In the Present tense - a promise for today!

One of the most essential observations to make when reading Psalm 23, is that David writes in the present tense - The Lord IS my Shepherd. 

This means that we have God's presence and the promise of everlasting Hope right NOW…. today! This is such good news for us, friends. We don't have to hark back to the days when God was with his people, or when God will come in the future - We can know that he is with us today!

This sentiment is also repeated in many other places in the Bible:

Psalm 46:7 - The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Isaiah 8:10 - Take counsel together, but it shall be brought to naught; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

Matthew 1:23 - ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Stand By Me

When Ben E. King wrote his now famous song Stand by me, little did he realise how remarkable it would be. The lyrics of this powerful song reach into all areas of our lives but undoubtedly can also speak on a spiritual level to weary souls. Perhaps we would need to change the words of the chorus a little, but I think you get the point :)

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No, I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me

And darlin', darlin'
Stand by me, oh, stand by me
Oh, stand now, stand by me
Stand by me

The words of Scripture are closely connected to this song, as Ben King admitted that some of the lyrics were inspired by Psalm 46:1-2.

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Prayer is listening!

"A person prayed - and at first they thought that prayer was talking. But then they became more and more quiet until in the end they realised that prayer is listening." - Soren Kierkegaard

"Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10

Do you find it easy to 'be still' in your prayer times?

What can we do to enable more 'listening' in our devotional lives?

Living in grace

D3LM3

Gone up in flames

                                                            

After discovering that twenty years of his work had literally gone up in flames William Carey wrote these words to Andrew Murray:

"The ground must be laboured over again, but we are not discouraged. We have all been supported under the affliction, and preserved from discouragement..."

And then he quoted from Psalm 46:10, where the Lord Himself says,

"Be still and know that I am God."

William Carey had spent 20 years translating parts of the Bible into various Indian dialects as he served as a missionary in India. Bearing in mind this was in the early 1800's, he had no computer backups at all. He must have been devasted - I know I would have been!

However, he had learnt a simple trust in Jesus and believed that even through trials God was still present. This is such a valuable lesson for me. What do you feel?

Have you ever faced a discouraging time only to see God's hand move in a different direction?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

God is present - part 1

Howard Thurman wrote a delightful piece on the presence of God during times of difficulty. What I love about this short devotion is that it is so real and honest - I can relate to so much of what he says. His thoughts are not just a theory, but things he has grappled with and lived through himself.

As you read these words today, may you feel the presence of God with you.

(I am going to post his thoughts over 2 days as they are really good and I feel that we may lose the greater impact in trying to squeeze a long paragraph into one days worth of devotion. The line that stands out for me today is highlighted in bold. Which line is your 'take away' line?

"God is present with me this day.

God is present with me in the midst of my anxieties.

I affirm in my own heart and mind the reality of His presence.

He makes immediately available to me the strength of His goodness,

the reassurance of His wisdom and the heartiness of His courage.

My anxieties are real; they are the result of a wide variety of experiences,

some of which I understand, some of which I do not understand."

Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Psalm 14:5 - "But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

No fear

One of my favourite Psalms is definitely Psalm 46. In these verses are hidden some pearls of wisdom and gems of encouragement. The one thing that brings me hope at this time is David's call for us "not to FEAR". Even when things crumble and crash around us (seas, earthquakes, mountains), we don't need to fear because He is the Foundation we need to stay grounded.

"God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
² So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea."

God is also ready and willing to help us in these times of trouble.
So hang in there. God is with you.
 
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." - Marcus Aurelius

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/fear

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Happy place?

So where is your HAPPY place? Where do you find yourself at peace and the most content? Is there a place that you like to find 'refuge' in - to flee back too in order to connect with God and yourself?
There are a few places that I love going to for this purpose, but the best is the BEACH. Let me walk on the beach or just sit and watch the waves and I am happy. The stress of life evaporates quickly when I smell the sea and hear the ocean.

So where is your happy place?

Coming back to our Psalm for the week, we see that David doesn't need a place to go to, but rather desires to be in the presence of God - that is his place of contentment. When David spent time with the Lord he felt at peace and restored.

Psalm 46:1 -  God is our protection and our strength.
    He always helps in times of trouble.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Step out of the Traffic

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God,
    above politics, above everything.” - Psalm 46:10 (Message)

This is such a refreshing look at the familiar words of this Psalm. We may remember the verse like this:“Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

However, as I read the words 'Step out of the traffic!' I think of intentionally getting away from the hustle of peak hour traffic. Once the noise dies down, I can take a careful look at my surroundings and in a spiritual sense, 'take a loving look' at God. It is reassuring to note that God is above all things - including politics!

Perhaps today is the day we need to step out of the rush-hour traffic and take a loving look at Jesus.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Standing Fearless

I remember once being enticed to do a bridge-swing. It was a long time ago, but I am sure that the reason I attempted this feat was because there was a lady I was trying to impress. Needless to say, my bravery was a facade and jump off believing I was going to die. Thank goodness I survived to tell the tale! The one thing I can say for certainty is that NEVER stood at the edge of that bridge feeling 'fearless.' I was a nervous wreck.

So, here is reason for the story (above). When I read Psalm 46 from Eugene Peterson's Message, this is what he says:

God is a safe place to hide,
    ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
    courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
    the tremors that shift mountains. (v.1-3)

The only time we stand 'fearless' before anything that makes us afraid, is when we know that we are in God's care - no matter what! God is the safest place to hide and to trust in his goodness.

May we stand at the edge of our troubles and put in our faith (as weak as it may be) in the hands of God.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

P.S. It is with sadness that I learnt of Eugene Peterson's death yesterday. He died at 85, after a long battle with cancer. I will share some thoughts on his life later in the week.

That picture!

There are a few iconic pictures, paintings and photos that speak such volumes into our lives. One of them is the photo I have attached. I was reminded of this photo during this last week and, being a preacher, I had to use it in my sermon yesterday.

Have a look at the picture and reflect on these few words from Psalm 46. I will share some more thoughts on this later in the week - so keep reading :)

Psalm 46:1 - God is our REFUGE and Strength, an ever present help in trouble.

Today, may you hold onto this powerful image and the words of this Psalm.

Living in Grace
D3LM3