Psalm 75 Opposing God- Foolishness

Psalm 75:5

Do not lift your horns against heaven,

Do not speak so defiantly.

Pride-

Arrogance-

Willfulness-

Rebellion…………

Foolishness-

Pure foolishness.

Life can be simple………

If I let it.

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly, to love mercy
   and to walk humbly  with your God.

Father

Forgive the arrogance of my flesh.

Move powerfully in me to delight in You-

So that the desires of my heart-

The new heart You have placed in me………..

Explodes

With Goodness, Grace and

Love.

Please………….

Do this in me

So that I may truly participate in Your Life-

True Life.

Amen

Psalm 74 The Power of Truth

Psalm 74: 1 and 22

Why have You rejected us forever O’ God?........

Rise up O’ God and defend Your cause………….

Has God forgotten me?

Has He rejected me?

Has He left me in the midst of pain to…………

Fend for myself?

It might feel that way when…………

He doesn’t cooperate with my plans.

I have to be careful about feelings-

Oh, don’t get me wrong now…….

I am not saying deny them-

I am not saying pretend like they don’t matter-

More like-

Stand up to the feelings……..

With Truth.

It’s what I see David doing in the rest of Psalm 74

Oh, by the way-

David’s plea for God to rise up-

To defend His cause……….

There’s this guy named Jesus………

Luke 24:5-6

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here-

He has risen!

Holy Spirit

Please continually raise up the standard of Truth in me-

The Truth of God’s Love for me-

The Truth of God’s Goodness-

The Truth of Father’s Power to……….

Bring me to Life.

Amen

Psalm 73 Phantoms

Psalm 73:20

(Speaking of the wicked- David says)

As a dream when one awakes,

So when You arise O’ Lord,

You despise them

As fantasies.

There is a true self-

A real  man with real pain-

A real man with real sin-

A real man with real need-

A real man with real desire-

This is the man God will heal.

Then there are…………….

Fantasies.........

Phantoms

Make believe men we present for approval-

To other men

And………….

To God.

These phantoms are……………

Despised-

To them Jesus will say-

“Depart from Me for I never knew you.”

If the Gospel is nothing else-

It is the Truth that God Loves........

The Real Man-

The True Self-

And in that Love-

God Himself

Brings that man to……….

Life!

Father

Help me to experience Your Love so powerfully

That I live all my life in freedom.

That I live all my life……….

From the Truth of You in me.

Father

Reveal my phantom self-

Destroy my make believe self-

Wash away all the fronts my pride sets up for men’s approval

So that I may truly………..

Live.

Amen

This is a dangerous prayer-

We will need good friends-

We will need the Body of Christ-

To walk with us-

As God answers this prayer.

Psalm 72 Are You Thirsty?

Psalm 72: 6

He (Jesus) will be like

Rain falling on a mown field,

Like showers watering the earth.

I cut the grass yesterday-

No, check that-

I ran over the yard with the lawn mower.

Everything is still a bit brown and looks…………

Well- Thirsty!

What about you guys-

Are you ready for another spring-

Are you ready to start mowing your lawns?

There’s just something about fresh cut grass-

Maybe it’s the sharpness of the manicured lines-

You know-

Where the mower has found its path,

Gliding over the top of the blades.

I love the elegance- the orderliness of it all-

It’s the earth…………………. subdued!

But there’s something else-

It’s as if the mowing has ignited some longing in the lawn.

It’s as if even the hint of rain causes the blades to rise……………..

Rise in anticipation-

Anticipation of…………….

Life!

John 4:13-14

Jesus answered,

”Everyone who drinks this well water will be thirsty again,

But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst-

Indeed the water I give you will become in you a Spring of Water

Welling up to

 Eternal Life.”

Father

Make my heart like the freshly mown lawn-

Ready for-  Anticipating- Even Longing for-

The Life Giving Spring of Jesus.

Amen

Psalm 71 The Real Value of a Man..........or Woman Comes from...........

Psalm 71:9

Do not cast me away when I am old;

Do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

I wonder what will happen to me when………..

I am not useful to anyone anymore-

When my energy is spent-

And I have nothing left to give.

It feels so good to be needed.

There is such a sense of……………….

Validation.

And yet, truth be known-

God has never needed me-

Or anything from me.

If there is work to be done for Him-

It is not because He needs me-

Truly the work………….

Is one of His many gifts to me-

That I may participate in His………….

Glory.

No…………..

Truth be known-

Father doesn’t need me-

Father simply………..

Loves me.

It’s a truth that will never change.

Not when I am old-

Nor when all my strength is gone.

He Loves…………..me.

Hebrews 13:5

……….God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

Never will I forsake you.”

Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit

Move in me to live today from Your unfailing Love-

Help me to get past the notion of how much I do for You-

Help me instead to go out powerfully in this life knowing-

Really knowing

From the top of my head to the tips of my toes-

Knowing and finding all my strength in Your Great Love.

Amen