by Abimbola Salu | Jun 13, 2014 | Blog, Daily Word |
Chateau de Ducs de Bretagne in France
A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
1.
A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
2.
Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
3.
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
4.
That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.
Hymn Source: Hymnal.net
Picture Source: Flickr
by Abimbola Salu | Jun 12, 2014 | Blog, Daily Word
Beloved, we continue today with Psalm 89 verses 15-18, which says:
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.[a]
18 Indeed, our shield[b] belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
As we can see from these verses, it is indeed a joyful thing to praise The Lord. The Bible encourages us to “make a joyful noise to The Lord.”
Come to think of it, singing praises to God is always a pleasurable experience. Praising God makes you feel happy and you feel lighter in your spirit.
Also, when you look at how other gods or deities are worshiped, it is done with so much violence and aggression. Sometimes, worship of these small gods involves shedding of blood or animal sacrifice. These small gods take a lot from their followers because they set conditions that are very exacting and their followers dare not disobey them because of the terrible consequences they will suffer.
For us followers of Jesus Christ, it is a pleasure to worship him. He does not set impossible conditions for us, but looks upon us with love. He gently calls us to him, and every worship experience is beautiful.
God loves us unconditionally and he wants the best for us. He satisfies our souls with gladness and our joy and pleasure are his utmost delight.
*Image Source
by Abimbola Salu | Jun 11, 2014 | Blog, Daily Word
Elm Trees (See Verse 3)
Today, I would like to share this hymn with you. It’s one of my favorite hymns:
TO GOD WHO MAKES ALL LOVELY THINGS
J. M. C. Crum, 1872-1958
1. To God who makes all lovely things
How happy must our praises be!
Each day a new surprise he brings
To make us glad his world to see.
2. How plentiful must be the mines
From which he gives his gold away;
In March he gives us celandines,
He gives us buttercups in May.
3. He grows the wheat and never stops;
There’s none can count the blades of green;
And up among the elm-tree tops
As many thousand leaves are seen.
4. And when the wheat is bound in sheaves
He sends his wind among the trees,
And down come all the merry leaves
In yellow-twinkling companies.
5. On winter nights his quiet flakes
Come falling, falling all the night,
And when the world next morning wakes
It finds itself all shining white.
6. He makes the sea that shines afar
With waves that dance unceasingly;
And every single little star
That twinkles in the evening sky.
7. He made the people that I meet,
The many people, great and small,
In home and school, and down the street,
And he made me to love them all.
Hymn Source
Picture Source
by Abimbola Salu | Jun 10, 2014 | Blog, Daily Word
Beloved, we are still looking at Psalm 89 and today, let us pause as we worship God in the beauty of his holiness.
You will recall that yesterday, Ethan the Ezrahite talked about the greatness of God, as he mentioned the two tallest mountains in the land of Canaan. These hills are Tabor and Harmon.
If you have ever visited a mountainous region and you see those tall mountains and hills, you will no doubt lift your hands and praise the God of wonders.
Today, we pause to sing a hymn of praise to God for his creation, especially for those mountains and hills. Enjoy it!
The God that created the ancient hills
Unto you oh Lord I give you my praise
Who deserves all my praise, than my Heavenly Father
Who deserves all my praise, but you Lord ?
The God that created the ancient hills
Unto you, oh Lord I give all my praise
*Image Source: Flickr
by Abimbola Salu | Jun 9, 2014 | Blog, Daily Word |
BOOK OF PSALMS
Beloved, we welcome you back!
We hope you are enjoying this unseasonable weather. It’s only the God that we serve that can give us 68 degrees Fahrenheit in June! Usually, by this time we are already in triple digits of heat.
Thank you, Baba! We love it!
We continue today with Psalm 89 v. 10-18:
You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.
16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Beloved, Ethan the Ezrahite takes a look at the various things God created that glorify God, and over whom he exercises dominion and majesty. First, he mentions the raging sea. Remember, Jesus also exercised dominion and control over the raging winds and waves. One simple word: “Peace be still!” and the winds quieted down!
What a mighty God we serve!
This reminds us of the conversation Job had with God, when he declared that God was unjust to him, and God responded to Job’s accusations. God questioned Job about creation, and this is what God said in Book of Job 38 v. 4-15:
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?
Tell me if you know.
5 Who set its measurements? Surely you know.
Who stretched a measuring tape on it?
6 On what were its footings sunk;
who laid its cornerstone,
7 while the morning stars sang in unison
and all the divine beings shouted?
8 Who enclosed the Sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment,
the dense clouds its wrap,
10 when I imposed my limit for it,
put on a bar and doors
11 and said, “You may come this far, no farther;
here your proud waves stop”?
12 In your lifetime have you commanded the morning,
informed the dawn of its place
13 so it would take hold of earth by its edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 Do you turn it over like clay for a seal,
so it stands out like a colorful garment?
15 Light is withheld from the wicked,
the uplifted arm broken.
Awesome!
Next, Ethan considered the heavens and the earth, and especially the world, and the fullness thereof. This kind of reminds us of Psalm 24 which opens with these words:
“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants too.”
Beloved, the list continues with the North and the South, and to that we can also include the East and the West. Tabor and Harmon are the highest hills in Canaan. So, Ethan is also saying that God has dominion over the highest mountains and the lowest valleys. God is able to do anything! He can save and he can destroy!
Finally, Ethan talks about the justice of God. Beloved, God is a just God. He will not do anything that is unjust or unwise. Even the very foundation of his throne where he sits, day and night is built on righteousness and justice. Sometimes, when unjust situations arise, we tend to think that God is using it to punish us, but that is not so. God will actually arrange that unfair situation to favor us! He is busy working behind the scenes to get us what he has for us. He is a just God!
*Image Source: Flickr
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