We’ve been house hunting recently, and with that of course comes the repeated evaluation of every feature of house after house, and a ranking (and shuffling, and reshuffling) of priorities: Is it an acceptable distance from work or church, is it in good repair, does a larger lot offset less living space, how far is…
Tag: Psalms
Messiah, Part 2
This Advent season, I’m running a series of the text (libretto) to Messiah by George Frederic Handel. You’ll find below the biblical text (King James Version, of course) used in Part 2, whose theme is “The accomplishment of redemption by the sacrifice of Christ, mankind’s rejection of God’s offer, and mankind’s utter defeat when trying…
Give Thanks
Thanksgiving. However far from “normal” your Thanksgiving celebration looks and feels this year, the constant is the extra emphasis on gratitude. It’s a social convention I personally find overblown, but it serves the purpose of reminding us to be thankful at least once a year, and that’s worth mentioning anyway. As we anticipate and prepare…
The Lord is Good
“For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Ps 100:5) This verse has come to mind countless times over the last few weeks, especially the first part. “The Lord is good.” We can always use that reminder, but it seems to be especially timely for a prolonged…
Another Look at Hope
Confident expectation based on prior personal experience. You won’t find that definition of hope in any published dictionary, but as I read Psalm 54 recently, that’s definitely what came to mind. According to the biographical material prefacing David’s cry to the Lord, he was fleeing from Saul (again), and his whereabouts had just been told…
The Lord Reigns
Anyone else need that reminder again? The Lord reigns, and that’s reason to be glad. Yes, in the midst of a global pandemic, despite massive Saharan dust plumes, regardless of economic uncertainty, we can (and should) rejoice because the Lord reigns. Isaiah 14 reminded me this morning that the Lord’s purposes cannot be turned back,…
Shelter: A Practical Look at Psalm 91
In my usual Bible reading cycle, I was in Psalm 91 recently. This has long been high on my list of well-loved Psalms, particularly verses 1, 2, and 4; even my favorite coffee cup, a treasured gift from a friend that sees use multiple times a day, features verse 2 on the side. But my…
When the Earth Totters
It really and truly was my intention to not even mention the c-word that’s been all over the news and media in the last couple weeks. No need to add my voice to the already-clamorous din, right? After all, everything that I could say has probably already been said, and likely more eloquently anyway. But…
His Mercy Endureth Forever
For as long as I can remember, my mom has read Scripture aloud at meals every day – from Psalms at breakfast, and from Proverbs at lunch. As one might imagine, this practice means that we have a greater familiarity with those books than one might expect, and also a greater affinity for some chapters…
His Bountiful Care
One of the most oft-repeated songs in our house over the last year has been “O Worship the King”, thanks to my 7-year-old and our long-standing bedtime routine of a song of choice for each of the girls and a final from the hymnal. (If you don’t know this hymn, it’s worth a few minutes…