Sunday, October 6, 2013

SAVE ME O GOD! (Psalm 69:1a)

Suggested Reading: Psalm 69

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Here my photographer son, David Reynold, placed his Bible on the stones on which Jesus stood in the Roman governor Pilate's courtyard. Here they clothed him in the old robe of royal purple and placed the crown of thorns on His head in order to mock His claim of being a king. Here Jesus was scourged with whips. The prophet Isaiah prophesied of this. "But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) Through the centuries the city has been built up over the stone pavement, but these original stones can be seen in the lower area of the Sisters of Zion convent.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: Psalm 69:21

They also gave me gall for my food,

And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Prophetic statements are found in many places in the writings of King David. The words of our key verse actually happened to Jesus as He hung on the cross. Check out Matthew 27:34-48. In Psalm 22 David writes the most obvious prophesies fulfilled in Jesus’ suffering and death. David is a prophet! Only Isaiah is more detailed in his prophecies of the coming Messiah! David wrote around 1000 B.C. and Isaiah around 500 B.C. What are the odds of such prophesies being minutely fulfilled? Obviously God revealed in advance the future events that happened when Jesus took the sins of the whole world upon Himself.

There are two streams which flow together in David’s poems. One is the expression of deep inner emotion, arising from experiences which press upon David as an overwhelming burden. The other stream is an outpouring of confidence in the love and providence of God! We all have trying times because we live in a world which is out of tune with God; and at the same time we can experience an inner peace by being personally in tune with God!!!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I thank You for building such confidence in my heart and mind by revealing the future to Your prophets as You did to David and Isaiah! I pray that I will constantly remember that nothing takes You by surprise, and that You do all things after the counsel of Your will, and that also includes the events of my life! (read Ephesians 1:11&12). I pray this in the Name of the One “Who works all things according to the counsel of His will!” Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’ve just walked out on the balcony of our apartment building here in downtown Burlington, and the traffic noise from the street below and even from the Burlington skyway bridge nearby is a sound of discord. My ears are bombarded with out-of-tune sounds. This world is not in harmony with its’ Creator. The maple leaves across the street are beginning to die and are just beginning to protest their demise with a variety of colours. There is evidence of death here. The life of the trees will be buried underground shortly, but I expect a resurrection this Spring. I’ve come back inside now. My Bible and my laptop computer are open before me. All is quiet and a beautifully harmonious orchestra begins to play in my heart and mind. Our divine Conductor is in charge. Every instrument is playing in tune. I sense the presence of God who alone creates and gives us life, bringing us into harmony with Himself through the person and work of Jesus Christ!

I’m probably reflecting my age here, but Norma-Jean and I almost always listen to 96.3, New Classical Radio, Toronto. Magnificent orchestral masterpieces are delightful for our ears to hear. Of course Norma-Jean and I differ, in that I also love the Nashville sound of country and western music. Norma-Jean, not so much. All of us here in the blogosphere, if we could put our feelings into music, might sound like the orchestra tuning up, but after a while the conductor takes charge and we make beautiful music together! God carries the melody line in the score of life, and we make the harmonies on a wide variety of human instruments. Amen???

Yours for hearing clearly God’s melody line, reading the notes found in Scripture, and playing them well, 24/7.

David

P.S. Below are two views from our apartment building. In the first one, you can see the Burlington Skyway Bridge, and across the Hamilton harbour is the city of Hamilton, where the steel mills of Dofasco and Stelco are at work. The second photo shows how some of the trees are just beginning to change into their Fall colours. The Niagara escarpment is on the horizon. Thanks to my grandson, Adam Mainse, who took these pictures yesterday on an overcast day. (you can click on them to enlarge the photos).

22 thoughts on “Sunday, October 6, 2013

  1. Beautifully written David. I’m so thankful
    God has the melody line in my life and
    is the conductor of His amazing
    orchestra. May we all join in today
    making beautiful harmony that will
    rise in praise to the throne of our
    majestic, sovereign God…our conductor,
    Blessings to all the human instruments
    in God’s orchestra!!!

  2. You present a beautiful analogy of finding harmony and refuge, with God as our conductor, amongst any discord. Turning off noise in our minds and finding peaceful moments in awareness of our Lord, is truly a blessing. Knowing God is in control and will guide and direct us as in Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Great pictures today! The picture of the open bible in the foreground always makes me think of the “life” which lives inside the words we read. Nice shots too, Adam! Have a great day of worship, to all!

  3. Thank you for sharing those pictures from your apt. The leaves here in rural Nova Scotia are much more in colour, and many of them are fluttering to the ground. As you said; the feel of death is evident, but like you we await the resurrection in the Spring. I’m thankful for this blog as my devotional before we go off to Sunday School, and to Worship. May God bless you and Norma Jean today, and always.

  4. David here in P.E.I. we need a little more frost before most of the leaves change
    there have been a few I’ve seen. Fall is my favorite season and the beginning of
    spring when every thing starts a new. Your picture are beautiful Adam
    Thank you David for your personal words in your blog.
    Lianne Hogg

  5. I am in that area and I look at that view at least 3 times a week and often more! I love the noise and the busyness though. My mother was in Joe Brant Hospital for some time a few years back and we loved looking at the bridge and traffic. Now my sister is in the nursing home next to it and we see the same view. We love it and so do the residents of the home. Construction is going on at the front of the home (which faces the bridge) and the men, especially, like to watch the building going on. I was surprised when, in today’s reading, David prayed that the names of his enemies would not be included in the Book of Life! Really surprised. We now know that we must love our enemies and never give up on them. Right?

    • Love the pictures today, and love being a part of God’s grand symphony. Like you Doreen, I sometimes struggle with David’s prophetic speaking of Jesus, and his other inspired writings. We can be assured that even as Jesus was dying on the cross and taking on the sinful burdens of all mankind, that He said “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do”. Having said that, David is not wrong, we must remember that anyone who is determined to turn there back on Christ and remain an enemy of God will suffer dire consequences.

  6. A movie called Dogville is a good mirror on the world. The writer or director might not have believed in Jesus (or maybe did) but the movie was obviously inspired by the parable Jesus spoke about the vineyard that was loaned or leased to husbandmen who abused and killed the owner’s servants when they were sent to collect the fruits from the vineyard and then even killed the owner’s Son. Also, christians are in the master’s house but they are abused for not wanting to mutiny against Jesus. An evil one is a conductor in the world and he is leading a rebellion against God. He often just changes the song just a bit at first.

    • Yes, Brad … Our Father is omnipotent, the alpha and omega! Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

  7. Love the word picture in your blog today David M. and the photo’s by Adam, that depicted your words so well. 🙂 Thank you.
    I pray we each will hear our Conductor clearly each day, and will live in harmony and learn to make beautiful music together.

  8. psalm 69:30-33 i will praise God’s name in song
    and glorify Him with thanksgiving
    This will please the Lord more than an ox
    more than a bull with its horn and hooves
    The poor will see and be glad-
    you who seek God may your hearts live
    As a HCA, i work in a facility for seniors. i regard them all as my family members and have great love and respect for them:) one of them was very cheerful, independent and loving. I remembered one day i offered to dance with her,, she gave me a tight hug afterwards and said a big “thank you!” i was happy because i was almost sure i made her day by the grace of God. About a month or two ago, she had a serious fall that forced her to stay in the hospital for awhile but by the grace of God she rejoined us at the facility a few weeks ago. I am grateful that she is back, i am just not content with her present situation and i believe our God can make her whole again! she has a serious Back pain, doesn’t remember what exactly happened sometimes, cannot walk on her own anymore and mourns most of the time because of pain:( she is certainly not herself anymore. i spoke to her a few days ago and asked if she believes in God? she said, “Yes” i asked if she believes that God can make her whole again? she said, “maybe”. i went ahead to ask if she would like me to pray with her, she accepted, so we prayed together. Just like the blind man on a verse in Mthew said to Jesus “Lord, if You are willing, i know You can make me see”, i strongly believe she would be whole again, God Willing. So i ask you all my fellow bloggers to please pray for this woman and many more out there that need the touch of The Almighty! God knows this woman by name and nature. please pray specifically for HEALING AND STRONGER FAITH IN GOD. Thank you all and God bless you all abundantly…Amen!

    • Dear Rev. David M,

      Thank you so much once more for sharing another personal touch of your life with us. Thank you to your grandson for the picture.

      I just came back from worship and fellowship with my alliance church buddies and once again, this week, I am wonderfully surprised by the Lord’s touch with His great timing! Two more books of why they die and teen suicide were handed down by me. To my surprise, the young counselor explained to me how I was right on time to give comfort and support to a young man who has just lost his girlfriend to suicide. So thank You, thank You Lord, for always being just in time. Amen!

      P.S.: Patricia, you are truly a blessing for all those precious elderly for which you care for and yes, we do have an Amazing Healer, He’s called Jesus! And I will be praying for healing in the way only Him can do it, all for His Glory. Amen. Amen.

      Have a blessed day, everyone1

      xxxx Carole

    • Patricia, it’s a wonderful work that you do among our elderly. With both parents in a care home facility (Mom at 94 & Dad at 98), I’m acutely aware of the needs and the care of our elderly. I’m saddened to say that our society still has a long ways to go in the way of providing required resources for elder care, however, there has been improvement over the years. People like yourself can make an impact on lives and I thank the Lord He has placed You in their midst. God bless you!

      • Amen Scott and I totally agree with you. From what I have seen its like most people go for that job not because it’s their calling but because it’s one of the best paying jobs for little or no schooling at all and coming immigrants in the country. So people who do it for the money, only put their hearts into it when the supervisors are their but their is little or no love at all. To do it to the fullest, you’ve got to love it and it has to be in you:) I always tell people that the HCA job, is one where one can be easily blessed or cursed depending on how your treat the residents:) by the grace of God, conditions will continue to improve more and more Amen! 98 and 94! Wow…God has really blessed your family and may they continue to live a happy and blessed life…Amen

  9. Dear David,
    I am encouraged by yr daily blog ! Today I felt that it was time to encourage you with a long overdue Thanks. Briefly, in 1984 I was a single mom working as a prostitute to support my kids. I was alone with no family in the province and few friends. I had been saved at age 15, but needed much healing and deliverance to stand, let alone walk out my new faith and fell.
    I would come home at night and lay in my bed crying out to God to save me from the life I was in. The day came when He carried me away from that life and left it all behind. He saved me not once, but then and again and again.
    I had no friends or church, but in the morning when I would get the kids off to school, 100 Huntley St would come on. It was my lifeline. I cannot thank you and all who make up the program enough. I dont believe I would have made it without the support provided by your self and those who prayed for me.
    Today I am 53 yrs old. I serve the Lord in a local church and teach at an outreach centre. My kids are married adults and this spring I welcomed my first grand-child into the world. Without Jesus and those who proclaim Him, I would not be alive to type this email. Back then, I struggled with suicide on many occasions and played with drugs. One of my co-workers was murdered in a satanic ritual… The only difference between her and I, was that I had God’s protection. Yes, even in that life He was there.
    Thank you, thank you for the work you and many others did and do to put 100 Huntley St on the air. Great, great is your reward.
    Love in Christ.
    a.

    • Amen! Amen! Amen and Anen! Even in our filthiest and darkest moments AC, The Lord is still with us and loves us… It’s just Amazing and beyond comprehension! But all we can do is say, THANK YOU PAPA AND NEVER STOP SERVING HIM

  10. Wonderful Patricia. I thank you for the important work you do – “unto the least of these”. I do pray that this lady will grow in the Lord and her physical problem, and especially the pain, will be corrected. May God’s Perfect Will be done in her life and yours.

  11. Thank you David for the analogy and the photos of your views. My friends and I just came back from a ride to see the leaves which are at their peak this weekend in N.B.Your view is completely opposite from mine which consist of harvested potato fields, golden ripe soybean and canola fields. Like the idea of all of us making beautiful music together. Blessings everyone.

  12. Yes I so appreciate all the beauty in the world made uniquely by our creater , and thank you gor believers on this nlog to pray one for another
    I need prayer for my younhest daughter Miranda she s 29 and had surgery for cervical cancer 2 weeks ago and she is still bleeding she needs yhe total healing in jesus nsme amen

    • I can pray for instant healing or more better things for your daughter, but after a verse I read yesterday in Mathew, I will rather pray for THE WILL OF GOD to be done in your daughters life my dear. It is always the best! God bless you and your family

  13. Pastor David, thank you so much for your beautiful words that knit us together with the song of all creation groaning for His return. One day we will all be singing praises to our Sovereign God in harmony with up turned faces, hands lifted high and soaring spirits in homage to the King of Kings Who is from everlasting to everlasting! Psalm 57:5, 11. Your blog is getting sweeter and sweeter as the days go by. May God continue to inspire you and bless you & your loved ones for years to come.

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