Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

Relax, The Lord is in his Temple. Psalm 11, Day 26, Jan 26

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The light of God surrounds me,
The love of God enfolds me,
The power of God protects me,
The presence of God watches over me.
Wherever I am God is
And all is well.

Image credit

One of the unexpected side-effects of blogging through the Bible is that it calms me down. Especially when I attempt to blog a Psalm.

The message of this Psalm is Relax. God is in charge, and he has got it all under control.

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

 1 In the LORD I take refuge. 
Just the very words are calming.

   How then can you say to me: 
   “Flee like a bird to your mountain. 
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; 
   they set their arrows against the strings 
to shoot from the shadows 
   at the upright in heart. 

When he considers the might of the opposition, everything seems hopeless. However, we are always under God’s protection, and no arrows can reach us unless he decides to let them reach us.

Hannah Whitall Smith’s “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.”


                           Chapter Twelve: “Is God in Everything?”
“All things work together for the good of them that love the Lord.”


 I learned this lesson practically and experimentally long years before I knew the scriptural truth concerning it. I was attending a prayer-meeting held in the interests of the life of faith, when a strange lady rose to speak, and I looked at her, wondering who she could be, little thinking she was to bring a message to my soul which would teach me a grand practical lesson. She said she had great difficulty in living the life of faith, on account of the second causes that seemed to her to control nearly everything that concerned her. Her perplexity became so great that at last she began to ask God to teach her the truth about it, whether He really was in everything or not.
 After praying this for a few days, she had what she described as a vision. She thought she was in a perfectly dark place, and that there advanced toward her, from a distance, a body of light which gradually surrounded and enveloped her and everything around her. As it approached, a voice seemed to say, “This is the presence of God! This is the presence of God!” While surrounded with this presence, all the great and awful things in life seemed to pass before her—fighting armies, wicked men, raging beasts, storms and pestilences, sin and suffering of every kind. She shrank back at first in terror; but she soon saw that the presence of God so surrounded and enveloped herself and each one of these things that not a lion could reach out its paw, nor a bullet fly through the air, except as the presence of God moved out of the way to permit it. And she saw that if there were ever so thin a film, as it were, of this glorious Presence between herself and the most terrible violence, not a hair of her head could be ruffled, nor anything touch her, except as the Presence divided to let the evil through. Then all the small and annoying things of life passed before her; and equally she saw that there also she was so enveloped in this presence of God that not a cross look, nor a harsh word, nor petty trial of any kind could affect her, unless God’s encircling presence moved out of the way to let it.
Her difficulty vanished. Her question was answered forever. God was in everything; and to her henceforth there were no second causes. She saw that her life came to her, day by day and hour by hour, directly from the hand of God, let the agencies which should seem to control it be what they might. And never again had she found any difficulty in an abiding consent to His will and an unwavering trust in His care. 
http://theoxfordchristian.blogspot.com/2011/01/journey-from-worry-and-anxiety-to-peace.html



3 When the foundations are being destroyed, 
   what can the righteous do?”

Rest. Look at God.


4 The LORD is in his holy temple; 
   the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
   his eyes examine them.
5 The LORD examines the righteous,
   but the wicked, those who love violence,
   he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
   fiery coals and burning sulfur;
   a scorching wind will be their lot.

The Lord observes everyone one earth. His eyes examine them. I have not seen justice done in every case in which I have been wronged, or slandered or misrepresented. In a couple, surprisingly, I have.  The only thing to do when the wicked apparently prosper is to leave it in God’s hands for him to deal with.

 7 For the LORD is righteous,
   he loves justice;
   the upright will see his face.

Leave your affairs in God’s hands, if you have been unfairly treated. He sees. 
And the upright will see his face, which is one of the greatest experiences there is. 

Relax, The Lord is in his Temple. Psalm 11, Day 26, Jan 26

By

The light of God surrounds me,
The love of God enfolds me,
The power of God protects me,
The presence of God watches over me.
Wherever I am God is
And all is well.

Image credit

One of the unexpected side-effects of blogging through the Bible is that it calms me down. Especially when I attempt to blog a Psalm.

The message of this Psalm is Relax. God is in charge, and he has got it all under control.

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

 1 In the LORD I take refuge. 
Just the very words are calming.

   How then can you say to me: 
   “Flee like a bird to your mountain. 
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows; 
   they set their arrows against the strings 
to shoot from the shadows 
   at the upright in heart. 

When he considers the might of the opposition, everything seems hopeless. However, we are always under God’s protection, and no arrows can reach us unless he decides to let them reach us.

Hannah Whitall Smith’s “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.”


                           Chapter Twelve: “Is God in Everything?”
“All things work together for the good of them that love the Lord.”


 I learned this lesson practically and experimentally long years before I knew the scriptural truth concerning it. I was attending a prayer-meeting held in the interests of the life of faith, when a strange lady rose to speak, and I looked at her, wondering who she could be, little thinking she was to bring a message to my soul which would teach me a grand practical lesson. She said she had great difficulty in living the life of faith, on account of the second causes that seemed to her to control nearly everything that concerned her. Her perplexity became so great that at last she began to ask God to teach her the truth about it, whether He really was in everything or not.
 After praying this for a few days, she had what she described as a vision. She thought she was in a perfectly dark place, and that there advanced toward her, from a distance, a body of light which gradually surrounded and enveloped her and everything around her. As it approached, a voice seemed to say, “This is the presence of God! This is the presence of God!” While surrounded with this presence, all the great and awful things in life seemed to pass before her—fighting armies, wicked men, raging beasts, storms and pestilences, sin and suffering of every kind. She shrank back at first in terror; but she soon saw that the presence of God so surrounded and enveloped herself and each one of these things that not a lion could reach out its paw, nor a bullet fly through the air, except as the presence of God moved out of the way to permit it. And she saw that if there were ever so thin a film, as it were, of this glorious Presence between herself and the most terrible violence, not a hair of her head could be ruffled, nor anything touch her, except as the Presence divided to let the evil through. Then all the small and annoying things of life passed before her; and equally she saw that there also she was so enveloped in this presence of God that not a cross look, nor a harsh word, nor petty trial of any kind could affect her, unless God’s encircling presence moved out of the way to let it.
Her difficulty vanished. Her question was answered forever. God was in everything; and to her henceforth there were no second causes. She saw that her life came to her, day by day and hour by hour, directly from the hand of God, let the agencies which should seem to control it be what they might. And never again had she found any difficulty in an abiding consent to His will and an unwavering trust in His care. 
http://theoxfordchristian.blogspot.com/2011/01/journey-from-worry-and-anxiety-to-peace.html



3 When the foundations are being destroyed, 
   what can the righteous do?”

Rest. Look at God.


4 The LORD is in his holy temple; 
   the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
   his eyes examine them.
5 The LORD examines the righteous,
   but the wicked, those who love violence,
   he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
   fiery coals and burning sulfur;
   a scorching wind will be their lot.

The Lord observes everyone one earth. His eyes examine them. I have not seen justice done in every case in which I have been wronged, or slandered or misrepresented. In a couple, surprisingly, I have.  The only thing to do when the wicked apparently prosper is to leave it in God’s hands for him to deal with.

 7 For the LORD is righteous,
   he loves justice;
   the upright will see his face.

Leave your affairs in God’s hands, if you have been unfairly treated. He sees. 
And the upright will see his face, which is one of the greatest experiences there is. 

The Lord does See. Psalm 10, Day 24, Jan 24th

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Kumah Adoni, Arise, Oh Lord.
Do you know anyone like “the wicked man” described here? I am afraid I do. 
The wicked man you know may well be “a Christian.” Even “a Christian leader.”

Are you like the wicked man described here in any way? Read it and see and examine yourself. 
If so, repent.

God is patient. The aim of his patience is to bring us to repentance.

He waits until his cup of wrath is full. Then he pours it on the wicked. 

The Psalm may be centuries old, but it describes the schemes of the manipulative, as they seek to get their way.
Psalm 10

 1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off? 
   Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

 2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
   who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
   he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
   in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
   your laws are rejected by[b] him;
   he sneers at all his enemies.
6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
   He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
 7 His mouth is full of lies and threats;
   trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages;
   from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
 9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
   he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
   they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;
   he covers his face and never sees.”
 12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
   Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
   Why does he say to himself,
   “He won’t call me to account”?
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
   you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
   you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;
   call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
   that would not otherwise be found out.
 16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;
   the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;
   you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
   so that mere earthly mortals
   will never again strike terror.


Contrary to appearances, God does hear our cries for justice.

The Lord does See. Psalm 10, Day 24, Jan 24th

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Kumah Adoni, Arise, Oh Lord.
Do you know anyone like “the wicked man” described here? I am afraid I do. 
The wicked man you know may well be “a Christian.” Even “a Christian leader.”

Are you like the wicked man described here in any way? Read it and see and examine yourself. 
If so, repent.

God is patient. The aim of his patience is to bring us to repentance.

He waits until his cup of wrath is full. Then he pours it on the wicked. 

The Psalm may be centuries old, but it describes the schemes of the manipulative, as they seek to get their way.
Psalm 10

 1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off? 
   Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

 2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
   who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
   he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
   in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
   your laws are rejected byPsalm 9 

   1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; 

   I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
   I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

The Psalms map all the moods of the human heart. Here David is in an ecstatic mood. He has experienced the Lord’s deliverance

 3 My enemies turn back;
   they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause,
   sitting enthroned as the righteous judge. 


I don’t know how it happens, but it does happen. Against all odds, God can protect one against one’s enemies. 

5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; 
   you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. 
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, 
   you have uprooted their cities; 
   even the memory of them has perished.#
 7 The LORD reigns forever;
   he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
   and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
   a stronghold in times of trouble. 

One can run to and within the shelter of the Lord in times of trouble. He is as powerful as a mountain stronghold.


10 Those who know your name trust in you, 
   for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
What a wonderful promise. And what’s more, it’s true.


 11 Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
   proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
   he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
I don’t know how this works out, but I do believe that in mysterious ways, it’s true.

 13 LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
   Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare your praises
   in the gates of Daughter Zion,
   and there rejoice in your salvation.
 15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
   their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is known by his acts of justice;
   the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Oh Lord, may we never dig pits for other people, or hide nets for them, and so get ensnared by the work of our hands. And please, Lord, protect us from other people’s pits, nets and snares. 




17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
   all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget the needy; 
   the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

 19 Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph;
   let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, LORD;
   let the nations know they are only mortal.


It is interesting how often the Psalms talk about the destruction of one’s enemies. Do I have an enemy? Someone who wishes evil on me. Yeah, probably. 


Am I anyone’s enemy? Am I plotting evil and destruction for anyone, or wishing it on anyone. No. I am not.


Though I would wish to see God’s justice visit some people who have done evil, I myself have no intention of lifting a finger against anyone.


It is never spiritually safe to be anyone’s enemy. For all you know, they may be a righteous person, under God’s favour and protection, who is praying these  Psalms even as we are praying them. 

Psalm 8: You have set your Glory in the Heavens.

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STARRY NIGHT OVER THE RHONE.


Psalm 8

 1 LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You are majestic

You have set your glory
   in the heavens. 
The scatter of stars in the heavens tells of your glory

2 Through the praise of children and infants
   you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
   to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
   the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
   which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
   human beings that you care for them?
You who created the galaxies, is mindful of me, he cares for me.God cares for the big and small; the galaxies, and the details of my life.

 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
   and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
   you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
   and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
   and the fish in the sea,
   all that swim the paths of the seas.

 9 LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8: You have set your Glory in the Heavens.

By

STARRY NIGHT OVER THE RHONE.


Psalm 8

 1 LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You are majestic


You have set your glory
   in the heavens. 

The scatter of stars in the heavens tells of your glory


2 Through the praise of children and infants
   you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
   to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
   the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
   which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
   human beings that you care for them?

You who created the galaxies, is mindful of me, he cares for me.God cares for the big and small; the galaxies, and the details of my life.


 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
   and crowned themwith glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
   you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
   and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
   and the fish in the sea,
   all that swim the paths of the seas.


 9 LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

My Shield is God Most High. Psalm 7, Day 13, Jan 13,

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My Shield is God Most High

Psalm 7

    A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite (who slandered him. According to the ESV Study Bible, the Psalm provides a vehicle by which those unfairly criticized and persecuted may call out to God for help.
 1 LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
   save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
   and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me. Wonderful words of peace—hiding from one’s enemies in the Lion of Judah, the strong tower.

 3 LORD my God, if I have done this
   and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
   or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
   let him trample my life to the ground
   and make me sleep in the dust.
The Psalmist protests his innocence and asks God for protection. (NB, as children of God, we can request his protection even when we are not entirely innocent. And who is?) However, the ESV notes that this Psalm expresses the prayer of the innoncent one suffering from the malice of his enemies.

 6 Arise, LORD, in your anger;
   rise up against the rage of my enemies.
   Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
   while you sit enthroned over them on high.
 8 Let the LORD judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness,
   according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
   and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
   who probes minds and hearts.
 10 My shield[d] is God Most High,
   who saves the upright in heart. 
To run behind the shield of God is an option open us to us. And a very safe place it is.

 11 God is a righteous judge, 
   a God who displays his wrath every day. 
12 If he does not relent, 
   he[e] will sharpen his sword; 
   he will bend and string his bow. 
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons; 
   he makes ready his flaming arrows.
 14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
   conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
   falls into the pit they have made.
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
   their violence comes down on their own heads.
This is so true, both when I have been the one who have dug a hole for someone else, and when people have “dug a hole” for me.

 17 I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness;
   I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.
And this is what the movement of prayer should be. We lay our requests before God, and then give thanks, and sing praises to him.