Tag: Psalm

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Plenty of Power

Let me start by apologizing for yesterday. We awoke to a a tremendous storm that was blowing stuff all over the place, and knocked out our electrical power. This made it a fun morning getting reading in the dark, but made it a difficult morning for constructing a blog entry. I then had to proceed off to a day full of activities that also made it difficult to construct a blog entry.
So my post yesterday said that I had no power. That was only partially correct. Yes, its correct that I did my home did not have any electrical power, but actually I shown the real power that I am able to tap into.  I was reminded of the song that we were singing just on Sunday, a hymn called Every Time by Philip Organ,  in which there is this verse:

Everytime I watch a storm I know the awesome power of my Lord

but then it goes on to say

I don’t know why so many things seem to get in the way of seeing my God’s glory
But I try everyday to see and thank Him for all the things He’s given me

Yep, it was a frantic and frustrating morning yesterday at the ol’ homestead, but what we missed in that was that God laid his glory and power right out in front of us.  After some time considering the morning, I see how wrong my post’s title from yesterday was.  I sure do have power – plenty of power!

 11 One thing God has spoken,
       two things have I heard:
       that you, O God, are strong,

 12 and that you, O Lord, are loving.
       Surely you will reward each person
       according to what he has done. Psalm 62:11-12 NIV

Now, we can choose to live our lives in the dark, like we were yesterday, fumbling and bumbling around, or we can plug into the spiritual power that exists and live in a way that is supercharged!  Be strengthened by the power of God. Step out of the darkness and into its light.  It’s enough to keep you going in the right direction!  It’s all you need to keep focused.

10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:10-14 (New International Version)

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Greasy Farmer

Yesterday, I was out enjoying lunch with one of my good friends and coworker.  This is usually our gripe about work lunch, and a few others usually join us.  However, one of them was probably on her back porch on a conference call and the other had just returned from India the night before and was not at work.  So the two of us sat talking about various things when this guy slides past our table on crutches and literally falls in the chair at the table next to ours.  Yep, it was Tuesday, and Tuesday seems to be homeless dude on crutches day for me.

So Roy, as we later found out his name to be, proceeded to tell us all about his current illness, his days in the ‘war’, his battle with brain cancer and his current job singing at a local drinking establishment.   As a matter of fact Roy, who by the way is not homeless dude from last week, serenaded us with three of his own songs that evidently he had composed.. He has according to him, been on the Grand Ole’ Opry several times.  His creative lyrics even mentioned a Greasy Farmer.

There we were, stuck.  He continued to sing and talk and weave his tale, we continued to nervously eat, glancing looks at each other, trying to figure out a way out.  I was waiting for the question – “Do you have some spare change?”, “Can you buy my lunch?”, “Can you help me with …?”  And then it came.  It started like this.  “Do you like my singing?”.

I expected, then how about a few dollars.  But no he said “Do you have change for a twenty?”.  Without having to look I knew all I had was crisp ATM dispensed twenties, nothing bigger, nothing smaller, so I responded “No, sir.”.   He then said “Do you like my singing?, Hey how much was that salad you are eating?”  I responding with a rough estimate of the price, because in all honesty, I really didn’t know.  When I checked out, I just gave the cashier dude my plastic and whammo I had lunch!  At this point, I was getting really anxious, where is this going I was wondering?  Are others in the restaurant wondering what is going?  What is the management going to think about this exchange?

And here comes the surprise.  “Hey, you can see I can barely walk, can you go up and get me whatever you had, I want to be like you!”  (At this point I know the dude is half insane, as being like me would put him over the top.)  “I’ve got a twenty”.  He stood up reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty and handed it to me.

So off we went to purchase Roy’s lunch with Roy’s money.  We brought the meal over to him, shook his hand, exchanged pleasantries and then we walked back up the hill to the office, just a little mystified.

There are two lessons hidden in this little encounter I think. The first one relates to last Wednesdays post about homeless dude.  I was frustrated last week that I didn’t take any time to even see what was up with that guy.  Yesterday I was given some what of a redo and although I had fully expected to be asked for money, all he wanted was someone to listen to him and to help him.

The second lesson comes from Roy himself.  Remember, this lunch usually contained some element of a gripe session.  Well from the moment Roy sat down he kept referring to the gifts he had been given from God and how God gave him his strength to keep going forward.  And let me tell you, Roy has had his share of beat downs, its pretty amazing that he can still give glory to his Creator.  That is such a lesson for me.  I find myself caught up in the non-essentials and sometimes overlook the gifts and strength that come from our Creator.  I hope that I can remember this little lesson from the Greasy Farmer, remember that my strength is from God, no matter what.

 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
       where does my help come from?

 2 My help comes from the LORD,
       the Maker of heaven and earth Psalm 121:1-2 (New International Version)

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Plodding Along

So yesterday I mentioned the way those kids where plodding through the corn maze, like they were on some mission.  They were marching down the rows of corn, plodding, always moving forward, but really to what end.  As I trailed that last girl, I wandered to myself, ‘wow, this feels like a microcosm of my life’.

Have you ever felt that way.  Plodding, get up, work, practices, homework, bills, sleep, and tomorrow – do it again!  It’s very easy to get in this march of life.  Down through the corn maze – up on the rat race, plodding, moving, but never really getting anywhere.

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

3 What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?  Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 (New International Version)

oh yes, depressing, meaningless.  So here he are sojourners, navigating the corn maze, plodding forward, never looking back, but  to what end.   Well, check out Psalm 39.  David says

4 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.

He asks God to make it very clear to him that we are plodding along frail, like a vapor, so that He would place his Hope in  God alone.

7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.

And then he ends the Psalm by crying out and stating the he is just a traveling, traveling with God.

12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.

I personally find some strength there in knowing that this feeling of vanity is normal, and it has a purpose – to send me searching for my Creator.  So I will continuing the plodding, but not aimlessly.  Oh sure, my days will be filled with vanity and worthlessness, as yours will be. However, there is a hope that will bring comfort to my days when I look for him through the maze.

3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
(Psalm 43:3a, New King James Version)

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Rooted

Woot, woot! Man, I have so many things to be pumped about today. We had a great relaxing soccer filled weekend as a family. We explored the Sequatchie Valley on a beautiful day on Saturday. The Mountaineers won, my fantasy team won ( as a matter of fact, my bench alone almost beat my opponent). It’s just so great. But you know what really makes today great. It’s the fact that I have been given another day to delight in what the Lord has provided. More than the wins, more than the sun, more than the weekend. Check it in the first Psalm:

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.Psalm 1 (NIV)

It’s being rooted by a source of food and energy that has me excited today. Like a tree by a stream, His law provides the nutrients for us to produce fruit. Let’s be rooted in Him. Watch the fruit the we will produce.

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So Much To Do, So Little Time

There’s a children book called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. This book has been made into a cartoon, that my guys used to watch when they were little.  I am sure Amy still shows it in the classroom.  Anyway, in the beginning of the story, the parents are going around the house singing a song that goes something like “Some much to do, so little time in the morning…”  Amy and I still sing that a lot as we bustle around in the morning trying to get “stuff” done.

And that’s especially me this morning.  Between coaxing a teenager to get ready for school, watering the garden, running, picking tomatoes, showering, ironing clothes, reading email, paying bills, and talking Fantasy football with Andrew I am plum give out and its not even 9 am! Phew.

I am sure y’all have days like this as well, and these are days when this stuff can crush our spirit.  I have already caught myself this morning, feeling this self induced anxiety coming over me, and knowing that whoever crosses my path better watch out.  That’s not good. It’s day’s like this we need to remember things like this:

10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)

He’s in control, and he’s the one that we can can find peace in.  So if you find yourselves like me today – just a little frazzled.  Be still for a few moments, focus on Him and see what a difference it makes.

I know, I feel better and ready to head off for a day of cubical warfare!