Psalm 33:11-19 ~ sees all of mankind

Psalm 33:11-19

¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.

¹³ From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;

¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-

¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.

¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.

¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.

¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

My great-uncle Frank loved to rile his sister-in-law, Clarice, by saying, 'I have 6 brothers and 6 sisters, 6 are Baptist and 6 are Christian." She never did laugh, but he did uproariously. I asked him to repeat himself and I laughed like mad. Frank said, 'Clarice never laughs.' We laughed harder and got to the point of tears. Clarice grumped by, saying it was an old joke. I told her, "It's your reaction that makes it so funny." Clarice finally saw it and she smiled. The truth was Frank admired Clarice, it would have been difficult not to. Good deeds, a sense of humor and a loving heart.

The Christian community gets grumpy with one another.

Once, walking along a bridge, and I saw this guy on the bridge about to jump. So I thought I’d try to stall and detain him, long enough for me to put the film in. I said, “Don’t jump!” and he turns… You’ve heard of the elephant man. He was kind of like that, he had a, well, you could say he had the head of a horse. And my heart went out to him. I said, “Why the long face?”
He said, ”’Cause all my life people have called me mean names like horses-head or Flicka or chess-piece or Trigger…”
I said, “Well, don’t worry about it, Ed. It can’t be that bad.”
He said, “My girlfriend’s suing me!”
I said, “For palomino?”
He said, “Why was I put on this Earth?”
I said, “My friend, anywhere else you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
He said, “Nobody loves me.”
I said, “God loves you, you silly ninny.”
He said, “How do you know there’s a God?”
I said, “Of course there’s a God. Do you think that billions of years ago a bunch of molecules floating around at random could someday have had the sense of humor to make you look like that?”
He said, “I do believe in God.”
I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?”
He said, “A Christian.”
I said, “Me too. Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”
I said, “Me too! What franchise?”
He says, “Baptist.”
I said, “Me too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Baptist.”
I said, “Me too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist or Northern Conservative Reform Baptist?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern Region?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region.”
I say, “Me too! Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879 or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
He says, “Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”

I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over!

What is the point of all of this? Substitute any denomination/Church name you care to in the joke. Yet God works in the lives of us all. God works wonders in the hospital room were nothing in the room is truly right or righteous. Just sadness and a hope for His Grace. God will be there.

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

What followers of Christ believe is our mediator is Jesus Christ. If we have so many branches of Christianity, we must believe the Churches believing Jesus Christ is Lord, believing in the Scriptures are doing His work and working with Him on His great Plan. With mercy and kindness, His unfailing Love surrounds and supports us!

Father God, we pray for Your Church, You call Your Bride. Father, we are fragmented like the Tower of Babel, yet Your Plan stands firm. We pray for Your Church that in believing in Your Grace, believing in Your Word, Your Love will shine for Your Glory. Blessed be You, Father God, for giving us Jesus Christ. Amen.

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