Showing posts with label Psalm 27. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 27. Show all posts

Sunday, August 17, 2014

What's the Big Hurry?

Prague, Běchovice, memorial to a running race.
Prague, Běchovice, memorial to a running race. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 27:14
New King James Version (NKJV)

         An impatient person can be prone to doing foolish things. They want what they want when they want it and will sometimes make bad decisions rather than keep waiting for something to happen.  These bad decisions can lead to dangerous outcomes.

          The driver anxious to get somewhere might jump the red light or exceed the speed limit in order to get where they are going more quickly.   The consequences can be unexpectedly bad and sometimes even fatal.  The itchiness to move at one's own pace can be a terrible decision if approached haphazardly without thinking clearly.

       God's timing is not the same as ours.   Sometimes we have to wait for the Lord's schedule and not pursue our own desires.   Waiting is rarely easy or pleasant, but when we have to wait then we should accept the situation as it is.   

        Let God have His way and He will give you what you need to deal with your impatience.  There is possibly a good reason for your having to wait.   Slow down and look around you.   When you move impatiently through life you will miss out on the details that make life more interesting and valuable.

        See the good in everything.  Even when you have to wait longer than you had hoped.

 Rejoice in hope, be patient in
tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12
English Standard Version (ESV)

Sunday, April 27, 2014

The House of the Lord

St Andrews Cathedral on Clyde Street
St Andrews Cathedral on Clyde Street (Photo credit: Beth M527)



One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

King James Version (KJV)

            It is good to be in the presence of God at all times.   We keep ourselves further from sin and closer to the peace and contentment that God can provide.   Not many of us would necessarily want to live in a church or some such sanctified facility.   Living the monastic life is certainly not the life that most of us would want to lead either.   But from the ideal perspective, the thought of dwelling with God can provide a great deal of security.

            When we have prepared ourselves for God to dwell within us then we are as God intends us to be.  Our days on Earth are short in comparison to our time in eternity.   If we are happy to be with God while on this Earth, then we have much to look forward to when we get to Heaven.
          

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

John 14:2

New International Version (NIV)

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Monday, April 14, 2014

Light #atozchallenge

Detail of the third window of the north wall w...
Detail of the third window of the north wall with stained glass depicting Jesus: I am the light of the world (John 8:12). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

New International Version (NIV)

         At the beginning of the Bible in the recounting of the story of Creation,  God's first pronouncement is "Let there be light".   Light was obviously important to be in the first order of things created.  A distinction was made between light and darkness--the light was declared to be good.

           As with so many concepts, light is presented in very literal terms throughout the Bible.  Daylight was the time when nearly all work was accomplished.  The darkness of night was often considered to be a time of fearfulness and for sinful deeds.   The light is what helps us to see and to been seen.

         With all this taken into consideration it's easy to understand how light is also often used in metaphorical and spiritual terms.   Light is often compared to love, goodness, truth, justice, and other attributes that open the eyes of the body, mind, and soul.  

           Those who love God also love the Light.   The Light illuminates the path the lies ahead of us in life and clarifies that which is behind us.  Without Light we are left to grope blindly in the dark.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

New International Version (NIV)

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