A Psalm of David: Psalm 65

 

You care for the land and water it,

You enrich it abundantly.

Psalm 65:9

I like to mow my grass in the early mornings, as soon as is permissible in my current neighborhood.  In my portion of Virginia, however, that is often not possible because of the heavy dew – water in the form of droplets that appears on the ground in the early morning due to condensation. There are times when my feet get soaked walking just a few steps into the grass.  If I tried to mow through the dew, my mower would quickly become clogged with wet, heavy grass. 

The Bible says in Genesis 2 that before rain ever appeared on the earth, God watered the land by mists which rose from the earth.  I have often wondered if this was a form of dew. David declares that it is God who waters the earth – through dew, through rain.  Our management of His creation has been selfish and faulty, but God continues to endeavor to enrich the earth. 

Let All Things Now Living

A Psalm of David: Psalm 61

Hear my cry, O God.  Listen to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call to You.

I call as my heart grows faint.

Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 61:1-2 

When I lived in Indiana, I met a woman who had a very unique home.  When she and her husband purchased the property on which they would build their new house, it had a HUGE boulder sitting right smack dab in the center of the layout.  They discovered that it would cost thousands of dollars to have it removed, so they decided to incorporate this massive rock into the architectural design.  When it was finished, the boulder formed one wall of the living room.  It was, to say the least, a conversation piece.

The Bible uses the symbol of a mighty Rock to portray God’s strength and His ability to shelter us through any storm.  He is the Rock of Ages where we can find peace and comfort.

A Psalm of David: Psalm 40

 

I waited for the Lord.

He turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire.

He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust.

Psalm 40:1-2, 4a 

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon online by Dr. Banks – an African-American preacher from here in Richmond.  At one point when he was speaking of the difficulties of this present life, his face broke into a big smile, and he said, “Praise the Lord – God has spared my life for one more day.”

Matthew says, Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34a).  God has granted us one more day of life.  One more day to sing that hymn of praise, to place our trust in the Lord.  Know that He holds you in the palm of His hand, and live today to its fullest for His honor and glory.

Only Trust Him with Lyrics by Alan Jackson

A Psalm of David: Psalm 33

 

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,

their starry host by the breath of His mouth.

For He spoke, and it came to be,

He commanded and it stood fast.

Psalm 33:6,9

In the year before my retirement, I ordered an authentic Irish penny whistle.  I love the sound of this instrument in Irish and non-Irish music – particularly the theme from the movie Titanic.  I figured it would be easy to create music on it.  I figured wrong!  It will take time and concentration and a great deal of practice before I will make music on my whistle.

I have often wondered if God had a “thought planning stage” prior to the actual act of creation, or if His mind was always spinning with the intricate details of our world.  Whichever way it was, when He was ready, He simply spoke, and everything appeared – gardens, flowers, trees, animals, heavens.  Everything, that is, except man and woman.  They were formed by God’s own loving hand.

A Psalm of David: Psalm 32

 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.

I will counsel you with My loving eye on you.

Psalm 32:8

  During my various stints as a classroom teacher, I was often accused of having “eyes in the back of my head” – a mother’s specialty.  When you teach in the same classroom for an hour and a half, day after day, Monday through Friday, you eventually are able to “spot” trouble even when your back is turned to the students.

Growing up, I was often told that God had His eye on me – but it came across as more of a threat than a promise.  God saw everything that we did, and when you did something naughty, He wrote it down in His big black book…..  You get the picture.  How refreshing to read David’s take on this:  Yes, God has His eye on us, but it is a loving eye, and that makes all the difference. 

His Eye is on the Sparow  Maggie Beth Phelps

A Psalm of David: Psalm 27

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?

One thing I ask of the Lord – this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to seek Him in His temple.

For in the day of trouble, He will keep me safe in His dwelling.

He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle,

and set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 27:  1,2,4,5

Frances Allitsen was born in London in December of 1848.  Her family moved to a very small village where Frances grew up feeling very isolated and alone.  She turned to music as her joy and comfort.  She begged her parents for music lessons, but they declined – they did not believe she had any talent.  Frances finally received her due recognition as a mezzo-soprano soloist in church.  Eventually she turned to composing her own music.  She is best known for her setting of Psalm 27 i- one of my favorite vocal solos. 

David’s description of God as the Light of his life is echoed in the words of Jesus recorded by John:  I am the Light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).   

The Lord is My Light - Crystal Cathedral

A Psalm of David: Psalm 24

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?

Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to an idol,

or swear by what is false.

He will receive blessings from the Lord

and vindication from God his Savior.

Psalm 24:3-5

I love these verses for the simplicity of their direction.  You want to stand before God in heaven?  Here’s what you need:  clean hands (guiltless actions) and a pure heart (right attitudes and motives).  Jesus reiterated this message in the Sermon on the Mount:  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Revelation describes those standing before God's throne as those who have no deceit in their mouths.

PRAYER:  Father, help me to remember that everything that I say and do matters – not only to You, but to those around me as I live my everyday life.  Grant me the blessing’ of Your Spirit today that my life may be a pure tribute to Your honor and glory.  Amen.

 

 

A Psalm of David: Psalm 23

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:  he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The Lord is My Shepherd   Howard Goodall

A Psalm of David: Psalm 20

 

 

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 20: 7 

This verse has always fascinated me.  During those long years when David was on the run from King Saul – who had the chariots and horses?  Certainly not David.  No, the king had all the military might of his vast realm, calling on soldiers, archers, footmen, and the finest chariots with the fastest horses.  He pursued David during the day and slept in the luxury of his palaces at night.

David, on the other hand, hid in caves during the day and moved around at night.  He traveled on foot with his band of loyal followers.  Their weapons were whatever they had at hand – swords, staves, rocks.  When they were able to sleep, they camped out on the hard ground.  Yet David knew that he had no need to trust in chariots or horses.  He placed his total and complete trust in the name of the Lord.

 

A Psalm of David: Psalm 19, Part III

Who can discern his errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins –

May they not rule over me.

Then will I be blameless – innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart

Be pleasing in Your sight. O Lord,

My Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:12-14

What we think about – “the thoughts and intents of the heart” – influences everything we do in our daily lives.  What we say reveals much of what we have been thinking about.  Paul advised the Philippians: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8).

David’s request – rather than being a benediction - should be our request at the opening of the day.  Let what I think and what I speak glorify You today, O Lord.  Heaven will be thrilled with that goal.

 

A Psalm of David: Psalm 19, Part II

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are right, giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.

The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.

Psalm 19:7-9

Law:                Rules of conduct

Statute:            An established rule or formal regulation

Precept:          A commandment or direction meant as a rule of action or conduct

Command:      An order, direction or mandate

Fear:                To feel reverence or awe for

Ordinance:      A direction or command of an authoritative nature 

David used every term for “law” that he could think of to relay to us the power and blessings that are found inn the Word of the Lord.  He is not talking here just about the Ten Commandments.  He is placing his faith in ALL of the words that proceed from the Almighty.

 

A Psalm of David: Psalm 19 - Part I

The heavens declare the glory of God.

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech,

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

When I was in 7^th and 8^th grades, I attended a parochial school in Phoenix.  It was a small school, allowing each child to get individual attention.  My teacher, Mr. DeHaven, used lessons from the Pathfinder program for our Bible class.  We each had a booklet to complete (one for each semester) – earning badges along the way, similar to scouting. 

We also had Bible verses to memorize: sometimes just one verse, but twice a year, we had longer passages to learn.  One of those more challenging scriptures was Psalm 19.  I memorized it from the King James Version, and can recite much of it to this day.

There are few thing I like better than a clear, starry sky.  For me, it is one of the most profound witnesses to the power and glory of the Creator. It “speaks” to us to honor His creation and witness to His power in our lives. 

The Heavens are Telling – Mormon Tabernacle Choir

A Psalm of David: Psalm 18

 

I love you, oh Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.

My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation.

Psalm 18:1-2a

Psalm 18 is a song that David wrote to give praise to the Lord when God delivered him from the hand of Saul.  David had spent years and years on the run from the king who should have been a mentor and support for the young David.  Instead, Saul’s jealousy turned to hatred, and hatred turned to murderous intent.

Such an experience was actually a blessing in disguise.  Separated from most earthly comforts and security, David had to rely on the only One who could see him through safely.  The Psalms are full of songs pleading for God’s intervention in David’s flight from Saul’s persecution.  This song was written when it was all over - to praise and thank God for His faithfulness and protection.

A Psalm of David: Psalm 15

Lord, who may dwell in Your sanctuary?

Who may live on Your holy hill?

He whose walk is blameless

and who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from his heart

and has no slander on his tongue,

who does his neighbor no wrong

and casts no slur on his fellow man,

who despises a vile man

but honors those who fear the Lord,

who keeps his oath even when it hurts,

who lends his money without usury

and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things will never be shaken.

Psalm 15

Father inn Heaven:  Be with me on this Friday, and help me to live my life today as David tried to live his - with honesty and integrity, with love and respect for all those around me, and with complete devotion to You and Your will.  Amen.

 

 

A Psalm of David: Psalm 8

 

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.

When I consider Your heavens,

the moon and the stars which You have set in place,

what is man, that you are mindful of him,

the son of man that You care for him?

Psalm 8:1.4

Have you ever sat outside on a clear, cool autumn night, viewing the endless stars in the inky night sky, and wondered why in the world God would pay attention to you – a tiny speck in the vast universe that He created?  David wondered the same thing:  “What is man, that you pay any attention to him?”  The answer, of course, is that He created us as well – the crown jewel in His creative plan.

In 1981, Michael W. Smith took the words of Psalm 8 and wrote How Majestic is Your Name.  Sandi Patty recorded it in 1983 and it has become a much beloved chorus in churches around the world.

 

How Majestic is Your Name  -  Sandi Patty

 

A Psalm of David: Psalm 5

 

 

Psalm 5 is another psalm of King David.  In my mind’s eye, I can see David sitting on a boulder at sunrise, not knowing what the day might hold for him and his men.  He lifts his voice in song – a musical prayer to the Creator God he worships.  He lets the Lord know his needs and requests at the very beginning of the day.  Then notice – he does not run off and get down to business.  No, David says, “I wait in expectation.”  He waits for God’s voice, for God’s thoughts to guide him before he sets off.

The video today is of a chorus written in 1983 by Bill Sprouse of Maranatha Music.  It is a wonderful chorus to sing in the morning, as a prelude to laying your requests before the Lord.  The words are on the video and the chorus is repeated three times.  Take a moment and learn it.  It is well worth the time and effort.

 

Psalm 5 - Maranatha Singers 

A Psalm of David: Psalm 4

One of my children experienced severe insomnia when she was a child.  Whether or not it was connected to her having major surgery at a very young age, I distinctly remember her wandering out into the living room long after she should have been fast asleep.  We would often end up lying on the carpet with me stroking her back and whispering reassurances to her until she fell asleep in the wee hours.

During those long years when he was being pursued by an angry king and his minions, David never knew where he would lay his head at night.  But he had learned that he could place his trust in the Lord who alone could guarantee his safety.  The psalmist would have appreciated the words of this modern hymn:  I don't know who holds tomorrow, but I know Who holds my hand.

 

 

In Remembrance of Me

The Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed,

took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,

“Take, eat.  This is my body which is broken for you.

Do this in remembrance of Me.

1 Corinthians 11:24 

Buryl Red was a conductor, producer and arranger known world-wide as the director of The Century Men and composer of the 1972 cantata, Celebrate Life.  He is perhaps best known as the composer of the choral anthem, In Remembrance of Me.

Red was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and studied at Baylor and Yale.  He has to his credit more than 1,600 compositions and arrangements. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ride the Chariot

 

And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked,

that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire,

and parted them both asunder;

and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father,

the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof.”

And he saw him no more…

2 Kings 2:11-12 

African American spirituals were often rooted in biblical stories. Ride the Chariot borrows from the story of Elijah and Elisha – prophet and prophet-in-training,  One day the two men went to the Jordan River.  Elijah struck the water with his cloak and the water parted, letting them walk across on dry land.  Suddenly a chariot of fire appeared and Elijah climbed aboard. 

As the chariot lifted away, Elijah dropped his cloak down to Elisha, indicating that he was to carry on Elijah’s work.  When Elisha returned to the Jordan River, he struck the water with the cloak, and the waters parted for him to walk across. 

 

Lycoming College Choir 2004: Ride the Chariot

God So Loved the World

 

 

For God loved the world so much that He gave His only son,

so that everyone who believes in Him

should not be lost, but should have eternal life.

John 3:16 (Phillips)

Sir John Stainer (1840 – 1901) was an English composer and organist whose music, though seldom performed today, was very popular during his lifetime. The Crucifixion: A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer is an oratorio composed in 1887. Stainer intended that piece would be within the scope of most church choirs; and included five hymns for congregational participation.

One of the choral anthems from this cantata has achieved the status of a world-wide classic – an anthem that you can almost guarantee will be in any church’s choral library.  Based on the King James rendering of John 3:16, it is one of my favorite pieces for 4-part choir.

St Paul’s Cathedral Choir: God So Loved The World 

All Things?

 

And we know that all things work together for good

To them that love God, to them

Who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

There is one word in this verse from Romans that always cause me to pause:  ALL.  Many things I can readily agree with. Most things works for me most of the time.  But when I am in the thick of life’s maelstrom, ALL things is a little hard to swallow.

That is, of course, because my vision is so clouded.  When I am in the throes of what life has thrown at me, it  is difficult to step back and look at the bigger picture.  That is what this promise is for – to remind us that we are not in charge, and the One who is will bring ALL things around – perhaps not the way we would want it, but what will be for the good of all concerned.  I really like the way Phillips translates this verse:

Moreover we know that to those who love God,

who are called according to His plan,

everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.

 

All Things Work Together for Good  

Church of the Nativity and Holy Comforter, Baltimore, MD

 

The Gift of Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love,

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

 and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1 

The 13^th chapter of 1^st Corinthians is one of the most loved passages in Scripture.  It is an ode both to what love is, as well as what love is not.  The words have been paraphrased and set to music countless times – none more effectively than The Gift of Love by Hal Hopson.

Mr. Hopson (b. 1933) is a native of Mound, Texas, and now resides in Dallas. He has an international reputation as a clinician and composer and has published more than 1,300 compositions.  I can remember singing this anthem as a teenager, and I have used it in every church choir I have served.  It is timeless in its simplicity and beautiful in its musical setting.

Music @FPCLT The Gift of Love

Dry Bones

The hand of the Lord was upon me,

and He brought me out by the spirit of the Lord

and set me in the middle of a valley.  It was full of bones.

Ezekiel 37:1 

If you have never read the marvelous story in the 37^th chapter of Ezekiel, verses 1-14, take a moment today and let this tale speak to you.  Ezekiel is taken in vision to a wide valley full of parched, dry bones. The prophet is then commanded to put the bones back together.

When I was a teenager, our school chorale sang Dry Bones, a spiritual brought to life with piano, string bass, and various instruments depicting the individual bones. I got to play the rachet, symbolling the neck bones.  Connecting the bones from toe to head, and then disconnecting them was great fun, and this arrangement has remained one of my favorite spirituals. 

Tech Men – Dry Bones