Thursday, March 9, 2017

ENOUGH WILL BE ENOUGH

This journal entry will get loud; be prepared.

Reading Psalm 46 this morning I suddenly realized that a favorite verse (10) which calms many believers in times of stress, is not actually a very gentle verse.

We love the seeming gentleness of “Be still and know that I am God.” But I have always wondered why this gentle reminder is in this slightly turbulent Psalm. Why does the subject turn from talking about God's ability to control in a harsh and Godly manner, and suddenly become a gentle “prompting” to us to trust Him. Well. It apparently doesn't.

Not all versions use these words. Several use the Word, “CEASE! or DESIST!” And some notes indicate that the phrase “Be still...” could be translated: ENOUGH! And that would indicate that the words are actually directed to those causing the CHAOS in the world of sin. ENOUGH will be spoken and the sin and sinfulness will STOP! It will happen in God's time, but it WILL happen.

ENOUGH with the wars!
ENOUGH with the murders and other crime!
ENOUGH with the chaotic uprisings and hate mongering!
ENOUGH with brutality and stubbornness against God and His people.
ENOUGH with the lack of commonsense replaced by stupidity and cruelty.
ENOUGH of not listening to God Almighty!
ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!

CJB - “DESIST and learn that I am God,
supreme over the nations,
supreme over the earth.” (caps mine)


NAS - CEASE striving and know that I am God; (caps mine)

BE STILL and know that I am God.” (caps mine)

ENOUGH! I AM GOD!

This is a reminder that God will not be eternally rejected. He will not let sin go on forever. He will put an end to it. Anyone not covered by the blood of Christ will be REJECTED by Him and will come to a very bad ending. He will conquer; and He will be the last word on the subject! Hallelu Yah! Amen.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He
breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He
burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. NAS

Thursday, January 5, 2017

REMEMBERING AN INFLUENCE


BUT I AM PRAYING...

In this first week of the 2017, I find myself tearing up over the influence of someone who has moved away from my life; but who had immeasurable influence on it.

When I came into this new phase of my life back in 2005, God literally pushed me into a program called Celebrate Recovery and broke my heart over what I had been and what I needed to be instead. CR, as we call it, was just the tool He wanted to use it to turn me from hating into loving; from twisting everything to God's failures in my life to seeing God's Great Power and Love and Mercy at work in my life.

The walk before me was extremely painful and exhausting. But due to this influential woman in my life, I learned to cling to God through, not just my own personal prayers and pleading, but by reaching out for Joy in the music that was the epitome of all that I needed to pray. Because of her, I became a “hand raiser,” unable to stop reaching up to God as I prayed along with these songs. To this day, I find pure Joy in singing my prayers. A morning of musical prayer is always a very high note in my life!

Since not many people in my church “arm raise,” the question sometimes came up as to whether it was really alright to do that.

At one evening prayer meeting, a small discussion came up and our precious guiding light Shepherd leader was put on the spot by everyone looking to him for an answer:

In his sweet way, he said that it surely is not wrong and, in itself does, not interrupt a calm and orderly worship service. But it is true that the Bible only mentions it in regard to prayer. What I did not say, but thought, was, “But I AM praying!”

I will never forget how this woman influenced my growth in Christ by showing me how to reach up to God in prayer, as well as look up to Him as the owner, Savior and Lord of my life.

May we all “reach up” to God with our prayers, even if our arms do not rise!

And may we see the power of God in our lives day after day in this new year and beyond!