Psalm 103 ~ Great Is His Love

 

  

Psalm 103

1 Praise the LORD, 

O my soul; 

all 

my inmost being,

Praise His Holy Name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and 

forget not all His benefits-

3 Who forgives all your sins

and 

heals all your diseases,

4 Who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you 

with love and compassion,

5 Who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed

 like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness

and 

justice for 

all 

the oppressed.

7 He made known His ways to Moses,

His deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate 

and gracious,

slow to anger, 

abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will He harbor His anger forever;

10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us 

according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great 

is His Love 

for those who fear Him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far 

has He removed our transgressions 

from us.

13 As a father has compassion 

on His children,

so the LORD has compassion 

on those who fear Him;

14 for He knows 

how we are formed,

He remembers 

that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD's love

 is 

with those who fear Him,

and His righteousness 

with their children's children -

18 with those who keep 

His covenant

and remember to obey His precepts.

19 The LORD has established His Throne 

in Heaven,

and His Kingdom

 rules over 

all.

20 Praise the LORD, 

you 

His angels,

you mighty ones 

who do His bidding,

who obey 

His Word.

21 Praise the LORD, 

all 

His Heavenly Hosts,

you 

His servants who do His Will.

22 Praise the LORD, 

all 

His Works

everywhere - in His Dominion.

Praise the LORD, 

O 

my soul.

~12 as far as the east is from the west, 

so far 

has He 

removed our transgressions 

from us.

Does National Prayer Work???!!

Monday, January 2, 2023

“Monday Night Football” game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals was suspended and they knelt to pray for God's Help and Mercy
For Damar Hamlin

January 2023 last year, we were praying for Damar Hamlin. He broke his neck. And ESPN prayed for him. National News Organizations interrupted their broadcast to say America was praying with all their heart and longing.  Prayers were heard. It's unheard of to have such a trauma and yet, Damar and his mother continued their philanthropy. Praised the Name of Jesus. And Damar trotted back to... THE NFL AGAIN. He couldn't feel his legs when Damar was carried out. And it looked very, very bleak.  We all hated this. This man took care of his mother. With Philanthropy together. And the Lord.... He was delighted to heal Damar. 

Thank You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Nothing is too hard for our Lord.  His exact nature is represented in Jesus Christ.

What else have we all been praying for collectively in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?  Yes, we would have to agree, The Banner Yet Waves.

Prayer is an open invitation to our Father in Jesus Christ, 

Who invites us to Believe Him,

 Believe His Promises and the Salvation of Jesus Christ, 

Who paid the ultimate price for our Salvation.  

We are invited to live in His Kingdom for eternity. 

And to find out the narrow path of enriching life by living by faith.

We can be joyful, thankful, elated, eternally optimistic. Or worried that catastrophe is about to sweep away all we cherish and love.

Prayer is a picture language. An invitation to board a plane on a grey cold day and watch the plane reach up and up, until the sun shines in and all is bright and beautiful in the clear day.

We are all going to pray differently. Difficulty in prayer is trying to be saintly enough to get His Attention.  We can't flatter Him. He knows Sincere Love. My soul tells me, when I ask the Lord to know every aspect, every cell, every thought, He is always gracious, loving and pleased. And I continue by asking the Lord to know my every thought and emotion. And still His Love pours in.

The best prayer, The Lord's Prayer and know we place ourselves in His Tower. His Strength. His Protection.

We live in the Pandemic recovery.  As the Pandemic began to start to build up, we had massive animal die offs in about 2011. Coasts littered with fish. Birds falling by the thousands in Louisiana and other states.  I didn't know why these daily die offs were happening. Vietnam fell to 47' and almost every ox in Vietnam fell to the ground, dead.  But historically, the plagues began with animal die offs. And if you look at the movies, we had so many zombie movies. The world was reacting to the uppity coldness of profit as the only motivation. Or Power.

We pray to place ourselves out of harm's way.  People say: Do what I say. Think as I think. Pretend reality bends like this.  I tell you I'm stopping at the grocery, but no food appears.  Now I tell you the grocery store is gone. Yet, you drive by, and the grocery store is there. Analogy, of course. Life is definitely taking part of Pandemic Recovery and the outrageousness.  And if you don't believe me, you think inflation of historic proportions is just normal? It is not. We live in the time of extremes of Pandemic Recovery.

And after I began to first ask for His Protection, I could feel more prayers were answered, and they were. 

Another aspect we think would take us away from Jesus is our own worries. Doubts.  And this is incorrect. The Lord chose the Disciples who look like kittens who need their mother. The Disciples found the Holy Spirit to continue the Works of Jesus, but they looked worried most of the Gospels.  Thank God for the father who cried out to Jesus, "Help me, I have faith, Help me to have more faith!" Jesus understands prayers that say, I need Help. Helper. Comfort. Comforter.  And so many times He will.

When Jesus answers our prayers with No, we trust that The Lord's Will is Good.

Until we are agitated, unhappy, worried and morose. Then we have to be honest and say, Father, You have all the storehouses of every aspect of Life and unlimited resources, Jesus said I can tell You.  And so, I will, I feel You are being the Unfair Judge.  Confess any flaws or sins. Find Redemption. And then our spiritual lives, have the comfort of His Wonderful Counsel. We explain the whole situation to The Lord and He is our wonderful Counselor to listen, care, iron the wrinkles out, find a new thought, see in a new direction and be renewed. Sometimes my dreams are so colorful and don't make sense and I use this dream to work it out with Jesus like we are playing a jigsaw puzzle. Every possibility is examined with Jesus Christ. At the end of the solutions, I feel wonderfully loved, renewed and cared for. 

And when we are in the situation, this is your life, repeat. We feel dull and uninspired. And then we must remember, again, Jesus says always pray with Hope. I know my mother was healed completely and being prayed for at an Episcopal altar, of a Thyroid tumor of a good size. Her friend Pat, a Psychologist, was healed of failing blood vessels to the eyes and literal cataracts. I prayed for a woman who was attacked by a dog and her arm had become a mass of hard scars. Her husband showed up yelling at me the next day. An odd reaction. But at the end of yelling at me, he said it was time they go back to Jesus and Church again.   I know a child from my elementary school days who was born with her leg and ankle twisted at a 9o' angle. My Step grandfather and grandmother began to pray for her, every time we ate together. And suddenly, her ankle was as it should be. 

Jesus Christ is working today. Even on the ankle that was damaged for 11 years. The blindness coming in for five years and hereditary in her family. The Thyroid tumor was seen in a driver's license for more than two years.  And His Father is working too.

We are invited to climb far behind the darkened clouds of any situation. To burst into the welcome Love and Light of God and have conversation.  He invites us with all His Great and Mighty Heart. The Lord is Good. God of Love. God of Encouragement.

Abba, Father,

Praise the LORD, 

O my soul; 

all 

my inmost being

Praise His Holy Name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and 

forget not all His benefits -

Who forgives all your sins

and 

heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you 

with love and compassion

The Crown of Life

is just revealed to be

Love and Compassion

Help us, Father,

Helper

and Comforter.

With Your Help, 

we will look to the Windows of Heaven in our life 

and see a blessing overflow 

believing all things work together 

for those who Love You.

With Your Help for ourselves and the ones we love, 

our prayer concerns. 

We will act justly

 and to love mercy

 and to walk humbly with You, our God.

You are our guarantee. 

For ourselves and the ones we Love. 

In the Highest Name of Jesus, we are covered. 

Please pray for Edward

And for Alexander's eyes to heal.

His lens is not shaped quite normally

yet, he is too young for

a permanent, implanted lens.

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, in Jesus Christ. 

Help us find and bring

to become

 more Heaven

to this earth.

And the Nations of the world,

Your Good Creation,

Calling upon You.

In Jesus Christ is 

Our Love, Joy and Hope.

Bless those working for

Post Pandemic Healing

and Care.

Bless us all, worldwide

with Healing

Safety

Prosperity and

Peace.

We ask healing

of Your Good Creation

The fullness of the earth is Yours.

The healing of those we pray for

in our heart and soul.

The safety of Your people.

The safety of those

helping the earth to heal.

Let evil and practicing evil

depart far from us

and our children.

The safety of Your people.

The Healing

of the Nation.

Wholeness

Holy.

Goodness.

And in Jesus - this Hope, 

Faith and Love - we will rise up believing Jesus. 

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You, Jesus

†

Isaiah 53:1-2 ~ we are Healed

 

Isaiah 53:1-2

Who has believed what He has heard from us? 

And to whom has the Arm of the Lord been revealed?

 For He grew up before Him like a young plant, 

and like a root out of dry ground; 

He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, 

and no beauty that we should desire Him. 

He was despised and rejected by men, 

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; 

and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, 

and we esteemed Him not. 

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; 

yet we esteemed Him stricken, 

smitten by God, 

and afflicted.

But He was pierced for our transgressions; 

He was crushed for our iniquities; 

upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, 

and with His wounds 

we are healed.

Isaiah 53 is living and active. We could be speaking of Moses in his 80's tending his fathers-in-law's flocks. Or of David, by passed by his father, Jesse, for being the youngest and least worthy. Samuel, the Rabbi and Prophet, had to order Jesse to fetch David, and they all stand, not sitting, waiting for David to arrive before them, David had been doing his father's work in the fields. Looking into the heart, the Lord could see. 

 

As we continue down Isaiah's 53rd Chapter, we can see this ordeal is redeemed by Jesus, the Savior of the world.  

Psalm 1 

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

The Scriptures are like Praise music song progression.

What is song progression in music?

Put simply, a chord progression is a series of chords played in sequence that all work around a key. The Scriptures are about Jesus Christ and the people who are following Jesus using as we all do, our flawed nature and abilities. 

Isaiah 53 is hard and really Jesus wanted His longest discussion with His Disciples in John 14, 15, 16 and 17 to be the Joy Jesus has in Life. This Life.

During November, December and January, Edward and I encountered several illnesses. I had the worst cold for decades. Then Edward and I had norovirus, which led to Edward's colon bleed and Critical Care in the Hospital. 

We are still Profoundly Grateful for the people who prayed for Edward to recover. He wasn't eating, there was no reason to suggest his own body would heal. And did after an hour of prayers that arrived. We are Grateful! Thank you to our neighbors who prayed

We took a cruise to Alaska after the school year had begun. So many as we looked around the dining room were people in their 80s or late 70s.  Incredibly inspiring. Joy to experience life. The excursions, people with a walker, now and then, moving down the boardwalk and on to the next adventure.  Strive. Even some 90s.

Octogenarians - when you are this age, you have experienced the joys and hardships the Lord told us all for millenniums would occur.  And to survive, you'd have to believe there is something Simply More worth attending to.  Heaven is described as a Tree, from the smallest seed. The Scriptures go on to say faith of the smallest seed is rewarded. And from this seed, grows the largest Tree where the birds long to sit and live, move and have their being. 

A Tree will know drought, heat, cold, wind, excessive rain.  And become worthy for years and years.  Especially when there is as Proverbs says, a future to look toward.  Eternity is a mighty long time. 

Beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life. Electric word: Life. Meaning forever. And that's a mighty long time. But I'm here to tell you there's something else. The afterworld. A world understanding the earth is the Lord's and the fulfillment thereof.  The Kingdom of God, Power of God and the Glory of God. Exhibited by the people of faith. Lived by the Children of God.

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength. Always.

Abba, Father,

Father, You have said

All these blessings will come on you 

and accompany you 

if you obey the Lord your God.

The Lord will send a blessing on your barns 

and on everything you put your hand to.

 The Lord your God will bless you in the land He is giving you.

You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

The Lord will establish you as His Holy people, as He promised you on oath,

 if you keep the commands of the Lord your God 

and walk in obedience to Him.

We believe Your blessing Father God,

 for ourselves, 

the ones we Love, 

the People You have given us. 

We believe Your Blessing for Our Jesus and Scripture believing Churches. 

We believe this for Your people around the world. 

We will believe this for Our Nation. 

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

And we will finish well, in Jesus Christ. 

Help us find and bring

to become

 more Heaven

to this earth.

And the Nations of the world,

Your Good Creation,

Calling upon You.

In Jesus Christ is 

Our Love, Joy and Hope.

Bless those working for

Post Pandemic Healing

and Care.

Bless us all, worldwide

with Healing

Safety

Prosperity and

Peace.

We ask healing

of Your Good Creation

The fullness of the earth is Yours.

The healing of those we pray for

in our heart and soul.

The safety of Your people.

The safety of those

helping the earth to heal.

Let evil and practicing evil

depart far from us

and our children.

The safety of Your people.

The Healing

of the Nation.

Wholeness

Holy.

Goodness.

And in Jesus - this Hope, 

Faith and Love - we will rise up believing Jesus. 

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes, The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You, Jesus

†

Psalm 1 ~ like a tree

 

Psalm 1 

Blessed is the man [a]

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portraying a godly person

b. Psalm 1:2 Or instruction

2011

We  had an incredible year for the trees here in the Houston area. Record drought. A stunning number of trees were still standing and dead as a doorbell. Being a gardener, a friend called me to show me her incredible composting skill.  Anyway, they called me to show me their patio tree, one of 3, shading their patio, died in the middle of the drought. It had been fertilized, watered and it just keeled over. It was the 'one' they relied upon for shade. "Why?" They asked.

I said my cousin worked for the Louisiana State Forestry Commission and when he visited he said record drought is Not record drought. It is just an event that has occurred again and again over the millenniums we have no record of. It is nature's way of making the forest - - - stronger.

But they said, "The tree had all the necessary things for life." I said," It's still the stress of the event of constant wind, constant heat and it got to the tree."

Psalm 1 is about hope and believing we can trust God. The acorns left by a 120 year old Oak left a tree. We are the tree that survived this year's drought. Life goes on. 

Some day, we will be the Christmas tree of  glory. 

In God's promises - all those lights of Christmas - are today - Jesus the Light - continue to shine.

Abba, Father,

Dwell in us, please, Father.

Dwell in those we Love.

Help us to seek You first.

In Jesus Christ, we will finish well.

Dwell in our technical devices

that peace, tranquility

and speed with accuracy

and clean living

endure forever. Amen in Jesus Christ!

To see

to bring

to be

more daily

Thy Kingdom come

Thy will be done

on earth

as in Heaven

In Jesus Christ is 

Our Love, Joy and Hope.

Bless those working for

Post Pandemic Healing

and Care.

Bless us all, worldwide

with Healing

Safety

Prosperity and

Peace.

We ask healing

of Your Good Creation

The fullness of the earth is Yours.

The healing of those we pray for

in our heart and soul.

The safety of Your people.

Let evil and practicing evil

depart far from us

and our children.

The safety of Your people.

The Healing

of the Nation.

Wholeness

Holy.

Goodness.

You are the Shepherd of our Souls. 

We always want You to Dwell within us. 

Help us to make our eternal being a good and joyful place 

for Your Holy Spirit.

Help us to stay with You in Faith.

Giving our hearts to You, to tend to us and the ones we love. 

We rest our cares with You.

In Jesus, our Alleluia will be found.

We believe You are the Willing and Good Father.

Thank You for Jesus.

To You, our Father, be the Glory

Amen and Alleluia

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes, The Lord Fulfills His Purpose

Thank You, Jesus

†