Psalm 127

A song for pilgrims ascendant to Jerusalem. A psalm of Solomon.

“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until later at night, anxiously working for foot to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.

Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward for Him. Children born to a young man are likes arrows in a warriors hands. How joyful is the man whose quiet is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.”

Psalm 126

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem

“When the Lord brought back His exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the lord has done for them.’ Yes the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!

Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew in the desert. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”

Excerpts from Psalm 77

(A psalm of Asaph, for Jeduthun, the chord director)

“I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward the heaven, by my soul was not comforted. I think of God and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for His help.

You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed to even pray! I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference now.”

“O God, Your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate Your awesome power among the nations. By Your strong arm, You redeemed Your people, the descends of Jacob and Joseph.” (Psalm 77, 1-6, 13-15, NLT)

Scripture on Motives

[Jesus said,] “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will loses the reward from you Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1, NLT)

[Jesus said,]”And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire then for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.” (Matthew 6:16,NLT)

Count Your Blessings

The Lord gave me this hymn for this Thanksgiving. Is is public domain and written by Johnson Oatman , Jr in 1897. I have posted the four stanzas first and the chorus at the end. I leave this as an encouragement for you when you are going through a season of uncertainty.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you overburdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy, your load to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you a wealth untold.
Count your many blessings money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your Lord on high.

So amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort with you till your journey’s end.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Explanation of God

According to Snopes.com, this article as been around since 1993 and they could not confirm then authorship. The article is supposedly written by a third grader who lived in Chula Vista, California who assignment was to explain God. It is definitely food for thought.

“One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes then to replace the ones that die, so that there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. They want He doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.”

“God’s second and most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of things goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off.”

“God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad’s head asking for something they say you couldn’t have.”

“Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there is any in Chula Vista. At least there are not any who come to our church.”

“Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on the water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to then and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father, and He told His Father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God say OK.”

“His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth. So He told him He din’t have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.”

“You can pray any time you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.”

“You should always go to church on Sunday because it make God happy, and if there’s somebody you want to make happy, It’s God. Don’t skip church or do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun don’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.”

“If you don’t believe in God, beside being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared, in the dark or when you can’t swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.”

“But…you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases. And… that ‘s why I believe in God.”

Peace in These Uncertain Times

There is no doubt that we are living in uncertain times. The Russian/Ukraine war, soaring gas prices, and bare shelves of many items at the grocery store as well as increase in the cost of many items.

There are many ways that we can be frugal. Try to combine your usual errands and shopping to one day of the week in order to save fuel. When driving, do not accelerate fast and drive slower to increase your gas mileage. When possible, select store brands decrease the cost of your grocery bill. Lower or increase your thermostat in your home depending on the season conservatively.

But most important of all is to give your anxiety and worries to God. We are not in control of our situation, God is sovereign and is in the ultimate control.

“God is our refuge and our strength, alway ready to help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, NLT)

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time, He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.

Say alert! Watch 0ur for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm agains him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going though the same kind of suffering you are.” (2 Peter 5: vv. 8-10, NLT)

The Ukraine Flag

The Ukraine crisis has impacted the entire world. Nations have joined together in support of the Ukraine people’s bravery and patriotism. Many of us have ties to someone in that country.

While looking for a suitable picture of the Ukraine flag to print. I was interested in what the colors represent. Blue over yellow. Blue represents the blue skies. and stands for freedom. Yellow is the color of wheat. A simple translation is “Freedom over Bread”. Further research includes other interpretations such as “Peace and Prosperity” and “Calm and Joy.”

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NLT)

References:
https://worldpopulationview.com
https://youngpioneertours.com
https://en.wikiapedia.com