Tag Archives: care

You Know

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Such a beautiful, powerful Psalm – today I find it gently calming – God knows.

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 (CEV)

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

The Lord Is Always Near

139 You have looked deep
into my heart, Lord,
    and you know all about me.
2 You know when I am resting
    or when I am working,
    and from heaven
    you discover my thoughts.

3 You notice everything I do
    and everywhere I go.
4 Before I even speak a word,
    you know what I will say,
5 and with your powerful arm
    you protect me
    from every side.
6 I can’t understand all of this!
    Such wonderful knowledge
    is far above me.

13 You are the one
who put me together
    inside my mother’s body,
14 and I praise you
    because of
the wonderful way
    you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous!
    Of this I have no doubt.

15 Nothing about me
    is hidden from you!
I was secretly woven together
    deep in the earth below,
16 but with your own eyes
    you saw
    my body being formed.
Even before I was born,
you had written in your book
    everything I would do.

17 Your thoughts are far beyond
    my understanding,
    much more than I
    could ever imagine.
18 I try to count your thoughts,
    but they outnumber the grains
    of sand on the beach.
And when I awake,
    I will find you nearby.

(God’s Name Is) I Am

There are lots of songs out there based on this Psalm.  This one seemed to fit where I am.  These are the Lyrics:

Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn’t always this tall
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed
You watched my team win, You watched my team lose
You watched when my bicycle went down again

And when I was weak, unable to speak
Still I could call You by name
And I said, “Elbow Healer, Superhero
Come if You can” and You said, “I Am”

Only sixteen, life is so mean
What kind of curfew is at ten p.m.?
You saw my mistakes, You watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I’d never love again

And when I was weak, unable to speak
Still I could call You by name
And I said, “Heartache Healer, Secret Keeper
Be my best friend and You said, “I Am”

You saw me wear white by pale candlelight
I said, “Forever to what lies ahead”
Two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
Too much it might seem when it is two a.m.

And when I am weak, unable to speak
Still I will call You by name
Oh, Shepherd, Savior, Pasture Maker
Hold onto my hand, You say, “I Am”

The winds of change and circumstance
Blow in and all around us
So we find a foothold that’s familiar
And bless the moments that we feel You nearer

When life had begun, I was woven and spun
You let the angels dance around the throne
And who can say when, but they’ll dance again
When I am free and finally headed home

I will be weak, unable to speak
Still I will call You by name
Creator, Maker, Life Sustainer, Comforter, Healer, my Redeemer
Lord and King, Beginning and the End

I Am
Yes, I Am

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Sheep or Goat?

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Sheep and Goats

Such apparent similarities between sheep and goats.  In one field, not always easy to tell apart. Yet the differences are there, and are significant.

Matthew 25:31-46 (CEV)

The Final Judgment

31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. 32 The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.

33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created.35 When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, 36 and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”

37 Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? 38 When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear39 or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”

40 The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”

41 Then the king will say to those on his left, “Get away from me! You are under God’s curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink.43 I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.”

44 Then the people will ask, “Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?”

45 The king will say to them, “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.”

46 Then Jesus said, “Those people will be punished forever. But the ones who pleased God will have eternal life.”

It wasn’t me,
I didn’t do anything much,
just what anyone would do,
just caring for my neighbour,
the starnger,
the outcast.
Making sure they were
fed,
watered,
welcomed,
clothed,
cared for
and knew they were loved.

I don’t deserve any praise
or special treatment.

It wasn’t me.
I didn’t do anything wrong.
I have my own concerns
to worry about and care for.

I didn’t even see you Lord,
you know I would have stopped if I did.

And there are so many needs,
how would I know where to start?
What do do
How to make a difference?

There are so many others with more time and resources.

It isn’t my responsibility.

(And besides which,
I’m busy doing “church work”)

And Jesus said,

Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me

And Jesus said,

Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me

Lord,
forgive me when I get caught up
in myself
and my own issues;
when I miss the need all around me,
or feel overwhelmed
or impotent
in the face of it.

Help me
to see you
in the face of every person.
May that inform
how I respond
and react.

Lord,
Make me  a sheep,
not a goat

Held Tightly, Yet Gently

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You’re my Rock,
my place of safety.

You hold the earth,
and me within it,
tightly,
yet gently.

You carefully,
lovingly,
formed this earth
and placed me in it.

You know each blade of grass,
each contour of the hills,
each cell of my body
and you watch over it.

So I come,
in realisation,
in thankfulness,
in praise.

There are days for questions,
for shouting,
for anger;
but today is a day of praise.
I lift my heart and soul to you.
To worship you,
not just from where I am today,
but from the very depth of my being.

Thank you for your gentle,
tender,
yet strong
hold on me.
When my hold on you
is not so strong,
my I remember
your strength
and care:
your love
and tenderness;
your watching
and your promise.

And hold on to that
as you hold on to me.

By Raja Selvaraj (Sheperd) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Psalm 95:1-7 (CEV)

Worship and Obey the Lord

95 Sing joyful songs to the Lord!
    Praise the mighty rock
    where we are safe.
2 Come to worship him
with thankful hearts
    and songs of praise.

3 The Lord is the greatest God,
    king over all other gods.
4 He holds the deepest part
    of the earth in his hands,
    and the mountain peaks
    belong to him.
5 The ocean is the Lord’s
    because he made it,
    and with his own hands
    he formed the dry land.

6 Bow down and worship
    the Lord our Creator!
7 The Lord is our God,
    and we are his people,
    the sheep he takes care of
    in his own pasture.

Listen to God’s voice today!