Word of the day....

(actually it's 2 words and a very small fraction of the Word)

Jesus wept 

--John 11:35

This verse always makes me marvel at the perfect humanity of my Saviour.  It also always seems to cause me to ponder what other things Jesus did.  Think of the many simple things you do through out a day.  You eat.  You sleep.  Perhaps you talk to your mother or your friends.  Jesus did these things too. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.  God loves us so much that he became man.*  He lived life here on earth.  He felt pain, sorrow, joy, and love.  He laughed and he cried.  Pretty amazing, huh?

*note that God became man.  Man cannot become God.

Psalm 150 for Post 150

 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy sanctuary; give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.

Give praise for his mighty deeds, praise him for his great majesty.

Give praise with blasts upon the horn, praise him with harp and lyre.

Give praise with tambourines and dance, praise him with flutes and strings.

Give praise with crashing cymbals, praise him with sounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD! Hallelujah!

--Psalm 150 (NAB)

This is my 150th post so I thought I would post the 150th psalm.  It is a beautiful song of praise.  It has on more than one occasion been a reminder to me to praise God.  I am often much better at remembering to praise when things are wonderful, but I often forget to give the Lord the glory and honor He deserves in those times when life brings me to my knees. 

Here is a video that includes the song "Let Everything That Has Breath" by Matt Redman.  This song seems to be a reflection on Psalm 150; it also seems to be an invitation to join in the praise.

Verse of the Day

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.--John 3:16

This is potentially the most well known Bible verse.  It is one of the few verses I knew before I ever considered memorizing scripture.   This verse pretty much sums up why God humbled himself and became man.  I find it is a good verse to have written on my mind and heart; it reminds me that I will not and cannot ever achieve eternal life of my own accord.  

Verse of the Day

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, my soul; do not forget all the gifts of God,

Who pardons all your sins, heals all your ills,

Delivers your life from the pit, surrounds you with love and compassion,

Fills your days with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

I am running a pretty high fever right now so I don't think i am going to expound on my choice for today.  

Accessorizing the Verse of the day...

When I was reflecting on I Samuel 2:2, I remembered this song, particularly the line that says "I'll take a shack on a rock over a castle in the sand". It is just a really good song and a reminder that we aren't here to further our own personal kingdoms, but to further the Kingdom of God.

Verse of the Day

There is no Holy One like the LORD;

there is no Rock like our God.

I Samuel 2:2 (NAB)

Background

    This verse is a portion of Hannah's prayer of praise to the Lord.  She was barren for many years and it pretty much made her miserable.  She prayed fervently one day at the temple promising to dedicate her child to the Lord if only God would give her a son; her praying was so intense that the priest at the temple thought her to be drunk.  She told the priest of her plight and he assures her that God will remember her.

   The next time Hannah and her husband Elkanah have relations with each other, Hannah concieves Samuel.  When Samuel has been born and subsequently weaned, Hannah brings him to the temple, dedicates him to the Lord, and leaves him to be trained up as a priest.  It is during this visit to the temple that Hannah takes the time to thank the Lord for his blessing her with a child and praising him for all that he is.

Personal Relevance

   Recently I have realized a depletion in my trust in the Lord.  I have been looking to the world and others to help be my stability.  Thankfully I have a wonderful fiancé who reminds me that when the going gets tough, I need to take an honest look at my prayer life and adjust as needed.  This verse serves as a good reminder to me that God is my rock, and if I want to be on solid ground I should stop relying on things with foundations made of sand.  I am not saying a perfect prayer life will eradicate all woes and hardships, but it will make them manageable.  Also since Hannah experienced great grief and then through prayer found her relief and found great joy, this verse gives me a measure of hope when I am in doubt.  Hannah also dedicates her joy to the Lord by offering up Samuel to his service.  It reminds me to be thankful and to offer up my joys and successes for the glory of the Lord.

Verse of the Day...

For the month of October my running thread is going to be Verse of the Day where I will share a verse from Scripture and possibly reflect on it or something of the sort.  I would like to also put in another running thread, but I have yet to figure out what it will be.