May 26, 2011
What if? What if?
Wow. I can come up with a lot of "what ifs." What if we had not started going to a nursing home on Christmas mornings in 2002? What if I had not went to the nursing home that fateful January day in 2007? What if I had not went back every Monday for the next 16 months? What if? (To name just a few.)
Psalm 124:1 - "What if the LORD had not been on our side?"
What if we had not been "His people" and Psalm 121 wasn't true? Then:
6 Praise the LORD! 8 Our help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth. HE did not let them chew us up. 7 We escaped like a bird from the hunter's trap. The trap broke, and we escaped. Again I say, Praise the LORD! Our help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth.
What if? What if?
Wow. I can come up with a lot of "what ifs." What if we had not started going to a nursing home on Christmas mornings in 2002? What if I had not went to the nursing home that fateful January day in 2007? What if I had not went back every Monday for the next 16 months? What if? (To name just a few.)
Psalm 124:1 - "What if the LORD had not been on our side?"
What if we had not been "His people" and Psalm 121 wasn't true? Then:
- they would have swallowed us alive
- they would have been like a flood drowning us
- they would have poured over us like a river
- they would have swept us away like raging waters
BUT!
6 Praise the LORD! 8 Our help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth. HE did not let them chew us up. 7 We escaped like a bird from the hunter's trap. The trap broke, and we escaped. Again I say, Praise the LORD! Our help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 125 - Those that trust in the LORD are like Mt. Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. Psalm 1 - "Like a tree planted by the water." The LORD surrounds His people. The wicked cannot and will not be able to rule over God's people. Accuse? Yes. Trap? Yes. But rule? No. The wicked have no power to rule over God's people. Lord, be good to those who are honest. Lord, remove those who do evil and have stopped following you. Let there be peace.
Imagine. Imagine the joy they felt as the prisoners were returned to Jerusalem. JOY—mentioned four times in the NIV. Joy—as they proclaimed, "The LORD has done great things for them. The LORD has done great things for us, and we are very glad." The Psalmist is asking the LORD to return the prisoners again. "Those who cry as they plant crops will sing at harvest time. Those who cry as they carry out the seeds will return singing and carrying bundles of grain." You still have to plant, even in times of sadness. Be patient! The reward (harvest) will come!
Psalm 116:7 - Be at rest once more, O my soul for the LORD has been good to you.
Psalm 118.23 - The Lord has done this, and it is wonderful to me.
Psalm 30:11 - You changed my sorrow into dancing. You took away my cloths of sadness, and clothed me with joy.
"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
Psalm 127 - "All good things come from God." The opposite is true as well. If it isn't from (or of) God—it is worth nothing.
IF the LORD doesn't build the house
the builders are working for nothing.
IF the LORD doesn't guard the city
the guards are watching for nothing.
You can work and work. You can get up early and stay up late trying to work for a living. But it is God who gives the reward, blessings, and rest for His people.
Jane, (Her Name Was Jane) in her NIV Bible has this written:
A Precious Triad -
Psalm 124
Psalm 125
Psalm 126
I used to read these Psalms to Jane often. While they were precious to her, they were also very valuable to me to have implanted into my consciousness as we were just beginning on what has now become our four plus year faith journey while navigating "the storm."
Psalm 124 - The LORD saves His people
Psalm 125 - God protects those who trust Him
Psalm 126 - Lord, bring your people back
Amazing. I sit here and just shake my head. How God used Jane in our lives while alive, and how He continues to use her words and writing throughout her Bibles, is nothing short of incredible and amazing. As I was writing today, I recalled what she had written on the inside cover of her KJV. Here it is.
Next Entry: Psalm 128:1 – 131:3
Psalm 116:7 - Be at rest once more, O my soul for the LORD has been good to you.
Psalm 118.23 - The Lord has done this, and it is wonderful to me.
Psalm 30:11 - You changed my sorrow into dancing. You took away my cloths of sadness, and clothed me with joy.
"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
Psalm 127 - "All good things come from God." The opposite is true as well. If it isn't from (or of) God—it is worth nothing.
IF the LORD doesn't build the house
the builders are working for nothing.
IF the LORD doesn't guard the city
the guards are watching for nothing.
You can work and work. You can get up early and stay up late trying to work for a living. But it is God who gives the reward, blessings, and rest for His people.
Jane, (Her Name Was Jane) in her NIV Bible has this written:
A Precious Triad -
Psalm 124
Psalm 125
Psalm 126
I used to read these Psalms to Jane often. While they were precious to her, they were also very valuable to me to have implanted into my consciousness as we were just beginning on what has now become our four plus year faith journey while navigating "the storm."
Psalm 124 - The LORD saves His people
Psalm 125 - God protects those who trust Him
Psalm 126 - Lord, bring your people back
Amazing. I sit here and just shake my head. How God used Jane in our lives while alive, and how He continues to use her words and writing throughout her Bibles, is nothing short of incredible and amazing. As I was writing today, I recalled what she had written on the inside cover of her KJV. Here it is.
"If God be for us, you're up against it!" (Small boys rendering.) Below that she has written Romans 8:28 - "And we know (by experience) that ALL things work together" for GOD. God is behind the things. God makes ALL things work together—not separately—for God. Things would not of themselves work out for good. God's eternal purpose at work for His own. He is Master Blender. What is good? Who knows? Children don't know! Psalm 84:11 - "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: The LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing (with a box drawn around good) will he withhold for them that walk uprightly.) Our assurance. God says: Here are some cannots (sorrow, rainy days, trials) "I don't like that!" "But it's good for you!" How much would we depend on God if we never had sickness, trials, etc. Just as a flower needs some dark days to be fragrant, so do we. "Don't let circumstances take all the life out of you, but you get all the life out of the circumstances you can."I just love reading all her little notes and comments. Thank you again, LORD, for bringing Jane into our lives. No words will ever be enough to express our gratitude or to adequately express the impact she (through you) has had on our lives. May we pass it forward. Use us, LORD. May our lives bring you honor and glory and be light to those we come in contact with.
Next Entry: Psalm 128:1 – 131:3
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