GOD WITH US!
Today’s Reading: Psalms 120-124
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
This is the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu (Gallicantu = “cock crow”). It’s a Roman Catholic Church located on the eastern slope of Mount Zion commemorating Peter’s triple rejection of Jesus on the night He was arrested. According to Christian tradition, the location of this church is also the original place of the House of High Priest Caiaphas. In the distance you can see the security fence that divides Israel from Palestinian territory. And even further you can see in the haze across the Jordan valley to the mountains of Moab in Jordan. We are reminded in today’s reading to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Psalm 121:5-8
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
Here are five little Psalms with big content!
Psalm 120 is written by a person of peace who did not take vengeance against those who slandered him. We can learn from these words that we should take false accusations to the Lord in prayer!
Psalm 121 teaches us that God continually watches over us. This is one of several “Songs of Ascent” to be sung as pilgrims are climbing up the mountainside to its highest point on which Jerusalem is located. As they look up they are filled with faith and expectancy as they are facing the City of God!
Psalm 122 was sung after entering the gates of Jerusalem. They realize that worship in Jerusalem would continue to be possible only if the city continued to be secure, prosperous and peaceful!
Psalm 123 was sung as they approached the Temple. Now they are lifting up their eyes to behold the Lord Himself!
Psalm 124 is sung to describe God’s interventions over the years in miraculously protecting the people of God as long as they welcomed His help, knowing that He would not intervene on their behalf if they didn’t want Him to do so. We are created in the image of the One “who made Heaven and earth.” Human free will, given to people who are made in God’s image, means that we must call for His help so that He can respond without violating our free will!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I lift up my eyes to You. I know that You hear me! Therefore, I pray that You will preserve me from all evil! I “pray for the peace of Jerusalem!” Have “mercy on us!” Thank You that I have escaped like a bird. You have broken the trap (snare), and I am free! I pray in the name of the One who is truly on my side, Jesus Himself! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I may have shared this before but here goes the story. My father, Roy Mainse, suffered 3 heart attacks after 21 years as a missionary in Egypt. His Doctor told him that he must return to Canada for any chance of recovering. A 300-mile car ride was necessary, from Assiut to Cairo, in the blazing June sun with no air conditioning. Dad was lying across the back seat (his nephew, Lorne Kenny was driving. Lorne for many years was the head of the Middle Eastern Studies Department at the University of Toronto). Dad told me that he felt he would faint in the intense heat. Somewhere on that trip Dad quoted out loud Psalm 121. Lorne confirmed this story to me several times. As Dad said the words of the old King James version (6a), “The sun shall not smite thee by day,” a small cloud came between the sun and the car. That cloud remained between the sun and the car for the remainder of the trip! My Dad and my cousin Lorne both assured me that Egypt, with the desert on both sides of the Nile River, does not have clouds in the sky in June! God was surely on Dad’s side that day! He lived and ministered here in Canada for another 20 years. At 76 years of age, while shovelling snow, he sat down on the steps of his Toronto home and his heart stopped. He was immediately with the One Who was truly on his side!!! Amen
Yours in recognition of the fact that when we decide to side with God, He will side with us!!!
David
P.S. I have an ostrich egg on which I had Psalm 121:5-6 inscribed in gold paint. It sits on the top shelf above me as I type. I love to show the egg to my great-grandchildren while telling them the story of their great-great-Grandfather and the Egyptian sun! Below is a photo of the egg.
I purchased this egg, emptied of its contents, in Jordan. Our guide offered to print the words of Psalm 121:5-6 in gold lettering after I had told him my Dad’s story. I look quite skinny in this picture. I’ve put on 20 pounds since this was taken! Praise the Lord!!! Thanks to all blog readers who pray for me!!!
Wonderful commentary and account of your father’s protection David. I’m reading this in our motel room in Kentucky as my wife ( Ruth ) and I journey South towards Florida for the Winter , in very unseasonable hot weather ! A foretaste ( we hope ) of our treat to come.
Praise God for His protection and the joy of being His child. Love the story of your dad and the Psalms lift me up.
Blessings to all and still praying for the needs of our saints in Christ.
Praying for the peace of Jerusalem.
Shalom,
Graham.
2012 Holy Land Yellow Bus.
Thank you David for sharing that story about your father. It reminds me of a similar miracle in my earlier years. In my 20s I used to run 6 miles every second day usually in the early morning or early evening as I didn’t like running in the heat of the day. I was faithful to this commitment. Well, something happened that caused me to miss running for a couple of days in a row. I decided to run in the heat of the day – one blistering hot summer afternoon.
About half way through my run I could feel that I was becoming dehydrated. (The good Lord knows how stubborn I can be…) When running, no matter how sore or aching, or tired, I would complete my run. So here I am only about half way into a run with many turns, not just a straight line and I asked my Lord to protect me while I complete my run.
It was a bright, hot, sunny day with only one cloud in the sky that through a shadow about 500 feet in diameter. That cloud moved above me so that I could run in the shade for the remainder of that run… Praise God!
Perhaps this is the reason why our Lord performed that miracle in my 20s, so I could share it today…
God bless blog friends
Wonderful intervention and covering over God’s children. Encouraged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuvVlGa-HIo
Thank you for Sherry.
Pastor David I had memorized Psalm 121 many years ago when I was in Sunday School, I am now trying to memorize it once more It is such a wonderful Psalm. Friends could you please pray for my husband Ted (same age as you Pastor David). He has had sciatia in his left leg for over two weeks. He is going to therapy but it isn’t helping him with the pain. Thank you that we can ask you dear blog friends to pray for each others needs. Blessings Eleanor M.
I meant to say thank you Sherry for this rendition of Psalm 121.
Your welcome, I am praying for your husband. May our Lord and Saviour heal him completely. Have a wonderful day.
Eleanor do you know of a Naturopath in your commmunity? If so, ask if they do Vitamin C injections, where they go directly into the blood stream, these are very good treatments, they relieve pain, only needed once a month, very effective for many ailments….It is Vit c, Zinc and magnesium…..may be something you and your husband may want to look into……blessings
Thanks Sah II will pass it on to my husband. I am pretty sure there is one near us. Bless you my friend.
Amen! Catherine.
Great Psalms!!! I prayed for the Peace of Jerusalem. Great picture Reynold, curious to know how it was taken. Bless you for your faithfulness!!!
Thank you Pastor David for sharing your Dad’s story. Reminds me of the cloud that sheltered a group of us in Soul Korea to protect us from the hot sun as we worshiped in the Stadium there in 1972 during the 10th Pentecostal Conference. In answer to our prayer. Thank you Jesus for Your Faithfulness!!!!
Thank you, all of you, for your prayers. You are doing more than you know. With every step of obedience, you are fulfilling God’s purposes in his creation. Lord God, please help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, Maker of heaven and earth.
Thanks again for sharing your AWESOME FAITH with us and I never get tired of hearing about your dad’s journey that day.
You continue to INSPIRE ME THROUGH YOUR FAITH.
Your father’s faith too. God hes surely blessed your wonderful family and Norma-Jean, I loved hearing her songs.
I PRAY FERVENTLY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.
And your daily blog, through which continues to BUILD UP MY OWN FAITH and learning to UNDERSTAND “” GOD’S WORD “” throughout the 4 years , everyday I learn to understand the importance of ☆☆☆GOD’S WORD☆☆☆
Jenny.
What a wonderful story about your dad., David, I love to hear about his Missionary Experiences and his love for the Lord. You, David have certainly followed in his footsteps. So many of us have been profoundly blessed by your teaching over all these years on l00 Huntley Street. I have been spiritually nurtured by you and the Huntley Street teams and hosts sine 1979. I was in the audience several times when you were at 100 Huntley Street in Toronto. Fond memories of Father Bob and Gordon Williams. I have only visited on a couple of occasions, to Burlington when I went on one of your Tours to The Holy Land in the early 90’s. A trip I will never forget.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your Blog. It is so appreciated. I read it every day. I praise the Lord that He has given you the health and strength to serve Him and to help us in our walk with God through the Scriptures.
I pray for your continued health, David and for Norma-Jean and all the Maines Family. May God continue to bless you all.
Amen! We are blessed again by the story of your father’s journey in Egypt. Never tire of it and other stories of your family. I remember when I first went to Africa, I mentioned about the moon being so bright and the sun so hot when I went down into the town. One of the missionaries mentioned the verse in Psalm 121 about the sun and moon. Will pray for your husband Ted Eleanor.
I love this blog and the Faithfulness of Rev. David Mainse to bless us all. I love the comments and the fellowship of it as well as I read them. Everything about it is such a Blessing and a strength.
from reading the blogs it appears many people have or are travelling, I appreciate your hsaring your experiences! it also apppears many have done missionary work in their travels, thank you so much for sharing your experiences.
many have had Holy Spirit moments with the Lord! I so appreciate you sharing these experiences! I’ve had many also, but one that still resonnates with me is April 16, 1995 the Lord removed smokes/alcohol from me after my friend spoke these words over me WE HAE THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT ENABALES US TO DO MORE THAN WE EVER DREAMT! the bad habits were GONE and never again indulged! That truly was a God experience!
Again I appreciate reading the blogs and thank you to everyone for sharing!
OUR LORD GOD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, OUR TRUNE GOD! OUR THREE IN ONE!
blessings to all
That is so amazing! I also was delivered from smoking years ago due to prayer from Christians. God is so Awesome!