Note: IHOP has a "Fire in the Night" period for those who spend time praising and praying during the late night hours [between midnight and 6:00 AM]. And there truly is something freeing and beautiful in doing exactly that. One of my friends at school is transferring to IHOP next spring to become a Fire in the Night intern, and I must admit... I am extremely envious.
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