Defaulting to the Word. Defaulting to rejoicing, thanking God and praying without ceasing, as is truly the case – Proof and proven that the Holy Spirit is always with us.
We’re constantly being convicted, and we’re constantly having the Word revealed to us, as life happens.
In spite of loss, threats, rejection, trepidation, anticipation of the worst – the bottom line, the Truth remains and will always hold true high above anything else that claims to persist:
That through the finished work of Christ, (1) we have the constant, continuous, consistent presence of the Creator, (2) we are constantly being brought back to peace beyond understanding for all that happens to us, and (3) we are faithfully moved, or we move in said peace and presence to make things happen. We make these so-called ‘fairy-tale’ claims only because we know and believe that Christ was born, died, rose again and ascended to heaven – and it is foolishness to those who are perishing, but for us in Christ, the Gospel is power.
Thank You, Lord. Thank You for Your Word, and Your Spirit.
Psalm 8
How Majestic Is Your Name
TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF DAVID.
1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
As we praise and glorify our God – that is, as we give glory and honor to the Father, recognizing and realizing the Son, and revelling in the Holy Spirit – It could not be avoided; Something is always said.
Something is always said. Something is always sung. Something is always expressed. The Spirit rises in our hearts, and it is but natural for us to praise and worship our God – not necessarily intentionally as in through song and dance, but, well, it just comes out in all that we are doing in this world. Everything, down to the seconds of our existence – to every step we take, every beat of our hearts, every breath we make… I have reason to believe that as the Holy Spirit is with us, so all that is projected from us is laced and infused with the same manifest presence of the saving grace and the infinite glory of our God.
We praise, and we glorify God – And as such, He establishes strength and a powerful foundation. Because of His great power (expressed and seen in all creation), those who would call themselves our foes, and the enemy of our souls would eventually be rendered still, and silent. Pacified. Powerless.
And once more, lest my soul forgets – By the power of the Holy Spirit, we praise and glorify God in all things, and as we rejoice and give thanks, we are established, and our foes are shaken.
As the Israelites shouted after circling Jericho, and as the impossible walls of the city came tumbling down, absolutely destroyed… So we are set upon a firm foundation, and so our enemies fail and fall.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
As for us in Christ, who see all of Creation just the same, we are not convicted towards shame, but reminded of our righteousness. Indeed, the Holy Spirit continually speaks to us through all creation, reminding us that we are righteousness of God.
Indeed, we are righteous, and this means that even as we are – on our own, wretched and hopeless – the infinite and eternal Creator of the universe does not only acknowledge our existence, does not stop at giving us attention; No, He is our FATHER who is mindful of us, always thinking about us. He is our FATHER who CARES for us.
He can give all the loving attention and kind consideration to all aspects and details of ALL Creation – the stars, the moon, and the heavens – AND He can give the same everlasting love to each and every one of us, caring so much that I dare say that He is willing and able to go down our level to have compassion with us concerning all that we think is important, even according to our limited minds and senses.
Christ stepped away from eternal glory and was born as one of us… and even then, He chose to lay it all down, to go further beneath anyone’s level, down to the pit and into death and hell – Proof and assurance that God is willing and able to go down our level, in all His glory, grace, and everlasting love. Yes, He loves us THAT much.
And, oh, we are so loved. I just want to keep taking that in. In spite of all that we’re going through right now, in spite of all that’s going on against us and around us, and in spite of all the thoughts that are trying to sabotage us and to bring us down… The Truth of the matter still stands.
Because of Jesus Christ and His finished work, we are eternally secure, in that He has absolutely reconciled us to God; He has made us righteous, now and forever (as He is righteous now and forever), and we call the Creator our Father, and our Father who cares for us.
Because of Jesus Christ, I am loved, I am forgiven, and I am well cared for… Even during these times, especially during these times.
I’ve experienced loss, I’ve experienced a huge portion of my being compromised. A void has been left where there used to be some semblance of hope… and now, Father, You fill that void. You fill it with blessed assurance.
Thank You so much, Father. Thank You, Jesus. Praise, praise to the Risen King.
5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
We speak from dominion, we speak from glory and honor which is only ours as Christ is ours.
We speak Your Word. We give God all the glory, thankful because He is faithful to make all things (all that has happened, all that’s happening and all that will happen) work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
We thank God, we thank our Father because He makes ALL things – rejection I’m grieving over, fear and anxiety off of the void that was left behind, struggles against habits established from what I thought was of utmost joy… I thank my Father because He causes ALL this, and all that I’m seeing before me, to work for the good of those who love Him, for the good of those called according to His purpose.
I thank God… Oh, I give Him thanks. For He fills the nothing with everything.
By wise counsel and by constant exposure to the Word, the faith that Christ authored just continues to thrive and grow.
I take my grievances to the Word. I unceremoniously dump all my frustrations, my longings, my anxiety and fears at His feet.
I throw my weakness into His greatness. The winds and waves may grow stronger, but that only brings me to stand even stronger, depending on the Rock on whom I stand.
In this chaotic, undependable world, we move ever so boldly, knowing that Christ is our peace, and He is Faithful and True.
9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Glory and honor to our God and King, our Father who reigns forever and ever.
Thank You, Jesus. Amen.
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