Music, Metaphors, and More!

Monday, July 29, 2013

The Love That Never Fails

His love never fails and it never gives up.

In Psalms 136, "for His steadfast love endures forever" is repeated twenty-six times.

Steadfast, Endures, and Forever are three words that are hard for humans to comprehend because no one is completely steadfast, no one fully endures, and no one is forever. So let's pick these three words apart so we can understand them a little more. Then we may be able to recognize why the psalmist mentions this phrase twenty-six times.

STEADFAST means...

fixed in direction

steadily directed
firm in purpose

resolution

faith

attachment

unwavering
resolution

faith

adherence

firmly established

firmly fixed in place or position

ENDURES means...

to hold out against

sustain without impairment or yielding

undergo

to bear without resistance or with patience

tolerate

to admit of

allow

bear

to continue to exist

last

to support adverse force or influence of any kind

suffer without yielding

suffer patiently

to have or gain continued or lasting acknowledgment or recognition

as of worth

merit or greatness

FOREVER means...

without ever ending

eternally

to last forever

continually

incessantly

always

an endless period of time

forever and a day

Psalms 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who by understanding mad the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Wisdom's Poem

Proverbs 8:1-9:12

Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:

"To you, O men, I call,
and my cry is to the children of man.
O simple ones, learn prudence;
O fools, learn sense.
Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them
They are all straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
I have counsel and sound wisdom;
I have insight; I have strength.
By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the foundations of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
And now, O sons, listen to me:
blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
and and do not neglect it.
Blessed is the one who listens to e,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord,but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death."

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"
To him who lacks sense she says,
"Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight."
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The first time I read this, (a couple months ago) it caught me off guard because I have never read it before. Or if I had read it, I apparently didn't pay attention. When I slowed down and read the words, trying to understand what they were saying I found myself in awe. So I tucked the words away and forgot about them, like usual. But I came across them again tonight while I was searching for a completely different passage, and once again I was caught in awe. The words are so delicate, and yet so easy to understand. My mind runs at about... well... think of the fastest thing you've ever seen and then imagine something running faster than that, that's my mind. So it's really hard for me to calm my thoughts, calm my mind, shut everything out for even just enough time to read a few chapters in the Bible. I did manage to do it tonight. I even managed to get some of my thoughts outside my head and typed out...

So...

Let us answer the call to wisdom. Wisdom is crying out to the children of men. We are children of men. you do not have to worry about her betraying you or leaving you behind. There is nothing twisted or crooked in Wisdom's words. No jewel or gem we could imagine could compare to Wisdom. Kings rule and princes rule under her influence. Her harvest is more than choice silver, or fine gold. She was with God in the beginning, before the creation of this world. Blessed is the one who listens to her. For whoever finds Wisdom finds life. Whoever hates Wisdom loves death.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Father's Day for the Fatherless

Father's day is a day to celebrate, right? I think it's very easy to celebrate for those of us who have our fathers with us. I've been seeing post after post on Facebook about Father's Day. How everyone is so thankful for their fathers and how great life is. Not to take away from that, I think we should celebrate. But what about those of us out there who don't have a dad, what about the ones who either lost their dad or he's never around to be a real dad? What about those people? I'm thinking of my friends... I have a few who don't have dads, the ones who live with a single mom or with grandparents. How are they supposed to celebrate Father's Day? It's a puzzle I don't know that I have all the pieces to. The only place I know to turn to for answers is the Bible. So this is to all of you who don't have a father to celebrate Father's Day with. Just know you do have a father in heaven who's always there, who will never forsake you and who will never ever leave you. He is a father, (the father) to the fatherless and we are called to be his children.

1 John 3:1-3

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Psalm 68:5
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation

(Just a side note... go back and read the whole chapter of Psalm 68 to get a little perspective.)

Friday, May 24, 2013

Temptation

My school for this evening:

Six verses in the bible that talk about temptation are listed below. In Genesis 3 Eve was tempted with the will of a human heart. Not the will of God. She had a human desire, and gave into her desires. Jesus was tempted in the dessert with worldly things by Satin. But Jesus did not give in, thus he was still pure and sinless, so He was still able to die on the cross and take on our sins. 1 John 2:16 explains the human desire behind both the Genesis and the Luke passages, (worldly desires). The bible has many verses on Temptation so I only shared a few. My personal favorite is in James, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one." Which leaves two other choices. The temptations are either from this world which really has nothing to offer you except death, and then there's Satin, satin tempts with worldly things and if you give into his temptations, you will be judged and sent to live with him forever. How's that sound? Life in Hell is enough to scare me. Just remember, God is faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13) and He hasn't left you to live this life on your own.

　

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

James 1:12-16

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Hebrews 2:18

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Mark 14:38

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Luke 22:40

And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."