Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.
(Matthew 5:5)
Inherit
Tag: mountains
Peace and Fixed Thoughts
You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always,
for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
(Isaiah 26:3,4)
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Extol Him Who Rides on the Clouds
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
When you, God, went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.
Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.
The Lord announces the word,
and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng
(Psalm 68:1 -11)
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Clouds
It’s one thing to sing about joy and peace when all is sunny and warm; it’s another when clouds hang over the horizon like dismal forebodings.
It’s one thing to praise God when healing comes and everything works according to design specifications; it’s another when undeniable pain interrupts sleep and a doctor says we need to schedule a biopsy.
I have often heard the expression “struggling with…” as in, “He is struggling with an alcohol/porn/Oxycontin addiction,” or, “She is struggling with a victim mentality/sympathy addiction/negative attitude problem.” I’ve used the phrase myself.
It is easier for him to say, “I am struggling with an addiction,” than it is to say, “I confess that I am giving in to an addiction,” or for her to say, “I am struggling with discouragement,” than “I am choosing to obsess about how much harder my life has been than other peoples’.”
It’s a euphemism, a prettier way to lie to ourselves and others. The truth is he has stopped fighting his addiction and she is deliberately wallowing in self-pity. The devil can custom-make the temptations he waves in front of our eyes, but we are the ones who choose to bite into them.
Here’s another crazy thing: it is so easy to divert attention by criticizing others for taking bites from forbidden fruit that are unattractive to us, while our own mouths are busy chomping temptation tidbits. I am not tempted by a case of beer (I can’t get it past my nose) but if a loved one driving on winter roads is an hour past estimated arrival time I can go from re-checking my watch to worrying about funeral plans in a ridiculously short period of time. I have habitually docked my boat in Worry Bay for far too many years. This is a change that doesn’t come easy.
My confession: I have been giving in to fear. For about three weeks I have allowed the “what-ifs” to drown out God’s promises to never leave me or forsake me. Fear has not been there the whole time, but often enough to distract me from enjoying precious moments with my new grandchild.
At first I kept the secret of ominous symptoms to myself, but then I had a dream about putting make-up on with a spatula and someone telling me that putting on a good face doesn’t make the problem go away, nor is it honest. That’s not faith; that’s denial. There is a greater truth that is seen from God’s perspective, but it doesn’t make the mere facts seen from human perspective untrue — merely limited.
This morning I read Psalm 57:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
It’s a choice, the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) or the fruit of temptation (“Did God really say…?”).
This is a storm on the horizon. Maybe it will blow over, maybe it won’t. The Lord has safely seen me through many storms and He will safely see me through this one as well. Today I choose to listen to Holy Spirit.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Related post
At a Standstill: https://charispsallo.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/at-a-standstill/
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Weapons-grade Joy
A friend used the term “weapons-grade joy” today and it reminded me of this day, just over a year ago.
My daughter and I decided to take a student, who was visiting from Germany, on a little hike. She volunteered to carry one of the children in a backpack carrier and my daughter carried the other on her back. I, of course, carried the camera –and some crackers and milk and extra diapers.
On the way back down the hill the lovely student and our little granddaughter, who was about 2 ½ years old at the time, began to sing, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Like all joyful toddlers she shouted, “Again!” at the end of every verse, adding her own suggestions for who God had in his hands this time. By the time we reached the bottom of the trail she had placed every person, pet and animate and inanimate object she could think of in His hands.
There was some weapons-grade joy launched that day. Our young friend couldn’t believe that a walk through the neighbourhood in this part of Canada could look like this, and the rest of us got to enjoy the concert of praise.
It was a good day.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2)
“The joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:11)
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Cattle Country
Photo: Near High River, Alberta
He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Psalm 147
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Where glory rests
Alpenglow on The Steeples Range
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
(Psalm 12:7)
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More abundantly
Photos: Yesterday I had time to go out with my camera for a while. The skies were overcast in town, but I saw some interesting light to the west so I pointed myself in that direction. I asked the Lord for a bit of light, both in my life, and on the hills so I might get one good shot. I followed the sun westward and ended up on a logging road that led to St. Marys Lake and the headwaters of the St. Marys River, then circled back by Marysville Falls at twilight. He supplied abundantly more than I asked. Out of this abundance I share with you.
Can you see the house in the above photo? It puts the size of these trees into perspective.
…and many more, which I may post at a later date…
Oh, wait. I have to include this one, just because I don’t think you will see community bulletin boards like this one in Toronto or Pittsburgh or Mumbai:
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Blue Shadows on the Trail
Photos:Sunset on the Cowboy Trail last night
Yes, that is snow.
One of my great joys is listening to my son sing lullabies to his son. He does the best cover of “Blue Shadows on the Trail” that I have ever heard. That boy –OK, man– can sing.
Thank you God. You are good. I have lived to see my children’s children.
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Feast in the Valley
Photo: A visual feast in the valley on the way to my daughter’s house
EXPRESSIONS Look without! Behold the beauty of the day, The shout of color to glad color, rocks and trees, and sun and seas, and wind and sky: All these are God’s expression, art work of His hand, which men must love ere they can understand. ~ Richard Hovey
Charis: Subject to Change 