As the Deer

November 30, 2015

As the Deer

As the deer longs for streams of water,

    so I long for you, O God.

Psalm 42:1

Psalm 42 begins a new section of the Psalms. All but four of Psalms 1-41 are attributed to David. We are not sure of the specific identity of the psalmist in this next section. In the first section God was addressed as Yahweh, LORD, which is the intimate, personal name for God. In this next section, God is addressed as Elohim, which in the traditional Jewish view is the name of God as the Creator and Judge of the universe.

The change in the name for God is indicative of the many perspectives from which we can view or understand God’s nature. There is the ethical view, which understands God as the Creator and giver of life. This view calls forth the acknowledgement of our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, and that as all people are created by God, we have a responsibility to treat all people with respect. As God is the giver of life, our response to receiving God’s gifts is to generously share God’s gifts with others.

There is also a more personal and intimate perspective in our approach to God. Together, the names Elohim and Yahweh can lead us to affirm with Saint Augustine that we have a God shaped vacuum within, and we will not be at peace until we allow God to fill the vacuum. Psalm 42 reminds me that God created me with the needs to be loved, accepted and valued, and only God can fulfill these needs.

Not surprisingly, many others have been so reminded, not the least of which is Marty Nystrom, the author of the well-known praise and worship song, As the Deer, which is one of my favorite praise expressions.

As the deer panteth for the water
    So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
    And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
    To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
    And I long to worship You

As the Deer

Marty Nystrom

Yes and Amen! This is how I want to live my life: God alone is my heart’s desire, God alone is my strength and shield, and to God alone may by spirit yield. And I long to worship Him.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

Our Hope Is In You Alone

November 27, 2015

Our Hope Is In You Alone

“But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love”

Psalm 33:18

Today is Black Friday, where materialism and consumerism stand in sharp contrast to the ways of Jesus. On this day let those seeking to be fully devoted followers of Jesus feed on Psalm 33, a beautiful hymn of worship. Over and over the psalmist extols the virtues and power of God:

“For the word of the Lord holds true,

    and we can trust everything he does.

 He loves whatever is just and good;

    the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.”

Psalm 33:4-5

And, my favorite:

“The Lord merely spoke,

    and the heavens were created.

He breathed the word,

    and all the stars were born.”

Psalm 33:6

The psalmist also exposes the folly of those that rely on their own strength, their own wisdom. In a world governed by the notion of survival of the fittest, the Word of God is counter-cultural: “But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love” (v.18).

After I read this psalm, I wondered how the psalmist could have such confidence in God, while living in the reality of a very violent world of competing loyalties and cultures. Then I saw the source of his confidence: prayer. “Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (v.22). The psalmist has taken the time to think, to ponder, to meditate on the character of God. Then he formulated a prayer that asked God to manifest His character in the life of the psalmist: “Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (Psalm 33:22).

The psalmist’s hymn praises God, who loves you so much He cannot take His eyes off of you: “The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race” (Psalm 33:13). This psalm is our invitation to never take our eyes or our mind off of God, because “the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18).

Let us say with the psalmist, “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20).

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

Happy Thanksgiving

November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

    go into his courts with praise.

    Give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 100:4

In the late 1990s, Soul Survivor Church, in Watford, England was experiencing what they described as a period of apathy in their worship. Matt Redman, one of their worship leaders recalls, “There was a dynamic missing, so the pastor did a pretty brave thing. He decided to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and we gathered together with just our voices. His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away.” The pastor asked his congregation, “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?”

During that season, the congregation learned worship was about what they were bringing to God, not what the worship leaders were doing. The church had a new perspective that worship is all about Jesus. They learned worship was about singing praises ‘to’ Jesus, not just ‘about Jesus.’ In response to this transition in his church, Redman wrote a song that has become cherished throughout the world: The Heart of Worship. 

When the music fades,

all is stripped away,

and I simply come

 Longing just to bring something

that’s of worth that will bless your heart

 I’m coming back to the heart of worship,

and it’s all about You, Jesus

Psalm 100 is also cherished throughout the world and serves as a model for worshiping God in truth and spirit. As followers of Jesus, we remember that God loves us unconditionally, just as we are; not as we should be, because no one is as they should be. (Brennan Manning) With that thought in mind, on this Thanksgiving Day, read Psalm 100. Contemplate each attribute of God the psalmist extols. Change the words so that it becomes first person with you singing to the Lord. This is my personalization of Psalm 100:

I shout with joy to you, my Lord, I worship you with gladness. I come before you singing with joy because you are God! You made me, and I am yours. I am among your people, the sheep of your pasture. I enter your gates with thanksgiving; I go into your courts with praise, giving thanks to you and praising your name. For you, my Lord are good, your unfailing love continues forever, and your faithfulness continues to each generation.

Before your next worship service, allow your personalization of Psalm 100 to help prepare you for the heart of worship:

I’m coming back to the heart of worship,

and it’s all about You, Jesus

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

Exercising Integrity at the Moment of Decision

November 25, 2015

Exercising Integrity at the Moment of Decision

“May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you”

Psalm 25:21

Psalm 25, in its original form, was written in the acrostic poetic form with the first verse beginning with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; each succeeding verse began with the next letter in the alphabet. The careful composition of the psalm suggests David, the traditionally accepted author, wrote the psalm as an aid to discipleship. (This is similar in purpose to such things as the ACTS acrostic for prayer: Adoration; Confession; Thanksgiving; Supplication.)

In the orthodox tradition, this psalm is used as a prayer at the beginning of a work day. The opening lines, “O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God!” are in the same form as the versicle used so often in the church today: Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

In his acrostic form, the psalmist moves from calling out to God, to a plea for mercy coupled with a confession of sin. Affirming the character of God, he then affirms the character of God’s disciples. In his closing plea for deliverance, the psalmist affirms his belief that staying in a right relationship with God will be his protection: “May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you” (Psalm 25:21).

Psalm 25, as an aid to discipleship for David, sought to build his character so that he would exercise integrity at every moment of decision. John Wesley called this scriptural holiness; walking in harmony with God. Ponder this for a long moment: walking in harmony with God. Can there be any higher ambition for our lives?

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.