Psalm 92
1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:
7 that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
for behold, your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over mea fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
If you drive past the summer blue of the Mediterranean, up past the majestic Palm trees, over a bridge and begin to climb the hills, you will find a street called
Chien Forestier - loosely translated Dogwood Trees Plural. Forest.
I knew this well! I was small and my parents were kindly giants. One white car going up the hills, highways and narrow parts of Old Nice. I could tell you the one and only day we met the movie star David Niven. Or the two times I met Princess Grace.
The many times we saw the Guard in front of The Palace. The evening I spent with Princess Caroline and Prince Albert, some, when Princess Grace was pregnant with Stephanie. Because an American girl from Oregon, who lived with us, Odette Gilbert worked at the Palace in Monaco. Our Priest's name was Frank Griswold. I'll add, Rex Harrison lived within miles, but I never laid eyes on him. My father told my mother, on two occasions, to be polite and not stare at Rex Harrison eating dinner.
And that is very exciting, yet, the Joy and warmth and heart of the memories from Nice, France would be this these early days:
How could you help but not see the Majesty of God in the sun showing the blazing color?
Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one of them is missing.
Ephesians 3:15
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named
1 Thessalonians 4
12 Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone. 13 Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.
God's Glory. The sunsets were usually dramatic and as the light became twilight the lights glowed with gold. The water appeared to be a deep purple. The astonishing color.
This event was steadfast, even in winter. And God saw that this is Good. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
Let's bring the passage alive Today, for us.
The wild winds of Life eventually howl. This is not our eternal Home.
Just as we all grew up with: Here is the Church, here is the Steeple. Open the Doors. Here are the People!
Father God in His Holy Spirit in all of the Scripture used the Palm Tree. Flourish like the Palm Tree.
This is a Palm Tree Analogy of God. Jesus several times in His Word says "Jesus healed them all." A palm tree has a very compact root ball, like a human heart is compact. And when this tree is uprooted by intense wind, the tree is pulled up, up, up and planted again in the soil to flourish - Again.
God is Amazingly, Completely Interesting. And Wise. In All His Glory and in His Infinitesimal Wisdom of Love.
He tells us of His faith in us. In our Joy in Jesus Christ. And when circumstance and life howl.
John 14
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You believe in God ; believe also in me. 2 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
Luke 23:43
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
1 John 4:10
This is love:
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
4th Century Ossicare David Thessaloniki, Greece
Ancient of Days
Ancient of Days
Abba, Lord Father God,
Lover and Creator of all people and things,
Of old, You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
May You bless us to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for You.
Establish our hearts blameless in Holiness before You, God and Father, today and at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His Saints.
In Jesus, He who calls us is faithful; He will surely do it.
As we lift up our dearest hope to Jesus. For our loved ones. Cares, concerns. Worries of the news. Old times, times to come. This Nation. Your People.
May You, Abba, Bless us to grow in the grace and knowledge of You, The Lord God Almighty and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is Love.
To Jesus,
Son of God, bringing His Father a new Heaven and a new earth,
be the glory both now
and to the day of eternity. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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