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Gentle Reader,
It’s that time again! Time for the friends and the fun, the Napoleon Dynamite pictures and the movement to kill cilantro with fire.
It’s Kate. It’s the FMF Party.
Go.
I’ve been staring at the screen for minutes now, trying to catch the words.
God, gathering His children together in the shelter of His arms.
Holding us close. Keeping us safe.
Indescribably precious.
I’ll let the psalmist do the talking.
I love you, God—
you make me strong.
God is bedrock under my feet,
the castle in which I live,
my rescuing knight.
My God—the high crag
where I run for dear life,
hiding behind the boulders,
safe in the granite hideout.
I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
and find myself safe and saved.The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat;
devil waters rushed over me.
Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;
death traps barred every exit.A hostile world! I call to God,
I cry to God to help me.
From his palace he hears my call;
my cry brings me right into his presence—
a private audience!Earth wobbles and lurches;
huge mountains shake like leaves,
Quake like aspen leaves
because of his rage.
His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;
his mouth spits fire.
Tongues of fire dart in and out;
he lowers the sky.
He steps down;
under his feet an abyss opens up.
He’s riding a winged creature,
swift on wind-wings.
Now he’s wrapped himself
in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.
But his cloud-brightness bursts through,
spraying hailstones and fireballs.
Then God thundered out of heaven;
the High God gave a great shout,
spraying hailstones and fireballs.
God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!
He hurls his lightnings—a rout!
The secret sources of ocean are exposed,
the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered
The moment you roar in protest,
let loose your hurricane anger.But me he caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.The good people taste your goodness,
The whole people taste your health,
The true people taste your truth,
The bad ones can’t figure you out.
You take the side of the down-and-out,
But the stuck-up you take down a peg.Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life;
I’m blazing with glory, God’s glory!
I smash the bands of marauders,
I vault the highest fences.What a God! His road
stretches straight and smooth.
Every God-direction is road-tested.
Everyone who runs toward him
Makes it.Is there any god like God?
Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me,
then aimed me in the right direction?
Now I run like a deer;
I’m king of the mountain.
He shows me how to fight;
I can bend a bronze bow!
You protect me with salvation-armor;
you hold me up with a firm hand,
caress me with your gentle ways.
You cleared the ground under me
so my footing was firm.
When I chased my enemies I caught them;
I didn’t let go till they were dead men.
I nailed them; they were down for good;
then I walked all over them.
You armed me well for this fight,
you smashed the upstarts.
You made my enemies turn tail,
and I wiped out the haters.
They cried “uncle”
but Uncle didn’t come;
They yelled for God
and got no for an answer.
I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.
I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.You rescued me from a squabbling people;
you made me a leader of nations.
People I’d never heard of served me;
the moment they got wind of me they listened.
The foreign devils gave up; they came
on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.Live, God! Blessings from my Rock,
my free and freeing God, towering!
This God set things right for me
and shut up the people who talked back.
He rescued me from enemy anger,
he pulled me from the grip of upstarts,
He saved me from the bullies.
That’s why I’m thanking you, God,
all over the world.
That’s why I’m singing songs
that rhyme your name.
God’s king takes the trophy;
God’s chosen is beloved.
I mean David and all his children—
always. – Psalm 18 (MSG)
May this be our song tonight.
Stop.
Beautiful! I love that you chose God’s word to grace your page and to speak what is in your heart! Happy Weekend!
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His words are always the best words. Happy weekend to you, too!
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I’ll sing that song along with you, friend!!!
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At the top of our lungs! 🙂
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What a beautiful translation! I’ve never read the Bible with The Message, but this psalm makes me want to. God is so incredibly faithful to gather us in His arms like a gentle and loving Father!
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I usually use the NKJV, but sometimes the Message just resonates. God is so very faithful indeed! I pray you have a sense of His loving arms around you tonight. 🙂
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So beautiful! I rarely use The Message translation but every now and then, it’s just breathtaking and spot on.
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Definitely!
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LOVE this Psalm “He lowers the sky and steps down” Beautiful
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I love that image. He steps right into our lives. So precious!
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I absolutely love David’s way of expressing his love for the Lord. My favorite part of this;
“I feel put back together,
and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.”
This is exactly how it is to be a follower of Christ for me. What a glorious feeling it is to be saved!
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Amen!
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Love this 🙂 and so glad to have met you on FMF.
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It’s great to connect with you, Paula!
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I can’t carry a tune at all but this is a song I will sing anyway.
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I can’t either. We’ll sing together and drown each other out. 🙂
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Oh girl… I love this so and I usually use the NKJV or the NASB, but The Message? Gah! It’s so romantic and lovely! When all else fails… His Word never will! Love you, friend! (even though I actually like cilantro… but we can get over that, right?)
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His word stands forever! (Cilantro will not. Grin).
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Oh, David…just love his heart. He was still before God and took Him at His word. There is no God like our God, indeed.
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Amen, Tiffany.
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A beautiful soul-soothing song for the weekend. 🙂
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Yes!
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