Hymn of Praise

 

Hymn of praise 

 

I will be the first to admit that the book of Jeremiah is one of the harder books in the Bible to get through.  It’s a lot of judgment on nations that people these days have never seen and it’s not easy to relate to but sometimes you find things among all the doom and gloom that get your attention.  In Jeremiah chapter 51 I was reading all about the destruction of Babylon when I came across this section called A Hymn of Praise to the Lord.  It at first seemed out of place but then it doesn’t.  Because sometimes we need to be put in a headlock have our heads shaken and remember who he is and who we are not.   It’s an RKO outta Nowhere to get our attention.  

 

Jeremiah 51:15-19

 

“The Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom.  With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.  When he speaks in the Thunder, the heavens are filled with water.  He causes the clouds to rise over the earth.  He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.  

 

The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge!  The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud.  These idols have no breath or power.  Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies!  On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.  But the God of Israel is no idol!  He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession.  The Lord of Heavens’ armies is his name!”  

 

 

Give us clean hands by Charmaine

Revelation song by Newsboys 

Just one person

 

Just one person

 

Charlie Mike

Continue the mission

Be a hopegiver

Hope found in God’s Word

If just one person

Draws closer to God

The goal will be accomplished

I get

Discouraged

I fail and fall

God provides

Timely encouragement

Must

Continue the mission

God’s not done

With me

Or you

Must share

Hope

It’s a blog

And a Bible study

That’s weird

He’s weird

Week upon week

Doesn’t make sense

He keeps sharing

Passion

For just one person

To draw closer to God

Illustrations not normal

The mission continued

Be a hopegiver

Hope

Is

A

Person

Named

Jesus

Must keep sharing

For just one person

To draw closer to God

 

 

 

 

Directors cut:  I channeled a lot of the reasons I continue to do a weekly Bible study blog into a poem.  I included the discouragement the ups and downs.  I know a poem is not a normal thing to share but I was reminded of the power of pen, paper and thoughts this week.

 

Not about us

 

For as long as I’ve done this blog thing, I’ve tried to do something the mentor of my dad taught him and that was “to put the cookies on the bottom shelf”.  You keep things simple so others can understand them.  I’ve sat under preaching where the person speaking has so much learning he has forgotten his audience.  I don’t mean that as an insult to anyone.   I want to speak and write clearly in a way that people understand.  Some of you know I used to do fictional stories as well and I’ve been told before that I write in a way that the reader can see what’s in my head.  That’s a great compliment.  I wish I still had that ability.  I can’t seem to finish my stories anymore.  That’s a problem for another day.  When you present God’s Word you have to remember it’s not about you it’s about bringing glory to Him.  I never want to be the important part.  If you ever see me do this as a video, I don’t care that someone sees I’m looking down reading what I’ve written.  I have to write this out because it is also a written blog and I also lose my train of thought easily. 

  So, onto Paige really quick.  She’s a singer I discovered by shopping at Half Price Books, and I found a cd of hers and there’s a song she does called So Not About Me.  I’m going to share some of the lyrics and then the scripture that goes with this blog.  See we’re to be all about giving glory to God and not taking it for ourselves.  

 

“Every good and perfect gift comes from you Lord

Yet I receive the credit for these things 

I’ll place my mind and focus on you

And take the stupid spotlight off of me

Someone take this stupid spotlight off of me

 

It’s all about you, who you are, what you’ve done  

What you’re gonna do 

It’s all about your holiness 

It’s so not about me”

 

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

 

“If the good news we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.  Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.  They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.  They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.  You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves.  We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”  

 

We have to be clearly understood when sharing God’s Word.   I saw a thing on Facebook recently that was so true.  “When God put his calling on your life he already figured in your stupidity.”  I get things so messed up and wrong, but God called me to share his love and hope and somehow he uses a flawed human like me.  He can use you too.  

 

 

Sadly there is no video on You Tube for the song by Paige.  

Declaration by Geoff Moore and the Distance

Seed to sow by Michael W Smith 

People need the Lord by Steve Green

 

So I can thank you

 

So I can thank you.

 

I’ve had a long stressful week at work. Physically and mentally, it has been exhausting.  My thoughts have been scattered.  There’s a phrase in this short chapter I’m about to share that when we are stressed out, we all need.  Driving back and forth to work has been a blur and I listen to a lot of music on the way and sometimes you need that to get your thoughts fixed back on God.   Psalm 142 is short, but it reminds us where to turn.  

 

“I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy.  I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.  When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn.  Wherever I go my enemies have set traps for me.  I look for someone to come help me, but no one gives me a passing thought!  No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.  Then I pray to you, O Lord.  I say ‘You are my place of refuge.  You are all I really want in life.  Hear my cry for I am very low.  Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.  Bring me out of prison so I can thank you.  The godly crowd around me, for you are good to me.’”

 

Part of the chapter says, “Bring me out of prison so I can thank you.”  Maybe we aren’t in a physical prison but sometimes our thoughts can be, and we need to get focused back on God more than we realize.  I almost didn’t even do a blog this week because my thoughts have been so messed up.  

I mentioned music and there is an old hymn that got my attention on my way to work.  

 

“Great is thy faithfulness,

Great is thy faithfulness 

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed thy hand has provided 

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me”

 

Time to shift your focus back on God.

 

 

Great is thy faithfulness by Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans

We don’t need it by Rebecca St James

Weak days by Steven Curtis Chapman 

In Heaven’s eyes by Sheila Walsh