The title for this blog entry comes from the worship and witness sections rather than the WORD section.
October 24, 2015:
Worship: Humble Thyself by Maranatha Singers
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord;
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift)
You up (higher and higher)
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift) you up.
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord;
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift)
You up (higher and higher)
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift) you up.
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift)
You up (up into heaven)
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift) you up
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift)
You up (higher and higher)
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift) you up.
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord;
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift)
You up (higher and higher)
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift) you up.
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift)
You up (up into heaven)
And He (And He) shall lift (shall lift) you up
Video:
Who is the man to whom the Lord will have regard
He who is broken and has a humble heart
God is not impressed with the loftiness of man
For everything was made for Him and comes from His own hand
So humble yourself before your Lord and King
Give Him your heart, offer your everything
There’s no limit on the love He has for you
So humble yourself and see what God will do
Who are the people that the Lord will bless
Those who love and fear Him, and seek His righteousness
Nothing else in all the world can satisfy your soul
But the One who made the universe, He longs to make you whole
So humble yourself before your Lord and King
Give Him your heart, offer your everything
There’s no limit on the love He has for you
So humble yourself and see what God will do
“If My people humble themselves and pray
I will hear them and lead them in My way”
So humble yourself and let Him have His way
Love His word and His will obey
For His eyes are on the one who’s heart is true
So humble yourself and see what God will do
Video:
Witness: Today’s time is fleeting by. I actually spent much of my time tonight finishing yesterday’s WORD portion. Today I sought to come up with a song for worship. As I finished my prayer time an instrumental version of “Humble Thyself” was playing. This seemed appropriate as a song to worship and encourage. Actually, the song’s emphasis is more horizontal than vertical. Nevertheless, it reminds me that the way up is down. You see I am afflicted by something that many of us struggle with. It’s something I am not proud of. You see I struggle with pride. My form of pride comes in the form of self-doubt and lack of confidence. So when I write or speak, I am more prone to listen for praise from others than to pray for their edification and blessing. I seek it to confirm that what I said was good and not so much for their good. Instead of realizing that this is exactly where I should be, not trusting in my sufficiency, but God’s all-sufficiency through me, I search for that which will bolster my self-confidence and not God-confidence. I think if we were honest, many would admit that they struggle with this same form of pride, though they may have never seen it as pride until now.
So with this simple lyric and the lyrics from another wonderful song by the same people, I remind myself that the way up is down. Not “up” to make much of myself, but the way up, to bring me into the presence of my God, my Shepherd, my all in all. I remind myself with the words from the lyrics from the second song above:
“Who is the man to whom the Lord will have regard
He who is broken and has a humble heart
God is not impressed with the loftiness of man
For everything was made for Him and comes from His own hand”
I must remember I am the “sheep” and not the “Shepherd”.
2 Chronicles 34:27
You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.
You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.
WORD:
A psalm of fDavid.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
NIV |
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. KJV |
In reading commentaries about the “rod and staff”, one thing is clear. They are not clear on what each one is. Most see these as two different instruments with different purposes. From what I can glean from the various commentaries and resources “their” purposes are the following:
1. Protection
2. Support
3. Rescue
4. Inventory
5. Guidance
6. Preservation
7. Discipline
More tomorrow, the alarm is going off saying, “time to get ready to go to work!!!”
"I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me."
— Ps 23:4
Behold, how independent of outward circumstances the Holy Ghost can make the Christian! What a bright light may shine within us when it is all dark without! How firm, how happy, how calm, how peaceful we may be, when the world shakes to and fro, and the pillars of the earth are removed! Even death itself, with all its terrible influences, has no power to suspend the music of a Christian's heart, but rather makes that music become more sweet, more clear, more heavenly, till the last kind act which death can do is to let the earthly strain melt into the heavenly chorus, the temporal joy into the eternal bliss! Let us have confidence, then, in the blessed Spirit's power to comfort us. Dear reader, are you looking forward to poverty? Fear not; the divine Spirit can give you, in your want, a greater plenty than the rich have in their abundance. You know not what joys may be stored up for you in the cottage around which grace will plant the roses of content. Are you conscious of a growing failure of your bodily powers? Do you expect to suffer long nights of languishing and days of pain? O be not sad! That bed may become a throne to you. You little know how every pang that shoots through your body may be a refining fire to consume your dross—a beam of glory to light up the secret parts of your soul. Are the eyes growing dim? Jesus will be your light. Do the ears fail you? Jesus' name will be your soul's best music, and His person your dear delight. Socrates used to say, "Philosophers can be happy without music;" and Christians can be happier than philosophers when all outward causes of rejoicing are withdrawn. In Thee, my God, my heart shall triumph, come what may of ills without! By thy power, O blessed Spirit, my heart shall be exceeding glad, though all things should fail me here below.
(from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 1999, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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