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Psalm 76 "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain... He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth." (v.10,12) You may have heard of a controlled burn, when certain boundaries of a region is set ablaze in order to prevent loss from uncontrolled wildfires. What we learn from this passage today is how even wrath can also be instrumental for good under established limits. Anger occurs when a goal is unmet after applying our intentional and necessary efforts. When repeated efforts that are intentionally attempted prove ineffective, the intensity of our anger can grow into rage (or wrath). In rage, our reaction of anger is expanded beyond the target source of our frustration . Imagine a child trying to remove a knot from his shoestring. After several unsuccessful attempts, you will not be surprised to see him throw the shoe while having a dramatic tantrum. He no longer saw the source of the problem as the knot in the shoestring, but the problem was the entire shoe. He takes his anger out on the entire shoe instead of the knot. In the scripture it clearly addresses (a) mans wrath as a blessing, not his anger. So, all we really can know is that this unidentified man has apparently been frustrated in his purposed plan repeatedly. So this man now reacts in broader and expanded actions out of rage. But just like the frustrated child tossing his shoe, the outcome of this man would clearly be reacting to his situation without a narrow focus of control. In many situations, if we find ourselves near someone reacting to his situation out of rage, it would not likely feel very safe. Rage is not constrained by reason. Anything or everything may become a target of explosive anger when someone is enraged. Yet what we see in this scripture is that even when such a man becomes “out of control” in responding to a frustrated situation, such chaotic reactions can be a source of praise. Now when we think of praise, we think of getting a particular blessing which we may have hoped for but not necessarily had expected. When you put both of these pieces together, you get a situation where a man is extremely frustrated, and possibly even broadly reactive to a situation that may result in an outcome which is a blessing for another person...as intended by God. We can have confidence in this prescription but what follows, “the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain”. In other words, the actual outcome which may seem unsafe and “out of control” by the man’s intended purpose, will still be limited within the precise boundary of what God allows according to divine purpose. So this would suggest that whatever may seem to be man’s, willful expanded reactions of frustrated plans, may actually result in precisioned blessings intended for others. The scripture goes on to attribute where such orchestration of God is employed. God’s plan will be followed as his divine boundary sets the limits of power for even princes and kings. That thought can certainly grant us all comfort. Ultimately, despite the claim of control, all authority will fulfill what God himself intends as a blessing. When we find ourselves fearful and despairing the dictates of any man, we can rest assured God has destruction on a leash. Continue in hope, my friends.

Psalm 75 “ But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.” (7-8) Of all the stains that are most difficult to remove, red wine is likely one of the most difficult. When it accidently drops into carpet, the red wine seems to find its way deep into the threads of carpet and it gets absorbed into foundation of the fabric. The judgment of God is much like the diffusion of a dark red wine. It not only falls upon mans sinful fabric, but even the nature nature at the foundation brings holy condemnation throughout our being. The judgment of God is presented as an analogy of fermented and potent wine (full of mixture) in this passage. Wine is also known to have a particular influence on those who consume it. When moderately consumed the way in which it impacts us may not be noticeable at first, but within ten minutes alcohol begins to affect our reaction time, judgment and behavior. Euphoria is often experienced early due to the release of a neurotransmitter known as dopamine, a “feel good” chemical in our brain. After a while alcohol tends to make people more confident and they often report feeling more relaxed. However, much of the change is due to disinhibition, when self regulation and tight control of impulses become hampered and the constraints on our behavior become loosened. In a way, we become much more verbal , transparent about what we think and who we are in a less guarded state. The impact of wine upon our minds make us more vulnerable & less defensive depicts how we will face God’s judgment even when we believe our true character is “hidden”. We may feel confident or proud about our acts of righteousness or good deeds but in the end we really have no quality that is truly good. Under the exacting judgment of God we will seen as our true self, with the stain of our unrighteous. We tend to forget that God already knows us better than we know ourselves. We may fool most people in our portrayal of good people, and we may even fool ourselves in our rationalization, but God is not deceived nor can he be manipulated. When we stand before God in our sincerity, we will either be found justified in receiving honor (lifted up) or deserving of rebuke (put down) and his judgment will be in full (the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out,the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out,) . Either way, the manner in which we will be judged will be established fair, true and in measure to what our nature deems. Eventually, all people will be judged (all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them) and no one will be able to hide from God’s judgment. Thank God for his mercy which is able to save us completely from the wrath our sins deserve because of the sacrifice paid for us through his son.

Psalm 25 "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies....What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant".(v10,12-14) The central theme of this chapter rests on the greatest prize of life. It is like a painted portrait where the focused subject is the "secret", framed by the remaining message in the chapter. It is easy to miss when we read the chapter with casual reading. The key verse is, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant". The word, "secret" here in Hebrew means intimacy. The word, "Covenant", means familiar alliance, promises and favor" So if we wish to grasp the true message, we can restate the verse as, "The intimacy of the Lord is with them that revere him, and he will show them his promised & familiar favor" True religion is not a one-way street. It is like having a best friend in God through a rich history of sharing life experiences together. But in order to be aligned for this dear friendship, we must approach him in reverence. We must walk in"mercy and truth". This means having two hands on the wheel. We must steer in the way of truth (the ways which are honest and true), while at the same time trusting the great mercy of a supreme God who desires a relationship with us, even though knowing our weakness. This is the reverence that is depicted which is properly aligned for the rewarding relationship we have in Christ. A meaningful relationship with God is intimate. It is dynamic in the dialogue and always available within each moment throughout our day. It is a whisper of praise for an unexpected blessing and a sigh of sorrow in a disappointment that only the most intimate friend can share. As long as we pursue righteousness through faith in God we can have the reward of intimate friendship and experience a constant dialogue with him through our life's journey. Embrace the intimacy of God and enjoy the friendship only he can provide.

Psalm 12 "The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted." (v.8) This scripture from David reveals to us how the society we have is a reflection of the people's values. When good and principled persons are esteemed, people will regard their good qualities in each other as praise-worthy. But when people praise those who are unprincipled or lawless, then such standards will erode the integrity of communities. Like most truth principles, we can see a common parallel at work within the cells of our bodies. Cancer cells are not foreign cells in our body. Cancer arises from normal and healthy cells that despite their misread information somehow passed the rigorous inspection that every cell must pass through. All cells read the same genetic code and acquire their particular role by following specific information on the same DNA map that was made available for the entire body . It is really amazing how within each intracellular environment there are small protein structures that are placed which actually unzip, unpack and unfold a region of DNA code in order to assign a role that new cells will follow to serve the entire body as a whole. However, cancer begins when some alteration takes place in how a growing cell follows its instructed role for the body. People are often surprised to learn that this frequently occurs to all of us. But there are certain support elements that perform a 'check and balance' during the replication process to repair or eliminate errors in the misread instructions. Any significant duplication deviation detected from compared DNA instruction in cell development will often be stopped early and repaired. Problems occur when misread information is not kept "in check" and the abnormal cell is permitted to develop through to maturity. It still has the same DNA as every cell in our body. It looks normal to other cells, but it lacks a clear role assignment in order to coordinate with and support the body. Ungoverned cells that are not following their needed role instructions will often neglect their boundaries and begin to intrude into roles that were not assigned. Such cells become the loud and obnoxious relatives who invite themselves over during more private times and assume responsibilities they were never given. Since most cells serve specific roles there is often a communication barrier in their coordinating activities. Kitchen staff deal with kitchen activities. Gardening staff deal with gardening activities. So if someone from the gardening staff shows up in the kitchen and begins to prepare a meal, the kitchen staff will often “assume” the gardener is permitted to be in the kitchen. The kitchen staff will often just make room for the intruding gardener and continue with their own activities. As the permitted gardener becomes a more frequent visitor, he is likely to prepare more elaborate meals for himself and require items from the kitchen staff. This is called “promoting”, when deviant cells take on a primary role of independent action. Before long, the kitchen staff are quitting and walking off the job since the gardening staff has taken over the kitchen, which is akin to metastasis. Cancer may resemble normal cells in our body, but they take on liberties and roles in our body without regard to the original role intended, promoting their own survival. When healthy cells permit cancer growth or enable cancer growth, it leads only to clear destruction of the entire body. Consider today's verse again. How is the health of our society? Are we exalting the right message of unity for a stronger and healthy society? We all have a a role to play in the society we wish to have for our nation. Have a wonderful day, my friends.

A Good that never satisfies the mind, A beauty fading like the April flowers, A sweet with floods of gall that runs combined, A pleasure passing ere in thought made ours, An honour that more fickle is than wind, A glory at opinion's frown that lowers, A treasury which bankrupt time devours, A knowledge than grave ignorance more blind; A vain delight our equals to command, A stile of greatness, in effect a dream, A swelling thought of holding sea and land, A servile lot, deck't with a pompous name; Are the strange ends we toil for here below, Till wisest death make us our errors know. The book of sonnets, edited by A Montagu Woodford

Psalms 13 " How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?...... But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." (v.1,2;5,6) David paints a clear picture through his words of what abandonment feels like . We find him in a desperate hour wrestling through an internal dialogue between two separate striving entities within his struggle, that is umpired by faith-based reasoning. David’s first emotional state that he captures is one of insignificance (being forgotten). He then debates with himself, knowing that his intimate God could not forget him. He moves up one step in this argument and expresses that apparently, God must be hiding from him. But this invites a new challenge to David where he questions why God would hide away and silently allow him to be alone in his sorrow. David then reflects upon himself as if in second person, as his "reasoning self "debates with his "emotional self", to give counsel to his own soul. In order for David to move forward, his reasoning self is invited to assure his emotional self of the historic journey that both his reason and emotion have shared together. He encourages himself through reflection, recalling the times in his life where he had trusted God in similar situations of doubt. He offers himself the assurance that God has always proven himself to be merciful towards him. When David reflected on God's faithfulness in the past, his feelings of abandonment were replaced with a renewed hope. David portrays for us the answer to how we can deal with "feeling alone and abandoned". He encourages us to embrace the truth of God's mercy revealed in overcoming past hardships. Then with this assurance, we will be able to look more confidently towards the future. David's insight helps him to move beyond the present moment, knowing God has used such times in his life to build upon his faith. David's current troubles compel him to embrace his future in renewed hope, by leaning on the lessons of God's reliable deliverance. God is fully aware of the anxiety we are facing individually and the fear that burdens our nation in current times. The answer to overcoming the struggles of this oppressive season is by reminding ourselves of God’s faithful deliverance from the the past. As our faith has been tried and has matured from past struggles, we can be confident that we will come away from this dilemma stronger than we were. It is because of our hope, based on faith that we know we will be restored. Let us celebrate where we will be, confidently embracing the blessings which are in store for us by relying on the proof of God's faithfulness toward us. We have every reason to celebrate in the middle of our trials. Just keep looking forward, backward, my friends.

Psalm 74 “ .. Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs...they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God ... We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long...(YET)..The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter...Have respect unto the covenant: Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: ..” Some of the more trying times we face in life are those times confronted with despair. We often have times when life takes a wrong turn from the direction we were heading. But in those times of disappointment or frustration we can often use the road signs to direct us back to the highway toward our intended destination. Despair is much different than just taking the wrong exit. Despair is what we feel when we find ourselves going in the wrong direction and we have no signs or indications to help us get back on track in the right direction. We continue on the unfamiliar road before us with a growing anxiety that builds toward panic with each additional unfamiliar mile. This is much like what we see in this passage. The psalmist introduces a time when the intrusion of unbelievers became emboldened in disrupting his religious community. He shared how the disregard of what is sacred became elevated to involve direct and intentional attacks by enemies bent on the destruction of anything religious. The enemy took pride in their evil deeds to strip away any sacred significance just to elevate their own selfish ends above the symbols and standards of morality. As everything sacred was removed or destroyed by growing numbers, grief gave way to despair. There was neither a ready defense nor hope of returning to their shared community of faith. In such hopeless times we can still find something to anchor our hope. The psalmist reminds us that despite the denial of God and his reign over our lives, God still reigns. The righteous and the unrighteous still carry on their lives and abide under God’s supreme power. It is God who sets the boundaries of each day and night and it is God who set the seasons in place. It is God who determines the limits of all things even though it may be denied or dismissed by the enemy. In the conclusion of this passage, we are reminded that even when there is chaos and lawlessness, God may delay in judgments, but he will never permit his care and commitment toward us to be challenged. His name will never be dishonored nor will he be silent forever. God does not require our defense to be God. Oh, and by the way, if you ever get lost on your travels, as long as you know where the sun rises and sets, you will never be truly lost. Have a wonderful day, my friends.

Psalm 68 WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT Adversary Side:* “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. *not recommended Righteous Side “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.” *extol mean to place before you *rideth means to travel before you PRE-QUALIFIED “ A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” *solitary in families -those alone in houses *rebellious - wandering in the dessert at your own risk PROVISIONS “O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness...The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.” *heavens dropped - “much needed rain (plentiful)” *confirms - your guide will provide for your needs as you follow READINESS “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.” *gave word - you will be requested when it is your turn *company.. - we celebrate your efforts to succeed *she..tarried - leave someone at home to sort your sure rewards *lien pots..feathers - the tarnished prizes will be brilliant EQUAL OPPORTUNITY “Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever.” *why leap hills - your value is far more than people see TRAINING “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.” *loadeth..benefits - you will be asked to carry burdens each day but only what you can handle, to build strength *issues of death - your guide will always be available from now on WHAT OTHERS SAY* “They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us”. * when the travel is finished there will be a great celebration! +You will enjoy sharing stories with other champions, like you friends!

Psalm 31 " I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities... My times are in thy hand...For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications ... Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." (v. 7,15,22,24) The message we can take away from this chapter is central to all our cares and concerns. Let's face it, we all have unique concerns and often we feel that whatever trial we face is uniquely ours. But what is suggested by the words, "thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.." is that God is very familiar with 'what make you tic'. He knows your history, what bothers you and your cares of the day. Now consider the words that David offers to us, "My times are in thy hand...For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications ". The word, "times" suggests the seasons we experience. God knows not only what bothers us but he knows what seasons of trials we encounter. But this is attached to a divine assignment, "are in [God's] hand". Our God only permits what he allows for those whom he loves and is familiar. If we consider the theme of this passage, they lead us in one direction. There are no surprises with God. He knows us and already knew where we would end up despite our choices in life, both good and bad. Furthermore, he has already prepared the optimal course of action for your restoration. It is as if we attend class each day and the teacher gives us each an individual assignment for our personal growth and development in life. We may feel afraid and uncertain when we face trials just as David expressed, "For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless..". But be of good courage. God has already prepared for our situation in advance. That is how David can encourage us with his words, "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.", The word "strengthen" here does not mean just to make strong, but carries the meaning of "animate or make fully alive". Yes, if God shows us such kindness and assures us he already knows what where we are in our life, then be assured he remains with us in the restoration of living. Be confident. There are no surprises with God. Have a great day, my friends.

Psalm 65 Praise waiteth for thee...O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house..By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea.. Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice...Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God..” (v.1-9) This psalm is one of great paradox and insight. There is a dance between great needs and great provision enjoined by the state of ‘complete satisfaction’. We begin with David and the people approaching their place of worship in a state of proper preparation. They “wait” or silence all hearts and minds before the presence of God, where they become profoundly aware of their unrighteous state before a Holy God. David then assures the people that the very desire to be in God’s presence was by God’s invitation and he would not reject those who embrace the great mercy and love he must have for them. God’s presence stirs our deepest needs for Him while offering through mercy a way to completely satisfy our needs. It is only by the confidence in God’s love and mercy extended toward us that all creation is made complete. David then represents how God’s presence satisfies the anguish and restlessness of all people just like the way God can calm the unsettled waves, he also brings rest to the “tumult of people”. Nature can often manifest powerful displays that appear awesome in wonder and even fearful. These are the “tokens” or signs of just how restless we can become. This refers back to the “terrible things” and awesome stirrings for God. Observing such desperate activity reminds us that only in God can bring peace from “ morning to evening”. We are told that God visits the earth to water and enrich even the plants that depend on God to meet all needs of creation through loving grace in abundance. We were created to live abundant “lively” lives through a partnership with God himself. It is only in God’s presence that we recognize our deepest need for Him and accept the fellowship provided for us through his love and mercy. Life can only be enriched by love and the greatest expression of love is through the act of sharing it. That is why we were created. God offers such a gift of loving by loving us despite that which is unlovable within us. That is what emphasizes his love above all. The gift of our needs is our invitation to abundant living through our merciful and loving God. Let your needs remind you of God’s faithfulness, my friends. Have a great day.

Psalm 24 “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (v.1) There are times when I am stirred by the recent reports from mainstream news that I follow. I find that it can be so easy to allow concerns about our nation and how far left our political direction is pushed by the current leadership. We can get so caught up in how the country is mismanaged that we begin to grow anxious & begin to feel powerless in the process. But even this chaotic time can teach us something about anxious thoughts. Anxiety often arises when we feel compelled to control matters that are beyond our reach. This mindset sets us up for failure and tends to stir a sense of powerlessness in our situation. But there is a way to realign our thinking that can restore a sense of balance. Sometimes it is best to imagine yourself sitting at a table in a restaurant. The plate, the silverware, and the glass in front of you is within your reach. These things are in your hands to handle as you wish. But as you are sitting at that table, you can not practically reach the other places in the restaurant. You can not even handle the items in front of other customers unless you rise from your own seat and move away from the table which was offered for you to sit. In a similar way, you can not change the thoughts or opinions of others. You can not dictate to your neighbour what he ought to choose from the menu. Neither can they determine what you will think or choose from the menu. To believe otherwise is to introduce powerlessness for the control you do not have and neither was provided to you. Sure, you can still assume that other items beyond your reach lies without your control. But such beliefs diminishes your true influence and will only stir frustration for the control you do not really have. This example is helpful when you consider what is in your power to control. Anxiety occurs when we believe we can “change the things that are not within our reach”. However, in this restaurant, as in this world, we know the owner. It is best for our own peace that we remember that we have our place assigned for our seating and we are free to use the entrusted items purposed within our reach. It can ease our mind to remember that even when we do not see the owner standing near our table, we can be confident that he has everything else we can not reach well within his control and he knows how to handle those concerns which were not intended for us to reach. So, let us recline and handle our own items which were provided for us to use. Let us learn to trust the ownership and enjoy our own meal. BON APPÉTIT, my friends.

Psalm 57 "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach .. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.” (v.1-3) There is a common English expression of, “Waiting for the other shoe to drop”. It refers to anticipating for something that we expect to happen when a common action precedes it. I remember this well when I lived in an apartment years ago, where the renter living above me would arrive home and there was the sound of a shoe that dropped. That is when you find yourself hesitating in what you were doing just until you hear the second one fall shortly after. This is somewhat like what David experienced in this passage. David had already been through many trials and faced life-threatening situations. But David had learned from his experiences that even when there are days of impending dangers, God would surely redeem him and keep him safe as in prior times. We can see this evidenced by his words,” until these calamities be overpast”. David saw his bleak situation as a temporary event in his life. Let us consider his other words, " performeth all things for me”. The original meaning behind the word, “performeth” reveals something important for us. God isn't going to do things for us where our effort is required. God can not help you to be the best version of yourself without you. The language here actually refers to the idea of bringing an event to a conclusion or a desired end. It seems important to get this message that David wanted us to understand. The trials which come our way apparently have a particular purpose in our lives. There is something that God wants to complete with us and through our faith in him in order for it to be stamped as ‘complete’. This theme is often revealed to us as believers. In our life it is not intended that we are to just negotiate our own way around life obstacles in this worlds maze until we find the cheese in heaven. Any trial which is introduced into our lives must have a value attached to the intended end as well. Each day and each trial serves a particular role for us and can unfold great lessons individualized for us to live victoriously. We need to approach our trials as muscle-building times for our faith. There is nothing that can overwhelm us when we embrace that we have something important to learn from the experience. This can give us confidence that our God is actively training us and will certainly see us through to the end of the lesson. After the first drop, just relax. The other shoe will eventually drop when it is the right time. Have a good day, my friends.